they were privy to, is potentially formidable. it includes former secretary of state, mike, who we first reported last night is expected to sit down with the house committee, perhaps soon as this week. also former treasury secretary, steven mnuchin, we have learned today that he has already been interviewed by the committee. sources also tell us that because uses are underway for the former national intelligence director, john ratcliffe, for a sit down with him. then there is former acting boss chief of staff, mick mulvaney, we spoke with earlier on the program. he was spotted on the way out after speaking with the committee today. mulvaney, as you know, was serving as envoy to northern ireland when the capitol was attacked and quit in the aftermath. steve mnuchin at the time was reported to have been involved about discussions to invoke the 25th amendment to remove the president from office. there is reporting from jonathan carl, who you will hear from shortly, is that one o
hosting a saudi-backed golf tournament at one of his clubs. good morning. and welcome to way too early. i m jonathan lemire. it is friday, july 29th. thanks for being here. let s get started with the news. we begin on capitol hill where senate democrats are racing against the clock to pass a wide-ranging spending bill through the process of reconciliation. with just about a week to go before congress leaves for a month-long recess, a source says that senate majority leader chuck schumer called on his caucus to stick together during a closed door meeting yesterday. just one day earlier schumer and west virginia democrat joe manchin sent shot waves through congress by shock waves through congress by introducing the inflation reduction act of 2022 seemingly out of left field. planning to bring it to a vote at the senate floor next week and democrats are expressing cautious optimism about the chances of moving forward and that includes president biden who had this to say at
some tries to cast doubt on the the explosive testimony of former white house aide cassidy hutchinson, he tweeted this, i know her, i don t think she s lying. and here is what he said when he announced his resignation. two things i think caught me as i was watching yesterday. number one, the president had always in the past had sort of thrown a hyperbolic ideas and say why don t we do x and everybody knew that was a bridge too far. you tell him no, mr. president, that is not how this works. and he thinks out loud. that is one ever his mannerisms. i think you saw a different group of advisers inside of the white house instead of saying mr. president, let s talk about that saying that is a great idea mr. president. you have folks like peter navarro and lin wood and rudy giuliani. and there was a large number of people, a large group of people yesterday who were willing to do this, if the president of the united states went on stage and said go march down the street and invade
as part of a new trial. and could koalas become extinct? they ve been declared an endangered species in much of australia s east coast. the mayor of kyiv, vitali klitschko, has told the bbc his country will only enter peace talks after the last russian soldier has left ukraine. some ukrainian officials have expressed concerns their country may be pushed towards a peace deal with russia, as the war continues to put pressure on food and energy supplies. the british prime minister, borisjohnson, has meanwhile warned of what he called ukraine fatigue setting in. mrjohnson has just returned from a visit to kyiv on friday. our correspondent, nick beake, reports from kyiv. singing the russians killed roman ratushny on the ninth ofjune. today, his father buried him, before returning to the front line. a funeral for a 24 year old who answered the call to defend his country. his grandmother, joined by hundreds who came to bid him farewell. with so many young lives being lost every day,
hello and welcome if you re watching in the uk or around the world. polling stations have opened across france, in the final round of voting for parliamentary elections. at stake is control of the 577 seat national assembly, where the liberal party founded by president emmanuel macron has held sway for the last five years. but, president macron s candidates are facing strong opposition in the form of an alliance of left wing parties. our paris correspondent hugh schofield told me more a big challenge, surprising challenge, this time, but from the left. this coalition which has been created by the force of will of one man, jean luc melenchon, the man who came third in the presidential election, who came from the far left of french politics but by dint of personality and tactical genius has got all of the left or most of the left into his camp and persuaded the very demoralised socialists, communists and greens to fly under his banner, and together, as a group, they are set to