Congress also approved boosts to Social Security payments and disaster aid
The federal government avoided a shutdown. Here are some notable takeaways from legislation that cleared the House and Senate this week.
Lara Trump drops out of contention for U.S. Senate seat for Florida
President-elect Donald Trump had indicated to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that he wanted his daughter-in-law to be appointed.
How Trump and Musk set off the shutdown crisis but got little in return
The past week provides a preview of what spending battles could be like in a closely divided Congress and with warring GOP factions.
Trump names Apprentice creator Mark Burnett as special U.K. envoy
The scope of Burnetts diplomatic role was not immediately clear. Such posts are usually set up for countries where there are conflicts or the U.S. has no diplomatic presence.
Biden signs stopgap funding bill, but congressional fight to continue
The incoming Congress, which will be controlled by Republicans, is still expected to face bruising battles over government funding in Trumps second term.
Mike Johnson concludes the 118th Congress as it began in chaos
A historically unproductive Congress ends with a House speaker battling to keep his job amid an ungovernable majority. Will the 119th Congress fare better?
What's all this ruckus over India's 'One Nation, One Election' LS bills?
For quite a few years, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP has championed the cause of 'One Nation, One Election'
Sentenced to death under a Biden law and now hoping for Bidens mercy
Biden wrote a 1994 bill that designated dozens of new capital offenses. Inmates sentenced under that law hope he will commute their sentences.
Senate confirms 2 Biden judicial nominees, boosting total over Trump
President Joe Bidens diverse cohort of judges includes more women, people of color and LGBTQ individuals than those tapped by any other U.S. president.
Oath Keepers leader who pleaded to seditious conspiracy gets probation
Joshua James, who helped recruit members of the Oath Keepers to the Capitol on Jan. 6 and then led them inside, received probation after cooperating with prosecutors.
Biden keeps quiet amid angry battle over government spending bill
As the government neared a shutdown, the president appeared content to let Republicans battle it out.
Trumps claims of a mandate run into reality of narrow majorities
Donald Trumps last-minute demands for a congressional funding package were rejected by Republicans, foreshadowing the challenges he could face next year.
Trump made one big demand. And the GOP is quickly ignoring it.
Trumps team assured he, not Elon Musk, is in charge -- right before congressional Republicans disregarded him.
Trump picks political ally, and papal critic, for ambassadorship to Holy See
Brian Burch is a co-founder of Catholic Vote, a lay advocacy group that supported Donald Trump in 2020 and 2024.
Tis the season (for the government to try to pay for itself)
Federal fiscal year 2025 began on Oct. 1. Congress is only now trying to figure out how the year will be paid for but this is hardly abnormal.
Just the incoming president, hawking Bibles in an ad on Fox News
Donald Trumps myriad side deals were odd when he was a candidate. They are downright bizarre and disconcerting when hes the incoming president.
Why Republicans will probably be blamed for a shutdown
The GOP has set about trying to blame Democrats, but its clear which side is driving the harder bargain and Americans dont like that.
Is Washington admitting that the debt limit serves only as a cudgel?
President-elect Donald Trump is ready to do away with it, not that he was at any risk of having it used against him.
Trump voters have faith he will help economy and their finances, poll finds
One-third of swing-state voters who voted for Trump replied in an open-ended question that they voted for him because of the economy.
Live updates: Government shutdown looms as House rejects Trump-backed spending bill
Congress has limited time to avert a government shutdown by passing a continuing resolution after the latest Trump-backed bill failed Thursday.
Leaders of federal managers reject Trumps plans to politicize workforce
Federal agencies face four years under a president who promised to remove rogue bureaucrats very aggressively.
Trumps foes fear his retribution has already begun
Donald Trump has waffled on his vows to punish enemies from the White House. But many of his critics and targets fear the retribution is already underway.
How every House member voted on the failed attempt to avoid a shutdown
See how your lawmaker voted in the failed attempt to extend funding until March and avoid a government shutdown.
With speakership on the line, Johnson is ever more reliant on Trump
To do his job and keep his job House Speaker Mike Johnson needs to keep the president-elect on board.
Co-president Elon Musk? Trump ally tests influence in spending fight
The unelected tech billionaires outsize role in sending the federal government careening toward a potential shutdown alarmed Democrats, academics and watchdog groups.
Could Republicans actually talk themselves into nixing the debt limit?
Parsing the early reactions to Donald Trumps remarkable proposal.
Musk and Trump bring shutdown chaos to Congress
Today on Post Reports, Washington scrambles to avoid a government shutdown. President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk have fanned the flames.
This week, The Washington Post's Libby Casey, Rhonda Colvin and James Hohmann break down Elon Musk's successful effort to torpedo a government spending bill and what that means about how president-elect Donald Trump's White House will function. Plus, how are Democrats preparing for a Trump presidency in which they are the minority in both the House and Senate? Later, the crew looks at longtime members of the Senate who won't be back in the next Congress and their final messages as they prepare to leave Washington. Finally, Trump's criminal racketeering case in Georgia may be on ice after prosecutor Fani T. Willis was disqualified by an appeals court.
Putting Elon Musks post-election wealth surge into perspective
He isnt only rich. Hes rich relative to the richest people in the world.
The shortest and longest government shutdowns in U.S. history
The government will shut down if Congress cannot agree on funding by Sept. 30. Heres a look at the shortest and longest government shutdowns in U.S. history.
DNA TV Show: Security forces kill 5 terrorists in encounter in J-K's Kulgam
In this encounter, a big commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, Farooq Nally, has also been killed.
Even some in the pro-Trump media environment are wary of his plans
They are much less worried, though, about Trump trying to become a dictator.
Fani Willis disqualified from Trump election case by Georgia appellate court
The decision, which Willis is likely to appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court, is a major victory for Donald Trump and his co-defendants and could doom the high-profile prosecution.
Jeff Bezos and Donald Trump met for dinner at Mar-a-Lago, joined by Elon Musk
After feuds during Trumps first term, Trump and Bezos have both noted their recent evolving relationship.
Musks dangerous, exaggerated conflation of social media and democracy
Weve seen an intentional transition from Twitter isnt real life to X is America.
Live updates: Johnsons speakership in doubt as Trump, Musk help scrap spending plan
Get the latest news on the transition to the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump and a new Congress.
Patel floated criminally probing police, lawmakers involved in Jan. 6 committee
Kash Patel, president-elect Donald Trumps pick to run the FBI, has called for criminal investigations of individuals previously involved in Trump probes.
Federal employee groups prepare to fend off attacks by Trump and allies
The efforts are aimed at resisting what is expected to be a severe assault on public servants beyond the intimidation many federal employees felt during Donald Trumps first term.
Under pressure from Elon Musk, House GOP prepares to scrap spending bill
Unless Congress acts, a shutdown deadline looms just past midnight Saturday.
Could Mike Johnson lose the speaker election?
With the House speaker already on the cusp of losing the support he needs to be reelected speaker, a look at the dynamics.
Supreme Court to hear South Carolinas bid to block funding for Planned Parenthood
The Supreme Court will review South Carolinas decision to cut off state funding for Planned Parenthood clinics because the care they offer includes abortion.
James Comer saw Bidens finances as impeachable. He sees Trumps as fine.
The Kentucky congressman whipped up a flimsy case alleging that Biden was profiting from business deals. But he figures Trumps been sufficiently transparent.
A lot of people are angry with Speaker Mike Johnson again
Mike Johnson, afraid of alienating his right flank, is trying to thread a needle to keep the government open and keep the speakers gavel come January.
Tracking the Trump criminal cases and where they stand
The latest on the criminal cases against Donald Trump.
Majority of Americans oppose Trumps proposals to test democracys limits
A Washington Post-University of Maryland poll finds Americans split on whether Trump will try to rule as a dictator, but confident any effort would be be blocked.
Claims that Liz Cheney broke the law are even thinner than you think
A report produced by allies of Donald Trump recommended suggested that the former congresswoman face criminal charges. It appears to derive from Trumps similar suggestion.
Senate passes Pentagon policy bill that set off transgender-care debate
The $895 billion National Defense Authorization Act was approved despite Democrats frustration with a late addition by House Speaker Mike Johnson.
DNA TV Show: Political row over Home Minister Amit Shah's remark on BR Ambedkar
Home Minister Amit Shah said that the Congress had distorted his comments under a malicious campaign.
House Ethics Committee set to release investigation report on Matt Gaetz
The panel last month voted along party lines not to release the results of a long-running investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct
Trumps win was modest relative to the last 12 years, never mind 129
Eager to present his victory as a historic stamp of approval, Donald Trump offers a bizarre window of comparison.
Yes, many young adults seem to sympathize with killing of health-care CEO
Remarkable new polling shows young people are about evenly split on Luigi Mangione, and see many around them approving of the murder.
Live updates: Trump to nominate ex-NFL star Herschel Walker as Bahamas ambassador
Get the latest news on the transition to the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump and a new Congress.
After 15 years, Jill Biden teaches final class at Virginia community college
First lady Jill Biden has taught her last class at Northern Virginia Community College, where she has worked as a professor since 2009.
Trump picks ex-NFL star Herschel Walker to be Bahamas ambassador
President-elect Donald Trump backed the Heisman Trophy winners failed 2022 Senate campaign in Georgia, which was plagued by scandals.
Trumps new businesses and new potential conflicts of interest
In Donald Trumps first term, ethics experts raised alarms that he could use the presidency to enrich his businesses. Now, these concerns are reemerging as the president-elects business empire has grown to include social media and cryptocurrency.
UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect indicted on murder charges
Luigi Mangione, 26, was indicted by a grand jury in New York and charged with 11 counts, including murder in the first degree.
Why did murders surge in 2020? Research says economics, not activism.
New analysis from Brookings shows that the increase began not with the death of George Floyd but the erosion of employment.
Electoral College on track to elect Donald Trump as next president
The gatherings unfolded uneventfully, unlike four years ago when alternate electors for Trump convened in seven states that he lost.
Biden supports a ban on congressional stock trading
Biden expressed his support for changing the requirements for lawmakers during an interview with the advocacy-journalism outlet More Perfect Union.
Trumps tariffs could be leading to buyers remorse
New polls show Americans increasingly concerned about the negative impact of something they havent seemed to truly understand.
No, RFK Jr. wont seem radical to people with already-radical vaccine views
President-elect Donald Trumps efforts to present his HHS pick as mainstream depends on how far outside the mainstream his party already is.
DNA TV Show: One Nation, One Election introduced in parliament
The government says holding simultaneous elections would reduce expenditure.
Live updates: Trump unveils picks for ambassador to Japan, other diplomatic posts
Get the latest news on the transition to the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump and a new Congress.
John Spratt, South Carolina congressman and fiscal steward, dies at 82
The Democrat served for 28 years in the House of Representatives and chaired the Budget Committee.
Trumps mixed messages on Jan. 6 pardons
Trumps comments point to huge numbers of pardons, but he has offered mixed signals on things like pardoning those who assaulted police.
Elizabeth Warren asks Trump to set conflict-of-interest rules for Musk
The letter from the Massachusetts senator comes as Musk has taken a prominent role inside Trumps orbit
Democrats, readying to battle Trump, shake up House committees
House Democrats will on Tuesday elect new leaders to helm three key committees, a shake-up that signals a generational shift as they prepare to take on Trump
Tracking Biden administration political appointees to fill top roles
Follow the president's progress filling nearly 800 positions, among the 1,200 that require Senate confirmation, in this tracker from The Washington Post and the Partnership for Public Service.
Trump, in wide-ranging news conference, embraces role of president-in-waiting
President-elect Donald Trump weighed in on remote work, a TikTok ban, Postal Service privatization, Eric Adams and the murder of the United Healthcare CEO.
TikTok asks Supreme Court to block law that would shut down app in U.S.
The company wants the Supreme Court to intervene before Jan. 19, the deadline Congress set for TikToks China-based owner to sell the video-sharing platform.
Trump says border wall material shouldnt be sold despite congressional requirement
Trumps comments follow recent reports about material being auctioned by the Defense Department that have generated Republican outrage on social media.
Trump is open to having his strongest supporters spend a lot more on mail
Privatizing the U.S. Postal Service would mean that rural, pro-Trump areas would have to spend a lot more to send mail.
At a Manhattan gala, imagining an unconstitutional third Trump term
Are you guys down for that? Trump 28? Stephen K. Bannon asked the crowd, suggesting a third term as president that would violate the 22nd Amendment.
Trump passes over RFK Jr.s daughter-in-law for CIAs No. 2 job
Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, a former undercover CIA operative, faced strenuous opposition from some Republicans, including Sen. Tom Cotton.
Trump touts $100B investment pledge from WeWork and FTX backer SoftBank
Trump andMasayoshi Son, the CEO of Japanese investment firm SoftBank, promised to create thousands of American jobs. They made the same vow eight years ago, with mixed results.
DNA TV Show: NSA Ajit Doval to visit China; what's on agenda?
Doval may also raise issues related to Bangladesh in China because of the anti-India agenda of the Yunus government of Bangladesh.
There are no commutations in the court of public opinion
Regardless of what President Joe Biden does, the incoming administration will use its power to harass Trumps perceived enemies.
When online rumors and institutional distrust collide, you get drones
Some people saw something, and then more people did, and then Fox News was on it, and now everyone is.
Live updates: RFK Jr. heads to the Hill to shore up support for health secretary post
Get the latest news on the transition to the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump and a new Congress.
How Pam Bondi boosted Trumps election fraud claims in a key swing state
As Trump seeks to elevate Pam Bondi to attorney general, her work battling to overturn the 2020 vote in Pennsylvania is drawing new scrutiny.
Senate probe finds Amazon manipulates workplace injury data
The firm discourages injured workers from seeking outside medical care and ignored internal safety recommendations, a panel led by Sen. Bernie Sanders found.
Kamala Harris grapples with her future in a wounded Democratic Party
As questions loom about a run for president or governor, many Democrats do not blame Harris for her loss--but that doesnt mean they want her to run again
DNA TV Show: Was Pushpa star Allu Arjun's arrest in stampede case 'scripted'?
Hours after south cinema superstar and 'Pushpa' fame Allu Arjun was arrested in a Hyderabad stampede case which claimed a woman's life and left her son injured, he was sent to a 14-day judicial custody. Later, the actor approached the Telangana High Court and was granted bail.
DNA TV Show: After Bashar al-Assad's ouster, focus shifts to chemical weapons in Syria
After Bashar al-Assad fled Syria, it has become difficult to trace the location and quantity of Syria's chemical weapons.
DNA TV Show: Why AAP ruled out alliance with Congress for Delhi Assembly elections
Arvind Kejriwal announced that AAP will contest the elections alone in the national capital.
HTS's Man in Damascus: al-Bashir's Rise and the Future of Syria
HTS, the dominant force behind the Salvation Government, is currently led by Abu Mohammad al-Julani, who has held this position since 2017.
DNA TV Show: Analysis of Uttar Pradesh govt's three-layersecurityplan
The aim of this foolproof security arrangement of UP Police is to make UP a crime-free state.
DNA TV Show: What is green cess for vehicles entering Uttarakhand?
Two-wheelers, electric and CNG vehicles, those registered in Uttarakhand and those engaged in essential services will be exempted.
Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, earlier today, informed the house that there were currency notes found in seat number 222 during a regular enquiry.
US President-elect Donald Trump nominates Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator
Isaacman was at the helm of Shift4 for the past 25 years and had also co-founded and served as CEO of Draken International, a defence aerospace company, for over a decade, supporting the US Department of Defence and its allies, Trump said on X
