Mary McCue Bell

Inflation cools in June as energy prices tumble

Americans got a reprieve from inflation in June, as U.S. consumer prices experienced the largest dip in more than six years, according to Labor Department data released Tuesday.

July 14, 2026

Clock’s ticking: House set to vote on making daylight saving time permanent

Yet another attempt to make daylight saving time the year-round standard in the U.S. is heading to the House floor.

July 13, 2026

Poll: Americans split on capitalism, skeptical of democracy

Americans' views on capitalism are split but lean negative, according to a new survey. Just over half of Americans, 51%, believe capitalism is functioning "not too well" or "not at all well," while 48% say it is functioning "very well" or "somewhat well."

July 11, 2026

Rep. Khanna says armed Israeli settlers detained him in West Bank

Rep. Ro Khanna said he was detained by Israeli settlers during his Wednesday trip to the West Bank.

July 11, 2026

U.S. extends work permits for immigrants with temporary protected status

Hundreds of thousands of immigrants with temporary protected status from seven countries, including Haiti and Syria, had their work authorization extended Friday, hours before expiration.

July 11, 2026

All 50 states join federal initiative to close foster home shortage

All 50 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have joined a federal initiative to balance the ratio of licensed foster homes and children in foster care.

July 11, 2026

Russia sanctions bill no longer deadlocked after Senate-White House agreement

A bill sanctioning Russia reached a critical agreement between the White House and a bipartisan coalition of senators, paving the way forward for its formal introduction, a bipartisan group of senators said Friday.

July 11, 2026

GOP senators seek DOJ fraud data ahead of push to codify enforcement unit

Half a dozen GOP lawmakers are requesting data to build a case for making the National Fraud Enforcement Division permanent and expanding its legal authority.

July 10, 2026

Justice Department sues Maryland over sanctuary policies

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Maryland over its newly expanded sanctuary policies for illegal immigrants, claiming it violates federal law.

July 10, 2026

HHS urges hospitals to take ‘Make Hospital Food Healthier’ pledge

The Make America Healthy Again agenda is gaining a sub-movement: Make Hospital Food Healthier, an initiative calling on hospitals to revamp their food service.

July 9, 2026

House lawmakers urge federal agencies to brace for AI election integrity threats

A bipartisan duo is calling on federal agencies to coordinate efforts to thwart potential election threats from artificial intelligence, such as chatbots giving voters inaccurate information.

July 9, 2026

Palm Beach Pete gets fake Florida Division of Elections letter telling him to quit mayoral campaign

A Jeffrey Epstein look-alike running for mayor in Palm Beach, Florida, has received a phony letter from the state elections office advising him to withdraw from the race, The Washington Times has learned.

July 9, 2026

Maine beer company founder wants to replace Graham Platner as Democrats’ Senate nominee

Maine Beer Company co-founder Dan Kleban said Wednesday that he's all in to replace scandal-plagued Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner, who has yet to drop out of the race.

July 8, 2026

DOGE shuts down with tally of budget savings in dispute

President Trump's cost-cutting initiative, the Department of Government Efficiency, officially closed its doors on Independence Day, and the administration does not plan to issue a final report on the effort.

July 8, 2026

Kentucky governor requests update on McConnell’s health, questions ability to serve

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear asked Sen. Mitch McConnell's office Wednesday for an update on the health of the 84-year-old lawmaker who was admitted to a hospital more than three weeks ago.

July 8, 2026

Bipartisan housing bill set to become law Friday, with or without Trump’s signature

The bipartisan housing bill that President Trump has refused to sign will go into effect by the end of the week -- with or without his signature.

July 8, 2026

Hill staffers want to readdress sexual misconduct reporting protocol

Staffers are pushing congressional leaders to overhaul sexual misconduct allegation protocol amid multiple claims against current lawmakers and hopeful candidates.

July 7, 2026

Senate Republicans say McConnell is ‘fully engaged’ amid health questions

Senate GOP leaders said Tuesday that they have spoken with Sen. Mitch McConnell and vouched for his competency, challenging widespread speculation about the extent of the Kentucky Republican's failing health.

July 7, 2026

Trump team pushes state AGs to investigate high gas prices

The Trump administration wants state attorneys general to join federal investigators in probing alleged antitrust and consumer protection violations causing high gas prices.

July 7, 2026

Sen. Rick Scott wants pharmaceutical tariff carve-out reversed over China’s forced labor

Sen. Rick Scott is lobbying the Trump administration to reverse forced-labor tariff carve-outs for pharmaceuticals, proposing placing duties on drugs linked to China's use of Uyghur forced labor.

July 7, 2026