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Social Security benefits boosted for millions in bill headed to Biden’s desk
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate approved a broadly bipartisan bill early Saturday that would increase Social Security benefits for millions of Americans with pensions by ending two of the program’s policies in place for decades — the windfall elimination provision and government pension offset. The legislation, which would cost more than $195 billion over 10 […]
U.S. House at the last minute passes bill to avert government shutdown; Senate next
WASHINGTON — Congress finally approved a stopgap spending bill early Saturday that will keep the government open for a few more months, after a raucous 48 hours that served as a preview of what President-elect Donald Trump’s second term in office might look like. The short-term spending package, the third version of a bill to be […]
States to lose out on billions if GOP spurns disaster aid in spending bill, Dems say
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Democrats released details early Thursday on how much federal disaster aid each state would lose if Republicans drop it from a stopgap spending bill that’s been rejected by their own members as well as President-elect Donald Trump. The state-by-state breakdown of roughly $100 billion came just hours after Trump and many of […]
Trump at press conference backs polio vaccine but won’t commit to others, attacks media
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump pledged Monday to keep the polio vaccine available throughout his presidency, but didn’t extend that protection to other vaccines, saying he expects his administration will look closely at safety — something the U.S. Food and Drug Administration already does before granting approval. Trump’s comments came during an hour-long press conference […]
Will Trump and Republicans quash the FBI headquarters move to Maryland, pivot to Virginia instead?
WASHINGTON — The decade-long endeavor to move the Federal Bureau of Investigation out of its crumbling headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C., and into a new facility outside the city could face roadblocks next year. President-elect Donald Trump and some of his top allies in Congress have rebuked the federal agency that undertook the search for […]
New Trump budget chief wrote Project 2025’s agenda for empowering the presidency
WASHINGTON — Incoming White House budget director Russ Vought has spent much of his career learning the detailed, often convoluted mechanisms that make up the Office of Management and Budget. The agency, little known outside Washington, D.C., is relatively small compared to the rest of the federal government, but it acts like a nucleus for […]
Anti-lockdown researcher Trump’s pick to lead National Institutes of Health
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday he has selected a Stanford University professor of health policy and skeptic of COVID-19 precautions to run the National Institutes of Health, the sweeping federal agency tasked with solving many of the country’s biggest health challenges. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya will require Senate confirmation before taking over the role […]
Matt Gaetz bows out as Trump’s pick for attorney general
WASHINGTON — Former Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz announced Thursday he’s withdrawing as President-elect Donald Trump’s planned nominee for attorney general days after securing the appointment. Gaetz’s path to Senate confirmation was highly unlikely following years of investigations about alleged drug usage and payments for sex, including with an underage girl. He submitted his resignation to […]
Trump picks Dr. Oz to run mammoth Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
WASHINGTON — Former TV personality and onetime U.S. Senate candidate Mehmet Oz could become the next administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an expansive government agency that is responsible for large swaths of the country’s health care. President-elect Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Oz on Tuesday, writing in a statement […]
Trump to pick Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz as attorney general amid ethics probe
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he intends to nominate U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz as the next attorney general of the United States, an unexpected pick as the Florida Republican remains the subject of a congressional ethics investigation for alleged sexual misconduct, illicit drug use and accepting improper gifts. House Speaker Mike Johnson […]
As presidential campaign rockets toward end, 7 big things that happened this weekend
WASHINGTON — On the final frantic Sunday of the presidential race, while Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at a Black church service in Michigan, former President Donald Trump told supporters at a Pennsylvania rally that he “shouldn’t have left” the White House after he lost the 2020 presidential election. At a campaign rally at an […]
Law enforcement officials prepare for possible post-election violence in D.C.
WASHINGTON — The threat of political violence will likely hang over the nation’s capital in the weeks following Election Day, security experts say, despite intensive preparations by law enforcement officials determined to avoid another Jan. 6 insurrection. The 2,000-plus officers who make up the U.S. Capitol Police, as well as other federal law enforcement agencies […]