The Senate teed up a colossal package to authorize funding for the Pentagon on Tuesday, marking the first legislation to hit the floor since lawmakers returned from August recess.

Lawmakers advanced the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on a largely bipartisan 84 to 14 vote, setting up the bill for debate before a later vote to advance it from the Senate.

This year’s version of the bill isn’t as divisive as its predecessor, given the lack of provisions targeting ‘woke’ policies at the Pentagon, which became a major target for Republicans when they gained power in the House during the latter half of former President Joe Biden’s first term.

Instead, the measure focuses on military contracting reforms and lasers in on the Pentagon’s failure to complete, let alone pass, an audit for the last several years. It also includes a bump to service members’ pay, though not as high as in recent years. It also includes an extension to the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through 2028, and increases authorized funding to $500 million. 

Still, the measure would authorize about 3% more funding for the Pentagon when compared to last year’s NDAA in the midst of the GOP and White House’s push to cut costs in the government.

It also comes on the heels of a $150 billion injection of defense spending passed in President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill.’

Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said after the bill glided through committee in July that the ‘United States is operating in the most dangerous threat environment we have faced since World War II.’

‘The bill my committee advanced today is a direct reflection of the severity of that threat environment, as well as the rapidly evolving landscape of war,’ he said. ‘My colleagues and I have prioritized reindustrialization and the structural rebuilding of the arsenal of democracy.’

And Sen. Jack Reed, the Democrat on the panel, similarly agreed that the U.S. ‘faces a global security environment unlike any in recent memory.’

‘This legislation invests in the service members, technology, and capabilities we need to deter our adversaries and defend our national interests,’ the Rhode Island Democrat said. ‘I thank Chairman Wicker and our colleagues on both sides of the aisle for advancing this bill to prioritize the safety and security of the American people.’

The Senate and House have offered competing versions of the bill, too. Lawmakers in the upper chamber leapfrogged their colleagues in the House, where their iteration of the NDAA is expected to be considered next week.

Overall, the Senate’s version of the legislation would tee up nearly $925 billion in defense spending. That total is split among the Department of Defense at over $878 billion, the Department of Energy at over $35 billion with another $10 billion allocated for ‘defense-related activities’ outside of the bill’s jurisdiction.

The House version of the bill clocked in at just over $848 billion, well below the Senate’s product but more in line with the Pentagon’s budget request for the upcoming fiscal year. 

The House Oversight Committee released a tranche of thousands of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein’s case on Tuesday night.

The surprise file dump came ahead of an expected House-wide vote to formalize the committee’s Epstein inquiry on Wednesday afternoon.

That vote, while largely symbolic, would also direct the House Oversight Committee to release the Epstein files sent by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Nearly 34,000 pages are being released that include the DOJ’s interview with Ghislaine Maxwell and videos that appear to show the inside of Epstein’s Palm Beach home.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., subpoenaed the DOJ in early August for all documents pertaining to its investigation of Epstein and Maxwell. 

The subpoena was directed by a bipartisan vote during an unrelated House Oversight Committee hearing in late July.

‘This is the most thorough investigation into Epstein and Maxwell to date, and we are getting results,’ Comer said during a House Rules Committee meeting on Tuesday evening.

‘We have already deposed former Attorney General Bill Barr, the Department of Justice provided nearly 34,000 pages of documents and will produce more, which are being made public as we speak.’

Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the committee, claimed that some 97% of those documents were already public, however.

The sudden release appears to be a bid to neutralize an effort by Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., to force a vote on their own bill to make the DOJ release information on Epstein.

The bipartisan pair is spearheading what’s known as a discharge petition — a rare procedural move that allows lawmakers to circumvent leadership if a majority of House members sign on. 

Such a vote could put Republican lawmakers, who are also pushing for more transparency, in a difficult position, forced to decide between the political ramifications of bucking the vote or defying their own leaders.

Massie told Fox News Digital earlier this week he expected enough signatures to hit that threshold by the end of this week, however.

‘I think there’s a real good chance of that,’ he said.

But Comer said the committee was ‘way ahead’ of Massie and Khanna’s move.

‘We’re going to go beyond it. We’re already getting the documents from the administration,’ Comer said. ‘I don’t think [the discharge petition is] necessary at all.’

In addition to deposing Barr and subpoenaing the DOJ, Comer’s panel also sent subpoenas to former Attorney General Loretta Lynch, ex-FBI Director James Comey, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., allowed a Biden-appointed member of the Federal Trade Commission to keep her job, at least for now, as part of a lawsuit centered on President Donald Trump’s authority to remove members of independent agencies without cause.

A three-judge panel said Tuesday that a lower court’s decision that Trump unlawfully fired FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter could remain in place and that the firing was squarely at odds with Supreme Court precedent. 

‘The government has no likelihood of success on appeal given controlling and directly on point Supreme Court precedent,’ the panel wrote in an order.

Slaughter was abruptly fired after Trump took office, rehired when Judge Loren AliKhan ruled in her favor last month, and then re-fired days later when the appellate court briefly paused Ali Khan’s decision.

The three-judge panel, comprising two Obama appointees and one Trump appointee, lifted that pause on Tuesday, which allows Slaughter to return to work. The Trump administration can appeal the decision.

Department of Justice attorneys had argued for the appellate court to grant the Trump administration a stay, pointing to the Supreme Court’s decision to do the same in a recent separate case involving other independent agencies.

‘The court’s reinstatement of a principal officer of the United States—in defiance of recent Supreme Court precedent staying similar reinstatements in other cases—works a grave harm to the separation of powers and the President’s ability to exercise his authority under the Constitution,’ the attorneys wrote.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Business magnate Elon Musk suggested that anti-white male propaganda is ‘a major driver of’ members of that demographic adopting transgender identity.

‘My observation is that a major driver of white males becoming trans is the relentless propaganda portraying white men as the worst human beings,’ Musk wrote in a post on X. 

‘If those lies land, especially during vulnerable teen years, and they are given an option to be a ‘celebrated’ group, some will do it,’ he added.

Someone responded to Musk’s post by writing, ‘Interesting theory. It may also explain why so many white women support trans mania despite the harm it causes them and their children.’

Musk replied with the 100 emoji, apparently expressing agreement.

One of Musk’s children identifies as transgender.

‘They call it deadnaming for a reason,’ Musk previously said during an interview with Jordan Peterson, saying, ‘my son Xavier is dead, killed by the woke mind virus.’

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un of conspiring against the U.S. after the three world leaders met in Beijing during a military parade.

‘The big question to be answered is whether or not President Xi of China will mention the massive amount of support and ‘blood’ that The United States of America gave to China in order to help it to secure its FREEDOM from a very unfriendly foreign invader,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.

‘Many Americans died in China’s quest for Victory and Glory,’ he continued. ‘I hope that they are rightfully Honored and Remembered for their Bravery and Sacrifice! May President Xi and the wonderful people of China have a great and lasting day of celebration. Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America.’

The parade attended by the three U.S. adversaries commemorated the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, highlighting Beijing’s efforts to showcase military power and deepen alliances at a time of heightened global tensions.

Kim’s attendance at the parade was his first trip to Beijing since 2019, as Pyongyang seeks to bolster ties with both China and Russia.

The military parade in Beijing featured thousands of troops marching through Tiananmen Square in a 70-minute display showcasing China’s latest weaponry.

Meeting ahead of the event in Beijing, Putin championed the ‘unprecedentedly high’ ties between himself and Xi amid the Russia-Ukraine war that began with a Moscow invasion in February 2022.

The meeting reaffirmed the increased unity the two countries have pursued following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall and Emma Bussey contributed to this report.

President Xi Jinping declared China’s ‘great rejuvenation’ unstoppable on Wednesday as he used the country’s largest-ever military parade to hint at reunification with Taiwan and to flaunt advanced weapons designed to rival American power.

Xi said the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) would ‘resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity,’ underscoring Beijing’s ambitions toward Taiwan. ‘The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable,’ he added.

The 70-minute spectacle marked the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. Thousands of troops goose-stepped through Tiananmen Square, followed by columns of tanks, missile carriers and drones.

Xi has repeatedly set 2027, the 100th anniversary of the PLA, as a deadline for military modernization — a timeline U.S. officials warn could coincide with preparations for an invasion of Taiwan.

China showed off its full nuclear triad — missiles launched from land, sea and air. That included the DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missile, capable of traveling 12,400 miles, putting the U.S. mainland within range.

Analysts paid special attention to what appeared to be a new DF-61 hypersonic missile carried on a WS2400 truck. The weapon is believed to be designed to outpace U.S. missile defenses. Submarine-launched ballistic missiles and long-range bombers rounded out the display of nuclear muscle.

The PLA also rolled out stealth drones — like the GJ-11 ‘Sharp Sword’ UCAV and other ‘loyal wingman’ drones — alongside AI-enhanced tanks, hypersonic weapons, underwater drones and other futuristic systems.

Amphibious assault vehicles hinted at preparations for a Taiwan contingency. Beijing also highlighted cyber and space capabilities, signaling ambitions beyond conventional battlefields.

Xi watched the procession flanked by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un — a not-so-subtle signal of solidarity among America’s adversaries.

After the parade, Putin and Kim met behind closed doors for two hours. Putin thanked Kim for supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine, Chinese state media reported.

President Donald Trump weighed in on Truth Social, addressing Xi directly: ‘Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un, as you conspire against The United States of America.’

Around two dozen world leaders watched from the stands, including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Only two heads of state from Europe — Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico — accepted China’s invitation, as Western allies largely stayed away.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te dismissed the spectacle as ‘psychological intimidation.’ 

The show of force came just months after the U.S. staged its own military parade in Washington to mark the Army’s 250th birthday, in a signal that China intends to match and eventually surpass American military power.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., is facing a GOP-led censure resolution on Wednesday after her fiery remarks at a pro-Palestinian conference.

Tlaib spoke at the People’s Conference for Palestine in Detroit over the weekend, where she condemned both Democrats and Republicans for supporting Israel as its military campaign in Gaza continues.

Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., who introduced the measure, accused Tlaib of ‘vilifying her colleagues, endangering the lives of Jewish people, and celebrating terrorism.’

‘Her conduct is beneath that of a civilized person, let alone a member of Congress. I am calling on the House of Representatives to censure her remarks and put Democrats on notice for enabling and cheering on antisemitism in their own party,’ Carter told Fox News Digital.

The Detroit-area progressive, the first Palestinian-American elected to Congress, targeted the institution itself in her remarks. ‘Outside of the decaying halls of the empire in Washington, D.C., we are winning. They are scared.’

She also brushed off colleagues’ concerns about anti-Israel protests near their offices.

‘They are scared. They send me videos and messages of people protesting in front of their district offices, people showing up at their town halls, and I was like, we’re not all related. Those are fellow Americans,’ Tlaib said. ‘Maybe you should meet with them and listen.’

Carter’s resolution referenced other speakers at the event, tying their rhetoric to Tlaib’s participation.

He pointed to remarks by Aisha Nizar, an activist with the Palestinian Youth Movement, who discussed disrupting the U.S. supply chain for F-35 combat aircraft.

‘If one specific node of the F-35 supply chain is intervened in, it has a huge impact for our people back home,’ Nizar said. ‘We need to be surgical. We need to be strategic. And we need to be bold in our actions. Because there are many different points of these supply chains of death that we can intervene in.’

Another participant, Nidal Jboor, founder of Doctors Against Genocide, reportedly said of leaders in the U.S., Europe and Israel, ‘They must be locked up, taken out, neutralized to save children and humanity,’ according to a report by the Middle East Media Research Institute.

It remains unclear how closely Tlaib is tied to those figures, but Carter’s resolution links her speech to past controversies over her criticism of Israel.

‘Representative Rashida Tlaib has repeatedly displayed conduct entirely unbecoming of a member of the House of Representatives by calling for the destruction of the state of Israel and by dangerously promoting terrorism and extremism, while Israeli and American hostages remain in terrorist captivity,’ the resolution states.

Carter is running for U.S. Senate in Georgia in 2026.

Israel’s military campaign in Gaza — which international organizations warn has created famine conditions — was launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack that killed more than 1,000 people in southern Israel, many of them civilians in their homes.

The conflict has split lawmakers in both parties, with a growing number of Democrats and even some Republicans criticizing the magnitude of Israel’s response.

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry claims tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 7.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Tlaib’s office for comment.

More than 1,000 current and former employees of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) signed a letter calling on HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign on Wednesday.

The employees cited Kennedy’s recent ousting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Susan Monarez. They also accused Kennedy of appointing ‘political ideologues’ to positions of authority.

‘We believe health policy should be based in strong, evidence-based principles rather than partisan politics. But under Secretary Kennedy’s leadership, HHS policies are placing the health of all Americans at risk, regardless of their politics,’ the letter says.

‘Should he decline to resign, we call upon the President and U.S. Congress to appoint a new Secretary of Health and Human Services, one whose qualifications and experience ensure that health policy is informed by independent and unbiased peer-reviewed science. We expect those in leadership to act when the health of Americans is at stake,’ the letter continues.

HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

The letter comes just days after Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., also called on Kennedy to resign, citing his actions at the CDC. The Trump administration announced the removal of Monarez last week, less than a month after she was confirmed, after she refused Kennedy’s directives to adopt new limitations on the availability of some vaccines, including for approvals for COVID-19 vaccines.

Four other senior CDC officials resigned in protest after Monarez’s ouster, pointing, in part, to anti-vaccine policies pushed by Kennedy. Hundreds of workers at the agency also walked out of the CDC’s headquarters in Atlanta in support of their former colleagues.

Sanders wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times that Kennedy is ‘endangering the health of the American people now and into the future,’ and accused the secretary of firing Monarez because she refused ‘to act as a rubber stamp for his dangerous policies.’

‘Despite the overwhelming opposition of the medical community, Secretary Kennedy has continued his longstanding crusade against vaccines and his advocacy of conspiracy theories that have been rejected repeatedly by scientific experts,’ Sanders wrote.

‘It is absurd to have to say this in 2025, but vaccines are safe and effective,’ he added. ‘That, of course, is not just my view. Far more important, it is the overwhelming consensus of the medical and scientific communities.’

The Trump administration has defended Monarez’s ouster, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying Thursday that the president has the ‘authority to fire those who are not aligned with his mission.’

‘The president and Secretary Kennedy are committed to restoring trust and transparency and credibility to the CDC by ensuring their leadership and their decisions are more public-facing, more accountable, strengthening our public health system and restoring it to its core mission of protecting Americans from communicable diseases, investing in innovation to prevent, detect and respond to future threats,’ Leavitt told reporters.

Fox News’ Landon Mion contributed to this report