Author: potus

(The Center Square) – Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the controversial nominee for U.S. Health and Human Service secretary, will move forward in the confirmation process after advancing through the Senate Finance Committee in a tight vote.The committee voted 14-13 Tuesday to advance Kennedy, with all Democrats in opposition to the candidate whom they see as an unqualified wild card.U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., argued the HHS needs a “serious person at the helm” and said Kennedy “seems more obsessed with chasing conspiracy theories than chasing solutions.”Kennedy, an environmental lawyer, has spent decades calling out industry influence over regulatory agencies like…

(The Center Square) — New York Attorney General Letitia James is pushing back against President Donald Trump’s attempt to stop ‘gender-affirming’ procedures for teenagers, warning hospitals that withholding services from transgender patients could run afoul of state law.In a letter, James told hospital executives that despite Trump’s directive ordering them to stop offering gender care to patients under 19 years old, they are obligated to comply with New York State laws, “including those that prohibit discrimination against individuals based on their membership in a protected class, such as sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation … or immigration status.” “Electing to…

But Maas knows he’s an outlier, having figured out how to capitalize on a microclimate similar to regions of Japan that have long produced wasabi. The reason the authentic product is imported is because it’s so hard to grow outside its native environment without producing a bitter taste. In fact, most of what’s sold as wasabi to U.S. sushi eaters is a horseradish-based substitute, Maas said.Jeff Roller, who runs Half Moon Bay Wasabi some 30 miles south of San Francisco, agreed that high price tags can make niche farming seem enticing.“They see the dollar signs,” he said of prospective growers,…

President Donald Trump said Sunday that he will announce reciprocal tariffs this week, as well as a 25% blanket tariff on steel and aluminum imports.”Any steel coming into the United States is going to have a 25% tariff,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One, adding that the same tariff would be applied to aluminum.”Aluminum, too,” Trump added, when a reporter asked him whether it would also be subject to tariffs.Trump said he would most likely make a formally announcement Tuesday or Wednesday about reciprocal tariffs on “every country,” while an announcement about steel tariffs would happen Monday. Reciprocal tariffs…

NUUK, Greenland (AP) — Greenland’s parliament passed a bill Tuesday that bans political parties from receiving contributions “from foreign or anonymous contributors” after President Donald Trump expressed his wish that the United States take over the vast and mineral-rich Arctic island that belongs to Denmark.The bill is aimed at protecting “Greenland’s political integrity” and will take effect immediately, according to a translation of a parliamentary document in Danish outlining the measure.The bill “must be seen in light of the geopolitical interests in Greenland and the current situation where representatives of an allied great power have expressed interest in taking over…

How large is USAID’s budget and who has benefited from it?In fiscal year 2023, USAID managed more than $40 billion in combined appropriations, according to the CRS, which notes that calculations of USAID’s budget can be imprecise. Forty billion dollars is less than 1% of the federal budget, according to The Washington Post.USAID provided assistance to about 130 countries in fiscal year 2023. The CRS says the top 10 recipients were:UkraineEthiopiaJordanCongoSomaliaYemenAfghanistanNigeriaSouth SudanSyriaFood largely supplied by USAID is distributed in Afghanistan in 2022.Scott Peterson / Getty Images fileAn Ethiopian woman scoops up wheat to be distributed to families in the Tigray…

The Trump administration’s latest immigration shakeup has sent tremors through the Venezuelan community, as some face a possible return to a country whose regime has been dubbed illegal by the U.S.The Trump administration revoked Temporary Protected Status for almost 350,000 Venezuelans who are in the U.S. Also, the protection will end in 60 days instead of October. Those affected will no longer have temporary protection from deportation or work permits that TPS allows.Venezuelan activist Beatriz Olavarria said that, for some, “returning would be almost suicidal.” Many Venezuelans have fled amid brutal crackdowns on protests against the government and struggles for…

The Trump administration aggressively publicized the arrests of more than 8,000 immigrants by federal agents since Inauguration Day, with the promise that those detained would be part of a historic mass deportation. But NBC News has learned that some have already been released back into the United States on a monitoring program, according to five sources familiar with the operations. In a press conference on Wednesday, two days after initial publication of this article, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed NBC News’ reporting and said that 461 migrants have been released after arrest since President Donald Trump took office.Trump…

The Chinese start-up DeepSeek stunned the world and roiled stock markets last week with its release of DeepSeek-R1, an open-source generative artificial intelligence model that rivals the most advanced offerings from U.S.-based OpenAI—and does so for a fraction of the cost. Influential tech investor Marc Andreessen called the model “one of the most amazing and impressive breakthroughs” he’d ever seen. U.S. President Donald Trump said it was a “wake-up call.” DeepSeek’s extraordinary success has sparked fears in the U.S. national security community that the United States’ most advanced AI products may no longer be able to compete against cheaper Chinese…

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Monday confirmed fossil fuel executive Chris Wright to serve as energy secretary, a key post to promote President Donald Trump’s efforts to achieve U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market.Wright, CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, has been one of the industry’s loudest voices against efforts to fight climate change. He says more fossil fuel production can lift people out of poverty around the globe and has promised to help Trump “unleash energy security and prosperity.”The Senate approved his nomination, 59-38. Eight Democrats — including both senators from Wright’s home state of Colorado — voted…