Hey there! It's Rebecca Morin, senior national news reporter at USA TODAY. How are you liking the new On Politics send time? Share your thoughts here. |
Cabinet watch: RFK Jr. confirmed as HHS head, Linda McMahon hearing begins |
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine critic who vows to take on "big pharma" and ultra processed food, was confirmed as Health and Human Services secretary on Thursday. He was confirmed with support of almost all Republican lawmakers, with the exception of Sen. Mitch McConnell , who survived polio and raised concerns on Kennedy's positions on vaccines. When he was first announced as a nominee, medical professionals and public officials sounded the alarm on Kennedy's previous statements undermining confidence in vaccines, including linking them to autism. Read more. |
| • | McConnell, the former Republican majority leader, has drawn the ire of some Trump supporters for votes and views that conflict with the president. On Wednesday, he also voted no on Tulsi Gabbard's confirmation to be director of national intelligence. Despite his "no" vote, Gabbard was confirmed to the position. | |
Even as President Donald Trump has said he believes the U.S. Department of Education should be "closed immediately," his pick to lead the agency is facing tough questioning from lawmakers on Thursday. Linda McMahon , a former WWE executive who served in Trump's first administration heading the Small Business Administration, will likely face questions about the future of the agency. Read more. |
And another of Trump's controversial picks just passed a crucial step on the path to confirmation. Kash Patel, Trump's nominee for FBI Director, was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee and will go on to a full Senate vote. Read more. | Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Education, waves to senators upon her arrival before she would testify in a confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY |
75,000 federal workers take President Trump's buyouts as offer expires |
The fork in the road is now closed. About 75,000 federal employees accepted President Donald Trump's buyout offer, which closed to applicants Wednesday night. A federal judge lifted a pause on the program earlier Wednesday after deciding that the federal employees unions that sued to stop the program lacked standing to bring their challenge and that his court does not have jurisdiction to hear their complaint. About 3.3% of the federal government's 2.3 million workers took the buyout offer – below the White House's projections of 5% to 10% who were expected to accept the offer. Read more. |
Trump meets with 'total killer' Indian Prime Minister Modi |
Over the past several weeks of the second term of his presidency, Donald Trump has met with several world leaders. Next up: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two leaders will meet at the White House on Thursday where they are expected to discuss tech-friendly H-1B visas, trade and defense. Read more. |
| • | Later tonight: Trump will hold a joint press conference with Modi shortly after 5 p.m. ET. This is a rare event for Modi, as he has not held a single press conference in India since becoming prime minister in 2014. He held a press conference with former President Joe Biden in 2023. | | | | | The courts may block efforts by Elon Musk and DOGE to access Treasury's payment system. A huge trove of private data is at the center of the fight. | | | | USAID delivers billions of dollars in aid to dozens of countries. Shuttering it means wasted food, 'free-for-all' ISIS camps, and less HIV prevention. | | | | In her first news conference, Attorney General Pam Bondi said New York didn't heed Trump administration warnings about cracking down on immigration | | | | Middle schoolers at a U.S. military school in Germany chanted 'DEI' at a protest against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday. | | | | Hundreds of federal workers process thousands of retirement applications every month, by hand in a converted former mine. | | | | The Pennsylvania governor said state agencies still cannot access the federal fundings as of Wednesday. | | | | | | | Sign up for the news you want | Exclusive newsletters are part of your subscription, don't miss out! We're always working to add benefits for subscribers like you. | | | | | | |
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