Blog Verité

WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed Russell Vought as White House budget director on Thursday night, putting an official who has planned the zealous expansion of President Donald Trump’s power into one of the most influential positions in the federal government.

Live updates: Trump administration plans to slash all but a fraction of USAID jobs, officials say  The Associated Press

A British woman has died on holiday in Sri Lanka after a room in her hostel was fumigated for bed bugs, local police said.

Last month was the warmest January on record, according to new data.

Ancient scrolls charred by a volcanic eruption 2,000 years ago may finally be starting to reveal their secrets.

The stop-work order on U.S.A.I.D.-funded research has left thousands of people with experimental drugs and devices in their bodies, with no access to monitoring or care.

Trump administration to keep only 294 USAID staff out of over 10,000 globally, sources say  Reuters Trump Administration to Lay Off Nearly All of USAID Staff  The New York Times Recall of USAID’s global workforce causes havoc and distress  The Washington Post What

Trump Imposes Sanctions on the ICC, Accusing It of Targeting the U.S. and Israel  The New York Times

Already unlikely, the prospects for creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel could vanish altogether if the United States takes over Gaza and displaces the population, as President Trump proposes.

Health clinics face cuts, closures as Trump’s funding fight ripples outside of Washington  NBC News