DOJ silent on Epstein files since start of the shutdown

10,000 US forces now supporting counter-narcotics operations in Caribbean

There are now around 10,000 U.S. forces supporting counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean, a Pentagon official told The Hill on Thursday, a substantial military buildup as the Trump administration ramps up its campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The

Watch live: Trump announces move to expand IVF access

President Trump will reportedly announce his first concrete steps on Thursday toward expanding access to in vitro fertilization (IVF), an expensive procedure to induce pregnancy that he promised to make more affordable during his 2024 campaign. Trump signed an executive order

Trump: 'No choice but to go in and kill' Hamas if Gaza bloodshed doesn't stop

President Trump said Thursday that if Hamas does not heed repeated warnings to stop bloodshed in Gaza, the U.S. will have “no choice” but to use lethal force. “If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them.

Pritzker: Stephen Miller 'abusing the fact that Donald Trump has diminished capacity'

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) claimed on Thursday that White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller is enabling President Trump amid his crackdown on immigrants without legal status in the U.S. "I do think he needs help," Pritzker said of Trump to Tim Miller, the host of

McConnell ‘fine’ after fall in front of left-wing protesters

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) fell Thursday while being heckled by left-wing protesters as he was walking through a Senate office building. Video emerged of the longtime GOP leader falling while making his way toward the Capitol to vote. He was helped up by his security detail

Mitch McConnell, 83, Collapses in Senate Office Building (Again)

Republican Senator Mitch McConnell tripped and fell in the Senate building Thursday, adding another worrying incident to his long list of public health issues. McConnell, with the help of an aide, can be seen on video walking through the Senate halls while a woman asks him

Democrats block Defense spending bill as shutdown tensions rise

Senate Democrats voted Thursday to block the annual, full-year Defense appropriations bill, despite the measure passing out of committee with strong bipartisan support earlier this year. The vote is the latest sign of deteriorating bipartisan relations on Capitol Hill as the

Here are the colleges rejecting Trump's funding compact

Multiple colleges are rejecting a compact the Trump administration sent to nine universities at the beginning of October that guaranteed funding advantages if the institutions agreed to certain policy changes. The 10-point memo, titled the “Compact for Academic Excellence in

Greene rebukes Trump administration’s multibillion-dollar bailout for Argentina

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) sharply criticized the Trump administration on Thursday for seeking to provide as much as $40 billion in financing for Argentina to help the Latin American ally stabilize its turbulent financial markets. Greene — a staunch Trump ally who’s

The Trump Economy Is Here, and It’s So Much Worse Than Biden’s

While President Donald Trump continues to gamble with the U.S. economy—threatening tariffs, chickening out on tariffs, attempting to bully the Federal Reserve, interfering with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, laying off massive numbers of government employees, and deporting an

Watch: Senate votes on $852 billion defense spending bill

The Senate voted Thursday afternoon on a massive defense spending bill after Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) threw a curveball into the government funding fight earlier this week. Thune was effectively daring Democrats to oppose the $852 billion bill as the GOP seeks to

Obesity rates improve in some states, study shows: Here's where they remain highest

The latest report found 19 states have adult obesity rates at or above 35% — that's down from 23 last year.

Watch: Jeffries speaks as GOP seeks to put Democrats on defense

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) spoke to reporters Thursday afternoon as the government shutdown reaches its 16th day. Senate Republicans sought to take back momentum from Democrats more than two weeks into the government shutdown. Leaders scheduled a vote for

Russia targets Ukraine energy facilities ahead of Trump meeting with Zelensky

Russia hit Ukraine’s energy facilities with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles Thursday, a day ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s meeting with President Trump at the White House. Zelensky, who is expected to ask for more American-made air defenses and

Trump Official Says World Leader Convicted in New York Is Illegitimate

In justifying U.S. escalations against Venezuela and describing its regime as “illegitimate,” a top Trump diplomat on Thursday—in the height of irony—cited a New York criminal case against the country’s president. Mike Waltz, President Donald Trump’s U.N. ambassador, was asked

Rain, snow or sun? NOAA releases weather predictions for holidays, start of winter

As La Niña takes hold over the U.S., national forecasters have released updated predictions for how the phenomenon will affect our weather over the next three months.

Trump to meet Putin in Hungary in effort to end 'inglorious' war

President Trump said Thursday he intends to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hungary in the coming weeks to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Trump made the announcement following a lengthy phone call with Putin. "At the conclusion of the call, we agreed

Young Republicans at War With Each Other Over Racist Text Chain

The Arizona Young Republicans clearly don’t understand what was wrong with its members’ frolicsome participation in a racist, Nazi-loving text chain exposed in a gangbusters report by Politico. The local chapter released a statement Wednesday night in which the organization

Pritzker, wife made $1.4M on gambling last year, tax records show

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) and his wife, MK, reported $1.4 million in income from gambling according to a Thursday release from his campaign. The two made more than $10.3 million in taxable income and paid $30.2 million in federal taxes and $4.5 million in state taxes,

New Pentagon policy is terrible — MAGA media is right to oppose it

No one is happy about the Pentagon's new press policy. Earlier this week, media outlets spanning the political spectrum almost universally declined to sign on to a memorandum issued by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth that would require defense reporters to promise they will

PA system takeover at Pennsylvania airport is 'wake-up call,' security expert says

An incident where an unauthorized user gained access to Harrisburg International Airport's public address system could have been much worse, a security expert said.

Congress has a chance to unshackle independent contractors

The Modern Worker Empowerment Act has been introduced to provide independent contractors with the freedom to pursue entrepreneurship without fear of being swept into complex and confusing regulations.

Ocasio-Cortez: Suggestion that Schumer is shutting down government to prevent primary challenge 'insane'

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday said the GOP's accusation that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) shut down the federal government to stop himself from being challenged in a primary election was "such an insane suggestion." "In fact, it speaks to

Will military showcase shut down California freeway? Marines, Newsom disagree

A military celebration marking the Marine Corps' 250th birthday had sparked concern that the showcase could close a portion of the California's 5 Freeway between Orange County and San Diego on Saturday.

Booker courts red state voters online, urging them to join ‘No Kings’ protests

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) is pressing red state voters to join local “No Kings” protests Saturday and put pressure on their GOP legislators to end the government shutdown through his outreach with social media influencers and creators in Florida and North Carolina. The

GOP backs Democrats into a corner

12:30 Report is The Hill's midday newsletter. Subscribe here. It’s Thursday. I’m in the mood to bake some Halloween-themed snacks. Do you have any suggestions? In today's issue: • Trump speaks with Putin • GOP throws Dems a curveball in shutdown fight • Vance on GOP texts:

Hillary Clinton encourages followers to join 'No Kings' protests

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday urged her followers to join the nationwide “No Kings” demonstrations protesting the Trump administration. “In two days, be a part of the largest peaceful protest in modern American history,” Clinton wrote in a post on the

CBS’s Head of Standards Quits as Bari Weiss Expands Her Influence

CBS News’s head of standards and practices, Claudia Milne, announced her departure from the network Thursday morning, marking the first exit of a major executive since Bari Weiss became editor in chief. Milne did not specify her reason for leaving, but said in a farewell

Will Speaker Johnson ever call the House back? 800,000 Arizonans are without a voice

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is blocking Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) from being sworn in, denying representation to 800,000 people in Arizona's 7th District and potentially risking the health and financial security of millions of Americans, in a deliberate act of

Grijalva: 'I'm essentially a tourist in DC'

Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said there has been no communication between her and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who is responsible for swearing her in as a member of Congress. "I‘m essentially a tourist to D.C." Grijalva told CNN's Erin Burnett on Wednesday, amid

Senate Republican understands Democrats' 'lack of trust' amid shutdown standoff

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said she understands why Democrats are hesitant to trust Republicans to negotiate in good faith over the ongoing shutdown, pointing to the Trump administration’s past use of “pocket rescissions” to claw back billions in government funding that had

Patel: FBI agents will get paid during shutdown

FBI Director Kash Patel doubled down on statements that FBI agents will receive pay following previous remarks in the Oval Office. “FBI special agents will keep getting paid, because we prioritize the people who protect this country,” Patel wrote Thursday in a statement on

Maine Senate candidate disavows Reddit posts as 'me f‑‑‑ing around the internet'

Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner disavowed since-deleted posts he made on Reddit years ago in which he called police officers “bastards,” described himself as a “communist” and insulted some Reddit users as “retarded,” telling CNN “that was very much me f‑‑‑ing around the

Trump’s lower drug price push comes at a cost — here’s an alternative

What we really need is for other countries to agree to pay a fairer share.

Speaker Johnson: ‘We roundly condemn’ Young Republicans group chat, swastika American flag

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said on Thursday that Republicans “roundly condemn” the group chat among Young Republicans officials that contained racist, antisemitic and homophobic comments, as well as an American flag with a swastika that was pictured behind an aide in a GOP

Will you see the northern lights Thursday? Auroral show could impact 15 states

Explosions of plasma and magnetic material are expected to interact with Earth's magnetic field, which means some may soon see the northern lights.

Watch live: Schumer, Jeffries hold news conference amid government shutdown

Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) will hold a news conference on Thursday afternoon with the government shutdown in its third week. The Senate on Thursday for a tenth time blocked a House GOP bill to fund the

John Fetterman’s Pathetic Reaction to Democratic Plot to Oust Him

Senator John Fetterman may be primaried in 2028, and he’s apparently quite butthurt about it. As Axios reported Thursday, possible contenders are emerging to take on the Pennsylvania Democrat. Elected in 2022, Fetterman flipped a long-held red seat after embracing a progressive

Thune says he would not take advice from RFK Jr. 'if I were a woman'

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said he wouldn't take medical advice from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. if he was a woman, citing recent claims the secretary made that President Trump endorsed. MSNOW's senior Capitol Hill correspondent Ali

House GOP leaders won’t exempt flood insurance from shutdown

Mike Johnson Admits He Has No Plan to End Shutdown Anytime Soon

House Speaker Mike Johnson admitted Thursday that he has absolutely no clue how to end the government shutdown. During another daily press conference, Johnson pretended that Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress and the White House, had absolutely no say in the

How to reduce the immigration court backlog without hiring more judges

During the previous administration, the backlog rose from 1,457,547 cases on the active docket in fiscal 2021 to 3,716,106 in fiscal 2024.

GOP Leader Says Pregnant Women Shouldn’t Listen to RFK Jr.

Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune—who said he believed that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would “help restore some of the trust in our public health agencies” when he voted to confirm him—now thinks that women should not trust RFK Jr. for medical advice.

Jeffries on Thune's ACA vote offer: GOP 'can't be trusted on a wing and a prayer'

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Thursday Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s (R-S.D.) offer of a vote on extending Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies was not firm enough to move Democrats to end the government shutdown. Thune told MSNBC on Wednesday that

Johnson says he'll debate Jeffries after shutdown ends

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday walked back his agreement to debate House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on C-SPAN’s “Ceasefire” program. Johnson originally told the network he’d “love” to debate Jeffries on air but later said the agreement was

GOP rep: Agencies like IRS can be 'weaponized,' should 'just go away'

Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) said Thursday he thinks the IRS should “just go away” since it can be used by both parties to target political opponents. “I'm rooting for the IRS to be closed. I've got a constitutional amendment to repeal the 16th Amendment. I think it's a

It’s not just America: Obesity, a disease of poverty, has swept the world

And it is rising fastest in the places least equipped to deal with it.

Trump to speak with Putin ahead of Zelensky's White House visit

President Trump will speak Thursday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a White House official confirmed to The Hill, one day before Trump is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The phone call will come as Trump is expected to turn his focus to ending

Trump Is Running Out of Time to Save Farmers From His Tariffs

The White House promised to bail out American farmers, but they’re almost out of time. Donald Trump’s tariffs have devastated the American farming industry from both ends, hurting both supply and demand by raising costs on equipment and fertilizer while nixing key international