What updates are there on the USS Gerald R. Ford's military exercises?
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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Amy Held. Aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford has arrived in the Northern Caribbean. Some 4,000 sailors are on board, joining thousands of U.S. service members already there. Military exercises are scheduled. The U.S. strikes have killed dozens aboard alleged drug-smuggling boats. It is not clear whether the military will be used against Venezuela.
Still, Venezuela's leader, Nicolas Maduro, is readying his military and rallying supporters, accusing the U.S. of pursuing a criminal war. He put his message to music at a rally this weekend, calling for peace and singing John Lennon's Imagine.
Imagine us people...
The U.S. has long pushed for regime change in Venezuela, offering a $50 million award for Maduro's arrest. This week, the House will vote whether to order the Justice Department to release documents about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. NPR's Mara Liason reports.
House Speaker Mike Johnson tried for months to avoid this vote, but he failed when four Republicans joined Democrats to sign a discharge petition. That's a tool that allows rank-and-file House members to circumvent leadership and bring bills to the floor.
Last week, the House Oversight Committee released documents that show President Trump may have known more about Epstein than he has said he did. Trump has lashed out at Republicans who've demanded the documents be released. and he's ordered his attorney general to investigate Epstein's ties to Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton.
Even if the bill passes the House, it faces an uncertain future in the Senate and a potential veto from the president. Mara Liason, NPR News, Washington.
In an unusual move, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against the State Higher Education Coordination Board. Texas Public Radio's Jerry Clayton has more.
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