Aug 12 WATCH: Asked if Trump administration will continue to release jobs report, Leavitt says ‘I believe that is the plan’ By Associated Press White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that the government will continue to issue the monthly jobs report, which includes the nation’s unemployment rate, despite comments by an administration’s nominee that suggested suspending it. Continue reading
Aug 12 Watch 6:22 State Department drops criticism of Israel and El Salvador in human rights report By Nick Schifrin The State Department released its annual human rights report Tuesday, but unlike in years past, this edition has come under scrutiny for omitting issues and countries with poor human rights records. Nick Schifrin looks at the report and at this… Continue watching
Aug 12 Why economists are criticizing Trump’s nominee to oversee data on jobs and inflation By Christopher Rugaber, Josh Boak, Associated Press President Donald Trump has selected E.J. Antoni, chief economist at the conservative Heritage Foundation, to be the next commissioner at the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Antoni's nomination was quickly met with a cascade of criticism from other economists. Continue reading
Aug 12 Will Trump change federal marijuana policy? Here’s what to know By David A. Lieb, Associated Press President Donald Trump is taking a new look at reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug in a move that could nudge the federal government closer to an approach already embraced in many states. Continue reading
Aug 12 After the shooting at CDC, RFK Jr. criticizes agency’s pandemic response By Associated Press President Donald Trump’s Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., also described political violence as “wrong” and said his job is to protect employees. Continue reading
Aug 12 A look at the past meetings between Putin and American presidents By Dasha Litvinova, Associated Press Bilateral meetings between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterparts were a regular occurrence early in his tenure. Those became increasingly less frequent, and their tone became less friendly. Continue reading
Aug 12 Trump’s DC rhetoric echoes history of racist narratives about urban crime By Matt Brown, Associated Press Trump's rhetoric echoes that of conservative politicians who've denounced cities with majority non-white populations or progressive leaders as crime-ridden and in need of outside intervention. Continue reading
Aug 12 How Trump exaggerates DC crime in taking over its police department and deploying the National Guard By Gabrielle Lazor, Samantha Putterman, Maria Ramirez Uribe, Amy Sherman, PolitiFact The nation’s capital is "becoming a situation of complete and total lawlessness," President Donald Trump said at an Aug. 11 press conference. Many of the details he cited do not stand up to scrutiny. Continue reading
Aug 12 WATCH: White House suggests DC police takeover may last longer than 30 days By Associated Press During a news briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the administration would “reevaluate and reassess and make further decisions” after the 30-day period is over. Continue reading
Aug 12 Fact-checking Trump’s claims about homicides in DC By Maria Ramirez Uribe, PolitiFact President Donald Trump stretched an outdated homicide rate into an inaccurate blanket statement. Continue reading