Dec 21 Trump says a shutdown would 'last for a very long time' By Lisa Mascaro, Matthew Daly, Zeke Miller, Associated Press Facing a midnight deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown, President Donald Trump said Friday a closure would drag on "for a very long time" and he tried to lay blame on congressional Democrats if there's no deal over his… Continue reading
Dec 20 Read James Mattis' full resignation letter By Daniel Bush In his resignation letter, Defense Secretary James Mattis appeared to point to his policy differences with President Donald Trump, who has frequently clashed with U.S. allies. Continue reading
Dec 20 Trump signs $867B farm bill without food stamp program cuts By Associated Press Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says the regulation to tighten work requirements was a tradeoff for Trump's support for the bill. Continue reading
Dec 20 4 questions about the Trump administration's decision to make asylum seekers wait in Mexico By Joshua Barajas Asylum seekers at the southwest border will now have to wait in Mexico while their claims are processed in U.S. immigration courts, a significant departure from decades of American immigration policy. Here's what we know about the change. Continue reading
Dec 20 Trump announces Defense Secretary Mattis will retire in February By Zeke Miller, Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press The announcement came a day after Trump surprised U.S. allies and members of Congress by announcing the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Syria, and as he continues to consider shrinking the American deployment in Afghanistan. Continue reading
Dec 20 WATCH: Trump will not sign funding bill over border security, Paul Ryan says President Donald Trump has told congressional Republicans he "will not sign" a spending bill passed by the Senate to avoid a partial government shutdown Friday, and he's citing an impasse over money for a border wall with Mexico. Continue reading
Dec 20 AP fact check: Trump prematurely declares victory over Islamic State group By Philip Issa, Associated Press President Donald Trump is declaring victory over the Islamic State group in Syria, but the militants remain a deadly force, and U.S. partners warn a premature U.S. withdrawal will allow them to storm back. Here's a look at the president's… Continue reading
Dec 20 Trump pulling out of Syria. Might Afghanistan be next? By Robert Burns, Associated Press Against the advice of many in his own administration, President Donald Trump is pulling U.S. troops out of Syria. Could a withdrawal from Afghanistan be far behind?… Continue reading
Dec 20 WATCH: Justice Department levies charges against 2 Chinese hackers By Michael Balsamo, Eric Tucker, Associated Press The Justice Department is charging two Chinese citizens with carrying out an extensive hacking campaign to steal data from U.S. companies. Continue reading
Dec 20 In memo, Trump's AG pick William Barr criticized aspect of Mueller probe By Eric Tucker, Associated Press The document expresses concern with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into whether Trump obstructed justice, which Trump denies. It could factor into Barr's confirmation hearings and prompt questions about whether he can be unbiased in overseeing the investigation. Continue reading