WASHINGTON — Under mounting pressure from his own party, President Donald Trump appears to be grudgingly leaning toward accepting an agreement that would head off a threatened second government shutdown but provide just a fraction of the money he's been demanding for his Mexican border wall. Trump said Tuesday he would need...
SOTU: Trump Says 'Ridiculous Partisan' Probes May Upset Progress
WASHINGTON — In his first State of the Union address to a divided Congress, President Donald Trump warned Democrats on Tuesday that "ridiculous partisan investigations" could derail the nation's economic progress. Trump peppered his speech with calls for bipartisanship, urging Washington to govern "not as two parties, but as one...
Trump to Call for Unity, Face Skepticism in State of Union
WASHINGTON — The White House says President Donald Trump will call for optimism and unity in his State of the Union address, using the moment to attempt a reset after two years of bitter partisanship and deeply personal attacks. But will anyone buy it? Skepticism will emanate from both sides...
US Consumers Rattled by Shutdown, Roiling Markets
WASHINGTON — U.S. consumer confidence tumbled this month to its lowest reading in a year and a half, tested by the partial government shutdown and roiling financial markets. Still, consumer spirits remain robust by historic standards. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index...
GOP's McCarthy Says Border Deal Doesn’t Need Word ‘Wall’
WASHINGTON — A border security compromise that Congress hopes to produce doesn't have to include the word "wall," the top House Republican said Tuesday, signaling a rhetorical retreat from a term that President Donald Trump made a keystone of his presidential campaign. The remark by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy,...
Trump Aides Struggle to Show Shutdown Empathy
NEW YORK — One White House aide mused that the shutdown was like a paid vacation for some furloughed workers. President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law said employees' "little bit of pain" was worth it for the good of the country. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross questioned why cash-poor workers were using food...
Week 5: House Dems Float '21st Century' Border Security Plan
WASHINGTON — House Democrats are putting forward a new proposal to end the government shutdown, aiming to lure President Donald Trump away from his demand for a border wall by offering billions of new dollars for other border security measures. The offer is a possible path toward a compromise even...
Number of Federal Workers Seeking US Jobless Aid Doubles
WASHINGTON — The number of furloughed federal employees seeking unemployment benefits jumped in the first two weeks of the shutdown, topping 10,000 during the week of Jan. 5. The Labor Department said Thursday that is double the number of federal workers who sought aid in the previous week. Typically fewer...
Trump Rejects Suggested Short-Term Government Shutdown Fix
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday rejected the suggestion that he temporarily reopen government while negotiations continue on his proposed border wall, signaling no speedy resolution to the partial government shutdown now into a fourth week. Leaving the White House for a trip to New Orleans, Trump said he...
Trump, Democrats Rams Up Pressure as Shutdown Hits 3rd Week
WASHINGTON — With no weekend breakthrough to end a prolonged partial government shutdown, President Donald Trump is standing firm in his border wall funding demands and newly empowered House Democrats are planning to step up pressure on Trump and Republican lawmakers to reopen the government. Trump showed no signs of...