President-elect Donald Trump has announced the nomination Aaron Reitz, former Texas deputy attorney general, to head the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Policy (OLP), a critical arm of the agency responsible for crafting legal policy, vetting judicial nominees, and coordinating key legislative initiatives. Trump made the announcement in a Dec. 21 post on social media, […]

President Joe Biden signed legislation on Dec. 21 to avert a government shutdown just ahead of Christmas, concluding a week of political turmoil in Washington. The White House announced on the morning of Dec. 21 that Biden had signed into law the American Relief Act (H.R. 10545), which funds the government at current levels through […]

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced that around $2.4 billion worth of automatic payments will be sent out later in December to taxpayers who were eligible for a pandemic-era tax break but didn’t claim the COVID cash. The move was announced by the IRS in a Dec. 20 press release after internal data revealed that […]

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has filed a lawsuit against three of the nation’s largest banks—Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo—accusing them of failing to protect consumers from alleged widespread fraud on payments platform Zelle. The lawsuit, announced on Dec. 20, also targets Early Warning Services, which operates Zelle, a peer-to-peer payment […]

The U.S. manufacturing sector continues to face significant challenges, as recent data from regional Federal Reserve banks and national industrial production indicators paint a bleak picture of America’s factories. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s manufacturing index declined sharply in December, marking the lowest level in nearly two years, according to data released on Dec. […]

Health officials have confirmed the first severe case of H5N1 bird flu in the United States, marking a pivotal moment in monitoring efforts for the virus. The patient, a resident of southwestern Louisiana, was hospitalized after exposure to sick and dead birds in a backyard flock, according to a Dec. 18 statement from the Centers […]

Credit rating agency Moody’s has downgraded France’s rating, citing a weak financial outlook amid political turmoil gripping Europe’s second-biggest economy. In a Dec. 14 announcement, Moody’s cut France’s domestic- and foreign-currency long-term issuer and domestic-currency senior unsecured ratings to Aa3 from Aa2, citing weakened public finances due to political fragmentation and limited prospects for fiscal […]

Canadian pipeline giant Enbridge has confirmed that it has cleaned up about 60 percent of a nearly 70,000-gallon oil spill from one of its lines in Wisconsin. An Enbridge employee discovered the spill on Nov. 11 while conducting a visual inspection of Line 6 at the Enbridge Cambridge Station, located west of Milwaukee, according to […]

ABC News and its anchor George Stephanopoulos have reached a settlement with President-elect Donald Trump in a defamation lawsuit, agreeing to pay a $15 million charitable contribution, $1 million to cover Trump’s attorney fees, and issue an apology. A joint notice, filed on Dec. 14, indicates that the parties have both entered into a written […]

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) underwent hip replacement surgery in Europe on Dec. 14, according to her spokesperson, who said the California Democrat is well on her way to recovery. “Earlier this morning, Speaker Emerita Pelosi underwent a successful hip replacement and is well on the mend,” Pelosi’s spokesman Ian Krager said in a […]

The Biden administration has unveiled a new $500 million military aid package to support Ukraine in its ongoing fight against Russia’s invasion. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the package on Dec. 12, with the latest tranche representing the 72nd drawdown from U.S. Department of Defense stockpiles. It follows $988 million in military support […]

UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty has issued an emotional tribute to Brian Thompson, the head of the group’s insurance arm, UnitedHealthcare, following Thompson’s death at the hands of a gunman. Thompson, a key figure in the U.S. health insurance industry, was fatally shot in an incident Witty described in an op-ed published on Dec. 13 […]

President-elect Donald Trump will mark the ceremonial start of trading at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Dec. 12 by ringing the opening bell, The Epoch Times has learned. The planned ringing of the opening bell, which had not been officially announced at the time of reporting, will be a high-profile event for Trump, […]

The IRS has issued a notice reminding retirees aged 73 and older to take required withdrawals from retirement accounts before a Dec. 31 deadline or face the prospect of hefty penalties. The agency said in a Dec. 10 notice that required minimum distributions (RMDs) must be taken annually from traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, and other retirement […]

White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients has outlined a high-priority agenda for the Biden administration’s remaining 42 days in office, rallying his team for a final push to achieve key policy goals, including canceling more student debt and getting as many judicial nominees confirmed as possible. In a memo to White House staff on […]

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) expressed confidence Thursday that Kash Patel will clear the Senate confirmation hurdle and become the next FBI director after being nominated for the role by President-elect Donald Trump. Cornyn was asked by conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Dec. 5 if he believes Patel will be confirmed by the Senate to […]

President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States should avoid involvement in the conflict in Syria, where opposition forces are challenging President Bashar al-Assad’s rule as front lines have collapsed across the country amid battles for control of key cities. Calling Syria a “mess” and “not our friend,” Trump said America should avoid […]

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Paul Atkins to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), with the former SEC commissioner and finance veteran expected to take a crypto-friendly stance and push for fewer regulations under the Trump administration. Trump made the announcement in a Dec. 4 post on Truth Social, in which he singled out […]

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Warren Stephens, a prominent investment banker and philanthropist, to be America’s next ambassador to the United Kingdom, pending Senate confirmation. “Warren has always dreamed of serving the United States full time,” Trump said in a Dec. 2 post on social media. “I am thrilled that he will now have that […]

President-elect Donald Trump has announced the nomination of former public defender Kash Patel to serve as FBI director in his administration. “I am proud to announce that Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel will serve as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” Trump wrote in a post on social media on Nov. 30. “Kash is […]