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Senate extends surveillance powers to end of month

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate approved a short-term renewal until April 30 of a controversial surveillance program used by U.S. spy agencies, following a chaotic, post-midnight scramble in the House to keep the authority from expiring in a matter of days. The measure cleared the Senate by ...

Little kids, big government

Child care got expensive — more than $13,000 per child, per year. So many people want government to pay for it. My state just agreed. New York will fund free child care. Yay! But wait ... what government does isn't free. Taxpayers pay. And taxpayers pay more because "government rules have ...

Federal judge again stalls most work on WH ballroom

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump railed against a federal judge's decision on Thursday that continues to block above-ground construction of a $400 million White House ballroom, allowing only below-ground work on a bunker and other "national security facilities" at the site. U.S. ...

Almanac for April 17, 2026

Today is Friday, April 17, the 107th day of 2026. There are 258 days left in the year. Today in history: In 1961, about 1,400 CIA-trained Cuban exiles launched the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in a failed bid to topple Fidel Castro. Cuban forces crushed the incursion within three days. Also on this date: In 1964, Geraldine "Jerrie" Mock completed the first solo around-the-world flight by a woman, landing her single-engine Cessna plane in Columbus, Ohio, after a 29-day journey. In 1969, a jury in Los Angeles convicted Sirhan Sirhan of assassinating Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. (Sirhan's ...

San Francisco’s latest radical experiment

San Francisco, a city long associated with exotic ideas, has been experimenting with a radical notion — cracking down on car thieves. Unlike some of the city's other adventures, this one is actually working out. Car break-ins are down 85% from 2023, and are down 50% the first three ...

Senate Republicans reject Dem effort to halt Iran war

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican-led Senate on Wednesday rejected the latest Democratic attempt to halt President Donald Trump's war in Iran, turning aside a resolution that would require the U.S. to withdraw forces from the conflict until Congress authorizes further action. The 47-52 vote ...