Politics
- USAssociated Press
Pro-RFK Jr. letter to the Senate includes names of doctors whose licenses were revoked or suspended
A letter submitted to the U.S. Senate that states it was sent by physicians in support of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination as secretary of Health and Human Services includes the names of doctors who have had their licenses revoked, suspended or faced other discipline, The Associated Press has found. The letter was meant to lend credibility to Kennedy’s nomination, which has faced strenuous opposition from medical experts due to his two decades of anti-vaccine activism. Republican Sen. Bill C
5 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
Rubio is off to Central America with the Panama Canal and immigration top of mind
Secretary of State Marco Rubio embarks this weekend on his first foreign trip in office, heading to Central America to press President Donald Trump's top priority — curbing illegal immigration — and bring the message that the U.S. wants to reclaim control over the Panama Canal despite intense resistance from regional leaders. It's an unusual destination for the maiden voyage of America’s top diplomat, whose predecessors have generally favored Europe or Asia for their initial outings. It reflec
5 min read - PoliticsReuters
Trump moves to cancel recent union agreements with federal workers
Donald Trump said on Friday that any collective bargaining agreements reached with federal workers within 30 days of his inauguration will not be approved, the latest salvo in the U.S. president's bid to remake the federal workforce. In a memo addressed to the heads of all executive departments and agencies, Trump said former U.S. President Joe Biden's administration purposefully finalized collective bargaining agreements with federal employees in its final days "in an effort to harm my adminis
1 min read - USAssociated Press
Woman who wanted to kill GOP leaders said she was inspired by CEO's slaying, prosecutors say
A Massachusetts woman who told police that she went to the U.S. Capitol to kill members of President Donald Trump's cabinet said she was influenced by Luigi Mangione, the man charged with fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, prosecutors said in a court filing. Ryan Michael English, who goes by Riley English, was arrested Monday and remained in custody after her initial court appearance on Thursday. English, 24, of South Deerfield, Massachusetts, told police that she felt like she was
2 min read - PoliticsNBC News
Trump sparks outcry with implication that DEI policies are at fault in D.C. midair collision
In his first news conference since the aircraft collision over the Potomac River, President Donald Trump on Thursday implied that diversity, equity and inclusion programs could be the cause, although an investigation has only just begun into the fatal disaster.
7 min read - PoliticsPolitico
DOJ fires dozens of prosecutors who handled Jan. 6 cases
It’s the latest extraordinary purge of officials Donald Trump has deemed adversarial to his interests.
3 min read - USAssociated Press
Pentagon prepares to deploy 1,000 more troops to bolster Trump's immigration crackdown
The Pentagon is readying orders for the deployment of at least 1,000 additional active duty troops to bolster President Donald Trump's expanding crackdown on immigration, U.S. officials said Friday. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because announcements have not been made, said there have been ongoing discussions about the deployments and the numbers could increase if additional details are worked out. The Pentagon has been scrambling to put in motion Trump’s executive orders
3 min read - USAssociated Press
A list of government web pages that have gone dark to comply with Trump orders
A number of U.S. government web pages changed or went dark Friday as agencies scrambled to comply with President Donald Trump's executive orders declaring his administration would recognize only two genders and ordering an end to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. In a letter sent on Wednesday, the Office of Personnel Management directed agency heads to terminate grants and contracts related to “gender ideology,” ask staff to remove pronouns from their government emails, and disband r
3 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
Trump says he and Putin could do something 'significant' toward ending Russia's war in Ukraine
President Donald Trump on Friday said his administration has already had “very serious” discussions with Russia about its war in Ukraine and that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin could soon take “significant” action toward ending the grinding conflict. “We will be speaking, and I think will perhaps do something that’ll be significant,” Trump said in an exchange with reporters in the Oval Office. Trump did not say who from his administration has been in contact with the Russians but insi
2 min read - PoliticsNBC News
Trump to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China on Saturday, White House says
The White House said Friday that President Donald Trump would impose a 25% tariff on goods coming to the U.S. from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on those from China on Saturday, a move that could drive up prices for products coming into the U.S. from those countries.
4 min read - PoliticsNBC News
Pentagon ends paying for travel for abortion and other reproductive care
The Pentagon rescinded a Biden administration policy that reimbursed service members for travel to obtain abortions and other reproductive health procedures.
2 min read - PoliticsBusiness Insider
New tariffs are coming. 2 maps show the top trade partners for every state.
President Donald Trump is planning tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China. Those countries are major trade partners for many states.
2 min read - USAssociated Press
North Carolina's ex-lieutenant governor dismisses lawsuit against CNN, has no plans to run again
North Carolina's former Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson on Friday withdrew his defamation lawsuit against CNN that challenged a report about him making explicit posts on a pornography website’s message board over a decade ago. The one-sentence voluntary dismissal notice filed by the Republican's attorneys in U.S. District Court in eastern North Carolina didn't give a reason for the decision. “It is more honorable to bury an injury than to revenge it,” Robinson said.
4 min read - USAssociated Press
Pentagon strips travel reimbursement for troops seeking abortions, fertility treatment
The Defense Department will no longer reimburse service members for travel out of state to get reproductive health care, including abortions and fertility treatments, according to a new memo. The directive signed this week eliminates a rarely used Biden administration policy enacted in October 2022, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and more states began to impose increased abortion restrictions. Signed on Wednesday by Jeffrey Register, the director of the Pentagon's human resourc
3 min read - PoliticsBusiness Insider
11 times Melania Trump broke White House traditions and defied expectations of the first lady role
During Donald Trump's first term, Melania Trump remained something of an enigmatic first lady and strayed from long-held White House traditions.
9 min read - USPolitico
Pritzker says Illinois won’t hire Jan. 6 rioters
The move comes as the Illinois Democrat tries to position himself as one of Trump’s chief antagonists.
1 min read - PoliticsHuffPost
Mike Rogers Says He's Mulling Another Michigan Senate Run
The Republican narrowly lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin in November.
2 min read - PoliticsWashington Post
Senior U.S. official to exit after rift with Musk allies over payment system
The highest-ranking career official at the Treasury Department is departing after a clash with allies of billionaire Elon Musk over access to sensitive payment systems, according to three people with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private talks. David A. Lebryk, who served in nonpolitical roles at Treasury for several decades, announced his retirement Friday in an email to colleagues obtained by The Washington Post. President Donald Trump named Lebry
4 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
Robert Santos decides to resign as US Census Bureau director midway through a 5-year term
Robert Santos, who emphasized inclusivity and outreach to overlooked communities, has decided to resign as director of the U.S. Census Bureau, midway through his five-year term and in the midst of planning for the 2030 census, which will determine political power and federal funding nationwide for another decade. Santos, who was appointed by former Democratic President Joe Biden, said in a letter Thursday evening that he made the decision “after deep reflection.” Santos was sworn in as the bur
3 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
Colombia's president calls for migrants to leave jobs in the US and return home
Colombia's president is calling on his compatriots working without legal status in the United States to leave their jobs and return home as soon as possible. “Wealth is only produced by the working people,” Gustavo Petro said in an early morning post on the X platform. Petro made his comments following a bitter feud over immigration last weekend with U.S. President Donald Trump that nearly triggered a trade war and rupture in diplomatic relations between the U.S. and its historic ally in South
1 min read - BusinessAssociated Press
Trump tariffs on Mexico and Canada could land this weekend. Here are some goods in the crosshairs
President Donald Trump said this week that tariffs on U.S. neighbors Canada and Mexico will arrive Saturday. Following are just a few imported goods that could be hit first. For decades, auto companies have built supply chains that cross the borders of the United States, Mexico and Canada.
5 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Supporters of Istanbul mayor clash with police as he testifies over legal probes against him
Police in Turkey fired tear gas to disperse a group of protesters who clashed with officers Friday outside an Istanbul courthouse while rallying in support of the city’s mayor, who was called to give testimony in two new legal probes against him. Thousands of supporters gathered outside the Caglayan courthouse to protest the legal actions against Ekrem Imamoglu, a potential future leader of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, and a possible challenger to President Recep
2 min read - BusinessBusiness Insider
A 'Trump tariff fee': Small businesses worry about raising prices in a new era for US trade
President Donald Trump said he would roll out his first round of tariffs on February 1. Some small business owners are preparing.
6 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
The DNC's outgoing chair says Democrats should have stuck with Joe Biden in 2024
As the Democratic National Committee prepares to elect a new chair, its departing leader says Democrats should have stuck with Joe Biden in the 2024 race. In an interview with The Associated Press, Jaime Harrison reflected on why his party lost to Donald Trump and what might have happened had then-Vice President Kamala Harris had more time to campaign after Biden ended his reelection bid following a disastrous debate performance. The next DNC chair, Harrison said, needs to insist that the part
6 min read - USNBC News
Jan. 6 rioter pardoned by Trump is sentenced to 10 years in deadly DWI crash
A Missouri woman convicted in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and recently pardoned by President Donald Trump was sentenced to 10 years this week for killing a mother of two in a drunken-driving crash.
2 min read - USAssociated Press
Arizona's Democratic governor outlines groundwater proposal that has Republican support
Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs renewed a push Thursday to regulate groundwater in rural parts of the drought-stricken state, and she's more optimistic this time that her efforts will find support in the Republican-controlled Legislature. Hobbs stood alongside local officials, rural Republican leaders and Democratic lawmakers to unveil her proposal to create new management areas to regulate groundwater pumping — long used by farmers and rural residents without restriction. “We made more pr
2 min read - PoliticsNBC News
Kash Patel distances himself from Trump's Jan. 6 pardons at FBI director confirmation hearing
WASHINGTON — Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s nominee for a 10-year term as director of the FBI, distanced himself Thursday from Trump’s sweeping pardon of Jan. 6 rioters, telling the Senate Judiciary Committee he didn’t think violent rioters who assaulted law enforcement deserved a break.
4 min read - USHuffPost
Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Transfer Of Trans Woman To Men's Prison
U.S. District Court Judge George O'Toole's ruling prevents part of President Donald Trump's "two sexes" executive order from going into immediate effect.
4 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Nicaragua makes Daniel Ortega and his wife Murillo ‘copresidents,' fueling democratic rebuke
Nicaragua's Congress approved a constitutional reform on Thursday that would make President Daniel Ortega and his wife, current Vice President Rosario Murillo, “copresidents” of the Central American nation. The proposal also expanded the presidential term to six years from five in a move that further consolidated the family's firm grip on power. The initiative was already pushed forward in November and because Ortega and Murillo’s Sandinista party control the congress and all government instit
2 min read - PoliticsHuffPost
Billionaire Oil Ally Doug Burgum Confirmed As Trump’s Interior Chief
The former North Dakota governor will play a key role in carrying out President Donald Trump’s pro-fossil-fuel, anti-renewable-energy vision.
3 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
Republican Mike Rogers to again run for Senate in Michigan, AP sources say
Former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers is gearing up to announce another Republican bid for U.S. Senate in Michigan, just months after he narrowly lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin, according to multiple people with direct knowledge of his plans. Two sources familiar with Rogers’ plans confirmed his intention to enter the 2026 race for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat. The sources requested anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss Rogers' plans.
2 min read - USAssociated Press
Some hospitals pause gender-affirming care to evaluate Trump's executive order
Hospitals in Colorado, Virginia and the nation's capital said Thursday they have paused gender-affirming care for young people as they evaluate President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at cutting federal support for such care. Denver Health in Colorado has stopped providing gender-affirming surgeries for people under age 19, a spokesperson confirmed Thursday, in order to comply with the executive order and continue receiving federal funding. It is unclear whether the hospital will contin
3 min read - USAssociated Press
Conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice steps aside in pivotal union rights case
A conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice said Thursday he will not participate in a pending case that will determine whether tens of thousands of public sector workers regain collective bargaining rights that were taken away by a 2011 law. Justice Brian Hagedorn drafted the law, known as Act 10, when he was chief legal counsel for then-Gov. Scott Walker. The Republican-controlled Legislature earlier this week asked that liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz not hear the case because before
2 min read - USReuters
Massachusetts lobster fishing limits to protect whales restored by appeals court
A federal appeals court on Thursday restored a U.S. agency rule restricting lobster and Jonah crab fishing off the Massachusetts coast to protect endangered whales, rejecting a claim that the agency did not deserve deference under a recent landmark Supreme Court case. In a 3-0 decision, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston said the National Marine Fisheries Service acted lawfully in banning from Feb. 1 to April 30 annually the use of vertical buoy lines in a 200-nautical-mile area of
2 min read - USNBC News
Lawmakers express worries about 'complex airspace' after deadly D.C. collision
Members of Congress expressed concerns about air congestion in an area where a commercial passenger jet collided with a military helicopter over the Potomac River.
7 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
Sen. Bill Cassidy grapples with GOP loyalty and medical views in hearing with RFK Jr.
Sen. Bill Cassidy has emerged as a central figure in the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose nomination to health and human services secretary poses an equally consequential moment for the second-term Republican facing an uncertain political future in Louisiana. A physician-turned-politician, Cassidy has questions about Kennedy's past claims linking common vaccines to autism, a position the gastroenterologist rejects and sought repeatedly to convince the nominee to renounce during a co
7 min read - USReuters
US judge blocks Trump administration from transferring transgender inmate
BOSTON (Reuters) -A U.S. judge has temporarily blocked federal prison officials from transferring a transgender woman to a men's facility and denying her access to gender-affirming care in accordance with an executive order issued by President Donald Trump, her lawyers said on Thursday. The temporary restraining order was issued by U.S. District Judge George O'Toole in Boston on Sunday while the inmate's case was sealed in what appeared to be the first lawsuit challenging an order Trump signed
2 min read - USAssociated Press
Tennessee GOP passes school voucher expansion bill with backing from Trump
Tennessee lawmakers on Thursday approved legislation drastically expanding the number of families who can use taxpayer money on private schools regardless of income, a long-sought victory for Republican Gov. Bill Lee with some help from President Donald Trump to win over GOP holdouts. Tennessee would join a dozen other states that have eliminated traditional strict income requirements for families seeking to access public dollars to fund alternatives to public education for their children.
5 min read - BusinessAssociated Press
Civil rights activists call for a Target boycott after retailer backs away from diversity programs
Civil rights activists gathered outside the headquarters of Target Corp. on Thursday to call for a national boycott of the retailing giant over its decision to phase out its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Target announced last Friday that it would join competitor Walmart and a number of other prominent American brands in scaling back their DEI initiatives, which have come under attack from conservatives and the new White House of President Donald Trump. Nekima Levy Armstrong, a v
4 min read - USNBC News
Trump's DEI policy threatens already thin share of women and minorities in STEM, workers say
While President Donald Trump’s executive orders have labeled DEI as “discriminatory,” several women who occupy STEM-related positions in the federal government slammed his directives.
5 min read - USThe Guardian
Leaderless FAA begins investigation of Washington plane crash
Former chief resigned 10 days ago, after Elon Musk, a close adviser to Donald Trump, called for him to quit
3 min read - PoliticsHuffPost
Tulsi Gabbard Grilled By Skeptical GOP Senators In Senate Confirmation Hearing
Donald Trump's nominee to be director of national intelligence refused to call Edward Snowden a "traitor" under questioning by senators on Thursday.
3 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
Trump was challenged after blaming DEI for the DC plane crash. Here's what he said
President Donald Trump began his White House briefing Thursday with a moment of silence and a prayer for victims of Wednesday's crash at Reagan National Airport. Trump on Thursday variously pointed the finger at the helicopter’s pilot, air traffic control, his predecessor, Joe Biden, and other Democrats including former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, whom he labeled a “disaster.”
6 min read - PoliticsHuffPost
Sen. Maggie Hassan Gets Emotional In Rebuke Of RFK Jr. ‘Sowing Doubts’ About Vaccines
The New Hampshire Democrat described raising a son with severe cerebral palsy and ripped Kennedy for "relitigating" settled science on autism.
3 min read - USAssociated Press
Big Oil wants a lot from Trump. It has an ally in Doug Burgum, the president's Interior pick
When North Dakota's petroleum association was going to hold a banquet honoring top fracking executives last year, it turned to Gov. Doug Burgum. The two-term Republican, now President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Interior Department, co-hosted the event — at the governor's mansion. In an email to Burgum's office seeking the legal heft the state could provide, an industry lobbyist argued that “combating” such regulations required “a one-two punch" from industry and government.
8 min read - PoliticsHuffPost
Senators Take RFK Jr. To Task Over His Vaccine Safety Dodge
“The data is there,” GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy bluntly told the nominee for secretary of health and human services.
4 min read - PoliticsThe Guardian
Trump reportedly considering halting New York’s hard-won congestion pricing
Three-week-old program to curb vehicle emissions received approval from Biden administration, which Trump may pull
2 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
Panama's president says there will be no negotiation about ownership of canal
Panama President José Raúl Mulino said Thursday there will be no negotiation with the United States over ownership of the Panama Canal, and he hopes U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s upcoming visit will allow them to focus on shared interests including migration and combating drug trafficking. Being the destination for the first overseas visit by the top U.S. diplomat would have been big for Panama in any case, but Rubio comes as the emissary of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeated
2 min read - BusinessAssociated Press
Pennsylvania governor rolls out plan to fast-track and subsidize power plants, hydrogen projects
Gov. Josh Shapiro said Thursday that he wants to fast-track the construction of big power plants in Pennsylvania and offer hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks for projects that provide electricity to the grid and use hydrogen. Shapiro's announcement comes a few days before he delivers his third budget proposal to lawmakers amid an energy crunch that threatens to raise electricity bills across Pennsylvania, the nation's second-biggest natural gas-producing state. Shapiro, a Democrat,
4 min read - USHuffPost
Andy Ogles Asks If DEI Played A Role In Tragic DC Plane Crash
The Republican congressman suggested without evidence that hiring preferences for nonwhite candidates contribute to a fatal aviation accident.
2 min read
