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If approved, the redistricting effort could deliver Democrats a 10-to-1 seat advantage in Virginia, which amounts to a net pickup of as many as four House seats
By Humeyra Pamuk, Ariba Shahid and Asif Shahzad WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD, April 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump expressed confidence that an agreement could soon be reached to end the Iran war and urged the Tehran-aligned Hezbollah group to hold its fire as a 10-day truce went in to effect between Lebanon and Israel. Trump said the next meeting between the United States and Iran could take place at the weekend and an extension of a two-week ceasefire was possible, but may not be needed as Tehran wanted a deal
This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is open — but there’s no peace deal yet, and there are plenty of unanswered questions. Here’s what we […]
By Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Erin Banco and Gram Slattery WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration is considering deploying thousands of U.S. troops to reinforce its operation in the Middle East, as the U.S. military prepares for possible next steps in its campaign against Iran, said a U.S. official and three people familiar with the matter. The deployments could help provide Trump with additional options as he weighs expanding U.S. operations, with the Iran war well into its third week
At Kevin Warsh's Fed confirmation hearing today, Republicans will cast him as a change agent ready to shake up a tradition-bound institution. Driving the news: In remarks introducing Warsh obtained by Axios, Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) will say the onetime Fed governor "brings a reformer's heart" and "will shake up a stagnant institution at a time when change is sorely needed." It echoes some of Warsh's own criticisms of the Fed, saying that the central bank "must not be ruled by pointy-headed economists poring over outdated models and reams of market data."Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee plan to focus on potential conflicts of interest stemming from Warsh's expansive portfolio, which includes some investments that could be affected by Fed policy. They also intend to question his independence from President Trump. State of play: Warsh's nomination is broadly supported by Republicans and opposed by Democrats — putting his confirmation on track to be a more partisan affair than in the past. Just four years ago, Jerome Powell received 80 votes in favor of his confirmation. Alan Greenspan was confirmed five times by voice vote.Still, Republicans have the votes to confirm Warsh — or will, that is, if a Justice Department investigation into Powell that is ostensibly about the Fed's over-budget building renovation is resolved.Sen. Thom Tillis says the investigation is a pretext to pressure Powell over monetary policy — a view shared by a federal judge as well as Powell himself. Tillis has pledged to block Warsh's passage through the banking committee until the investigation is dropped. Zoom out: Powell's term is up May 15 and the Trump administration is eager to get him out. McCormick's planned introduction shows the support he has among Republican senators. What they're saying: "If confirmed, Kevin will inherit a Federal Reserve in need of repair and confronting serious uncertainty," McCormick will say, noting "an overextended balance sheet; a poor record on inf
US President Donald Trump on Saturday said countries that rely on oil carried through the Hormuz strait should take responsibility for keeping the passage open, with American help. Global oil prices have surged by 40 percent as Iran has choked off the vital sea passage and attacked Gulf energy facilities since US-Israeli strikes launched the war on Iran
Republicans say the war will end when Trump declares victory. But Iran will have a say over the conclusion, too
The decision to extend a warrantless security law until 30 April came after 20 Republicans worked with House Democrats to defeat attempts to pass five-year and 18-month renewals
By Steve Holland and Gram Slattery MIAMI, March 27 (Reuters) - Donald Trump said on Friday the United States does not "have to be there for NATO," comments that again raised questions about the U.S. president's commitment to the mutual defense provisions at the center of the transatlantic alliance. Speaking to an investment forum in Miami on Friday night, Trump said he was upset that European NATO countries had declined to provide material support to the U.S. as it nears the fourth week of its ongoing war on Iran
Iranian hackers are now taking their psychological warfare tactics directly to government officials and employees at major companies. Why it matters: Even unproven threats from Iranian hackers can create fear, uncertainty and doubt — draining attention and forcing targets to divert time and resources from their own operations. Driving the news: In the last week, Iran-linked hackers paired two data leaks with intimidation tactics aimed at individuals. Handala Hack Team — a pro-Iran hacktivist group linked to Iran's intelligence services — leaked a trove of emails on Friday purportedly from FBI Director Kash Patel's personal Gmail.The group also released data earlier last week allegedly tied to U.S.- and Israel-based Lockheed Martin employees and claimed it had called workers to share personal details about their families, children and current locations. Yes, but: The Lockheed Martin claims remain unverified. A separate pro-Iran group previously claimed it had breached the defense contractor. A Lockheed Martin spokesperson told Axios at the time the company was "aware of the reports" and "remains confident in the integrity of our robust, multi-layered information systems and data security."A Wired reporter found that many of the phone numbers tied to Israel-based Lockheed Martin employees weren't working. Threat level: Targeting individuals, rather than corporate networks, marks a more aggressive and intimidating turn in Iran's cyber playbook, aimed at eroding trust and shaping public perception during the current conflict. The initial cache of Patel's stolen emails dates between 2010 and 2019 and includes only seemingly innocuous items like travel receipts and family and vacation photos, according to an Axios review of the documents.But digital sleuths have already used those crumbs — including just his Gmail address — to map parts of his online life, surfacing old Google reviews and other accounts. Between the lines: Even recycled or low-value data can force costly
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Sunday conceded a “painful” defeat in his bid for reelection to his rival, opposition leader Peter Magyar. “I congratulated the victorious party,” Orbán told his followers after the results trickled in, confirming the feisty populist’s sixteen years in power have come to an end. “We are going to serve […]
The Trump administration's highly-anticipated recommendations for Congress on AI offer lawmakers a list of priorities rather than a concrete legislative plan. Why it matters: Though the framework marks a starting point from the White House, it will be incredibly hard for Congress to pass anything like it — even with Republicans in control. Disagreements over AI policy go well beyond Republican vs. Democrat, and they overlap with broader tech policy debates that Congress has never been able to solve. Friction point: The four-page framework calls on lawmakers to limit the ability of states to set their own rules for the technology, setting up a renewed clash with states and Congress over the future of AI regulation. It's not tied to any specific bills and doesn't resolve longstanding issues around protecting kids and overriding state law. What's inside: The framework says Congress should "preempt state AI laws that impose undue burdens to ensure a minimally burdensome national standard consistent with these recommendations, not fifty discordant ones." The proposal calls on Congress to: Address the use of AI replicas that simulate someone's likeness or voice.Codify President Trump's pledge to require tech companies to pay for their increased energy demands.Establish "regulatory sandboxes" to allow developers to experiment with AI under relaxed rules. It also focuses on kids' online safety: "AI services and platforms must take measures to protect children, while empowering parents to control their children's digital environment and upbringing," the framework states. Our thought bubble: It's a sign that this move is about the White House staking out a position and pointing to the framework as a demonstration it tried to set the rules of the road, rather than advancing a bill. The White House's biggest efforts on AI policy are focused on squashing state efforts to regulate the technology. Between the lines: The framework says the Trump administration "believes that traini