6 mins read

Hegseth is facing a new round of questioning from Congress on the Iran war and more

WASHINGTON | Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced tough questions from Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Congress on Tuesday about the Trump administration’s end game for the Iran war, the conflict’s costs and its impact on diminishing weapons stockpiles. For this part, the Pentagon chief softened his tone from previous hearings on Capitol Hill in his […]

8 mins read

Trump and Xi appear intent on keeping deep differences over Iran war from overshadowing China summit

BEIJING | President Donald Trump is set to leave on Tuesday for Beijing to meet with President Xi Jinping after weeks of trying, and failing, to persuade the Chinese government to use its considerable leverage to prod Iran to agree to U.S. terms to end the 2-month-old war — or, at the very least, reopen […]

7 mins read

Older Americans say it’s a good time to find a job. Younger people aren’t buying it, new poll finds

For years, younger Americans have been more optimistic about the job market than older Americans, even through the depths of the Great Recession. But in an abrupt shift, a new poll released Monday finds young people’s confidence has plummeted over the past two years — while their elders remain more upbeat. The gap between young […]

8 mins read

Trump religious liberty commission wants to end separation of church and state

One member calls for a Presidential Medal of Freedom for a Colorado baker who refused to create a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. Another calls for court interventions by the Department of Justice on behalf of Amish parents fighting New York vaccine requirements and Catholic nuns challenging that state’s requirement that they accommodate hospice […]

4 mins read

Democrats ask the Supreme Court to halt a Virginia ruling blocking new congressional districts

WASHINGTON | Democrats on Monday filed an emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to halt a Virginia ruling invalidating a ballot measure that would have given their party an additional four winnable U.S. House seats. The move came after the Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a constitutional amendment that voters narrowly […]

6 mins read

Trump says he’ll move to suspend federal gasoline tax. He can’t do it on his own

WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump said Monday he will move to suspend the federal tax on gasoline to help Americans shoulder surging fuel prices caused by the Iran war. The president cannot suspend the federal tax on his own. Congress would have to approve the move. Lawmakers from both parties have pushed for a gas-tax […]

6 mins read

Supreme Court halts order for Alabama to use US House map with 2 largely Black districts

WASHINGTON | The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday set the stage for Alabama to eliminate one of two largely Black congressional districts before this year’s midterm elections, creating an opening for Republicans to gain an additional U.S. House seat in a partisan battle for control of the closely divided chamber. The decision follows a Supreme […]

6 mins read

Trump says he’ll move to suspend federal gasoline tax. He can’t do it on his own

WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump said Monday he will move to suspend the federal tax on gasoline to help Americans shoulder surging fuel prices caused by the Iran war. The president cannot suspend the federal tax on his own. Congress would have to approve the move. Lawmakers from both parties have pushed for a gas-tax […]

6 mins read

Supreme Court halts order for Alabama to use US House map with 2 largely Black districts

WASHINGTON | The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday set the stage for Alabama to eliminate one of two largely Black congressional districts before this year’s midterm elections, creating an opening for Republicans to gain an additional U.S. House seat in a partisan battle for control of the closely divided chamber. The decision follows a Supreme […]

9 mins read

Did the founders create a Christian nation? No, but religion did shape their thinking

When he talks about the role of religion in the founding of the United States, historian Gregg Frazer does not attract eager audiences. “Neither side really wants to hear what I say,” says Frazer, a professor of history and political studies at The Master’s University, a Christian school in Santa Clarita, California. The founders, Frazer […]