Hispanic Caucus chair fires executive director; group's staff down to zero
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) has no political staffers on the active payroll after Chair Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.) fired Executive Director Jacky Usyk Thursday. The news of the firing was first reported by Dear White Staffers, an Instagram account run by anonymous Congressional staff that keeps tabs on alleged workplace abuses in the Capitol. A half dozen sources confirmed the news to The Hill; no CHC members returned requests for comment on the firing. A spokesperson for Barragán did not return a request for comment. "This debacle u
Read MoreSpecial counsel subpoenas Pence in Trump investigation: reports
The special counsel leading the Justice Department’s investigations into former President Trump has subpoenaed former Vice President Mike Pence, multiple outlets reported on Thursday. Special counsel Jack Smith — who was appointed in November to oversee the investigation into the former president’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and his handling of classified materials — is reportedly seeking documents and testimony from Pence, according to CNN. The
Read MoreBiden says China spy balloon ‘not a major breach’
President Biden on Thursday said that the suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew over much of the U.S. last week was "not a major breach," comparing it to intelligence gathering conducted by countries around the world. “It’s not a major breach. Look, the total amount of intelligence gathering that’s going on by every country around the world is overwhelming,” Biden said in an interview with Noticias Telemundo that airs this evening. Biden, however does acknowledge that in the case of last week's incident, China sending the balloon was “a violation of international
Read MoreFive outstanding questions about the Chinese spy balloon
Navy sailors are still pulling up debris from the Chinese spy balloon an F-22 fighter jet shot down on Saturday, and more details about the surveillance device are likely to be revealed in the coming days. But for now, there are more questions than answers. Here are the questions we have about the Chinese spy balloon. What equipment was attached to the balloon, and what was it being used for? A State Department official revealed on Thursday the balloon hosted antennas with the capability of collecting communications intelligence.
Read MoreHouse briefing on China spy balloon turns tense with Greene comments: 'I chewed them out'
A classified briefing for House lawmakers on the Chinese spy balloon turned tense on Thursday when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) went after administration officials for waiting days before shooting down the surveillance device. “I had to wait in line the whole time, I was I think the second to last person, and I chewed them out just like the American people would’ve,” Greene told The Hill. “I tore ‘em to pieces.” Biden administration officials briefed House members behind closed doors in the Capitol Thursday morning on this weekend’s downing of a Chinese spy balloo
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