Trump and GOP's tax bill would force cuts to Medicare, CBO says  —  Some $500 billion in cuts to Medicare could be avoided if Congress instructs the White House budget office to disregard the reconciliation package's debt impact.  —  President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans' mammoth tax …

Pentagon accepts luxury jet from Qatar to use as Air Force One  —  The Air Force will work to ensure the jet can safely transport the president.  —  The Pentagon is seen in Washington, March 2, 2022.  —  The United States officially accepted a luxury jet to use as Air Force One from Qatar …

Gerry Connolly, congressman who protected federal workforce, dies at 75  —  The nine-term Virginia Democrat pushed back against the Trump administration's efforts to strip protections from civil servants and federal unions.  —  Gerry Connolly, a Democratic congressman who played a large part …

Justice Dept. to End Oversight of Local Police Accused of Abuses  —  Days before the anniversary of George Floyd's murder in Minneapolis, the Trump administration said that it would abandon efforts to reduce police violence there and in several other cities.

Trump admin deportation flight to South Sudan violated court order, judge rules  —  The swift deportations to the war-torn African nation failed to provide required due process, the judge said.  —  The Trump administration “unquestionably” violated a court order when it abruptly deported seven men …

If Justice Dept. Can't Prosecute Trump's Foes, It Will ‘Shame’ Them, Official Says  —  Prosecutors have long spoken only through court filings, to investigate crimes, not people.  That's changing as President Trump demands his administration target enemies, with little evidence of criminality.

Exclusive: Hacker who breached communications app used by Trump aide stole data from across US government  —  A hacker who breached the communications service used by former Trump national security adviser Mike Waltz earlier this month intercepted messages from a broader swathe of American officials …

Diseases are spreading.  The CDC isn't warning the public like it was months ago  —  To accomplish its mission of increasing the health security of the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that it “conducts critical science and provides health information” to protect the nation.

Official Pushed to Rewrite Intelligence So It Could Not Be ‘Used Against’ Trump  —  An assessment contradicted a presidential proclamation.  A political appointee demanded a redo, then pushed for changes to the new analysis, too.  —  New emails document how a top aide to Tulsi Gabbard …

GOP hard-liners threatening late revolt over megabill  —  House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing a last-minute rebellion from conservatives on Republicans' megabill, with a deal on a key tax deduction with blue-state Republicans and a lack of progress on settling other key provisions frustrating hard-liners.

Target cuts sales outlook as retailer blames tariff uncertainty and backlash to DEI rollback … Target on Wednesday cut its full-year sales outlook, as executives said weaker discretionary spending, consumer uncertainty about tariffs and backlash to the company's rollback of key diversity …

Weak US economic outlook persists despite brief trade truce with China: Reuters poll  —  The outlook for the U.S. economy remains weak despite a temporary cooling of the U.S.-China trade war, a Reuters poll of economists showed, with a debate over the country's fiscal health hanging in the balance.

Revealed: UnitedHealth secretly paid nursing homes to reduce hospital transfers  —  A Guardian investigation finds insurer quietly paid facilities that helped it gain Medicare enrollees and reduce hospitalizations.  Whistleblowers allege harm to residents  —  UnitedHealth Group …

Russian-linked Ukrainian politician shot dead in Spain  —  A former high-ranking Ukrainian politician connected to the country's ousted pro-Russian president was shot dead on Wednesday outside an exclusive international school near Madrid, according to Spanish and Ukrainian authorities.

Trump Is Waging War on the Future  —  It's fitting that a political movement whose slogan is the backward looking “Make America Great Again” — and whose tribune, Donald Trump, appears to live in an eternal 1990 of his own mind — is waging war on the American future.  —  This war has four theaters of conflict.

China to donate $500 million to WHO, stepping into gap left by U.S.  —  Beijing will replace the United States as the organization's top state donor, expanding its influence as the U.S. retreats from international cooperation.  —  China has pledged to give $500 million to the World Health Organization …

Matt Gaetz flirts with a run for Florida governor, adding a bit of chaos to the race  —  Rep. Byron Donalds has Trump's support, but both former Rep. Matt Gaetz and first lady Casey DeSantis are also eyeing potential bids.  —  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Former Rep. Matt Gaetz …

JD Vance on His Faith and Trump's Most Controversial Policies  —  On this episode of “Interesting Times,” Ross Douthat interviews Vice President JD Vance about the Trump administration's deportations, the tariff backlash and how Vance's faith influences his politics.

Trump's New Position on the War in Ukraine: Not My Problem  —  In a reversal, President Trump appears to have backed off joining a European push for new sanctions on Russia, seemingly eager to move on to doing business deals with it.  —  For months, President Trump has been threatening …

Musk Insults Interviewer for Daring to Ask About His Big DOGE Promise  —  TOUCHY SUBJECT  —  Musk said the cost-cutting task force would save $2 trillion.  By its own estimate, just $160 billion has been saved.  —  A defensive Elon Musk shut down an interviewer by saying …