Twin earthquakes devastate Venezuela; GOP senators reverse course after Trump clash
Two major earthquakes struck Venezuela just 39 seconds apart, turning one disaster into two. Rescuers are still searching through the rubble while officials work to determine the full toll.
Plus, President Donald Trump goes to Capitol Hill to unite Republicans, but ends up in a heated clash over Iran. Hours later, two key senators reverse course.
And the White House wants to make a cheaper gasoline blend available year-round. The proposal now heads to Congress, where it faces a tougher fight.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, June 25, 2026.
At least 164 dead, nearly 1,000 others hurt after twin earthquakes devastate Venezuela
Two major earthquakes struck Venezuela just 39 seconds apart Wednesday night, leaving a trail of destruction across the country. Venezuela’s acting president declared a state of emergency after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit less than a minute after one measuring 7.2.
Officials said the earthquakes have killed at least 164 people and injured 971 others. The death toll is expected to rise as search crews continue digging through collapsed buildings.
The coastal state of La Guaira appears to be the hardest hit. Dozens of buildings have collapsed, the main international airport remains closed after part of its roof caved in and metro and rail service are suspended.
The earthquakes struck just hours before Trump took the stage at a rally on the National Mall.
During his speech, Trump referenced Venezuela while discussing the U.S. capture of former president Nicolás Maduro, but he didn’t mention the earthquakes.
“In one hour, Venezuela was finished,” Trump said. “In a flawless and breathtaking operation earlier this year, America’s armed forces captured the outlaw dictator of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and brought him back to face American justice. One of the great military raids in history, if you remember.”
After the rally, Trump posted on Truth Social that the United States stands ready to help, saying he has directed federal agencies to “get ready to move quickly.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, traveling in Bahrain, later said the U.S. would deploy search-and-rescue teams, medical resources and humanitarian aid.
Trump clashes with GOP senator in heated exchange over Iran vote
Trump visited Capitol Hill on Wednesday, hoping to rally Republicans around his agenda. Instead, he ended up in a heated exchange with one of his own senators.
The president spent more than an hour behind closed doors with Senate Republicans, and, by several accounts, it got testy. The biggest flashpoint came when Trump questioned why four Republicans joined Democrats in backing a war powers resolution aiming to block him from further military action in Iran.
Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, one of those four Republicans, pushed back, saying lawmakers still haven’t received a full briefing on the war or its objectives.
According to people in the room, the exchange quickly escalated, with both men raising their voices.
Cassidy later told reporters he makes “no apologies” for standing up to the president.
“He didn’t particularly care for my comments, raised his voice. I lost my temper,” Cassidy said. “It’s the Irish in me. But again, I matched his tone and his volume, and it went back and forth.”
Tensions have grown between Trump and some Senate Republicans over Iran, the SAVE Act and Trump’s decision to put a bipartisan housing bill on hold until Congress acts on his election reform priorities.
Despite the fireworks, Trump emerged from the meeting calling it a success.
“I think we had a really great meeting, and we’re very proud of the party,” Trump said. “We like our leader, we like everybody really in the room. I don’t like a few people, but that’s okay. I think you know who they are. But I’ll give you that information someday. But for the most part, we have a really well-unified party.”
Trump also used the meeting to press Republicans to pass the SAVE Act, a bill requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote, even as GOP leaders continue to say it doesn’t have the votes to pass the Senate.
Key Republicans switch votes on Iran war powers
Just hours after that tense meeting with Senate Republicans, a separate war powers vote went Trump’s way.
In a late-night vote, Senate Republicans blocked another resolution that would have required Trump to get congressional approval before taking more military action against Iran. The reversal came less than a day after four Republicans joined Democrats in backing a similar measure.
This time, only Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voted with Democrats.
Trump quickly celebrated the result on Truth Social, singling out Sen. Bill Cassidy for changing his vote and saying the decision put “Iran on notice.”
Cassidy said he only switched positions after a reassuring meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Sen. Rand Paul, who also changed his vote to present, said his decision followed Wednesday’s lunch with the president.
The vote does not change the House War Powers Resolution, which the Senate approved Tuesday, and remains in place, though largely symbolic.
Court blocks voter data request, ruling Michigan can keep records private
The Trump administration lost another court fight over its effort to obtain detailed voter information from states nationwide.
A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that Michigan does not have to hand over sensitive voter information to the Justice Department.
The administration has sought unredacted voter files from dozens of states, including birth dates, driver’s license numbers and partial social security numbers.
But in a 2-1 decision, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals said the 1960 civil rights law cited by the Justice Department does not authorize it to demand the records. It’s the first appeals court to weigh in on the issue.
“Back then, the government used this power to ensure that everyone who had the right to vote could freely exercise that right,” Judge Andre Mathis said, writing for the majority. “But today, the government invokes Title III for an inverse purpose: to ensure that some people have not voted.”
The Justice Department continues to say the data is needed to verify voter eligibility. Michigan and other states have argued that turning it over would compromise voter privacy.
Trump pushes year-round E15 sales
The Trump administration is pushing to make a popular ethanol-gas blend fuel available year-round. It has formally asked Congress to allow E15 to be sold nationwide year-round. The administration included the request in a supplemental package sent to lawmakers late Wednesday.
The fuel blend contains 15% ethanol and 85% gasoline. It’s currently available only during part of the year under temporary Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) waivers.
Under current EPA rules, E15 is generally restricted during the summer because it evaporates more quickly in hot weather, which can contribute to smog.
Supporters say E15 often sells for about 25 cents less per gallon than regular gasoline, giving drivers a cheaper option at the pump. Refiners have long opposed the change, saying it could raise costs and complicate fuel distribution.
The proposal now goes to Congress, where its path forward in the Senate remains uncertain.
NASA uncovers ‘cotton‑candy’ planets the size of Jupiter
Data from NASA’s TESS mission revealed two giant planets nearly the size of Jupiter but so light for their size that their average density is comparable to cotton candy. They orbit a sun-like star about 1,100 light-years from Earth and have been nicknamed “super-puff” planets.
Don’t let the name fool you: they aren’t soft or sweet. They’re still gas giants. Their material is spread over such a huge area that they’re incredibly light for their size.
In fact, one is almost as big as Jupiter but has just a fraction of its mass.
Scientists say only a handful of super-puff planets have ever been found, and discovering two in the same solar system makes this find even more unusual. Researchers hope the discovery helps answer a long-standing question about how some of the biggest planets in the universe end up so … fluffy.
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These ranchers heal the land. The power company drew a line through it
POTTER COUNTY, Texas – Early morning light streams across the Frying Pan Ranch as Claudia Landerville switches off a temporary electrified fence, rolls it in and begins calling hundreds of cows across the new opening.
The sound of “Huuuuuuhwoah,” echoes across the brush-strewn landscape on a crisp, late-April day as Landerville lures the cattle toward her with a call that sounds like the mix of a high-pitched owl and a kettle on the verge of boiling.
It’s calving season at the ranch 18 miles outside of Amarillo, Texas, and the newborn calves follow their elders through an open gate as Landerville hoots and hollers for their attention from atop her homebred quarter horse, Listo. Mike Giordano follows on a dirtbike, looking for newborns, their mothers and other stragglers.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
