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Welcome back. Bringing a tumultuous, two-year session to a colorful close, Speaker Mike Johnson closed the House early Wednesday, but not before drawing a scathing rebuke from Republican Rep. Thomas Massie. Also in the news today: Houthis draw Yemen into the wider war as thousands flee; and how you can lower your risk of dementia. Plus, scenes from a colonial resurrection.
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Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
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Speaker Johnson recesses the House early as GOP lawmaker pushes Hegseth impeachment
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GOP Rep. Thomas Massie’s resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the war in Iran and his bipartisan effort to force the release of more files in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation are all being left behind, blocked from votes. Read more.
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- The renegade Republican from Kentucky, seized control of the chamber for a blistering hourlong speech criticizing Johnson, the Republican majority and the work he said the speaker is refusing to conduct to lower prices for Americans and hold the Trump administration accountable. Massie lost his own primary bid for reelection after Trump mounted a costly campaign to kick him out of Congress.
Earlier in the day, Johnson, who claimed this Congress was the most productive in decades, dismissed Massie’s effort to impeach Hegseth as “a stunt.” “Secretary Hegseth has done an extraordinary job at the Department of War,” Johnson said.
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Tens of thousands flee as Iran-backed rebels draw Yemen into the wider war
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More than 125,000 people in Yemen have fled as the Iran-backed rebels advanced down the Red Sea coast to a key maritime chokepoint. The offensive, linked to the wider Iran war, has threatened Saudi oil exports, pushed up global fuel prices and rattled markets. Read more.
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A Saudi-led blockade, along with the Houthis’ repressive rule and detention of U.N. and aid workers, has made life miserable in the now-expanding territory under rebel control. Yemen’s Saudi-backed government, weak and fragmented, has struggled to push them back.
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Want to lower your risk of dementia? It doesn’t involve a blood test
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New blood tests that might predict Alzheimer’s years before symptoms begin may sound tantalizing for people who worry about later-in-life dementia, but doctors say they aren’t quite ready yet. Besides, you don’t need a test before trying to lower your risk. Read more.
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Instead, focus on addressing potentially preventable brain risks. One large study found people who reached middle age without high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking lived dementia-free for nearly 13 years longer than people with all three of those common health problems in their 50s.
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Bill Robling as Benjamin Franklin, left, and Carol Spacht as Betsy Ross, center, greet the Philadelphia Phillies mascot, the Phillie Phanatic, before a baseball game on July 2 in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
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Scenes from a colonial resurrection draw America 250 crowds
It’s a big and busy year for Historic Philadelphia, Inc., where actors bring the nation’s founding era to life through first person performances. For America’s 250th birthday, they have received plenty of quirky requests. Take Betsy Ross, played by Carol Spacht. In the past few months she has waved the checkered flag at a NASCAR race, met a weather-predicting groundhog and competed against the Eagles’ Jordan Mailata in a karaoke contest. Watch Spacht in full costume and character. The actors say they feel a patriotic sense of duty to tell the story of America’s founding from the perspective of everyday people often left out of history books. If you'd like to explore more iconic pieces of American history, click here.
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