Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security The Big Story Rubio doubts negotiations with Cuba possible Secretary of State Marco Rubio doubted that a negotiated deal with Cuba is possible, but noted that President Trump would prefer
{beacon} Technology Technology The Big Story Trump abruptly punts AI executive order President Trump postponed the signing ceremony for his long-awaited executive order on a voluntary testing process for artificial intelligence models, with Trump saying he “didn’t like
Presented by Anthropic {beacon} Business & Economy Business & Economy PRESENTED BY The Big Story 5 big obstacles Kevin Warsh faces as Fed chair Warsh is set to be sworn in by President Trump on Friday as the next chair of the Fed board, taking over the central bank at a
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Wednesday urged Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to push back against what he called “misguided decisions” to ease regulations on flavored vaping products. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the sale of
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday that 15 people were charged in connection to an alleged $90 million healthcare scheme in Minnesota following a joint investigation with the FBI. “The defendants defrauded Minnesota public healthcare resources for tens of
{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story Trump loosens climate limits on refrigerants President Trump announced Thursday that his administration is loosening rules that would have restricted the use of super-polluting greenhouse gases in commercial
President Trump said on Thursday that the U.S. is sending 5,000 additional troops to Poland, a week after the Pentagon cancelled the long-planned deployment of 4,000 service members to the Central European country. Lawmakers have expressed deep frustration and concern over the
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on Wednesday said he will not vote for a war powers resolution to withdraw U.S. armed forces deployed against Iran. Tillis ruled out joining four Republican senators who said they will back a motion to discharge a vote on a war powers resolution.
Democrats' post-mortem report on the party's 2024 losses was riddled with annotations and apparent errors when the Democratic National Committee (DNC) bowed to pressure and released it to the public on Thursday. DNC Chair Ken Martin had made an initial commitment to release
Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) said Wednesday that Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-Ky.) primary loss shows that there is “no room for ideological diversity” in the GOP under President Trump. “There’s no room for ideological diversity or independence in the Republican Party right now,” Crow
Republican Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) on Wednesday voiced his opposition to Democratic candidate Graham Platner’s bid for Maine Sen. Susan Collins’s (R) seat. “How in the world does this guy want to put together a working-class coalition?” Scott told Fox News. “It’s impossible,
Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez on Thursday slammed the narrative that Havana is a threat to the national security of the United States, categorically rejecting statements made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “The U.S. Secretary of State lies once again to
The charges against the remaining “Broadview Six” protesters were dropped Thursday, in a win for anyone who has protested ICE activity under the Trump administration. The six protesters were hit with felony conspiracy charges carrying a maximum sentence of six years in prison
GasBuddy's head of petroleum analysis Patrick De Haan on Wednesday said there could be a jump in gas prices next week if the U.S. and Iran do not reach a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. De Haan wrote on the social platform X that as stations sell through their fuel, oil
The United Nations voted this week to affirm that countries have a responsibility to protect people from climate change, while the U.S. was one of a handful of member states to vote against the resolution. The measure, brought by Vanuatu, calls on countries to take steps to
The White House on Thursday pushed back on reports that it resisted allowing an American physician who was exposed to the Ebola virus back into the U.S., calling them “absolutely false.” “President Trump has consistently taken great risks to ensure Americans exposed to deadly
When Republicans allowed the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies from the Inflation Reduction Act to expire last year, most people predicted that many Americans would drop their insurance coverage because they couldn’t afford premiums without those subsidies, and that the
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Thursday added a Trump-pushed rail safety bill to a major transportation package, in a move that divided Republicans and inflamed ideological tensions on the right. The Railway Safety Act amendment, brought by Rep. Troy
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts on Thursday approved a modified design of President Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch to be built at the entrance to Washington, D.C., marking an integral step in the project’s process. Trump first heard about the design’s approval at a
On Monday morning, a judge overseeing the New York state case on the killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO ruled that some evidence collected by police could not be shown to a jury. It wasn't the only news coming out of the hearing. Outside the courthouse, Molly Crane-Newman, a
Democratic activist David Hogg is demanding that the head of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) step down following the delayed release of a flawed autopsy report about the 2024 election. The former DNC vice chair called the delayed release of these findings “a
On Thursday, Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt said the death threats he received while his reality TV fame was at its peak were what pushed him to join the Republican Party. Pratt, who entered the nonpartisan race against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in January, was
President Trump said Thursday he is unsure that he will go to his son Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding, noting the Iran war and "other things" he has on his plate. “He’d like me to go, but it’s going to be just a small, little private affair, and I’m going to try and make it,” the...
Even members of Congress are taking the opportunity to cash in on Donald Trump’s slush fund. The DOJ created a $1.8 billion honey pot earlier this week, offering “anti-weaponization” payouts to virtually any right-winger who felt targeted by the previous presidential
Do you know what your kids are using their screen time for?
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Thursday released its contentious postmortem of the party’s 2024 losses, a report it had intended to keep under wraps to avoid distraction and infighting during the midterms. DNC Chair Ken Martin had faced backlash for reversing on an
Ahead of a meeting with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the White House sent a document to GOP senators on Thursday explaining why President Donald Trump’s $1.8 billion slush fund is actually a great idea. The document says the fund is about “seeking accountability” for
Republican senators oppose President Trump’s “Anti-Weaponization Fund” so much that they’re going home early. Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced to his colleagues Thursday afternoon that the Senate will recess until June without a vote on their planned reconciliation
Russia has promised to provide “active support” to Cuba as the U.S. seeks to tighten its economic grip on the island’s communist government. “We reaffirm our full solidarity with Cuba,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said during a briefing on Thursday,
The draft autopsy report released by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Thursday sent shock waves through the party as it reflects on former Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2024 election loss, which it blames in part on decisions made throughout the Biden administration.
An investigational obesity drug from Eli Lilly cleared important end points in a late-stage trial, the company said Thursday, by helping patients lose up to 30 percent of their body weight. Lilly said that a once-weekly injection of retatrutide met the primary endpoint in a
The Department of Justice (DOJ) established a nearly $2 billion “anti-weaponization" fund on Monday through the settlement of a $10 billion lawsuit from President Trump against the IRS. The $1.776 billion fund is set to give payouts and issue “formal apologies” to those who
After back-to-back losses in trials grappling with its impact on teens' mental health, Meta just settled what was supposed to be its next legal battle with Kentucky's Breathitt County School District. Google's YouTube, Snap, and TikTok all recently settled similar claims
Nearly 9 in 10 Americans are worried that prices for everyday items will increase over the next three months, according to a new JD Power survey. The data analytics firm’s monthly consumer sentiment report, conducted in April, found that 46 percent of 4,000 respondents said
President Trump is nominating Jules “Jay” Hurst III to become the full-time Pentagon comptroller, according to a Wednesday notification to Congress. Hurst has been the acting Pentagon comptroller since August, supervising the Pentagon’s mammoth $1.5 trillion defense budget
Meta has settled a federal lawsuit over social media addiction just weeks before the bellwether trial was slated to start in June, joining three other technology firms that settled earlier this month. Meta and attorneys for the Breathitt County, Ky., Board of Education,
Donald Trump just illustrated exactly how close he is with his children. The president told reporters at the White House Thursday that he will likely miss his son Don Jr.’s wedding this weekend, citing national security concerns related to the war with Iran. But his explanation
The average resale price of the cheapest group-stage ticket has fallen 23% over the past month.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is running into strong opposition from Republicans on Capitol Hill over President Trump’s $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” Punchbowl News reported that close to 25 Republican senators spoke in opposition to the fund in a reportedly
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday doubled down on his defense of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) new "anti-weaponization" fund. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have criticized the controversial $1.776 billion fund, which was created to help those who
A slate of Democrats are airing their frustrations over the Democratic National Committee's (DNC) handling of an autopsy report of the party’s defeat in the 2024 presidential election. DNC Chair Ken Martin initially chose to keep the autopsy private, but he decided to release
Americans are left wondering how long they’re expected to absorb the economic fallout from a conflict happening thousands of miles away — a conflict that was supposed to last less than six weeks.
Senate Republicans have canceled plans to begin voting this week on a budget reconciliation package that would provide approximately $70 billion to fund immigration enforcement operations through 2029 amid a furious disagreement within their conference over the Trump
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will testify before a House Appropriations Committee subpanel on President Trump's fiscal 2027 budget request — as airline travelers experience rising costs amid a jet fuel shortage sparked by the Iran war. The White House is seeking $26.6
Fox News commentator Brit Hume warned on Wednesday that President Trump’s decision to back a Republican challenger in Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-Texas) reelection race could weaken the GOP’s grasp on this Senate seat. Hume called the reasoning behind Trump’s endorsement of Texas
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche spent more than an hour sparring with Republican senators behind closed doors.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed an executive order Thursday aimed at addressing potential job losses from AI, as workers face an uncertain future with a technology that industry leaders themselves warn could have significant impacts on the labor market. The order
It's an ambitious timeline for Republicans, who still haven't passed their current reconciliation measure.
