The Brief

The House passed a sweeping package of sanctions targeting Russian officials and key pillars of its economy, aiming to deprive President Vladimir Putin of resources to wage war in Ukraine. The bill, championed by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, cleared the House over Democratic opposition and now heads to President Trump.

Graham died suddenly after announcing that a deal had been reached with the White House to move the legislation forward, CBS News reported.

Charlie Kirk's family alleged "stunning failures" by Utah officials contributed to his fatal shooting while he addressed a crowd at a university campus, according to a notice signaling plans for a wrongful-death claim. The university has faced criticism over a lack of security measures on the day Kirk was killed by a gunman positioned on a rooftop.

The family's notice lays the groundwork for a possible wrongful-death lawsuit against officials responsible for security at the event.

The Kennedy Center's Trump-appointed board voted to close the performing arts center immediately, citing financial troubles and a need for structural repairs. The vote came shortly after a federal judge again blocked the board from adding President Trump's name to the building's facade.

Fencing went up around the main building this week as the closure took effect. A Democratic congresswoman who serves as a trustee quickly sought an emergency court hearing to block what she called the "unlawful closing."

The U.S. House approved a war powers resolution for the third time seeking to halt President Trump's ability to continue military action against Iran, with seven Republicans joining Democrats in favor.

Separately, Rep. Thomas Massie forced a floor vote on articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, arguing Hegseth issued "unlawful orders" by deploying the military against Iran without congressional approval under the War Powers Act. Speaker Mike Johnson then recessed the House a day early, blocking Massie's impeachment push and a separate bipartisan effort to force release of additional Jeffrey Epstein files from receiving votes.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated Wednesday that the war has cost more than $38 billion, mostly for replacing munitions and equipment lost in battle, not counting costs tied to personnel killed or injured or longer-term effects. The White House has continued to back Hegseth amid the impeachment push.

The Justice Department charged five people it says worked on behalf of Russian intelligence services to carry out attacks and murders targeting Kremlin critics based in the U.S., describing a "global assassination network."

U.S. officials said the men also conspired to intimidate, threaten or murder people on U.S. soil and abroad who were seen as allies of Ukraine.

The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point in a unanimous decision, its first increase since 2023, as policymakers moved to fight inflation driven by soaring energy prices. The move came despite fierce opposition from President Trump, who had called for a rate cut.

The hike, coming weeks ahead of the November midterms, is expected to push up borrowing costs for mortgages, credit cards and auto loans while offering somewhat better returns for savers. U.S. stocks slipped following the announcement, and the Fed signaled more rate increases could follow.