Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has appointed three civilians with no military service—Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey, and Newt Gingrich—to spearhead "Project Meridian," a 120-day initiative tasked with reimagining the future of warfare, even as the Pentagon moves to slash its senior officer ranks by 20%.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed new policies aimed at expanding retail access to private market investments, a move Chair Paul Atkins described as a protection-focused effort but which critics have slammed as an irresponsible attempt to channel everyday Americans' retirement savings into risky Wall Street ventures.
A federal judge has rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to shield a 40-page Justice Department memo used to justify a yearlong series of naval strikes. Judge Paul Engelmayer ruled that because the government cited the document to defend the killing of 234 people, it can no longer claim attorney-client privilege.
The Trump administration has allowed a temporary construction freeze in Big Bend National Park to expire, signaling a return to building border barriers in one of the nation's most sensitive landscapes. The move has reignited a legal battle, with advocacy groups rushing to court to prevent further ecological disruption.
As Brazil heads to the polls this Sunday, a new analysis from the Center for Economic and Policy Research highlights a significant economic turnaround under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, even as he faces a tight reelection race against challenger Flávio Bolsonaro.
A coalition of House Democrats has rejected Republican leadership’s new legislative proposal to restrict congressional stock trading, labeling it a toothless measure that fails to address systemic conflicts of interest. The dispute pits proponents of a total divestment mandate against a GOP plan that permits current holdings to remain.
Senate Democrats have derailed a Republican-led proposal to ban congressional stock trading, dismissing the legislation as a cynical "sham" riddled with loopholes. While GOP lawmakers accused their colleagues of protecting personal wealth, critics argued the bill was a vehicle for voter suppression rather than genuine ethics reform.
A new Texas law intended to clarify medical exceptions for abortion is drawing sharp criticism from rights advocates, who argue the legislation offers little genuine protection while serving as a political tool to soften the state's restrictive stance on reproductive care ahead of future elections.
Fifty years after the Hyde Amendment first blocked federal funding for abortion care, reproductive rights advocates and lawmakers are intensifying their campaign to dismantle what they characterize as a discriminatory barrier. The policy, which effectively excludes millions of Medicaid recipients from coverage, remains a flashpoint in the national debate over healthcare equity.
With U.S. consumer costs rising and the military budget ballooning to $1.5 trillion under President Donald Trump, a coalition of scholars is demanding a fundamental shift. They argue that the ongoing conflict with Iran is not only economically draining but fundamentally undermines national security.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sparked immediate mockery on Thursday after releasing a promotional video framing President Trump’s massive $1.5 trillion military budget request as a cost-saving measure. The clip, intended to project fiscal discipline, instead drew sharp rebukes from critics who labeled the logic contradictory and deceptive.
One in five households in Lebanon now faces daily hunger as the nation’s children bear the brunt of an escalating military assault. A new UNICEF report highlights a harrowing reality where 261 children have been killed and nearly 770,000 are suffering from profound psychological distress following months of relentless violence.
Democratic lawmakers are raising alarms over a quiet push by the Trump administration to grant billions in tax relief to major corporations. The move, aimed at weakening the 15% corporate alternative minimum tax, has drawn fierce criticism from those who argue it undermines a critical safeguard against tax avoidance.
A bipartisan Senate agreement to streamline federal permitting faces intense backlash from conservationists, who warn the package serves as a massive handout to fossil fuel interests and tech giants while gutting foundational environmental laws, including the Endangered Species Act, to facilitate a rapid expansion of energy infrastructure.
A group of Senate Democrats is calling on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to honor his previous pledge and settle $910,000 in Medicare payroll taxes. The demand follows a recent federal appellate court ruling that narrowed the scope of a tax loophole frequently used by hedge fund managers to bypass obligations.
Witnesses were already gathered at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution when a federal appellate court stepped in on Wednesday, granting a last-minute reprieve to Christa Pike. The 2-1 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit temporarily blocked the state from carrying out its first execution of a woman in centuries.
Facing mounting pressure over the unpopular conflict in Iran and record-high fuel costs, Ohio Republican Senator Jon Husted flatly denied his role in the war effort during a television interview, despite a legislative record showing he has voted fourteen times against measures intended to curb President Donald Trump’s military actions.
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Rising ocean temperatures driven by greenhouse gas emissions have devastated 84% of the world’s coral reefs, marking the most widespread bleaching event on record. The crisis now threatens one-third of all marine species and the livelihoods of one billion people who rely on these vital ecosystems for survival.
The 10th annual Copernicus Ocean State Report warns that the world's oceans are undergoing profound, rapid transformations fueled by human-driven climate change. International researchers state that current warming rates have doubled over the last two decades, creating severe threats to marine ecosystems, coastal communities, and global food security.
More than 100 international law experts have formally declared that US military strikes on Iran violate the United Nations Charter and potentially constitute war crimes. The assessment, released Thursday by Just Security, argues that the ongoing campaign lacks both legal authorization and the justification of self-defense.
Two Tomahawk missiles reduced the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab to rubble on the first day of the US-Israeli war with Iran, killing 120 children. While the Pentagon maintains the site was a military target, a new investigation reveals the building had functioned as a civilian elementary school since 2015.
Democratic lawmakers and Brazilian authorities are sounding the alarm over what they describe as a systematic campaign by President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to influence Brazil’s October 4 presidential election, potentially destabilizing the democratic process in the South American nation.
Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton privately admitted that Donald Trump’s recent Dallas convention damaged his political standing. A leaked recording captures Paxton telling donors that the high-profile event caused his internal polling numbers to drop, marking a sharp departure from his public alignment with the former president.
Democratic Sen. John Fetterman broke ranks with his party on Tuesday, joining nearly every Republican to defeat a resolution demanding accountability for human rights abuses in the West Bank. The measure sought a formal report on the killing and imprisonment of Palestinian Americans, but failed in a narrow 47-51 vote.
President Donald Trump and a cohort of Big Tech executives, including Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, have announced a non-binding "Joint Commitment on Frontier Responsibilities" regarding artificial intelligence. The agreement pivots on industry self-policing, drawing sharp criticism from lawmakers and activists who argue that voluntary guardrails are insufficient to mitigate mounting risks.
The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the path for the Trump administration to deport eight men to South Sudan, a nation where most have no ties and which the U.S. government warns Americans to avoid. The 7-2 decision effectively ends a legal standoff over the controversial third-country removal policy.
The US Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Trump administration to resume the rapid deportation of immigrants to third countries, overriding a lower-court mandate that previously required officials to screen detainees for potential risks of persecution or torture in their destination nations.
Former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is joining the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America as president and CEO. The move by the powerful lobbying group arrives as public pressure mounts for the federal government to aggressively regulate rising prescription drug prices and rein in industry profits.
Representative Ro Khanna is pushing for federal legislation to impose a temporary ban on recursive artificial intelligence, citing fears of a civilizational extinction risk. The California Democrat argues that current self-regulation by tech firms is insufficient, even as Republican leadership maintains a hands-off stance toward the emerging industry.
Congressional Democrats are intensifying calls for accountability after reports surfaced that the Trump administration allegedly diverted $20 million in Department of Homeland Security funds to bankroll partisan campaign advertisements. Critics contend the move constitutes illegal propaganda and potentially an impeachable offense just weeks before the midterm elections.
