WASHINGTON — House Republicans shot down a Democratic bid on Thursday to pass President Donald Trump's longshot, end-of-session demand for $2,000 direct payments to most Americans as he ponders whether to sign a long-overdue COVID-19 relief bill. The made-for-TV clash came as the Democratic-controlled chamber convened for a pro forma...
Trump’s Presidential Legacy, by the Numbers
WASHINGTON — Words matter. But numbers tell stories, too. Presidential historians and others will plumb them as they assess President Donald Trump’s legacy. Trump's presidency is reflected in a broad range of numbers representing everything from the U.S. death toll during the coronavirus pandemic to the miles of his “big,...
Trump Vetoes Defense Bill, Setting Up Possible Override Vote
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday vetoed the annual defense policy bill, following through on threats to veto a measure that has broad bipartisan support in Congress and potentially setting up the first override vote of his presidency. The bill affirms 3% pay raises for U.S. troops and authorizes...
Trump Threatens to Torpedo COVID Relief With New Demands
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has threatened to torpedo Congress’ massive COVID-19 relief package in the midst of a raging pandemic and deep economic uncertainty, suddenly demanding changes fellow Republicans have opposed. Trump assailed the bipartisan $900 billion package in a video he tweeted out Tuesday night and suggested he...
Trump Pardons 15, Commutes 5 Sentences, Including GOP Allies
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has pardoned 15 people, including a pair of congressional Republicans who were strong and early supporters, a 2016 campaign official ensnared in the Russia probe and former government contractors convicted in a 2007 massacre in Baghdad. Trump's actions in his final weeks in office show...
That 3-Martini Lunch Write Off in COVID Bill Is Causing a Stir
WASHINGTON — Stuffed into the new emergency relief package is a morsel that President Donald Trump has long had on the buffet of his economic wish list: restoring full tax breaks for restaurant business meals. But experts say it’s scant immediate help for an industry reeling from the pandemic, while...
Biden: Trump ‘Failed’ to Shore Up Nation’s Cybersecurity
WILMINGTON, Del. — President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday assailed the Trump administration for failing to fortify the nation's cyber defenses, and called on President Donald Trump to publicly identify the perpetrator of a massive breach of U.S. government agencies — a hack some of Trump's top allies have blamed on...
Fox, Newsmax Shoot Down Their Own Aired Claims on Election
NEW YORK — Two election technology companies whose names have come up in President Donald Trump's false charges of widespread voter fraud in the presidential election are fighting back, prompting unusual public statements from Fox News and Newsmax. The statements, over the weekend and on Monday, came after the companies...
Church Vandalism Exposes Divisions Over Faith and Politics
WASHINGTON — Vandalism at four downtown Washington churches after rallies in support of President Donald Trump is exposing rifts among people of faith as the nation confronts bitter post-election political divisions. Among the damaged houses of worship were two historically Black churches where people ripped down Black Lives Matter banners,...
Biden Aides Hope Electoral College Vote Is GOP Turning Point
WILMINGTON, Del. — Joe Biden's aides have a message for President Donald Trump and his supporters: It's long past time to move on. With the Electoral College set to formally elect Biden as president on Monday, his aides say they hope Republicans will consider their own long-term interests (and the country's), accept...