Elon Musk Plans $100 Million Midterms Spending Splurge: ReportLast week, Elon Musk conceded his dalliance with politics, acting as President Donald Trump’s financial henchman, might have gone too far.“I got carried away, frankly,” the billionaire told The Economist in the latest sign he was sticking to Silicon Valley.But his time as the butcher of the beltway appears not to have put him off politics entirely.According to The New York Times, the richest man in the world is set to lavish at least $100 million to help Republican candidates in this year’s midterm elections.The financial commitment will come via his dormant super PAC, America PAC, and will initially assist Senate and House races in eight states, the Times said, citing two people briefed on the plans.America PAC spent more than $260 million to help get Trump reelected two years ago.Axios first reported on Musk’s anticipated political comeback. Latest Live UpdatesKennedy Center Suspends Public Tours: NYTIn the latest blow to the storied performing arts venue, the Kennedy Center is suspending free public tours that it’s put on for decades, according to The New York Times, which cited an internal memo. The move comes as President Donald Trump has sought to mount a takeover of the institution, including attempts to rename it and remake its programming. In March, the president’s hand-picked board voted to shutter the center for renovations, a move that’s since been blocked by a federal judge. The venue will put a “temporary pause” on the public tours, per its internal memo. “We are conducting a review of campuswide tour routes to ensure they provide the best possible experience for our visitors,” Kennedy Center spokesperson P.J. Elliott told the Times in a statement.The pause also follows a Times story on the hollowing of the institution, which heavily featured the account of a volunteer tour guide. Read more from the Times: Senate Republicans Mostly Back Trump On Iran Yet AgainSenate Republicans largely lined up behind President Donald Trump yet again on Thursday, voting to block a resolution aimed at expressing opposition to the U.S. war on Iran. The war powers resolution, which directs Trump to remove troops from hostilities with Iran, failed 49-50, with three Republicans joining Democrats in support of it. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) was also the lone Democrat to vote with the GOP in sinking the measure. The vote for the resolution underscores the ongoing pushback Democrats in Congress have raised against the war, and renews pressure on Republicans to defend the unpopular conflict.Egypt Attacked, But No Country Has Taken AccountabilityEgypt was struck by a drone Wednesday that lit two ships (one U.S.-owned) on fire. No country has claimed responsibility, and it’s unclear if it was intentional. Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, wrote on social media Thursday, emphasizing the “importance” of Egypt’s security while pointing his finger at Israel. “Egypt is an important friend and partner in the region, and its security is of utmost importance to us,” Araghchi wrote. “We must all be vigilant against Israeli plots and false-flag operations designed to undermine regional peace. The threat is clear, mutual, and fearful of Muslim solidarity.”An Israeli military spokesperson told The New York Times that Israel isn’t responsible for the attack. ABC Sounds Alarm On FCC License Review, Says Trump Is Retaliating For CoverageOne of the nation’s largest broadcasters is accusing the Trump administration of retaliation, alleging the Federal Communications Commission is unfairly policing ABC and ABC-owned stations by conducting an unprecedented early review of its broadcast licenses because the president personally dislikes its programming.“The retaliation against ABC is a signal to every media company in the country: accommodate the Administration’s view of what news coverage should look like or pay the price,” lawyers for the network said in a Wednesday filing.Read more:GOP Senator Apologizes For Having Capitol Police Block TMZ Reporter From Asking QuestionsSen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) apologized to a TMZ reporter on Thursday shortly after he had Capitol police block him from asking questions.Ricketts said he personally called TMZ’s Charlie Cotton to apologize, saying in a post on X that he “reacted poorly.”“I appreciate (Cotton) taking my phone call so I could apologize,” he wrote. In a video posted to X, Cotton is asking Ricketts about Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) absence from Congress when Ricketts tells Capitol police to stop Cotton at a security checkpoint, preventing him from following the senator down a hallway. Cotton can be heard in the video telling police he had already been through a security checkpoint downstairs.“I accept your apology Pete,” Cotton wrote in response to Ricketts’ apology on X. “I respect anyone who can take accountability when they make a mistake. Thank u for the call - I look fwd to our next conversation.”Ohio GOP Senator Mum On Colleague Facing Domestic Abuse AllegationsSen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) on Thursday stared off into space when asked twice if he thinks fellow Ohio Republican Rep. Max Miller should end his reelection bid amid allegations by his ex-wife that he abused her and their 2-year-old daughter.Miller, who has been in Congress since 2023, is accused by ex-wife Emily Moreno of throwing scalding hot water at her chest, holding a gun to her head, pushing her against a wall and hitting her head, and fracturing their daughter’s collarbone, per a horrifying New York Times report.Miller’s ex-wife is also the daughter of Ohio Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno, Husted’s colleague.Asked for comment on whether he thinks Miller should step down, Husted, walking through a Senate hallway and onto an escalator, said nothing.Moments later, as he boarded a Senate elevator, HuffPost asked again if he had any comment on the situation. Husted stood in silence until the elevator doors slowly closed.Sen. Moreno hasn’t said anything publicly about the allegations facing Miller, either.If You Like Eating Roadkill, You’re Gonna Love RFK Jr.’s Latest Attempt To Steal The LimelightThe guy who once reportedly cut the penis off of a roadkill raccoon so he could study it later now wants to show you a couple of things in the kitchen.Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is launching a cooking show, starring himself, naturally. RFK Jr. told USA Today he hopes the series, which starts airing today, will convince Americans to cook healthy meals at home instead of grabbing less nutritious fast food on the go.“People can eat a lot cheaper at home and a lot better food,” he told the outlet. “But many Americans have forgotten how to cook. It’s becoming a lost art.”In a trailer for the series shared on YouTube Thursday (see below), the health secretary’s affect appears more “used car salesman” than “chef for the people.”The Trump administration has previously encouraged Americans to eat more liver as an antidote to spiraling food costs and once boasted about an affordable meal consisting of “a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, a corn tortilla and one other thing” only costing around $3.While RFK Jr. is off making a TV show, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released Wednesday shows cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasite responsible for explosive diarrhea, have topped 18,000 across 45 states.Mandela Barnes Drops Out Of Wisconsin Governor RaceFormer Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes dropped out of the race for the Democratic Party nomination for governor on Thursday. Barnes had consistently polled in second place behind Democratic Socialist state legislator Francesca Hong.“It’s become very clear who our nominee is going to be,” Barnes said in a video message without naming a candidate.Barnes was locked in a three-way campaign for the party nomination in the crucial swing state with Hong and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. But Hong’s rise in the polls and Crowley’s reentrance into the race on July 18 with Gov. Tony Evers’ endorsement gave Barnes little path to the nomination.There were also reports that a forthcoming damaging story on Barnes prompted his decision to leave the race, according to Politico.The Democratic primary has been one of the messiest in the country this year, with Crowley leaving the race on July 8 and endorsing the current Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, only to return after Rodriguez dropped out just weeks later. This has made it challenging for party leadership to consolidate behind a candidate who could challenge Hong, whom they view as less likely to defeat GOP candidate Rep. Tom Tiffany.While Barnes did not name who he believes the Democratic nominee will be, he did finish his video by stating, “We have to do everything we possibly can to defeat Tom Tiffany.”Trump Launches Initiative To Encourage Veterans To Become Truck DriversPresident Donald Trump on Thursday touted a new initiative aimed at facilitating military veterans’ transition into the trucking industry.“Freedom Haulers,” as his administration is calling it, would allow veterans who drove heavy machinery while serving in the military to more readily qualify for a commercial driver’s license if they apply within two years of leaving active duty service.Under Trump’s plan, soldiers with experience could skip the required road skills test — Trump called them “redundant” Thursday — while those without experience would receive subsidies for commercial driver’s license training.Trump also used the announcement to slander truck drivers who are immigrants, describing them in broad, demeaning terms as reckless drivers who “don’t speak English [and] can’t read basic road signs,” causing “many, many preventable deaths.”In a crackdown earlier this year, the Transportation Department said it canceled 30,000 commercial licenses it claims were issued illegally.It also attempted to withhold federal highway funds from states that refuse to go along with its efforts to seize licenses from immigrants, though that effort ended up in court.The U.S. is currently 82,000 drivers short, according to a tally by the American Trucking Association.Dad Who Gave Georgia High School Shooter A Gun Is Sentenced To 15 Years In PrisonA man who gave his son the gun he used to kill two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in Georgia was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison.Colin Gray’s sentencing comes days after his son, Colt Gray, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at the school 45 miles northeast of Atlanta. Colt Gray had pleaded guilty to murder and other charges.A defense attorney for Colin Gray asked the judge for a sentence that would amount to 10 years in prison followed by 10 years on probation. The district attorney said Gray deserves a sentence of 80 years in prison.Read more at The Associated Press:See All Updates