House Passes Bill To Speed Federal Permitting For Natural Gas Pipelines

The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday voted 213 to 184 to pass legislation aimed at speeding up federal permitting for interstate natural gas pipelines. The bill would designate the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as the lead agency for pipeline permitting reviews.

Under the legislation, FERC would be allowed to weigh water quality assessments as part of its environmental review instead of waiting for separate Clean Water Act certifications from states, Reuters reported.

Supporters say state-level certifications have often delayed pipeline approvals for years. The bill is titled the Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act. It is one of several measures in Congress aimed at accelerating federal permitting processes.

Another bill, the Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today Act, also passed the House with bipartisan support.

Lawmakers have made broad permitting reform a priority as they seek to expand energy infrastructure to meet rising electricity demand.

That demand has grown in part due to the rapid expansion of data centers across the country.

Supporters of the legislation also argue faster permitting could help reduce household energy costs.

FERC is traditionally made up of five commissioners who are nominated by presidents and confirmed by the Senate.

The agency has approved most natural gas pipeline proposals that have come before it in recent years.

“These bills help unlock the infrastructure America needs to meet growing demand for affordable, reliable energy,” American Petroleum Institute President Mike Sommers said in a statement.

The Senate is pursuing a separate effort to reform energy permitting that would be broader than the bills passed by the House.

Senate lawmakers are focusing on changes to the National Environmental Policy Act, which governs environmental reviews for major infrastructure projects.

That effort would include reforms related to upgrading electric transmission lines.

A bid by a single left-wing lawmaker to impeach President Donald Trump again failed on Thursday, as nearly two dozen Democrats joined Republicans in voting to block the effort.

Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) triggered action on two articles of impeachment late Wednesday by introducing a privileged resolution, a procedural tool that requires the House to take up a measure within two legislative days.

On Thursday, Republicans moved to table the resolution — a step that effectively halts consideration of the impeachment articles. The motion succeeded with bipartisan support, ending the effort, Fox News reported.

Twenty-three Democrats joined Republicans in voting to set aside the impeachment measure. A substantial bloc of Democrats also voted “present,” including all three members of the party’s leadership team: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), and Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.).

“Impeachment is a sacred constitutional vehicle designed to hold a corrupt executive accountable for abuse of power, breaking the law and violating the public trust. The effort traditionally requires a comprehensive investigative process, the collection and review of thousands of documents, an exacting scrutiny of the facts, the examination of dozens of key witnesses, Congressional hearings, sustained public organizing and the marshaling of the forces of democracy to build a broad national consensus,” the trio said in a statement explaining their vote.

“None of that serious work has been done, with the Republican majority focused solely on rubber stamping Donald Trump’s extreme agenda. Accordingly, we will be voting ‘present’ on today’s motion to table the impeachment resolution as we continue our fight to make life more affordable for everyday Americans.”

The final vote fell 237 to 140, with 47 “present” votes, Fox noted.

Among the Democrats who voted to table the measure are Reps. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., Josh Riley, D-N.Y., Jared Golden, D-Maine, Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H., Sharice Davids, D-Kan., Don Davis, D-N.C., Shomari Figures, D-Ala., and others, said the outlet.

Breaking: Barack Obama Just Confirmed in Washington, D.C. — Details Emerging

In a development that is quickly drawing attention across the country, Barack Obama has just been confirmed in an announcement made in Washington, D.C., according to early reports. The confirmation, which occurred only moments ago, has sparked widespread interest as officials and observers wait for more details about the situation.

Initial information suggests that the announcement was made during a briefing in the nation’s capital, where officials confirmed the update involving the former president. While the full context of the confirmation is still unfolding, the news has already begun circulating rapidly through political circles and media outlets.

Barack Obama, who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017, remains one of the most influential po

litical figures in modern American politics. Any official confirmation involving him tends to generate immediate public and media attention, both domestically and internationally.

Sources close to the situation say additional statements may be released soon, which could clarify the nature of the confirmation and what it could mean moving forward. Analysts are already speculating about possible implications, though officials have urged the public to wait for verified information.

For now, the announcement from Washington, D.C. marks a developing story. More updates are expected as authorities and representatives provide further details in the coming hours.

Stay tuned as this story continues to unfold.

President Donald Trump Signs Major New Executive Order

In a dramatic new court filing, Ghislaine Maxwell has claimed that at least 25 alleged accomplices connected to Jeffrey Epstein quietly reached “secret settlements” related to abuse allegations — yet were never criminally charged.

The filing, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, argues that newly discovered evidence reveals previously undisclosed agreements between plaintiff attorneys and multiple men who, according to Maxwell, could be considered co-conspirators in Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation.

“New evidence reveals that there were 25 men with whom the plaintiff lawyers reached secret settlements — that could equally be considered as co-conspirators,” Maxwell wrote in documents filed without the assistance of her legal team.

Maxwell, 63, is currently serving a 20-year federal sentence following her 2021 conviction on sex trafficking charges. In her latest submission, she maintains that prosecutors failed to disclose crucial information that could have altered the outcome of her trial.

“None of these men have been prosecuted and none has been revealed to me,” Maxwell wrote. “Had I known, I would have called them as witnesses.”

She further contends that the alleged concealment of these settlements — along with what she describes as jury bias — deprived her of a fair trial. According to Maxwell, if jurors had been informed of what she characterizes as “collusion” between government officials and civil attorneys, they may have reached a different verdict.

The filing also claims that four former employees of Epstein were referenced in both a prior non-prosecution agreement and the federal indictment he faced before his death in 2019, yet none of those individuals were ultimately charged.

The possibility that additional accomplices remain unidentified has reignited public scrutiny surrounding the Epstein case. Questions persist about whether the names of those who allegedly reached private settlements will ever be fully disclosed — particularly as federal authorities continue reviewing millions of pages of case-related documents.

To date, only Epstein and Maxwell have faced federal criminal charges directly tied to the sex-trafficking network. Others associated with Epstein have confronted civil lawsuits but have denied wrongdoing.

Among the most high-profile figures accused in civil proceedings was Prince Andrew, who was sued by Virginia Giuffre over allegations of sexual abuse when she was a minor. Prince Andrew has consistently denied the claims and later reached a financial settlement without admitting liability.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice has confirmed that hundreds of attorneys are reviewing an estimated 5.2 million pages of documents connected to the Epstein investigation. Officials say the review process is complex and requires extensive redactions to protect victims’ identities.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated in December that the review is an “all-hands-on-deck” effort, emphasizing that victim protection remains a top priority even as pressure mounts for greater transparency.

It remains unclear whether the 25 men referenced in Maxwell’s filing negotiated any agreements with federal prosecutors or whether their settlements were strictly civil in nature. Legal experts note that civil settlements do not automatically shield individuals from criminal liability — though non-prosecution agreements can.

Maxwell’s filing is widely viewed as part of her broader legal strategy to challenge her conviction. Whether the court will grant further hearings or consider the alleged new evidence remains to be seen.

The renewed claims have once again thrust the Epstein scandal into the national spotlight, raising persistent questions about accountability, transparency, and whether all those involved in the long-running abuse network have truly been brought to justice.

As document reviews continue and appeals move forward, the case remains one of the most controversial and closely watched criminal sagas in recent American history.