Page 19 - Us Government

Gabbard's visit to India highlights strong US-India ties: US official

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's meetings in India focused on bilateral cooperation in areas of intelligence-sharing, defence, counter-terrorism, and transnational threats, an American official said. Gabbard's visit to New Delhi highlighted the decades strong US-India relationship that is bolstered by the leadership of and friendship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump, a spokesperson at the office of Director of National Intelligence (DNI) said. She arrived in the national capital early Sunday on a two-and-a-half-day trip in the first high-level visit to India by a top official of the Donald Trump administration. Gabbard held separate meetings with Prime Minister Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval. "In India, the DNI held several bilateral engagements, including with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi," the spokesperson said. "DNI Gabbard's meetings in India focused on ..

Federal judge blocks DOGE from accessing Social Security data for now

A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked Elon Musk 's Department of Government Efficiency from Social Security Administration systems that hold personal data on millions of Americans. The decision from US District Judge Ellen Hollander in Maryland also requires the team to delete any personally identifiable data they may have. It comes after labor unions and retirees asked for an emergency order limiting DOGE access to the agency and its vast troves of personal data. They said DOGE's nearly unlimited access violates privacy laws and presents massive information security risks. A recently departed Social Security official who saw the DOGE team sweep into the agency said she is deeply worried about sensitive information being exposed. The Trump administration says DOGE has a 10-person team of federal employees at the Social Security Administration, seven of whom have been granted read-only access to agency systems or personally identifiable information. The administration has

Who is Rasha Alawieh, the doctor US deported over pics of Hassan Nasrallah?

Rasha Alawieh was reportedly held for at least 36 hours before being deported to Lebanon on Saturday, despite a federal judge's order to delay her removal

US Commerce department bureaus ban China's DeepSeek on govt devices

US officials and members of Congress have expressed concerns about the threat of DeepSeek to data privacy and sensitive government information

Trump visits Kennedy Center putting his mark on national arts institution

President Donald Trump on Monday is visiting the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where he is taking a tour and chairing a meeting of its board of directors. It was his first time at the venerable institution since he began remaking it at the start of his second term in office. Trump fired the previous board of the Kennedy Center, writing on social media that they do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture. He replaced them with loyalists and installed himself as chairman. The Republican president's allies have complained that the Kennedy Center, which is known for its annual celebration of notable American artists, had become too liberal and woke with its programming. We have to straighten it out. It's not a good situation," Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday evening. He was also expected to discuss plans to improve the Kennedy Center and its upcoming artistic programming. Several artists and productions have backed out of performances

Republican legislation seeks to ban Chinese nationals from studying in US

A group of House Republicans on Friday put forward legislation seeking to prevent Chinese students from studying in American schools, as some US lawmakers are targeting China over national security concerns. Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., introduced the bill that could bar Chinese nationals from receiving visas that allow foreigners to travel to the US to study or participate in exchange visitor programmes. Five other Republicans co-sponsored the measure. By granting Chinese nationals such visas, the US has "invited" the Chinese Communist Party "to spy on our military, steal our intellectual property, and threaten national security", Moore said in a statement. "It's time we turn off the spigot and immediately ban all student visas going to Chinese nationals." The measure is unlikely to pass, and it has drawn criticism from organisations and scholars over concerns that hostile policies and rhetoric toward Chinese students could hurt US interests. "No policy should target individuals sol

Senate approves funding bill just before shutdown deadline, sends to Trump

The Senate passed a six-month spending bill on Friday hours before a government shutdown, overcoming sharp Democratic opposition to the measure and sending it to President Donald Trump to be signed into law. The essentially party-line vote, 54-46, reflected gnawing Democratic angst over how to confront the Trump administration as its Department of Government Efficiency fires federal workers and dismantles operations. Democrats argued over whether to fight even risking a shutdown and fumed that Republicans drafted a measure that included little of their input, shortchanging health care, housing and other priorities. But in the end, enough of the Democratic senators decided a government shutdown would be even worse, and backed Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer's strategy to allow the bill to come forward. "A shutdown will allow DOGE to shift into overdrive," Schumer said. "Donald Trump and Elon Musk would be free to destroy vital government services at a much faster ...

Senior USAID official asks staff to 'shred, burn all documents': Report

The effort also demonstrates the tumultuous way in which the Trump administration is dismantling the USAID, which once managed a $40 billion annual budget and had over 10,000 employees

Ukraine-US accord on a ceasefire proposal puts the onus on Vladimir Putin

The accord reached in Saudi Arabia by US and Ukrainian negotiators for a 30-day halt in the conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion three years ago

US condemns attacks on Syrian minorities as coastal violence escalates

The violence erupted in Syria's coastal cities of Latakia and Tartous, where security forces clashed with fighters loyal to ousted President Bashar al-Assad

Trump downplays business concerns over tariff uncertainty and price hikes

President Donald Trump is dismissing business concerns over the uncertainty caused by his planned tariffs on a range of American trading partners and the prospect of higher prices, and isn't ruling out the possibility of a recession this year. After imposing and then quickly pausing 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada that sent markets tumbling over concerns of a trade war, Trump said his plans for broader reciprocal tariffs will go into effect April 2, raising them to match what other countries assess. April 2nd, it becomes all reciprocal, he said in a taped interview with Fox News Channel's Sunday Morning Futures. What they charge us, we charge them. Asked about the Atlanta Fed's warning of an economic contraction in the first quarter of the year, Trump seemingly acknowledged that his plans could affect U.S. growth. Still, he claimed, it would ultimately be "great for us. When questioned whether he was expecting a recession in 2025, Trump responded: I hate to predict ..

'You have fired nobody': Elon Musk clashes with cabinet over govt cuts

Republicans pressure President Donald Trump to rein in Elon Musk's 'unchecked influence' and 'authority' amid sweeping cost-cutting measures

States sue Trump administration over mass firings of probationary workers

Maryland and 19 other states are suing multiple federal agencies, contending President Donald Trump's administration has illegally fired thousands of federal probationary workers. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown is leading the coalition of attorneys general in the federal lawsuit that was filed late Thursday in Maryland, where the state estimates about 10% of households receive wages from the federal government. The draconian actions of the Trump-Vance Administration could lead to tens of thousands of jobs lost, hundreds of thousands of lives disrupted, and the cratering of tens of millions of dollars in income here in Maryland, Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, said Friday in support of the complaint. Brown followed up on Friday by moving for a temporary restraining order in federal court in Maryland seeking to stop any more firings of federal probationary employees and to reinstate those who have already been dismissed. The mass firings will cause irreparable burdens and expens

Stellantis pledges more US cars, thanks Trump for 1-month tariff exemption

The White House on Wednesday said Trump would exempt automakers from his punishing 25 per cent tariffs on the two countries for one month as long as they comply with existing free trade rules

'We are paying them': Musk-led DOGE seeks $4 million from a federal agency

The US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has asked a federal agency to fund 20 full-time positions for work carried out between January 20 and July 4, 2026

US govt on verge of shutdown as Trump pushes unilateral budget cuts

The longest government shutdown in US history during President Trump's first term, lasting 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019

US Secretary of State accuses China of flooding state with Fentanyl

Rubio expressed his belief that China "could halt" the flow of precursors immediately but opted not to, as cited in the RFA report

Trump, Zelenskyy fail to reach minerals deal after White House clash

The clash, played in front of the television cameras, is a major setback for Zelenskyy, who was hoping the in-person meeting with Trump would help smooth out his relations with the American president

UK ready to put 'boots on ground' for Ukraine: Starmer while meeting Trump

Trump said he thinks progress is being made on ending the Russia-Ukraine war, and that an agreement will "either be fairly soon or it won't be at all"

Social Security Administration in US could cut up to 50% of its workforce

The Social Security Administration is preparing to lay off at least 7,000 people from its workforce of 60,000, according to a person familiar with the agency's plans who is not authorised to speak publicly. The workforce reduction, according to a second person who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, could be as high as 50%. It's unclear how the layoffs will directly impact the benefits of the 72.5 million Social Security beneficiaries, which include retirees and children who receive retirement and disability benefits. However, advocates and Democratic lawmakers warn that layoffs will reduce the agency's ability to serve recipients in a timely manner. Some say cuts to the workforce are, in effect, a cut in benefits. Later Friday, the agency sent out a news release outlining plans for significant workforce reductions, employee reassignments from non-mission critical positions to mission critical direct service positions," and an offer of voluntary separation agreements. The agen