Former Democrat Congressman Barney Frank passed away on Tuesday night, his sister and a close family friend confirmed. He was 86. Frank, who served in Congress for over three decades, entered hospice care at his home in Maine last month. Former Democrat Congressman Enters Hospice Care NBC Boston shared further: Frank had been in hospice care at his home in Ogunquit, Maine, in recent months, being treated for congestive heart failure. He is survived by his husband, Jim Ready, and sisters, Ann Lewis and Doris Breay, along with brother David Frank. "He was, above all else, a wonderful brother. I was lucky to be his sister," Breay told NBC10 Boston this morning. Born in 1940 in Bayonne, New Jersey, Frank wrote in his 2015 memoir that he was drawn to public life after Emmett Till, a Black 14-year-old from Chicago, was lynched by white men in Mississippi. Frank entered politics in 1968 as an aide to Boston Mayor Kevin White before winning a seat in the Massachusetts House in 1972. Frank was elected to Congress in 1980, representing Massachusetts until 2013. Frank, who was known for his focus on marginalized communities, publicly came out as gay in 1987, the first member of Congress to do so voluntarily. With his 2012 marriage to Ready, he became the first incumbent lawmaker on Capitol Hill to marry someone of the same sex. By 2007, Frank was the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, where he would leave his lasting policy mark as the U.S. economy careened toward collapse. He worked with the Republican Bush administration to pass a rescue package, providing vital support to financial institutions but spurring a populist revolt that still courses through American politics. "Barney Frank was one of a kind. For more than three decades in Congress, he fought tirelessly for the people of Massachusetts, helped make housing more affordable, stood up for the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans, and helped pass one of the most sweeping financial reforms in history designed to protect consumers and prevent another financial crisis," Barack Obama said. "Barney’s passion and wit were second to none, and our thoughts are with his family today," he added. Barney Frank was one of a kind. For more than three decades in Congress, he fought tirelessly for the people of Massachusetts, helped make housing more affordable, stood up for the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans, and helped pass one of the most sweeping financial reforms in history… pic.twitter.com/GS3iDLOlGz — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 20, 2026 More from The New York Times: His most significant legislative achievement was in the realm of financial regulation. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which he sponsored with Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, tightened rules on the financial industry as part of the government’s response to the housing crisis of 2007 and the global financial meltdown the next year. Signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010, the measure sought to prevent the nation’s biggest banks from engaging in excessively risky behavior and to protect consumers from unfair practices by banks and lenders. Congress watered it down in 2018, chiefly by exempting smaller and midsize banks from stricter oversight, but it remained largely intact. Mr. Frank was also known for championing gay rights, civil rights and women’s rights. He did so by force of personality and by example. He insisted that his male partner be invited to all events to which the spouses of other representatives were invited. In 2012, at age 72, he married Jim Ready and became the first sitting member of Congress to wed someone of the same sex. He also worked quietly behind the scenes to advance his causes. In one of many examples, according to his memoir, “Frank: A Life in Politics From the Great Society to Same-Sex Marriage” (2015), he helped persuade President Bill Clinton not to appoint Senator Sam Nunn of Georgia as secretary of state because of his track record of homophobia. Growing up in a working-class family in New Jersey, Mr. Frank was drawn from an early age to politics, stemming from his sense of himself as a minority and outsider.

President Trump is taking direct aim at Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, the unelected procedural referee now standing in the middle of the Republican fight to pass border-security and election-integrity priorities. Trump’s message to Senate Republicans is blunt: stop hiding behind process and start delivering. MacDonough was appointed by then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid during the Obama administration and has served as parliamentarian ever since. Republicans have had years to replace her and have chosen not to. That decision is now colliding with the party’s biggest promises on the border and election security. For anyone not fluent in Senate procedure, the parliamentarian advises whether specific provisions qualify for reconciliation, the budget tool that lets legislation pass with a simple majority instead of the 60 votes normally needed to break a filibuster. Under the Byrd Rule, provisions must have a direct budgetary impact to survive that process. That means one unelected Senate official can become the choke point for provisions Republicans are trying to move without Democrat votes. As The Gateway Pundit reported, President Trump blasted MacDonough and warned Senate Republicans that they need to get serious about passing the SAVE America Act. The Gateway Pundit reported that Trump targeted MacDonough by name, describing her as an Obama-era parliamentarian installed under Harry Reid and kept by Republicans long after Democrats left power. Trump tied the fight directly to election integrity, arguing that Democrats cheat, lie, and steal, and that Republicans need to pass the SAVE America Act now. The SAVE America Act would require proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration in federal elections, a reform Democrats have fought because it threatens the loose election system they benefit from. TGP also highlighted Trump’s call for Republicans to terminate the filibuster if needed, framing the matter as a leadership test for the Senate GOP. Trump was not asking Republicans to write another strongly worded letter. He was telling them to stop letting Democrat-friendly procedural roadblocks decide whether the party can deliver on border security and election integrity. Senate Republicans have been saying publicly that border enforcement is moving without Democrat votes. Democrats are siding with illegal, violent, criminals in our country over American citizens. Republicans will make sure we fully fund border patrol and ICE—all without a single Democrat vote. pic.twitter.com/6S2QwNM8ht — Senate Republicans (@SenateGOP) May 19, 2026 That is the right message. But the message only matters if Republican leaders are willing to force the process to match it. Bloomberg Law reported that MacDonough found several provisions in a GOP homeland security funding package ran afoul of reconciliation rules, forcing Republicans to revisit language in the immigration enforcement bill. Bloomberg Law reported that Senate staff met with MacDonough’s office over a Republican package meant to fund immigration enforcement agencies through reconciliation. MacDonough determined several provisions in the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee portion violated Senate rules if kept in the bill, likely requiring Republicans to revise the language. The package was part of the broader effort to move President Trump’s immigration enforcement priorities through a process that does not require Democrat votes. The parliamentarian’s decision affected parts of the GOP’s roughly $72 billion immigration enforcement package. It also created a procedural obstacle for Republican staff working to preserve funding language for agencies such as ICE, Customs and Border Protection, and DHS. In plain English, Republicans are trying to fund enforcement, Democrats are trying to block it, and the parliamentarian’s advice can determine whether the provision stays in a simple-majority bill or faces a 60-vote hurdle. That is why Trump’s anger makes sense. Democrats will not vote for proof-of-citizenship requirements because they benefit from the current system. Democrats will not fully fund ICE enforcement because their base demands the opposite. If these things are ever going to pass, Republicans have to use the power they have. Punchbowl News previously explained why MacDonough also matters for the SAVE America Act lane. Punchbowl reported that the Senate parliamentarian would be central to whether Republicans could use reconciliation to move voter ID and proof-of-citizenship provisions tied to the SAVE America Act. Republicans were trying to fold those election-security pieces into the same broader budget process being used to fund DHS and immigration enforcement. That matters because reconciliation is the route that avoids a Democrat filibuster and allows Republicans to pass major priorities with a simple majority, if the Senate referee lets the language stay in the bill. The Senate referee has become so important because a provision judged outside reconciliation rules can be forced to a 60-vote threshold. On issues like proof of citizenship for voter registration and aggressive immigration enforcement, that is effectively a Democrat veto. Republicans can either accept that veto, overrule the advice, replace the parliamentarian, or get rid of the filibuster obstacle entirely. That is the real fight. It is bigger than a Senate staff ruling or a procedural memo. It is about whether Republicans are going to let process become an excuse for failure. MAGA voters sent Republicans to Washington to secure the border, fund ICE and Border Patrol, and protect legal votes. They did not send them there to be politely managed by a parliamentarian Harry Reid put in place during the Obama years. President Trump understands the stakes. If Republicans have the votes, the majority, and the mandate, they should not let a Senate referee become the wall between the Trump agenda and the law. Pass the SAVE America Act, fund ICE and Border Patrol, and if the parliamentarian stands in the way, find a new one.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) has proposed a constitutional amendment that would prohibit anyone born in “foreign countries” from serving as a Congress member, federal judge, or Senate-confirmed officer. “Ilhan Omar. Shri Thanedar. Pramila Jayapal. All born in foreign countries, none were citizens by birth. All sitting in the United States Congress. All making clear every single day their loyalty is not to America,” Mace said. “We just introduced a long overdue joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment to require Members of Congress, federal judges, and Senate-confirmed officers to be natural born citizens. This is the very same standard the President and Vice President are already required to meet. The people writing America’s laws, confirming America’s judges, and representing America on the world stage should have one loyalty: America. Not any other country,” she continued. “For too long we have allowed foreign born members to hold seats in this government while making clear they are America last, not America first. We see it every day. This constitutional amendment will put an end to it,” she added. Ilhan Omar. Shri Thanedar. Pramila Jayapal. All born in foreign countries, none were citizens by birth. All sitting in the United States Congress. All making clear every single day their loyalty is not to America. We just introduced a long overdue joint resolution proposing a… pic.twitter.com/jTTKyr5Sgb — Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) May 20, 2026 More from Mace’s office: Several foreign born lawmakers currently holding power in this government have made clear their loyalties do not lie with the American people. Ilhan Omar is a prime example of why this amendment is necessary. She allegedly committed marriage and immigration fraud to get her brother into this country, is tied to millions in a Somali fraud case in her own state, and has made comments publicly about how she is “Somalia first.” She has spewed hate towards law enforcement officers keeping innocent Americans safe, did not know how many World Wars have been fought, and has stood on American soil and said the United States is turning into one of the worst countries in the world. “Ilhan Omar is just one of many foreign born members of this government who have made clear, time and again, their loyalty is not here,” added Mace. “The American people deserve leaders who put America first. This amendment closes a gap in our Constitution long overdue for closing.” “If you hold power in the American government, you should be a natural born American citizen,” Mace said. “This is not complicated. The people writing America’s laws, confirming America’s judges, and representing America on the world stage should have one loyalty: America. Not Somalia. Not any other country. For too long we have allowed foreign born members to hold seats in this government while making clear their loyalty is not here. We see it every day. This amendment puts an end to it,” she added. If ratified, the amendment would take effect as follows: Representatives: January 3rd of the first odd-numbered calendar year following ratification Senators: January 3rd of the first odd-numbered calendar year following ratification, and applies to sitting senators when the term they were elected to expires Federal Judges: Six months following ratification Ambassadors and Senate-confirmed Officers: Six months following ratification “There are 26 members of Congress who are naturalized U.S. citizens, including 19 Democrats and seven Republicans,” The Hill stated. Rep. Nancy Mace targets naturalized lawmakers with a constitutional amendment: 'For too long we have allowed foreign-born members to hold seats in this government, while making clear their loyalty is not here. We see it every day.' The proposal would affect more than a dozen… pic.twitter.com/0qXFiwuvB9 — Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) May 20, 2026 The Hill noted: Jayapal responded to the proposal, calling it “racist legislation that denies the very history of a country that has been proudly shaped by immigrants.” “This narrow-minded, xenophobic legislation has no place in Congress,” she wrote in a statement, “and I call on all my colleagues — including my Republican colleagues who are naturalized citizens — to condemn this.” The Washington Democrat, who was born in India, recalled the moment she became a U.S. citizen. “My naturalization ceremony was one of the most meaningful days of my life. 26 years later, I have never forgotten that day as I stood with hundreds of people from across the world who had waited, in many cases decades, to become American citizens,” she said. “This was a profound moment, as I felt the pride of my American citizenship.”

A sinkhole has closed a runway at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport, leading to cancellations and delays as workers make repairs. According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, crews found the sinkhole around 11 a.m. on Wednesday while conducting a daily morning inspection of the airfield. “The sinkhole was located near Runway 4/22, one of the airport’s two runways,” ABC News stated. Watch below: HOLY CRAP! A SINKHOLE has just opened up in the middle of a RUNWAY at LaGuardia Airport in NYC The good news is the sinkhole was caught BEFORE anyone was injured. Thank God New York-area airports have had a CONCERNING amount of problems recently. pic.twitter.com/hXosilj5xv — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 20, 2026 ABC News shared further: Runway 4/22 was “immediately” shut down, and emergency construction and engineering crews are on site to make repairs, the Port Authority said. The Federal Aviation Administration said it is slowing flights into LaGuardia “due to weather and a sinkhole on Runway 4/22.” “Travelers should expect delays and cancellations, particularly with forecast thunderstorms expected later today, and are strongly encouraged to check directly with their airlines for the latest flight status information,” the Port Authority said. The airport is currently under a ground delay, with flights departing to LaGuardia delayed an average of 98 minutes. According to FlightAware, there are currently 197 cancellations into and out of LGA, and 168 delays. “At approximately 11 a.m., the Port Authority was conducting its daily morning inspection of LaGuardia’s airfield when crews identified a sinkhole near Runway 4/22. The runway was immediately shut down, and emergency construction and engineering crews are onsite to determine the cause and complete necessary repairs as quickly and safely as possible,” LaGuardia Airport stated. “The Port Authority is in close communication with airlines and airport partners and will continue providing updates as conditions evolve,” it continued. At approximately 11 a.m., the Port Authority was conducting its daily morning inspection of LaGuardia’s airfield when crews identified a sinkhole near Runway 4/22. The runway was immediately shut down, and emergency construction and engineering crews are onsite to determine the… — LaGuardia Airport (@LGAairport) May 20, 2026 CBS News shared additional coverage: WATCH LIVE: Sinkhole at LaGuardia Airport forces runway to shut down https://t.co/Q1jTTiU6eQ — CBS News (@CBSNews) May 20, 2026 CBS News noted: Unlike nearby John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, which have numerous runways they can fall back on in the case of a problem such as this, LaGuardia has just two runways to handle all takeoffs and landings. Because 4/22 is expected to be shut down for an undetermined amount of time, all air traffic now has to land and take off at Runway 13/31. That could lead to extensive delays. Compounding the problem is a forecast calling for thunderstorms from the late afternoon until around 8 p.m.

This was a scary moment. On Tuesday night, a vehicle caught on fire and exploded in lower Manhattan. The vehicle exploded near the vicinity of the iconic Charging Bull statue, which is located on Wall Street. Take a look: A vehicle caught on fire and exploded near the iconic Charging Bull statue in New York City's Wall Street district pic.twitter.com/AAvmvtenu8 — Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) May 20, 2026 ABC 7 New York provided details on how emergency crews responded to the explosion. A car caught fire and exploded Tuesday evening in Lower Manhattan, sending thick black smoke into the air near the Charging Bull. Police and firefighters responded to reports of a car fire near Broadway and Stone Street around 5:42 p.m., according to the FDNY. Videos from the scene show the car, which appeared to be MTA-affiliated, parked on the side of the road before quickly being consumed by the fire as onlookers awaited for the fire department to arrive. Firefighters extinguished the flames shortly before 7 p.m. No injuries were reported. Here’s another angle: Story here ️ https://t.co/iAyKRfJO1I A car caught fire and exploded Tuesday evening in Lower Manhattan, sending thick black smoke into the air near the Charging Bull. Videos from the scene show the car, which appeared to be MTA-affiliated, parked on the side of the road before… pic.twitter.com/bGVe9JRg3l — Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) May 20, 2026 The aftermath: Check this out, quite a spectacular explosion caught on someones phone of an Infiniti SUV near NYC's Charging Bull statue. New York Fire Department extinguished it quickly, no injuries or suspicious circumstances it would seem. Quite likely a fuel tank rupture. pic.twitter.com/D5FwPt42PD — Tumbawumba (@_Tumbawumba) May 20, 2026 The explosion is currently under investigation, and authorities are still determining whether it was an accident or a criminal act. In the last year, fire deaths in New York City have skyrocketed. CBS News provided the data: Fire deaths in New York City are up more than 60% compared to this time last year, data shows. Forty-six people have died in fires so far this year, according to FDNY First Deputy Commissioner Daniel Flynn. “It’s very concerning,” he said. The numbers are about on par with 2022 and 2023, when e-bike battery fires ripped through buildings across the city. At this time in 2022, there were 47 fire deaths, and in 2023, there were 48. Fire deaths started to decrease in 2024, with 32 at this time that year. They dropped even lower in 2025. “This time last year, we were at 28,” Flynn said. Now, the numbers are climbing again, and Flynn says nearly a quarter of this year’s deaths were from fires set intentionally. How does that sound? This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.