President Trump and his Cabinet officials leaned heavily into religious themes as they wished Americans a Merry Christmas, underscoring how the second Trump administration has embraced and promoted Christianity without hesitation.  The theme carried into late Christmas Day, as Trump announced the U.S. had carried out airstrikes on "ISIS terrorist scum" in Nigeria, describing it as payback for...

Click in for more news from The Hill {beacon} Health Care Health Care   The Big Story Trump marijuana order throws lifeline to hemp industry President Trump threw the hemp industry a lifeline with his order to speed up marijuana rescheduling and launch Medicare coverage of CBD, giving more strength to a significant lobbying fight...

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said Friday it is launching an investigation into Seattle Children’s Hospital over its gender-affirming care for transgender minors, the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s attempts to end the practice nationwide.  In a post on the social platform X, the HHS said the hospital had been referred to the Office of Inspector General for “failure to meet...

President Trump downplayed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s optimism about the Ukraine leader's 20-point peace plan in an interview published Friday.  “He doesn’t have anything until I approve it. So we’ll see what he’s got,” Trump told Politico. His remarks come days before his planned Sunday in-person meeting with Zelensky. The Ukrainian leader is pushing to...

Americans’ top New Year's resolution is to exercise more, according to a survey released this week.  YouGov found that 25 percent of respondents listed exercising as a goal for 2026, the pollster said. The next most common choices for the new year included being happy (23 percent), eating healthier (22 percent) and saving more money...

A federal judge has temporarily paused West Virginia’s ban on artificial dyes in foods before it can take effect, granting a request from an additive industry group. U.S. District Judge Irene Berger of the Southern District of West Virginia earlier this week granted a motion for a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit filed by the International Association of Color Manufacturers (IACM). The order means enforcement...

President Trump on Friday previewed another potential change to the Kennedy Center under his watch, posting photos of marble armrests he said could be installed at the performing arts center. "Unlike anything ever done or seen before!" he wrote in a Truth Social post. Trump has overseen an overhaul of the Kennedy Center since taking...

A Yale University poll from earlier this month says most Americans see climate change as playing a role in hurting prices and the cost of living. Pollsters found that 65 percent of respondents believe climate change is contributing to rising costs at least "a little." This includes 88 percent of liberal Democrats and 77 percent...

Israel on Friday became the first country to recognize Somaliland as an independent state — an unprecedented move regarding the breakaway region above Somalia.  “The State of Israel plans to immediately expand its relations with the Republic of Somaliland through extensive cooperation in the fields of agriculture, health, technology, and economy,” Israel Prime Minister Benjamin...

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) fundraised donations from supporters Friday after President Trump blasted him on social media and called him a "lowlife Republican" for his role in bringing the Jeffrey Epstein files to light. "Imagine celebrating a blessed Christmas with your family… suddenly phones alert everyone to the most powerful man in the world attacking...