Tom Howell Jr.

Musk forges ahead with DOGE demand for list of federal workers’ tasks

Elon Musk says he is giving federal employees a second chance to respond to his demand for a list of recent accomplishments and that failure to respond could result in termination.

February 25, 2025

Personnel office tells agency chiefs that employee response to Musk-inspired email ‘voluntary’

The Office of Personnel Management notified federal department chiefs Monday that employees' response to an email prompted by Elon Musk about their weekly work product is voluntary, and failure to do so will not be considered a resignation.

February 24, 2025

Federal workers sue over DOGE demand for accomplishments

A lawsuit filed Monday accuses Elon Musk of violating federal law by demanding to know what government employees accomplished or risk being terminated, as agency workers were left wondering if they should comply or hold off.

February 24, 2025

China accuses U.S. of ‘weaponizing’ business and trade with Trump-signed investment restriction

Beijing lashed out Monday at President Trump's order curtailing Chinese investment in critical U.S. sectors, saying it will hurt America's interests and undermine its "international credibility."

February 24, 2025

Apple announces $500 billion in the U.S. as Trump takes victory lap

Tech behemoth Apple said Monday it will spend more than $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years.

February 24, 2025

Trump rips Zelenskyy in radio interview, tells governors of ‘good talks with Putin’

President Trump attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday as ineffective and said it's not important for the Kyiv leader to be at meetings with Russian officials to negotiate an end to the war.

February 21, 2025

Treasury Secretary Bessent trades tariff complaints with Chinese counterpart

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng aired gripes about each other's policy moves in a Friday call, underscoring trade tensions.

February 21, 2025

Dr. Oz pledges to ditch medical stocks if confirmed to lead federal insurance agency

Mehmet Oz is pledging to divest from a broad portfolio of health care stocks if he is confirmed as President Trump's pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

February 21, 2025

Senate confirms Kash Patel as FBI director

The Senate on Thursday confirmed Kash Patel as FBI director, handing President Trump's outspoken nominee a green light to overhaul the bureau that conservatives say had been "weaponized" against them.

February 20, 2025

Education Secretary nominee Linda McMahon inches toward Senate confirmation

A Senate panel on Thursday advanced former professional wrestling executive Linda McMcMahon's nomination to lead the Department of Education.

February 20, 2025

HHS cancels the CDC’s ‘Wild to Mild’ flu vaccine campaign: Report

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reportedly canceling a flu-vaccine campaign that depicted wild animals and encouraged Americans to tame the illness through immunization.

February 20, 2025

Trump hypes USA to beat ‘51st state’ Canada in hockey final

President Trump is stirring the pot before a major hockey clash Thursday between the U.S. and Canada, using the occasion to revive his offer of making America's northern neighbor the 51st state.

February 20, 2025

Trump’s Transportation Department moves to kill congestion pricing in Manhattan

The Trump administration said Wednesday it is canceling federal approval of New York City's controversial congestion-pricing program that charged vehicles a toll for entering busy parts of Manhattan.

February 19, 2025

Trump’s Labor pick says she supports blue-collar workers, state flexibility on labor rules

Lori Chavez-DeRemer testified at her confirmation hearing Wednesday she is "uniquely prepared" to lead the Department of Labor because her dual support from industry and labor reflects the broad coalition of business leaders, blue-collar Americans and workers of color who powered President Trump's election victory.

February 19, 2025

Trump approval slips due to economic approach, poll shows

President Trump's approval rating is starting to slip as people express doubts about his ability to address economic concerns, including inflation, according to a new poll.

February 19, 2025

Trump signs executive order targeting COVID-19 vaccine mandates

President Trump signed an executive order Friday that halts federal funding for schools and universities that require students to be vaccinated against coronavirus.

February 14, 2025

Government staff cuts reach CDC, prompting outcry from Georgia Democratic senator

The Trump administration is reportedly slashing the workforce at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the nation's premier disease-fighting agency, by nearly 1,300 positions.

February 14, 2025

Vance chastises Europe over threat from ‘within,’ rails against censorship, migrant flood

Vice President J.D. Vance scolded European leaders on Friday for failing to address unchecked migration or uphold free speech principles and democratic values.

February 14, 2025

New HHS chief RFK Jr. says he will address physical and ‘spiritual’ health crisis

Newly confirmed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says many Americans confront both a "health crisis" and a "spiritual" one, crises that leave them disconnected from others and fuel alcoholism, suicide and drug addiction.

February 14, 2025

RFK Jr. gets final approval to ‘go wild,’ vows to ‘solve the childhood chronic disease epidemic’

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services after his confirmation Thursday, giving him license to "go wild" on health and putting the last of President Trump's contentious nominees in place so his Cabinet can reset the federal government.

February 13, 2025