President Donald Trump has named White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf as the next White House counsel, elevating a longtime legal ally to one of the administration’s top legal positions. Scharf will replace David Warrington, who is leaving the administration for the private sector on September 1. Scharf previously worked as a lawyer for Trump, including on the presidential immunity case, and later helped oversee … Continue reading Trump names Will Scharf as White House counsel ahead of midterms

Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan, said he recently spoke with former President Barack Obama and hopes Obama will campaign with him. El-Sayed is seeking to unite Democrats after a divisive primary that highlighted tensions between the party’s progressive and moderate factions. He narrowly defeated establishment-backed Rep. Haley Stevens and now faces Republican candidate Mike Rogers in the November election. El-Sayed … Continue reading El-Sayed says he spoke with Obama as Michigan Democrats look to unite

President Donald Trump declined to endorse Senate Majority Leader John Thune for another term as Republican leader. Trump said he gets along with Thune but disagrees with him over several key issues, including the Senate filibuster. Trump strongly supports eliminating the filibuster and quickly passing the SAVE America Act, while Thune says Republicans do not have enough votes to pass it. Trump warned that Democrats … Continue reading Trump declines to back Thune for another term as Senate GOP leader

President Donald Trump says he is prepared to rely on economic pressure against Iran rather than launch additional military strikes. Trump said he is willing to wait as Iran struggles with inflation and a sharply weakened currency, signaling a more cautious approach to negotiations. Iran, however, says it will only reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the United States meets several conditions, including lifting a … Continue reading Trump signals shift to economic pressure as Iran hardens stance over Strait of Hormuz

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a U.S.-backed 15-point peace plan for Gaza, saying Israel will not withdraw its forces until Hamas is fully disarmed. The plan calls for Hamas to disarm in exchange for an Israeli military withdrawal and an eventual transfer of power to an independent Palestinian committee. Netanyahu’s public rejection represents a rare and increasingly direct clash with President Donald Trump, … Continue reading Netanyahu rejects US-led 15-point Gaza peace plan in rare public break with Trump

A copy of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s pandemic-era cellphone has been turned over to a Senate investigative subcommittee seeking records about his handling of COVID-19 and the virus’s origins. Sen. Ron Johnson said the phone contains more than 34,000 text messages and over 500 voicemail messages dating back to 2014. Investigators are reviewing the records for potentially deleted files and private communications that could conflict with … Continue reading 34,000 texts found on Fauci’s COVID-era phone, Sen. Johnson says

Hunter Biden said Friday that his father, former President Joe Biden, is experiencing worsening cancer that has spread to his bones. He described the condition as very painful and debilitating but said his father remains active despite his illness. Former first lady Jill Biden previously said that Joe Biden’s metastatic prostate cancer would likely be something he lives with for the rest of his life. … Continue reading Hunter Biden says Joe Biden’s cancer has spread

The Senate passed a bipartisan $90-6 bill Saturday to fund the federal government through Dec. 11, putting pressure on the House to act before a potential shutdown on Oct. 1. The House and Senate have now passed different funding bills, with the House measure extending funding only through Dec. 4. The Senate bill temporarily blocks the Trump administration from putting political appointees in charge of … Continue reading Senate passes funding bill to avert October shutdown

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Russia’s latest deadly attacks on Kyiv while visiting Serbia on Saturday. Four people, including a child, were killed in overnight strikes on Kyiv and the surrounding region, while Ukrainian forces targeted Russian oil facilities. Zelenskyy met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic during his first official visit to Serbia in eight years. The leaders discussed strengthening bilateral ties and cooperation, as … Continue reading Zelenskyy visits Moscow-friendly Serbia

The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as U.S. attorney general in a 50-49 vote early Saturday, with nearly all Republicans supporting him and all Democrats opposing him. Two Republican senators, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, voted against his confirmation. Blanche, a former personal attorney for President Donald Trump, faced concerns over his independence and his involvement in a controversial anti-weaponization fund. Several Republican holdouts ultimately supported … Continue reading Senate confirms Todd Blanche as attorney general after weeks of uncertainty