Talk of the Town
(WASHNGTON) — President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he plans to sign an order to pay “all” employees at the Department of Homeland Security amid the record-long agency shutdown.
“Help is on the way for our Brave and Patriotic Public Servants who have continued to work hard, and do their part to protect and defend our Country,” Trump wrote in a post to his social media platform.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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(WASHINGTON) — First lady Melania Trump was joined by a special guest at the White House on Wednesday: a walking, talking humanoid robot.
Named “Figure 03,” the shiny black and white robot strolled side by side with Mrs. Trump into the East Room for the second day of her international technology summit, where she is hosting spouses of leaders from 45 nations and representatives from 28 tech companies.
The robot, developed by the company Figure, welcomed guests in multiple languages and offered a wave.
“I’m Figure 03, a humanoid built in the United States of America,” it said. “I am grateful to be part of this historic movement to empower children with technology and education.”
The robot then turned and walked back down a White House corridor out of the room.
“It’s fair to state, you are my first American-made humanoid guest in the White House,” the first lady quipped after its exit.
The first lady launched her “Fostering the Future Together” initiative in September at the United Nations General Assembly.
She and other first spouses, like France’s first lady Brigitte Macron, spoke on Wednesday about the importance of balancing the use of tech with safety and the need for initiatives to equip young people with practical skills.
“Our mission to empower children through technology and education is achievable. I encourage each of you to take a proactive step after this inaugural summit. Pledge to host a regional meeting. Collaborate with the private sector. Unlock access to tech for those who require assistance, draft groundbreaking legislation to protect our children,” Mrs. Trump said. “Collaborate with another member nation. Form a committee and be a catalyst for discovery.”
“Indeed, our world is transforming, and through the use of AI, we can now access centuries worth of human humanities knowledge base. The future of AI is personified. It will be formed in the shape of humans,” she added.
The first lady kicked off the inaugural meeting of first spouses and dignitaries on Tuesday with remarks delivered at the State Department. A working session followed focused on the topics of artificial intelligence, education technology, digital literacy and skills, and safety and protection online.
Olena Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine, and Sara Netanyahu, wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are among the first spouses present.
Zelenska said she was joining Mrs. Trump’s initiative as a reliable partner, and spoke about Ukraine’s investment in digital infrastructure, education technologies and AI-enabled learning.
“For us, this is the matter of principle. No child, no adult, should lose access to education regardless of their circumstances. That is why we’re building a comprehensive digital education ecosystem,” Zelenska said.
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(WASHINGTON) — In Georgia runoff election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene, 2 veterans pitch opposing views on Iran war
In the special election runoff in Georgia’s deep-red 14th Congressional District, the two military veterans who are running to replace former GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene find themselves with differing views on the ongoing Iran war.
The two candidates, Democrat Shawn Harris and Republican Clay Fuller, will go head-to-head at the ballot box on Tuesday, in a special election runoff that will serve as one of the fist glimpses into the role the war in Iran — something Greene and other members of the Make America Great Again movement have criticized — might play in this year’s midterms.
Harris, a retired Army brigadier general, told moderators at an Atlanta Press Club debate last month that the Iran war is “not a war we should be in.”
“I spent 40 years in the military. The reality of it is, this war that we’re in right now is a war of choice,” Harris said.
Harris’ Trump-backed opponent holds a different view on the war.
Fuller, who served overseas with the Air National Guard, said on the debate stage that “our country is safer because of what President Trump has done regarding Iran.”
Greene has been outspoken about her opposition to the war, saying as recently as Sunday in a statement on X that Trump “has gone insane.”
“This NOT what we promised the American people when they overwhelmingly voted in 2024,” Greene wrote.
In an interview with ABC News, Harris slammed the Trump administration for failing to communicate their reasoning for military action to the public, and for the oil high prices caused by the war.
“The United States is suffering right now from these high oil prices, from these higher fuel prices, and this very high diesel. And because I live in a rural area, we are also suffering from the high inflation on fertilizer,” Harris, who runs a cattle farm, told ABC News.
“I 100% support our military. They are doing an outstanding job,” Harris added. “We will win this war militarily. However, we can lose this war politically.”
Fuller, the district attorney for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, declined to be interviewed by ABC News for this story.
Carl Cavalli, a political science professor at the University of North Georgia, told ABC News that dissatisfaction with the war in Iran among Republicans might serve in Harris’ favor.
A recent CNN poll found that 28% of Republicans disapprove of the Iran war.
“I don’t know whether it’s nearly enough to overcome the heavy Republican majority in the district, but as the war drags on, it could become more of an issue in the general election in November,” said Cavalli.
Greene’s surprise resignation from the House earlier this year led to a jam-packed March 10 special election where no one candidate won 50% of the vote. Harris and Fuller finished in the top two, advancing to Tuesday’s runoff.
But the runoff is only to fill the remainder of Greene’s term, meaning whoever wins will have to run again in a separate election for a full two-year term that begins with next month’s party primaries, meaning Georgians could see a Fuller-Harris rematch come November.
In a district Trump won by 39 points in 2024, Fuller remains the strong favorite to win on Tuesday.
“The 14th District is united behind President Trump and his candidate Clay Fuller because they understand we can’t afford to give any ground to the radical left or their candidates,” Fuller campaign spokesperson Will Hampson told ABC News in a statement.
But the coalition of Democrats, independents and Republicans that Harris has built has caught the attention of moderate national Democrats such as Pete Buttigieg, another military veteran, who traveled to the northwest Georgia district to stump for Harris last month.
Harris drew comparisons between himself and the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, telling ABC News that both politicians are “stand-alone leaders.”
“I’m a Democrat, but I am not tied to the party. And that simply means I don’t care if you’re Democrat, independent or Republican. If you live in Northwest Georgia … I work directly for you, nobody else,” Harris said.
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(WASHINGTON) — Sen. Mitch McConnell has been hospitalized for evaluation after experiencing flu-like symptoms, his spokesperson said.
“In an abundance of caution, after experiencing flu-like symptoms over the weekend, Senator McConnell checked himself into a local hospital for evaluation last night,” McConnell spokesman David Popp said in a statement. “His prognosis is positive and he is grateful for the excellent care he is receiving. He is in regular contact with his staff and looks forward to returning to Senate business.”
McConnell, 84, who announced last February he would end his long tenure in the Senate at the end of the current term, was hospitalized in March 2023 for five days after suffering a concussion and a broken rib after a fall at a Washington, D.C., hotel.
He suffered a “minor cut” to the face and a “sprained wrist” after another fall during a Senate Republican lunch in December 2024.
McConnell served as the Senate Republican leader for a record-shattering 18 years — the longest- serving party leader of either party. He stepped down from the role in 2024 and was succeeded in by current Majority Leader John Thune.
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