House Republicans quash effort to impeach Defense Secretary Hegseth
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Tuesday turned aside a resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, halting an effort to remove the Pentagon chief for his conduct in office and his handling of the war in Iran.
The vote came as Republicans grapple with the fallout from sweeping midterm losses that some in the party have blamed on the war in Iran and the resulting surge in gas prices. But after President Donald Trump signaled strong support for Hegseth, GOP lawmakers largely stood by the secretary Tuesday, blocking the effort in a near party-line vote.
The effort was led by Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and backed by Democrats. The vote Tuesday may only delay an impeachment push against Hegseth, with Democrats set to take control of the House and Senate in January.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to become the next speaker when Democrats take charge in January, stood firmly behind the push, saying Hegseth has “abused his power” and “undermined America’s national security.”
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer endorsed Hegseth’s impeachment as well.
___
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio elected to lead House Republicans in the minority
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio won the race Tuesday to serve as House Republican leader as the party prepares for its new role in the minority and a flurry of Democratic investigations aimed at its standard-bearer in the White House.
Jordan, who serves as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, defeated Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana in a secret-ballot election of Republicans who will serve in the next Congress. The vote was 106-73.
Jordan, 62, is a co-founder of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus and served as its first chairman. His candidacy appealed to those looking for new leadership in the wake of last week’s election debacle and to those who like his hard-hitting political style.
“The way that Jim fights says a lot about where this conference is,” said Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., who nominated Jordan to serve as minority leader.
Jordan will inherit a historically small House Republican conference that is only beginning to grapple with its loss of power as President Donald Trump serves out his final two years in office. Leading the party back to the House majority in 2028 is sure to be a stiff climb, given the scope of Democratic victories in the midterms.
___
Senate Republicans vote to keep John Thune as leader after steep election losses
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans reelected South Dakota Sen. John Thune as their leader Tuesday after a tense day of private discussions about steep losses in the midterm elections that cost them their majority.
Thune was always expected to prevail, as he is popular with his GOP colleagues and was running unopposed in the secret-ballot election. But Senate Republicans vented their frustrations in three separate meetings Tuesday after an election wipeout that cost them at least seven Senate seats.
Some Republicans had tried to delay the leadership decision, but the conference voted 31-15 to proceed with a vote after Thune made his case to his colleagues, laying out his vision for the minority and also promising that they will try and do as much as they can in their final two months in the majority.
“We're going to make the most of the time we've got,” Thune said after he was elected by acclamation, without a roll call vote.
As for next year, Thune said that told his colleagues that they will "come out swinging, and realize we've got a lot of work to be done to get back in the majority.”
___
US charges 3 men with plotting terror attacks, including planned assault on UK air base
NEW YORK (AP) — A man jailed on terrorism charges in New York was able to pass secret messages to Iranian operatives planning an attack on a British air base used by the U.S. Air Force, according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday.
The new indictment offers fresh insight into an episode shrouded in mystery since Sept. 27, when a group of men were detained on suspected explosives and terrorism offenses after three suspicious vans were spotted traveling toward a British air base where U.S. bombers were stationed.
The new charges accuse Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national jailed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, of a role in plotting to attack the Royal Air Force Base in Fairford, in western England, even though he'd been arrested last spring.
According to prosecutors, al-Saadi used coded language in phone and video calls to his mother and sister in Iraq to pass messages encouraging associates to carry out the air base bombing.
Two other men have been charged in the case, which accuses Iran-backed operatives of plotting nearly 20 terror strikes on Jewish communities in Europe and the U.S.
___
Alleged spy plot targeting CEO Jensen Huang raises questions about Nvidia's future
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Investigations into whether Nvidia’s CEO was the target of a “foreign intelligence effort" are raising questions about the future of the chipmaker, which became one of the world’s most valuable companies by providing technology that powered the artificial intelligence boom.
Jensen Huang has been synonymous with Nvidia since he co-founded it more than 30 years ago. The company now faces potential damage to its reputation and stock price, uncertainty over a possible successor and new scrutiny from shareholders and elected officials.
President Donald Trump said Monday that the FBI is investigating Huang’s affair with an alleged Chinese government agent. But Trump said he spoke with the executive and believes Huang "had absolutely no idea that the person in question was a spy.”
With a valuation of more than $4 trillion, the company has outsized importance as a Wall Street behemoth and provider of chips relied upon by AI developers. Law enforcement and members of Congress, as well as Nvidia's board and shareholders, are all asking questions about the affair. The company's shares dropped more than 4% Monday and continued sinking Tuesday morning.
Huang has said he has more than 60 direct reports in a corporate structure that keeps him at the center of decision-making. As various investigations ramp up, the succession plan to replace Huang is unclear.
___
Judge jails Thomas Markle, father of Meghan, after he cut off his ankle monitor
The 82-year-old estranged father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was ordered to jail Tuesday because he removed an electronic monitoring device from his ankle, just days after he was charged with possession of child sexual abuse material.
Thomas Markle was arrested and appeared in federal court in Tampa, Florida, after authorities learned he had cut off the device at 1:45 a.m., First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said.
“Release conditions are court orders, not suggestions,” Essayli said.
Markle’s arrest on Friday in Lakeland, Florida, followed the seizure of approximately 78 items from storage units in the Los Angeles area, including slides, film negatives and books that contained suspected child sexual abuse images, said Essayli, a federal prosecutor in California.
Markle was living in a senior care center at the time. But U.S. Magistrate Judge Lindsay Griffin agreed Tuesday that Markle now must be kept in custody. Authorities have not said where he will be held while his case remains in court ahead of a likely transfer to California.
___
Texas man charged in cruise ship killing had argued with wife in their cabin, FBI says
A cruise ship passenger accused of killing his wife after the vessel set off from Texas told authorities that he struck her in their cabin and strangled her after an argument caused him to “snap,” according to an FBI affidavit made public Tuesday.
Jason Watford, 48, appeared in federal court on a murder charge in Galveston, where the MSC Seascape had departed over the weekend but returned to port after security aboard the ship discovered a body in his room.
The victim was identified as Susan Watford, the suspect's wife, FBI spokesman Connor Hagan said. He added that a child was found unharmed when law enforcement responded. Court records show that Jason Watford had previously pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting his wife in 2024.
Javier Martinez, a public defender assigned to represent Jason Watford, did not respond to a phone message Tuesday. A man who said he is Watford’s son declined to comment when reached by phone.
The MSC Seascape is a towering white vessel that has 2,270 cabins and can host nearly 5,900 guests on five- and seven-night trips to the Caribbean, according to the company’s website.
___
US soldier assigned to NATO unit arrested in Britain on suspicion of espionage linked to Russia
LONDON (AP) — A member of the U.S. Army assigned to a NATO unit was arrested Tuesday in England on suspicion of espionage related to Russia, counterterror police and other officials said. The arrest comes during heightened concern over threats to American forces stationed in Britain and tension between Moscow and much of Europe.
The 41-year-old man, who was not named, was arrested near Gloucester on suspicion of violating two sections of the National Security Act 2023: assisting a foreign intelligence service and obtaining or disclosing protected information.
He was serving in NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps at Imjin Barracks near Gloucester, according to a U.S. official, a senior NATO official and a British government official. The man is an officer, the U.S. official said. All three spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.
The Allied Rapid Reaction Corps is a multinational land unit within the NATO military alliance that is designed to quickly respond to crises or short-notice operations. According to the unit’s website, it is made up of forces from 20 nations but is led by the British and based in Gloucester, where the U.S. soldier was arrested.
U.S. Brig. Gen. Sean Stinchon, commanding general of the Army's Counterintelligence Command, described the suspect as a senior soldier but offered no other details on his identity in a news release. Officials have not provided more information about the case.
___
US stocks slip following a discouraging update on inflation
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market dipped Tuesday after a report showed inflation was worse across the country last month than economists expected.
The S&P 500 slipped 0.4% and gave back some of its big rally from the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 157 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 0.7%.
Pressure from the bond market undercut stocks following the discouraging report on inflation. People had to pay prices for groceries, electricity and other costs of living that were higher last month than economists expected. That could push the Federal Reserve to hike its main interest rate at its next meeting in December and beyond.
Higher interest rates can help rein in inflation, but they do so by making it more expensive for everyone to borrow money and by slowing the overall economy. Higher rates also make investors less willing to pay high prices for stocks and other investments.
One Fed official even hinted the central bank may increase the federal funds rate by double the typical amount next month because of how high inflation has remained for years.
___
Vikings bring back QB Kirk Cousins in a trade with the Raiders to lift a struggling offense
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings reacquired quarterback Kirk Cousins to try to revive their sputtering offense, beating the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday with an agreement to send their 2027 third-round draft pick to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The deal, which was contingent on Cousins passing a physical, created an opening for rookie Fernando Mendoza to take over with the Raiders and a spark for a Vikings team that started 6-0 but has been stuck in a quarterback quandary that has threatened to waste a dominant showing by the defense.
The 38-year-old Cousins had some of his best career performances with the Vikings while helping them win 13 games in 2022 in coach Kevin O’Connell’s debut. He was playing even better halfway through the following season when he tore his Achilles tendon during a game at Green Bay in Week 8.
Guess where the Vikings play on Sunday? Lambeau Field, to face the rival Packers.
With Kyler Murray sidelined by a hamstring strain — he has missed two full games and the majority of a third to injuries — on Monday night against Buffalo, a Vikings offense that has been off track since Sam Darnold struggled through the last two games of the 2024 season hit a new low with Carson Wentz.
