Plus: Two Israeli Embassy Employees Killed In Suspected Terror Attack & Memorial Day Travel Records

Good afternoon,

The Memorial Day holiday period kicks off today, and AAA projects that more than 45 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between now and Monday — potentially breaking the Memorial Day weekend travel record set in 2005.

Nearly 4 million people will fly this weekend (me included!), marking a nearly 2% increase over 2024. This weekend is not expected to set an air travel record. The record for Memorial Day air travel was set way back in 2005 and has stood for 20 years.
Nearly 40 million people are expected to hit the road. See above for the best and worst times to drive.

As we like to say in the news business… pack your patience. Between REAL ID checks and air traffic controller shortages at airports nationwide, I might actually plan to get to the airport more than 30 minutes before my flight!

Lauren
Producer

🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

House Narrowly Passes Massive Tax & Spending Bill After Tense GOP Negotiations

The House narrowly passed President Trump’s massive tax and spending legislation package, called the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” on Thursday with a 215–214 vote, fulfilling House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) goal of passing the legislation before the Memorial Day holiday.

Two Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie (KY) and Warren Davidson (OH), joined Democrats in voting no. Freedom Caucus leader Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) voted present while Reps. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y) and David Schweikert (R-AZ) did not vote. Garbarino apparently slept through the early morning vote!

The marathon all-night session follows days of tense negotiations between Trump, Johnson, and conservative hardliners opposed to the bill, which adds $2-3 trillion to the national debt over 10 years.

INSIDE THE MAMMOTH LEGISLATION
The more than 1,100-page bill would make permanent Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, which were set to expire this year. It also makes good on some of Trump’s campaign promises, like no taxes on tips and overtime wages, hundreds of billions of dollars in border security and defense spending and the creation of $1,000 “Trump Accounts” for newborns. To pay for some of that, the bill would cut hundreds of billions of dollars from popular social programs like Medicaid and Medicare.

Republicans made some last-minute changes to appease both conservative hardliners and lawmakers from high-tax Blue states.
- For the conservative faction, requirements that Medicaid recipients work or volunteer at least 80 hours a month would now begin before the end of 2026, instead of 2029. It would also lead to $500 billion in cuts to Medicare over the next decade.
- For moderates, the revised bill increases state and local tax deductions to $40,000 for individuals earning under $500,000.
To fund some of the tax cuts, it also accelerates the rollback of Biden-era clean energy tax credits.

UP NEXT
The legislation, central to Trump’s second-term agenda, now heads to the Senate, where Republicans only have a 3-seat majority. Changes are expected.

Some GOP senators have already pushed back:
- Sen. Ron Johnson (WI) said, “I’m hoping now we’ll actually start looking at reality. I know everybody wants to go to Disney World, but we just can’t afford it.”
- Sen. Rand Paul (KY) opposes any debt ceiling hike, Sen. Josh Hawley (MO) has criticized the proposed Medicaid cuts, and Sens. Susan Collins (ME) and Lisa Murkowski (AK) are looking for significant changes.

Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said he hopes to pass the bill by the July debt ceiling deadline. The question is whether an amended version sent back to the House will still have enough support to pass.

🚨 ONE THING WE’RE MONITORING

Two Israeli Embassy Staff Killed In Targeted Attack; Suspect Yelled "Free Palestine"

Israeli embassy employees Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim were identified Thursday as the victims in the fatal Wednesday night shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. They were attending an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee for young diplomats and Jewish professionals. Attendees say the event was aimed at, among other things, coordinating humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

Authorities believe the suspect, 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, “targeted” the event and acted alone. In the chaos after the shooting, event attendees said Rodriguez was actually confused for a bystander and welcomed into the museum following the attack.
- “We thought he was a bystander in what we thought was larger D.C. crime. People brought him water, making sure that he was OK,” event attendee Yoni River Kalin said on MSNBC.

Video taken as Rodriguez was arrested shows him chanting "Free, free Palestine" as police led him away from the scene in handcuffs. He told police he “did it for Gaza.” On Thursday afternoon, Rodriguez was charged with multiple federal crimes, including two counts of first-degree murder, murder of foreign officials, and using a firearm during a violent crime. He could still face hate crime charges. With some of the charges he already faces, if convicted, he could face the death penalty.

THE VICTIMS
Yaron Lischinsky, 30, was an Israeli citizen and worked as a research assistant in the embassy’s political department. Sarah Milgrim, 26, was from Kansas and organized trips to Israel. They were set to get engaged next week, according to Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter.

WHAT’S NEXT
Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed Thursday to prosecute the suspected shooter to the “fullest extent of the law.” Authorities are reviewing writings they believe belong to Rodriguez, including social media posts that indicate a motivation to act on behalf of the Palestinian people.

Wednesday night’s shooting comes as antisemitic incidents in the U.S. have hit a record high since the October 2023 Hamas attack in Israel, according to an Anti-Defamation League Center for Extremism report.
More than 9,000 antisemitic incidents were reported across the U.S. in 2024, a 5% increase from the year prior, which also saw a large increase. It marks the highest total of incidents since tracking began in 1979, and shows a 893% increase over the past decade.

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 Supreme court deadlocks, blocking creation of first religious public charter school (MO NEWS)

📌 Judge blocks Trump administration from closing the Education Department (NPR)

📌 RFK Jr's highly anticipated MAHA report paints dismal state of child health, national security concerns (FOX)

📌 Trump administration bars Harvard from hosting international students (CNN)

📌 Multiple people dead after small plane crashes into San Diego neighborhood (NBC)

📌 Woman shot at CIA headquarters after crashing into gate (CNBC)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 Russian forces are creating ‘buffer zone’ along Russia-Ukraine border, Putin says (CNN)

📌 Kim Jong Un fumes as North Korea's new warship damaged due to "absolute carelessness" in launch accident (CBS)

📌 Israeli politician critiques the Gaza war’s toll on Palestinians and sparks an outcry (AP)

📌 Alberta group wants to pose referendum question on separatism from Canada (GLOBAL NEWS)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 FDA requires Covid vaccine makers to expand warning about risk of rare heart inflammation (CNN)

📌 US Mint moves forward with plans to kill the penny (AP)

📌 NOAA's 2025 Atlantic hurricane season forecast predicts above-normal number of storms (CBS)

📌 Universal Orlando Epic Universe opens in Florida (FOX)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Rapper Kid Cudi takes the stand in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sex trafficking trial (YAHOO)

📌 Bruce Springsteen releases EP featuring anti-Trump rants from UK concert (FOX)

📌 Kneecap rapper charged with terrorism offense over alleged Hezbollah flag (CNN)

📌 Indianapolis Colts owner and CEO Jim Irsay dies at 65 (ESPN)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… Local news anchor Olivia Jaquith’s water broke just minutes before Wednesday morning’s broadcast began on WRGB in upstate New York. She chose to stay on the air for the three-hour show.

Co-anchor Julia Dunn, who is also pregnant, insisted that Jaquith made the “decision to stay on the desk,” noting that she would not do that same.

Jaquith added that she was in “early labor” and two days past her due date with her first child, a son.

The post is sparking conversation on the Mo News Instagram — with some cheering her on, while others are highlighting the pressure women face to do it all. Click the clip above to check it out or join in.