A Senate committee on Thursday advanced Dr. Erica Schwartz’s nomination to be director of the nation’s top public health agency, setting aside concerns that she will not stand up to political meddling. If confirmed by the full Senate, the 54-year-old would become the 22nd director of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which…
Washington — President Trump on Thursday said he has “no objection” to withdrawing Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general until Republican Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina leave office in January, as their concerns have effectively placed Blanche’s nomination process on hold. Cornyn in particular has demanded that the Justice…
Ege-Cap Ferret, France — French authorities gave the go-ahead Thursday for 84,000 evacuees forced out by a monster wildfire to go back to their homes in southwest France, the strongest sign yet that firefighters are turning a corner in their battle against the flames that have burned an area four times the size of Paris. The…
Washington — Todd Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general is on hold as Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas leverages his vote in exchange for an agreement in writing to formally kill the Justice Department’s “anti-weaponization fund.” The Senate Judiciary Committee was set to vote Thursday on advancing Blanche’s nomination, but Cornyn, a pivotal vote on…
The Consumer Price Index rose 2.4% in January from a year ago, below economists’ forecasts and a sign that price pressures across the U.S. are easing. By the numbers The CPI was expected to rise 2.5% on an annual basis last month, according to economists polled by financial data firm FactSet. The January CPI represents…
The Trump administration has effectively shut down most of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s activities, closing the spigot on federal funding estimated to have saved thousands of lives and billions of dollars over the past 27 years by improving medical practice. In a July 15 letter, the small Department of Health and Human…
The Consumer Price Index rose at an annual rate of 2.4% in February, unchanged from the prior month and representing a cooler pace than economists had forecast. The Labor Department data captures the period before the Iran war broke out in late February. Since then, oil prices have surged, driving inflation concerns among investors. “Inflation was starting to ease in…
Tomatoes are the latest popular food to take a bite out of consumer wallets, joining items like coffee, bananas and beef. As of April, government data shows the fruit’s prices were up nearly 40% from a year ago, compared with 17% for food costs overall. Across the U.S., tomatoes cost an average of $2.69 a pound, a…
Inflation across the U.S. accelerated in May as the shock to global energy supplies from the Iran war continued to push prices higher. The Consumer Price Index rose at an annual rate of 4.2%, up from 3.8% in the prior month and marking the highest level since April 2023. By the numbers Economists polled by financial…
In the year since President Trump signed an executive order aimed at moving homeless people off the streets, federal agencies have given states a green light to expand the use of civil commitment for homeless individuals with mental illness or substance abuse problems. Pending a court challenge, the primary system of funding for organizations combating…
