Presidents have broad and unchecked power to issue pardons. And when they make self-serving decisions that mock the ideal of equal justice, they must be roundly condemned. So it is with President Joe Biden wiping the slate clean of consequences for his convicted-felon son Hunter.

It wasn’t very long ago that this page excoriated Donald Trump�...Read more

WASHINGTON — When President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January, he will face a long-term care crisis marked by understaffed nursing homes, workforce shortages and care that is unaffordable and inaccessible for millions of people.

But he and the Republican-controlled Congress are likely to focus on relaxing regulations rather than ...Read more

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump tried mightily to reassure abortion rights supporters, vowing he would not sign into law a nationwide abortion ban even if Congress sent him one.

But once he returns to the White House in January, Trump can make abortions difficult — or illegal — across the United States without Congress taking action at ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Jackson County judge could pave the way for abortions to take place in Missouri as soon as Friday, even as state Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s office fought in court on Wednesday to preserve a series of restrictions on the procedure.

Missouri voters last month passed Amendment 3, which overturned the state’s ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump is nominating Frank Bisignano, the chief executive officer of fintech and payments company Fiserv Inc., to be the commissioner of the Social Security Administration.

“Frank is a business leader, with a tremendous track record of transforming large corporations. He will be responsible to deliver on ...Read more

BOISE, Idaho — A federal court has denied Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador’s appeal for another District Court judge to oversee an abortion lawsuit, kicking back a decision on whether doctors can refer patients out of state down to a lower court.

The federal court also upheld an injunction barring Labrador or Idaho prosecutors from ...Read more

President-elect Donald Trump will nominate financial technology billionaire Jared Isaacman, a longtime SpaceX astronaut, to serve as the next NASA administrator.

If confirmed, Isaacman would oversee a U.S. agency with a roughly $24.8 billion budget and a suite of human and robotic space exploration programs, including the flagship Artemis moon ...Read more

President-elect Donald Trump said he will nominate former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler to lead the Small Business Administration, a move that catapults one of his most loyal Georgia allies to a key position in his administration while jumbling the state’s political landscape.

“Kelly will bring her experience in business and Washington to reduce...Read more

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump tapped Peter Navarro as his senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, elevating the formerly incarcerated adviser back to a role similar to the one he played in the previous Trump administration.

“During my First Term, few were more effective or tenacious than Peter in enforcing my two sacred ...Read more

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump said he is selecting former U.S. Rep. Billy Long to serve as the commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, enlisting a Republican who served in Congress for an incoming administration aiming to renew and expand a broad package of tax cuts.

“Since leaving Congress, Billy has worked as a Business ...Read more

WASHINGTON — An embattled Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Defense Department, trudged through meetings and appearances on Capitol Hill on Wednesday as he fought to assuage senators’ concerns about his past behavior and push back on the steady flow of negative press that has followed him in recent days.

In his...Read more

WASHINGTON — Senate Banking ranking member Tim Scott, R-S.C., didn’t waste any time Wednesday afternoon praising Paul Atkins after President-elect Donald Trump tapped Atkins to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Atkins, a former SEC commissioner, would take over from SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who said last month that he will step ...Read more

President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter Biden was deeply unpopular, new polling reveals. However, a pardon granted by his predecessor — and now-successor — was just as disliked.

In a recent YouGov poll, 50% of respondents said they strongly or somewhat disapproved of Biden granting clemency to his son. A much smaller share...Read more

WASHINGTON — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis repeatedly vowed during his presidential campaign to send troops to the U.S. southern border, authorize lethal force against migrants attempting to cross between ports of entry, and even consider firing missiles into Mexico — an extraordinary use of U.S. military power that has since been endorsed by ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California lawmakers are rushing to introduce legislation that reaffirms the state's role as a reproductive rights "haven" as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House and abortion-rights advocates warn of an uncertain future.

Abortion remains legal in California, home to the strongest ...Read more

ATLANTA — Donald Trump’s attorneys on Wednesday asked the Georgia Court of Appeals to order the dismissal of the Fulton County election interference case against the former and future president.

The motion asks the appellate court to decide that both it and Fulton Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who has presided over the racketeering ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The man tapped to be Donald Trump’s top legislative liaison will face challenges on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue as he manages a mercurial boss and tough math in both chambers of Congress.

If the president-elect’s late-night and pre-sunrise social media blasts about legislation and lawmakers don’t prove challenging ...Read more

Ron DeSantis has reportedly emerged as a surprise candidate to be President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense as Pete Hegseth scrambles to salvage his troubled bid to be Pentagon chief.

The Florida governor and onetime bitter Republican primary rival has spoken to Trump about potentially being a Plan B candidate if Hegseth...Read more

NEW YORK — Arthur Aidala, a politically connected lawyer with a roster of high-profile clients that includes Rudy Giuliani and a top adviser to Mayor Eric Adams, is under consideration by President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team to become the next U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, the Daily News has learned.

According to three sources ...Read more

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ possible departure from Tallahassee to take the helm of the Department of Defense is sending political shock waves across the Sunshine State.

Amid signs that President-elect Donald Trump’s current pick for defense secretary, Fox News host Pete Hegseth, is facing crumbling confirmation odds in the U.S. Senate amid ...Read more