Sep 05 U.S. set to ease travel restrictions on West African leader accused of corruption, officials say By Matthew Lee, Associated Press Two U.S. officials familiar with the matter said the State Department is processing a one-month sanctions waiver for the vice president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro “Teddy” Nguema Obiang, following recommendations that it is in the U.S. national interest to blunt growing… Continue reading
Aug 26 WATCH: Rubio jokes this Labor Day is most meaningful ever 'as someone with 4 jobs' By Associated Press Marco Rubio has three other roles in addition to his full-time job as America’s chief diplomat. Continue reading
Aug 21 Trump administration vetting all 55 million U.S. visa holders in growing crackdown By Matthew Lee, Associated Press The Trump administration said Thursday that it is reviewing more than 55 million people who have valid U.S. visas for any violations that could lead to deportation, marking a growing crackdown on foreigners who are even permitted to be in the United… 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 07 What is a visa bond? Here's who is affected by the U.S. State Department's new program By Gabrielle Lazor, Samantha Putterman, PolitiFact The U.S. State Department announced a new rule implementing up to $15,000 bonds on tourism and business visa applicants from countries with historically higher rates of visa overstays. Here’s who’s affected by the change. Continue reading
Jul 18 Watch 7:12 As State Department office combating human trafficking faces cuts, former leader weighs in By John Yang, Dan Sagalyn For 25 years, the State Department has had an office tracking the scope of human trafficking and working to combat it. In 2023, more than 133,000 victims were identified globally, leading to more than 18,000 prosecutions. Last week, the Trump… Continue watching
Jul 11 State Department is firing over 1,300 employees under Trump administration plan By Matthew Lee, Associated Press The cuts have been roundly criticized by current and former diplomats who say they will weaken U.S. influence and its ability to counter existing and emerging threats abroad. Continue reading
Jul 08 AI tech used to impersonate Rubio in messages to foreign and U.S. officials By Matthew Lee, Associated Press The State Department is warning U.S. diplomats of attempts to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio and possibly other officials using AI-driven technology. Continue reading
Jun 26 WATCH: State Department holds news briefing as Rubio helps brief Congress on Iran strikes By Associated Press The classified briefing, originally scheduled for Tuesday, also comes as the Senate is expected to vote this week on a resolution that would require congressional approval if President Donald Trump were to order another strike on Iran. Continue reading
Jun 25 WATCH: OMB Director Vought testifies on Trump's rescission request in Senate hearing By Kevin Freking, Associated Press A Senate panel challenged on a bipartisan basis the merits of cancelling billions of dollars in spending for foreign aid and public media as part of a contentious hearing Wednesday examining the White House's request for the cuts. Continue reading