In our news wrap Thursday, a GOP-led Senate committee voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress after he declined to answer questions during a contentious hearing, the mRNA technology that made the COVID-19 vaccine possible will soon be used in flu vaccines for older Americans and health officials are investigating a salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeno peppers sourced from Mexico.
Geoff Bennett:
In the day’s other headlines: A Republican-led Senate committee voted today to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress after he declined to answer lawmakers’ questions during a contentious hearing about his response to the COVID pandemic.
Woman:
On this vote, the yeas are eight, the nays are five, and the motion is agreed to.
Geoff Bennett:
The vote fell along party lines. The resolution accuses Fauci of failing to comply with a congressional subpoena, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison.
Rather than sending the matter to the full Senate, where it would likely fail to reach the 60 votes needed for approval, committee Chairman Rand Paul is recommending the Justice Department pursue criminal charges directly.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY):
Seeking the truth is not a witch-hunt. Accountability is not vengeance. Accountability is what stands between the American people and a repeat of the mistakes and the very real consequences of the past.
Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI):
This resolution will not provide the committee with any additional information or compel Dr. Fauci to provide answers to our inquiries. Criminal contempt is punitive.
Geoff Bennett:
Dr. Fauci justified his actions at last week’s hearing, explaining in his opening remarks that he believed some Republicans would try to use his testimony to prosecute him.
In a statement, Fauci’s lawyer called the vote a crude political stunt intended to punish Dr. Fauci for exercising his constitutional rights.
Meantime, the same mRNA technology that made the COVID-19 vaccine possible will soon be used in flu vaccines for older Americans. The FDA has approved a new shot from Moderna called mFLUSIVA for adults age 50 to 64. The company is also seeking full approval for adults 65 and older.
Compared to traditional shots, mRNA vaccines are quicker to manufacture, and experts say that could help protect against future strains of the flu as they emerge. The FDA had initially refused to consider Moderna’s application amid the Trump administration’s heightened scrutiny of vaccines.
Federal health officials are investigating a salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeno peppers sourced from Mexico. The CDC says at least 345 people across 27 states have gotten sick since mid-June, most of them in Minnesota and Colorado.
Investigators say a company called Coast Citrus Distributors supplied the peppers to the Mexican food chains Chipotle and Qdoba. Both restaurants say they have stopped serving them, and the CDC says neither establishment poses a risk to consumers.
Meantime, the agency is investigating a separate salmonella outbreak, this one tied to eggs from Texas. The CDC says nearly 100 people have fallen ill across at least 17 states, and more than 1.5 million cartons have been recalled.
President Trump signed executive orders this afternoon targeting birthright citizenship about a month after the Supreme Court rejected his bid to limit the practice.
President Donald Trump:
We had a very unfortunate decision in the Supreme Court concerning birthright. It was close, but a very, very unfortunate decision. So we’re making adjustments because it’s very unfair.
Geoff Bennett:
Mr. Trump announced the orders this afternoon in the Oval Office with adviser Stephen Miller looking on. He’s a longtime critic of birthright citizenship. The two orders would expand the list of those considered ineligible for birthright citizenship and ban the practice of so-called birth tourism. The White House expressed confidence that the new orders would be able to pass any potential legal challenges.
Republican Senator Mitch McConnell says he’s been discharged from a rehabilitation center where he’s been recovering from a fall in mid-June. In a statement, the 84-year-old said he’s heading home and would “continue to engage with my staff and colleagues on important Senate business,” though he did not provide a timeline on returning to the Senate.
McConnell’s extended absence from Washington has led to calls for transparency about his health status. He’s suffered a number of health challenges in recent years and is set to retire at the end of this term.
The FCC voted today to eliminate a cap on the size and reach of TV broadcasting companies. In a 2-1 vote, the FCC repealed a 22-year-old rule holding that a company cannot own stations that reach more than a combined 39 percent of the U.S. television audience. The ownership limit will be replaced by a case-by-case approach.
The move was widely expected, with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr writing an op-ed last month that called the earlier policy outdated. But critics say it opens the door to mass consolidation in the industry, giving larger players more say over what viewers see.
Israeli prosecutors have charged a settler with killing a prominent Palestinian activist last year in the occupied West Bank. It’s the first such indictment since the October 7 Hamas-led attacks led to an outburst of Israeli settler violence.
Yinon Levi can be seen in this cell phone video drawing a weapon on Palestinian villagers last summer. He’s accused of reckless manslaughter and faces up to 12 years in prison. His lawyers have said he was acting in self-defense. The victim, Awdah Hathaleen, was an activist featured in the 2025 Academy Award-winning documentary “No Other Land.”
His brother said the rare charges send a message.
Khalil Hathaleen, Brother of Palestinian Activist (through interpreter): I hope this will deter the settlers. Any settler who wants to kill or attack a Palestinian will think twice after this.
Geoff Bennett:
Meantime, the Israeli military says two of its soldiers were killed in an explosion in Southern Lebanon on Wednesday. One of them was laid to rest today. They’re the first Israeli deaths since a shaky cease-fire with Hezbollah began two months ago.
And, in Yemen, government sources say that Iran-backed Houthi rebels carried out attacks in two provinces, killing at least 30 troops. Yemen’s Defense Ministry vowed to retaliate — quote — at the appropriate time and place.” The escalating violence threatens a fragile truce that was reached in 2022.
On Wall Street today, stocks ended lower after the latest batch of corporate earnings rolled in. By the close, the Dow Jones industrial average was down about 460 points. The Nasdaq posted a smaller loss of just 15 points. The S&P 500 slipped a bit from its recent all-time high.
