Latest United States government News

The Latest: Three of President Donald Trump’s cabinet picks face Senate hearings

Jan. 30, 2025 14:34 PM EST

Three of President Donald Trump’s cabinet picks prepared to face skepticism and intense grilling from Democratic senators during their confirmation hearings Thursday. What we’re following: 1. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s second hearing: Kennedy will...

Justice Department sues to block $14 billion Juniper buyout by Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Jan. 30, 2025 14:32 PM EST

The Justice Department sued to block Hewlett Packard Enterprise's $14 billion acquisition of rival Juniper Networks on Thursday, the first attempt to stop a merger by a new Trump administration that is expected to take a softer approach to mergers. The Justice complaint alleges that...

Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's pick to oversee US spy agencies, grilled about Snowden, Syria and Russia

Jan. 30, 2025 14:16 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump's pick to be director of national intelligence, faced sharp criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike Thursday during a fiery confirmation hearing focused on her past comments sympathetic to Russia, a meeting with Syria's now-deposed...

Trump consoles crash victims then dives into politics with attack on diversity initiatives

Jan. 30, 2025 14:08 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday responded to the deadliest American aviation disaster in more than two decades by blaming diversity initiatives for undermining safety and questioning the actions of a U.S. Army helicopter pilot involved in the midair collision with a...

The Latest: Collision between passenger jet and Army helicopter near DC leaves no survivors

Jan. 30, 2025 14:01 PM EST

Some 67 people — including three soldiers and more than a dozen figure skaters — were killed after a collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport near Washington, D.C. The plane was carrying 60 passengers and four crew...

Who is Sean Duffy, the new transportation secretary responding to the DC plane crash?

Jan. 30, 2025 13:12 PM EST

NEW YORK (AP) — Sean Duffy, the new transportation secretary, is facing his first major crisis just hours after his swearing-in. Duffy, who was confirmed by the Senate Tuesday, quickly emerged as a public face of the federal government's response to the deadly plane crash at Reagan...

Panama's president says there will be no negotiation about ownership of canal

Jan. 30, 2025 12:41 PM EST

PANAMA CITY (AP) — Panama President José Raúl Mulino said Thursday there will be no negotiation with the United States over ownership of the Panama Canal, and he hopes U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s upcoming visit will allow them to focus on shared interests including migration and...

US cybersecurity agency's future role in elections remains murky under the Trump administration

Jan. 30, 2025 12:25 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s cybersecurity agency has played a critical role in helping states shore up the defenses of their voting systems, but its election mission appears uncertain amid sustained criticism from Republicans and key figures in the Trump administration. ...

Trump's orders take aim at critical race theory and antisemitism on college campuses

Jan. 30, 2025 12:10 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is ordering U.S. schools to stop teaching what he views as “critical race theory” and other material dealing with race and sexuality or risk losing their federal money. A separate plan announced Wednesday calls for aggressive action to...

Donald Trump talks so much that even his White House stenographers are struggling to keep up

Jan. 30, 2025 09:53 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House stenographers have a problem. Donald Trump is talking so much, the people responsible for transcribing his public remarks are struggling to keep up with all the words. There were more than 22,000 on Inauguration Day, then another 17,000 when Trump...