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Gold and silver were having a fairly quiet week until Thursday (February 12), when both precious metals experienced steep drops early in the day.

The gold price, which had been steady above US$5,000 per ounce, and even briefly breached US$5,100, tumbled by over US$100, bottoming out around US$4,900.

Meanwhile, silver sank from above US$80 per ounce to below US$75.

Market watchers have presented various reasons for these declines, with a mainstream talking point being that the precious metals were moving in line with the broader stock market.

Thursday brought declines in major US indexes as investors reportedly reacted to concerns that various industries could be negatively impacted by AI automation.

Of course, with gold and silver it’s always possible that there’s more going on beneath the surface. Many of our popular YouTube channel guests reacted to this week’s price drop on X, with some, including Willem Middelkoop and Craig Hemke, suggesting manipulation was at play.

I’ve also read that a Russian memo seen by Bloomberg may have had a dampening effect on gold — the report details proposals sent by the Kremlin that could see the country return to the US dollar settlement system as part of an economic partnership with the Trump administration.

Whatever the reason for the decrease was, gold and silver had bounced back by Friday (February 13), with silver getting back above US$77 and gold closing at the US$5,043 level.

The rebound came despite slightly cooler than expected US consumer price index data, which eased inflation concerns and boosted interest rate cut expectations from the US Federal Reserve.

Looking forward, I want to emphasize again that the broad consensus among the experts I’ve been speaking to continues to be that the run in gold and silver prices isn’t over.

However, that doesn’t mean the path will be straight up. I heard this week from Keith Weiner of Monetary Metals, who spoke about the importance of weathering volatility:

‘I mean, we’re in dollar bear market for reasons. And so people better be prepared for the volatility, because as things go off the rails, which is what’s happening to the dollar, yeah, there’s volatility. And there’s days when people can’t sell the dollar enough, and there’s days when they’re desperately, urgently trying to grab as many fistfuls of dollars as they can, and the dollar is extremely well bid — you’ll see that as the price of gold falling. So you’re going to get it both ways, but the trend is clear and the drivers are clear.’

Keith is calling for US$6,000 gold in 2026 and a silver price of US$120 by the end of the year. The US$6,000 number is in line with recent projections from BNP Paribas and CIBC, whose forecasts indicate that major banks also still see strength in gold.

Bullet briefing — Top takeover candidates

Merger talks between commodities giants Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO) and Glencore (LSE:GLEN,OTCPL:GLCNF) have fallen through, nixing what would have been the mining industry’s biggest-ever deal, but M&A activity in the space continues to heat up.

A new survey from TD Cowen identifies IAMGOLD (TSX:IMG,NYSE:IAG) as the year’s top takeover candidate, with close to 20 percent of the 58 respondents pointing to the company.

Artemis Gold (TSXV:ARTG,OTCQX:ARGTF) was in second place at 11 percent, while Arizona Sonoran Copper Company (TSX:ASCU,OTCQX:ASCUF) was third at 7 percent.

Almost all of the respondents, who included institutional investors and mining executives, said they expect to see more gold, silver and copper M&A in 2026 compared to last year.

We’ll have to wait and see how any potential deals play out, including Barrick Mining’s (TSX:ABX,NYSE:B) planned initial public offering for its North American gold assets.

Newmont (NYSE:NEM,ASX:NEM), Barrick’s partner at the Nevada Gold Mines joint venture, said it is concerned about the management of the operation, and wants to see improvements — a clash between the two miners could end up disrupting Barrick’s plans.

Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in a letter on Saturday that ‘all’ Epstein files have been released consistent with Section 3 of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

The letter addressed to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member Dick Durbin, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin was obtained by Fox News Digital.

‘In accordance with the requirements of the Act, and as described in various Department submissions to the courts of the Southern District of New York assigned to the Epstein and Maxwell prosecutions and related orders, the Department released all ‘records, documents, communications and investigative materials in the possession of the Department’ that ‘relate to’ any of nine different categories,’ the letter read.

The letter includes a list of more than 300 high-profile names, including President Donald Trump, Barack and Michelle Obama, Prince Harry, Bill Gates, Woody Allen, Kim Kardashian, Kurt Cobain, Mark Zuckerberg and Bruce Springsteen.

The letter adds, ‘No records were withheld or redacted ‘on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary.”

The document outlines the broad range of Epstein-related materials the Justice Department says are encompassed, including records concerning Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell; references to individuals—up to and including government officials—connected to Epstein’s activities; and documents tied to civil settlements and legal resolutions such as immunity deals, plea agreements, non-prosecution agreements, and sealed arrangements. 

It also includes information on organizations and networks allegedly linked to Epstein’s trafficking and financial operations across corporate, nonprofit, academic, and governmental spheres, as well as internal DOJ emails, memos, and meeting notes reflecting decisions about whether to charge, decline, or pursue investigations.

The documents also cover records addressing potential destruction or concealment of relevant material and documentation surrounding Epstein’s detention and death, including incident reports, witness interviews, and medical examiner/autopsy-related records.

The letter adds, ‘No records were withheld or redacted ‘on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary.”

‘Any omissions from the list are unintentional and, as explained in the previous letters to Congress, a result of the volume and speed with which the Department complied with the Act,’ the letter states. ‘Individuals whose names were redacted for law-enforcement sensitive purposes are not included.’

The letter says the redaction process was ‘extensive’ including consultation with victims and victim counsel, to redact ‘segregable portions’ that contain information identifiable to victims, such as medical files that could jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution, or depict/contain images of death, physical abuse, or injury. 

‘Any omissions from the list are unintentional and, as explained in the previous letters to Congress, a result of the volume and speed with which the Department complied with the Act,’ the letter states. ‘Individuals whose names were redacted for law-enforcement sensitive purposes are not included.’ 

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Saturday at the Munich Security Conference, saying that President Donald Trump ‘wants a solution that ends the bloodshed once and for all.’

‘Met with Ukrainian President @ZelenskyyUa on Ukraine’s security and deepening defense and economic partnerships,’ Rubio wrote in an X post in which he shared a photo of him shaking hands with the Ukrainian leader. ‘President Trump wants a solution that ends the bloodshed once and for all.’

Earlier Saturday, Zelenskyy revealed he had spoken with Rubio and Trumpenvoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner ahead of talks in Geneva, which he said his government expected to be ‘truly productive.’

I had a conversation with envoys of President Trump @stevewitkoff and @JaredKushner, ahead of the trilateral meetings in Geneva,’ Zelenskyy wrote on X. ‘We count on the meetings being truly productive.’

Zelenskyy said they also discussed ‘some developments following the meetings in Abu Dhabi, which were held at the end of last month and the beginning of this month.

‘Not everything can be shared over the phone, and our negotiating team will present Ukraine’s position next week,’ the Ukrainian president added.

After the Abu Dhabi talks, Zelenskyy told reporters the U.S. had set a June deadline for Moscow and Kyiv to strike a peace agreement.

‘The Americans are proposing the parties end the war by the beginning of this summer and will probably put pressure on the parties precisely according to this schedule,’ Zelenskyy said at the time, according to The Associated Press.

Zelenskyy added at the time that if the June deadline is not met, the Trump administration would likely put pressure on Moscow and Kyiv to meet.

On Saturday, he also thanked the U.S. for its ‘constructive approach’ to ending the war.

‘We greatly appreciate that America consistently maintains a constructive approach and is ready to assist in protecting lives,’ Zelenskyy wrote. ‘I thank President Trump, his team, and the people of the United States for their support.’

Rubio on Saturday also said he had discussed peace between Ukraine and Russia at the Munich Security Conference with his G7 counterparts. 

‘Met with my @G7 counterparts in Munich to advance @POTUS’s vision of pursuing peace through strength,’ Rubio wrote. ‘We discussed ongoing efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, promote stability in Venezuela, and address global threats to achieve international peace and prosperity.’

The talks between the U.S., Russia and Ukraine are expected to start Tuesday in Geneva.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference, saying that President Donald Trump ‘wants a solution that ends the bloodshed once and for all.’

‘Met with Ukrainian President @ZelenskyyUa on Ukraine’s security and deepening defense and economic partnerships,’ Rubio wrote in an X post where he shared a photo of him shaking hands with the Ukrainian leader. ‘President Trump wants a solution that ends the bloodshed once and for all.’

Earlier Saturday, Zelenskyy revealed he had spoken with Rubio as well as Trumpenvoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner ahead of trilateral talks in Geneva, which he said his government expected to be ‘truly productive.’

I had a conversation with envoys of President Trump @stevewitkoff and @JaredKushner, ahead of the trilateral meetings in Geneva,’ Zelenskyy wrote on X. ‘We count on the meetings being truly productive.’

Zelenskyy said they also discussed ‘some developments following the meetings in Abu Dhabi, which were held at the end of last month and the beginning of this month.

‘Not everything can be shared over the phone, and our negotiating team will present Ukraine’s position next week,’ the Ukrainian president added.

After the Abu Dhabi talks, Zelenskyy told reporters that the U.S. had set a June deadline for Moscow and Kyiv to strike a peace agreement.

‘The Americans are proposing the parties end the war by the beginning of this summer and will probably put pressure on the parties precisely according to this schedule,’ Zelenskyy said at the time, according to the Associated Press.

Zelenskyy added at the time that if the June deadline is not met, the Trump administration would likely put pressure on Moscow and Kyiv to meet.

On Saturday, he also thanked the U.S. for its ‘constructive approach’ to ending the war.

‘We greatly appreciate that America consistently maintains a constructive approach and is ready to assist in protecting lives,’ Zelenskyy wrote. I thank President Trump, his team, and the people of the United States for their support.

Rubio on Saturday also said he had discussed peace between Ukraine and Russia at the Munich Security Conference with his G7 counterparts. 

‘Met with my @G7 counterparts in Munich to advance @POTUS’s vision of pursuing peace through strength,’ Rubio wrote. ‘We discussed ongoing efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, promote stability in Venezuela, and address global threats to achieve international peace and prosperity.’

The trilateral talks between the U.S., Russia and Ukraine are expected to start on Tuesday in Geneva.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is continuing his streak of breaking with his party — this time on voter ID legislation gaining momentum in the Senate.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats have near-unanimously rejected the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, election integrity legislation that made its way through the House earlier this week.

Schumer has dubbed the legislation ‘Jim Crow 2.0,’ arguing it would suppress voters rather than encourage more secure elections.

But Fetterman, who has repeatedly rejected his party’s messaging and positions, pushed back on Schumer’s framing of the bill.

‘I would never refer to the SAVE Act as like Jim Crow 2.0 or some kind of mass conspiracy,’ Fetterman told Fox News’ Kayleigh McEnany on ‘Saturday in America.’

‘But that’s part of the debate that we were having here in the Senate right now,’ he continued. ‘And I don’t call people names or imply that it’s something gross about the terrible history of Jim Crow.’

The bill would require voters to present photo identification before casting ballots, require proof of citizenship in person when registering to vote and mandate states remove non-citizens from voter rolls.

Momentum is building among Republicans. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, became the 50th member of the conference to back the legislation. But Senate Democrats have all but guaranteed its demise in the upper chamber, via the filibuster.

Fetterman would not say whether he supports the bill outright. However, he noted that ‘84% of Americans have no problem with presenting IDs to vote.’

‘So it’s not like a radical idea,’ Fetterman said. ‘It’s not something — and there already are many states that show basic IDs. So that’s where we are in the Senate.’

Even if Fetterman were to support the bill on the floor, it is unlikely to pass without more significant procedural changes.

There are currently not enough votes to overcome the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster threshold.

Fetterman is also not keen on eliminating the filibuster — a position shared by most Senate Republicans.

He noted that Senate Democrats once favored scrapping the filibuster but now want to preserve it while in the minority in a Republican-controlled government.

‘I campaigned on it, too,’ Fetterman said. ‘I mean we were very wrong about that to nuke the filibuster. And we should really humble ourselves and remind people that we wanted to eliminate it — and now we love it.’

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The head of the Justice Department’s antitrust unit said Thursday she is leaving the role, effective immediately, at a critical moment for corporate mergers in America.

Gail Slater, the assistant attorney general in charge of the Antitrust Division, wrote on X: ‘It is with great sadness and abiding hope that I leave my role as AAG for Antitrust today.’

Slater continued, ‘It was indeed the honor of a lifetime to serve in this role. Huge thanks to all who supported me this past year, most especially the men and women of’ the Department.

The White House referred questions to the Justice Department.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement, “On behalf of the Department of Justice, we thank Gail Slater for her service to the Antitrust Division which works to protect consumers, promote affordability, and expand economic opportunity.”

Slater is leaving just as media giants Netflix and Paramount Skydance battle for control of Warner Bros. Discovery.

President Donald Trump had said he was going to get involved in reviewing whichever Warner Bros. deal proceeds, an uncommon occurrence in antitrust matters.

But in an interview with NBC News, Trump slightly changed his tune. ‘I’ve been called by both sides, it’s the two sides, but I’ve decided I shouldn’t be involved,’ he said.

‘The Justice Department will handle it.’

Trump has met with executives from both of Warner Bros.’ bidders.

The Justice Department will also head to court in weeks in a bid to challenge concert venue manager Live Nation’s ownership of Ticketmaster.

Shares of Live Nation jumped as much as 5.8% after Slater announced her departure. By 1 p.m. ET, the rally had abated to around 2.5%.

When the Senate confirmed Slater, 78 senators from both sides of the aisle voted in her favor. Only 19 opposed her confirmation.

This week, her deputy in the Antitrust Division also departed.

Mark Hamer, deputy assistant attorney general for the Antitrust Division, wrote on LinkedIn, ‘Decided the time is right for me to return to private practice.’ He praised Slater as a ‘leader of exceptional wisdom, strength and integrity.’

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

The White House on Saturday marked the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trump’s National Energy Dominance Council by drawing a sharp contrast with the Biden-era, including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum citing higher production and lower gas prices as proof of ‘real savings’ for Americans.

‘Under the President’s leadership and through the Council’s relentless execution, we have delivered historic gains in energy production, affordability, and security,’ Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, chair of the National Energy Dominance Council, told Fox News Digital. 

‘Gasoline prices have fallen to some of the lowest levels in years, permitting has been streamlined, and American energy exports are surging,’ he added. ‘These achievements are not abstract, they mean real savings for families, farmers, and small businesses, and they are strengthening our position on the world stage.’ 

Trump signed an executive order creating the National Energy Dominance Council on Feb. 14, 2025, which was tasked with cutting red tape and coordinating agencies to boost U.S. energy production, speed up permitting approvals, expand exports and deliver a national ‘energy dominance’ strategy. 

A year later, the administration pointed to a series of metrics showing the U.S. has accelerated past Biden-era data on production — while driving down energy costs that ripple through household budgets, from gas and heating to shipping and groceries.

U.S. crude oil production, for example, reached a record 13.6 million barrels per day in 2025, with the White House calling it the highest output of any country in the world. In comparison, the Biden administration took four years for production to climb from 11.3 million to 13.2 million barrels per day, a figure ‘Trump blew past in months,’ according to the White House. 

On the natural gas production front, the administration said the U.S. produced 110.1 billion cubic feet per day in November 2025, the highest level recorded since federal tracking began in 1973. All in, production is about 8% above the Biden-era average, and 4% above the previous record for U.S. natural gas production, according to the data. 

While the U.S. has also widened its lead as the world’s top liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter, with average LNG exports rising to 15 billion cubic feet per day in 2025, up from 11 under the Biden administration. 

‘As we mark this anniversary, we reaffirm our commitment to advancing American Energy Dominance and ensuring that our nation’s energy abundance continues to power prosperity, security, and freedom for generations to come,’ Burgum added in a comment to Fox News Digital. 

Lowering prices through an expanded energy grid was crucial to the executive order establishing the council itself, calling for ‘reliable and affordable energy production to drive down inflation, grow our economy, create good-paying jobs.’

Energy has emerged as a key piece of the administration’s puzzle of addressing affordability concerns stemming from the Biden era when inflation hit a 40-year-high, as cheaper energy typically ripples through the economy by cutting transportation and shipping costs and lowering the power bills factories pay to make everything from groceries to building materials. 

The White House cast cheaper gas as a kitchen-table win this year, touting pump prices are about $2.90 a gallon, which is 16% below the Biden-era average and a roughly 42% drop from the $5.02 peak in June 2022.  The administration celebrated that affordable energy benefits Americans from working families and rural communities, to small businesses and farmers who typically frequently drive farther for gas or those on a budget. 

Crude oil prices have fallen by roughly 18% in 2025, dropping to $65 a barrel from the $79 Biden-era average, according to the data. 

Environmental groups have meanwhile slammed Trump’s ‘energy dominance’ push as a fossil-fuel expansion that undercuts climate goals and could increase pollution and impacts on public lands and communities. 

‘One year ago, President Donald J. Trump launched the National Energy Dominance Council to restore America’s Energy Dominance and make life more affordable for hardworking families. Today, the results speak for themselves,’ Burgum said of the data. 

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Senate Republicans gained a key ally in their quest to enshrine voter ID into law, but the lawmaker’s support comes with a condition.

A trio of lawmakers, led by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, have undertaken a campaign to convince their colleagues to support the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, working social media and closed-door meetings to secure the votes.

The campaign has proven successful, with the cohort gaining a crucial vote from Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who announced that she would back the SAVE America Act, which recently passed the House. With Collins, Senate Republicans have at least a slim majority backing the act.

‘I support the version of the SAVE America Act that recently passed the House,’ Collins said in a statement first reported by the Maine Wire. ‘The law is clear that in this country only American citizens are eligible to vote in federal elections.’

‘In addition, having people provide an ID at the polls, just as they have to do before boarding an airplane, checking into a hotel, or buying an alcoholic beverage, is a simple reform that will improve the security of our federal elections and will help give people more confidence in the results,’ she continued.

Collins noted that she did not support the previous version of the bill, known simply as the SAVE Act, because it ‘would have required people to prove their citizenship every single time they cast a ballot.’

Her decision gives Lee and Senate Republicans the votes needed to clear a key procedural hurdle in the Senate.

‘We now have enough votes to pass a motion to proceed to the House-passed bill — even without any additional votes — with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie,’ Lee said in a post on X.

That tie-breaking scenario would only present itself if Republicans turn to the standing, or talking, filibuster. It’s a move that Lee has been pushing his colleagues to make, and one that would require actual, physical debate over the bill. 

It’s the precursor to the current version of the filibuster, where the only hill lawmakers have to climb is acquiring 60 votes. Lee and other conservatives believe that if they turn to the standing filibuster, rather than the ‘zombie filibuster,’ they can barrel through Democratic resistance.

But some fear that turning to that tool could paralyze the Senate floor for weeks or even months, depending on Senate Democrats’ resolve.  

And Collins’ support is not enough to smash through the 60-vote Senate filibuster.

Complicating matters, Collins made clear that she does not support doing away with the filibuster, as do several other Senate Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who reiterated earlier this week that the GOP doesn’t have the votes to eliminate the legislative tool.

‘I oppose eliminating the legislative filibuster,’ Collins said. ‘The filibuster is an important protection for the rights of the minority party that requires Senators to work together in the best interest of the country.’

‘Removing that protection would, for example, allow a future Congress controlled by Democrats to pass provisions on anything they want — D.C. statehood, open borders, or packing the Supreme Court — with just a simple majority of Senators,’ she continued.

GOP senators Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, and Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, remain the only Republicans who have not pledged support for the SAVE Act.

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The government entered a partial shutdown at midnight Friday after Congress failed to reach a funding deal — and some lawmakers’ decision to attend an international gathering in Europe this weekend is drawing criticism from colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

‘It’s absurd, I hope the American people are paying attention,’ Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital.

The deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by the end of the week came with a built-in complication: members of both chambers were scheduled to attend the annual Munich Security Conference, with many set to depart by day’s end Thursday.

Without a deal in place, Congress left Washington, D.C., on Thursday after the Senate failed to pass both a full-year funding bill for DHS and a temporary, two-week funding extension.

At midnight Friday — with several lawmakers already in Germany — DHS shut down.

Both Republican leaders warned members to be prepared to return if a deal was reached. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., gave senators 24 hours’ notice to return, while House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., allowed a 48-hour window.

Despite the conference being scheduled months in advance, some lawmakers said leaving Washington — or even the country — during an active funding standoff sent the wrong message.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., blamed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., arguing that Democrats blocked Republican-led efforts to prevent a partial DHS shutdown.

‘Schumer’s what’s deciding this,’ Scott told Fox News Digital. ‘I mean, he’s deciding that he’s more interested in people going to Munich than he is in funding DHS.’

Several lawmakers from both chambers are attending the conference, participating in side discussions and panels during the annual forum, where heads of state and top decision-makers gather to debate international security policy.

Members of the House expressed frustration that senators would leave amid stalled negotiations between Senate Democrats and the White House.

‘The Senate started out a week ago saying, ‘I don’t think anybody should leave town,’’ Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., told Fox News Digital. ‘Now they’re doing the Munich thing. At least [the House] sent a bill over…not a great pride moment for the federal government, is it?’

Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., led a bipartisan delegation of 11 senators to the conference.

When asked whether the shutdown would affect his travel plans, Whitehouse said, ‘I hope not.’

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who was scheduled to participate in a panel with Graham titled ‘The State of Russia,’ according to the conference agenda, said lawmakers should have resolved outstanding issues before leaving town.

‘I’m not delighted with Republican resistance and unresponsiveness, but it’s on them at this point,’ Blumenthal said.

House rules prohibit official congressional delegations, also known as CODELs, during a shutdown. Still, several House members made the trip to Bavaria. At least a handful of House Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., attended the conference.

House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole, R-Okla., said during a hearing on the impact of a DHS shutdown that it would be ‘unconscionable if Congress leaves and does not solve the problem.’

‘I’m sure Munich is a great place. I’ve been there many times. The beer is outstanding,’ Cole said. ‘But we don’t need to go to a defense conference someplace in Europe when we’re not taking care of the defense of the United States of America.’

Lawmakers are expected to continue negotiations throughout the weekend while many are abroad. Senate Democrats have signaled they may present a counteroffer to the White House but have not finalized a proposal.

If an agreement is reached, it would still take time to draft the legislative text and bring the measure to the Senate floor. Even so, some lawmakers argued that stepping away from negotiations — whether returning home or traveling overseas — was the wrong move.

‘I’ve been pretty outspoken to say we need to stay as long as we have to be here to be able to get things resolved so we don’t ever have a shutdown,’ Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital.

‘That’s the easiest way to resolve it is to say ‘no one walks away from the table,’’ he added. ‘We stay at the table.’

Rep. Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., told Fox News Digital the situation reflects poorly on GOP leadership’s handling of funding priorities, though he acknowledged the significance of the international conference.

‘There’s a certain irony that we would not be here to fund essential services of our government, but we have enough time and energy to go to the Munich Security Conference, which admittedly is a very important international gathering,’ Morelle said. ‘But I think it says a lot about the lack of leadership…we can’t do the fundamentals of this job.’

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., alleged at the Munich Security Conference on Friday that U.S. aid to the Jewish state enabled a genocide by Israel. AOC’s attack on the Jewish state in Munich unfolded in the birthplace of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi movement that carried out the worst genocide in human history.

AOC’s assault on Israel’s war campaign to defeat the U.S. and EU-designated terrorist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip sparked outrage and intense criticism from academic military and Middle East experts.

During the town hall event in Munich, the Squad member said, ‘To me, this isn’t just about a presidential election. Personally, I think that the United States has an obligation to uphold its own laws, particularly the Leahy laws. And I think that personally, that the idea of completely unconditional aid, no matter what one does, does not make sense. I think it enabled a genocide in Gaza. And I think that we have thousands of women and children dead that don’t, that was completely avoidable.’

She continued, ‘And, so I believe that enforcement of our own laws through the Leahy laws, which requires conditioning aid in any circumstance, when you see gross human rights violations, is appropriate.’

The Leahy Laws prohibit the Department of Defense and the State Department from funding ‘foreign security force units when there is credible information that the unit has committed a ‘gross violation of human rights.’ Former Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-VT., introduced the bill in 1997.

Tom Gross, an expert on international affairs, told Fox News digital that ‘AOC has flown all the way to Munich — infamous as the city in which Hitler staged his Nazi Beer Hall Putsch that marked the beginning of the road to the Holocaust — in order to smear the Jewish people further with a phony genocide allegation.’

Gross added, ‘Such preposterous allegations of ‘genocide’ form the bedrock of modern antisemitic incitement against Jews in the U.S. and globally. This shocking ignorance and insensitivity by Ocasio-Cortez should rule her out of any potential presidential bid or other high office.’

Military experts and genocide researchers have debunked the allegation that Israel carried out a genocide against Palestinians during its self-defense war against the Hamas terrorist organization that started after Hamas terrorists attacked communities in parts of southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 that saw over 1200 Israeli and foreign nationals killed and 251 brutally kidnapped and taken into Gaza by Hamas and other terrorists.

Danny Orbach, a military historian from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and co-author of ‘Debunking the Genocide Allegations: A Reexamination of the Israel-Hamas War from October 7 2023, to June 1, 2025,’ told Fox News Digital that Ocasio-Cortez accusation that Israel committed genocide is an ‘accusation that is incorrect both factually and legally. Under the Genocide Convention, genocide requires proof of a special intent to destroy a protected group, in whole or in part, and as a baseline condition, an active effort to maximize civilian destruction.

‘The evidence shows the opposite: as demonstrated in our multi-author study Debunking the Genocide Allegations, Israel undertook unprecedented measures to mitigate civilian harm, including establishing humanitarian safe zones that independently verified data show were approximately six times safer than other areas of Gaza.’

Orbach added, ‘Israel also issued detailed advance warnings before strikes and facilitated the entry of over two million tons of humanitarian aid, often at significant cost to its own military advantage, including the loss of surprise and the sustainment of an enemy during wartime.’

He concluded, ‘These measures were taken despite Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre, its systematic use of human shields and hospitals for military purposes, and a tunnel network exceeding 1,000 kilometers — an operational challenge without historical precedent. Finally, no credible evidence demonstrates the kind of unambiguous, exclusive genocidal intent toward Palestinians that international law requires and that cannot be reasonably interpreted otherwise.’

The conservative commentator Derek Hunter posted on X. ‘Imagine going to Germany to complain about a fake genocide by Jews…in Munich, of all places. @AOC is about as smart as clogged toilet.’

In Dec. 2024, Germany joined the U.S. in rejecting the allegations that Israel committed genocide in Gaza.

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