The Agriculture Department posted a striking message on its official website Saturday blaming Senate Democrats for the upcoming suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, warning that millions of Americans will lose access to food assistance beginning Nov. 1 if the government shutdown continues. “Senate Democrats have now voted …
Read More »TikTok Deal to Be Finalized Thursday as Trump, Xi Prepare to Meet in South Korea
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that the long-awaited deal allowing TikTok to continue operating in the United States is set to be finalized Thursday, when President Donald Trump meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea. “We reached a final deal …
Read More »Trump’s Midwestern Redistricting Push Falters as GOP Lawmakers Resist in Indiana, Kansas
For most of President Donald Trump’s second term, Republicans have bent to his will. But in two Midwestern states, Trump’s campaign to secure GOP control of the U.S. House through mid-decade redistricting has hit a roadblock. Despite weeks of pressure from the White House, Republicans in Indiana and Kansas say …
Read More »U.S., China Near Deal to Avert 100% Tariffs as Trump, Xi Plan Meetings
The United States and China are nearing an agreement to avert a sweeping 100% tariff on Chinese goods, and Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are expected to meet soon to finalize the deal, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday. In an interview on NBC News’ Meet the Press, Bessent …
Read More »Pentagon Accepts Anonymous $130M Donation to Help Pay Troops During Shutdown
The Pentagon confirmed Friday that it accepted an anonymous $130 million donation to help cover military pay and benefits during the ongoing government shutdown — an unprecedented move that has raised concerns in Congress about transparency and foreign influence. Defense Department spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement that the …
Read More »Trump Orders Carrier Strike Group to Caribbean as U.S. Escalates ‘war’ on Drug Cartels
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to move to the Caribbean to support President Donald Trump’s campaign to “dismantle transnational criminal organizations” and “counter narco-terrorism,” the Pentagon said Saturday. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced the move on X, saying the carrier’s deployment will …
Read More »USDA Won’t Shuffle Funds to Extend SNAP During Shutdown, in About-Face from Earlier Plan
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a memo Friday the agency’s contingency fund cannot legally be used to provide food assistance benefits for more than 42 million people in November, as the government shutdown drags on. The position is a reversal from the department’s earlier stance, according to a since-deleted copyof …
Read More »Letitia James Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Bank Fraud Charges, Calls Case ‘political retribution’
New York Attorney General Letitia James pleaded not guilty Friday to federal bank fraud charges, denouncing the case as a politically motivated attack ordered by President Donald Trump. James, a longtime political foe of the president, entered her plea before U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker, who set a trial …
Read More »Social Security Benefits to Rise 2.8% in 2026 as Seniors Face Growing Financial Strain
The Social Security Administration announced Friday that benefit payments will rise 2.8% next year to offset higher living costs, giving the average retiree about $56 more per month beginning in January. The 2026 cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, marks a slight increase over last year’s 2.5% rise but remains below the …
Read More »Trump Ends All Trade Talks with Canada Over TV Ads
President Donald Trump said late Thursday that he was ending “all trade negotiations” with Canada after accusing the country of using a fake Ronald Reagan video in an anti-tariff advertisement — an action he called “egregious behavior” meant to influence U.S. court decisions. Trump’s post on his social media site …
Read More »Hegseth Memo Requires Pentagon Offices to Seek Approval Before Contacting Congress
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has imposed new restrictions requiring formal approval for nearly all Department of Defense correspondence and interactions with Congress, according to an internal memo obtained by CBS News. The directive, co-signed by Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, mandates that nearly all congressional communications — including requests for …
Read More »Senate Fails to Move Ahead on Bills Extending Pay to Federal Workers During Shutdown
The Senate Thursday failed to advance a Republican measure and rejected unanimous agreements on two related bills from Democrats that would have paid federal employees and contractors who have continued to work amid the government shutdown, which entered day 23. The stalemate constituted the latest example of how dug in …
Read More »U.S. Expands Lethal Anti-Narcotics Strikes to Pacific, Killing Three in New Attack
The U.S. military launched a second lethal strike this week against what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said were vessels engaged in drug trafficking operations in the eastern Pacific, marking an escalation of President Donald Trump’s campaign against alleged “narco-terrorists.” In a statement Wednesday night, Hegseth said three men were killed …
Read More »Mamdani, Cuomo and Sliwa Trade Blows in Fiery Final New York City Mayoral Debate
The final debate in New York City’s mayoral race erupted into personal attacks Wednesday night, as frontrunner Zohran Mamdani faced assaults on his thin résumé, Republican Curtis Sliwa fought to prove his seriousness, and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo confronted renewed scrutiny over the sexual harassment allegations that drove him from …
Read More »Trump Expands White House Renovation, Orders East Wing Demolition for New Ballroom
The Trump administration plans to demolish the entire East Wing of the White House “within days,” dramatically expanding President Donald Trump’s proposed ballroom project and triggering backlash from preservationists and lawmakers. The move, first reported by The New York Times and confirmed by two administration officials, marks a major shift …
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