By the time President Trump's Middle East trip began its second leg on Wednesday, he had secured nearly $2 trillion in deals for U.S. companies, including more than $1.2 trillion in economic investment by Qatar.

A bipartisan group of senators reintroduced legislation Wednesday designed to protect kids online, hoping a growing coalition of supporters will spur the House to act on the measure this Congress.

President Trump appealed to the leaders of Qatar to "help" with getting Iran to agree to denuclearize, as the fifth round of discussions are said to be held Friday.

{beacon} Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security   The Big Story  Ukraine’s allies prepare to call Putin’s bluff on peace talks in Turkey Ukraine’s supporters in Europe and Washington expect a summit Thursday in Turkey, proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, to fall apart and convince...

Former President Biden iced out key members of his Cabinet during the second half of his term in the White House, according to a preview of a new book from CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’s Alex Thompson. In Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Lead,” Tapper revealed new details of his book, including from conversations with...

{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment   The Big Story Trump EPA narrows, delays PFAS drinking water regulation The Environmental Protection Agency is narrowing and delaying its drinking water regulations for toxic "forever chemicals." © Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Associated Press file Exposure to these chemicals, also known as PFAS, has been linked to health...

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified during back-to-back hearings in the House and Senate on Wednesday for the first time since his confirmation. Kennedy faced questions on vaccines, canceled medical research and his drastic overhaul of the federal health agency during the hearings about President Trump's budget request, which...

Temperatures are rising over an altercation between three Democratic lawmakers and immigration agents at a detention center in New Jersey, as Democrats say the administration is using the incident to improperly target political opposition. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem this week accused Garden State Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez and LaMonica McIver of “committing felonies” during...

{beacon} Technology Technology The Big Story  Dems hope Musk will be midterm election liability  Elon Musk has become as much of a political liability as an asset for Republicans as his full-time role at the White House winds down and midterm chatter ramps up.   © Jeffrey Phelps, Associated Press While Musk brings with him loads of...

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) took aim Wednesday at one of the most vulnerable House Republicans as he and several of his blue-state colleagues threaten to tank President Trump's signature policy bill. In a Wednesday post on social platform X, Greene blasted Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) for pushing House Republican leadership for a higher state...