Senators weigh Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Cabinet nomination. The Federal Reserve decides to pause its cuts to interest rates. And students are falling behind on reading. |
👋 How's it going? Rebecca Morin here. It's a sunny and (slightly) warm(er) day here in D.C. Now, let's get to Wednesday's news. |
RFK Jr. grilled by Senate |
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, faced tough questions by senators over his opposition to vaccines, position on abortion and stance on junk food during a confirmation hearing Wednesday. |
From abortion to processed food: During the three-hour-long hearing, Kennedy faced an array of questions on policies such as reproductive rights and food safety. He backed Trump's stance on abortion, saying the procedure should be controlled by the states and that "every abortion is a tragedy." Though Kennedy doesn't eat processed foods, he said he does not want to take away food from Americans – even noting that Trump loves "a McDonald's cheeseburger and a Diet Coke." | Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before the Senate Finance Committee Wednesday in Washington. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY |
Fed pauses rate cuts amid inflation, Trump uncertainty |
Don't expect interest rates to fall anytime soon. The Federal Reserve paused cutting rates Wednesday and gave no indication of when it would lower them again. The move comes as inflation remains "somewhat elevated" and there is uncertainty over President Donald Trump's economic policies. |
Where do rates stand? Rates will hold steady at a range of 4.25% to 4.5%. |
A Trump showdown? Trump said last week that he would "demand interest rates drop immediately." Fed Chair Jerome Powell declined to comment on the president's statement, saying only that the Federal Reserve operates independently and that he has not been in touch with the president. 👉 Follow today's updates. |
Gymnast dies after Eagles celebration |
What should have been a night of celebration turned to tragedy. Tyler Sabapathy, 18, died of a head injury Tuesday after falling from a light pole during celebrations of the Philadelphia Eagles' victory over the Washington Commanders in the NFC championship game Sunday. |
'Accomplished gymnast': Sabapathy, a freshman at Temple University, was a native of Toronto and was studying exercise and sport science. He was also a member of the school's club gymnastics team. The university described him as "an accomplished gymnast" who had "a bright future ahead of him." 👉 More on the incident. |
Reading skills drop – again |
Students are still struggling with setbacks years after the COVID-19 pandemic. New national test scores show fourth and eighth graders' literacy skills dipped on the Department of Education's National Assessment of Educational Progress. |
National Report Card: Young people's reading scores are an average 5 points lower than those of children who tested before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019. It's not just reading, though: Children also are scoring lower on the math portion of the 2024 test than students before the pandemic. 👉 How test scores have fallen. | | | | President Trump said his administration will begin preparations on building a 30,000-person migrant facility at Guantanamo Bay. | | | | Trump's talk of "mass deportations'' has sparked questions across the country. | | | | As Sean "Diddy" Combs faces an increasingly apocalyptic set of legal challenges, fresh interviews shed more light on alleged abuse. | | | | The F-35s soaring costs, manufacturing delays and recent mishaps have led to a barrage of criticisms against the military's costliest weapons program. | | | | Ryan Whyte Maloney, who was on Blake Shelton's team in 2014 and performs at Shelton's Las Vegas bar, has died at 44 years old. | | | | Sexual health professionals aren't surprised sexual health companies like Arya would court eager (if not clandestine) consumers. | | | | Detroit-based rapper Dank Demoss has alleged that a Lyft driver refused her a ride because of her weight. She's now suing Lyft. | | | | Harvey Weinstein, who has been hospitalized for various health issues over the years, told a judge he doesn't "know how much longer I can hold on." | | | | Honda said Wednesday it is recalling about 295,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to a software issue that could cause the engine to lose drive power. | | | | Jim Acosta and President Donald Trump are trading words with one another after the former star anchor exited CNN on Tuesday. | | | | | | | Brighten your day with one of our games. | | | | | |
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