Morning Report is The Hill’s a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here. In today’s issue: A showdown over the leadership of the Federal Reserve is ramping up ahead of a confirmation hearing for President Trump’s nominee for chair set for next week. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Wednesday urged the administration to “wrap up” its investigation of...
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new podcast stands to gratify his "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) base after recent letdowns, though whether it will be able to energize this voting bloc ahead of the midterms remains dubious. This latest project from Kennedy comes as his place within the Trump administration has...
Two violent attacks against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and a city council member are prompting new fears over whether the debate around the technology has turned dangerous. Tensions reached a new high this week as technology leaders in Washington, D.C., and Silicon Valley quickly blamed the anti-AI rhetoric for the recent violence, while AI opposition...
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is beginning to break through in Democratic circles. At last week’s National Action Network (NAN) conference — a key gathering of Black leaders and activists — Beshear stood out among a crowded field of potential contenders, catching the attention of the Rev. Al Sharpton. Sharpton, who is the founder of...
President Trump is distracting from his own agenda this week, winning headlines for a series of AI posts invoking Jesus Christ even as his administration seeks to drive home preferred messages on the Iran war and the economy. The White House marked Tax Day by putting Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Small Business Administrator Kelly...
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said on Wednesday that he was willing to take President Trump’s explanation for a controversial post depicting the president as a Jesus-like figure at “face value,” arguing that he was more concerned with Trump’s comments toward Pope Leo XIV. “I worry less about the post,” Tillis said during an exclusive interview...
Senior Trump administration officials escalated criticism of the Vatican on Tuesday, with Vice President Vance warning Pope Leo XIV to “be careful” when speaking about theology and White House Border Czar Tom Homan telling him to “leave politics alone.” Vance, a Catholic, issued the warning while addressing the pope’s opposition to the conflict with Iran...
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Wednesday that he would support public congressional hearings with victims of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, less than a week after the chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee committed to holding them. “Of course,” Blanche responded when asked at the Semafor World Economy summit...
White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought on Wednesday sparred with Democrats on the House Budget Committee over spending cuts proposed or enacted by the Trump administration. The annual hearing followed the Trump administration's unveiling of its proposed budget for fiscal 2027, which included a 40 percent increase to defense spending...
Time is running out on a fragile ceasefire between the U.S., Israel and Iran, increasing pressure on mediators to get both Washington and Tehran back to the table for a second round of talks to end the nearly two-month war. Ahead of the scheduled ceasefire expiration on April 22, Pakistani officials are carrying out a...
Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) said during a hearing on Wednesday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s recent ouster of Gen. Randy George, the U.S. Army’s former chief of staff, will have a “chilling effect” on the way the armed services operate. Scott, who praised George as “well respected, well liked by many of us,” asked Gen. Christopher...
Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story GOP stops 4th attempt to curtail Trump’s Iran war powers Senate Republicans for the fourth time have blocked a resolution to limit President Trump’s war authority in Iran for as the conflict inches closer to a...
MS NOW co-host Joe Scarborough on Wednesday said U.S. allies are reacting with a “very positive” attitude to the American blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The Trump administration effectively closed the strait this week, blocking Iran from choosing which ships are allowed to pass through the critical choke point. “There was a growing unease...
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz revealed on Monday that President Trump has an unusual defense for his diet soda habit, joking that the president often says the beverage “kills cancer cells.” “Your dad argues that diet soda is good for him because it kills grass. It's poured on grass,...
