• Democrats signal further increases to defense funding could come at cost for GOP

    Prominent Democrats said Wednesday that any increases to defense spending beyond the budget limits agreed to as part of a bipartisan deal last year must also be met with parity for domestic programs. In remarks to the press on Wednesday, Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said “stronger investments” are needed in the country’s “military and national

  • Jewish Democrat on voting against bill: Anti-Zionism not ‘inherently’ antisemitism

    Jewish Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) said she voted against the bill that would crack down on antisemitism on college campuses because, in her view, anti-Zionism is not “inherently” antisemitism, and the measure that passed through the House would “stifle” free speech rights. Jacobs shared her explanation by drawing from her own experience of facing antisemitism in

  • Biden administration gives more than $26 million in clean energy grants

    The Biden administration said Wednesday that it will give more than $26.9 million in grants in support of clean energy projects across the country. “Energy efficient upgrades are a surefire way to bring down costs and shore up resiliency for communities across the nation,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a press release from her

  • Johnson suggests he wants to lead GOP next Congress

    Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) suggested this week that he wants to remain at the top of the GOP in the next Congress despite fierce pushback from conservatives who are furious with his leadership style and want him gone at the end of the term — or even sooner. During an interview with “The Hill” on

  • US losing ground to Russia in geopolitical battle over Africa

    Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security   The Big Story US losing ground to Russia in geopolitical battle over Africa The expected withdrawal of U.S. forces from Niger will endanger U.S. counter-terrorism operations and hand Russia more influence in Africa as American and western ties on

  • Boebert: ‘It makes no difference to me’ if Jeffries or Johnson is Speaker

    Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) said Tuesday there is “no difference” to her whether Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) keeps his job or Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) becomes Speaker. “We are passing the democratic agenda each and every day that we're here. We have a slim majority in the House. And it's — everything's being passed overwhelmingly with

  • Trump claims ‘paid agitators’ part of Columbia pro-Palestine protests

    Former President Trump made unfounded claims Tuesday that pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University contained "paid agitators" as nationwide college campus protests escalate. Hundreds of New York Police Department officers, many with batons and in riot gear, cleared Columbia University’s protest encampments on Tuesday evening, including arresting students who occupied a campus building. Trump claimed in a Fox

  • Police in riot gear enter Columbia University to break up pro-Palestine protests

    Hundreds of New York Police Department officers, many with batons and in riot gear, moved onto Columbia University’s campus on Tuesday evening as student protesters continued a largely peaceful occupation of a campus building in protest of the Israel-Hamas war. Student protesters barricaded themselves inside Hamilton Hall early Tuesday, escalating after more than a week

  • White House considers admitting some Palestinians from Gaza as refugees

    The Biden administration is considering admitting certain Palestinians to the U.S. as refugees, a report by CBS News found. Senior officials in several U.S. agencies have discussed the idea of resettling Palestinians from Gaza who have immediate family who are American citizens. One of the ideas proposed would be to use the United States Refugee

  • GOP senator calls for deporting certain foreign student protesters

    Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) called for the U.S. government to revoke the visas given to international students who are Hamas sympathizers and deport them as college protests continue nationwide. “You cannot go around yelling ‘I am Hamas’ or ‘We are Hamas’ or ‘River to the sea’ and pushing out Jewish students and have the University not

  • Democrat wins special election for Rep. Brian Higgins’s seat in New York

    New York state Sen. Timothy Kennedy, a Democrat, has won the Empire State’s special election to fill retired Democratic Rep. Brian Higgins’s seat in Congress, according to a projection from Decision Desk HQ. Kennedy defeated Republican Gary Dickson in New York’s 26th Congressional district for the seat, which was expected to stay in Democratic hands

  • Michelle Obama surprises high school students in DC on College Signing Day

    Former First Lady Michelle Obama surprised high school students from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia to celebrate College Signing Day and their decision to pursue higher education. “Look, on a day when so much is about looking ahead, I just want to take a little moment to look back with you all,” she said. “Because