Senate rejects impeachment articles against Mayorkas, ending trial against Cabinet secretary
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Former President Donald Trump has met in New York with Polish President Andrzej Duda. It's the latest in a series of meetings with foreign leaders as Europe braces for the possibility of a second Trump term. The presumptive GOP nominee was hosting Duda for dinner at Trump Tower, where the two were expected to discuss Ukraine, among other topics. Duda has long expressed admiration for Trump. He is also is a staunch supporter of Ukraine and has encouraged Washington to provide more aid to Kyiv amid Russian’s ongoing invasion.
Speaker Mike Johnson has unveiled a long-awaited package of bills that will provide military aid to Ukraine and Israel, replenish U.S. weapons systems and give humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza. The package totals $95.3 billion in spending, which matches what the Senate passed in mid-February. But there are a few differences designed to win over some House conservatives. The main distinction is that the House bill provides more than $9 billion in economic assistance to Ukraine in the form of “forgivable loans.” The Senate bill included no such provision seeking repayment.
A lockdown prompted by a report of a gunshot at the Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota has lifted. Security officers completed a door-to-door sweep of the base Wednesday afternoon, the base said in a social media post. Earlier that afternoon, base security received the report of a single gunshot near the medical clinic and base exchange. Security officers did not locate a source of the sound during their sweep, the base said. The lockdown was ordered “out of an abundance of caution,” the base said. Normal operations resumed after the lockdown lifted. No injuries were reported.
Iran’s president has warned that the “tiniest invasion” by Israel would bring a “massive and harsh” response, as the region braces for potential Israeli retaliation after Iran’s attack over the weekend. President Ebrahim Raisi spoke Wednesday at an annual army parade that was relocated to a barracks north of the capital, Tehran, from its usual venue on a highway in the city’s southern outskirts. Iranian authorities gave no explanation for its relocation. State television didn't broadcast it live as it has in previous years. Iran launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel over the weekend in response to an apparent Israeli strike on Iran’s embassy compound in Syria on April 1 that killed 12 people including two Iranian generals.
Pentagon leaders are telling Congress that Ukraine and Israel both desperately need the military weapons that are being held up by Congress’ failure to pass a funding package. On Wednesday, they described the situation in Ukraine as dire, noting that troops are being outmatched by the Russians. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says conditions on the battlefield are beginning to shift in Russia's favor. House Republicans are wrangling over the $95 billion foreign aid bill that the Senate passed in February. It provides funding for Ukraine, Israel and other allies, humanitarian aid for Gazans and replenishment cash for the U.S. military to replace weapons sent to Ukraine.
