Melania gives Congress private deadline as she works around Trump's team: report

First lady Melania Trump gave Congress a private deadline to pass her signature foster care bill, and she is pursuing it largely outside the usual White House channels, according to a new report in Politico. At a bipartisan roundtable with the House Ways and Means Committee in April, the first lady publicly called foster care legislation a "moral imperative." Then, behind closed doors, she set a target, Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) told the outlet: "I want this on Donald's desk by the August recess." The Fostering the Future Act, which expands housing, education and workforce help for young people aging out of foster care, passed the House unanimously.The Senate has not moved it out of committee, and lawmakers are set to leave Washington around Aug. 10. At a White House picnic the day the House passed the bill, both Trumps urged the Senate to hurry. "Hopefully, it will quickly pass in the Senate," the president said. He has not publicly pressed senators since.The deadline reflects a first lady who increasingly operates on her own track. Her office, not the State Department, has led her effort to reunite children displaced by the Russia-Ukraine war, negotiating directly with Moscow and Kyiv, the White House said. She has also shown a willingness to diverge from the administration's message. She broke with the White House on Epstein, calling for survivors to testify as the president's team tried to move past the scandal, and last week put her own spin on a Supreme Court ruling her husband celebrated, voicing support for the LGBTQIA+ community.A recent book recounted how she resisted Trump's overhaul of the White House grounds and lost.

Big Oil heads for biggest profits in years as Trump pushes for lower gas prices

President Trump is ramping up pressure on the industry to lower gas prices ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Wes Moore on democratic socialist gains: Voters want ‘someone who is going to fight for them’

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Friday argued the recent rise in democratic socialist candidates stems from an appetite within the Democratic Party for fighters, but not necessarily for direct challengers to President Trump. “I actually don’t think people are looking for someone who can fight against the president,” the Democratic official told The Hill’s Judy…

America 250 Soars With Amazing Flyovers and Aerial Action Over the National Mall

Karoline Leavitt warns ‘full-blown Communist revolution’ taking place right NOW

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt blasted progressive Democrats during an appearance on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime,” warning that they are pushing a “full-blown communist revolution.” […]

This Republican Has a Wild Idea for Fixing Housing Prices: Let the Market Actually Work

‘Heat for thee, but not for me’: Mamdani lets City Hall go chill as he tells residents to sweat it out

Reporters test New York building, find temps as low as 54 degrees

Americans hit the road in record numbers for 4th of July — in spite of high gas prices

National average for regular gasoline has fallen from a June peak above $4.56 a gallon as crude oil prices eased following the end of Iran conflict.