What Trump's decision to wade into spending fight tells us about the next 4 years

WASHINGTON (AP) — After days of threats and demands, Donald Trump had little to show for it once lawmakers passed a budget deal in the early hours of Saturday, narrowly averting a pre-Christmas government shutdown. The president-elect successfully pushed House Republicans to...

Saints rule out QB Derek Carr, RB Alvin Kamara for Monday night game at Green Bay

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The New Orleans Saints won't have quarterback Derek Carr or running back Alvin Kamara available for Monday night's game at Green Bay. The Saints (5-9) ruled both players out Saturday for the matchup with the Packers (10-4). Carr hasn't...

Shutdown saga exposes new fault lines for Speaker Johnson and tests his grip on the gavel

WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the most turbulent sessions of Congress in the modern era is about to make way for the next one. Midnight passage of the government shutdown package put in sharp focus the political fault lines emerging in Washington, as President-elect Donald Trump returns...

Biden signs bill that averts a government shutdown and brings a close to days of Washington upheaval

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed a bill into law Saturday that averts a government shutdown, bringing a final close to days of upheaval after Congress approved a temporary funding plan just past the deadline and refused President-elect Donald Trump’s core debt demands in the...

Senate passes RFK Stadium land bill, giving the Washington Commanders a major off-the-field win

The path for the NFL's Washington Commanders to return to the nation’s capital is clear after an on-again, off-again saga in Congress ended early Saturday with a postmidnight reprieve. The U.S. Senate passed a resolution to transfer the land including old RFK Stadium from the...

What changes should small businesses be aware of for 2025?

For small businesses, the biggest change in the new year will be the arrival of a presumably more business-friendly administration in Washington. But there are other shifts owners should keep on their radar. Among them: changes to state-level overtime and minimum wage rules, the...

SIU-Edwardsville visits Southeast Missouri State after Washington's 28-point outing

SIU-Edwardsville Cougars (7-5, 0-1 OVC) at Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (5-6, 1-0 OVC) Cape Girardeau, Missouri; Saturday, 4:45 p.m. EST BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Cougars -1.5; over/under is 139.5 BOTTOM LINE: Southeast Missouri State hosts...

Senate passes Social Security benefits boost for many public service retirees

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed legislation early Saturday to boost Social Security payments for millions of people, pushing a longtime priority for former public employees through Congress in one of its last acts for the year. The bipartisan bill, which next heads to President...

Musk helped kill a congressional spending bill. But much of what he spread was misinformation

President-elect Donald Trump's billionaire ally Elon Musk played a key role this week in killing a bipartisan funding proposal that would have prevented a government shutdown, railing against the plan in a torrent of more than 100 X posts that included multiple false claims. The X...

Government funding bill clears the Senate and heads to President Biden for his signature, averting shutdown