You have lots of places to choose from to get your message out to the press if you’re House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.It’s best to get your message out succinctly, clearly and free of interference.So when Johnson decided to boast about the House making good on the first bill to codify DOGE cuts and slash $9.4 billion from USAID and public broadcasting, he stepped just outside the House chamber and into a throng of reporters gathered by the Will Rogers Statue."Republicans will continue to deliver real accountability and restore fiscal discipline," said Johnson.  REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: GOP LAWMAKERS PREPARE TO SLASH $9.1B FROM USAID, NPR AND PBS IN RARE VOTEBut the Will Rogers Statue area is a major thoroughfare in the Capitol. At the moment Johnson spoke Thursday, dozens of House Democrats were headed toward the office of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. They were demanding answers about why federal agents tossed Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., to the ground and handcuffed him during a press conference in Los Angeles with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.When Johnson finished talking about reeling in the money for public broadcasting and USAID, reporters only wanted to ask about Padilla.Yours truly included."Did the federal agents go too far," I asked. "Was that a bridge too far?"A long line of angry House Democrats squeezed past Johnson in the Will Rogers corridor. But because Johnson chose to speak in such a heavily-trafficked locale, Democrats hectored Johnson as they marched to the Senate."Yes it was!" shouted an unidentified Democrat as she strode past the scrum, answering my question for Johnson.DEMOCRAT SENATOR FORCIBLY REMOVED AFTER CRASHING DHS SECRETARY NOEM'S PRESS CONFERENCEBut Johnson immediately pivoted to what Padilla did, standing up at Noem’s press conference to holler questions at her from the back of the room."It was wildly inappropriate," said Johnson of Padilla as he spoke to the Capitol press corps. "You don’t charge a sitting cabinet secretary…""That’s a lie!" shouted another unidentified Democrat."A lie!" yelled someone else.Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-Calif., stopped to snarl something at the Speaker. But it was impossible to hear over the din."He was acting like a senator," charged Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y. "Why don’t you stand up for Congress!""Can you respond to these people heckling you Mr. Speaker?" I asked."I'm not going to respond to that," replied Johnson.The Capitol was pulsing at this point. The crush of House Democrats barged into the office of Thune, who was at the White House.Lucky him.REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: HOW THE HOUSE IS TECHNICALLY DONE WITH THE 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL'The Democrats then trooped back across the Rotunda and poured into Johnson’s office."When the Speaker of the House refers to a sitting Member of the U.S. Senate who simply tried to exercise his First Amendment rights as acting like a thug, we’re very concerned about that," said Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y. "Both the Speaker and Leader Thune should step up to the moment and preserve the institution of Congress, which are a balance in democracy and important balance in democracy."One lawmaker who didn’t join the angry Democratic mob was Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa. Dean stood apprehensively just beyond the wall of reporters and outside the invisible bubble created by Johnson’s security detail. When Johnson concluded speaking, Dean tried to pierce the security ring to have a civil conversation with the Speaker."Mike! Mike!" said Dean, trying to capture Johnson’s attention. "It’s Madeline."Johnson finally realized that "Madeleine" wasn’t some reporter trying to squeeze in an extra question for the Speaker. But someone he obviously knew. A fellow lawmaker. Someone from across the aisle with whom he must have a friendship and working relationship.Johnson and Dean spoke in hushed tones as they walked quietly across Statuary Hall. Some in the press corps followed, trying to divine what they were saying. This wasn’t an offstage chat back in the Speaker’s Suite or on a private telephone call. But it went down in a very public part of the U.S. Capitol.TRUMP'S SPENDING BILL HEADS TO SENATE WHERE REPUBLICANS PLAN STRATEGIC ADJUSTMENTS TO KEY PROVISIONSThe conversation continued as the duo stopped adjacent to the "British Steps" near the Speaker’s Office. Dean clenched both of her hands into fists as she and the Speaker were about to part ways. She lightly touched Johnson on the right arm as he ducked into the Speaker’s Office."Thank you, sir," said Dean."What were you speaking to the Speaker about?" I asked the Congresswoman."I just want to keep that to myself," answered Dean. "But the one thing I wanted to say is that it’s up to the President to turn the temperature down. Everyone is inflamed. And agitated. But it starts with the President. He said ‘I’m talking to the President,’" said Dean.But other Republicans may have tried to dial up the temperature by blasting Padilla.Padilla left Washington earlier in the week to be in LA during the riots. The senator was supposed to start at first base for the Democrats in the Congressional Baseball Game on Wednesday night.Republicans charged that Padilla should have stayed moored in Washington."He has a responsibility to show up at work not to go make a spectacle," said Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo.POWER PLAYERS OR BASEBALL PLAYERS? THE HISTORY BEHIND THE CONGRESSIONAL BASEBALL GAME"The fact that he's in California and not in D.C. while the Senate is voting means he's not as concerned about doing his job here," said Senate Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.Scalise conceded he had gone home to Louisiana when hurricanes threatened the state. He argued that he "wouldn't go back home to try to stir angst against the federal agents that were coming and help us get back on our feet."Outraged Democrats thundered on the Senate floor, railing against the plight of Padilla."This is the stuff of dictatorships. It is actually happening," said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii."It's despicable. It's disgusting. It is so un-American," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y."I think it's unprecedented," said Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz. "It's obnoxious, and it's rather escalatory."But the outrage wasn’t limited to Democrats.US ATTORNEY ALINA HABBA ANNOUNCES REP. MCIVER HIT WITH FEDERAL CHARGES OVER NEWARK ICE CLASH"I’ve seen that one clip. It’s horrible. It is shocking at every level. And it’s not the America I know," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski," R-Alaska.The band of Democrats who ran over to Thune’s office never did find him. But by nightfall, Thune said he spoke to Padilla, Senate Sergeant at Arms Jennifer Hemingway and tried to contact Noem."We want to get the full scope of what happened," said Thune.This falls against the backdrop of the feds charging Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., for assaulting federal agents at a Newark detention facility earlier this spring. These episodes have shaken Congress. Lawmakers wonder what would happen if the shoe were on the other foot. And despite the partisan chasms, they’re all lawmakers. They know that if something like this can happen to Padilla, well, they could be next.Confidence and trust are waning."I remain hopeful that Leader Thune and other Republicans can walk us back from the brink," said Schatz. "But I am not so sure anymore."

The Edmonton Oilers tied up the Stanley Cup Finals at two games a piece with a stunning comeback overtime victory over the Florida Panthers, 5-4, in Sunrise Thursday. And the Panthers did it in front of a celebrity audience with Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce highlighting the crowd.  Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl scored the winning goal in overtime to cap off a back-and-forth thriller. It was Draisaitl's fourth overtime goal of the Stanley Cup playoffs, breaking the NHL record for most in a single postseason. Draisaitl also scored the winning goal in overtime in Game 1. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMThe Oilers overcame an early three-goal deficit in the most dramatic game of the series so far. The Panthers took a commanding 3-0 lead in the first period on two goals by Matthew Tkachuk and one by Anton Lundell.But the Oilers took less than a period to tie it up, with three goals by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Vasily Podkolzin and Darnell Nurse in the second.OILERS DEFENSEMAN HIT WITH $10K FINE AFTER STANLEY CUP FIGHT Then the game froze up, with the teams playing at a stalemate going into the third period. That stalemate lasted more than halfway into the third period until Oilers defenseman Jake Walman finally broke the tie with a goal with just under 7 minutes to go in regulation.And then, with less than 20 seconds to go, the Panthers tied it back up on a dramatic goal by Sam Reinhart, sending the game to overtime.Neither team budged for the first 11 minutes of the extra period, but then Draisaitl broke through to ice the game and even up the series at the 8:42 mark. The series returns to Edmonton with Game 5 on Saturday. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that one of Iran’s top nuclear facilities had been hit in Thursday night's strike against the regime."Iran has produced enough highly enriched uranium for nine atom bombs, nine," Netanyahu said. "In recent months, Iran is taking steps that it has never taken before, steps to weaponize this enriched uranium. And if not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time."The Natanz Nuclear Facility – one of Tehran’s key nuclear sites and which has been flagged by security experts that in coordination with the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, could produce enough weapons-grade uranium to produce 11 nuclear weapons within a month – has been hit in the strikes, though the extent of the damage remains unknown. ISRAEL LAUNCHES SWEEPING STRIKE ON IRAN WHILE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SEEKS DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION"We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment program. We struck at the heart Iran's nuclear weaponization program," Netanyahu said in live remarks. "We targeted Iran's main enrichment facility in Natanz. "We targeted Iran's leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb," he added. The Nantaz Nuclear Facility was at least partially destroyed in 2020 following an explosion, and satellite imagery has suggested Iran began constructing deep underground tunnels to further secure and obscure their nuclear program, reported the Institute for Science and International Security earlier this year. ISRAEL ANNOUNCES PREEMPTIVE STRIKE AGAINST IRANIt is unclear at this time if any of the underground structures were hit in the Thursday night strikes. "We will not let the world's most dangerous regime get the world's most dangerous weapons, and Iran plans to give those weapons, nuclear weapons, to its terrorist proxies," Netanyahu said. "That would make the nightmare of nuclear terrorism all too real. "The increasing range of Iran's ballistic missiles would bring that nuclear nightmare to the cities of Europe, and eventually to America," he added. Reporting by The New York Times also said the Parchin military complex had been hit in the overnight strikes, though Fox News Digital could not independently confirm the hit.The extent of the damage also remains unknown as it was reported in November that the Parchin military complex had been significantly damaged in Israel’s October strikes which housed a nuclear weapons research facility. Another five military bases surrounding Tehran were also reportedly hit. 

Rory McIlroy had a forgetful opening round at the U.S. Open. The reigning Masters champion ended Thursday at Oakmont at 4-over par.While the disappointing day was somewhat out of the ordinary for the pro golfer, he did continue his pattern of dodging members of the media. The Northern Irishman has not spoken to the assembled media since he put on the coveted green jacket in April at Augusta.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM"I'd like to start this press conference with a question myself," McIlroy said at Augusta National. "What are we all going to talk about next year?" But after not speaking to reporters at the PGA Championship last month, McIlroy opted against offering comment to the media after the first round at Oakmont. Instead, he bypassed reporters and spectators and went inside the Oakmont clubhouse.Golfers are not contractually obligated to speak with the media. Other major professional American sports leagues such as the NFL and NBA require their players to speak with the press.RORY MCILROY AMONG TOP GOLFERS STRUGGLING THROUGH TREACHEROUS OAKMONT ROUGH IN OPENING ROUND OF US OPENMcIlroy’s day did get off to a strong start. At one point he was 2-under par, but his fortunes took a quick turn down the stretch on the last nine.McIlroy ended the opening round eight strokes behind J.J. Spaun, who held the top spot on the leaderboard.Once the U.S. Open wraps up this weekend, McIlroy is expected to compete in the Ryder Cup. Since winning at Augusta, McIlroy has finished tied for 12th at the Zurich Classic and tied for 7th at the Truist. His PGA Championship performance also produced a disappointing finish.Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.