Trump visits North Carolina and LA to see impact of recent disasters: Live updates

The Tennessee representative said he introduced the amendment to “ensure that we can sustain the bold leadership our nation so desperately needs.”

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to a readout from China’s foreign ministry.

Wang told Rubio that Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump, who spoke a week ago, had pointed the direction for bilateral relations and set the tone for the incoming administration, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement. Wang said the two sides should push for the steady, healthy, and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations and find the correct way for the two countries to cope with each other.

Wang also told Rubio that China had no intention to overtake or replace any other country but would defend its legitimate development rights. Wang urged the U.S. to handle the Taiwan issue with caution. China considers the self-governed island as part of Chinese territory and vows to annex it by force if necessary to achieve unification.

Rubio, according to the Chinese foreign ministry, told Wang the U.S. doesn’t support Taiwan independence but hopes the issue can be peacefully solved in a way acceptable to both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

With reporting from the Associated Press

President Trump speaking after his arrival in North Carolina doubles down on his proposal for states to handle disaster response rather than FEMA.

He says it will be a lot less expensive, predicting it will be “about half the cost,” and says a recommendation will be made soon.

“We’re looking at the whole concept of FEMA,” the president said. “I like, frankly, the concept when North Carolina gets hit, the governor takes care of it. When Florida gets hit, the governor takes care of it. Meaning the state takes care of it … I’d like to see the states take care of disasters.”

Further the president says any additional aid to North Carolina and California will go through his administration.

On the Senate floor, New York Senator Chuck Schumer reiterates his opposition to Pete Hegseth as Donald Trump’s defense secretary ahead of tonight’s confirmation vote.

“Is this man with a history of excessive drinking really the guy you want on the other end of the phone at 2 a.m. in a crisis in control of the nuclear codes?” said Schumer.

“I refuse to believe that Pete Hegseth is the best the Republicans came up with for Secretary of Defense… I can think of some Republican Senators who would certainly make a much stronger candidate than Mr. Hegseth.”

He added: “I think the credibility of the Republican majority is on the line with today’s vote.”

John F. Kennedy’s grandson has fired out at Donald Trump’s decision to release highly classified JFK assassination files that have been kept from the public for over half a century.

Madeline Sherratt has the story.

A federal judge on Friday barred Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes from entering Washington, D.C., without the court’s approval after President Donald Trump commuted the far-right extremist group leader’s 18-year prison sentence for orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Capitol four years ago.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta issued the order two days after Rhodes visited the Capitol, where he met with at least one lawmaker, chatted with others, and defended his actions during a mob attack on the complex on January 6, 2021. Rhodes was released from a Maryland prison a day earlier.

Mehta also barred other Oath Keepers members who were convicted of seditious conspiracy for participating in a violent plot to attack the Capitol.

Here’s our coverage of Rhodes visiting the Capitol this week having been released from prison:

President Donald Trump spoke with congressional Republican leaders this week about whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency should continue providing help to states in the same way, according to a person familiar with the conversation who was granted anonymity to discuss it.

Here’s some things to know about FEMA as Trump visits areas recovering from natural disasters:

FEMA has an operating budget and a disaster relief fund that Congress replenishes every year. FEMA can also provide money for disaster survivors, ranging from $750 individual payments for emergency needs to $42,500 for some uninsured homeowners to rebuild.There are long-term funding concerns for FEMA. It hasn’t been uncommon for the agency to make what’s called a “supplemental” funding request to Congress to pay for disaster recovery.The disaster assistance fund sometimes runs low in late summer before Congress passes a new budget. When that happens, FEMA shifts to “immediate needs funding,” which means the agency stops paying out for previous disasters and conserves its money for life-saving missions.

MAGA firebrand Lauren Boebert “stormed” into a women’s restroom in the Capitol to get “a guy” removed by security on Thursday.

Rhian Lubin has the story.

Asheville GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards and other members of the North Carolina congressional delegation are flying on Air Force One with President Donald Trump to observe hurricane recovery efforts in the city.