WashingTone

AI Manager at San Francisco Store Recommends Firing Human Employee

Luna, an autonomous AI running Andon Market, moved to dismiss a worker who was late for 17 of 23 shifts; human supervisors reviewed and carried out the termination.

Maine Senate Race Becomes Key Democratic Target Ahead of Midterms

The Maine Senate contest is emerging as a major test for Democrats seeking a majority, with progressive and establishment factions divided over how to challenge Republican Senator Susan Collins, a centrist who has frequently diverged fro...

Trump Advisers Urge Senate Republicans to Make Healthcare Central to Midterm Campaigns

Political advisers to President Donald Trump have privately encouraged Senate Republicans to emphasize healthcare in their midterm campaign messaging rather than voter identification initiatives, citing internal polling as they seek to s...

Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Clear Way for White House East Wing Expansion

The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to overturn lower-court rulings blocking a proposed East Wing expansion of the White House, while newly unsealed architectural renderings show a prominent gold addition to the historic...

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt to Leave Administration at End of August

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has announced plans to step down at the end of August and move into an outside advisory role, marking a major communications change for the Trump administration ahead of the midterm elections.

Ukraine Suspends Black Sea Drone Strikes After Request From U.S. Vice President Vance

Ukraine has suspended drone strikes targeting oil tankers near Russia’s Black Sea port of Novorossiysk following a request from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, as the Trump administration raised concerns that the attacks could disrupt ener...

Senate Democrats Seek Briefings on Reported Secret Trump Evacuation Over Iranian Threat

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and senior Democrats on intelligence committees are demanding congressional briefings after reports that President Donald Trump was secretly evacuated from a NATO summit in Turkey aboard an alternate ...

Trump Renews Push to Remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook Despite Supreme Court Ruling

President Donald Trump has renewed efforts to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over alleged mortgage fraud, demanding a response within three weeks despite a recent Supreme Court ruling concerning the limits on presidential remo...

Senate Confirms Todd Blanche as U.S. Attorney General After Narrow Confirmation Vote

The Republican-led Senate confirmed Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Todd Blanche as attorney general by a 50-49 vote, overcoming Republican resistance over a proposed anti-weaponization fund and executive tax immunity provisions.

Former NBA Players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White Say They Will Enter 2027 WNBA Draft

The provocative declarations have pushed transgender eligibility into the WNBA spotlight even though no transgender woman has ever played in the league and neither former NBA player has been confirmed as eligible for the draft.

US Appeals Court Rules AI Agent's Website Actions Are Legally Attributed to the User

In a landmark dispute between Amazon and Perplexity, the Ninth Circuit ruled that a customer using an AI assistant to navigate Amazon is the party accessing the website under federal computer-access law, overturning an injunction against...

Congress Faces Funding Standoff Ahead of October 1 Government Shutdown Deadline

House and Senate negotiators remain divided over competing stopgap spending measures and disputes over oversight of executive branch appointments as they work to prevent a government shutdown before October 1. Senate Democrats are seekin...

Trump Threatens to Declare Strait of Hormuz US Territory as Iran Talks Stall

President Donald Trump has threatened to designate the Strait of Hormuz as United States territory as military operations and economic pressure on Iran continue. The remarks came as negotiations remained stalled after Tehran rejected reo...

Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Halt Ruling Blocking White House Ballroom Construction

The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to suspend an appeals court ruling that blocked construction of the proposed $400 million White House ballroom. Solicitor General D. John Sauer argues the project forms part of an inte...

Karoline Leavitt Announces Departure as White House Press Secretary

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is stepping down from her role, prompting the Trump administration to consider a successor to lead its daily media operation as the midterm election campaign and major legislative battles appr...

Congress Demands Classified Briefings on DOJ and FBI Surveillance and Foreign Influence Investigations

Republican and Democratic lawmakers are pressing the Justice Department and FBI for classified briefings on counterintelligence and foreign influence investigations, including questions over the use of federal surveillance and wiretap au...

Trump Faces Bipartisan Criticism Over Rhetoric Targeting Democratic Primary Winners

President Donald Trump has drawn criticism from Democrats and Republicans after describing progressive Democratic nominees as jihadists in remarks and social media posts, with civil rights groups and moderate lawmakers warning that the r...

ACLU Challenges Trump Administration Restrictions on Birthright Citizenship

The American Civil Liberties Union and other voting and civil rights advocates have asked federal courts to block renewed efforts by the Trump administration to restrict birthright citizenship for some children born to undocumented immig...

ICE Plans $20 Million Purchase of Electrified Restraint Gloves for Enforcement Operations

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has issued a procurement notice for up to $20 million of restraint gloves capable of delivering low-output electrical shocks, prompting civil rights groups and congressional Democrats to question th...

Federal Judge Blocks USPS From Implementing Trump Order Affecting Mail-In Voting

A federal judge has expanded an injunction preventing the US Postal Service from implementing parts of a Trump administration executive order targeting mail-in voting procedures, preserving nationwide protections ahead of the November mi...

US Thirty-Year Treasury Yields Reach Highest Level in Twenty-Five Years

The US Treasury sold $25 billion of thirty-year bonds at the highest long-term borrowing yield in a quarter century, reflecting investor concerns over rising federal debt, persistent inflation expectations and heavy government spending.

US Consumer Sentiment Falls Sharply as Middle East Tensions Add to Inflation Concerns

The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index fell 7.6 percent to 51.0 in August, ending two months of modest recovery as households across political groups reported greater concern about living costs and energy prices.

US Treasury Prepares Sweeping Economic Measures Against Iran as Energy Tensions Escalate

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the United States is preparing unprecedented measures to isolate Iran economically by targeting remaining maritime trade and banking channels, as Middle East disruptions push up US gasoline prices an...

Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Revive Construction of $400 Million White House Ballroom

The Trump administration has asked the US Supreme Court to overturn a lower-court injunction blocking construction of a $400 million ballroom planned for the White House East Wing, arguing the project includes integrated military and sec...

Congress Opens Probe Into Algorithmic Pricing Practices by Airlines and Retailers

Representative Frank Pallone is leading a congressional inquiry into whether major airlines and national retailers use consumer data and algorithmic tracking to apply discriminatory dynamic pricing, with lawmakers demanding documents fro...

Trump Says Political Alliances Around Pro-Israel Lobbying Have Shifted in Washington

President Donald Trump has pointed to changing partisan alliances on Capitol Hill, saying political dynamics surrounding Middle East policy and the influence of traditional lobbying groups have evolved significantly over the past two dec...

Congress Reaches Stopgap Funding Deal to Avert Government Shutdown

House and Senate leaders have agreed on a temporary funding measure to keep federal agencies operating beyond upcoming fiscal deadlines, while setting the stage for a broader fight over discretionary spending and administrative policies ...

Trump Administration Cancels Three Major Interstate Power Transmission Corridors

The Department of Energy has canceled three transmission corridors intended to connect renewable energy sources and reduce long-term electricity costs, drawing criticism from clean-energy advocates who warn the decision could put additio...

Trump Administration Raises Tariffs on Imported Drones and Critical Components

The White House has announced new tariff adjustments targeting unmanned aircraft systems and specialized drone components as US trade officials seek to reduce reliance on foreign supply chains and strengthen domestic manufacturing of equ...

Trump Authorizes Framework for Private-Sector Cyber Operations Against Foreign Criminal Groups

President Donald Trump has signed a national security memorandum directing the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice to establish a program allowing vetted private companies to conduct offensive cyber operations again...

US Semiconductor Supply Chain Initiative Faces Environmental and Labor Concerns in Philippines

The State Department's Pax Silica Hub initiative is encountering diplomatic complications after lawmakers in the Philippines opened inquiries into the environmental and labor effects of projects connected to efforts to strengthen semicon...

Justice Department Reaches Eleven Million Dollar Settlement Over Pandemic Loan Fraud

The Justice Department has finalized an eleven-million-dollar False Claims Act settlement with a Chinese-owned company accused of fraudulently obtaining Paycheck Protection Program funds, as federal prosecutors intensify efforts against ...

Senate Agriculture Committee Stalls 2026 Farm Bill Over Payment Error Dispute

The Agricultural Act of 2026 has stalled after a ten-to-eleven party-line committee vote, with lawmakers unable to agree on whether states should bear liability for high payment error rates, threatening delays to agricultural subsidies.

Bipartisan Senators Introduce Bill to Strengthen US Support for Tibetan Self-Determination

Senators Jeff Merkley and Jim Risch have introduced the Assuring the Future of Tibet Act, which would direct the State Department to support observer status for the Central Tibetan Administration at the United Nations and challenge Beiji...

Hegseth Faces Congressional Scrutiny Over Pentagon Appointments and Trump Business Links

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing questions from lawmakers and national security analysts over senior Pentagon appointments involving alleged financial ties to the Trump Organization, raising new ethics concerns within the Defense...

Karoline Leavitt Leaves White House Press Secretary Role Amid Staff Changes

President Donald Trump has confirmed Karoline Leavitt's departure as White House press secretary, adding another senior personnel change as the administration prepares for an increasingly contested legislative and midterm political envir...

Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration Changes to Postal Mail-In Voting Operations

A federal court has halted an executive order seeking to change United States Postal Service operations and restrict access to mail-in voting, dealing a legal setback to the administration's election policies ahead of the midterm elections.

Lawsuit Challenges Trump Media Plan to Sell Early Access to Presidential Announcements

A federal lawsuit is seeking to block Trump Media from giving subscribers a six-hour advance window for President Donald Trump's official announcements on tariffs and foreign policy, arguing that the arrangement violates constitutional p...

Trump Administration Moves to Separate Childhood Vaccines and Extend Immunization Schedules

President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have signed a directive calling for changes to childhood immunization schedules, while the administration also announced new Food and Drug Administratio...

Senate Approves Government Funding Extension Through December 11

The Senate voted ninety to six for a continuing resolution funding the federal government through December eleven, while blocking a proposed requirement for senior political appointees to approve federal grants handled by career officials.

Trump Alters Air Force One Travel Plans Amid Iranian Assassination Threats

The Secret Service has changed President Donald Trump's travel arrangements in response to intelligence about severe Iranian assassination threats, including a highly classified aircraft switch that reflects heightened security concerns ...

Trump Orders New Limits on Birthright Citizenship as Civil Liberties Groups Sue

President Donald Trump has signed two executive orders aimed at restricting automatic citizenship for children linked to immigration fraud and birth tourism, prompting the American Civil Liberties Union to seek immediate injunctions in f...

Trump Administration Ends Temporary Protected Status for About One Million Migrants

The Trump administration has announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status for most current recipients across thirteen countries, removing deportation protections and work authorization for an estimated one million immigrants a...

Supreme Court Weighs Unprecedented Challenge Over Federal Reserve Independence

The Supreme Court is reviewing a constitutional dispute arising from President Donald Trump's attempt to remove a Federal Reserve governor, while Senate opposition to Kevin Warsh's nomination as Fed chair adds another confrontation over ...