National Politics

President Donald Trump and former first lady Michelle Obama are the most admired man and woman of 2020, according to a new Gallup poll released Tuesday. It’s the first time Trump has topped the list alone, ending a 12-year run by his predecessor, Barack Obama, with whom he tied for most admired in 2019. For

The House of Representatives on Monday passed a measure to increase stimulus checks for Americans under a certain income level to $2,000 after President Donald Trump championed the effort, sending the bill to the Senate where its future is less certain. The legislation, which passed with a 275-134 vote, comes a day after Trump signed

Retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a key witness in President Donald Trump’s impeachment inquiry, said Monday evening he has no regrets about delivering the explosive testimony that garnered fierce backlash from Trump and ultimately informed his early exit from the military. “So I think that, in the end, I have no regrets about how

Rev. Josh Saefkow walked across the stage before his congregation at Flat Creek Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, holding up the front page of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The pastor, an avid news reader, had been saving the paper through 2020, to urge reflection in his final Sunday sermon of the

The House of Representatives on Monday voted to override President Donald Trump’s veto of the sweeping defense bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act, delivering a bipartisan rebuke to the President. The bill initially passed both the House and Senate with veto-proof majorities, but amid Trump’s continued opposition, it had been unclear if the

President-elect Joe Biden on Monday said his transition team has “encountered roadblocks” from political leadership at the Defense Department and the Office of Management and Budget as his advisers work with the Trump administration. “We just aren’t getting all the information that we need from the outgoing administration in key national security areas,” Biden said, after

President Donald Trump signed on Sunday evening a $900 billion pandemic relief bill into law that includes enhanced unemployment benefits and direct cash payments. The measure is the second-largest federal stimulus package after the $2 trillion CARES Act that Congress approved in March. Lawmakers passed the bill last Monday, just in time to get something

The new round of stimulus payments included in the $900 billion Covid relief package are expected to start going out this week, an administration official told CNN, while acknowledging that the timing could slide. The legislation, which President Donald Trump signed Sunday evening, provides for $600 checks to individuals who meet income limits. Experts previously

US Rep. Gwen Moore said Monday that she has tested positive for Covid-19, becoming the latest member of Congress to announce they’ve contracted the virus. The Wisconsin Democrat tweeted Monday: “I tested positive for COVID-19. I am following guidance from my doctor and am isolating from others. I am thankful to be feeling well. And

A federal appeals court on Monday blocked New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s restrictions on religious gatherings, saying the restrictions “are not narrowly tailored to stem the spread of Covid-19.” The decision comes after the US Supreme Court ruled in November that Jewish and Catholic houses of worship faced “far more restrictive” Covid-19 regulations than businesses.

Editor’s note: This story originally ran December 18, 2020. It has been updated with President Donald Trump signing relief legislation that includes stimulus checks. A second round of stimulus payments was included in a coronavirus relief package signed by President Donald Trump on Sunday night. The deal provides for $600 checks, but experts say it

President-elect Joe Biden on Monday condemned the bombing on Christmas morning in Nashville as he delivered remarks after a briefing from members of his national security and foreign policy agency review teams. The blast injured at least eight people and damaged more than 40 buildings, and the bomber was found dead. “This bombing was a

The House of Representatives will vote Monday in an effort to override President Donald Trump’s veto of the sweeping defense bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act, forcing GOP lawmakers to choose between loyalty to the President and legislation that sets defense policy for the country. The bill initially passed both the House and