Politics
- WorldAssociated Press
The G20 has 'shock absorbers' to deal with Trump's return as US president, South Africa says
The Group of 20 has sufficient “shock absorbers” to function effectively if the incoming Donald Trump administration promotes an America First policy at the expense of international cooperation, South Africa's leader said Tuesday as his country took over the bloc's presidency.
2 min read - PoliticsReuters
Democrats' post-Harris election message: It could have been worse
Roughly a month after election losses that left Republicans in charge of the White House and both houses of Congress, and saw once-core working class, Latino and women voters slip away, some Democratic officials are trying to explain what happened. Republican Donald Trump's victory over Democrat Kamala Harris on Nov. 5 was part of a global pattern that saw 80% of incumbent parties lose seats or vote share in 2024, outgoing Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison wrote in a Dec. 3 m
3 min read - PoliticsLA Times
Sen.-elect Adam Schiff doesn't want to talk about Trump. He wants to talk about the economy
Sen.-elect Adam B. Schiff doesn't want to talk about President-elect Donald Trump. He wants to talk about fixing the intractable economic problems that led many voters to back Trump's return.
9 min read - PoliticsPolitico
Biden just gave Trump a new pardon playbook
Joe Biden’s broad reprieve for his son gives the president-elect new rationale for even more expansive pardons than those he issued in his first term.
7 min read - PoliticsBusiness Insider
Trump ramped up his trade threats against a group of nations that are skeptical of the dollar. Here's what the US buys from the 9 countries at risk.
Donald Trump threatened a 100% tariff on nine nations that make up BRICS, including Brazil, China, and India. It'd affect many goods the US imports.
4 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
The Associated Press' top photos of the 2024 election
It's a photograph that defined the 2024 campaign. Donald Trump, campaigning for a second term, raises a fist defiantly toward the sky, blood streaked across his face. The current president, Joe Biden, dropped out of the race weeks before the Democratic convention, bowing to unrelenting pressure from his party following a disastrous debate performance.
1 min read - PoliticsNBC News
'Wild childs': Republican senators brush aside Pete Hegseth misconduct allegations after meeting with him
Republican senators who met Monday with Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, brushed aside sexual assault and other allegations against him.
4 min read - USAssociated Press
Missouri man facing execution in the sexual assault and strangling of a 9-year-old girl
Christopher Collings, 49, is set to receive a single injection of the sedative pentobarbital at 6 p.m. CST for the 2007 murder of fourth-grader Rowan Ford. Collings' fate appeared to be sealed on Monday when the U.S. Supreme Court denied an appeal and Republican Gov. Mike Parson turned aside a clemency request. Parson, a former sheriff, has overseen 12 previous executions and never granted clemency.
4 min read - PoliticsNBC News
Senate approves promotion for general involved in Afghanistan exit after a Republican blocked it
The Senate voted to approve the promotion of a general who oversaw troops in the U.S. withdrawal from Kabul, Afghanistan, that had been held by Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin.
1 min read - PoliticsNBC News
Hunter Biden pardon fuels Trump's 'weaponization' arguments
Trump's team was pointed to Biden's pardon of his son, Hunter, saying it showed that ending "the weaponization of our justice system needs to happen."
6 min read - PoliticsNBC News
Trump says he’s going to Paris in his first trip abroad as president-elect
President-elect Donald Trump on Monday announced plans to travel to Paris this weekend in what would be his first trip overseas since his November election win.
2 min read - USNBC News
FBI searches an alleged Jan. 6 rioter's home as clock ticks on Capitol attack cases
The Justice Department recently searched an alleged Jan. 6 rioter's house as it works to wrap up Capitol attack cases before Donald Trump takes office.
4 min read - PoliticsPolitico
‘He could not be objective’: Biden risks sullying his legacy to protect Hunter
Biden chooses family over his own political legacy.
7 min read - USNBC News
Hunter Biden prosecutor pushes back on president's politicization claim
Special counsel David Weiss' office on Monday appeared to push back against President Joe Biden's claim that its prosecutions of Hunter Biden were politically motivated, calling such allegations "baseless."
3 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
Trump names billionaire investment banker Warren Stephens as his envoy to Britain
President-elect Donald Trump has named billionaire investment banker Warren Stephens as his envoy to Britain, a prestigious posting for the Republican donor whose contributions this year included $2 million to a Trump-backing super PAC. Trump, in a post on his Truth Social site Monday evening, announced he was selecting Stephens to be the U.S. ambassador to the Court of Saint James. Stephens is the chairman, president and CEO of Little Rock, Arkansas-based financial services firm Stephens Inc.
1 min read - PoliticsNBC News
President Biden pardons his son Hunter Biden
Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter Sunday night, a reversal for the president, who repeatedly said he would not use his executive authority to pardon his son or commute his sentence.
7 min read - PoliticsNBC News
Jamie Raskin challenges Jerry Nadler for top Democratic spot on House Judiciary panel
Rep. Jamie Raskin, who served as the lead Democratic prosecutor in Donald Trump's second impeachment trial, will challenge Rep. Jerry Nadler for House Judiciary chairman.
3 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
North Carolina Republicans close in on enacting bill that weakens incoming Democratic governor
North Carolina legislative Republicans moved closer Monday to enacting a measure that would erode the powers of the incoming governor and other Democratic officials, and also placing on the ballot constitutional amendments that could buttress GOP voting and tax policies. Along party lines, the GOP-dominated state Senate voted successfully to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of a bill that in part would weaken Gov.-elect Josh Stein, the next attorney general in Jeff Jackson and other D
4 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
Democrat Jamie Raskin is running for top Judiciary post in bid to counter Trump
Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland announced Monday that he will run to become the top Democrat on the powerful House Judiciary Committee next year, directly challenging fellow Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler as the party prepares to fight a second Trump administration and an emboldened Republican majority. "House Democrats must stand in the breach to defend the principles and institutions of constitutional democracy," Raskin wrote in a letter to colleagues. Raskin said in the letter — obtained by The
2 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
FTC opens Microsoft antitrust investigation that Trump administration must carry on or drop
Antitrust enforcers with the Federal Trade Commission have opened a wide-ranging investigation into Microsoft's business practices, starting a big legal project that an incoming Trump administration must take up or abandon. The FTC is investigating Microsoft's cloud computing business and related product lines such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, according to a person who was not authorized to discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condi
2 min read - USAssociated Press
Minnesota Republicans sue to force election rerun in tight House race where 20 ballots are missing
Minnesota Republicans filed a lawsuit Monday to try to force a rerun of a state House race where the incumbent Democrat won by 14 votes — but in which investigators concluded that election workers probably destroyed 20 valid absentee ballots after failing to count them. It's a race that could determine the balance of power in the Minnesota House, where leaders from both parties are working out the details of a power-sharing agreement that currently presumes a 67-67 tie when the Legislature conv
4 min read - PoliticsNBC News
White House press secretary defends Hunter Biden pardon: 'Enough is enough'
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Monday defended President Joe Biden's decision to pardon his son Hunter despite telling the press multiple times that the president had no such plans.
2 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Trump's tariff threats create division between Canada and Mexico over security at borders
Threats by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to impose tariffs have created a split between Canada and Mexico, after Canadian officials said problems with the two countries’ borders shouldn’t be compared. On Monday, Mexico’s president rejected those comments, which were made following a meeting between Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “Mexico must be respected, especially by its trading partners,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said, after Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman,
3 min read - PoliticsHuffPost
Jill Biden Has Blunt Comment About Her Husband’s Decision To Pardon Hunter
Dr. Biden responded to shouted questions from reporters at a holiday party Monday.
2 min read - USHuffPost
Hegseth Faces Allegations Of Boozing, Partying And Mismanagement Helming Veterans Groups
Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary is accused of running one nonprofit into the ground and of promoting a climate of toxic sexism at another.
3 min read - USReuters
Congressional staffer arrested at US Capitol with ammunition, police say
A staffer for a U.S. House of Representatives Democrat was arrested at the Capitol on Monday when a regular security check turned up ammunition in his bag, the Capitol Police said. The police identified the staffer as Michael Hopkins, who worked for Representative Joe Morelle, who represents an upstate New York district. Hopkins was found with four ammunition magazines and 11 rounds, police said.
1 min read - LifestyleBusiness Insider
Photos show Jill Biden's final White House Christmas decorations as first lady
Jill Biden unveiled her final White House Christmas decorations as first lady, centered on the theme "A Season of Peace and Light."
4 min read - WorldNBC News
Biden makes history as the first U.S. president to visit Angola
President Joe Biden will make history Monday as he becomes the first ever American head-of-state to visit the west-African nation of Angola.
2 min read - PoliticsHuffPost
Hunter Biden Pardon Garners Bipartisan Condemnation
A handful of Democrats have joined Republicans in criticizing President Joe Biden for pardoning his son.
3 min read - USAssociated Press
David Prosser, who served as Wisconsin Assembly speaker and as a state Supreme Court justice, dies
David Prosser, who rose to become speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly before an 18-year tenure on the state Supreme Court that was marked by a heated altercation with another justice, has died. Prosser died on Sunday after battling cancer for several months, his family said in a statement Monday. A Republican, Prosser served 18 years in the Assembly, the last two as speaker, and the same amount of time on the state Supreme Court.
3 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
Blinken heads to final NATO foreign ministers meeting of Biden administration with Ukraine in focus
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading back to Europe on Monday for what will likely be the last high-level NATO meeting before the Biden administration leaves office next month. Shoring up allied support for Ukraine ahead of President-elect Donald Trump 's return to the White House in January will top the agenda at NATO foreign ministers meetings in Brussels on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the State Department. Blinken will “discuss priorities for transatlantic security, includin
1 min read - SportsNBC News
Biden hopes Americans will understand son's pardon and more Auroras could be in store: Morning Rundown
President Biden issues a “full and unconditional pardon” of his son Hunter.
7 min read - PoliticsNBC News
Democratic senators urge Biden to try to limit Trump's ability to use the U.S. military domestically
Two Democratic senators are urging the Biden administration to issue a policy directive that could temporarily limit President-elect Donald Trump's ability to deploy U.S. military troops domestically after he takes office.
4 min read - PoliticsThe Guardian
Trump allies begin attack on EPA and rules protecting US drinking water
With Biden soon to leave the White House, Republicans start an assault on the Environmental Protection Agency
4 min read - LifestyleAssociated Press
It's the final holiday stretch at the Biden White House. The theme is 'A Season of Peace and Light'
It's the final holiday stretch for President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, who has decked out the White House with some whimsical decorations to evoke the “peace and light” of the season. The festive display includes a towering Christmas tree surrounded by an amusement park-style carousel, brass-colored bells and sleigh bells lining a hallway, and a ceiling design that mimics snowfall. The first lady invited National Guard families to be among the first members of the public to see the decorat
3 min read - BusinessBusiness Insider
Critics said Musk 'overpaid' for Twitter. Thanks to Trump and xAI, it could actually be a steal.
Some panned the billionaire for overspending on Twitter, but the platform is winning him favor with Donald Trump and supporting his AI ambitions.
7 min read - USAssociated Press
California bill would allow public university admission priority for slaves' descendants
A California lawmaker introduced a bill Monday to allow admission priority to the descendants of slaves at the University of California and California State University, two of the largest public university systems in the nation. Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, a Democrat who represents parts of Los Angeles and authored the legislation, said it would help rectify past and current discrimination at universities. “For decades universities gave preferential admission treatment to donors, and their fam
4 min read - USAssociated Press
Supreme Court doesn't seem convinced FDA was unfair in blocking flavored vapes teen use increased
A majority of Supreme Court justices didn't seem convinced Monday that federal regulators misled companies before refusing to allow them to sell sweet-flavored vaping products following a surge in teen e-cigarette use. The conservative-majority court did raise questions about the Food and Drug Administration crackdown that included denials of more than a million nicotine products formulated to taste like fruit, dessert or candy. Teen vaping use has since dropped to its lowest level in a decade
3 min read - PoliticsNBC News
Read Biden's pardon of his son Hunter Biden
President Joe Biden announced that he was pardoning his son Hunter Biden, who faced sentencing later this month for two federal cases.
1 min read - USAssociated Press
First transgender attorney to argue before the Supreme Court, challenging health care ban for minors
When the Supreme Court this week wades into the contentious issue of transgender rights, the justices will hear from an attorney with knowledge that runs deep. Chase Strangio will be the first openly transgender attorney to argue before the nation's highest court, representing families who say Tennessee’s ban on health care for transgender minors leaves their children terrified about the future. Arguments in the case come amid heightened pushback to transgender rights, including a presidential
3 min read - PoliticsNBC News
Republicans fume after Biden pardons his son Hunter Biden
WASHINGTON — GOP lawmakers began publicly fuming shortly after President Joe Biden announced that he was pardoning his son Hunter Biden.
4 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
California lawmakers begin special session to protect state laws from second Trump presidency
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers returned to the state Capitol on Monday to begin a special session to protect the state's progressive policies ahead of another Trump presidency. The Democratic governor, a fierce critic of President-elect Donald Trump, is positioning California to once again be the center of a resistance effort against the conservative agenda.
5 min read - PoliticsThe Guardian
With his pardon of son Hunter, Joe Biden delivers a heartfelt hypocrisy
President and supporters argue Hunter Biden would never have been charged if not for his name. But this exercise of power also looks like validation of Trump
5 min read - PoliticsThe Guardian
Joe Biden issues ‘full and unconditional’ pardon to son Hunter
Decision marks reversal after US president said he would not use executive authority, but now says Hunter Biden was only prosecuted for political reasons
6 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
Full written statement from President Joe Biden on his decision to pardon his son Hunter
Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted. The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election.
2 min read - PoliticsBusiness Insider
President Joe Biden issues pardon for son Hunter in federal gun, tax cases
In a statement Sunday, President Joe Biden confirmed he'd issued a pardon for his son, Hunter, for federal gun and tax evasion charges.
3 min read - PoliticsNBC News
GOP Sen. Mike Rounds expresses support for FBI director a day after Trump picks his replacement
Sen. Mike Rounds on Sunday expressed support for FBI Director Christopher Wray, just one day after President-elect Donald Trump said he would nominate Kash Patel to lead the agency.
4 min read - PoliticsBusiness Insider
Here's the state of the last uncalled House race and why it's important
Democrat Adam Gray currently has 105,083 votes, compared to 104,856 votes for Republican John Duarte, according to the California Secretary of State.
3 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
Biden displays AIDS Memorial Quilt at White House to observe World AIDS Day
President Joe Biden on Sunday displayed the AIDS Memorial Quilt on the White House South Lawn for the first time in observance of World AIDS Day. The president emphasized the federal government's support for the 1.2 million people in the United States living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which can lead to AIDS. “This movement is fully woven into the fabric and history of America,” Biden said.
2 min read - PoliticsPolitico
With 50 days left in office, Sullivan unpacks Middle East developments
Biden's national security adviser declined to predict the fate of Syria's dictator.
5 min read
