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Gene Simmons tells celebrities ‘shut the f*** up’ about politics
What's the endgame here?

Kiss bassist Gene Simmons gave a firm dismissal to celebrities voicing their opinions on political events on Tuesday.

Actor Ben Stiller asked the White House to remove a clip of one of his movies from a video it posted to X, saying, “We never gave you permission and have no interest in being a part of your propaganda machine.” A reporter asked Simmons about Stiller’s complaint, to which the musician joked that everyone should listen to actors and comedians “because they’re so qualified.”

“Basically, shut the f*** up. Do your art, and shut up. Nobody’s interested in your opinions, [and] that includes me, who I vote for, who I like. Who the f*** you think you are?” Simmons told TMZ.

Gene Simmons says celebs should shut up about politics
— TMZ (@TMZ) March 10, 2026

Simmons added people don’t want to be “lectured to” by people who “live in mansions and drive Rolls-Royces.” He also said people working in the entertainment industry need to “shut your piehole,” as “nobody cares what you think.”

The musician also called out Mark “Ruffalo Buffalo,” saying, “I don’t care” what he thinks. He then jokingly suggested people could ask Kylie Jenner what she thinks “of the war so far.”

Ruffalo participated in a State of the Union counterprotest called “State of the Swamp” in February, where he appeared via video. 

Actor Robert De Niro served as the event’s main speaker, where he encouraged the United States to “turn its back on the daily atrocities of the Trump regime and their enablers.”

KAI TRUMP GETS HEAT FOR BRINGING SECRET SERVICE DURING EREWHON TRIP IN VIDEO

Simmons testified before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee in December in support of a bill that would require the radio industry to pay artists when their music is played. He told the Washington Examiner that this bill is about protecting the next Elvis Presley.

Kiss, one of the most well-known rock bands of the 20th century, was one of five artists President Donald Trump honored at the 48th annual Kennedy Center Honors ceremony last December. Other entertainment talents the president honored were country music star George Strait, disco queen Gloria Gaynor, Broadway legend Michael Crawford, and movie star Sylvester Stallone.

JUST IN: House Republicans Form Coalition to Block All Senate Bills Until the SAVE Act Passes — Here Are the Members
Transparency shouldn't be controversial.

Excerpt:
Frustration inside the Republican Party is boiling over, and a group of House conservatives just decided they’re done waiting.
A coalition of House Republicans has reportedly formed with a very clear message for the Senate: nothing moves until the SAVE Act moves.
According to statements shared on Fox News and circulating widely online, several lawmakers are pledging to vote **against any Senate legislation** until the upper chamber finally brings the SAVE Act up for passage. The legislation, formally known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.

Starmer was warned about ‘reputational risk’ of Peter Mandelson’s Epstein ties, files show
Every delay has consequences.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was made aware of disgraced former ambassador Peter Mandelson’s “particularly close relationship” with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein prior to his appointment in Washington.

Documents and emails pertaining to Mandelson’s appointment to the position were released by the British government on Wednesday evening, following Starmer’s appearance at Parliament for Prime Minister’s Questions.

In the advice given to Starmer in the vetting process, it was noted that a JPMorgan report from 2019 found convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein appeared to “maintain a particularly close relationship with Prince Andrew the Duke of York and Lord Peter Mandelson, a senior member of the British government.”

Peter Mandelson leaves his home in north London on Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (Jeff Moore/PA via AP)

“After Epstein was first convicted of procuring an underage girl in 2008, their relationship continued across 2009-2011, beginning when Lord Mandelson was business minister and continuing after the end of the Labour government,” the December 2024 document reads. “Mandelson reportedly stayed in Epstein’s house while he was in jail in June 2009.”

Advice given to the prime minister conveyed that these ties to Epstein presented a “general reputational risk,” alongside similar reputational risks posed by his “previous departures from the New Labour Government, both relating to financial matters.”

The prime minister has previously characterized himself as largely unaware of how close Mandelson was to Epstein, saying the Labour grandee “portrayed Epstein as someone he barely knew.”

A letter in the files notes a meeting in September 2025, following the initial revelations that Mandelson was closer to Epstein than previously known, in which Starmer expressed concern that the leaked emails “revealed a depth and extent of a relationship with Epstein which [the prime minister] had not been aware of previously when he made the decision to appoint Mandelson.”

With this in mind, Starmer “proposed to ask Mandelson to resign.” Mandelson was dismissed as ambassador on Sept. 11.

Following the dismissal, national security adviser Jonathan Powell is documented as telling investigators that he felt Mandelson’s appointment was “weirdly rushed” due to “concerns” about the ambassador’s “reputation.” Powell raised those concerns to Morgan McSweeney, the former chief of staff to Starmer who is believed to have pushed for Mandelson’s appointment and …

The ‘talking filibuster,’ explained
What's the endgame here?

Senate Republicans have for weeks been debating the use of the “talking filibuster” to guarantee the passage of the SAVE America Act in the upper chamber, after President Donald Trump called the legislation his “No. 1” priority.

The bill, which would require proof of citizenship and a photo ID to vote in federal elections, was passed by the House in February by a 218-213 margin, with Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) being the only Democrat to vote for the proposed legislation. The SAVE America Act has stalled in the Senate, where pundits initially considered the bill doomed due to needing 60 votes to override the filibuster and strong Democratic opposition.

But with Trump’s full weight behind the SAVE America Act, several Republicans have been pushing to use the talking filibuster to sidestep the 60-vote threshold. The talking filibuster would force Democrats to physically hold the Senate floor. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has insisted that there is not enough of an appetite among Senate Republicans to change the filibuster procedure, announcing his plans Tuesday to bring the bill to the floor next week without the talking filibuster.

But many MAGA hardliners on social media have been relentlessly calling for the talking filibuster, egging on debate over the procedure that has Senate Republicans split.

What is the talking filibuster?

There are two ways the Senate can end debate and break a filibuster on a bill: cloture and the talking filibuster. The talking filibuster was the way the Senate had ended debate before the Senate cloture mechanism became a chamber rule.

Essentially, the ‘talking filibuster’ sets up a marathon of speeches from the lawmakers opposing the bill, in which a senator cannot sit down, leave for the bathroom, or stop talking. Each senator opposing the bill has two chances to speak indefinitely about their opposition to the proposed legislation. Once each opposition Senator speaks twice and all proposed amendments and motions on separately debatable questions are voted on, then the chamber would only need a simple-majority vote to advance legislation.

This allows the Senate to buck the 60-vote threshold needed under the cloture rule and requires the opposition to put up a significant physical fight to voice their opinions on the bill.

Why are some Republicans wary of the talking filibuster?

The opposition’s ability to speak indefinitely and propose as many motions or amendments as they can could make the process …

Massie feuds with Trump-endorsed opponent over Gallrein’s decision to ditch party label
Why resist verification?

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) attacked his rival’s GOP credentials, suggesting Ed Gallrein isn’t the Republican champion President Donald Trump believes he is.  

Trump endorsed Gallrein to primary the incumbent lawmaker last October, framing him as someone who would defend the MAGA agenda, something the president said “lightweight” Massie had failed to do. 

In a new ad campaign, Massie suggested Gallrein’s record proves he hasn’t always stood on Trump’s side. Gallrein changed his registration from Republican to independent in 2016, just weeks after Trump was announced as the GOP’s presumptive nominee for president, according to voter registration records obtained by Massie’s campaign. 

The ad showcasing Gallrein’s apparent flip began airing on Wednesday, the day Trump is expected to visit Massie’s district in support of Gallrein, according to the Courier Journal. Massie changed his registration back to Republican in 2021 when he decided to run for state senate, about five months after then-President Joe Biden was inaugurated, according to the records. 

Gallrein’s campaign said the candidate “briefly changed registration out of frustration with the broken system Congressman Massie created in his district, which hurt the Republican Party, and he is proud to stand with President Trump and true conservative Republicans.” 

Massie’s ad campaign claims “Woke Ed Gallrein abandoned President Trump’s Republican Party, a dereliction of his MAGA duty … [making him] a Trump traitor.” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who, like Massie, have been known to buck the president, lauded the ad. Greene mocked the timing of Trump’s visit to back Gallrein, saying, “Trump is going to KY to endorse a true Never Trumper.”

REPUBLICANS GAME OUT 2026 MESSAGING PLAN AS TRUMP FOCUSES ON IRAN AND SAVE AMERICA ACT

Trump’s move to endorse Gallrein came after Massie clashed with the president on a variety of issues. Massie has emerged as a loud critic of Trump’s military intervention against Venezuela and Iran, and was one of only two Republicans to vote against the president’s signature Big Beautiful Bill Act last summer due to fiscal concerns. 

“I predict that ‘Representative’ Thomas Massie will go down as the WORST Republican Congressman in the long and fabled history of the United States Congress,” Trump wrote in a Wednesday morning post to Truth Social. “Massie, who is running against a great American Patriot in the Kentucky Primary, will hopefully lose …

Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz Is 'Serene' About Withholding DHS Funding As TSA and Coast Guard Go Without Pay
Same show, different day.

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) is bucking to be the Democrat Minority Whip when current whip, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), retires. Of course, should the midterms go south for Republicans, Schatz would gleefully run right over Democrat Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to take up the mantle of Majority Leader — he's that thirsty. Just as in the case of Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Punchbowl News loves to follow Schatz like he's the lead in a soap opera. Last year, when Schatz was garnering support to become the next Minority Whip (he thus far has no challengers), the outlet did an insider piece about Schatz's "inner circle," as if we are all on the edge of our seats to know about this. 

Foreign-backed group serves as bridge between GOP and Russia-friendly Europeans
Are they actually going to vote on something real?

EXCLUSIVE — A little-known yet well-connected group run by a Texas lawyer has spent the last four years jet-setting around the world to foster connections between the Republican Party and segments of the European Right that harbor pro-Russian sympathies.

Tax documents obtained by the Washington Examiner indicate that, for much of this time, the group, Republicans for National Renewal, reported to the IRS that it had brought in relatively little revenue, raising questions about who paid for its vast travel and event expenses. After being reached by the Washington Examiner, the organization’s executive director said that, while the group has not directly accepted foreign donations, foreign entities have paid its travel expenses.

RNR was founded in February 2020 with the stated purpose of advancing a platform of “nationalism and populism” inspired by President Donald Trump. Since then, the organization has succeeded multiple times in uniting people at the very top of the GOP, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and several other members of Congress, with European politicians belonging to parties that, to varying degrees, support Russian interests.

A Greenland-shaped cake and a series of meetings

In January, RNR held an event that, in many ways, exemplifies how it operates.

Renting the entire Roof Terrace Restaurant at the Kennedy Center, RNR brought together multiple members of Congress and European conservatives with pro-Russia bona fides. At the event, which featured a Greenland-shaped cake, Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Andy Ogles (R-TN), and Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) rubbed shoulders with the likes of Romanian politician George Simion, who critics have accused of advancing the Kremlin’s interests; delegates from his Alliance for the Union of Romanian party; and at least one member of the Russia-friendly Serbian government.

President Donald Trump tours the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington on Monday, March 17, 2025. (Pool via AP)

This is just one instance of many wherein RNR managed to get powerful Republicans into the same room as European conservatives with affinities for Russia. Other examples include the group “facilitating” Rep. Barry Moore’s (R-AL) attendance at CPAC Hungary, an event held with the support of the nation’s ruling pro-Moscow Fidesz party, and bringing a leader of the Kremlin-friendly Freedom Party of Austria to speak on a panel with Hamadeh at a 2022 conservative conference.

RNR’s success in …

Thune floats ballot harvesting ban as Trump hammers Senate on SAVE Act
Same show, different day.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is proposing a clamp-down on ballot harvesting, a move that could help ease tensions with the White House over his inability to pass the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility Act.

The majority leader said the practice was a “real problem” that needed to be addressed when asked Wednesday whether Republicans would add a ban on voting by mail to the SAVE Act, as Trump requested earlier this week.

“This ballot harvesting thing, to me, is a real threat and a temptation to fraud in elections,” Thune told reporters.

Thuen said Senate Republicans were looking at ways to “accommodate” the president’s request and would be working through proposals with the White House.

Thirty-five states allow voters to designate someone else to return a ballot, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In many cases, that person must be a family member or caregiver. But lax laws in states such as California have long drawn the ire of Republicans who say the practice invites fraudulent activity.

In terms of voting by mail, Republicans have previously expressed reservations about a total ban, and Thune said Wednesday that states have proven they can process absentee ballots securely.

“As a general rule, if people are requesting ballots, and they’ve got legitimate reasons for requesting them, I think a lot of states use that process and use it pretty well,” he added.

But Thune’s comments suggest that congressional leaders are worried that Trump’s maximalist demands could further divide Republicans on the SAVE Act and want to tailor their proposals to something that can win virtually unanimous support.

Thune has faced weeks of backlash from the Make America Great Again coalition over his conference’s refusal to use a talking filibuster to pass the legislation, which requires ID to cast a ballot and proof of citizenship to register to vote.

In the House, Republicans have been united on the bill and passed it twice without similar controversy. But the addition of a ban on mail ballots could weaken support in a chamber where Republicans can only afford to lose a single vote.

For now, Thune said congressional leadership is asking the White House to “clarify” what sort of proposal it hopes Congress to pass.

“If somebody requests a ballot, that’s one thing. If they’re just shipping ballots out to people, that’s a different thing,” Thune said.

MAGA RIGHT SOURS ON THUNE OVER SAVE ACT FIGHT

On social media, Trump has …

Connecticut May Limit Homeschooling. Here’s What Parents Need to Know.
Ask who never gets charged.

Connecticut lawmakers are concerned about child abuse. Good, that issue should be a priority for parents and policymakers alike. But stripping rights away from all parents in the hope that the state will do a better job raising children is wishful thinking.

State lawmakers are considering a proposal that would severely constrict the state’s homeschool law. Currently, Connecticut parents have strong homeschool provisions that protect a family’s rights to choose how to educate their children.

The sign-up process is straightforward, and while state officials require parents to teach certain subjects, parents do not have the same burdensome regulations of their neighbors in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, and Pennsylvania.

In Massachusetts, families must notify state officials annually of their intent to homeschool, tell officials what books will be used, and have children sit for state testing. The regulations are similar in the other states nearby.

Under the new proposal in Connecticut, families and students would be subjected to all of these requirements. The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) warns that some school district officials may interpret the law differently and impose even stricter regulations, problems HSLDA has seen in other states.

State policymakers point to recent incidents of abuse and neglect, one of which involved the death of 11-year-old Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres-Garcia. Yet in both cases, the students attended public schools, where teachers are mandated reporters. Mimi’s mother filed a notice of intent to homeschool, but she did not homeschool Mimi. Examples of abuse such as this do not occur overnight, and local media has cited the need for reform to the Department of Children and Families (DCF).

In fact, in another case of abuse attracting attention in Connecticut, the attorney serving as the conservator for the alleged victim told a local news station, “Had DCF acted within the standard of care by fully and completely investigating the circumstances surrounding the complaints over the course of several years, it would have discovered that the victim … was confined to the home, undernourished, abused, and otherwise neglected” (also problems unrelated to homeschooling).

Imposing additional academic restrictions on all homeschool families does not address the despicable intentions of the few parents who have evil intentions.

HSLDA attorney Ralph Rodriguez said in an email, “Everyone agrees that child abuse is a serious concern and the government has an important role in addressing it. But expanding regulation over thousands of homeschooling families is unlikely to solve failures that occur within the child protection system itself.”

He adds, “The more effective approach is to strengthen the institutions responsible for identifying and responding to abuse rather than placing new regulatory burdens on families exercising their constitutional rights.”

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld parent rights on several occasions, dating back at least a century to Pierce v. Society of Sisters, where the court wrote that “the child is not the mere creature of the state.” Furthermore, in Parham v. J.R., the …

Trump calls on Thune to be a ‘leader’ and get the votes for the SAVE America Act
Trust is earned, not demanded.

President Donald Trump increased pressure on Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to pass the SAVE America Act, imploring him to be a “leader” after he expressed concerns that there is not enough support for the measure in his chamber.

“He’s got to be a leader. He’s the leader, he’s got to get them,” Trump told reporters of the need for Thune to whip the needed votes as the president departed the White House on Wednesday.

Trump has ramped up pressure on the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act, which has already cleared the House, before November’s midterm elections, after which Republicans could lose their congressional majorities.

Trump has even repeated his desire to repeal the Senate’s filibuster rule, which requires 60 votes to end debate and provide senators with the opportunity to vote on legislation, to get the SAVE America Act passed — something Thune does not want to do as he tries to protect his majority in the chamber.

“It’s the most popular bill I’ve ever seen put before Congress, and it’s voter ID, and it’s voter, you have to be able to be a citizen to vote,” he said on Wednesday. “We’re also adding in no men playing in women’s sports, no transgender mutilationization of our children, and no mail-in ballots, fake mail-in ballots. We have none of that, except in the case of the military, etc.”

Trump made the comments en route to Cincinnati, Ohio, and Hebron, Kentucky, to promote his TrumpRX website and the economy, in addition to campaigning against Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). Massie has earned the president’s ire by voting against his One Big Beautiful Bill Act and his criticism of the Trump administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

IRAN WAR GIVES MASSIE A PRIMARY OPENING AS TRUMP DROPS INTO HIS DISTRICT

During his departure, Trump sidestepped a question about a preliminary investigation by his administration finding the U.S. struck a school in southern Iran on the first day of Operation Epic Fury.

“We took out just about all of their mine ships in one night,” he said. “Just about all of their navy is gone.”

Reporter's Notebook: Trump's SAVE Act ultimatum runs into Senate reality
This is performative politics again.

Passage of the SAVE America Act is of paramount importance to President Donald Trump and many congressional Republicans.
In his State of the Union speech, the president implored lawmakers "to approve the SAVE America Act to stop illegal aliens and other unpermitted persons from voting in our sacred American elections."
The House approved the plan to require proof of citizenship to vote last month, 218-213. There’s now a different version of the legislation that’s in play. And, as is often the case, the hurdle is the Senate. Specifically, the Senate filibuster.
So some Republicans are trying to save the SAVE America Act.
It’s important to note that Trump never called for the Senate to alter the filibuster in his State of the Union address. But in a post last week on Truth Social, Trump declared, "The Republicans MUST DO, with PASSION, and at the expense of everything else, THE SAVE AMERICA ACT."
Again, the president didn’t wade into questions about overcoming a filibuster. But "MUST DO" and "at the expense of everything else" is a clear directive from the commander in chief.
That’s why there’s a big push by House Republicans and some GOP senators to alter the filibuster — or handle the Senate filibuster differently.
It’s rare for members of one body of Congress to tell the other how to execute their rules and procedures. But the strongest conservative advocates of the SAVE America Act are now condemning Senate Republicans if they don’t do something drastic to change the filibuster to pass the measure.
Some Senate Republicans are pushing for changes, or at the very least, advocating that Senate Republicans insist that Democrats conduct what they refer to as a "talking filibuster" and not hold up the legislation from the sidelines. It takes 60 votes to terminate a filibuster. The Senate does that by "invoking cloture." The Senate first used the cloture provision to halt a filibuster on March 8, 1917. Prior to that vote, the only method to end a filibuster was exhaustion — meaning that senators finally just run out of gas, quit debating and finally voted.
So let’s explore what a filibuster is and isn’t and dive into what Republicans are talking about when they’re talking about a talking filibuster.
The Senate’s leading feature is unlimited debate. But, ironically, the "debate" which holds up most bills is not debate. It’s simply a group of 60 lawmakers signaling offstage to their leaders that they’ll stymie things. No one has to go to the floor to do anything. Opponents of a bill will require the majority tee up a cloture vote — even if legislation has 60 …

House oversight committee intends to bring in Epstein prison guard for questioning: Comer
This looks less like justice and more like strategy.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is planning to seek testimony from a guard who was working on the night that Jeffrey Epstein died at a jail in New York City in August 2019.

Tova Noel has been accused of searching online for updates on Epstein the day he died and depositing $5,000 in cash 10 days before the convicted sex offender’s death, according to resurfaced records from the Justice Department. As a result, the committee wants to bring her in for questioning.

Rep. James Comer (R-KY), who chairs the House oversight committee, made the announcement on Fox News’s Jesse Watters Primetime Tuesday night.

FIRST 2026 PRIMARIES REVEAL TROUBLE FOR INCUMBENTS

Epstein is believed to have died by suicide, but the congressional panel is not so sure.

“Because of the fact that, honestly, most people on the committee aren’t confident 100% that Epstein’s death was by suicide, we’re going to ask Ms. Noel to come in for a transcribed interview,” Comer said, stressing she is not accused of any wrongdoing.

Noel was one of two Metropolitan Correctional Center guards charged with falsifying records in which they lied about checking Epstein’s cell every 30 minutes as required. Their charges were later dropped as part of a plea agreement.

In a sworn statement to the DOJ, Noel denied using Google to search for Epstein updates.

A lot of questions remain regarding Noel’s behavior in the days leading up to Epstein’s death. Comer said he is especially concerned about the “mysterious” $5,000 cash deposit.

“The reason that stands out to me, Jesse, is because very seldom are suspicious activity reports even reported for sums less than $10,000. So that’s a mystery there,” he added. “And that’s something that, according to the DOJ documents, they never looked into, never asked her about.”

The congressman’s remarks came as New Mexico authorities started searching Zorro Ranch, a remote property once owned by Epstein. The search was conducted on Monday after New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez reopened a criminal investigation into the ranch last month.

The state’s initial investigation was closed in 2019. Comer admitted the DOJ may have had something to do with that.

“It perhaps was the Southern District of New York because they had taken over the investigation at that point,” he said. “So again, these are questions that we have. We want to get the answers, but I will say publicly, I’m glad that the New Mexico authorities are on the ground searching that …