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The majority-Republican House of Representatives declared Friday that climate change is a national security threat while passing a defense spending bill, according to reports. It's a stunning turn for a party that hasfor along timedistanced itself from climate science in favor of business interests.

The $696 billion bill, which sets up the militarys 2018 fiscal year budget, passed by a vote of 344-81. Italso includes provisions that call for better oversight of the militarys cyberoperations and knocks back President Donald Trumps attempt to close military bases, the Associated Press reported.

The surprising section callsglobal warming a direct threat to the national security and instructs the Pentagon to create a report on how climate change could affect the military. It asks for a list of 10 bases that could be susceptible to phenomena such as increased flooding and rising oceans.

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Republicans did at one time appearready to tackle the contentious issue of climate change, when SenatorJohn McCain of Arizona secured the partys presidential nomination in 2008, according to The New York Times. McCains support for doing so included an ad that quoted him calling out former President George W. Bush on the issue and saying he had sounded the alarm on global warming.

Since then, however,the party has scaled back such supporteven if many Republicansprivately say they believe climate change is real.

Most Republicans still do not regard climate change as a hoax, White Ayres, a Republican strategist,told the Times last month. But the entire climate change debate has now been caught up in the broader polarization of American politics.

In some ways, Ayres continues, its become yet another of the long list of litmus-test issues that determine whether or not youre a good Republican.

Its become especially difficult for Republicans to budge on the issue due to President Donald Trumps stance and recent decisions. The president put Scott Pruitt, who haslong advocated against climate scientists and environmentalists, in charge of the Environmental Protection Agency, andon June 1, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris climate accord, a multilateral effort meant to curb carbon emissions around the world.

But the defense bill could also, in part, be considered a win for the president, who has said he wants a strong military. The House approved a defense budget that is $30 billion more than Trump had originally asked for, but in order for it to pass, Congress will have to find a way around 2011s Budget Control Act, which calledfor $487 billion in defense spending cuts over 10 years.

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Climate Change a 'National Security Threat,' Republican-Led House Declares in Defense Bill Vote - Newsweek

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MSNBC's Joy Reid said on Thursday that President Donald Trump can make Republicans "literally accept anything."

Appearing as a guest on "All In With Chris Hayes," Reid explained that Trump saw trends in the GOP and took advantage of it.

"This is a Republican Party that's been built on resentment and a sense of victimhood, a sense of persecution - almost a persecution complex - for more than 40 years, almost 50 years, going back to the dawn of the Civil Rights movement when they felt persecuted by the world," Reid said.

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She said that Trump "gets that" and "gets them," and that's why he can make Republicans "literally accept anything."

"And not only will the voters, so will the elected officials," Reid continued. "He's cowed senators, members of Congress. He has cowed the officialdom of the Republican Party. He's cowed the Speaker of the House."

She said that's been made clear by the Republican non-response to reports about Donald Trump Jr.'s meeting with a Russian lawyer.

"They all are now for collusion," she concluded.

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MSNBC Host Joy Reid: Republican Party Is Built on 'Victimhood,' 'Resentment' - Fox News

Democrats are enraged today by an amendment to the defense authorization bill that would prohibit the Department of Defense from using government money to provide medical treatment related to gender transition.

The amendment, which was offered by Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo., would bar money available to the Department of Defense from being used to provide medical treatment, other than mental health treatment, related to gender transition to DOD personnel.

Hartzler said her amendment is intended to prevent the military from paying for transgender surgeries, explaining that her motive is to ensure that our military is the most effective, efficient and well-funded fighting force in the world.

With the challenges we are facing across the globe, we are asking the American people to invest their hard-earned money in national defense. Each dollar needs to be spent to address threats facing us, she wrote in a statement. My amendment ends the 2016 Obama administration practice of the military paying for very expensive gender change surgeries that even most private insurance plans dont cover.

The amendment could see a vote by the full House of Representatives later today, alarming House Democrats.

Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., spoke out against the amendment, calling it truly ugly.

Rep. Joe Kennedy III, D-Mass., who serves as the chairman of the Congressional Transgender Equality Task Force, noted the greater implications of the amendment. Bigotry is the last thing this country should offer any brave man or woman who volunteers to defend us, he said in a statement.

He continued, By inserting Congress into the personal medical decisions of certain service members, this amendment tells thousands of Americans willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice that they are not entitled to the same rights as the soldier they stand next to. Transgender Americans, in uniform or not, deserve better than this hateful amendment from those elected to represent them.

Hartzler said her amendment would not prevent anyone from joining the military or receiving standard medical care but would simply [make] sure our defense resources are allocated in a way that is smart and good for our national defense.

This current policy of providing and paying for transgender surgeries hurts readiness and is projected to cost over a billion dollars over the next 10 years, she added.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., declined to say whether he supports the amendment but said its important that Congress work closely with the Department of Defense on the issue.

As you probably know, Secretary [of Defense James] Mattis is under review on this right now, and so I want to make sure that what we do is in close coordination with them, Ryan said.

Mattis last month approved a recommendation by the military services to delay allowing transgender applicants into the military until Jan. 1, 2018. That decision had no effect on existing policy, which allows service members to transition using the departments health care coverage.

A statement at the time of his decision asserted that the six-month delay would allow for the military services to evaluate how the change would affect military readiness.

Well see what happens with the Hartzler amendment, Ryan continued. Its an open process. She can bring an amendment to the floor if she wants to.

House Democrats are not the only ones to express concern over the bill: The American Civil Liberties Union is writing lawmakers, urging a vote against the amendment.

The Hartzler amendment is specifically designed to discriminate against transgender members of the armed forces and their families, said Ian Thompson, a legislative representative for the ACLU.

By barring them from receiving medically necessary health care, this amendment would put the health of members of our military and their families at risk by undermining the ability of military doctors to provide care for their patients.

ABC News Elizabeth McLaughlin contributed to this report.

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Republican proposes amendment to bar Department of Defense from funding transgender surgery - ABC News

The visit appears to be smoothing over an initially strange and tense relationship with President Emmanuel Macron, and possibly vaulting France ahead of Britain and Germany as a point of U.S. contact.

But Mr. Trumps domestic troubles accompanied him. In comments made to reporters on Air Force One en route to Paris, he said of Donald Trump Jr.: Hes a good boy. Hes a good kid. And he had a meeting, nothing happened with the meeting. In Paris, a video of Mr. Trump telling Brigitte Macron, the French presidents wife, that she was in such good shape and beautiful was widely spread online.

Comedians continue to riff on the Paris meeting. Heres our Best of Late Night roundup.

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3. Liu Xiaobo, Chinas most prominent political prisoner and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, died, still silenced and under guard at a government hospital.

Mr. Liu, who kept vigil on Tiananmen Square in 1989 to protect protesters from soldiers and initiated a prominent petition for democracy, had been jailed since being convicted in 2009 of inciting subversion. His fate reflects how human rights issues have receded in Western diplomacy with China.

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4. We had no documents, no nothing; we had left everything behind.

A family of refugees among the last to enter the country before President Trumps moratorium went into effect today told our reporter how they fled Congo in 2009 after a militia attacked them, and lived for years in a refugee camp in Malawi until finally making it to Arkansas.

For the next 120 days, only refugees who have a bona fide relationship with a close relative or entity in the United States will be eligible to enter.

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5. The Justice Department charged 412 people nationwide, including dozens of doctors, in schemes that collectively defrauded the government of about $1.3 billion. Nearly one-third were accused of opioid-related crimes.

Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death among Americans under 50. Above, medics respond to an overdose. Our magazine looked at one small-town police officers war on drugs.

And we reviewed three new books that explore the opioid epidemic and how to help those afflicted by addiction.

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6. Sheldon Silver will have to be retried.

In a surprise move, an appellate court overturned the iconic Albany power brokers 2015 conviction for extensive corruption, which drew a 12-year sentence that he has not yet begun to serve.

The appellate court said that the judge had given erroneous instructions to the jury, citing a Supreme Court ruling last year involving the former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell that made it harder to convict public officials.

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7. The competition to lead Uber is robust, despite a year of scandals. Above, Ubers headquarters in San Francisco.

Heres a look at the hiring process, and some of the intriguing candidates. Yes, theyre inheriting Ubers entire toxic culture, an executive headhunter said. But theyre also getting thousands of employees who are hungry to change it.

Other workplaces are shifting into a new kind of disruptive model. Flash organizations, modeled on the film worlds temporary assemblies of freelancers, are finding their way into fields like software and pharmaceuticals.

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8. We enlisted our international photographer Adam Ferguson to help us expand our coverage of his native Australia.

He spent three months exploring its vast interior, and came back with portraits of remote, fascinating landscapes and the slow erosion of traditional ways of life for ranchers, miners even crocodile farmers. An Aboriginal community leader showed him how to suck the sweetness from honey ants.

The outback has become a kind of myth, he said in a Q. and A. after returning to his base in New York. And the point of the trip, for me, was to inquire what that myth has now become.

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9. Venus Williams is heading to her ninth Wimbledon final.

She upset Britains top female player, sixth-seeded Johanna Konta, in the semifinal. Williams, the 10th seed, will play No. 14 Garbie Muguruza of Spain on Saturday, her first finals appearance since 2009.

For the mens singles semifinals on Friday, Sam Querrey plays Marin Cilic, and Roger Federer faces Tomas Berdych.

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10. And the nominees are

Saturday Night Live and Westworld, above, led the pack with 22 nominations each for the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards. HBO received a total of 110 nominations, with a close second by Netflix with 91 nominations.

Our critics weighed in on whether Alec Baldwins portrayal of President Trump is worth a supporting actor nod and considered the snubs in a year of really good TV. The awards ceremony comes Sept. 17.

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11. Explore the arks of the apocalypse. Our magazine looks at how scientists around the world are building repositories of everything from seeds to ice to mammal milk in a race to preserve a natural order that is fast disappearing under the weight of human impact.

Take our quiz to find out the one climate solution thats more effective than others.

Photographs may appear out of order for some readers. Viewing this version of the briefing should help.

Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern.

And dont miss Your Morning Briefing, posted weekdays at 6 a.m. Eastern, and Your Weekend Briefing, posted at 6 a.m. Sundays.

Want to look back? Heres last nights briefing.

What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at briefing@nytimes.com.

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Republican Party, Liu Xiaobo, Donald Trump: Your Thursday Evening Briefing - New York Times

Should Donald Trump, Jr., have taken that meeting? Senator Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, asked Christopher Wray, President Trumps pick to be the director of the F.B.I., at his confirmation hearing on Wednesday. Graham had just read out the e-mail exchange between Trump, Jr., and Rob Goldstone, whom Graham, in as concise a description as anyone has come up with, referred to as someone connected to the Miss Universe pageant and has ties to Russian entertainment. Goldstone said that Russian officials were reaching out with incriminating information about Hillary Clinton, as part of an effort to influence the 2016 election; Trump, Jr., professed to love the idea, and put in motion plans for a meeting. In asking whether that was wise, Graham was embarking on a ritual that has become a hallmark of the half year since the Inauguration: a Trump nominee is asked to state something that seems blindingly obviousthat he respects the rule of law, say, or knows that torture is illegal, or doesnt like it when Vladimir Putin tries to shape an American election. And yet, because of the terrible behavior of this President and the people around him, the questions come across as fraught, often initially causing even the most adept respondentsWray is an experienced corporate litigator and a former Justice Department officialto fumble them.

Well, Senator, I dontI, I, Im hearing for the first time your description of it, so Im not really in a position to speak to it, Wray said. (Later, he told Senator Chris Coons, of Delaware, that he hadnt even had a chance to read any of the newspaper coverage.)

Graham interrupted him: Let me ask you this: If I got a call from somebody saying the Russian government wants to help Lindsey Graham get relected, theyve got dirt on Lindsey Grahams opponent, should I take that meeting?

Senator, I think you would want to consult with some good legal advisers before you did that, Wray replied.

The exchange could have ended there, but Graham asked for a little more: Should I call the F.B.I.?

I think it would be wise to let the F.B.I. . . . Wray began.

Youre going to be the director of the F.B.I., pal! Graham said, in a way that suggested that we were no longer living in a time in which just being told what was wise would be understood as a clear instruction. So what I want to hear you tell every politician, If you get a call from a foreign government suggesting that a foreign government wants to help you by disparaging your opponent, tell us all to call the F.B.I.

Wray took the shortest of breaths and then, shifting his voice to the sort one might hear in an elementary-school-civics video, delivered, To the members of this committee: any threat or effort to interfere with our elections from any nation-state or any non-state actor is the kind of thing the F.B.I. would want to know.

All right, so Ill take that we should call you, and thats a great answer, Graham said. With that, Wray seemed to regain his footing. And yet it was an answer that did no more, basically, than describe a function of the F.B.I. Whether one takes that as rising to greatness may say more about the nonfunctioning state of certain politics than anything else. The job that Wray is up for is open because Trump fired the former director, James Comey , because, by Trumps own account, Comey paid too much attention to warnings about Russian interference. That investigation is now in the hands of a special counsel, Robert Mueller .

Graham went on to ask whether Trump, Jr.,s claim, in a statement, before the e-mails came out, that the meeting was meant to be about adoptions was misleading. Wray said that he just didnt have the context to answer; Graham asked him to get back to him. And, at another point, he put Wray through the Trump Twitter-response test. After Trump, Jr., appeared on Sean Hannitys Fox News show on Tuesday, and portrayed the Russia meeting as a normal part of campaigning, his father tweeted, My son Donald did a good job last night. He was open, transparent and innocent. This is the greatest Witch Hunt in political history. Sad! Witch hunt is a phrase that Trump has used before in tweeting about questions regarding Russia and his campaign. Odds are that Wray, and the rest of us, will hear it applied to other areas related to the F.B.I.s dealings.

Do you believe that, in light of the Don, Jr., e-mail and other allegations, that this whole thing about Trump campaign and Russia is a witch hunt? Graham asked him. Is that a fair description of what were all dealing with in America?

Wray began to demur, citing his imperfect knowledge, when Graham pressed him: Im asking you , as the future F.B.I. director, do you consider this endeavor a witch hunt?

I do not consider Director Muller to be on a witch hunt, Wray said. It was a careful answer, not quite contradicting the President by leaving open the possibility that othersthe Democrats, the Fake News Networkwere indeed chasing wraiths in Trump Tower.

That is further, nonetheless, than most Republicans have gone in confronting Trumps absurdities. Graham is one of the handful of G.O.P. senators who never endorsed their partys candidate. But Graham never suggested an alternative, either, making it clear that he did not believe that Clinton was an option. Other parts of Grahams questioning made it clear how extremely limited, and limiting, the opposition of even the most Trump-averse Republican elected officials continues to be. Graham and other Republicans used part of their time to disparage Comey. This matters because, as Jeffrey Toobin pointed out this week , in a look back at Watergate, historically it is the Presidents own party that has to abandon him before it makes sense to speak about anything close to impeachment. And before Graham got to what he called the e-mail problems weve had with Donald, Jr., Donald Trump, Jr., the last few days, he questioned Wray closely about a Politico piece on possible efforts by Ukrainian officials to get negative information about Donald Trump to the Clinton campaign. Will you look into this? the senator asked the nominee.

Id be happy to dig into it, Wray said. And with that assuranceof yet another Clinton investigationLindsey Graham, for one, was satisfied.

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Lindsey Graham, Christopher Wray, and the Limits of Republican Resistance to Trump - The New Yorker