House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) danced around the question of whether the January 6 rioters who assaulted police officers would be eligible for President Donald Trump’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” as he appeared before reporters on Wednesday.

Johnson was giving a press briefing on Capitol Hill when CNN’s chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju asked him if he was OK with “the ones who attacked police” collecting on the $1.776 billion fund.

“Would you be OK if January 6 rioters, the ones who were convicted, even some of the ones who attacked police, had access to these taxpayer dollars, $1.8 billion settlement that the DOJ has created the settlement fund. Would it be OK if they had access to that money?” Raju asked.

Johnson — sighing, rolling his eyes, and shaking his head at the question — replied, “We don’t know any of the details of that settlement fund. The acting attorney general, Todd Blanche testified yesterday, and he got a lot of detail. And I’ll just defer to what he said. Because he obviously knows a lot more about it than I do.”

When Raju tried to interrupt, Johnson cut in, saying, “Let me tell you what he said. He said they are setting up a fund to compensate all Americans who have been the subject, the target, of lawfare or weaponization of the federal government.

Johnson added, “Again, that’s not a partisan proposition either. Everybody should support that. He did not say who would be eligible — there’s many details to be filled on that. I’m not going to comment on that ’til it comes out.”

The controversial settlement with the Department of Justice, which came after Trump dropped a lawsuit against the IRS, has been denounced by critics as a “slush fund.”

Also on Wednesday, Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges, two police officers, filed a lawsuit to block the Trump administration from giving a dime to the rioters who faced off against cops during the Capitol riot.

“Although Trump and his cronies have been secretive about the fund’s ends, reporting leaves no doubt that it will be used, among other purposes, to pay the nearly 1,600 people charged with attacking the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021,” the lawsuit says.

Watch above via C-SPAN.

The post Mike Johnson Grilled on Whether J6 Rioters Who Assaulted Cops Can Cash In on $1.8B ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ first appeared on Mediaite.

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The Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones are the most recent entry in Sony's 1000X series, which has been around since 2016. They're the best over-ear headphones in terms of audio quality currently on the market—but not everyone can (or needs to) drop nearly half a grand on headphones (though they're currently at their lowest price right now with an additional $30 gift card).

The WH-1000XM5 are a generation older, and were at the top of their class until they were supplanted by the XM6. On the plus side, by virtue of being older, they're currently discounted to $248 (down from the original $399.99). That's $5 off the lowest price they've ever reached, according to price-tracking tools, a good deal for cans that still sound incredible, even in 2026.

Sony WH-1000XM5

$248.00 at Amazon

$399.99 Save $151.99

Get Deal

Get Deal

$248.00 at Amazon

$399.99 Save $151.99

I have been a loyal customer of the 1000X line for many years; they're my go-to headphones for most activities. The WH-1000XM5 came out to an "outstanding" review from PCMag for their top-notch audio quality and exceptional audio when using the best-in-class active noise-canceling. The headphones are also well-designed to be comfortable for long listening sessions. The ear controls use tapping and swiping, which isn't my favorite, but it's what all modern headphones are moving toward. There's a companion app that lets you adjust your EQ settings to your liking, including what the swiping and tapping functions do.

These headphones also have a stereo 3.5mm connection, which is perfect for those who want to use a cable and not worry about battery life. And speaking of battery life, Sony says you can expect about 30 hours, but it will vary depending on your use of ANC. They are compatible with AAC, LDAC and SBC codecs and have multipoint connection, meaning you can pair them with more than one device at the same time.

Google Workspace is getting a slew of AI-related updates, including a brand new app called Google Pics, which can generate and edit images for you. Many of these updates will be available to those who use Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive, and other Google Workspace apps, the company announced during the Google I/O 2026 keynote. This includes conversational features that will allow you to control Gmail, Docs, and Keep; a new AI inbox that aims to help you stay on top of your email; and a personal AI agent called Gemini Spark that can integrate with Google Workspace apps to get things done for you.

Here are all the major Google Workspace updates unveiled during Google I/O 2026. These features are rolling out for Google AI subscribers and paying Google Workspace users. This means that you won't be able to try much if you're on the free tier of Google services.

Create and edit images with AI in Google Pics

Google Pics is a new app built with the company's latest Nano Banana AI image generation model, and allows you to create and edit photos using AI. Google claims this tool makes useful image editing tools more accessible, highlighting examples such as modifying and translating text, as well as transforming specific elements in an image (e.g., changing a sweater's color or turning a dog into a cat). You can also generate an image with a text prompt, but the real highlight seems to be granular editing.

Like every other AI-related image generation tool, Google Pics also raises ethical questions about the nature of an image. It's not hard to imagine how tools like these could be misused to manipulate and deceive. One can only hope that Google has guardrails in place to clearly identify images edited with Google Pics, and to prevent misuse. This app is available to "Trusted Testers" today, and will be rolling out globally to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers (and in preview to Google Workspace business users) this summer.

Enhanced conversational capabilities in Gmail, Docs, and Keep

Google is adding new voice features to Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Keep. The email service is getting a feature called Gmail Live, which will search your inbox to answer your questions. For instance, you could ask something like, "What's going on at my kid's school this week?" The service will then search your inbox and find all the emails from your child's school. The idea is to ask questions with natural language, which is what makes it "conversational."

The next new feature is Docs Live, which acts as your partner and co-writer, according to Google. You can talk to Docs Live, and it will help you brainstorm ideas, organize your thoughts, and structure your document. Google says the feature can even pull information from Gmail, Google Drive, Google Chat, and the web with your permission. You can think of Docs Live as an outlining tool that can gather a bunch of information quickly, making the writing process quicker for those who struggle to get started with a blank document.

For Google Keep users, the new conversational features can turn your "brain dump" into organized notes and lists. You can say everything you want noted down, and the AI assistant will do the sorting and organizing for you. Like Google Pics, all of these conversational features will be rolling out to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers (and in preview to Google Workspace business users) this summer.

New features in Gmail's AI Inbox

Gmail's AI Inbox, which offers AI-powered summaries, suggestions, and proofreading, is getting a few new tricks too. During I/O 2026, Google announced that AI Inbox will get personalized draft replies, instant file access, and streamlined task management. AI Inbox will be able to generate a contextual draft for you when it detects that an email requires an urgent response, the company claims. With instant file access, AI Inbox can find and display a link to a document from Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides when you need it, which could make it easier to find the right document in email threads. The feature also lets you mark all emails in a certain topic as read. These features will be available to Google AI Plus and Pro subscribers in the U.S. starting today.

A new personal AI agent: Gemini Spark

The final Workspace-related update today is a new AI agent called Gemini Spark. The company says Spark transforms Gemini from an assistant that answers your questions to one that gets things done with your permission. Once you enable this feature, Google says Gemini Spark can perform tasks such as sending emails on your behalf, and adding events to your calendar. The company adds that it will always ask your permission before performing these actions. Gemini Spark will be rolling out to Google Workspace business users in the coming week, and it'll be available through the Gemini app.

Google I/O 2026 is nearly upon us. Like other big tech keynotes, anyone can tune in live and catch Google's latest announcements as they happen—so long as you tune into the right place at the right time. Here's when Google I/O 2026 will kick off, and what we know about the conference at this time.

What is Google I/O?

Google I/O is the company's annual developer conference. This is Google's yearly opportunity to showcase the software features (and perhaps some of the hardware) the company has been cooking up behind the scenes.

When and what time is Google I/O 2026?

Google tends to kick off its I/O event in May of each year, and 2026 is no different. This year, Google I/O will run May 19 through May 20. If you're used to watching one single livestream, that two-day schedule might come as a surprise. But I/O isn't just an announcement: It's a developer conference, spanning keynotes, demos, and product sessions.

But if you're only interested in the company's main keynote, you'll want to get May 19 on your calendar. As usual, the event starts at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET). You can follow along on our live blog for all the latest updates, or tune into CNET Group's live stream coverage.

How to watch Google I/O 2026

While Google invites a select group of journalists to watch its presentations live and encourages developers to register to attend its various events, you can tune into the livestream wherever you are in the world. Google hasn't confirmed where its livestreams will be hosted this year, but looking to the past, you'll likely be able to stream the keynote from the official I/O website, as well as Google's official YouTube channel.

What will be announced at Google I/O 2026?

The short answer? We don't really know! Google is keeping I/O news close to the vest, and rumors haven't been particularly prolific this year. That said, there are some things you can expect to see regardless of leaks and rumors.

Usually, that'd mean Android, especially with Android 17 right around the corner. While Google may very well discuss it, the company already announced a slew of new features at The Android Show: I/O Edition last week. During the event, Google announced Gemini Intelligence, a new version of the company's AI; Googlebooks, a sort of successor to the Chromebook; and expanded AirDrop support for Android phones. It's possible that the company still has some news in reserve, but, based on this breakout event, Google likely has other news to announce.

One piece of Android news that didn't make The Android Show is Android XR, Google's upcoming smart glasses platform. The company announced at last year's I/O, but hasn't talked much about it since. If we get any new Android announcements tomorrow, that could be one of them.

Like the past couple of I/O's, this year should also be all about AI. Google seems to come out with new AI announcements multiple times a week, including adding new "Thinking levels" to the Gemini app, or adding an agentic bot to Chrome to browse the internet for you. Expect Google I/O 2026 to be full of AI features—perhaps more than some of us would like to hear about.

I/O 2026 could also show off some hardware, but that's no guarantee. Google announced the Pixel 10a back in February, the company's latest "budget" phone, and it could reveal other devices in May, but I/O really is more about the software than the hardware. (It is a developer conference, after all.)

LEFT: Donald Trump (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) RIGHT: Josh Hawley (Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images)

President Donald Trump’s tirade against Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) last year is getting a second look amid renewed attention on his stock-trading habits.

Trump’s portfolio is the subject of scrutiny at the moment after reports he filed with the Office of Government Ethics revealed that he conducted between $220 and $750 million in stock market transactions in the first quarter of 2026.

The president himself called for a congressional stock-trading ban during his State of the Union address earlier this year, but had previously objected to a ban advanced by Hawley that would have applied to the presidency as well — even though the Missouri senator had secured a de facto exemption for Trump.

“Why would one ‘Republican,’ Senator Josh Hawley from the Great State of Missouri, join with all of the Democrats to block a Review, sponsored by Senator Rick Scott, and with the support of almost all other Republicans, of Nancy Pelosi’s Stock Trading over the last 25 years,” wondered Trump in a Truth Social post last July. “The information was inappropriately released just minutes before the Vote — Very much like SABOTAGE! The Democrats, because of our tremendous ACHIEVEMENTS and SUCCESS, have been trying to ‘Target’ me for a long period of time, and they’re using Josh Hawley, who I got elected TWICE, as a pawn to help them. I wonder why Hawley would pass a Bill that Nancy Pelosi is in absolute love with — He is playing right into the dirty hands of the Democrats. It’s a great Bill for her, and her ‘husband,’ but so bad for our Country! I don’t think real Republicans want to see their President, who has had unprecedented success, TARGETED, because of the ‘whims’ of a second-tier Senator named Josh Hawley!”

NBC News reported on the disagreement at the time:

Tensions between Hawley and Republican leaders reached a boiling point late last month when he teamed up with Democrats to advance a ban on congressional stock trading.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., the chair of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee and an opponent of stock trading bans, granted Hawley the opportunity to mark up his bill, dubbed the Preventing Elected Leaders from Owning Securities and Investments — or PELOSI — Act. But Paul said he would not support it, requiring Hawley to work with Democrats. Hawley joined forces with Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., the ranking member on the panel, but did not consult with fellow Republicans or the White House before he did so, three people familiar with the episode recalled.

“I can imagine he’s not on their nice list,” a Republican senator told NBC News when asked how the White House views Hawley.

Hawley and Peters reached a compromise under which the legislation would no longer be labeled the “PELOSI Act” and the ban would also apply to presidents and vice presidents. (Hawley secured a tweak that would delay implementation for officials until the start of their next terms, effectively exempting President Donald Trump.) The bill advanced with unified Democratic support plus Hawley’s vote.

“The president just endorsed it at the White House,” Hawley told NBC News after reporters asked Trump about the bill. But moments later, Trump lashed out.

In a statement about Trump’s activity in the market, The Trump Organization asserted that “Neither President Trump, his family, nor The Trump Organization plays any role in selecting, directing, or approving specific investments. They receive no advance notice of trading activity and provide no input regarding investment decisions or portfolio management of any kind.”

The post Trump’s Tirade Against GOP Senator Who Sponsored Stock-Trading Ban Gets Second Look Amid Insider Trading Allegations first appeared on Mediaite.

Former FBI Director James Comey said he would not change a thing about his decision to reopen the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails less than two weeks before her defeat to President Donald Trump in the 2016 election.

Comey was asked if he has any regrets about how he handled the reopened probe during an interview on Meet the Press on Sunday.

“Knowing what you know now, would you have made the same, exact decision again?” moderator Kristen Welker asked him.

“I think so,” Comey said, before talking about the one thing he has debated whether or not he should’ve done differently.

“The only thing I’ve wondered is whether I should’ve dumped that very difficult decision on the attorney general on October the 28th. She declined to speak to me, but I could’ve just sent her a memo saying, ‘Here’s what I think that we have to do,'” Comey said.

He said he opted not to push the investigation onto then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch because it would have been a “chicken-blank thing to do.”

“It was a decision that I had to make because I had testified all summer that the investigation was done and now it’s not done. Do I really conceal that from the American people, from the Congress? I can’t,” Comey continued. “And it would’ve been a chicken thing to do to dump it on the AG. But sometimes when people are unhappy with me on the street, I think, ‘Hmm, I should’ve left it for Loretta Lynch.'”

Welker then asked if Comey felt his decision played a role in electing Trump.

“I hope not,” Comey said.

He continued:

Having seen two elections after that, where as they said, the difference the FBI made was late-deciding voters broke for Trump in ’16, but then they did again in ’20, and then they did again in ’24, when I was home in my pajamas for both elections. So I don’t think so.

But again, we made the decision because it was the least-bad option. Both options sucked, honestly. But this was the one most consistent with the values of the department. So as painful as it is, I’d have to do the same thing again.

Comey was indicted last year on alleged false statements made to Congress. That case was dropped, but he is now facing a new indictment from a federal grand jury over an Instagram post in which he posted sea shells on a beach that read “86 47”; Comey captioned the photo “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.” That post was read by many to be an endorsement of killing Trump, whom is the 47th president.

He told Welker he was “tempted” to talk about the case but that he can’t right now.

Watch above via NBC.

The post James Comey Has No Regrets About Reopening Hillary Probe Just Before 2016 Election — But Says He Might’ve Done One Thing Differently first appeared on Mediaite.

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President Donald Trump issued another stark threat to Iran, on Sunday — warning “there won’t be anything left of them” if their leadership doesn’t agree to a deal soon.

In a post to Truth Social Sunday, the president was blunt in his demands.

“For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them,” Trump wrote. “TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!”

The latest post follows a Fox News report early Sunday that Iran expects the U.S. to resume military action — and its strategy is to essentially stall for time. Fox’s chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst fleshed out Iran’s thinking in a report on Fox & Friends Sunday.

“The prevailing assessment inside Iran is that President Trump may resort to restarting military action, and Tehran is now deliberately pursuing a strategy of ‘deception and delay’ with the hopes that buying time will complicate any potential return to war,” two regional intelligence officials told Fox News,” Yingst wrote on X — sharing a clip of his Fox & Friends hit.

Trump, in a phone call with Axios’s Barak Ravid Sunday (as posted by Ravid on X), said that if Iran drags its feet on a deal, the “will get hit hard and won’t have anything left.”

——

The post Trump Warns Iran ‘Better Get Moving FAST’ or ‘There Won’t Be Anything Left of Them’ first appeared on Mediaite.