White House news

• President Obama Dances To “Hotline Bling,” Dabs With Usher At His Final White House Musical Event

  22-10-2016 21:43
  
  The Obamas held the last musical event of Barack's presidency, BET's Love And Happiness: A Musical Experience, on the south lawn of the White House last night. As the AP reports, the show featured performances from Jill Scott, Usher, the Roots, Bell Biv DeVoe, Janelle Monáe, and De La Soul, among others, and Obama took…
  
  Read more

• Johnson, GOP lawmakers heckled at combative Columbia event

  24-04-2024 23:50 via thehill.com
  
  Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Republican lawmakers were repeatedly and loudly heckled during a combative press conference at Columbia University on Wednesday as they gathered to condemn antisemitism and the pro-Palestine demonstrations taking place on campus.Johnson — joined by GOP Reps. Virginia Foxx (N.C.), Mike Lawler (N.Y.), Anthony D’Esposito (N.Y.) and Nicole Malliotakis (N.Y.) — traveled to the Manhattan campus, where pro-Palestine protesters are refusing to
  
  Read more

• Maria Shriver talks teaming with Jill Biden to push for gender equity in medical research: It's not political, it's a 'human issue'

  24-04-2024 21:52 via thehill.com
  
  Maria Shriver says her work toward gender equity in medical research is a "human issue," not a political one."I don't see it as partisan at all because there are Republican women serving. Republican men came from Republican women," Shriver said. "I don't even look at it as a political issue. I look at it as a human issue," the NBC News correspondent and founder of the Women's Alzheimer's Movement (WAM) Prevention and Research Center at Cleveland Clinic, said.Jill Biden joined Shriver and le
  
  Read more

• Biden meets with 4-year-old American who was held hostage by Hamas

  24-04-2024 21:27 via thehill.com
  
  President Biden on Wednesday met at the White House with Abigail Edan, a four-year-old who was held by Hamas in Gaza and was released last November as part of a hostage deal.White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters the meeting was a moment of joy, as well as a reminder for Biden of the work that remains to be done as other hostages are still being held by Hamas months after its October terrorist attacks against Israel."This was a moment of joy as well because she was ab
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Black lawmakers mourn the death of N.J. Rep. Donald Payne Jr.

  24-04-2024 20:56 via thehill.com
  
  Following the news Wednesday of the passing of Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-N.J.), Black lawmakers shared memories and statements of support for the late lawmaker's family. In a statement, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) highlighted the work Payne, 65, focused on during his six terms in Congress, including racial justice, reproductive freedom, free college tuition and expanding voting rights. “Representative Payne will be remembered by all those who knew him for his ki
  
  Read more

• Black lawmakers mourn the death of New Jersey Rep. Donald Payne Jr.

  24-04-2024 20:56 via thehill.com
  
  Following the news Wednesday of the passing of Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-N.J.), Black lawmakers shared memories and statements of support for the late lawmaker's family. In a statement, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) highlighted the work Payne, 65, focused on during his six terms in Congress, including racial justice, reproductive freedom, free college tuition and expanding voting rights. “Representative Payne will be remembered by all those who knew him for his ki
  
  Read more

• George Will: House Republicans voted to endanger 'civilization' with Ukraine aid opposition

  24-04-2024 20:55 via thehill.com
  
  George Will, a conservative columnist for The Washington Post, went after House Republicans who recently voted against more aid to Ukraine in a Wednesday opinion piece in the Post.In the opinion, highlighted by Mediate, Will said the 112 Republicans House Republicans who voted against Ukraine aid “voted last Saturday to endanger civilization,” calling them “ignoble.”“Hoping to enhance their political security in their mostly safe seats, and for the infantile satisfa
  
  Read more

• Democrats seen as more successful at passing legislation: Survey

  24-04-2024 20:08 via thehill.com
  
  Democrats are seen as more successful at passing legislation in the House of Representatives than their party counterparts, according to a new Monmouth University poll. More than half of Americans, 53 percent, said that Democrats have been more successful at getting legislation passed when they are in control of the lower chamber. Almost one in four, around 39 percent, said they were “unsuccessful.” In contrast, less than one-third of Americans in the poll said th
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Biden leans into courting union workers by bashing Trump: ‘He looks down on us’

  24-04-2024 19:47 via thehill.com
  
  President Biden put his strategy of appealing to union workers on display Wednesday by painting himself as more like them and less like former President Trump.Biden has spoken to crowds of union workers twice in the last week, using each occasion to bash Trump about his upbringing in working to appeal to the critical voting bloc on a personal level.“Folks, we all know people like Trump who look down on us. Don’t we? We all know somebody we grew up with like that,” Biden said at
  
  Read more

• Abbott endorses Texas congressman who called colleagues 'scumbags'

  24-04-2024 19:00 via thehill.com
  
  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) endorsed Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) on Wednesday, defending the congressman as he faces criticism from fellow Republicans after dubbing two far-right members of the caucus “scumbags.”Gonzales went after Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Bob Good (R-Va.) over the weekend, saying the Freedom Caucus members “walk around with white hoods,” and referencing allegations that Gaetz "paid minors to have sex with him at drug parties.” Gaetz has denied
  
  Read more

• Just 1 in 5 want Johnson replaced as Speaker: Survey

  24-04-2024 18:51 via thehill.com
  
  Only one in five Americans want Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to be replaced, according to a new poll, which also found Democrats are more positive about him than they were late last year. A quarter of respondents are opposed to replacing Johnson, according to the Monmouth University survey. Most people in the survey, 55 percent, said they do not have a view on the issue. The passing of the foreign aid package that included money for Ukraine and Israel slightly improved Johnson&rsq
  
  Read more

• New Jersey Rep. Donald Payne Jr. dead at 65

  24-04-2024 18:24 via thehill.com
  
  Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (D-N.J.), who represented New Jersey in the House for more than a decade, has died at the age of 65.New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) confirmed Payne's death in a statement on Wednesday."Tammy and I are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of our friend, and a steadfast champion for the people of New Jersey, Congressman Donald Payne, Jr.," he wrote.Payne suffered what his office called a "cardiac episode" related to complications from diabetes more than two weeks ago and had
  
  Read more

• Buttigieg: US needs more air traffic controllers

  24-04-2024 18:07 via thehill.com
  
  Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that more air traffic controllers are needed to address the concerns of them being overworked. Buttigieg said the administration is requesting funding from Capitol Hill lawmakers to hire 2,000 additional controllers. “We need more, and we're hiring more,” Buttigieg said Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “If you look at just a chart over the last 30 years or so the number of air traffic controllers h
  
  Read more

• Americans in new poll split on foreign aid package

  24-04-2024 18:07 via thehill.com
  
  Just over 40 percent of Americans approve of the sizable foreign aid package signed into law on Wednesday, according to a new poll, underlining a divide in opinion on the $95 billion expenditure.The Monmouth University survey found that 43 percent of Americans support the bill, while 35 percent oppose it, with a sizable partisan divide over whether the U.S. should support allies in conflicts abroad.The package allocates $61 billion for Ukraine aid, most of which will be spent to replenish U.S. m
  
  Read more

• Biden administration sets national goal to cut freight emissions to zero

  24-04-2024 17:52 via thehill.com
  
  The Biden administration on Wednesday laid out a national goal to cut emissions from freight shipping down to zero. A White House fact sheet did not include a date for this goal, but it comes on top of existing goals to reach net-zero emissions for the the transportation sector, as well as the whole U.S. economy, by 2050. The administration also said that its strategy, announced in tandem with a Wednesday meeting with zero-emission freight, will seek to prioritize high-pollution areas.
  
  Read more

• Biden signs 'vital' Ukraine, Israel foreign aid bill

  24-04-2024 17:32 via thehill.com
  
  President Biden on Wednesday signed the $95 billion emergency foreign aid package, calling out “MAGA Republicans” for the hold up to send aid to Ukraine.“It’s a good day for America, it’s a good day for Europe, and it’s a good day for world peace,” Biden said, announcing that he signed the legislation. “It’s going to make America safer, its going to make the world safer, and it continues America’s leadership in the world and everyo
  
  Read more

• Biden speaks on Ukraine, Israel aid, expected to sign bill: Watch live

  24-04-2024 16:50 via thehill.com
  
  President Biden will deliver remarks related to the aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other foreign priorities Wednesday morning. The president has said he will sign the legislation.The quartet of bills is the result of months of negotiations between leaders of both parties, and an internecine fight within the GOP that has threatened to boot Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from his post.In addition to military aid to Ukraine and Israel, the package includes support for Taiwan and a new ultimatum
  
  Read more

• Johnson calls for Columbia president to resign ahead of university visit

  24-04-2024 16:43 via thehill.com
  
  House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) called for Columbia University’s president to resign, ahead of his visit to the school Wednesday."This President Shafik has shown to be a very weak, inept leader. They cannot even guarantee the safety of Jewish students? They are expected to run for their lives and stay home from class? It’s maddening," Johnson said in a radio interview with Fox News's Hugh Hewitt. Numerous lawmakers have visited Columbia after pro-Palestine protesters set up a
  
  Read more

• FBI is working with colleges to warn of antisemitic threats, violence amid protests

  24-04-2024 15:57 via thehill.com
  
  FBI Director Christopher Wray said his agency is working with colleges and universities to warn them of threats of violence amid a wave of protests surrounding the Israel-Hamas war on campuses around the country.Wray, in an interview with NBC News's Lester Holt Tuesday, said the bureau does not directly track college protests, but is providing information to schools as it becomes aware of possible threats.The FBI is “keenly focused on working with state and local law enforcement, campus la
  
  Read more

• Biden grants clemency to 16 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses

  24-04-2024 15:41 via thehill.com
  
  President Biden on Wednesday granted clemency to 16 people who were convinced of nonviolent drug offenses, arguing the pardons and commutations reflect his commitment to address racial disparities.The president pardoned 11 individuals and commuted the sentences of five others, noting that many of them received “disproportionately longer sentences” than they would have under current practice. He added that the pardon recipients “demonstrated their commitment to improving th
  
  Read more

• GOP senator: Greene 'dragging our brand down'

  24-04-2024 14:01 via thehill.com
  
  Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) took a shot at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) Tuesday, saying she is “dragging our brand down."“She is a horrible leader,” Tillis said of Greene, according to audio played on CNN's “Erin Burnett OutFront." “She is dragging our brand down. She — not the Democrats — are the biggest risk to us getting back to a majority.”He added that the Georgia Republican is “uninformed” and “a total waste of time,&rd
  
  Read more

• Ocasio-Cortez emerges as key Biden surrogate for progressives, young people

  24-04-2024 12:00 via thehill.com
  
  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is emerging as a key surrogate for President Biden’s reelection campaign for young people and progressives, pushing his climate agenda as a win for those critical voting blocs.Ocasio-Cortez’s surrogacy comes with parameters. She said she supports Biden’s reelection bid and will stand by him during a climate event, but she has also put pressure on him as an outspoken critic of the Biden administration’s handling of Israel’s war
  
  Read more

• GOP lawmakers take Trump’s policy orders with a grain of salt

  24-04-2024 12:00 via thehill.com
  
  Republicans in Congress are taking former President Trump's policy directives with more than a few grains of salt, signaling they view what he says about issues as mainly for dramatic effect on the campaign trail.Congress passed an extension of the warrantless surveillance program, and sent to President Biden a major foreign aid package that includes $61 billion for Ukraine. Trump supported neither effort; he publicly opposed the reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveil
  
  Read more

• Conservatives aim their fire at Texas Republican after ‘scumbags’ comment

  24-04-2024 12:00 via thehill.com
  
  The battle between Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) and the GOP's right flank is heating up, with hardline House conservatives throwing their support behind his primary opponent after the moderate Republican called two of them “scumbags” on national television.Gonzales kicked the hornet’s nest over the weekend when, during an interview on CNN, he went after Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Bob Good (R-Va.) — “it's my absolute honor to be in Congress, but I serve with
  
  Read more

• Biden administration cracks down on junk fees in air travel

  24-04-2024 12:00 via thehill.com
  
  The Biden administration finalized rules on Wednesday requiring airlines to automatically refund passengers for canceled or significantly delayed flights and to share baggage, change, or cancellation fees upfront.“Passengers deserve to know upfront what costs they are facing and should get their money back when an airline owes them - without having to ask,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “Today’s announcements will require airl
  
  Read more

• Biden says he'll sign foreign aid bill Wednesday after Senate passage

  24-04-2024 04:10 via thehill.com
  
  President Biden praised the Senate after the chamber passed a $95 billion emergency foreign aid package, saying he would sign the legislation on Wednesday at the White House."Congress has passed my legislation to strengthen our national security and send a message to the world about the power of American leadership: we stand resolutely for democracy and freedom, and against tyranny and oppression," Biden said in a statement.The Senate, in a 79-18 vote, approved a package that includes
  
  Read more

• Five takeaways from the Pennsylvania primaries

  24-04-2024 03:34 via thehill.com
  
  Voters went to the polls for the Pennsylvania primaries on Tuesday, cementing races up and down the ticket in what will be one of the critical swing states in November.President Biden and Donald Trump glided to victory in their respective contests, as expected, though both men faced protest votes. The Keystone State is one of the seven major battlegrounds that will decide who wins the Oval Office on Nov. 5.Pennsylvania will also be the site of one of the most closely watched Senate races in the
  
  Read more

• 5 takeaways from the Pennsylvania primaries

  24-04-2024 03:34 via thehill.com
  
  Voters went to the polls for the Pennsylvania primaries Tuesday, cementing races up and down the ticket in what will be one of the critical swing states in November.President Biden and former President Trump glided to victory in their respective contests, as expected, though both men faced protest votes. The Keystone State is one of the seven major battlegrounds that will decide who wins the Oval Office on Nov. 5.Pennsylvania will also be the site of one of the most closely watched Senate races
  
  Read more

• Rep. Summer Lee beats back primary challenge in Pennsylvania

  24-04-2024 02:45 via thehill.com
  
  Rep. Summer Lee was projected to win the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district, according to Decision Desk HQ, fending off a primary challenge amid- frustration over criticism of Israel.
  A freshman member of the Squad and a rising star within the progressive coalition, Lee will go on to compete in the blue district in the general election, beating Edgewood Councilmember Bhavini Patel. Lee was a top target this cycle by Democrats and Republicans alike l
  
  Read more

• Ex-news anchor Janelle Stelson to take on GOP Rep. Scott Perry in Pennsylvania

  24-04-2024 02:39 via thehill.com
  
  Former local news anchor Janelle Stelson is projected to win the Democratic primary to take on Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) this November, according to Decision Desk HQ. Stelson, once a news anchor for WGAL-TV 8, defeated five other Democratic challengers in the crowded field to take on Perry in Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District. She was previously a Republican, according to Pennsylvania Capital-Star, and currently lives outside of the district, according to The Philadelphia Inqu
  
  Read more

Follow @NwslWhiteHouse on Twitter!