Senate passes reauthorization of key US surveillance program after midnight deadline
The Senate has voted to reauthorize a key U.S. surveillance law after divisions over whether the FBI should be restricted from using the program to search for Americans’ data nearly forced the statute to lapse.
Senate advances renewal of key US surveillance program as detractors seek changes
The Senate has advanced legislation that would reauthorize a key U.S. surveillance tool as lawmakers and the Biden administration rushed to tamp down fresh concerns about the program violating Americans’ civil liberties.
Justice Department ramps up efforts to reduce violent crime with gun intel center, carjacking forces
The Justice Department is ramping up its efforts to reduce violent crime in the U.S., launching a specialized gun intelligence center in Chicago and expanding task forces to curb carjackings.
US Pentagon chief speaks with Chinese counterpart for first time since November 2022
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has spoken with China’s national defense minister in the latest in a series of U.S. steps to improve communications with the Chinese military and reduce unsafe and aggressive incidents in the Indo-Pacific.
IMF: Outlook for world economy is brighter, though still modest by historical standards
The International Monetary Fund has upgraded its outlook for the global economy, saying the world appears headed for a “soft landing” — reining in inflation without much economic pain and producing steady if modest growth.
US and Philippines step up strategic partnership as China threats loom in South China Sea
The Biden administration is again reassuring the Philippines the U.S. commitment to the islands’ defense is steadfast amid increasing concerns about provocative Chinese actions in disputed areas of the South China Sea.
US producer prices rose 2.1% from last year, most since April, but less than forecasters expected
U.S. producer prices rose in March from a year earlier at the fastest pace in nearly a year, offering more evidence that progress against inflation may have stalled this year and raising doubts about whether and when the Federal Reserve will start cutting interest rates.
Agency probes Philadelphia fatal crash involving Ford that may have been running on automated system
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a March crash near Philadelphia that killed two people and involved a Ford electric vehicle that may have been operating on a partially automated driving system.
US lawmakers urge release of Russia critic Kara-Murza on the anniversary of his imprisonment
Members of Congress on Tuesday are calling for the immediate release of Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr. The renewed calls from lawmakers have come on the second anniversary of his imprisonment, part of the Kremlin’s relentless crackdown on critics of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
An appeals court blocks a debt relief plan for students who say they were misled by colleges
A federal appeals court says a Biden administration plan to provide student debt relief for people who say they were victims of misleading information by trade schools or colleges is “almost certainly unlawful.”.
Americans think a president's power should be checked, AP-NORC poll finds — unless their side wins
A poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Opinion Research finds that while Americans say they respect the Constitution’s checks and balances and don’t want a president to have too much power, that view shifts if the candidate of their party wins the presidency.
Another month of robust US job growth points to continued economic strength
America’s employers delivered another outpouring of jobs in March, adding a sizzling 303,000 workers and bolstering hopes that the economy can vanquish inflation without succumbing to a recession in the face of high interest rates.
Federal report finds 68,000 guns were illegally trafficked through unlicensed dealers over 5 years
New data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives shows that 68,000 illegally trafficked firearms in the U.S. came through unlicensed dealers who aren’t required to perform background checks over a five year report.
Powell says Fed wants to see 'more good inflation readings' before it can cut rates
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reiterated a message he has sounded in recent weeks: While the Fed expects to cut interest rates this year, it won’t be ready to do so until it sees “more good inflation readings’’ and is more confident that annual price increases are falling toward its 2% target.
Controversial military reproductive health care travel policy was used just 12 times in 7 months
The Pentagon says a controversial policy that allows service members to be reimbursed for travel if they or a family member have to go out of state for reproductive health care — including abortions — was only used 12 times from June to December of last year.
Republicans threaten to hold Attorney General Garland in contempt over Biden documents case
House Republicans are threatening to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress if he does not turn over unredacted materials related to the special counsel probe into President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents.
House GOP sues in bid to force Justice Department lawyers to testify as part of impeachment inquiry
House Republicans have filed a lawsuit seeking to force two Justice Department lawyers to testify about the criminal investigation of Hunter Biden as part of the chamber’s impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
Washington Gov. Inslee signs fentanyl bill sending money to disproportionately affected tribes
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has signed a multimillion-dollar measure to send state money to tribes and Indigenous people in the state who die from opioid overdoses at disproportionately high rates in Washington.
Top former US generals say failures of Biden administration in planning drove chaotic fall of Kabul
The former top military chief Gen. Mark Milley and former head of U.S. Central Command testified before Congress Tuesday on policy failures by the Biden administration to adequately plan for or direct an evacuation in time to avoid the chaotic final days of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.