Aug 13 Watch 6:12 How far-right activist Laura Loomer is shaping the Trump administration By Stephanie Sy, Ali Schmitz, Laken Kincaid, Genesis Magpayo A right-wing political activist who has spread conspiracy theories and used hate speech has become a central figure in the hirings and firings of Trump staffers. Laura Loomer has successfully lobbied to remove aides in several key government roles, including… Continue watching
Aug 13 Appeals court lets Trump administration suspend or end billions in foreign aid funding By Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press Two of three judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit concluded that grant recipients challenging the freeze did not meet the requirements for a preliminary injunction restoring the flow of money. Continue reading
Aug 13 Early education experts see this new Trump rule as ‘the wrong step at the wrong time’ By Laura Santhanam Shutting off federal loans for these students could turn people away from the profession altogether, at a time when teachers are burnt out and leaving classrooms and daycares, early childhood educators and experts told PBS News. Continue reading
Aug 13 Trump lawsuit against Maryland’s entire federal bench meets skepticism in court By Lea Skene, Associated Press A judge is considering why it was necessary for the Trump administration to sue Maryland's entire federal bench over an order stopping the immediate deportation of immigrants challenging their removals. Continue reading
Aug 13 Trump warns of ‘severe consequences’ if Putin does not agree to stop war after summit By Geir Moulson, Sylvie Corbet, Associated Press He did not say what the consequences might be. The remark came soon after Trump consulted with European leaders, who said the president assured them he would make a priority of trying to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine when he… Continue reading
Aug 13 Zelenskyy and other European leaders to speak with Trump ahead of his Friday summit with Putin By Stefanie Dazio, Lorne Cook, Associated Press Merz has convened a series of virtual meetings on Wednesday in an attempt to have the voice of European and Ukraine's leaders heard ahead of a summit that they have been sidelined from. Continue reading
Aug 13 WATCH: Trump names Strait, Stallone and Kiss for Kennedy Center Honors and says he’ll host the awards show By Annie Ma, Hillel Italie, Associated Press As the new chairman of the Kennedy Center, President Donald Trump added a highly personal stamp to this year's announcement of the recipients of the annual honors. Continue reading
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