Category: The Hill

Few lines are more central to the congressional Republican leadership’s elevator pitch than the idea that we will get major savings by cutting Medicaid fraud, not Medicaid benefits.   This sales pitch is no small deal to this White House. A president seeking to pass his tax bill with slim congressional majorities could be tanked by […]

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) slammed the Trump administration’s actions on immigration, pushing for Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) proposed spending cuts and free speech during a contentious town hall where she was heckled by protestors over Israel’s war in Gaza.  The “Squad” member discussed the administration’s push to end the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for […]

As I write this, I am in London. For centuries, London and the greater United Kingdom have been the land of fantastical myths, fables and legends. Speaking to various people affiliated with politics and media in the city, I was reminded of a new myth deliberately invented to advance a partisan narrative: That in 2024, […]

Florida state lawmakers ended their investigation into the Hope Florida Foundation, an organization linked to first lady Casey DeSantis’s signature welfare assistance program known as Hope Florida, but questions about the program and the foundation remain, as she and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) chart their political future.  The state House subcommittee investigating a $10 million donation to […]

New York Times political correspondent Maggie Haberman brushed off President Trump’s lack of concern about the prospects of a recession, calling it a “front.” During a Friday evening appearance on CNN’s “The Source,” host Kaitlan Collins asked Haberman if she believed Trump was unconcerned about how his latest sweeping tariffs are affecting the U.S. economy. […]

In his seminal book “The Achilles Trap,” Steve Coll offers a meticulously documented account of how mutual misperceptions, intelligence failures and institutional groupthink led to the disastrous U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. The book traces how American policymakers, driven by domestic imperatives and regional prestige, misread Saddam Hussein’s opaque and ambiguous signals. At the […]

This week, President Trump signed an executive order that seeks to restrict public funds to NPR and PBS. Since appropriations are made two years in advance, the immediate impact of the order is debatable. However, it is a moment the media should use for long-overdue self-reflection. I have been critical of some of the administration’s […]

Former Miami Mayor Francis Suarez (R) is considering throwing his hat into the ring in Florida’s 2026 gubernatorial race. Suarez, during an event hosted by Axios/The Race earlier this week, was asked whether he would consider launching a bid to replace the term limited Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). “I’m not saying I’m completely not considering […]

Public narratives about science are often shaped less by data than by incentives. When storytelling replaces evidence, we risk stifling innovation that could solve real problems — and ignoring the need for sensible safeguards where they’re actually warranted. Both outcomes endanger public safety and erode trust in science.   Nowhere is this clearer than in […]

China signaled the nation is “assessing” potential trade talks with the U.S. amid the Trump administration’s trade war but urged Washington to show “sincerity” to establish trust.  “As the #US has recently reached out through relevant channels multiple times, expressing a desire to engage in talks with China over #tariff issues, #China is currently assessing […]

Columbia University student and pro-Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi called his recent release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention a “victory for democracy.”  Mahdawi recounted the day he was detained by federal immigration authorities in mid-April while he was at a naturalization interview to become a U.S. citizen. “The Department of Homeland Security’s plan did […]

The numbers are staggering — and sobering. In 2024, the Anti-Defamation League recorded 9,354 incidents of antisemitic harassment, vandalism and assault in the U.S. That’s the highest total in our 46-year history of tracking this data, averaging more than 25 incidents per day.  For the fourth year in a row, the count has broken previous […]

(NEXSTAR) – In its storied 151-year history, there is an infamous starting gate number that has never produced a Kentucky Derby winner. The gate numbers, known as post positions, are decided by a random drawing. Betting odds shift based on where horses start and how they respond to certain posts, according to Covers.com, with the biggest […]

Prince Harry said recently that he “would love a reconciliation” with the royal family. Harry, in an interview with the BBC, said King Charles “won’t speak to me because of this security stuff,” but added that he doesn’t want to fight with the family anymore. He also said he doesn’t know how long his father […]

Contrary to what you hear from most D.C. Beltway politicians and national media pundits, we do still make things in America. Veronique de Rugy, an economist and a senior research fellow at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center, pointed out in a recent commentary that the inflation-adjusted value of U.S. industrial production — that is, manufacturing, mining and […]

A former budget analyst for the State Department pleaded guilty earlier this week to embezzling $657,347.50 during her employment. Levita Almuete Ferrer, 64, from Maryland, admitted she used her signature authority over a checking account for the State Department between March 2022 and April 2024. Ferrer, also known as Levita Brezovic, attempted to hide the scheme […]

As President Trump spent the week marking the 100th day of his new term, he regularly invoked his predecessor, blaming former President Biden for a wide range of economic issues and mocked him during a blitz of public appearances.  Trump declared it was “Biden’s Stock Market” to account for the turbulence during his first three […]

Multiple refineries in California have recently declared their intentions to shutter operations, leaving the Golden State uncertain about future fuel supplies and impacts on prices at the pump. Valero Energy Corp. was the latest to make such an announcement, alerting the California Energy Commission (CEC) last month that it would “idle, restructure or cease refining operations” […]

The Democratic primary for the New Jersey governor’s race is a jump ball just more than a month before voters head to the polls.  Public polling of the race has been sparse, but the available public and internal surveys have shown Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) with a small lead over the other five candidates running. […]

Former national security adviser John Bolton characterized Marco Rubio’s new dual role as secretary of state and national security adviser as “absolutely bizarre,” suggesting during an interview that it could make President Trump look bad.  “An organized White House would announce the successor immediately. And the fact that they didn’t have a successor showed they […]