National News - Page 3

Trump signs executive order expanding access to retirement accounts

By The Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday calling for a new government website where people in the United States can find and compare private-sector retirement savings accounts, aiming to help millions of workers whose employers do not offer such plans. The order is intended to help more people gain access to retirement plans before next year, when the federal government will start matching retirement contributions made by lower-income workers. That new matching contribution, known as the Saver’s Match, comes from 2022 legislation passed under Democratic President Joe Biden. Starting in January, it will offer a match

Trump warns Iran ‘better get smart soon’ as he weighs military options over Strait of Hormuz

By Courtney Kube, Monica Alba, Yuliya Talmazan and Garrett Haake President Donald Trump warned Iran “better get smart soon” Wednesday, as he weighed military options for the Strait of Hormuz with peace talks at an impasse. The standoff between Washington and Tehran, including the continued U.S. naval blockade, means the key trade route has been effectively blocked for two months. The threat of prolonged disruption to the global economy has sent energy prices soaring — gas price averages in the U.S. reached $4.23 a gallon, the highest level in nearly four years, while the international benchmark price for oil, Brent crude, surged to $115 a barrel early Wednesday. Meanwhile, Iran’s national rial

Many HBCUs need government funding, but some are preparing for a future without it

By Marquise Francis Colleges across the country are facing battles with the federal government over funding, but similar cuts and the potential elimination of the Education Department may be existential for historically Black colleges and universities, according to at least six college administrators and leaders who spoke with NBC News. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University’s (FAMU) college of pharmacy lost a $16.3 million federal grant in late March, as the Trump administration has threatened cuts at American colleges over diversity, equity and inclusion on campus. The moves are causing several Black colleges to consider what their budgets may look like with

Georgia officials warn wildfires are still a threat as firefighters report progress

By The Associated Press SAVANNAH, Ga. — Officials battling two large wildfires that have destroyed dozens of homes in southern Georgia warned Tuesday that firefighters are bracing for a prolonged battle even after weekend rains gave a big boost to containment efforts. “A little bit of rain is going to help us, but it’s not going to get us out of this situation,” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp told a news conference after touring the fire areas Tuesday. “We’re going to be in this for a while.” A fire that has burned roughly 35 square miles and destroyed more than 80 homes in rural

King Charles reaffirms ‘special’ relationship with U.S. amid tensions over Iran war

By Scott Wong and Jean-Nicholas Fievet WASHINGTON — King Charles III reaffirmed the United Kingdom and the United States’ long “special” relationship Tuesday, calling it a “story of reconciliation, renewal and remarkable partnership” born out of “bitter divisions of 250 years ago.” In a rare speech to Congress, the king marked the landmark anniversary of America’s independence from British rule, and he nodded to his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who addressed Congress from under the same “watchful eye of the Statue of Freedom above us” 35 years ago. “The story of the United Kingdom and the United States is, at its heart,

Trump nominates Dr. Erica Schwartz, former deputy surgeon general, for CDC director

By Berkeley Lovelace Jr., Erika Edwards and Sara G. Miller President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he was nominating Dr. Erica Schwartz to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Schwartz served as deputy U.S. surgeon general during Trump’s first term. “Erica graduated from Brown University for College and Medical School, and served a distinguished career as a Doctor of Medicine in the United States Military, the Greatest and Most Powerful Force in the World, and then served as my Deputy Surgeon General during my First Term,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “She is a STAR!” Trump also announced his picks for three

Trump uses the Correspondents’ dinner shooting to renew his White House ballroom push

By Peter Nicholas WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump, who was hustled out of a hotel ballroom Saturday night when a suspected gunman dashed through a security checkpoint, is seizing on the incident to gin up support for a White House ballroom that has faced legal challenges that threaten to shut down the project. Trump has made the argument in the hours after the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner that the nation needs a fortified ballroom on White House grounds so that the president and government officials are not in peril. After laying out the security vulnerabilities of a busy hotel, Trump said

DC gala shooting suspect aired grievances against Trump in writings to family

By Eric Tucker The man accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner railed against Trump administration policies and referred to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin” in writings sent to family members minutes before the attack that authorities increasingly believe was politically motivated, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation. The writings, sent shortly before shots were fired Saturday night at the Washington Hilton, made repeated references to President Donald Trump without naming him directly and alluded to grievances over a range of administration actions and recent events, including U.S. strikes on drug smuggling boats in

FDA approves first gene therapy for genetic hearing loss

By Berkeley Lovelace Jr. The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved Regeneron’s Otarmeni, the first gene therapy for genetic hearing loss. The drugmaker said it will offer the drug for free to U.S. patients. Otarmeni is approved to treat a very rare form of hearing loss that affects about 50 babies born in the U.S. each year and is caused by a mutation in a gene called OTOF. The approval was granted under the Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher, an FDA pilot program intended to fast-track drug reviews. “This really is life-changing for families with children with hearing loss,” Dr. Eliot Shearer, a pediatric otolaryngologist at

Trump is facing an increasingly Impatient Iran

By Dan De Luce, Monica Alba, Abigail Williams and Colleen Long President Donald Trump has pushed to bring the war with Iran to a speedy end: He stepped up bombing raids. He threatened to wipe out infrastructure. He has attempted diplomacy and ordered a naval blockade. But Tehran is in no rush to cut a deal. Despite the assassinations of its leaders and the damage to an array of military sites, Iran’s regime seems to have benefitted politically from the attacks started by the U.S. and Israel, according to a Western diplomat with knowledge of the conflict and five Western officials, all with knowledge of intelligence assessments

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