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Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Trump’s tariffs expose Ukraine’s steel industry to another war
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — The steel mill in a partially occupied region of Ukraine is a dystopian maze of flames, chutes and tentacled pipes, vast enough to be a small city. Thunderous blazes of sparks flash above the open furnaces where workers smelt iron ore into streams of molten metal day...
Justice Department’s independence threatened as Trump’s team asserts power over cases, staff
WASHINGTON — Pam Bondi had insisted at her Senate confirmation hearing that as attorney general, her Justice Department would not “play politics.” Yet in the month since the Trump administration took over the building, a succession of actions has raised concerns the department is doing exactly that. Top officials have...
Fired nuclear bomb specialists recalled by Energy Department
WASHINGTON — The Energy Department is seeking to bring back nuclear energy specialists after abruptly telling hundreds of workers that their jobs were eliminated, according to two people familiar with the matter. The employees, responsible for designing and maintaining the nation’s cache of nuclear weapons at the National Nuclear Safety...
Trump administration wants Supreme Court to permit the firing of whistleblower agency head
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration wants the Supreme Court to permit the firing of the head of the federal agency dedicated to protecting whistleblowers, according to documents obtained Sunday that would mark the first appeal to the justices since President Donald Trump took office. The emergency appeal is the start...
Trump administration cuts reach FDA employees in food safety, medical devices and tobacco products
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s effort to slash the size of the federal workforce reached the Food and Drug Administration this weekend, as recently hired employees who review the safety of food ingredients, medical devices and other products were fired. Probationary employees across the FDA received notices Saturday evening that...
‘It’s a wake-up call’: Researchers, companies say NIH funding changes could be lethal to innovations
During her medical training, Dr. Miriam Cremer watched a woman suffering from advanced cervical cancer bleed to death in Arcatao, El Salvador. That preventable tragedy is what sowed the seeds of her Pittsburgh-based nonprofit, she said. Basic Health International’s mission is to develop ways to diagnose and treat cervical cancer....
Trump moves with dizzying speed on his to-do list. But there are warning signs in his 1st month
WASHINGTON — As President Donald Trump approaches the first-month mark in his second term, he has moved with dizzying speed and blunt force to reorder American social and political norms and the economy while redefining the U.S. role in the world. At the same time, he has empowered Elon Musk,...
Anger, chaos and confusion take hold as federal workers face mass layoffs
NEW YORK — Workers across the country responded with anger and confusion Friday as they grappled with the Trump administration ‘s aggressive effort to shrink the size of the federal workforce by ordering agencies to lay off probationary employees who have yet to qualify for civil service protections. While much...
AP reporter, photographer barred from Air Force One over ‘Gulf of Mexico’ terminology dispute
The White House barred a credentialed Associated Press reporter and photographer from boarding the presidential airplane Friday for a weekend trip with Donald Trump, saying the news agency’s stance on how to refer to the Gulf of Mexico was to blame for the exclusion. It represented a significant escalation by...
McConnell tests the strengths and limits of his power opposing a trio of Trump’s Cabinet nominees
WASHINGTON — No longer in charge, Sen. Mitch McConnell has been speaking his mind, the long-serving GOP leader rejecting President Donald Trump’s more high-profile Cabinet nominees — alone at times, among the Republicans, casting his no votes. When it came to Pete Hegseth, now the defense secretary, who faced allegations...
Guarded optimism in India as Trump and Modi outline plans to deepen defense partnership
SRINAGAR, India — There was guarded optimism among military experts in India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump outlined plans to ramp up sales of defense systems to New Delhi, including F-35 stealth fighter jets, to deepen the U.S.-India strategic relationship. “Defense sector is a big...
Federal freeze hits major Pa. food bank, halts fresh milk, eggs and meat program
One of Pennsylvania’s largest food banks relies on a little-known federal program that allows it to help more people by purchasing milk, eggs and meat directly from farmers at reduced prices. That program is now in jeopardy amid the widespread rollout of funding cuts and program stoppages directed by President...
Judge orders Trump administration to temporarily allow funds for foreign aid to flow again
WASHINGTON — A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to temporarily lift a three-week funding freeze that has shut down U.S. aid and development programs worldwide. Judge Amir Ali issued the order Thursday in U.S. district court in Washington in a lawsuit brought by two health organizations that receive...
Linda McMahon says Trump’s plan to close Education Department would need Congress’ approval
WASHINGTON — Linda McMahon, the former CEO of a professional wrestling and entertainment juggernaut and Donald Trump’s pick as Education secretary, told senators Thursday that the president’s plan to dismantle the Education Department would need congressional approval. “We’d like to do this right,” she said. “We’d like to make sure...
Elon Musk’s son X causes stir in Oval Office with Trump
After Elon Musk’s 4-year-old son — X Æ A-Xii, known as X — made an appearance in the Oval Office Tuesday with his dad and President Donald Trump, videos of the child’s antics have gone viral online. X stole the show from Trump and Musk’s first public comments in front...
Shapiro sues over Trump administration spending freezes on grants and loans
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Thursday sued agencies under President Donald Trump, saying they are illegally and unconstitutionally withholding billions in federal aid from the state that had already been approved by Congress. Shapiro, a Democrat, filed the lawsuit despite the fact that federal courts have repeatedly rejected...
Brooke Rollins confirmed as Trump’s agriculture secretary as tariff fights loom
WASHINGTON — Conservative lawyer Brooke Rollins was confirmed Thursday as secretary of agriculture. Rollins, who served as chief for domestic policy during President Donald Trump’s first administration, was confirmed overwhelmingly by the Senate in a 72-28 vote. Rollins will now lead a department tasked with overseeing nearly all aspects of...
Vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sworn in as Trump’s health chief after close Senate vote
WASHINGTON — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in Thursday as President Donald Trump’s health secretary after a close Senate vote, putting the prominent vaccine skeptic in control of $1.7 trillion in federal spending, vaccine recommendations and food safety as well as health insurance programs for roughly half the country....
Elon Musk calls for the U.S. to ‘delete entire agencies’ from the federal government
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Elon Musk called on Thursday for the United States to “delete entire agencies” from the federal government as part of his push under President Donald Trump to radically cut spending and restructure its priorities. Musk offered a wide-ranging survey via a videocall to the World...
Modi is meeting with Trump in a visit meant to boost the U.S.-India relationship and avoid tariffs
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is meeting Thursday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has heaped praise on him and is hoping to avoid tariffs that the new administration has slapped on other countries in its opening weeks. Modi is a nationalist and has talked up his warm relationship...
Trump signs a plan for reciprocal tariffs on U.S. trading partners, ushering in economic uncertainty
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday rolled out his plan to increase U.S. tariffs to match the tax rates that other countries charge on imports, possibly triggering a broader economic confrontation with allies and rivals alike as he hopes to eliminate any trade imbalances. “I’ve decided for purposes of...
Judge clears way for Trump’s plan to downsize federal workforce with deferred resignation program
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Wednesday cleared the way for President Donald Trump ’s plan to downsize the federal workforce with a deferred resignation program. It was a significant legal victory for the Republican president after a string of courtroom setbacks. “This goes to show that lawfare will not...
House Republicans introduce blueprint to extend $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and lift debt ceiling 
WASHINGTON — House Republicans released a budget plan Wednesday that sets the stage for advancing many of President Donald Trump’s top domestic priorities, providing for up to $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and a $4 trillion increase in the debt limit so that the U.S. can continue financing its bills....
Trump’s halt of U.S. law banning business bribes abroad raises specter of a ‘Wild West’ of dealmaking
NEW YORK — To its fans, it’s an undeniable force for good in a corrupt world, a groundbreaking anti-bribery statute that has brought powerful businessmen to heel for secretly paying off foreign government officials to win contracts abroad. To detractors, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act unfairly hobbles American companies while...
Butler County storage facility in spotlight after Elon Musk mention
A private storage facility in Butler County found itself in the spotlight after being indirectly mentioned by Elon Musk on Tuesday. The billionaire owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Musk is serving as an adviser to President Donald Trump, spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to...


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