Politics
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Extremist groups at a pivot point as Trump returns to Washington
When an angry mob of thousands of supporters of President Donald Trump descended on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, most in the crowd had no history of activism, prior arrests or even much of a plan.
But among their number were members of far-right groups the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys who had prepared for the moment as well as smaller ...Read more
How constitutional guardrails have always contained presidential ambitions
As Donald Trump’s second inauguration fast approaches, concerns he threatens American democracy are rising yet again. Some warnings have cited Trump’s authoritarian rhetoric, willingness to undermine or malign institutions meant to constrain any president, and a combative style that strives to stretch executive power as far as possible....Read more
Commentary: Are Trump's peace dreams for Ukraine mission impossible?
It was perhaps his most outlandish claim on the campaign trail, yet one Donald Trump repeated as he was seeking to win back his old job as president of the United States: He can resolve the war in Ukraine in a single day.
“They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians. I want them to stop dying. And I’ll have that done — I’ll have that done ...Read more
Commentary: Conservatives like me fear Trump will break through guardrails that restrained him last time
President-elect Donald Trump’s imminent return to the White House sparks a pressing question: Can the guardrails of American democracy survive another four years of the only U.S. president who sought to undermine the peaceful transfer of power?
Many of us on the center-right are worried the answer will be “no.” After all, conservatism, at...Read more
A 32-hour week? It could work for Congress, staff say
WASHINGTON — The Congressional Progressive Staff Association thinks Hill aides should be working smarter, not harder. So, in a letter to congressional leadership Thursday, the group is asking members to consider 32-hour workweeks in their offices.
“By establishing a rotating 32-hour workweek for District and D.C. staff, you can help ...Read more
Trump picks social media philanthropist with Michigan ties to lead federal agency
Bill Pulte, a businessman with strong connections to Michigan and the self-described "inventor of Twitter philanthropy," has been chosen by Republican President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the next director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
In an announcement Thursday, Trump, who officially takes office Monday, revealed his selection of...Read more
TikTok poised for reprieve as Trump team pledges extension
A U.S. ban on ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok is poised to be delayed with a deadline for the sale of the app falling on a holiday weekend and President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration pledging an extension.
President Joe Biden’s administration is not planning to intervene before a Jan. 19 deadline for TikTok’s U.S. arm to find a ...Read more
Georgia Democrats prepare for Donald Trump 2.0
ATLANTA – As Democrats brace for Donald Trump’s second administration, the explosion of protests and coordinated pushback that greeted his first is all but missing.
The mass demonstrations and vows of resistance that helped birth the political rise of Stacey Abrams and Jon Ossoff haven’t materialized.
Interviews with more than a dozen ...Read more
Civil servants brace for a second Trump presidency
On the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president of the United States, some people who work for the federal government are concerned.
Trump and his allies have repeatedly promised to dismantle the administrative state and fire those they perceive as disloyal. Trump’s former – and likely future – director of the ...Read more
How Trump could try to stay in power after his second term ends
Think Donald Trump can’t be president after his second term is up in January 2029? Think again.
When President-elect Donald Trump met with congressional Republicans shortly after his November 2024 election victory, he floated the idea of another term: “I suspect I won’t be running again unless you say, ‘He’s so good we’ve ...Read more
The US ambassador to the UN is tasked with doing a careful dance between Washington and the world
New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican, is set to testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Jan. 16, 2025, as part of her confirmation process to become the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
International diplomacy is the essence of the U.N. As a former United Nations official and an academic who has ...Read more
Soaring wealth inequality has remade the map of American prosperity
One need only glance at headlines about Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and other super-wealthy individuals to understand that wealth in America is increasingly concentrated in fewer and fewer hands. Inequality is sharply on the rise.
Until now, however, little has been known about where the richest households are located, which cities are the ...Read more
Joe Biden leaves a complicated legacy on the federal courts
President Joe Biden’s farewell to elected office on Jan. 20, 2025, presents an opportunity to reflect on the legacy he left on the federal courts.
Many will perceive Biden’s influence on the courts primarily based on his appointment of Ketanji Brown Jackson, the nation’s first Black, female Supreme Court justice.
But ...Read more
In the wake of LA-area fires, Congress will consider new measures. Here are some of them
WASHINGTON — As congressional leaders wrestle over whether to add conditions to federal aid in response to the Los Angeles County wildfires, a first wave of bills has been put forward by Republicans and Democrats alike in response to the devastation.
The measures come as President Joe Biden has pledged 100% federal backing for disaster ...Read more
Voters backed abortion rights but state judges have final say
In November, Montana voters safeguarded the right to abortion in the state’s constitution. They also elected a new chief justice to the Montana Supreme Court who was endorsed by anti-abortion advocates.
That seeming contradiction is slated to come to a head this year. People on polar sides of the abortion debate are preparing to fight over ...Read more
Could a stock trading ban for Congress get new life in the Trump era?
WASHINGTON — Zach Nunn’s military background tells him that success in any given mission requires an understanding of the battle-space — and in the fight to ban congressional stock trading, it will always “be stacked against” those urging change, the Iowa Republican and Air Force Reserve colonel said.
Members who trade stocks may not ...Read more
Editorial: Jack Smith's final word: The special counsel's pursuit of Trump's election crimes ran out of time
With the public release of former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report to Attorney General Merrick Garland, the saga of Donald Trump’s federal prosecution for election interference has come to an end, less than a week before he’s sworn in to a second term. That it was short-circuited before trial is partly the fault of Garland, who waited ...Read more
Editorial: Trump's delight in disruption threatens the economy
Just how far President-elect Donald Trump will press his promises on trade and economic policy once he takes office is hard to say. One thing is already apparent: The harms won’t be limited to the direct consequences of his actual policies. Even if his commitments in the end amount to little, they’re already burdening companies, unsettling ...Read more
Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal: Why now and what next?
A much-anticipated Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal is set to take effect on Jan. 19, 2025 – subject to an Israeli government vote on the package scheduled for the morning of Jan. 16.
The breakthrough comes 15 months into the bloody conflict sparked by an Oct. 7 2023, attack by Hamas gunmen in which about 1,200 Israelis were killed ...Read more
Popular Stories
- Soaring wealth inequality has remade the map of American prosperity
- Civil servants brace for a second Trump presidency
- Joe Biden's winning scorecard: A solid record for four years
- China tech shrugged off Trump’s ‘trade war’ − there’s no reason it won’t do the same with new tariffs
- Texas is already policing the Mexican border − and will play an outsize role in any Trump plan to crack down on immigration