Daily news coverage of politics, policy, and issues shaping the nation.
Minutes after delivering a speech in which she declared that leadership can change minds about abortion, conservative entrepreneur and former business executive Carly Fiorina said she is taking a close look at joining the Republican race for president. “I am seriously considering it,” Fiorina said today in an exclusive interview with The Daily Signal. “I…
Curt Clawson, a congressman from Florida’s 19th district who assumed office in 2014, has been selected by Tea Party Express to rebut the president’s State of the Union. Very honored to accept the opportunity from @TeaPartyExpress to give a response to the SOTU and offer real solutions for America’s future. — Rep. Curt Clawson (@RepCurtClawson)…
In a few short hours, President Obama will stand before members of Congress, United States Supreme Court justices and cabinet secretaries for his sixth State of the Union. But not all of the policy proposals he outlines will be new to those watching. In the weeks leading up to tonight’s address, the president crisscrossed the…
Shiite rebel militiamen seized Yemen’s presidential palace and shelled the president’s nearby residence today, according to news reports. The president of Yemen, Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, was believed to be inside the presidential palace when it was attacked by insurgents. It was not immediately clear if he was safe. Hadi is an ally of the…
Tonight, President Barack Obama will deliver his annual State of the Union address, but he has some unfinished business left from his previous ones. Obama has made 112 unfulfilled promises in his prior State of the Union addresses, according to multimedia company Grabien. Unfulfilled promises include: Cancer will be cured “in our time.” The deficit…
As President Obama makes his second-to-last State of the Union address tonight, he faces dwindling TV viewership numbers. Here’s a breakdown over the past seven years of his presidency, beginning in 2009: Obama’s first State of the Union speech pulled in 32.5 percent of U.S. households, according to Nielsen. Viewership began to drop the following…
Ben Carson argued yesterday that Martin Luther King Jr. never would have envisioned “a cycle of expectation and dependency” on government that he said traps too many African-Americans today. In an appearance on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” on the holiday celebrating the late civil rights leader, Carson urged Americans to “turn their attention to the opportunities…
Who are the 11.4 million immigrants living in the United States illegally? Last week, the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute released data profiles that provide an answer. The study focused on immigrants who stand to benefit from President Obama’s recent executive actions, which defer deportation for up to 5.2 million illegal immigrants and grant them work…
Executives of the Department of Health and Human Services are routinely on the go, flying throughout the country and the world to aid those who can’t help themselves. One upgraded trip from Los Angeles to Sydney cost $14,201. The same trip in coach would have cost $2,763. But there’s more to the story. HHS executives…
The U.S. Constitution requires that every president “from time to time” shall present Congress with his thoughts regarding the “State of the Union.” Obama has used the word “freedom” in his State of the Union addresses less often than any president since Warren Harding. On Jan. 8, 1790, in Federal Hall in New York City,…
Joni Ernst, a freshman senator from Iowa who took office just two weeks ago, will have the task of responding to President Obama’s State of the Union tonight. Truly honored to announce that I will be delivering the #GOPAddress to the country following the President's #SOTU. Tune in Tuesday, 1/20. — Joni Ernst (@joniernst) January…
Jonathan Lucroy is a slugging catcher for the Milwaukee Brewers who was selected as an All-Star in 2014 for his accomplishments on the field. Tonight, one senator wants to honor him for his work off the field. Lucroy, 28, will attend the State of the Union address as a guest of Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis.,…
The movie “American Sniper” is a box-office hit, displacing “The Passion of the Christ” as the top-grossing movie to debut in winter. It’s also stirring up controversy among the Hollywood elite. Days after “American Sniper” was nominated for six Oscars, the Clint Eastwood film—based on the real-life story of former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle—pulled in…
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Danielle Meitiv remains adamant that children deserve the freedom to be able to walk around unsupervised. Meitiv, who along with her husband Alexander, is facing scrutiny from Child Protective services after their ten-year-old son and six-year-old daughter were picked up by authorities while…
Ohio’s oil production since 2012 has been far short of state officials’ projections. That’s according to a new report from Opportunity Ohio. Low production plus sharply lower prices could complicate Gov. John Kasich’s plans to pay for a statewide income tax cut by hiking energy taxes, said Matt Mayer, president of the free-market think tank Opportunity Ohio….
As younger, first-time presidential hopefuls took turns suggesting why Mitt Romney shouldn’t run again, the 2012 Republican nominee kept courting potential campaign donors and advisers before concluding the first full week of his re-emergence with a speech to a gathering of party officials. “I’m giving some serious consideration to the future,” Romney said in remarks…
California Gov. Jerry Brown has set an ambitious new energy goal: getting the most populous state in the nation to derive 50 percent of its electric power from renewable sources in the space of 15 years. But can it be accomplished? And can it be done without sending electricity bills through the roof? Depends on…
HARRISBURG, Pa.—A law firm representing a Pennsylvania college professor is accusing a state teachers union of ignoring—for more than four decades—a law requiring it to report the use of dues money for political contributions. It’s the latest salvo in an ongoing dispute between Mary Trometter, an assistant professor of culinary arts at the Pennsylvania College of Technology,…
Costly building renovations at the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are raising more congressional concerns that the agency's spending is out of control. A government report pegs the price of the work at $215 million—that's $120 million more than initial estimates, with off-site leasing costs included. “That’s more per square foot than the Bellagio hotel-casino…
This Tuesday, President Obama will face the toughest crowd of his presidency when he delivers his State of the Union address to the newly controlled Republican Congress. Each president's State of the Union offers a distinct historical snapshot while continuing an enduring constitutional tradition. The president is expected to underscore past policy victories, like Obamacare,…