Politics

FILE - President Donald Trump, left, participates in a welcome ceremony with China's President Xi J...

Trump will be at the airport to greet Xi when China’s leader arrives for his US state visit

WASHINGTON (AP) — The first state visit by the leader of China in more than a decade takes place next week when President Xi Jinping arrives in Washington for high-stakes talks — and a little schmoozing — at the White House with President Donald Trump. When Xi’s plan lands at Joint Base Andrews just outside […]
2 months ago
FILE - The UN flag flies on a stormy day at the United Nations during the United Nations General As...

UN appoints US agriculture official Luke Lindberg to head the World Food Program

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations announced the appointment Friday of U.S. agriculture official Luke Lindberg to head the World Food Program, the U.N. food agency that calls itself “the world’s frontline responder to hunger” in conflicts, crises and emergencies around the world. Lindberg, the son-in-law of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, is now […]
2 months ago
Donald Trump Jr, center, speaks with his wife Bettina, left, as they wait for U.S. President Donald...

Trump says his son’s wedding party being bankrolled by a Russian oligarch is ‘totally allowed’

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday defended his son’s recent wedding party being partially bankrolled by a Russian oligarch, but also said he’d been told the money would be paid back. “It’s totally allowed. And a lot of people have parties and all,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, before adding, “But, […]
2 months ago

Trump to meet acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez in New York next week, White House says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The president has several meetings scheduled with other world leaders while he is in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly next week. He will participate in a “pull-aside” meeting — a more casual meeting than a formal bilateral sit-down — with acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, according to Mike […]
2 months ago
President Donald Trump boards Marine One on the Ellipse near the White House, Friday, Sept. 18, 202...

Trump signs sweeping Russia sanctions bill, aiming to choke off funds for Moscow in Ukraine war

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday signed into law a sweeping sanctions package targeting Russian officials and key pillars of its economy that is meant to punish and pressure Moscow for its ongoing war against Ukraine. The measure was a final legacy item for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close ally […]
2 months ago
FILE - Visitors walk at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, Nov. 22, 2025,...

Trump defends bid to put his name on the Kennedy Center

President Donald Trump on Friday defended his push to put his name on the Kennedy Center, saying he deserves to be recognized for trying to save Washington’s premier performing arts venue after his takeover was blamed for triggering its financial distress. Trump did not directly respond when a reporter asked whether he planned to demolish […]
2 months ago

Anger in Jamaica over deal to accept migrants expelled by the US

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — A deal to accept migrants expelled by the United States is sparking protests by Jamaica’s main opposition party and a host of other groups. The deal was signed on June 10 by the U.S. and Jamaica, which this week finished rules meant to defuse public anger about it. The agreement allows […]
2 months ago
FILE - The U.S. Department of Justice logo is seen on a podium before a news conference, May 4, 202...

Ban on selling handguns to young adults under 21 is unconstitutional, Justice Department says

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal law banning licensed firearms dealers from selling handguns to young adults under age 21 is unconstitutional and can’t be enforced, the Justice Department said in a legal opinion released Friday. The opinion from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel says the law aimed at making it harder for 18- to […]
2 months ago
FILE - People protest against Trump's policy towards Greenland in front of the US consulate in Nuuk...

Trump says he has a deal with Denmark to bolster US military presence in Greenland

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday he has a deal with Denmark to bolster the U.S. military presence in Greenland after months of threatening to take island by force from the NATO ally. Trump in social media post announcing the deal said the agreement “gives the United States permanent control over security, and […]
2 months ago
Prime Minister Mark Carney addresses caucus in Ottawa, Friday, Sept. 18, 2026. (Adrian Wyld/The Can...

Carney says Canada is ‘strong’ as US borrowing costs rise and Europe ties deepen

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday cast Canada as moving quickly beyond its historical reliance on the United States after a whirlwind week in which he embraced the prospect of becoming the European Union’s first associate member. Carney, who returned from Europe on Thursday night, said Canada and Europe had “launched […]
2 months ago
FILE - Solar panels operate, April 28, 2026, at a farm in Christiana, Tenn. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bic...

Judge rules EPA illegally terminated $7 billion solar program intended to help poorer Americans

The Trump administration illegally terminated a $7 billion Solar for All program intended to make solar power accessible to more than 900,000 lower-income Americans, a federal judge in Rhode Island ruled Friday. The Environmental Protection Agency rescinded the Solar for All funds in August 2025 after President Donald Trump’s massive tax and spending law passed […]
2 months ago
President Donald Trump speaks during a dinner in the Rose Garden of the White House, Thursday, Sept...

Trump says he is banning CNN, MSNOW and Politico from the White House

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that he was banning CNN, MSNOW and Politico from the White House due to what he called unfavorable coverage, and threatened that more such prohibitions of media outlets could follow. Trump wrote on his social media site that effective immediately, “I am banning” CNN, MSNOW and Politico […]
2 months ago
President Donald Trump speaks during a dinner in the Rose Garden of the White House, Thursday, Sept...

Trump to announce all 50 states joining Medicaid drug pricing model

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is set to announce Friday that all 50 states will join in on a program set to provide most favored nation pricing to some drugs within the Medicaid program, bringing the net price of selected drugs down to prices paid in certain other countries. The Trump administration claims that […]
2 months ago
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during the POW/MIA National Recognition Day Ceremony at the P...

The Pentagon is moving forward with mandatory testosterone testing for most male troops

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon has rolled out formal guidance for mandatory testosterone testing for male service members 30 and older, a policy that leaves out women for now and faces questions from medical experts about the need and efficacy of such a program. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in July that a new program […]
2 months ago
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker addresses the audience during the America 250 event in Bru...

US envoy to NATO criticizes Czech Republic’s ‘disappointing’ spending on defense

PRAGUE (AP) — The U.S. ambassador to NATO renewed his country’s criticism of the Czech Republic on Friday, saying it had failed to spend enough on defense. “It is disappointing to see that it has not made more progress towards meeting the Hague Defense Commitment,” Matthew Whitaker told a defense conference in Prague. “Unfortunately, the […]
2 months ago
In this photo provided by Scott McWilliams, crews install the first sections of a new border wall i...

Trump administration begins building border wall in Texas’ Big Bend region

COMSTOCK, Texas (AP) — The Trump administration has started building the border wall through a west Texas section of the Big Bend region, marking the first major construction in an area of the U.S.-Mexico border where the administration’s plans have met with heavy opposition. The start of construction marks an important milestone in the administration’s […]
2 months ago
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche listens during a news briefing in the Rose Garden of the White H...

Judge isn’t swayed by government’s claims that plans for an ‘anti-weaponization fund’ are dead

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A federal judge who blocked the creation of a $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” for compensating President Donald Trump’s political allies wasn’t swayed by a government attorney’s assurances Friday that the administration has abandoned the concept. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia didn’t rule from the bench on the government’s request […]
2 months ago
President Donald Trump speaks during a dinner in the Rose Garden of the White House, Thursday, Sept...

The Latest: Postal chief says work has stopped on system key to Trump effort to limit mail voting

The top official at the U.S. Postal Service has said the agency has stopped work on developing a controversial computer system that was central to President Donald Trump’s effort to limit mail voting after the Supreme Court rejected his executive order this week. Also, a federal judge on Thursday ordered the Kennedy Center to provide […]
2 months ago
President Donald Trump listens as North Carolina Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley s...

Trump pushes his $5,000 ‘dividend’ pledge if GOP wins midterms. Republican candidates, not as much

President Donald Trump came to battleground North Carolina doubling down on a tantalizing and implausible midterm promise. “If we win,” he said, “we’re going to get you $5,000. So that’s it. Very simple.” The Republican candidates who spoke at the rally had nothing to say about it. Their silence reflects a broader pattern. About a […]
2 months ago
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks at the Republican convention in Dallas, Wednesday, Sept. ...

Attorney General Blanche’s appearances at political events blur Justice Department boundaries

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Todd Blanche is blurring traditional boundaries between politics and federal law enforcement with recent speeches at political events that mark a sharp departure from norms meant to protect the Justice Department from the appearance of partisan bias. Blanche took the stage this week at an event for a Republican Senate […]
2 months ago
Vice President JD Vance waves as he arrives on Air Force Two, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, at Joint Base...

JD Vance returns to Iowa as Senate and governor races heat up

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President JD Vance is headed to Iowa for the second time this year to campaign for Republican majorities in Congress as he lays the groundwork for his own political ambitions. Vance will be the headliner Friday at a midterm rally in Council Bluffs, on the western edge of the once-Republican stronghold […]
2 months ago
A image is seen on a screen as President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at Gastonia Municipal A...

Trump refers to Black man from racially offensive 1988 campaign ad while stumping in North Carolina

As President Donald Trump tries to convince voters that Democrats have let crime run amok, he’s digging into the country’s political past to reference one of the most controversial campaign advertisements that relied heavily on racist tropes. During a campaign stop Wednesday in Gastonia, North Carolina, to stump for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley, […]
2 months ago
A voter casts a ballot in Henrico County, Va., on the first day of in-person early voting Friday, S...

Early voting begins in US midterm elections that could flip control of Congress

HENRICO, Va. (AP) — In-person voting for this year’s midterm elections began Friday, ushering in the final six weeks for Americans to decide which party they trust to lead Congress through a cost-of-living crisis, a prolonged war in Iran and other pressing issues. Election administrators say they are prepared and confident the vote will be […]
2 months ago
FILE - The headquarters of the U.S. Department of Education, March 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Pho...

Judge strikes down Trump policy that cut millions in teacher-training money

BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday struck down a 2025 order from the Trump administration that cut hundreds of millions of dollars in teacher-training money. U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley in Massachusetts wrote in her order that the Education Department’s directive violated federal law and was arbitrary and capricious. In February 2025, the […]
2 months ago