How DOGE's grand plan to remake Social Security is backfiring  —  The agency is abandoning an initiative aimed at preventing fraud, the latest example of a failed effort by Elon Musk's disruptive cost-cutting team.  —  The U.S. DOGE Service arrived at the Social Security Administration …

House Republicans Need Their Closer.  Good Thing He's Back.  —  After a five-day, eight-time-zone hiatus from Capitol Hill drama, Trump has to salvage his sputtering megabill.  —  President Donald Trump was only a few hours into a marathon flight from Abu Dhabi on Friday when he sent …

House GOP to probe ‘cover up’ after leaked Hur audio signals Biden struggle  —  The House Oversight and Accountability Committee will hold hearings on a suspected “cover up” surrounding former President Biden's cognitive functions and autopen usage in office, after audio surfaced this week …

Trump says he will speak to Putin, Zelensky about Ukraine war on Monday  —  Russia and Ukraine held direct talks — their first since the early weeks of the war — in Turkey this week.  —  President Donald Trump said Saturday that he plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin …

The Khashoggi Compromise  —  Jeff Bezos once mourned Jamal Khashoggi in public—now the Amazon billionaire is making billion-dollar deals with his executioner, which reveals more about his values than any vigil ever could. … Earlier this week, Amazon announced a $5 billion “strategic partnership” …

Meet ‘Ice,’ ‘Ogle’ and other crypto millionaires who bought a night with Trump  —  Most of the crypto investors who won a chance to attend the president's dinner party remain publicly unknown.  Others say they are going in hopes of shaping his views.  —  When the creators of President …

After Cuts, a Kentucky Weather Office Scrambles for Staffing as Severe Storms Bear Down  —  The office in Jackson, Ky., is one of several left without an overnight forecaster after hundreds of jobs were recently cut from the National Weather Service.  —  A National Weather Service office …

Yes, the media's Biden coverage was flawed.  But its reporting on Trump was far worse  —  A new book has fueled controversy over press handling of the ex-president's decline.  But that distracts from a bigger problem  —  With a new book out about Joe Biden's failed re-election campaign, a media reckoning is in full swing.

Let's Start Talking About Jail Time for Trump and His MAGA Enablers … What's in the water in the state of Maryland?  Whatever it is, it's certainly more invigorating than the sewage that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his grandchildren have been swimming in.  A few weeks ago …

Trump's Embrace of White South Africans Takes Dark, Unnerving New Turn  —  When President Donald Trump welcomed dozens of white South Africans into the United States this week after granting them refugee status, reporters reasonably asked him to square this with his suspension of refugee resettlement from …

Is the University Of Austin Betraying Its Founding Principles?  —  Created as a haven for free thinkers, UATX was the last place where I'd expected to encounter ideological litmus tests.  —  On 8 November 2021, the founders of the University of Austin (UATX) announced the launch of their new project …

Trump's Push to Defund Harvard Prompts Clash Over Veteran Suicide Research  —  The proposed termination of medical research funded by the V.A. is part of the Trump administration's broader pressure campaign against the university.  —  The Trump administration's move to cancel a slew …

Melania Trump statue goes missing in Slovenia  —  “Melania” appeared on the banks of the River Sava in July 2020, four months before her human inspiration left the White House.  —  Now, four months after the erstwhile Melanija Knavs resumed residence at Washington's most famous address …

Moody's strips US of top-notch triple-A credit rating  —  Agency warns of strains caused by rising government debt and a widening budget deficit  —  Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free  —  Your guide to what Trump's second term means for Washington, business and the world

Trump tells Walmart to ‘eat the tariffs’ instead of raising prices  —  U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Walmart <WMT.N> should “eat the tariffs” instead of blaming duties imposed by his administration on imported goods for the retailer's increased prices.

‘Whom Shall I Fear?’  In South Texas, Two Bakers Face Trump's Immigration Wrath.  —  A raid on Abby's Bakery in Los Fresnos heralded the crackdown to come.  Ahead of the owners' trial for “harboring” undocumented workers, the community is seeing the impact of the president's policies.

Combat sport clubs used to boost recruitment for white nationalist hate group, report says  —  Combat sport clubs have been used to boost recruitment for a white nationalist hate group, according to a report released by the legal advocacy organization Southern Poverty Law Center.

AOC's district sees 70% crime surge — more than double NYC average: 'She doesn't care'  —  What these neighborhoods really need is a “Squad” car.  —  Major crime rose by an eye-popping 70% in Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Bronx and Queens district since the ‘defund the police’ socialist …

MIT Says It No Longer Stands Behind Student's AI Research Paper  —  The university says it has no confidence in a widely circulated paper by an economics graduate student  —  The Massachusetts Institute of Technology said Friday it can no longer stand behind a widely circulated paper …

Trump administration acknowledges another error in a high-profile deportation  —  In a late Friday court filing, immigration officials said a claim by a Guatemalan man — a key plank of the government's response in a class action lawsuit — was based on erroneous information.

The Neo-Anti-Vaxxers Are in Power Now  —  A new cadre of officials might deal in evidence more than Robert F. Kennedy Jr. does, but they still question the worth of vaccines.  —  Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s anti-vaccine activism is not what you'd call subtle.  For decades, he has questioned …