The Senate has confirmed President Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which has faced significant scrutiny for its handling of disasters and funding under the Trump administration. The Senate approved the nomination of Cameron Hamilton to lead the agency as part of a larger slate of 74 nominations confirmed together as a...
President Trump on Friday afternoon will host a roundtable at the State Department centered on the mining industry. “The mining industry has never had a greater champion than President Trump," White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement. “His unprecedented support has driven record investment, streamlined permitting, and delivered real results for American workers,...
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), is urging senators to not support an amendment that would allow a federal ban on most hemp-derived products to take effect in November. In a Friday letter, Oz noted he had “grave concerns” about the amendment from Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.),...
The Senate on Friday passed a long-sought bipartisan bill that would impose harsher sanctions on Russia and the top five buyers of Russian oil, along with extending existing sanctions on Iran. That measure was a major legislative goal of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who died suddenly earlier this month. The vote was 86-11....
President Donald Trump faces declining public approval and criticism from both parties as a long-running war with Iran reaches a stalemate despite his initial claims of quick victory.
The Senate is gearing up for a busy day of votes on Friday as lawmakers try to clear its legislative to-do list before leaving Washington for the August recess. The chamber is expected to take up a series of nominations, including acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s bid to formally lead the Justice Department. Blanche’s nomination...
Michigan health officials eased the state's guidance on lettuce consumption on Thursday amid declining numbers of cyclosporiasis cases. State residents are now advised to follow “routine guidance” when consuming produce, following earlier “broad, precautionary recommendations” against the purchase and consumption of bagged salad mixes during the height of the outbreak. The state has reported 12,485...
Scientists have used artificial intelligence to design complete, functioning viruses with genomes never seen before in nature — a breakthrough that could open new avenues for fighting drug-resistant bacterial infections. A Stanford University-led research team used generative AI models trained on millions of genomes to design viruses, known as bacteriophages, that can kill bacteria like...
A federal appeals court panel blocked President Trump’s White House ballroom in a 2-1 vote on Friday, saying that work must stop except for below-ground construction, including installations Trump says are needed for security. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit panel ruled that Congress retains control over funding for development at the White House and...
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) announced Friday morning he will support Todd Blanche’s nomination to serve as attorney general, all but ensuring the controversial nominee will have the votes he needs to be confirmed. “All considered, I will vote for Mr. Blanche,” Cassidy announced, and then added with a tone of resignation: “I will be...
The U.S. economy lost 23,000 jobs in July, and the unemployment rate dipped slightly to 4.1 percent, according to new data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Economists had expected American employers to add 83,000 jobs and the jobless rate to hold steady at 4.2 percent last month, according to consensus estimates. This comes on the heels of relatively weak jobs numbers in June, in which the U.S. workforce initially saw...
The Senate is scrambling to leave for its August recess but has several hurdles to jump before it gets there after a week of infighting. The biggest items on the list include acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's nomination for the permanent job. On Friday morning, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) announced she was a "no" vote,...
