The Social Security Fairness Act, signed by former President Biden in January, increased benefits for many seniors in the U.S. But what if you haven’t received your increase? As of May 2, the Social Security Administration (SSA) reported that 84 percent of workers have received increased benefits. This accounts for about 2.4 million people and […]
Chemical liability shields hurt our ability to make agriculture healthy again
What happens when corporations are allowed to cause harm without consequence? Across the country, state legislatures and Congress are considering laws that would give chemical manufacturers just that: liability shields that protect them from lawsuits, even when their products are linked to cancer, infertility or birth defects. This push is not theoretical. Georgia’s legislature recently […]
Trump fires all 3 Democrats on the Consumer Product Safety Commission
The Consumer Product Safety Commission works to protect Americans from dangerous products and issuing recalls and warnings. It’s the latest attempt by Trump to exact control over independent agencies. (Image credit: Ricky Carioti)
BBC correspondent questions Trump over US beef exports
The UK says it will maintain food standards which lock out some types of American beef and chicken.
How good is the UK trade pact for America?
In Trump’s new trade pact with the UK, we got a glimpse of the types of agreements he may seek across the globe.
Turkish Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk to be released
Her arrest follows the White House’s crackdown on what it has classified as antisemitism on US campuses.
Vice President Vance says India-Pakistan fighting is ‘none of our business’
Vice President Vance said the fighting between India and Pakistan was “fundamentally none of our business.” Experts say the U.S. used to work hard to de-escalate crises between the nuclear states. (Image credit: Paul Morigi)
What we know about Pope Leo’s politics
Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the 12:30 Report newsletter Subscribe Happy Friday! And an early Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms reading this! 💐 In today’s issue: Political implications of Pope Leo’s selection Interviews with […]
We need a bipartisan Congress to check presidential power
It is no coincidence that the first article of the U.S. Constitution, the one the Framers prioritized, defines the powers of Congress, not the president. The Framers assumed Congress would play the leading role under the new constitution, as it had through the Continental Congress and the Confederation Congress. As Americans have witnessed since Jan. 20, […]
Ohio GOP endorses Ramaswamy for governor
The Ohio Republican Party endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy for governor at its central committee meeting, giving the former presidential candidate another boost in his run for the state office. The state GOP announced its Friday endorsement of Ramaswamy in a post on social platform X shortly after its central committee voted to favor him over state […]
Immigrants set for Libya deportation sat on tarmac for hours, attorney says
Any Trump administration efforts to send non-Libyans to the north African country would violate a prior court order Immigrants in Texas who were told they would be deported to Libya sat on a military airfield tarmac for hours on Wednesday, unsure of what would happen next, an attorney for one of the men has said. […]
Trump tightens control of independent agency overseeing nuclear safety
NPR has learned that rules must now be vetted by the White House and that the administration is drafting an executive order that could loosen radiation limits. (Image credit: Chip Somodevilla)
Pope Leo’s stance on key issues, from climate change to LGBTQ+ rights to U.S. politics
Pope Leo is seen as a centrist who shares his predecessor’s progressive views on certain social issues. Here’s what we know so far. (Image credit: Vatican Media)
Trump, lawmakers at odds over whether FEMA should be elevated to Cabinet-level agency or completely overhauled
While President Donald Trump wants to gut the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are seeking to elevate FEMA to a Cabinet-level agency. FEMA is currently housed under the Department of Homeland Security, but the House effort would solidify FEMA as its own separate agency, according to a discussion […]
Hegseth orders deadline for trans service members to leave military: ‘Out at the DOD’
Transgender troops have between 30 and 60 days to self-separate from the military after a court order allowed the ban on their service to move forward, according to a Thursday memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. “After a SCOTUS victory for @POTUS, TRANS is out at the DOD,” Hegseth wrote on X, along with a video […]
Trump fires three Democrats on Consumer Product Safety Commission
President Trump fired the three Democrats on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), a White House official told The Hill, aligning with his view that the president has authority over independent agencies. The CPSC issues standards and institutes bans on products that they deem are a risk to consumers. They are behind recalls of products, […]
Hochul: New York’s classroom phone ban ‘saving education’
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said a classroom phone ban set to be implemented this year will protect students’ education. The distraction free school policy will make New York the largest state in the nation to require statewide, bell-to-bell restrictions on smartphones in K-12 schools. “I’ve been a mom longer than I’ve been a […]
Watch live: White House holds briefing amid trade, Ukraine talks
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will brief reporters Friday afternoon, a day after President Trump announced the first major trade deal following last month’s sweeping tariff announcement. Trump on Thursday unveiled an agreement between the U.S. and United Kingdom, as global and domestic markets continue to reel from the administration’s rollout of tariffs. On […]
‘It’s all very sad’: Trump’s attack on arts funding has a devastating effect
The president’s steady dismantling of the National Endowment for the Arts has affected organizations across the US with more chaos set to continue On the afternoon of 3 May, arts organizations around the US began receiving cryptic emails from a previously unknown government email account. The missives declared that these organizations’ missions were no longer […]
Americans still dream about factory jobs. Can they be brought back?
Trump’s administration said they want tariffs to boost US manufacturing, and most Americans want more factory jobs here. But what makes us nostalgic for factory work? (Image credit: Martin/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
