Voters in northern Kentucky on Tuesday rejected incumbent congressman Thomas Massie, who has been critical of Donald Trump, in favor of the president's hand-picked candidate. Ed Gallrein, a retired Navy SEAL and farmer recruited into the race by Trump, defeated the seven-term incumbent in a primary election in Kentucky's fourth congressional district. This outcome was framed by Trump's allies as a victory for the MAGA movement's hold over the Republican Party.
Other Primary Results
Primaries were also held in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon, and Idaho. In Georgia, another prominent Trump critic faced defeat, while a Trump ally secured victory in Alabama.
Significance of Kentucky
Massie, a seven-term incumbent, has been an outspoken GOP opponent to Trump, repeatedly clashing with the president over Iran, government spending, and the Jeffrey Epstein files. In response, Trump treated the primary as a personal vendetta.
Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin Meet in Beijing
Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin with a ceremony featuring a military band in central Beijing on Wednesday, days after Xi hosted Donald Trump. The pair held talks in the Great Hall of the People, discussing issues including trade, the Iran war, and Taiwan. For Putin, the top agenda likely includes reciprocal trade and investment, as Russia's economy continues to suffer from the cost of its war in Ukraine and related sanctions. China, Russia's largest trading partner, buys almost half of Moscow's oil exports. Xi stated that the world was in danger of returning to the "law of the jungle," adding that further hostilities in the Middle East were "inadvisable" and calling for a ceasefire, according to state media.
US Senate Votes to Advance Iran War Powers Resolution
The Senate voted on Tuesday to advance a war powers resolution aimed at forcing Donald Trump to end the war in Iran unless he receives congressional authorization to continue it. Tuesday's 50-47 vote marks the first time the chamber has advanced the bill, the eighth attempt since the conflict began in February. The vote is just the first step toward full passage, and Trump will almost certainly veto the resolution even if it advances through both chambers. Four Republicans crossed the floor to join all but one Democrat in voting for the bill: Senators Bill Cassidy (Louisiana), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Rand Paul (Kentucky), and Susan Collins (Maine). Pennsylvania's John Fetterman was the sole Democrat to vote against it. Democrats see the resolution as a way to force Republicans to take a stance on Trump's unpopular war.
In Other News
The World Health Organization is considering the use of experimental vaccines and medicines to fight Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as deaths rise. The NAACP is urging Black athletes, their families, alumni, and fans to boycott college sports in southern states that have moved to limit, weaken, or erase Black voting representation. The Justice Department has permanently barred the IRS from auditing the tax returns of Donald Trump, his family, company, and related entities. More than 17,000 people were under evacuation orders in southern California on Tuesday as a wind-driven wildfire threatened homes.
Stat of the Day: Rebuilding Gaza Funds Fall Short
Efforts to rebuild Gaza have received only $1.75 for every $100 pledged. Nine countries pledged $7 billion to a "Gaza relief" package at the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, which Trump chaired, but only the United Arab Emirates and Morocco have sent funds, according to a source familiar with its operations. So far, it has received $23 million to fund its operations and $100 million to fund a future Palestinian police force, amounting to just $1.75 for every $100 promised.
Well Actually: Pros and Cons of Popular Protein Sources
Most Americans are trying to eat more protein, research shows, but since it comes in various forms, which types should people aim to eat more of? From the cholesterol content of different cuts of beef to getting more fiber through eating pulses, here is a guide.
Don't Miss This: Real or AI?
Distinguishing between a real and an AI image is becoming increasingly tricky. After the University of New South Wales launched an AI faces test, a photographer and a self-described internet addict took up the challenge to see if there is a science to knowing when a photo is genuine.
Climate Check: Rainforests Pushed to Breaking Point
The growing extraction of resources is pushing the Amazon and other rainforests toward breaking point, analysis has shown. Growing demand for critical minerals, biofuels, and pulp—used in fast fashion, processed food, and packaging—adds to longstanding negative impacts from cattle ranching, monocrops, oil, and logging.
Last Thing: Exhibition Displays Nina Simone's Chewing Gum
An entire room of a new exhibition celebrating extreme pop fandom is dedicated to a piece of gum chewed by Nina Simone and rescued from the stage of the Royal Festival Hall by Warren Ellis of Nick Cave's Bad Seeds. With fans becoming "citizen curators," the exhibition features everything from a Dolly Parton shrine to cans of soft drinks endorsed by the Spice Girls.
