GOP rep files amendment to revert spending package back to initial House version
Shortly after the Senate voted to approve its version of the Trump-backed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Tennessee GOP Rep. Andy Ogles introduced an amendment to return the bill to its original House version that passed in late May.
Ogles made a series of criticisms about the Senate’s version of the bill after it passed Tuesday afternoon, including complaints about the bill forcing his constituents to pay for illegal aliens’ healthcare and not doing enough to halt taxpayer dollars from subsidizing green energy projects. Ogles also appeared to take issue with the Senate’s changes to the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, lamenting that the Senate “dramatically increased the amount Tennesseans are forced to subsidize state and local taxes for wealthy people in blue states.”
“The Senate CAVED to an unelected staffer appointed by a Democrat and rushed through an unfinished bill just so they could go home for July 4th,” Ogles said on X after the bill passed.
“I don’t work for the Senate parliamentarian. I work for the PEOPLE. That’s why I just filed an amendment to delete their dud and replace it with the strong House bill we passed weeks ago. The Senate’s version of the Big Beautiful Bill guts key Trump provisions — all at the behest of an unelected parliamentarian.”
MIKE JOHNSON READIES HOUSE VOTE ON TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ AMID WARRING GOP FACTIONS
Ogles and other Republicans took issue Tuesday with the Senate parliamentarian’s rulings on whether aspects of the GOP spending package fall within the necessary guidelines to qualify for reconciliation’s simple majority passage threshold. One of those decisions included requiring a provision that excludes illegal immigrants from Medicaid eligibility to obtain a super majority, as opposed to the reconciliation’s simple majority.
“We have the majority in the Senate, we should be acting like it,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, posted on X Tuesday. “The truth is, there are multiple Senators happy to let the parliamentarian act as a foil to preserve the status quo. That’s not leadership, that’s service to the swamp.”
The Senate began its amendment process to the House’s version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Monday, and lawmakers put forth numerous amendments. After the Senate finished with its amendments, it voted Tuesday afternoon to advance the bill back to the House chamber for approval.
REP. STEUBE SLAMS SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN FOR GUTTING TRUMP’S LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
Ogles’ office did not respond to questions about whether his amendment to revert the Senate version back to the original House version also means he does not intend to vote in favor of the current Senate version.
Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., has indicated he does not expect to vote for the Senate version and opposes advancing it. And Roy warned that the odds of passing the spending package before the July 4 deadline after the Senate altered the House’s version “are a hell of a lot lower than they were even 48 hours ago.”
Both Roy and Norman are on the powerful House Rules Committee, which must approve the Senate’s version for the bill to advance. Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Tuesday he does not believe the Rules Committee vote will pass right away.
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“Then the speaker is going to have to decide how he gets this back into the House framework,” Harris said. “And whether that’s by scaling back some of the tax cuts that were added in the Senate, whether it’s by going after some of the Green New Scam that the president doesn’t like – we’ll get there eventually, but I don’t think it’s going to be in the next couple of days.”
Harris clarified he is also a “no” on the motion to proceed with the Senate’s version in its current state.
Trump announces where he will kick off celebrating 250 years of US independence
President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he will kick off his Independence Day weekend by traveling to Iowa on Thursday for “a very special event, honoring our Great Country.”
“I am thrilled to announce that I will be traveling to one of my favorite places in the World, beautiful Iowa, on Thursday, July 3rd, to kick off the very beginning of our exciting Celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary!” Trump posted to Truth Social Tuesday afternoon.
“Iowa voted for me THREE TIMES, because they love my Policies for our Wonderful Farmers and Small Businesses, and they LOVE AMERICA! This will be a very special event, honoring our Great Country, and our Brave Heroes who fought to keep us FREE,” he continued, and included a link for people to RSVP. “I’ll also tell you some of the GREAT things I’ve already done on Trade, especially as it relates to Farmers. You are going to be very happy with what I say — Should be a BIG Crowd!”
The event is slated to be held at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines and is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Central Time, according to the event’s website.
TRUMP WHITE HOUSE RELEASES VIDEO SERIES LEADING UP TO AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAY: ‘ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE’
“This special event serves as the magnificent start of a dynamic, year-long commemoration across our beautiful country, unveiling a vision for a renewed commitment to America’s future,” Monica Crowley, the principal media representative for America250, said in a press release previewing the event.
TRUMP TO HOST MILITARY PARADE TO CELEBRATE ARMY’S 250TH BIRTHDAY, HONOR ACTIVE-DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS, VETERANS
The 250th anniversary of American independence will be held on July 4, 2026, with Trump repeatedly touting his administration will plan a year of patriotic events celebrating the anniversary.
The president’s upcoming trip to Iowa follows the Senate passing Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill” Tuesday afternoon, which is a massive piece of legislation that works to advance Trump’s agenda on taxes, immigration, energy, defense and the national debt.
Trump was alerted to the news during a roundtable while visiting the Florida Everglades to tour a new illegal immigrant detention center, celebrating the news in separate Truth Social posts shortly after.
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“Our Country is going to explode with Massive Growth, even more than it already has since I was Re-Elected. Between the Growth, this Bill, our Tariffs, and more, “THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL” sets the United States down a fiscal path by greatly reducing our Federal Deficit, and setting us on course for enormous Prosperity in the new and wonderful Golden Age of America,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday afternoon. “To my GOP friends in the House: Stay UNITED, have fun, and Vote “YAY.” GOD BLESS YOU ALL!”
Judge instructs jury in Diddy trial to keep deliberating after reaching partial verdict
The jury in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking and racketeering trial reached a verdict on four of the five counts against the rapper on Tuesday around 4:18pm ET.
The jury indicated they couldn’t reach a unanimous decision on the racketeering charge, one of the most serious counts against the disgraced music mogul. A federal RICO violation can result in a 20-year sentence. The transportation to engage in prostitution charge could carry a sentence of up to 10 years, while sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion may carry a 20-year sentence.
There are three options now left for the jury. The judge instructed the jury to continue deliberating for now. A second option would be to give supplemental jury instructions. Lastly, the jury could return a partial verdict. However, Judge Arun Subramanian said he is not considering the third option at this point.
The judge chose to have a portion of the jury charge re-read to them.
DIDDY DEFENSE CLAIMS HE WAS UNFAIRLY TARGETED, WHILE PROSECUTION SAYS RAPPER THOUGHT HE WAS ‘UNTOUCHABLE’
When the jury was brought back into the courtroom, the judge asked them to keep deliberating, saying it is their duty to discuss among themselves and form opinions.
Judge Subramanian said the jurors must reach a unanimous verdict, but must not give up their convictions merely to return a verdict or satisfy the rest of the jurors. The jury was then dismissed back to the jury room.
Court has concluded for the day and the jury will resume deliberations Wednesday at 9am ET.
After the jury sent the note indicating they had reached a partial verdict, everyone returned to the courtroom. Diddy remained seated with his hands in his lap. At one point, he was whispering with his defense lawyer, Teny Geragos.
Diddy also spoke with defense attorney Xavier Donaldson. The judge can be heard flipping through pages over the microphone.
Jurors began deliberating on Monday, June 30, after hearing seven weeks of trial testimony. The prosecution chose to rest the case on June 24. Special Agent Joseph Cerciello was the final witness to take the stand for the prosecution, making him the 34th person to testify.
Diddy’s defense called no witnesses.
Diddy pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted, Diddy faces life in prison. The disgraced music mogul was arrested in September 2024, months after Homeland Security Investigations raided the Los Angeles and Miami homes of the rapper.
During closing arguments, Diddy’s attorney, Marc Agnifilo, insisted the rapper was innocent. He noted that it takes courage for a juror to acquit. “Return him to his family who have been waiting for him.”
He also accused the prosecution of bringing a “fake trial” against Diddy, claiming the government went after his “private sex life.”
According to his lawyer, none of the prosecution witnesses testified to engaging in racketeering. Agnifilo pointed out the disgraced music mogul’s former employees all described working for him as hard, but also said it was like “going to Harvard Business School.”
“That’s the fake trial I’m talking about,” Agnifilo told the jurors, claiming the prosecution failed to prove the government’s theory of racketeering.
DIDDY BLOWS KISS TO FAMILY AFTER PROSECUTION PROMISES TO PUT A STOP TO HIS ALLEGED CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR
Agnifilo then brought up the raids on Diddy’s homes, pointing out the seizure of Astroglide and baby oil. There was nothing about the rapper’s businesses to make this a criminal case, the defense attorney stated.
“Where is the crime scene? The crime scene is your private sex life,” Agnifilo said.
The defense attorney also claimed the rapper never participated in sex trafficking. Agnifilo claimed what happened between Diddy and his ex-girlfriend Cassie was domestic violence, not sex trafficking. “Owning the domestic violence, we own it,” he said in court. “That’s not charged.”
WATCH: DEFENSE ATTORNEY BREAKS DOWN ‘TROUBLING’ TREND WITH DIDDY DEFENSE TEAM
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Before the defense’s closing arguments, the government explained how the trial testimony proved each charge against Diddy – two counts of sex trafficking, racketeering and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution – over the course of roughly four hours.
The government emphasized in their argument that Diddy ran an alleged criminal enterprise with full control. The prosecution pointed out that the jury heard testimony, saw texts, viewed bank records and heard audio allegedly showing the “Last Night” rapper committing crime after crime for decades.
According to the prosecution, the government showed Diddy didn’t take no for an answer. “Up until today, Diddy was able to get away with crime because of money and power,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Slavik said. “That stops now.”
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A 12-person jury comprised of eight men and four women made the decision on whether to convict Diddy of federal crimes, or let the fallen music mogul walk free following a seven-week trial.
Throughout the past two months, the jury heard from 34 prosecution witnesses. Diddy’s ex-girlfriends, Cassie and Jane, testified about the alleged physical abuse they experienced at the hands of the rapper. Diddy’s former personal assistants also told the jury about the long hours they worked and the drugs they allegedly bought for the musician.
A woman named Mia, testifying under a pseudonym, claimed she was raped by Diddy while working for him.
WATCH: PROSECUTORS ACCUSED DIDDY OF RUNNING A ‘CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE’
Prosecutors argued the disgraced music mogul used his inner circle, money and influence to cover up the alleged crimes he committed.
“Over the last several weeks, you’ve learned a lot about Sean Combs,” Slavik said at the start of closing statements. “He’s a leader of a criminal enterprise. He doesn’t take no for an answer.”
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American tourist vanishes in tropical paradise after walking from vacation rental
A man from Monroe, New York, who was vacationing in Turks and Caicos late last month is missing after leaving his rental home on June 25.
Brian Tarrence, 51, was last seen leaving his condo around 3:30 a.m. at the Paradise Inn in Grace Bay, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, according to a missing persons flyer from the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force.
“They seemed to be having a normal couple days, and he ended up walking out of his condo, which is in a very safe place and in the middle of Grace Bay Road,” the Tarrence family’s private investigator, Carl DeFazio, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “And we have him on camera, and he walks into town, and then he basically disappears, and we haven’t heard from him since.”
Tarrence, who recently moved from Monroe to Manhattan, arrived in Turks and Caicos with his wife of one year on June 22, and they planned to leave on June 29.
BODY OF MISSING FATHER OF FIVE FOUND IN GEORGIA LAKE AFTER KAYAKING TRIP
DeFazio said the Turks and Caicos police force is using every resource it has, including drone technology and CCTV to try and locate the 51-year-old man. He also described Grace Bay Road as a “very safe” area.
“So far, we haven’t been successful in anything, but we’re not giving up hope. … What I tell the family … in cases like this: Stay positive until you have a reason not to be,” DeFazio, a former NYPD officer and Marine who has been a PI since the 1990s, said. “He’s a smart guy. … We don’t know what’s in his mind or if he did this on his own or if somebody took him in.”
“It’s the No. 1 case right now. Everyone’s looking for him.”
He left his rental with his phone and wallet. He was wearing a T-shirt, shorts and sneakers, DeFazio said.
REMAINS FOUND IN SYRIA DO NOT INCLUDE THOSE OF AUSTIN TICE, FAMILY SAYS
The private investigator has been working to get records of Tarrence’s phone activity on the islands, but it’s taking time, he said.
The day before his disappearance, he and his wife had gone on a boat trip. That evening, his wife went to bed, and when she woke up, he was gone. She hadn’t noticed he left, DeFazio said.
FAMILY OF AMERICAN FOUND DEAD ON BAHAMAS BEACH FEARS ‘EVIDENCE WILL DISAPPEAR,’ PLEADS FOR HELP
The PI added that he is “very proud of the response from the local businesses and people on vacation” who have been offering their assistance after he posted Tarrance’s missing persons flyer “everywhere in Turks and Caicos.”
He added that he has no reason to suspect any kind of criminality in Tarrence’s disappearance at this point, but anything is possible with so few answers six days after he vanished.
DeFazio said that in missing persons cases like this one, he typically tries to establish a behavior pattern, trying to hone in on activities the missing person likes and does not like to do. He also tries to determine how familiar the missing person is with the area he or she vanished from and what he or she frequented in that area.
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Then, he canvases the area where the person disappeared and tries to track down phone and smartwatch records to track the person’s last known movements.
Turks and Caicos police are asking anyone with information about Tarrence’s disappearance to contact 911 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477.
Loeffler reminds Dem of his flag gaffe after he attacks ‘extremist’ symbol at agency
EXCLUSIVE: Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Kelly Loeffler delivered a sharp rebuke to Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts on Tuesday after he accused the federal agency of raising a “Christian nationalist, White supremacist” flag earlier this month.
The SBA flew a large American flag and a smaller “Appeal to Heaven” flag at its headquarters in Washington, D.C., on June 11 in celebration of Flag Day. The white flag featuring a green pine tree dates back to the Revolutionary War, and the words, “An appeal to Heaven,” describe the hopes of colonists that God would deliver them from British tyranny.
“Today at SBA’s Flag Day Ceremony, we proudly raised a new AMERICAN MADE flag over our headquarters in Washington. It is a privilege to serve under its Stars and Stripes – on behalf of the 34 million small businesses who represent the best of America,” Loeffler wrote in a tweet.
Some media outlets characterized the flag as a symbol of controversy, saying it was carried by Jan. 6 rioters and had become associated with “Christian Nationalists” and election-deniers. Last year, liberal politicians and media outlets attempted to tie Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito to the Capitol riot after the flag was spotted flying at his vacation home.
Markey publicly rebuked Loeffler for flying the flag, calling its display “inappropriate at a federal government institution.”
LOEFFLER FLIPS SCRIPT ON MEDIA’S TRUMP TARIFFS NARRATIVE BY REVEALING WHAT SMALL BUSINESSES ARE SAYING
“Our federal institutions must remain above ideological influence, especially when those ideologies undermine democracy and promote division. The SBA plays a critical role in supporting our nation’s diverse collection of small businesses and fostering inclusive economic growth. It should not be associated with symbols that are increasingly viewed as partisan or extremist, or that promote hateful rhetoric,” he wrote in an open letter dated June 25.
In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital, Loeffler confronted the Democrat about his own flag controversy and defended the historic flag.
“While I appreciate your letter, I am surprised at your passion over this specific matter given your typically nonchalant observation of Flag Day – which includes a history of leaving your own American Flag lying outside, on the ground, in violation of the U.S. Flag Code,” she wrote.
Loeffler assured him the agency would “never consider disrespecting” the United States or its service members “in this manner.” She reminded the senator that flags’ symbolic meanings are sometimes “subjective.”
“[W]hich you assuredly understand, given your own association with a flag that has been labeled by some individuals as a ‘racist’ emblem,” she said, referencing the Massachusetts State Flag displayed outside Markey’s office that has been criticized as a symbol of “slaughter” and “genocide” by some Native Americans.
BLUE CITIES ADOPT PRIDE FLAGS AS OFFICIAL SYMBOLS IN BID TO SKIRT RED-STATE LAWS
“Clearly, you do not agree with these actions or views, or else I strongly doubt you would continue to showcase the state flag at your offices,” Loeffler’s letter states. “Likewise, I do not agree with your characterization of the Appeal to Heaven flag – which has a rich history as an appeal to God to protect our emerging nation’s liberty dating back to its first usage by General George Washington in the Revolutionary War. Its historical connotation – as one of our earliest emblems of freedom and independence – represents principles which the SBA wholeheartedly supports.”
Loeffler also mocked the Democrat for attacking a flag with historical significance while flying the pro-LGBTQ “Progress Pride” flag outside his office.
She called the LGBTQ flag a “divisive” symbol “designed to honor only select subgroups,” which is “contrary to our shared responsibility to serve every American,” but affirmed his right to fly the flag.
The Trump official concluded her letter by requesting the senator focus on topics that are of “serious” importance to American small businesses, such as passing tax cuts in President Donald Trump‘s “Big Beautiful Bill.”
The $3.3 trillion bill passed in the Senate Tuesday morning.
Markey was accused of disrespecting the American flag in June 2020 after he posted a photo showing the flag sitting on his porch floor. His campaign said at the time that the flag was just there for a short time while the flag pole was being repaired after being damaged by high winds.
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Sen. Markey’s office did not immediately return a request for comment.
New detail on Bryan Kohberger’s plea deal emerges as families rip agreement
Idaho student murders suspect Bryan Kohberger has accepted a plea deal to spare his life in the murders of four University of Idaho students, two sources close to the case told Fox News Digital Monday.
Kohberger’s family released a statement Tuesday, asking for privacy following the bombshell plea deal.
“In light of recent developments, the Kohbergers are asking members of the media for privacy, respect, and responsible judgment during this time,” the family said in a statement to NewsNation’s Brian Entin. “We will continue to allow the legal process to unfold with respect to all parties and will not release any comments or take any questions. We ask that you respect our wishes during a difficult time for all those affected.”
Kohberger, 30, is accused of killing Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, in a 4 a.m. home invasion attack on Nov. 13, 2022. As part of his plea, he will apparently not have to explain himself or answer why he committed the crimes as part of the deal, according to a source close to the case.
BRYAN KOHBERGER RETURNS TO COURT FOR HEARING ON PILE OF EVIDENCE HE WANTS THROWN OUT BEFORE TRIAL
“Those families have been victimized by the very prosecutors who should have had their backs,” said Ted Williams, a Fox News contributor and a former Washington, D.C. homicide detective who has been following the case since the beginning.
The Goncalves expressed their disappointment with what they described as a “secretive deal” on Monday and issued another statement Tuesday saying they want Kohberger to confess in court.
“We stand strong that it is not over until a plea is accepted. We will not stop fighting for the life that was stolen unjustly,” the Tuesday statement said. “If you feel called or moved to try to make a difference, please contact the Ada County Courthouse to express your thoughts or feelings. While we are cognizant that some may have wanted the plea, the prosecution relayed to us it was NOT a majority vote that was the deciding factor in offering this plea.”
The family is further asking the court to “require a full confession, full accountability, location of the murder weapon, confirmation the defendant acted alone, [and] the true facts of what happened that night.”
“We deserve to know when the beginning of the end was,” the statement reads, adding that a confession “should be the minimum price to pay for his own life.”
The family called on supporters to contact Ada County Judge Steven Hippler.
On Monday, the family described the death penalty as “a bargaining tool for the State, and when rarely applied, it’s never enforced due to a highly inefficient appellate process.”
” The notion that someone can plead guilty to a crime and still face years of appellate delays reveals a systemic failure,” the statement said. “The Latah County Prosecutor’s Office’s treatment of our family during this process is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”
The family added that they “questioned decisions early in the investigation” and were “branded as aversaries” as a result.
“So, it was no shock how the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office mishandled the plea deal,” the statement read. “They vaguely mentioned a possible plea on Friday, without seeking our input, and presented the plea on Sunday. Latah County should be ashamed of its Prosecutor’s Office. Four wonderful young people lost their lives, yet the victims’ families were treated as opponents from the outset.”
The family said prosecutors never called them directly about a plea on Monday and gave “families just one day to coordinate and appear at the courthouse for a plea on July 2.”
“Who do they think they are?” the statement continued. “After more than two years, this is how it concludes with a secretive deal and a hurried effort to close the case without any input from the victims’ families on the plea’s details. Our family is frustrated right now and that will subside and we will come together as always and deal with the reality that we face moving forward.”
Goncalves’ parents live more than seven hours away, in Rathdrum. The hearing will be held Wednesday in Boise after Kohberger successfully argued for a change of venue.
The family questioned early choices in the investigation, the restrictive gag order, pressure from school officials as frustrating factors in the way they were treated.
Members of Kernodle’s family also condemned the plea deal. Her aunt, Kim Kernodle, told TMZ that relatives were vehemently opposed to the idea when Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson’s office first raised it over the weekend.
However, Chapin’s family indicated in a statement that they are “in support of the plea bargain” and will be present in Boise on Wednesday.
All four had been stabbed multiple times with a large knife. Police recovered a Ka-Bar sheath that they allege had Kohberger’s DNA on it near Mogen’s body.
Kohberger was studying for a Ph.D. in criminology at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. That’s 10 miles up the road from Moscow, Idaho, where all four victims were undergrads at the University of Idaho.
“By taking a plea deal, Bryan Kohberger has insulated himself from a sentence that would require his execution,” said Edwina Elcox, a Boise defense attorney who said the deal came as a surprise. “Only a jury can sentence him to death. Regardless, he will likely spend the rest of his life in prison, without the possibility of ever being in society again.”
She said she hopes the process brings peace to the families after the horrifying crime – and also that the move would spare Kohberger from facing Idaho’s newly revived firing squad as the means of execution if he were convicted and sentenced to death.
“They will not have to go through the stress of a trial and the virtually guaranteed appeal process, in the event Kohberger was convicted at trial,” Elcox told Fox News Digital. “The judge will take his guilty plea and then set a hearing for Kohberger to be sentenced. He can absolutely expect to spend the rest of his life behind bars.”
The plea deal came as a surprise – prosecutors had not telegraphed the move and fought hard to keep the death penalty on the table in pretrial proceedings.
Kohberger’s defense failed repeatedly to have it removed, revealing his autism diagnosis and crying foul over discovery deadlines it claimed that prosecutors missed.
“If they don’t get the why, this is the most incomprehensible deal of all time,” Paul Mauro, a retired NYPD inspector who is following the case, said before the latest update that indicates Kohberger will apparently not have to explain his crimes.
If Kohberger agreed to truthfully explain what happened, that could be a reason for the deal to have materialized so unexpectedly, he said. Especially with opposition from at least one family, he said.
Williams agreed.
“These four kids did not deserve to die this way, and as a part of any plea, he should be required to tell when, how and why he committed these offenses,” he told Fox News Digital before more details of the plea deal emerged. “I think that should be a part of any plea – he owes those families, and the public.”
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The latest development comes hours after a hearing in Pennsylvania to determine whether witnesses there can be compelled to travel to Idaho to testify in a trial that would have started on Aug. 18.
Keith Urban seemingly leaves mid-interview after Nicole Kidman question arises
Country music icon Keith Urban appeared to abruptly hang up on radio hosts during an interview after being asked a question about wife Nicole Kidman.
During an appearance on an Australian radio show, the hosts introduced a segment called “Wall of Truth.” One of the hosts explained to Urban that “I get really uncomfortable, to be honest, asking our beautiful guests something they might be uncomfortable [answering].”
The first question referred to Kidman’s 2024 film “A Family Affair”: “What does Keith Urban think when he sees his beautiful wife with beautiful younger men like Zac Efron having these beautiful love scenes on TV?”
NICOLE KIDMAN’S ‘BABYGIRL’ DIRECTOR DEFENDS 29-YEAR AGE GAP BETWEEN ACTRESS AND CO-STAR IN EROTIC THRILLER
However, the hosts were met with silence as Urban was disconnected from the virtual interview.
“He’s just disconnected from Zoom,” another person chimed in. “I think his team hung up on us because they didn’t want us to ask that question.”
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One host speculated, “That’s 100% what’s just happened… Oh my God!”
“I knew that would happen,” she added. Another host argued that Urban had been “smiling” just before the disconnection, and she replied, “I know, but he doesn’t like the personal stuff… We’ve upset him!”
“He doesn’t like talking about his wife,” she suggested.
NICOLE KIDMAN SAYS IT’S EMPOWERING TO BE SEEN AS ‘SEXUAL BEING’ IN EROTIC THRILLER
The other host mentioned that he thought they were “vibing” with the country singer.
“Does Keith Urban hate us? Do we have beef with Keith Urban?” he questioned.
The Australian radio team mentioned they were reaching out to Urban’s publicist but didn’t receive an answer.
A representative for Urban declined to comment on the situation to Fox News Digital.
The abrupt interview exit comes after Kidman, 58, starred alongside Efron, 37, in the 2024 romantic comedy, “A Family Affair.”
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“A surprising romance kicks off comic consequences for a young woman, her mother and her movie-star boss as they face the complications of love, sex and identity,” the movie synopsis read.
“A Family Affair” raised eyebrows for its age-gap romance and intimate love scenes between Kidman and Efron.
This wasn’t the first film that Kidman played a character that was romantically involved with a younger man.
In December 2024, Kidman starred in an erotic thriller titled “Babygirl” playing a powerful CEO who had an affair with a younger intern, Harris Dickinson, 29.
Kidman and Urban have been married since 2006 and share two daughters – Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret.
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Sen Murkowski stares at reporter over ‘offensive’ bailout claim in spending bill
Alaskan Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski had a tense moment with NBC News reporter Ryan Nobles after he pressed her on the backlash she faced for her vote on the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) on Tuesday.
Nobles caught up with Murkowski after she voted in favor of President Donald Trump’s $3.3 trillion spending bill, asking her to respond to criticism from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who claimed that she supported OBBB because it was a “bailout for Alaska at the expense of the rest of the country.”
“Oh my God,” Murkowski mumbled angrily before looking at Nobles.
“That’s what Sen. Paul said,” Nobles responded.
REPUBLICAN SENATOR CALLS CAUCUSING WITH DEMOCRATS AN ‘INTERESTING HYPOTHETICAL’
She then stared at Nobles without making a response for more than ten seconds.
“I didn’t say it, ma’am,” Nobles reiterated. “I’m just asking for your response.”
“My response is I have an obligation to the people of the state of Alaska, and I live up to that every single day,” Murkowski answered.
She added that it was “offensive” to claim that federal dollars being sent to a state is considered a “bailout.”
“Do I like this bill? No. Because I tried to take care of Alaska’s interests, but I know that in many parts of the country there are Americans that are not going to be advantaged by this bill. I don’t like that. I don’t like the fact that we moved through an artificial deadline, an artificial timeline, to produce something—to meet a deadline rather than to actually try to produce the best bill for the country,” Murkowski answered. “But when I saw the direction that this is going—you know, you can either say, ‘I don’t like it,’ and not try to help my state, or you can roll up your sleeves.
Fox News Digital reached out to Paul’s office for a comment.
MAGA COUNTRY VOTERS SOUND ALARM OVER ‘RIDICULOUS’ NATIONAL DEBT AMID DEBATE OVER TRUMP-BACKED BILL
Senate Republicans successfully passed the bill on a 51-50 vote with Vice President JD Vance casting the tiebreaking vote. Paul, along with Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, were the only Republicans who voted against the bill. All Democrats voted no.
Ahead of the Senate vote, several last-minute deals were made, including the doubling of the rural hospital fund to $50 billion, which was pushed by Collins, and a rollback of the start date of supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) work requirements for states with higher payment error rates, like Alaska.
The bill now heads to the House, where Republican leaders are determined to have a final bill ready to be signed by Trump by Friday.
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