In today's issue: ▪ Cassidy makes his stand ▪ Trump touts accomplishments in China ▪ Supreme Court pauses abortion pill order ▪ CIA director visits Cuba If Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) survives the weekend, it will be no thanks to his fellow Louisiana Republican leaders. Cassidy
FEMA is not all right. As the United States faces another summer of extreme weather exacerbated by climate change, the Federal Emergency Management Agency—which coordinates federal disaster response, relief, and preparedness—continues to shuffle through leadership a roster of
The signs now are that the hantavirus is not the next pandemic. But with 2026 predicted to be the hottest year on record, the hantavirus outbreak is a warning of what public health experts have long said: A hotter planet is a deadlier planet. Rising global temperatures and the
Scrutiny of lawmakers absent from Washington due to mysterious health issues is ramping up as two House members — Reps. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.) and Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) — have missed weeks of votes. The absences come as leaders in both parties are encouraging full
“ Are Colleges Undermining Education with Easy A’s ?” “ DEBUNKING: The Rich Don’t Pay Their Fair Share ” “ The Politics of Conversion Therapy ” Those are real video titles from Make It Make Sense , the Washington Post opinion section’s new flagship podcast, which the paper
Jerome Powell’s stint leading the Federal Reserve is finished, but his battle with President Trump is far from over. Powell’s second four-year term as chair of the Fed board ended Friday, two days after his successor, Kevin Warsh, was confirmed by the Senate as the bank’s next
On the 250th anniversary of the United States, some details of the celebrations might seem familiar from the celebrations in 1976 of America’s 200th. People sip from cans decorated with the Liberty Bell and a big round number. Commemorative vehicles drive or fly around with
Senate Republicans are furious that a bipartisan bill they passed to address housing affordability has languished in the House for weeks and undergone revisions that may doom its chances of becoming law before the November election. On Wednesday evening, the House unveiled new
Voters in recent election cycles have flirted with candidates who seemingly appeared out of nowhere. In 2008, Barack Obama was the fashionable outside pick, challenging the Clinton machine. In a 2016 cycle colored by a rush of populism, Republicans' interest was piqued by
In another world with a better government in power, Americans might well have looked forward to an authentic celebration of the remarkable achievements of the American Revolution. In this world, under the Trump administration and the Republican rubber-stamp chorus in Congress,
NBC News reports that some vulnerable Republicans are privately worried about use of the slogan “MAGA majority” to describe the GOP effort to hold the House. Why? Because the term “MAGA” puts Trump “front and center,” as NBC puts it. That’s quite an admission of Trump’s
A key factor, however, could be a forthcoming Senate parliamentarian ruling.
America just signed an agreement that will give it a perch on the world’s most important natural waterway, the Strait of Malacca.
Seven candidates running for California’s top office engaged in a fifth and final debate on Thursday evening that largely centered around the issue of affordability. The candidates were asked to provide their closing pitch to voters to address a growing number of cost of
President Trump late Thursday invoked his predecessor in attempting to explain comments by Chinese President Xi Jinping as the two leaders meet during a high-stakes visit, blaming former President Biden and his administration for the U.S.'s "decline." "When President Xi very
Republicans are expected to revamp the package to meet the strict rules of the filibuster-skirting process.
Trump wants to suspend the federal gas tax, but state-level gas tax breaks could have a bigger impact at the pump, says one expert.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a trip to Cuba Thursday to meet with officials amid negotiations that have followed President Trump’s public musings that he may invade the island nation. A CIA official also stressed Thursday that the window for negotiations may have a
The governor of South Carolina announced a special legislative session on Thursday to push through a new congressional map that would effectively eliminate the state’s singular Democratic House seat. The move is the latest in a widespread redistricting effort from both parties
Former FBI Director James Comey said Thursday that he “never” considered asking former President Biden for a preemptive pardon before President Trump returned to office last year and wouldn’t have accepted one if given. “I don’t know,” Comey responded after CNN’s Kasie Hunt
{beacon} Technology Technology The Big Story Senate panel advances crypto bill with bipartisan support A cryptocurrency regulation bill advanced out of the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday, clearing a key hurdle with the support of a pair of Democrats following a
The House Ethics Committee announced Thursday it is investigating claims of sexual harassment made against Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.). The committee said in a statement it is “reviewing allegations” that Edwards “may have created or fostered a hostile work environment and
Even if majority-minority districts need to be redrawn, Rep. Greg Meeks said, “We’ve got to get more Democrats.”
President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping brought dueling priorities to their high-stakes summit in Beijing, with Xi pressing Trump on Taiwan while Trump focused on trade, business and farmers. Trump showed up with nearly 20 top executives from companies like Tesla and
Presented by Lilly {beacon} Health Care Health Care PRESENTED BY The Big Story SCOTUS preserves abortion pill access — for now The Supreme Court on Thursday ensured the abortion pill mifepristone will continue to be available through the mail without an in-person
Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story Additional money for Iran conflict faces challenges, GOP senators warn Republican senators are saying that any request from President Trump for tens
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) on Wednesday accused the Democratic base of becoming "increasingly anti-American" amid calls against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, Iran and Cuba. Reason magazine's Nick Gillespie, asked Fetterman on the "Reason Interview" podcast about
Former FBI Director James Comey said Thursday that “something’s off” with President Trump, arguing the president’s behavior has become more erratic and self-obsessed since his first term. “I mean, I've always thought Donald Trump was a little bit off, but whoa, compared to even
President Donald Trump on multiple occasions has assured the public that high gasoline prices will “rapidly” or “quickly” decline “as soon as” the war with Iran ends. Energy experts told us that prices will start to fall when the conflict is resolved, but it could take many
Abortion pills can remain available through the mail for the immediate future after the Supreme Court on Thursday paused a lower court ruling that would have blocked access while a lawsuit proceeds. The justices halted a May 1 order from the conservative U.S. Court of Appeals
Republicans managed to defeat the effort to rein in Trump despite three GOP lawmakers breaking ranks.
Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) on Wednesday filed a defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), for accusing him of physically abusing her. Miller and Emily Moreno filed for divorce in August 2024 and have been engaged in a
FBI Director Kash Patel reportedly took a “VIP” snorkeling trip around the USS Arizona during a visit to Pearl Harbor last summer, according to The Associated Press. The outlet reported Thursday that Patel made a previously undisclosed trip to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam
U.S. Central Command (Centcom) head Adm. Brad Cooper confirmed Thursday that the office focused on civilian-harm reduction for the military arm was cut from 10 employees to one, a revelation that follows a deadly bombing of an Iranian school at the start of America’s war
The committee made the announcement after weeks of speculation.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is using the issue of Taiwan to exert power over President Trump as the two leaders seek to tackle a number of hot button issues during this week's high stakes summit in Beijing. During their bilateral meeting on Thursday, Xi told Trump the "entire
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) said Wednesday that research has shrunk by 10 percent in the year following cuts by the Trump administration. “Counting federal and nonfederal sources together, our campus-sponsored research activity is now 10 percent smaller than
Kash Patel can’t stop living the good life. The FBI director reportedly went on a VIP snorkeling trip while on a visit to Hawaii last summer that the bureau stressed was not a vacation. Patel was officially in the state to tour the FBI’s Honolulu branch and meet with local law
The Department of Justice (DOJ) accused the Yale School of Medicine of race-based discrimination in its admissions, alleging Thursday that the school favors Black and Hispanic students over white or Asian students with the same test scores. The finding came after a yearlong
House Republicans narrowly voted down a resolution Thursday to end the war with Iran, marking the third time a war powers resolution has failed in the lower chamber since the conflict began. The vote was 212-212, with three Republicans crossing the aisle to support the
House lawmakers approved language to withhold funding until the VA secretary appears.
The Trump administration is targeting another federal judge who has ruled against the government, even telling its lawyers to withhold information. The New York Times, citing an internal email, reports that a lawyer for ICE told Kevin M. Bolan, a Justice Department lawyer
Federal health officials said they are monitoring 41 people in the U.S. for hantavirus but are not going to impose any movement restrictions on them. David Fitter, incident manager for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) hantavirus response, told reporters
Prominent progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and conservative Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), a close President Trump ally, have teamed up to introduce a bill to impose a lifetime lobbying ban on members of Congress. The legislation would prohibit former members of the
The Trump administration’s immigration operation is experiencing another major shakeup. U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks suddenly resigned from his position Thursday following accusations of sexual impropriety. Banks oversaw Donald Trump’s second-term immigration crackdown.
Vice President Vance on Thursday stumped for Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) as she seeks reelection, though he told voters that he is sometimes "frustrated" with her. The vice president was in the Pine Tree State to deliver remarks on the Trump administration's "efforts to combat
The House-amended version of a housing supply and homeownership bill bucks the directive of the Senate to pass the upper chamber's bill.
Fox News host Jesse Watters took down a social media clip of his reporting about a CIA “raid” at Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard’s office, following pushback from the director’s office. Watters reported during a Wednesday taping of “Jesse Watters
Reps. Don Davis (D-N.C.) and Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) on Thursday said the House is prepared to pass legislation supporting wider access to genetically targeted technologies (GTT) that can treat conditions like heart disease, with the current challenge being to get it on the