A prolific TV starlet of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s emerged on a rare public outing in Los Angeles over the weekend.

Instead of her recognizable auburn hair, the 83-year-old is now rocking short gray hair. 

She first appeared on television in 1966 with a role in a popular Western series after years of theater work.

She went on to land countless guest-starring roles on hit shows like Gunsmoke and Hawaii Five-O.

Along with her TV success, the actress nabbed major film roles that saw her star alongside Hollywood greats such as Dean Martin and Peter Falk.

Can you guess who she is? 

Instead of her recognizable auburn hair, the 83-year-old is now rocking cropped gray hair

The mystery star is Katherine Justice.

The actress was spotted stocking up on essentials at a local Costco store last Friday.

She was dressed comfortably in a white linen shirt layered over a navy blue graphic tee and tan work pants.

Amid the scorching heatwave in Southern California, Justice sported a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses as she strolled through the store’s parking lot with her cart.

She is a recognizable face to many as she appeared in over 60 TV shows and movies over the course of her 50-year career.

Born and raised in Ohio, Justice began pursuing acting while earning a degree from Carnegie Tech Drama School.

After her 1964 graduation, Justice quickly immersed herself in the world of theater.

In 1965, she joined a touring company performing Nobody Loves an Albatross after starring in several productions at Front Street Theater in Memphis, Tennessee and Arena Stage in Washington, DC.

The mystery star is Katherine Justice

She is a recognizable face to many, as she appeared in more than 60 TV shows and movies over the course of her 50-year career. Above, with Dean Martin in 5 Card Stud (1968)

The actress was spotted stocking up on essentials at a local Costco store last Friday

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Amid the scorching heatwave in Southern California, Justice sported a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses

Justice made the move to television in 1966 when she got a guest role on the hit ABC Western series The Big Valley. 

This helped kick her Hollywood career into high gear.

Shortly after nabbing The Big Valley, she was offered a part in the 1967 film The Way West, which saw her act alongside Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum and Sally Field.

Her first major leading film role was in the popular made-for-TV film Prescription: Murder.

She played the glamorous Joan Hudson opposite Columbo icon Peter Falk.

The film, released in 1968, spawned the long-running Columbo TV series.

Justice’s other notable film roles include the Western flick 5 Card Stud, which saw her reunite with Mitchum and work with icon Dean Martin in 1968.

She also appeared in ABC’s made-for-TV movie Dead Man on the Run with Peter Graves in 1975.

Justice (center) in 5 Card Stud (1968)

Justice in the 1967 TV film The Way West

While Justice’s film resume is impressive, her biggest claim to fame is her memorable guest roles, which she continued to book until she retired from acting in 2015. Above, in 1967

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She notably worked with four-time Golden Globe nominee Sally Struthers in the 1981 made-for-TV thriller A Gun in the House on CBS.

While Justice’s movie resume is impressive, her biggest claims to fame are her TV guest roles, which she continued to book until she retired from acting over a decade ago.

She has starred on Days of Our Lives, Dallas, Alien Nation, TJ Hooker, Falcon Crest, and Quincy, ME, among other major shows from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

Justice last acted in the web-based TV series The Nevermore Chronicles in 2015.

Police appeal for witnesses after the horrific attack in a seaside town

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Police are on the hunt for a man who ‘punched’ a seagull for stealing his food. The bird was also grabbed and ‘stuffed through a fence’ leaving it with broken wings.

The horrifying attack happened by the harbour in Porthleven, Cornwall on Monday afternoon (July 13). CornwallLive reports a witness on social media alleged that a man attacked a seagull at the Harbour View Café after it tried to steal his food.

He is then said to have “stuffed it through a fence”, where it was left with broken wings.

The witness said: “This man brutally and repeatedly smashed a seagull against the wall of the Harbour View Café because it tried to steal some food. He then stuffed the seagull through the fence onto the road, where it floundered with two broken wings.

“This was in front of numerous people and children who were hugely upset.”

Police are now investigating the incident and are appealing for anyone with relevant footage or information to come forward.

A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: “We have been made aware following a report of a seagull being injured by a man by the harbour in Porthleven on the afternoon of Monday, July 13.

“It was reported the suspect grabbed and punched the seagull leaving it injured. Enquiries into the matter are ongoing.

“Anybody with any relevant footage or information is asked to call 101 or visit our website quoting 50260183379.”

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Peter Wright, star of Channel 5’s The Yorkshire Vet, told a packed audience at the Great Yorkshire Show that he was unsure about the programme’s potential when it was first pitched to him.

He said: “I didn’t think it would work at first, but has been the most unusual but most rewarding job.”

Mr Wright explained he eventually agreed to take part after realising the series could shine a light on real farm work, the challenges facing rural communities and the bond between people and animals.

Now in its 22nd series, the show has become a staple of British television, following vets as they treat pets, livestock and wildlife across North Yorkshire and beyond.

He was speaking on the Ariat GYS stage on the second day of the 167th annual Great Yorkshire Show, where he inspected entries in a children’s vegetable box competition before hosting a meet‑and‑greet with fans.

Crowds gathered early around the stage, with families and viewers queuing for photos and autographs and many telling him they had watched the series since it first aired.

The event continues to draw huge numbers, with 37,500 people attending on Wednesday and a total of 150,000 expected over the four days.

Organisers say tickets for Thursday and Friday sold out in advance, as visitors flock to see livestock classes, machinery displays and celebrity appearances.

Elsewhere at the show, conversations turned to the future of farming and the growing pressures to balance food production with environmental and energy demands.

Paul Tompkins, deputy president of the National Farmers’ Union, emphasised the union’s position that high‑quality farmland should remain focused on food rather than being diverted to large‑scale renewable energy schemes.

Mr Tompkins said: “Farmers do have to diversify and adjust to the renewable energy game, but it has to be done in the right way.

“Land should be prioritised for food production, and arguments about renewable energy should be balanced with concerns for landscape, tourism and communities.”

He called on farmers, farming groups and the government to have an “open dialogue” when it comes to renewable energy and land use, warning that decisions taken now will shape the countryside for decades to come.

As The Yorkshire Vet continues to celebrate the everyday stories of rural life, show leaders said debates over food, energy and the environment will be central to the future of the farms and animals that viewers see on screen.

A 14-year-old boy has been charged with offences linked to “extreme right-wing terrorism” in connection with an alleged plan to target two mosques in Sutton, south London, the Metropolitan Police said.

The child was initially arrested on suspicion of criminal damage to a vehicle. Officers searching an address then found “a number of documents of concern”, a Met spokesperson said.

He has also been charged with damaging property belonging to another without lawful excuse, intending to damage such property, namely a car window. The offence was racially aggravated, the force added.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

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Andy Burnham‘s new Cabinet has become embroiled in chaos before even being created as senior Labour figures fight to become his chancellor.

Ed Miliband, Shabana Mahmood and Yvette Cooper are embroiled in a major briefing war as they all put forward their claim to the senior financial post.

With just days to go until Mr Burnham replaces Sir Keir Starmer, reports suggest he has yet to decide who to appoint to run No11.

Mr Miliband, the environmentally conscious Energy Secretary, appears to be the choice of Labour members, but has been opposed by figures around the incoming Prime Minister over his run-ins with business and trade unions. 

Ms Cooper, who was a Treasury minister almost 20 years ago under Gordon Brown, and Home Secretary Ms Mahmood, a former shadow Treasury minister, have now been linked with the post.

Ms Mahmood is unpopular with the party Left because of hardline immigration reforms, and a move would allow Mr Burnham to shake things up. 

One veteran Labour MP on the Left of the party told the Daily Mail: ‘I don’t think Miliband will get No 11. He would be too big a risk.’ 

Mr Miliband was seen as the least market-friendly candidate in a poll by Bloomberg, while he has also clashed with unions over North Sea oil jobs that could be affected by the push for green power he champions. 

But allies of the incoming PM say he has yet to make up his mind about who would control the nation’s finances, with Shabana Mahmood, the current Home Secretary, also an option

It comes after Mr Burnham said people’s everyday living expenses are ‘the issue of our times’ as he was quizzed on his plans for government. 

Speaking to reporters in Parliament last night he said: ‘I’ve been setting out plans that I believe will bring some much-needed change in terms of people’s everyday living expense. I think that is the issue of our times.

‘If we want to connect politics better with people, well, let’s deal with some of the pressures people are under in terms of the everyday cost of transport, the bills that they’re paying. I heard it so often on doorsteps in the campaign.’

‘You know, life has changed for people, and it’s not necessarily got better’, he added.

‘And I think we just need to be relentlessly focused on that.

‘I have talked about more public control of the basics, and then through that control, cutting the cost. I did that with buses in Greater Manchester, and I carry that same principle forward.

‘To me, the cost of living and reducing it is everything, and I think we need to regain the confidence in the public that we’ve got a credible plan to do that and make life better.’

Earlier this month a YouGov poll of Labour members found 69 per cent believed Mr Miliband would do a good job, compared to 30 per cent for Ms Mahmood.

But he has been the source or ire for some trade unions over his lack of backing for the North Sea oil and gas industry as he tries to make UK power greener.

In March, Unite’s Sharon Graham said he should not ‘let go of one rope before having hold of another’.

‘We all know that whatever happens the UK will still need oil and gas for decades to come and the war in Iran is just the latest reminder that when we rely on overseas production our energy security is at the mercy of global events,’ she said.

Reports this week suggested Mr Miliband might be prepared to U-turn on North Sea oil and gas if made chancellor. 

He is said to be keen to give the go-ahead to the Jackdaw gas field in order to show he is not a Net Zero ‘zealot’ and to calm jitters about his possible appointment at the Treasury.

Mr Miliband is reported to have privately signalled his willingness to grant consent for Jackdaw, but cannot confirm the move until a consultation closes next month.

It came as the PM-in-waiting was accused of ‘running scared’ after MPs were denied the chance to quiz him until after the summer.

He will become Prime Minister on Monday but the House of Commons rises for its summer break on Thursday so he will be spared scrutiny for six weeks.

The Conservatives have been calling for one extra day next week so Mr Burnham could give a statement – and face questions – and planned to put pressure on the Government by holding a vote on Wednesday. 

But on Tuesday in an unprecedented move ministers cancelled the Opposition Day debate, saying the time was needed to discuss Iran instead.

It means Mr Burnham, who won so many backings no rival candidate can now be nominated, will not answer questions from MPs until September 1.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch led the outrage, saying: ‘In an unprecedented move, Labour have scrapped the Conservative vote to force Andy Burnham to come to Parliament to answer questions when he becomes PM on Monday. 

‘Labour are running scared because they know the honeymoon will be over the minute he has to tell us his plans.’

Universal Studios will have high hopes for the film at the box office, after Oppenheimer took $975m (£723m) globally.

However, Oppenheimer enjoyed a huge audience boost from the Barbenheimer phenomenon, the 2023 viral trend that prompted movie fans to buy tickets to see Barbie and Oppenheimer on the same day.

The Odyssey is a film with “thrilling ambition, boldness, seriousness, generosity and flair”, wrote the Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw, external, awarding five stars

“There are some broad-brush moments in the dialogue, yes, but even these are applied with a muscular flourish,” he added.

The Odyssey is “the definition of epic”, according to Empire’s John Nugent,, external in another five-star review.

“The scale and scope here is, frankly, jaw-detaching,” he said. “It is filmmaking at a magnitude few modern directors could ever realistically imagine, demand, or execute.”

The UK Space Agency and space startup Vast just signed an agreement to send Paralympic sprinter and below-knee amputee John McFall into orbit as early as 2027. Most coverage framed it as a victory for inclusion. As a space health researcher, I think something far more interesting happened.

For 70 years, spaceflight has assumed a rigid archetype: a healthy white man with a military background. The assumption was that physical uniformity minimised risk. As we prepare for Mars, the evidence increasingly suggests the opposite.

Star Trek understood this decades ago: exploration rewards difference. The further you travel into uncertainty, the more kinds of human experience you need. It debuted in 1966 with a Black female communications officer, a Japanese helmsman, a Russian navigator, a biracial Vulcan, and a captain who made mistakes and felt his humanity down to the last drop.

What strikes me now as a scientist is not how idealistic that vision was, but how practical. Despite decades of spaceflight, we still cannot reliably predict how one person’s health will change in space. Consider Mars 500, a 520-day simulated isolation mission between 2007 and 2011 where six male crew members in identical conditions diverged dramatically in psychological resilience. Two participants remained stable; three developed severe sleep disturbances; and one suffered persistent depression.

Additionally, around 17% of astronauts experience significant physical deterioration in spaceflight despite following identical exercise regimes. Disability does not necessarily introduce uncertainty into spaceflight; uncertainty is already the norm.

Who performs best in space?

Sometimes those excluded perform better. In 1961, several female pilots outperformed the men of Mercury 7 programme, the first US astronauts. Jerrie Cobb scored in the top 2% of all candidates ever assessed by NASA. Several of the women outperformed the men on cardiovascular endurance. And the late Wally Funk remained in an isolation tank for over ten hours while the male Mercury astronaut record was just over three. But the women never flew. NASA insisted on military jet pilot experience as an entry requirement, while simultaneously barring women from flying military jets.

About a decade earlier, NASA recruited eleven deaf men to study motion sickness, a condition affecting 60 to 80% of astronauts in their first days of weightlessness. Motion sickness happens when conflicting inner-ear signals cause nausea and disorientation severe enough to impair performance. Most of the eleven men had lost vestibular function (the inner-ear balance system) following childhood meningitis. In rotating rooms and on rough seas, as experienced test pilots were sick around them, the deaf participants played cards. The trait that excluded them from military careers made them unusually tolerant of the environments that undid everyone else.

Researchers are finally investigating this issue: like asking whether amputees, who carry less mass and respond differently to microgravity, offer advantages in space. People with lower-limb mobility impairments or vascular differences may be naturally adapted to the headward fluid shifts of weightlessness that cause brain swelling and vision changes in around 70% of astronauts.

When a cooling leak filled Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano’s helmet with water during a 2013 spacewalk, it left him nearly blind and deaf to mission control. He survived by navigating back to the airlock using touch alone. On Mars where dust storms reduce vision to near-zero, blind people would have an advantage here as they are dependent on other senses.

There is no perfect astronaut

The myth of the perfect astronaut has always been just that – a myth. Chuck Yeager, celebrated as the gold standard of what an astronaut should be, broke two ribs the night before he broke the sound barrier in 1947. He concealed the injury, improvised a way to seal his cockpit door using a broom handle, and flew anyway. The right stuff was never about physical perfection. It was about adaptation.

In 1985, Soviet cosmonauts Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Viktor Savinykh manually docked with the dead and uncontrolled Salyut 7 station and spent a week manually rewiring it in freezing pitch-black conditions to bring it back to life. For many people in the disability community, navigating broken infrastructure, sensory issues and isolation is an everyday reality. Disabled people spend their lives adapting to environments designed for somebody else. That makes us experts at navigating the unknown.

The real “right stuff” is interdependence: being creative together with your crew when a plan fails. When Apollo 13’s oxygen tank exploded in 1970, the crew came home not because of perfect engineering, but because people depended on each other under pressure. A Mars mission, years from home and communication delays of 20 minutes each way, will demand it. Astronauts will face problems nobody could anticipate, because that is the nature of exploration.

Disability is an extreme environment

Every person who lives long enough will experience disability at some point. It is my normal. In my research career, I have improvised creative solutions to inaccessible equipment, and learned to pace my energy carefully. Even getting into the building or having access to a bathroom could be my engineering problem for the day.

I’ve been told using a mobility aid is unprofessional and for years, even doctors dismissed my symptoms. When they finally had an answer, it came with a caveat: there is no cure and no treatment pathway. The medical system had reached its limit. I had not. These experiences forced me to monitor my own health, adapt and advocate for myself. On a Mars mission, millions of miles from the nearest specialist, every astronaut will need exactly that skill.

Perhaps the most undervalued asset the disability community brings to space is its relationship with joy. Disabled people do not survive extreme environments through stoicism alone. They survive through humour, putting flowers on their wheelchairs (like mine), and deeply loving communities. On a three-year Mars mission, that may be the most critical thing of all.

Design can be better too. Deaf pilot Sheila Xu described in June 2026 at the United Nations how she designed a colour-changing light signal system to use instead of auditory cues during parabolic flights, aircraft that fly a steep arc to produce brief periods of weightlessness, used in astronaut training. It improved safety for everyone on board, deaf or not, when engine roar made verbal commands impossible. This is the “curb cut effect”: solve for the margins, and you make the system better for everyone.

The good news is we are seeing a paradigm shift. In 2021, Hayley Arceneaux spent three days in orbit on SpaceX’s Inspiration4, becoming the first person with a prosthetic bone to reach space. In 2025, ESA engineer Michaela Benthaus became the first wheelchair user on a suborbital commercial flight. McFall’s selection marks the first time a major space agency has cleared a disabled astronaut for long-duration scientific work in orbit.

Progress does not come from excluding each other, but from discovering what becomes possible when the universe’s criteria finally replace our own.

The goal, then, should not be simply to send one disabled astronaut to space and call it progress. It is to involve disabled thinkers, engineers, and designers at every stage of mission planning. The systems they would help build would be demonstrably better for it.

Adaptation, more than perfection, may turn out to be what matters most.

Charlize Theron had two VIPs with her at the premiere of The Odyssey. 

The actress, 50, was joined by her daughters August, 12, and Jackson, 14, at the New York City debut of her star-studded Greek epic on Tuesday. 

While it was a school night, clearly Theron had made an exception given the very special occasion. 

The trio were seen making their way through the event hustle and bustle, with Theron gently guiding her daughter August through the throng as Jackson followed close behind. 

August wore a stylish black dress, trendy Doc Martens, and knee-high socks, while Jackson donned an off-the-shoulder look with black wedges. 

Theron, meanwhile, stunned in a white bow-adorned mini dress with strappy heels, a gold choker necklace, and bold red lip.

It marked a rare public appearance for Jackson and August, who Theron adopted in 2012 and 2015, respectively.

Adoption was always an avenue Theron wanted to pursue when it came to her family.   

‘I don’t feel like I’m missing out on something,’ she she explained during a 2018 interview with Chelsea Handler for Elle. ‘This was always my first choice, even when I was in a relationship.

‘I was very honest with my partners that I was open to having my own biological kids but that adoption had to be a part of my life. I felt that strongly about it.’

Theron’s daughters have enjoyed A-list experiences with their mother over the years, going to runway shows and now the premiere of her new action film. 

Theron plays portrays Calypso in the Christopher Nolan movie, an adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic the Odyssey.

The story follows the titular Greek King embark on a perilous journey home after the Trojan War in a bid to reunite with his beloved wife Penelope.

Despite the film being in the trusted hands of Oscar-winning director Nolan, fans haven’t quite got to grips with the casting yet.

Theron guided her daughter Jackson through the premiere hustle and bustle, placing a gentle hand on her waist 

In what has been dubbed his ‘most extreme project to date’ alongside an incredibly starry cast – the pressure for Nolan to win over critics is like no other.

Already known for his impressive art and high-budget fare, Nolan’s latest film could prove to be his most ambitious yet, with the $250million budget the most expensive of his career, his first shot entirely on IMAX 70mm cameras.

Lead stars Matt Damon is starring as the titular hero Odysseus, while Devil Wears Prada icon Anne Hathaway plays his devoted queen, who is forced to fend off potential suitors in her husband’s absence.

Yet, the film has received heaps of attention for all the wrong reasons – sparking backlash over its ‘bizarre’ casting, being accused of fuelling ‘brutal repression’ and sending Elon Musk into meltdown.

Nolan recently defended his decision to cast Kenyan-Mexican actress Lupita Nyong’o in the movie after Musk called the casting ‘historically inaccurate.’

The star let her children enjoy a school night out to celebrate her big movie 

The star-studded film boasts a cast featuring Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, and Samantha Morton

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Theron plays portrays Calypso in the Christopher Nolan movie, an adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic the Odyssey

Nyong’o, 43, is set to play Helen of Troy’s sister Clytemnestra, and was named People Magazine’s ‘Most Beautiful Woman’ in 2014 following her triumphant Best Supporting Actress Oscar win for 12 Years A Slave.

Nolan defended his castings, saying: ‘Hopefully they’ll enjoy the film, even if they don’t agree with everything. The oldest depictions of Homeric characters tend to be depicted in the manner of people living in Homer’s time…

‘So there’s a pretty strong case there for portraying things that way because that’s the way the first audience received the story.’

Musk was called out for his remarks about the casting in January by The View host Sunny Hostin.

She said: ‘Anyone can portray a fictional character. It doesn’t have to be a white person that plays this part.’ She added: ‘I think we have to call a thing a thing when we’re talking about someone like Elon Musk… We know what this is.

‘He is a white supremacist. In my view, he is a racist.’

Emmy-winner Alec Baldwin has since weighed in on Musk’s anti-woke campaign against Nolan’s movie.

In a public display of support for Lupita and Nolan, Baldwin wrote on Instagram: ‘Dear Elon… but she IS the most beautiful woman in the world…Alec.’

Northern has warned that train services have been cancelled, delayed, or revised after a signalling fault between Salford Crescent and Bolton.

The disruption began on July 15 and is expected to continue until the end of the day, with just hours until England kick off their World Cup semi-final with Argentina at 8pm.

(Image: NQ)

And Three Lions supporters travelling between Bolton and Manchester for the match have been warned disruption will last for hours.

A spokesperson for Northern said: “It is a signalling system that has gone down, we expect it to last for the rest of the day.

“There is nothing running at the moment, no trains between Bolton and Salford Crescent, just keep an eye on our website for updates.”

Network Rail staff are at the scene working to resolve the fault.

Services between Manchester Airport and Blackpool North, Manchester Airport and Barrow or Windermere, Rochdale and Blackburn or Clitheroe, and Southport and Stalybridge are among those affected.

⚠️Due to a fault with the signalling system between Salford Crescent and Bolton fewer trains are able to run on some lines.

🚆Train services running through these stations will be cancelled, delayed or revised.#NorthernUpdateshttps://t.co/6ACO2NDlDH

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— NORTHERN 🚆 (@northernassist) July 15, 2026

Northern added via social media: “You can travel on Transport for Greater Manchester bus services at no extra cost until further notice on the following: V1, V2, 8, 35, 36, 37, 38, 132, 615, 575, 576, 516, 607, 608, 609, and 615.”

Passengers can also use the next available Northern service where possible, while ticket restrictions, including Advance and Peak restrictions, have been lifted in the affected area during the disruption.

Those travelling are advised to check their full journey before setting off, as other train operators may also be affected.

President Donald Trump‘s nominee for director of national intelligence took blame for insufficient redactions of material released about Jeffrey Epstein‘s victims in a congressional hearing on Wednesday.

Jay Clayton admitted that the buck ultimately stopped with him when a batch of files was released in January, which was chalked up to a ‘technical review error.’

The released information included addresses and even nude photos of potential Epstein victims in the release, and victims’ lawyers said this re‑traumatized survivors and ‘turned their lives upside down.’ 

Clayton serves as the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and part of the Epstein case was investigated within his jurisdiction. 

As the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Clayton was tasked to personally certify that unsealed grand jury material did not disclose victims’ personal information.

The judge added this requirement so that a clearly identifiable DOJ official would ‘take ownership’ of reviewing sensitive discovery.

Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico invoked Harry Truman’s saying, ‘The buck stops here,’ and asked where the buck stops in this case, to which Clayton answered, ‘For the Southern District documents, it was me.’ 

Clayton finally took his seat before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, roughly a month after President Trump torpedoed his own nominee’s confirmation hearing in a pre-dawn Truth Social post that threw Capitol Hill into chaos.

In the hearing, Clayton admitted mistakes in the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein

The irony: Clayton had been sailing toward an easy, bipartisan confirmation, with senators in both parties eager to replace acting spy chief Bill Pulte, who has no intelligence background. Then Trump pulled the plug himself.

In June, the President abruptly canceled the hearing and vowed to keep Pulte in place, refusing to let the nomination advance until a string of separate demands were met, among them the confirmation of Jamie McDonald as US Attorney and passage of the SAVE America Act, his voter-ID bill.

‘We are canceling the Senate Hearing RE: DNI today, and will not be going forward until Jamie McDonald is approved to be U.S. Attorney,’ Trump wrote at the time. ‘In the meantime, Bill Pulte will remain as the Acting Director of National Intelligence.’

The stunt drew a pointed rebuke from the committee’s ranking member, Mark Warner, who used his opening statement to needle the President. 

Warner said he could not recall another nominee senators had agreed, on a bipartisan basis, to ‘move heaven and earth’ to confirm quickly, only for the president to yank the hearing and, in the process, blow up the critical FISA authorization. ‘I know you had nothing to do with that,’ Warner told Clayton. ‘So I guess congratulations about getting finally in front of this committee.’

The urgency is real. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a key spy power, has been expired for over a month since it lapsed in the middle of June, and lawmakers in both parties want a confirmed, credentialed DNI in place.

Democrat Mark Warner of Virginia and Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, at the nomination hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday

Clayton is Donald Trump’s nominee for director of intelligence 

Clayton’s chief vulnerability is that he has never held a formal national security role. Committee chairman Tom Cotton moved to inoculate him, casting Clayton’s day job as US Attorney for the Southern District of New York as perhaps ‘the number one national security-related US Attorney’s office in the country.’ 

That office prosecuted the case against captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Clayton also chaired the SEC from 2017 through the COVID pandemic, a stretch Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota called ‘a period of significant uncertainty for financial markets.’ 

‘National security and economic security are synonymous,’ Clayton told the committee. Rounds added that Clayton already has a working relationship with CIA director John Ratcliffe to build on.

Clayton was Trump’s second choice. 

His first pick, Federal Housing Finance Agency head Bill Pulte, drew swift blowback over his lack of intelligence experience. 

The vacancy opened when Tulsi Gabbard resigned to support her husband, Abraham, through cancer treatment.

Asked Wednesday whether he had been told why his hearing was delayed, Clayton declined to reveal the internal discussions.

Cotton noted Wednesday that he intends for the Intelligence Committee to vote to pass along Clayton’s nomination to the full chamber early next week.