May 16 FEMA will shift more disaster recovery responsibilities to the states, acting chief says By Gabriela Aoun Angueira, Associated Press In comments that cemented the Trump administration's intent to bring about a major shift in the agency's mission, David Richardson said FEMA's intent for the 2025 “disaster season” will be to strengthen states' abilities for response and recovery while coordinating… Continue reading
May 16 Fact-checking Trump's claim that prescription drug price drops could happen 'almost immediately' By Louis Jacobson, PolitiFact Experts said Trump’s action could potentially lower the cost of prescription drugs, perhaps by the 30 percent to 80 percent scale Trump said, but they cautioned that the order’s required procedural steps would make it far from an immediate fix. Continue reading
May 16 Children die after USAID funding cuts end lifeline for displaced communities fleeing violence By Taiwo Adebayo, Associated Press For years, the United States Agency for International Development had been the backbone of the humanitarian response in northeastern Nigeria, helping non-government organizations provide food, shelter and healthcare to millions of people. But this year, the Trump administration cut more… Continue reading
May 16 House Republicans stall spending package for steeper cuts to Medicaid and green energy By Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking, Associated Press The hard-right lawmakers are insisting on steeper spending cuts to Medicaid and the Biden-era green energy tax breaks, among other changes, before they will give their support to President Donald Trump's "beautiful” bill. They warn the tax cuts alone would… Continue reading
May 16 Senate Republicans block Democratic push for transparency over Trump's deportations to El Salvador By Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press The resolution blocked by Republicans would force administration officials to report to Congress about what steps it is taking to comply with courts that have ruled on the deportations. Democrats have highlighted the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was… Continue reading
May 16 Trump's big bill faces next hurdle in Congress as GOP conservatives warn they may vote against it By Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking, Associated Press Conservatives are holding out for steeper cuts to Medicaid and other programs to help offset the costs of the tax breaks. But at the same time, lawmakers from high-tax states including New York are demanding a deeper tax deduction, known… Continue reading
May 16 WATCH: Attorneys react to latest Kilmar Abrego Garcia hearing where judge called Trump administration's explanation 'inadequate' By Ben Finley, Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press A federal judge told the Trump administration Friday that its explanation for invoking the state secrets privilege in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case is inadequate, describing the government’s reasoning for withholding information as “take my word for it.”… Continue reading
May 16 Military commanders told to identify troops for medical checks under Trump administration's transgender ban By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press A senior defense official laid out what could be a complicated and lengthy new process aimed at fulfilling President Donald Trump’s directive to remove transgender service members from the U.S. military. Continue reading
May 16 Trump says Iran has a proposal from the U.S. on its rapidly advancing nuclear program By Zeke Miller, Jon Gambrell, Associated Press One major sticking point remains Iran's enrichment of uranium, which Tehran insists it must be allowed to do and the Trump administration increasingly insists the Islamic Republic must give up. Continue reading
May 16 WATCH: Gov. Phil Murphy reacts to NJ Transit strike By Bruce Shipkowski, Associated Press NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri appeared Friday alongside Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy at a news conference. They said they got close to what the union was seeking on wages but raised concerns about the longer-term fiscal health of the transit… Continue reading