POLITICS
California approves $50M to protect immigrants and defend state against Trump administration
Read full article: California approves $50M to protect immigrants and defend state against Trump administrationCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed laws to help safeguard the state's progressive policies from challenges by Republican President Donald Trump's administration.
19 states sue to stop DOGE from accessing Americans' personal data
Read full article: 19 states sue to stop DOGE from accessing Americans' personal dataNineteen Democratic attorneys general have sued President Donald Trump to stop Elon Muskās Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Treasury Department records that contain sensitive personal data such as Social Security and bank account numbers for millions of Americans.
Trump says he's ending Biden's classified intelligence briefings in payback move
Read full article: Trump says he's ending Biden's classified intelligence briefings in payback movePresident Donald Trump says heās revoking former President Joe Bidenās access to government secrets and ending the daily intelligence briefings heās receiving in payback for Biden doing the same to him in 2021.
North Carolina judge's ruling retains close court election result, but more legal steps are expected
Read full article: North Carolina judge's ruling retains close court election result, but more legal steps are expectedA North Carolina trial judge has upheld decisions by election officials to reject protests by the trailing candidate in a very close state Supreme Court election.
States absorb big increases in Medicaid for sicker-than-expected enrollees after COVID-19 pandemic
Read full article: States absorb big increases in Medicaid for sicker-than-expected enrollees after COVID-19 pandemicStates are absorbing substantial increases in health care costs for the poor, as they realize that the people remaining on Medicaid rolls after the COVID-19 pandemic are sicker than anticipated and costlier to care for.
Trump orders freeze of aid to South Africa, citing country's land expropriation law
Read full article: Trump orders freeze of aid to South Africa, citing country's land expropriation lawPresident Donald Trump has signed an executive order formalizing his announcement earlier this week that heāll freeze assistance to South Africa for a law aiming to address some of the wrongs of South Africaās racist apartheid era.
Veterans Affairs deems more than 130 occupations ineligible for Trump's deferred resignation plan
Read full article: Veterans Affairs deems more than 130 occupations ineligible for Trump's deferred resignation planMost nurses, doctors and other staff caring for military veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs are not eligible for the Trump administrationās deferred resignation offer.
28 agencies were authorized to fly helicopters near Reagan Airport before deadly crash
Read full article: 28 agencies were authorized to fly helicopters near Reagan Airport before deadly crashThe Army was one of 28 government agencies authorized to fly helicopters near Ronald Reagan National Airport before its Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines passenger jet last week, killing 67.
State Department lays out plans for $7 billion-plus arms sale to Israel as Netanyahu visits DC
Read full article: State Department lays out plans for $7 billion-plus arms sale to Israel as Netanyahu visits DCThe State Department has told Congress that it plans to sell more than $7 billion in weapons to Israel, including thousands of bombs and missiles, just two days after President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.
Claims about USAID funding are spreading online. Many are not based on facts
Read full article: Claims about USAID funding are spreading online. Many are not based on factsFalse and misleading social media posts are circulating online as the Trump administration moves to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Trump says US Steel will get investment from Nippon Steel, instead of being bought by it
Read full article: Trump says US Steel will get investment from Nippon Steel, instead of being bought by itPresident Donald Trump is suggesting that Nippon Steel will no longer buy U.S. Steel as planned, but the Japanese company will instead invest in the symbolically important American business.
More active duty troops will head to US-Mexico border, bringing the total to 3,600
Read full article: More active duty troops will head to US-Mexico border, bringing the total to 3,600The Pentagon will deploy roughly 1,500 more active duty soldiers to the southern border to support President Donald Trumpās expanding crackdown on immigration.
Musk says he will bring back DOGE staffer who resigned after a report of racist postings
Read full article: Musk says he will bring back DOGE staffer who resigned after a report of racist postingsElon Musk said on Friday he is re-hiring a staff member at the Department of Government Efficiency who resigned a day earlier after he was linked to social media posts that espoused racism.
Trump administration withdraws support for transgender minors in Tennessee case at the Supreme Court
Read full article: Trump administration withdraws support for transgender minors in Tennessee case at the Supreme CourtThe Trump administration has told the Supreme Court that the federal government no longer backs transgender minors and their families in Tennessee who are challenging a state ban on gender-affirming care.
Trump administration orders federal agencies to provide lists of underperforming employees
Read full article: Trump administration orders federal agencies to provide lists of underperforming employeesPresident Donald Trump's administration has ordered all federal departments and agencies to provide lists of employees who are underperforming.
UT-Dallas students launch alternative newspaper after clash with administration
Read full article: UT-Dallas students launch alternative newspaper after clash with administrationStudents at the university created their own news organization ā The Retrograde ā after they reached an impasse with administrators regarding oversight and the firing of the campus newspaperās editor-in-chief.
Trump official's directive tying transportation grants to birth rates could hinder blue states
Read full article: Trump official's directive tying transportation grants to birth rates could hinder blue statesPresident Donald Trump's transportation secretary is instructing his department to prioritize projects for states with higher marriage or birth rates.
Democrats ask for an investigation into DOGE's access to Treasury's payment systems
Read full article: Democrats ask for an investigation into DOGE's access to Treasury's payment systemsDemocratic lawmakers are seeking a Treasury Department investigation of the access that Elon Muskās team was given to the governmentās payment system.
Justice Department says it won't release the names of FBI agents who worked on Jan. 6 riot cases
Read full article: Justice Department says it won't release the names of FBI agents who worked on Jan. 6 riot casesThe Justice Department has agreed to refrain from publicly identifying any FBI agents whose conduct is under review as President Donald Trumpās administration examines the investigations into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters.
More GOP-led states seek to follow Trump's lead in defining male and female
Read full article: More GOP-led states seek to follow Trump's lead in defining male and femaleAlabama and a small but growing number of other GOP-led states are pushing to enact more laws this year to legally define the two sexes based on observations of genitals at birth.
GOP state attorneys general campaign group brings back leader who resigned in aftermath of Jan. 6
Read full article: GOP state attorneys general campaign group brings back leader who resigned in aftermath of Jan. 6A group that dedicated to electing Republicans to state attorney general positions has brought back a former executive director who resigned in the aftermath of Jan. 6.
Musk teamās access to student loan systems raises alarm over borrowers' personal information
Read full article: Musk teamās access to student loan systems raises alarm over borrowers' personal informationDemocrats are opposing Elon Muskās Department of Government Efficiency as it turns its attention to the Education Department, with lawmakers raising questions about DOGEās access to internal systems containing personal information on tens of millions of Americans.
How the slash-and-burn tactics Musk brought to Washington backfired at Twitter
Read full article: How the slash-and-burn tactics Musk brought to Washington backfired at TwitterWhen Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, he laid off thousands of employees, stopped paying rent and auctioned off coffee makers and office chairs in hopes of a big turnaround.
Kash Patel had a roster of foreign clients. Their interests could clash with FBI he hopes to lead
Read full article: Kash Patel had a roster of foreign clients. Their interests could clash with FBI he hopes to leadPresident Donald Trump's pick to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, got rich consulting for a roster of foreign clients whose interests may clash with the law enforcement agency he hopes to lead.
Wisconsin Supreme Court says swing stateās embattled elections chief can remain in post
Read full article: Wisconsin Supreme Court says swing stateās embattled elections chief can remain in postA unanimous Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled that the swing stateās nonpartisan top elections official can remain in her post despite not being reappointed and confirmed by the state Senate.
Judge says he will temporarily block Trump from placing thousands of USAID workers on paid leave
Read full article: Judge says he will temporarily block Trump from placing thousands of USAID workers on paid leaveA federal judge says he will temporarily block the Trump administration from placing 2,200 employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development on paid leave.
The Latest: The Pentagon will deploy roughly 1,500 more troops to the southern border
Read full article: The Latest: The Pentagon will deploy roughly 1,500 more troops to the southern borderThe Pentagon will deploy roughly 1,500 more active duty soldiers to the southern border to support President Trumpās expanding crackdown on immigration, a U.S. official said Friday.
Indonesia orders the halting of tourism projects linked to Trump over environmental issues
Read full article: Indonesia orders the halting of tourism projects linked to Trump over environmental issuesOfficials say Indonesian authorities have ordered the halting of development of a tourism project affiliated with U.S. President Donald Trump over water management and environment issues.
Foster child death linked to state-contracted home prompts criminal investigation
Read full article: Foster child death linked to state-contracted home prompts criminal investigationThe Greenville-based treatment center has closed after the death of an 11-year-old boy the day before Thanksgiving.
Nearly 900 Texas children are waitlisted for a mental health program billed as an alternative to foster care
Read full article: Nearly 900 Texas children are waitlisted for a mental health program billed as an alternative to foster careDespite a long waitlist, the number of children served in the YES Waiver program has declined because of provider shortages.
Judge in Boston to consider latest bid to block Trump's birthright citizenship order
Read full article: Judge in Boston to consider latest bid to block Trump's birthright citizenship orderA federal judge in Boston says he will take under advisement a request from 18 states to block President Donald Trumpās executive order ending birthright citizenship for the children of parents who are in the U.S. illegally.
Senate GOP unveils $340B budget plan with Trump's deportation and defense funds, as House stalls
Read full article: Senate GOP unveils $340B budget plan with Trump's deportation and defense funds, as House stallsHouse Republicans have missed another deadline to produce a massive budget package of tax cuts and slashed spending.
Are Americans paying attention to Musk and Trump's DOGE? Here's what people in Iowa had to say
Read full article: Are Americans paying attention to Musk and Trump's DOGE? Here's what people in Iowa had to sayIowa Sen. Joni Ernst has hailed Elon Musk and the Trump administrationās Department of Government Efficiency.
Trump promotes misleading claims about federal governmentās media subscriptions
Read full article: Trump promotes misleading claims about federal governmentās media subscriptionsFederal government payments for subscriptions to media outlets have become the latest target of President Donald Trump's spending hawks.
Trump administration plans to slash all but a fraction of USAID jobs, officials say
Read full article: Trump administration plans to slash all but a fraction of USAID jobs, officials sayThe Trump administration has presented a plan to dramatically cut staffing worldwide for U.S. aid projects as part of its dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
US border czar blames leaks for hindering immigration raids in Colorado suburb spotlighted by Trump
Read full article: US border czar blames leaks for hindering immigration raids in Colorado suburb spotlighted by TrumpDonald Trump's border czar is blaming news leaks for hindering a large-scale immigration operation in Colorado.
Newly unsealed documents reveal more details of prosecutors' evidence in 9/11 attacks
Read full article: Newly unsealed documents reveal more details of prosecutors' evidence in 9/11 attacksNewly unsealed documents give one of the most detailed views yet of the evidence gathered on the accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, including how prosecutors allege he and others interacted with the hijackers who carried out the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
Trump signs order imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel
Read full article: Trump signs order imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court over investigations of IsraelPresident Donald Trump has signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel.
Georgia lawmakers advance a bill to prevent transgender women from competing in women's sports
Read full article: Georgia lawmakers advance a bill to prevent transgender women from competing in women's sportsGeorgia's state Senate approved a bill that would prevent transgender women from competing in women's sports.
Chris Swanson, prominent sheriff and Democrat, announces run for Michigan governor
Read full article: Chris Swanson, prominent sheriff and Democrat, announces run for Michigan governorGenesee County Chris Swanson has told The Associated Press he's launching a Democratic bid to be Michigan's next governor.
DOGE was tasked with stopping Treasury payments to USAID, AP sources say
Read full article: DOGE was tasked with stopping Treasury payments to USAID, AP sources sayOfficials working with Elon Muskās Department of Government Efficiency sought access to the Treasury Department payment system to stop money from flowing to the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Trump's Justice Department ends Biden-era task force aimed at seizing assets of Russian oligarchs
Read full article: Trump's Justice Department ends Biden-era task force aimed at seizing assets of Russian oligarchsThe Trump administration's Justice Department has disbanded a Biden-era program aimed at seizing the assets of Russian oligarchs as a means to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
13 states to sue over DOGE access to government payment systems containing personal data
Read full article: 13 states to sue over DOGE access to government payment systems containing personal dataDemocratic attorneys general in several states are vowing to file a lawsuit to stop Elon Muskās Department of Government Efficiency from accessing federal payment systems containing Americansā sensitive personal information.
As Trump pushes the limits of presidential power, the courts push back
Read full article: As Trump pushes the limits of presidential power, the courts push backPresident Donald Trump has faced several setbacks from federal courts, which have blocked or paused some of his most controversial plans since taking office.
How Rubioās trip abroad was overshadowed by foreign policy at home, from USAID to Trump's Gaza plan
Read full article: How Rubioās trip abroad was overshadowed by foreign policy at home, from USAID to Trump's Gaza planU.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio may have hoped to spend his first trip abroad focused exclusively on issues close to his heart: immigration, counternarcotics and curbing Chinese influence in the Western Hemisphere.