Democrat Graham Platner will challenge Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine, while Republican Steve Hilton will face Democrat Xavier Becerra in the California governor’s race.
President Donald Trump is expected to sign a bill to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol this morning. Samuel Corum / Getty Images
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates will be interviewed by members of the House Oversight Committee today as part of their investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and his associates.
The interview will take place behind closed doors and will be transcribed, the committee’s chairman, James Comer, R-Ky., said in a letter in March requesting the billionaire philanthropist’s testimony. Gates has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
A spokesperson for Gates told NBC News last night that “Gates welcomes the opportunity to appear before the Committee.”
“While he never witnessed or participated in any of Epstein’s illegal conduct, he is looking forward to answering all the committee’s questions to support their important work,” the spokesperson added.
Gates, whose name was mentioned in the Epstein files, has said that he “regrets every minute” he spent with the late convicted sex offender, whom he met in 2011. In the files, Epstein appeared to suggest in an email he sent to himself that Gates was having extramarital affairs and seeking drugs. Gates called the contents of the unsent email “false” and said he was “foolish” to have spent time with him. A Gates spokesperson also denied the allegations, calling them “absolutely absurd and completely false.”
Gates said he had “a number of dinners” with Epstein, and the focus of their conversations was on finding philanthropic contributions to global health initiatives. He said he never traveled to Epstein’s private island.
Gates later told Gates Foundation staffers that he previously had two affairs, but they did not involve women around Epstein, The Wall Street Journal reported in February, citing a recording of a town hall during which he also apologized for his ties to Epstein.
Gates maintained that he “did nothing illicit” and “saw nothing illicit,” the Journal reported.
“To be clear, I never spent any time with victims, the women around him,” he said, according to the Journal.
Republican former Gov. Paul LePage is moving on to the general election in Maine’s 2nd District, NBC News projects, as the crowded Democratic field in one of the country’s most important battleground districts remains unresolved ahead of a ranked choice voting tabulation.
The seat is being vacated by Jared Golden, one of the most conservative Democrats in the House and a candidate who has held on to it repeatedly, even as Donald Trump carried the district in 2020 and 2024. His decision to retire jeopardizes Democrats’ ability to hold the seat, and Republicans are optimistic they can finally flip it.
Joe Baldacci, a state senator and son of a former governor, is the establishment pick, running with a boost from the House Democratic campaign committee and the top House Democratic super PAC. State Auditor Matt Dunlap, the former secretary of state, is running as a progressive, embracing “Medicare for All” and leaning on his decadeslong political career in the state.
And Jordan Wood, the former chief of staff to then-Rep. Katie Porter of California and a top staffer at End Citizens United, is also running from the progressive wing of the party. He’s the top fundraiser by a large margin.
Read the full story here.
South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who secured a late endorsement from Trump, and state Attorney General Alan Wilson advanced to a Republican primary runoff in the race to be the state’s next governor, NBC News projects.
The runoff will take place June 23 after no candidate won more than 50% of vote Tuesday. With more than 80% of the expected vote tallied, Evette was taking 29% support compared to 26% for Wilson.
The eventual GOP nominee will be a heavy front-runner to replace term-limited Gov. Henry McMaster in the solidly red state this fall.
Read the full story here.
After weeks of setbacks and delays, the Republican-controlled House on Tuesday narrowly passed a roughly $70 billion package to fund ICE and the Border Patrol through the end of Trump’s term.
The vote was 214-212, with Rep. Kevin Kiley, a California independent who caucuses with Republicans, joining all Democrats in voting no. The package, dubbed the Secure America Act, cleared the Senate last week and now heads to the president’s desk for his expected signature.
Read the full story here.
Nevada Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo and Democrat Aaron Ford have won their primaries, NBC News projects, officially setting up what’s expected to be one of the most competitive gubernatorial contests in the fall.
Lombardo, the former Clark County sheriff, easily secured his party’s nomination over several low-profile challengers as he seeks a second term. Ford defeated Washoe County commissioner in the Democratic contest, taking roughly two-thirds of the vote.
Read the full story here.
Former Fox News host Steve Hilton has advanced to the general election in the California gubernatorial race, NBC News projects, where he will face former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
Hilton, a Republican, emerged from a crowded primary where candidates from all parties appear on the same ballot and the top two vote getters move on. NBC News projected Friday that Becerra, a Democrat, would advance.
With 88% of the expected vote tallied one week after polls closed, Becerra was taking about 28% support compared to 25% for Hilton. Billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer was in third with roughly 23%, while Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco was the only other candidate in double digits, with 10%.
Read the full story here.
It’s official: Republican Sen. Susan Collins will face Democrat Graham Platner this fall, NBC News projects, in what will be a marquee election in the fight for control of the Senate.
Collins and Platner both won their primaries Tuesday in a predictable result. Collins, first elected to the Senate in 1996, ran unopposed for renomination as she seeks a sixth six-year term.
And Platner, a veteran and oyster farmer running in his first political race, faced little Democratic competition as two-term Gov. Janet Mills suspended her campaign after she failed to gain traction. She still appeared on the primary ballot.
Read the full story here.
NBC News
