During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing this afternoon, October 7th, Senator John Kennedy "revealed" that Ted Cruz has a Backstreet Boys tattoo, prompting Attorney General Pam Bondi to interject that the band appears on Senator J.D. Vance's recently leaked Spotify playlist. This exchange occurred as Senator John Thune, in a statement posted on X, blamed Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown, now in its seventh day, stating that a bipartisan appropriations process could resume if a few Senate Democrats joined Republicans. Earlier in the day, in a heated exchange during a Senate hearing, Senator Mazie Hirono questioned Attorney General Pam Bondi about the closure of the Homan investigation and a bribery investigation. Bondi responded by asking Hirono if she was a member of Antifa, referencing a video of Hirono protesting with a group outside the White House. Separately, a report on X from Semafor indicated that top CEOs had intervened with President Donald Trump to rescue Intel's leader. In other developments, a Virginia poll released on October 1st shows Democrat Spanberger leading Republican Earle-Sears 52% to 42% in the gubernatorial race. The poll also indicated Spanberger holds leads on key issues such as healthcare, transgender policy, and federal workforce reduction. Meanwhile, President Trump's job approval rating in the same poll stands at 41% approval to 56% disapproval. As the government shutdown continues, Senator John Thune reiterated that Democrats are responsible for the shutdown and are prioritizing their "far-left base" over the American people, according to his statement on X. He suggested that ending the shutdown could be achieved quickly if a few Senate Democrats supported Republicans in the appropriations process. Previous reports indicated that on October 7th, leaders of Congress's Asian, Jewish, and Black Caucuses condemned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's remarks. Economic news highlighted AI's significant contribution to U.S. GDP growth and stock market gains. Additionally, President Trump had expressed optimism regarding a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release, with a U.S. delegation en route to Egypt for negotiations. Debates over back pay for federal workers furloughed due to the shutdown also intensified, with conflicting statements from Republican lawmakers.
