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In the news today: The Trump administration withholds funding for programs that support needy families in five Democratic-led states over concerns about fraud; the U.S. leaves Maduro's party in power as he faces charges; and Trump tells Republicans to keep control of Congress so he can avoid another impeachment. Also, a look at the high-adrenaline Olympic sport of skeleton, where athletes sled head first on rough ice at 80 mph. |
President Donald Trump listens as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Oct. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) |
Trump administration withholding funds for families from 5 Democratic-led states over fraud concerns |
Five states — California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York — have been targeted, and the Department of Health and Human Services said they had been notified. Read more. |
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- The HHS, which oversees the program, will require the states to provide extra documentation to access the funds. The administration has not laid out details about the fraud allegations.
Federal child care funding has been on hold in Minnesota since late last month amid investigations into a series of alleged fraud schemes at day care centers run by people with family roots in Somalia. In the fallout, HHS officials said no state will receive child care funds without providing more verification. Several states have told The Associated Press that they have not received any guidance on that decision. Gov. Kathy Hochul said that New York is prepared to take the administration to court, as Democratic-led states have done scores of times now.
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US leaves Maduro's party in power, sidelining Venezuela's opposition |
Venezuela's opposition supporters have long hoped for the day when Nicolás Maduro is no longer in power — a dream that was fulfilled when the U.S. military whisked the authoritarian leader away. But while Maduro is in jail in New York on drug trafficking charges, the leaders of his repressive administration remain in charge. Read more. |
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The nation's opposition — backed by consecutive Republican and Democratic administrations in the U.S. — for years vowed to immediately replace Maduro with one of their own and restore democracy. But President Donald Trump delivered them a heavy blow by allowing Maduro's vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, to assume control. Meanwhile, most opposition leaders, including Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, are in exile or prison.
Maduro's government barred Machado from running for office to prevent her from challenging — and likely beating — him in the 2024 presidential election. Machado chose retired ambassador Edmundo González Urrutia to represent her on the ballot. Officials loyal to the ruling party declared Maduro the winner, but Machado's well-organized campaign stunned the nation by collecting detailed tally sheets showing González had defeated Maduro by a 2-to-1 margin. Neither Trump nor Rodríguez have said when, or if, new elections might take place in Venezuela.
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Trump tells Republicans: 'You gotta win the midterms' or 'I'll get impeached' |
President Donald Trump insisted Tuesday that Republicans have "so many good nuggets" to campaign on this year as they try to hold onto their razor-thin margin in the House. Read more. |
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Trump's appearance at the GOP's policy forum was meant to ensure House Republicans and the White House were aligned on their agenda ahead of the November midterms that will determine control of Congress and the course of Trump's final two years in office. Trump warned that if Democrats regain control of Congress, "they'll find a way to impeach me."
Rising health care costs, Trump's expansive foreign policy pursuits and other issues are dramatically splitting the GOP, as some Republicans become more comfortable crossing party lines to bypass House Speaker Mike Johnson and join proposals from Democrats.
- It all points to a difficult year ahead for the president and his party, especially as the House's slim majority narrowed Tuesday with the sudden death of California Rep. Doug LaMalfa, and the resignation of former Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
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Janine Flock, of Austria, slides during the women's skeleton run 3 at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky, File) |
Head first on rough ice at 80 mph. Why skeleton is the Olympic sport for thrill-seekers
Skeleton is the head-first sliding sport during the Milan Cortina Olympics. Races begin with the sled on the ice, and the slider grabbing one of its handles, usually with one hand. The slider runs to build up speed, then leaps onto the sled and settles in for a ride that can exceed 80 mph down the track. Athletes steer with subtle shifts of their body and legs, all while their chins are often no more than a few inches from the surface of the ice. |
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