10 things you need to know today: July 13, 2023

FBI director spars with House GOP, inflation falls to two-year low, and more

FBI Director Christopher Wray raises his hand to be sworn into a House Judiciary Committee hearing
Republican critics accuse the FBI of being 'weaponized' against conservatives
(Image credit: Shuran Huang for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

1. FBI's Wray spars with House GOP in tense 6-hour hearing

FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee for nearly six hours on Wednesday, frequently fending off attacks and rebutting conspiracy theories from Republican critics who accused the FBI of being "weaponized" against conservatives. Wray, a registered Republican appointed by former President Donald Trump in 2017, said "the idea that I'm biased against conservatives seems somewhat insane to me, given my own personal background." Democrats, who largely defended the FBI during the hearing and accused their GOP colleagues of trying to protect Trump, did find common ground with Republicans in questioning the FBI's use of a warrantless surveillance program. Wray tried to keep the hearing focused on the crime-fighting the "real FBI" engages in every day, and he largely declined to discuss ongoing high-profile cases.

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