1A The News Roundup For July 18, 2025
Jul 18, 2025
Guest
Elizabeth Hakedorn
Guest
Jack Detch
Guest
Naftali Ben-David
Guest
David Rennie
Guest
Megan Scully
Guest
Alexis Simendinger
In this discussion, guests include Alexis Simendinger from The Hill, Megan Scully of Bloomberg News, and David Rennie of The Economist, among others. They tackle the Senate's approval of controversial budget cuts to foreign aid, particularly affecting public media. A devastating incident in Gaza raises concerns over humanitarian efforts. The panel also delves into the political fallout from Donald Trump's connections to Jeffrey Epstein, and the rising inflation rates, scrutinizing their impacts on the economy and upcoming elections.
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Senate Rescission Package Cuts
- The Senate rescission package mainly cuts $8 billion from foreign aid and $1 billion from public broadcasting.
- Many Republicans reluctantly approved it despite vague details and concerns about ceding budget authority to the executive.
Congressional Power Ceded
- Senator Susan Collins criticized the rescission package for lacking specifics on program cuts.
- This raises concerns about Congress losing control over budget decisions to the executive branch.
Epstein Transparency Pressures GOP
- The Jeffrey Epstein investigation became entangled with the rescission debate due to demands from Republicans and Democrats.
- Republicans face pressure from their MAGA base seeking transparency amid White House resistance.