NEW YORK — Emmanuel Macron has been the great hope for those who worry that global politics is being dominated by populism, nationalism, and racism. In his presidential campaign last year, Macron was able to rally France around a message of reform and multilateralism, staying firmly wedded to the European Union...
Veteran Draws Millions in Donations for Trump's Border Wall
An online fundraiser started by an Air Force veteran to pay for construction of President Donald Trump's U.S.-Mexico border wall was up to millions of dollars Thursday, bringing further attention to an issue that could lead to a government shutdown. Brian Kolfage launched the GoFundMe page Sunday, and it has...
Mattis Exiting as Pentagon Chief After Clashes With Trump
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is stepping down from his post, President Donald Trump announced Thursday, after the retired Marine general clashed with the president over a troop drawdown in Syria and Trump's go-it-alone stance in world affairs. Mattis, perhaps the most respected foreign policy official in Trump's administration,...
Trump Pulling Out of Syria. Might Afghanistan Be Next?
WASHINGTON — Against the advice of many in his own administration, President Donald Trump is pulling U.S. troops out of Syria. Could a withdrawal from Afghanistan be far behind? Trump has said his instinct is to quit Afghanistan as a lost cause, but more recently he's suggested a willingness to...
Fed Raises Interest Rates. What Will It Do in 2019?
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve has raised its key interest rate for the fourth time this year to reflect the U.S. economy's continued strength but signaling that it expects to slow hikes next year. The quarter-point hike, to a range of 2.25 percent to 2.5 percent, lifted the Fed's benchmark...
Trump Says He's Eager to Sign Sweeping Criminal Justice Bill
WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a sweeping criminal justice bill Tuesday that addresses concerns that the nation's war on drugs had led to the imprisonment of too many Americans for non-violent crimes without adequately preparing them for their return to society. Senate passage of the bill by a vote of...
Trump Doesn't Want You to See This Documentary on Saudi Arabia
President Donald Trump called Saudi Arabia a “spectacular ally” in November while fending off political heat from the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The president additionally cited a $450 billion arms and economic development agreement between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia as a reason to maintain close ties with the Kingdom. But Trump...
Disgusted by Flynn's Lying, Judge Postpones Sentencing
WASHINGTON — A federal judge abruptly postponed the sentencing of President Donald Trump's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, on Tuesday, saying he could not hide his disgust for Flynn's crime of lying to the FBI and accusing him of selling out his country. Lawyers for Flynn, a retired Army...
Trump Administration Moves to Ban Bump Stocks
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration moved Tuesday to officially ban bump stocks, which allow semi-automatic weapons to fire rapidly like automatic firearms, and has made them illegal to possess beginning in late March. The devices will be banned under a federal law that prohibits machine guns, according to a senior...
White House Pulls Back From Shutdown Threat Over Wall Funds
WASHINGTON — The White House on Tuesday appeared to inch away from forcing a partial government shutdown over funding for a southern border wall, with Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders saying there are "other ways" to secure the $5 billion in funding that President Donald Trump wants. It was the...