Latest news with #CapitolHill
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jesse Watters Hits Jasmine Crockett With A Shameful Dig — And Sadly, It Proves 1 Thing
Fox News host Jesse Watters recently made a perplexing quip about Rep. Jasmine Crockett's (D-Texas) personal life. During a segment of 'The Five' on Thursday night, panelist Emily Compagno complained that Crockett had criticized the Trump administration's immigration policies and its dehumanizing rhetoric surrounding immigrants during a hearing on Capitol Hill the day prior. Watters then jumped in and attempted to take a swipe at the Democratic representative, claiming that he 'researched' her and learned about her dating life. 'She's single, she's 43, she's never been married,' he said about his findings on Crockett, who's 44. 'I'm trying to figure out what makes her tick. I think I can set her up with someone. I know a guy in D.C. — he's white, hopefully that's not a problem — but he will make her happy,' he scoffed. 'And maybe then she will not hate everybody else besides herself so much.' 'And it would be my pleasure to do it,' he added. Watters was slammedon X, formerlyTwitter, for making the misogynistic quip about Crockett, suggesting that her, or any woman's happiness, depends on marriage. Not to mention, Crockett's personal dating life is, of course, none of his business. Kari J. Winter, a professor of American studies at the University at Buffalo whose expertise includes gender, feminism, race and class, said that Watters targeting Crockett — who often faces racist and anti-Black attacks online — just proves one thing about a lot of her critics: ″[They] target her with racist, misogynistic hate speech not only because they embrace sexist white supremacist values, but also because they are desperate to avoid responding to her points and policies,' she said. 'Trump's anti-immigrant actions are illegal and unconscionable. What can his sycophants say? They have nothing. Therefore, they are 100% focused on riling up rather than informing their audience,' Winter said. 'They throw out every vile, outrageous insult they can think of in order to steal our attention away from the Trump administration's alarming, illegal, democracy-undermining actions.' Winter added that Crockett is 'whip-smart, courageous and eloquent' and that the congresswoman 'understands that a just legal system is the foundation of democracy.' Monica Cwynar, a licensed clinical social worker with Thriveworks, who specializes in trauma and coping skills, said that as a Black therapist, she believes 'personal attacks, especially against women of color like Congresswoman Crockett, detract from the real issues at hand and reflect entrenched sexism and racism in our public discourse.' 'Such remarks are not only unproductive but also deeply harmful, as they overshadow important policy discussions and contribute to a culture where personal denigration is prioritized over substantive critique,' she continued. Cwynar said that comments like Watters' work to diminish 'the voices of women in politics' and reinforce 'damaging stereotypes.' And even if Watters made the remark about Crockett in jest, making those types of comments about a woman's relationship status — especially in a public forum — 'reinforces harmful societal norms' and 'perpetuates a misogynistic narrative that suggests [a woman's] worth is tied to having a man in their lives,' Cwynar said. In general, negative remarks about women being single can 'lead to emotional harm, instilling feelings of inadequacy and shame,' she later noted, adding that 'society often imposes expectations that equate a woman's success with marriage and motherhood, which can significantly diminish her sense of self-worth and autonomy.' Speaking about Watters' dig at Crockett on 'The Five' specifically, Cwynar said that his commentary 'undermines the diverse ways women can lead fulfilling lives.' Winter believes this is all part of Watters' plan. 'Jesse Watters is a merchant of outrage whose career as a commentator is based on grabbing our attention by spewing shocking, hateful speech,' she said. 'I'm guessing that he searches for racist, sexist stereotypes so that he has an easy stockpile to trot out day after day.' 'Perhaps the only way for people to escape from the right-wing cesspool of hate is to turn our backs and walk away,' she added. 'We need to choose to focus our attention on the people, issues and work that we truly care about.' Jesse Watters' Dig At Simone Biles Hits A New Low — And It's 'Incredibly Damaging' Jesse Watters' Outrage Over Term He Previously Decried Backfires Spectacularly Jesse Watters Makes WTF Political Remark After Livvy Dunne Does Splits In Thong
Skift
16 hours ago
- Business
- Skift
Planner Left Stranded After Hotel Changes Hands
No rooming lists, diagrams, or BEOs — and no responses to her calls or emails — left this planner on edge as her hotel went through a change of ownership just weeks before her meeting. For Evya Potts-Richards, using a Capitol Hill hotel that she had, in her words, 'broken up with before,' could have been a bad omen. But despite the fact that she had a negative experience in the past, the property was now part of a major chain. So last year, when her site specialist suggested using them for a June 2025 conference, she gave it the green light. 'I knew the property, and I also knew the conference services manager and that she would take care of me. So I decided I would go back again,' said Richards, who is the meeting manager at The Energy Council. The contract was signed in May 2024 and, as always, included a change of ownership clause. What Richards didn't know was that the property changed from corporate-owned to a franchise after the contract was signed. 'The service and everything, whether corporate-owned or franchised, should be seamless, because as a franchised property you're still flying that brand's flag,' she said. In this case, the franchise employees were not given any access to information, systems, or credentials. Then everyone she had been working with started leaving. Trouble Brewing The first sign of trouble was in March 2025, when she started noticing that she had no introductory emails from the hotel. She reached out to her sales manager, only to find that she was no longer there. 'Still, that wasn't a big alarm because I know salespeople tend to move on. So I reached out to the person who I thought was going to be my CSM, and she sent me back an email that she was moving on.' That's when she picked up the phone. During their conversation, the CSM never gave Richards any indication that the hotel was changing ownership and all the corporate employees were fleeing. Around that time, the issues started. Because of a mistake in the system, the registration cutoff date was listed a month earlier, so her attendees — high-profile state-appointed legislators and leaders in the private business sector energy from companies like Exxon Mobil and Shell — started reaching out saying they had tried to register for the meeting but the room black was full. 'I had at least four or five different rooms coordinators,' she said. 'Every time I'd reach out to somebody, they were no longer there. It was like the first time they'd ever heard about this.' Less than 30 days before the meeting, after numerous frustrated emails and calls, the sales manager finally called to tell her the hotel had been sold. She was assigned a new CSM, a 'task force' contractor who actually lived in Atlanta. These interim management professionals are brought in from all over the country to fill critical roles. 'I knew nothing of that world, but she was a seasoned professional,' Richards said. 'However, she was extremely overwhelmed, because we weren't the only group coming in.' The issues persisted. 'No BEOs, no diagrams, nothing.' That's when the hotel brought in additional contract task force employees: a banquet captain, a food and beverage director — and a new CSM to relieve the overworked one. Enter the Task Force The June 5-7 meeting went off without the 130 attendees having any issues or idea of what went on behind the scenes. Richards has decided not to pursue any legal action. She did hold a debrief meeting with the new general manager (the previous one also left) and her third CSM, to let them know how she felt about how they handled the situation. 'It would have been a professional courtesy for the previous GM to have contacted me to let me know what was happening, and the contract says that the hotel is supposed to do that. I told them that meeting planners talk to each other, and as a planner who has been doing this for many years I feel like we're getting a little disrespected.' She has asked that the hotel offer her the same rate as they did this year, and perhaps she would consider returning again in two years. She'll be sure to get that promise in writing. Her advice to fellow planners: Ask if a hotel is franchised or corporate-owned or -managed. There can be differences in flexibility, brand standards, and contracting. In her previous role, for example, her company would not work with franchise hotels. 'They were not as amenable to our addendums,' she said. 'Moving forward, we'll be putting this in future RFPs, along with a 90-day change of management clause. 'So many things went so terribly wrong,' she said. 'I think if I hadn't been more seasoned, it could have been even worse.'
Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Report: The conservatives expected to cave on Trump's megabill
By As Congress barrels towards the self-imposed July 4th deadline to pass President Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' some Republicans are vowing a vote against it, potentially tanking the seismic signature legislation of the White House. Insiders on Capitol Hill think they're bluffing - and see most climbing aboard at the last possible moment. 'Most of these guys will eventually cave,' one House GOP aide told the Daily Mail. 'It's not about principles anymore, it's just thirsty members knowing how to get as much attention as possible.' A handful of Republicans in Congress have taken some issue with the current format of Trump's marquee policy agenda, called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB). Their bicameral concerns vary from the overregulation of AI , Medicaid cuts, rural hospital funding and deficit reduction. Republican Representatives Chip Roy, Andy Harris, Victoria Spartz and more were named by Capitol Hill sources as those most likely to flip and back the bill despite their noisy opposition. Harris and Roy, for example, threatened to hold up the OBBB in the House before ultimately voting for it in late May. This week, the Trump administration has ramped up the pressure, deploying a slew of social media posts by the president on top of visits from Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Capitol Hill. Once the Senate figures out its version and Trump decides to personally apply more pressure, Capitol Hill aides believe the hardheaded opposition will eventually melt away like a popsicle on a summer city sidewalk. 'The biggest bluffers are the Medicaid moderates,' a senior House GOP aide told the Daily Mail, adding that Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska is one of the Republicans most upset by Medicaid reforms. A former Senate GOP aide shared that most lawmakers will choose to avoid the president's wrath when the rubber meets the road. 'Of course most of the holdouts will eventually back President Trump and vote for the bill,' the former aide told the Daily Mail. 'Even though their constituents probably agree with a lot of their objections —they will rightly calculate that the political risk of drawing President Trump's ire or failing to stop huge tax hikes would far outweigh the reward of a protest vote.' The former staffer added: 'President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill will pass, warts and all.' The House passed its version of the OBBB in late May by just a single vote. Multiple Republicans defected at the time and voted against the over 1,000-page bill because it was not conservative enough. According to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the House-passed OBBB framework carries an eye-watering price tag of $2.4 - $2.77 trillion. Though that price is likely to change once the Senate finishes its version of the bill. Reps. Thomas Massie and Warren Davidson were the lone GOPers to vote 'no' on the bill over concerns on how the package will impact the deficit. The bill is now with the Senate, and the tweaks made by GOP lawmakers in the upper chamber have made some House members fume. In addition, the Senate Parliamentarian struck down key Republican provisions in the reconciliation bill, declaring they cannot remain in the bill due to Senate rules. One of those provisions slashed is meant to prevent illegal immigrants from collecting Medicaid - a move that has enraged many House lawmakers, and even prompted many to call for the parliamentarian's removal from her post. There are multiple internal GOP factions currently vying for different additions and cuts to the mega-bill. Many Republican moderates have expressed distaste with deep Medicaid cuts, members of the House Freedom Caucus - a conservative cohort of the lower chamber - are upset with the spending levels and lawmakers in blue states are most concerned with state and local tax (SALT) reforms. 'You have so many [Republicans] trying to inject themselves into the Senate's process by drawing red lines it's laughable,' the senior House GOP aide shared. 'It's true the Senate has had significant setbacks with the parliamentarian, but these House guys' posturing is setting themselves up for a rude awakening.' In the House, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is upset with an AI provision that would hamper states' ability to regulate the nascent tech. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris and Reps. Chip Roy and Ralph Norman, meanwhile, have decried the price tag of the overall bill. 'Chip Roy will for sure,' buckle and vote for the bill under pressure, the GOP House aide shared, adding that Harris would also fold. 'We didn't realize demanding fiscal responsibility, opposing trillion-dollar deficit hikes, and fighting swamp subsidies counted as 'bluffing,"' a source familiar with the HFC chairman responded. New York Republican Nick Lalota has said he's a 'no for now' until SALT reforms are made. Other 'bluffers' who will eventually back the OBBB despite previously voicing doubts include Rep. Victoria Spartz, Tim Burchett, Eric Burlison and Josh Breechen. 'The Senate version, as it stands currently, cuts out many of the key provisions from the House bill that the President wanted,' a spokesperson for Burchett told the Daily Mail. 'The Congressman always votes his conscience, and will continue to do so when it is time to vote on the OBBB.' Still, most House Republicans say they are flexible and are waiting to see the final text passed by the Senate. A crop of upper chamber Republicans are also making a fuss. GOP Sens. Josh Hawley, Thom Tillis, Lisa Murkoswki, Susan Collins and Jerry Moran have all expressed concern over a provider tax provision that could cut funding to rural hospitals. A Senate GOP aide told the Daily Mail Tillis, who faces re-election in 2026, will fold '100 percent.' 'He has to vote for it or else Trump will support a primary challenger,' they added, noting a longstanding feud between Trump and the North Carolina senator. As the Senate continues to finalize its version of the bill, time is running out. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said this week he hopes to have the chamber vote on the OBBB on Saturday, however, it's unclear whether the text of the measure will be ready. Should the Senate pass the bill by then, the House would have to sprint to align itself with all of the changes before July 4th on next Friday.
Wall Street Journal
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
About Those ‘Millions' Losing Medicaid
Senate Republicans have to rework provisions in their big budget bill to pass muster with esoteric parliamentary rules, but tune out the Democratic wishcasting that the entire project is in jeopardy. On the other hand, here's some Capitol Hill news worth knowing: The GOP bill isn't throwing all and sundry off their health insurance, no matter the media claims to the contrary. A Congressional Budget Office letter this week adds important explanatory details to the claim that 7.8 million more Americans won't have health insurance in 2034 because of GOP Medicaid changes. Democrats broadcast this CBO estimate to frighten voters that Republicans are locking vulnerable Americans out of hospitals. But here are the facts CBO offered to the GOP House Budget Committee. Of that 7.8 million, some 4.8 million are uninsured because they don't comply with the bill's part-time work requirement. This is a torpedo in the hull for the Democratic talking point that everyone on Medicaid already works. The bill asks able-bodied, prime-age adults without children to work or volunteer roughly 20 hours a week. The serious academic evidence suggests perhaps half of that able-bodied population isn't clearing that basic work bar. A recent report from the American Enterprise Institute is sobering: 'For Medicaid recipients who do not report working, the most common activity after sleeping is watching television and playing video games. They spend 4.2 hours per day watching television and playing video games, or 125 hours during a 30-day month.' In a healthier political culture, even Democrats would agree that men who decline to work shouldn't get free health insurance to check out of life. The real 'Call of Duty' is getting a job.
Daily Mail
18 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The big beautiful BLUFFERS: Here are the conservatives expected to cave on BBB once Trump cranks up the pressure
As Congress barrels towards the self-imposed July 4th deadline to pass President Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' some Republicans are vowing a vote against it, potentially tanking the seismic signature legislation of the White House. Insiders on Capitol Hill think they're bluffing - and see most climbing aboard at the last possible moment. 'Most of these guys will eventually cave,' one House GOP aide told the Daily Mail. 'It's not about principles anymore, it's just thirsty members knowing how to get as much attention as possible.' A handful of Republicans in Congress have taken some issue with the current format of Trump's marquee policy agenda, called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB). Their bicameral concerns vary from the overregulation of AI, Medicaid cuts, rural hospital funding and deficit reduction. Republican Representatives Chip Roy, Andy Harris, Victoria Spartz and more were named by Capitol Hill sources as those most likely to flip and back the bill despite their noisy opposition. Harris and Roy, for example, threatened to hold up the OBBB in the House before ultimately voting for it in late May. This week, the Trump administration has ramped up the pressure, deploying a slew of social media posts by the president on top of visits from Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Capitol Hill. Once the Senate figures out its version and Trump decides to personally apply more pressure, Capitol Hill aides believe the hardheaded opposition will eventually melt away like a popsicle on a summer city sidewalk. 'The biggest bluffers are the Medicaid moderates,' a senior House GOP aide told the Daily Mail, adding that Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska is one of the Republicans most upset by Medicaid reforms. A former Senate GOP aide shared that most lawmakers will choose to avoid the president's wrath when the rubber meets the road. 'Of course most of the holdouts will eventually back President Trump and vote for the bill,' the former aide told the Daily Mail. 'Even though their constituents probably agree with a lot of their objections —they will rightly calculate that the political risk of drawing President Trump's ire or failing to stop huge tax hikes would far outweigh the reward of a protest vote.' The former staffer added: 'President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill will pass, warts and all.' The House passed its version of the OBBB in late May by just a single vote. Multiple Republicans defected at the time and voted against the over 1,000-page bill because it was not conservative enough. According to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the House-passed OBBB framework carries an eye-watering price tag of $2.4 - $2.77 trillion. Though that price is likely to change once the Senate finishes its version of the bill. Reps. Thomas Massie and Warren Davidson were the lone GOPers to vote 'no' on the bill over concerns on how the package will impact the deficit. The bill is now with the Senate, and the tweaks made by GOP lawmakers in the upper chamber have made some House members fume. In addition, the Senate Parliamentarian struck down key Republican provisions in the reconciliation bill, declaring they cannot remain in the bill due to Senate rules. One of those provisions slashed is meant to prevent illegal immigrants from collecting Medicaid - a move that has enraged many House lawmakers, and even prompted many to call for the parliamentarian's removal from her post. There are multiple internal GOP factions currently vying for different additions and cuts to the mega-bill. Many Republican moderates have expressed distaste with deep Medicaid cuts, members of the House Freedom Caucus - a conservative cohort of the lower chamber - are upset with the spending levels and lawmakers in blue states are most concerned with state and local tax (SALT) reforms. 'You have so many [Republicans] trying to inject themselves into the Senate's process by drawing red lines it's laughable,' the senior House GOP aide shared. 'It's true the Senate has had significant setbacks with the parliamentarian, but these House guys' posturing is setting themselves up for a rude awakening.' In the House, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is upset with an AI provision that would hamper states' ability to regulate the nascent tech. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris and Reps. Chip Roy and Ralph Norman, meanwhile, have decried the price tag of the overall bill. 'Chip Roy will for sure,' buckle and vote for the bill under pressure, the GOP House aide shared, adding that Harris would also fold. 'We didn't realize demanding fiscal responsibility, opposing trillion-dollar deficit hikes, and fighting swamp subsidies counted as 'bluffing,"' a source familiar with the HFC chairman responded. New York Republican Nick Lalota has said he's a 'no for now' until SALT reforms are made. Other 'bluffers' who will eventually back the OBBB despite previously voicing doubts include Rep. Victoria Spartz, Tim Burchett, Eric Burlison and Josh Breechen. 'The Senate version, as it stands currently, cuts out many of the key provisions from the House bill that the President wanted,' a spokesperson for Burchett told the Daily Mail. 'The Congressman always votes his conscience, and will continue to do so when it is time to vote on the OBBB.' Still, most House Republicans say they are flexible and are waiting to see the final text passed by the Senate. A crop of upper chamber Republicans are also making a fuss. GOP Sens. Josh Hawley, Thom Tillis, Lisa Murkoswki, Susan Collins and Jerry Moran have all expressed concern over a provider tax provision that could cut funding to rural hospitals. A Senate GOP aide told the Daily Mail Tillis, who faces re-election in 2026, will fold '100 percent.' 'He has to vote for it or else Trump will support a primary challenger,' they added, noting a longstanding feud between Trump and the North Carolina senator. As the Senate continues to finalize its version of the bill, time is running out. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said this week he hopes to have the chamber vote on the OBBB on Saturday, however, it's unclear whether the text of the measure will be ready. Should the Senate pass the bill by then, the House would have to sprint to align itself with all of the changes before July 4th on next Friday. The president plans on hosting a ceremony at the White House on Independence Day to sign the landmark legislation, though if the Senate delays its vote - and therefore the vote in the House - Trump may not get his desired celebration. 'It's important. It's not the end all. We can go longer,' Trump said of the July 4th deadline for the OBBB on Friday. 'But, we'd like to get it done by that time if possible.'
