White House: Improved surveillance caught Chinese balloon
U.S. officials say efforts ordered by President Joe Biden to strengthen defenses against Chinese espionage helped identify last week’s spy balloon — and determine that similar flights were conducted at multiple points during the Trump administration.
EPA finalizes water rule that repeals Trump-era changes
President Joe Biden’s administration has finalized regulations that protect hundreds of thousands of small streams, wetlands and other waterways, repealing a Trump-era rule that federal courts had thrown out and that environmentalists said left waterways vulnerable to pollution.
Correction: Trump Hotel-Foreign Government Spending story
In a story published November 14, 2022, about foreign government spending at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, The Associated Press erroneously reported Saudi Arabia spent at least $164,929 at the hotel in 2017 and 2018, the same time it was trying to win over U.S. support after its invasion and blockade of Qatar.
Mar-a-Lago search just part of one of several Trump probes
The FBI search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate marked a dramatic and unprecedented escalation of the law enforcement scrutiny of the former president, but the Florida operation was just one part of one investigation related to Trump and his time in office.
Jan. 6 panel's 1,000 witnesses: From Trump aides to rioters
The House Jan. 6 panel has interviewed more than 1,000 people who were directly or indirectly involved in the U.S. Capitol insurrection as it's probed the violent attack and former President Donald Trump’s unprecedented efforts to overturn his election defeat.
Accounting firm: Trump financial statements aren't reliable
The accounting firm that prepared former President Donald Trump’s annual financial statements says the documents, used to secure lucrative loans and burnish Trump’s image as a wealthy businessman, “should no longer be relied upon” after investigators said they found evidence he and his company regularly misstated the value of assets.
Kellyanne Conway memoir 'Here's the Deal' coming out May 24
Former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway has a memoir out May 24: “Here’s the Deal” is billed by her publisher as a look beyond the headlines of the Trump administration and her family life, including her husband and prominent Trump detractor, George Conway.
2 Iranians charged with threatening US voters in 2020
Two suspected Iranian computer hackers have been charged in a broad campaign of election interference aimed at intimidating American voters during last year’s presidential race and undermining confidence that the results of the contest could be trusted.
Florida man conspired with Central Florida Oath Keepers ahead of Jan. 6 Capitol riots, FBI says
A man from Southwest Florida is accused of taking part in the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. and conspiring with other members of the Oath Keepers from Central Florida head of the attacks, according to the FBI.
US House votes to ease entry process for Afghan interpreters
The U.S. House of Representatives has easily passed legislation that would make it easier for Afghans who worked for the American military or NATO to relocate to the U.S. The bill, which drew bipartisan support, eliminates a requirement that special visa applicants get a medical exam before they leave Afghanistan.
Biden announces huge infrastructure plan to 'win the future'
Biden hopes to pass an infrastructure plan by summer, which could mean relying solely on the slim Democratic majorities in the House and the Senate. “Ninety-one Fortune 500 Companies, including Amazon, pay not a single solitary penny in income tax,” Biden said. “Wall Street didn’t build this country," Biden said. The new construction could keep the economy running hot, coming on the heels of Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. But we have to get it done.”AdDemocratic leaders embraced Biden’s plan Wednesday.
Pentagon looks to root out extremists targeting US troops
FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo a violent mob of Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol in Washington. A top official compared the recruitment effort to that undertaken by international terrorist groups trying to lure the support of servicemembers. Military leaders are intent on developing training for troops that makes clear they should not get involved with such groups. Speaking to a small number of reporters at the Pentagon, Colón-López said he is not aware of any specific coordination that has started between the Defense Department and law enforcement. And, as time goes on, he said that with more education, service members will identify and report extremist activities and comments more frequently.
Justices call off arguments over Medicaid work requirements
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court said Thursday it has called off upcoming arguments over a Trump administration plan to remake Medicaid by requiring recipients to work, agreeing to a request from the Biden administration. But the Biden administration already has decided preliminarily that work requirements do not fit with Medicaid's goal of providing health care to lower-income people. AdOther cases involved Trump administration immigration policies and a fight over unreleased portions of grand jury documents from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 elections. The high court had in December agreed to review lower-court decisions involving Arkansas and New Hampshire that found that the Trump administration’s support for work requirements went beyond what’s allowed by law. Arkansas had opposed the Biden administration’s request that the cases be dropped.
GOP struggles to define Biden, turns to culture wars instead
President Joe Biden speaks with Mary Anna Ackley, Owner of Little Wild Things Farm, left, and Michael Siegel, Co-owner of W.S. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden and the Democrats were on the brink of pushing through sprawling legislation with an eyepopping, $1.9 trillion price tag. Other GOP efforts to define Biden as a radical or to attack his mental acuity also didn't resonate. Some Republicans argue it will simply take time for the GOP to organize against Biden, given the honeymoon period most new presidents enjoy. All the while, the Biden White House is underscoring its attempts at bipartisanship, putting the Republicans on the defensive for not signing onto the broadly popular COVID relief bill.
GOP struggles to define Biden, turns to culture wars instead
President Joe Biden speaks with Mary Anna Ackley, Owner of Little Wild Things Farm, left, and Michael Siegel, Co-owner of W.S. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden and the Democrats were on the brink of pushing through sprawling legislation with an eyepopping, $1.9 trillion price tag. Other GOP efforts to define Biden as a radical or to attack his mental acuity also didn't resonate. Some Republicans argue it will simply take time for the GOP to organize against Biden, given the honeymoon period most new presidents enjoy. All the while, the Biden White House is underscoring its attempts at bipartisanship, putting the Republicans on the defensive for not signing onto the broadly popular COVID relief bill.
Biden visits businesses to highlight changes to loan program
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden visited a hardware store in the nation’s capital Tuesday to highlight changes he made to the Paycheck Protection Program to benefit small businesses he says were overlooked by the Trump administration earlier in the coronavirus pandemic. Biden administration officials announced last month that for two weeks starting on Feb. 24, the Small Business Administration would only accept applications for the forgivable loan program from firms with fewer than 20 employees. The exclusivity period for small businesses ends Tuesday, with White House officials reporting that the effort led to a 20% increase in minority businesses and a 14% increase in women businesses receiving loans. The Biden administration also changed eligibility rules for the program. AdTrump administration officials argued the program primarily benefitted smaller businesses because a vast majority of the loans in the first months of the program were for less than $150,000.
Court raises bar for some immigrants to avoid deportation
FILE - In this Nov. 5, 2020 file photo, the Supreme Court is seen in Washington. The Supreme Court will take up challenges to controversial Trump administration policies affecting family-planning clinics and immigrants, even though the Biden administration has announced it is reviewing them. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on Thursday made it harder for longtime immigrants who have been convicted of a crime to avoid deportation. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the opinion for a 5-3 conservative majority that ruled against a Mexican citizen who entered the U.S. illegally and has lived in the country for 25 years. Not all criminal convictions inevitably lead to deportation, but Gorsuch wrote for the court that Pereida failed to prove he was not convicted of a serious crime.
Supreme Court to weigh Puerto Rico access to US aid
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide whether it is unconstitutional to exclude people living in Puerto Rico from Supplemental Social Security Income. The administration argues that a pair of 40-year-old Supreme Court decisions already upheld the federal law that created SSI and excluded Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories from it. In recent months, a federal judge ruled that Puerto Rico residents should have access to other federal welfare benefits from which they have been excluded as well. A federal judge in Guam said residents of that Pacific island also should be able to collect SSI. AdA separate program, Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled, covers residents of the territories, but it has more stringent eligibility requirements and pays less generous benefits than SSI.
Trump the dominant force at conservative conference
A conference attendee takes a selfie photo in front of a statue of former president Donald Trump at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Friday, Feb. 26, 2021, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)WASHINGTON – A conference dedicated to the future of the conservative movement turned into an ode to Donald Trump as speakers declared their fealty to the former president and attendees posed for selfies with a golden statue of his likeness. Trump on Sunday will be making his first post-presidential appearance at the conference, and aides say he will use the speech to reassert his power. “If we do, we will lose the working base that President Trump so animated. Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., lit into Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the No. “And I assure you that it will solidify Donald Trump and all of your feelings about the MAGA movement as the future of the Republican Party.”
Biden's trade pick vows to work more closely with allies
FILE - In this Dec. 11, 2020, file photo Katherine Tai, the Biden administration's choice totake overas the U.S. trade representative, speaks during an event at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del. President Joe Bidens pick to be the top U.S. trade envoy is promising to work with Americas allies to combat Chinas aggressive trade policies. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden's pick to be the top U.S. trade envoy is promising to work with America's allies to combat China's aggressive trade policies, indicating a break from the Trump administration's go-it-alone approach. Fluent in Mandarin, Tai served several years as head of China enforcement at the trade representative's office. Far from working with allies on trade, Trump sparred with them instead, putting tariffs on imported steel and aluminum and threatening to target European cars, too.
Florida governor orders that flags be lowered after Rush Limbaugh’s death
FILE - This Nov. 5, 2018 file photo shows radio personality Rush Limbaugh introducing President Donald Trump at the start of a campaign rally in Cape Girardeau, Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)Following the death of conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, Gov. Ron DeSantis said flags will be lowered to half-staff on Wednesday in his honor. @FLCaseyDeSantis and I are saddened to learn of the passing of fellow Floridian and our friend, Rush Limbaugh. @GovRonDeSantis is lowering Florida's flags to half-staff for Rush Limbaugh.
Biden asks high court to drop 2 Trump-era Medicaid cases
WASHINGTON – The Biden administration is asking the Supreme Court not to hear arguments in two cases on its March calendar about the Trump administration's plan to remake Medicaid by requiring recipients to work. The Biden administration has been moving to roll back those Trump-era plans and cited “greatly changed circumstances” in asking Monday that the cases be dropped from the court's argument calendar. The high court had in December agreed to review lower-court decisions involving Arkansas and New Hampshire that found that the Trump administration’s support for work requirements went beyond what’s allowed by law. Medicaid is a $600 billion federal-state program that covers about 70 million people, from pregnant women and newborns to disabled people and nursing home residents. Under the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, states gained the option of expanding the program to many low-income adults previously ineligible.
Court to take up Trump immigration, abortion referral rules
FILE - In this Nov. 5, 2020 file photo, the Supreme Court is seen in Washington. The Supreme Court will take up challenges to controversial Trump administration policies affecting family-planning clinics and immigrants, even though the Biden administration has announced it is reviewing them. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court said Monday it will take up challenges to controversial Trump administration policies affecting family-planning clinics and immigrants, even though the Biden administration has announced it is reviewing them. Last month, Biden also ordered a review of Trump's restrictions on family-planning clinics that caused Planned Parenthood to withdraw from the funding program, rather than stop abortion referrals. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the rule, in a lawsuit filed by the city of Baltimore.
Impeachment vote becomes defining moment for GOP senator
But the North Carolina Republican’s vote to convict former President Donald Trump should not have come as a shock. AdWith Burr retiring at the end of his term in 2022, it’s a vote that could end up defining his career. Exactly a year later, as the Russia investigation was wrapping up, Burr’s time leading the committee came to an abrupt end. He sided with most Republicans in a vote to dismiss the trial, creating an expectation he’d also vote to acquit. AdSo when Burr stood up to vote for Trump's conviction, many in the chamber wondered if there would be other surprises.
Central Florida could see temperatures drop 47 degrees in 2 days
Beat the cold weather blahs with these 10 sunny, affordable winter escapes from Smarter Travel. Orlando will reach a high near 76 degrees Wednesday, with some rain moving in from the south. The record high is 88, set in 1944. Another cold front will roll into Central Florida by the middle of day Friday, producing showers and some thunderstorms. After the front passes, the temperature could hit 40 degrees overnight into Saturday, marking a 47-degree difference from Thursday’s high.
Conservative talk radio icon Rush Limbaugh dead at 70
@FLCaseyDeSantis and I are saddened to learn of the passing of fellow Floridian and our friend, Rush Limbaugh. Limbaugh, the talk radio host who became the voice of American conservatism, has died. Al Franken, the comedian and one-time senator, came out with a book in 1996 called “Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations.”In 2003, Limbaugh admitted an addiction to painkillers and went into rehab. His mother was the former Mildred Armstrong, and his father, Rush Limbaugh Jr., was a lawyer. Limbaugh dropped out of Southeast Missouri State University for a string of DJ gigs, from his hometown, to McKeesport, Pennsylvania, to Pittsburgh and then Kansas City.
Florida lawmakers react to former President Donald Trump’s acquittal
The lead House Manager argued today that this trial isn’t about Donald Trump. Impeachment exists for one principal reason: to remove from office an office holder guilty of wrongdoing. And a Senate tempted to convict by the tantalizing opportunity to disqualify that official from future public office. I warned then that a future Democratic President would do the same thing to fund a Green New Deal. A new President is in the White House and a new Congress has been sworn in.
White House offers 'full support' for Trump-era Space Force
“We are not revisiting the decision to establish the Space Force,” she said. Ad“Thousands of men and women proudly serve in the Space Force,” Psaki said. Space Force. “I am very proud of the guardians in the Space Force," Gen. Jay Raymond, chief of space operations, said at a virtual event with defense writers. Trump was very proud of Space Force and rarely delivered a speech without mentioning it.