Tulsi Gabbard resigns as US national intelligence director

Tulsi Gabbard has resigned as U.S. Director of National Intelligence, citing personal reasons tied to her husband's rare and serious bone cancer. Though officially stepping down for family health, the resignation follows months of growing friction between Gabbard and President Donald Trump over foreign policy, particularly regarding military interventions in Venezuela and Iran. Gabbard, a former Democrat turned Trump ally, had long opposed wars of choice and publicly contradicted the White House by testifying that there was no evidence Iran was rebuilding its nuclear capabilities—clashing directly with Trump’s narrative. Her exclusion from key war planning meetings and the political fallout from her testimony suggest a deepening rift. Meanwhile, the Republican Party faces internal turmoil as a bipartisan war powers resolution to end the Iran conflict narrowly avoided defeat in the House, revealing fractures among GOP lawmakers. The administration’s controversial $1.8 billion 'weaponized justice' compensation fund—potentially covering January 6th rioters—and plans for a White House ballroom extension have further inflamed tensions, with Republicans fearing electoral backlash over spending amid rising living costs. In other global news, the Democratic Republic of Congo reports a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in conflict-affected eastern provinces, echoing past epidemics marked by stigma and community resistance.