Washington
Investigators examining foes of Trump seek interviews related to Mar-a-Lago search, AP sources say
WASHINGTON | Justice Department investigators have sought to interview law enforcement officials related to the FBI search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate as part of a Florida-based inquiry aiming to establish a conspiracy against the Republican president, multiple people familiar with the matter said Thursday. The requests for interviews, made in recent weeks, suggest that […]
The US national debt now stands at $40 trillion
WASHINGTON | The national debt surpassed a record $40 trillion on Wednesday, a staggering milestone as defense costs, social programs like Social Security and Medicare and interest on the burgeoning deficit make up an enormous share of federal spending. The milestone figure was recorded just five months after the U.S. hit a record $39 trillion […]
National security question trips up Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina debate
WASHINGTON | Sen. Darline Graham, who is competing in next week’s runoff election in South Carolina, stumbled over a question about foreign policy in a debate on Tuesday night. “Are Taiwan and the South China Sea national security issues for the United States and if so, why or how?” asked one of the moderators. Graham […]
5 states offer to accept nuclear waste in exchange for help developing nuclear energy
WASHINGTON | Five states have agreed to accept nuclear waste from around the country in exchange for federal help developing nuclear energy to create thousands of jobs. The states — Tennessee, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Utah and Idaho — all have Republican governors who say they welcome the chance to help America reclaim its leadership in civilian […]
Whistleblower alleges political pressure, lack of evidence in antisemitism probes targeting schools
WASHINGTON | A Trump administration task force created to combat antisemitism pushed for settlements with Ivy League universities despite government investigations that were rushed and incomplete or that failed to establish legal violations by the schools, a former Justice Department lawyer alleged in a whistleblower disclosure obtained by The Associated Press. The complaint alleges that […]
US and Canada hold last-minute talks to stop Trump’s 50% tariffs
WASHINGTON | The U.S. and Canada are negotiating in an effort to reach a truce on tariffs before a 12:01 a.m. Wednesday deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump. If no deal is reached, Trump has threatened to impose 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian products, ranging from hockey sticks to tongue depressors. […]
Pull up to the window, please, for a glimpse of an American icon: The drive-thru
WASHINGTON | Full disclosure: this should really be two tales. How better to pay tribute to the natural and perhaps inevitable combination of two distinctly American icons: fast food and cars? Those two massive sociological forces had already joined up, Voltron-style, early in the 20th century with the development of the drive-in restaurant – that […]
Forget left vs. center. Democratic voters are making clear they just want change
WASHINGTON | Democrats remain mixed over what ideological direction the party should take. But across a series of closely watched primaries, they are sending a clearer message about the party’s path forward: They want change. In marquee Senate primaries in Michigan and Minnesota, progressive candidates defeated two members of Congress with significant backing from party […]
Trump told Ukraine it had no cards. Then Kyiv took the war to Russia
The meeting in the Oval Office between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was a diplomatic car crash. “Your country is in big trouble. You’re not winning,” Trump said, dressing down Zelenskyy in front of the world’s media. “You don’t have the cards.” The blowup in February 2025, three years into the […]
Trump administration moves forward with Head Start overhaul, proposing to eliminate regulations
WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump’s administration said Thursday it plans to overhaul Head Start, tossing out many of the regulations that are the hallmark of the early education program for the nation’s poorest children. Officials from the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the federally funded preschool program, said the proposed changes would […]