Hurricane Florence weakens to Cat 2 storm but storm surge expected to hit ‘catastrophic levels’
Hurricane Florence late Wednesday has been downgraded to a Category 2 storm but it is still considered an extremely dangerous and life-threatening storm.
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Gingrich, Republicans float new Contract with America ahead of midterms
Republicans have poll-tested a Contract with America-style agenda to carry into the fall elections as they ponder whether they need to give voters a bolder plan for what they will do if they keep control of Congress.
US braces for worst as ‘monster’ Hurricane Florence bears down
Motorists streamed inland on highways converted to one-way evacuation routes Tuesday as about 1.7 million people in three states were warned to get out of the way of Hurricane Florence, a hair-raising storm taking dead aim at the Carolinas with 140 mph (225 kph) winds and potentially ruinous rains.
House Republicans Unveil Plan to Make Individuals’ Tax Cuts Permanent
House Republicans have introduced legislation to lock in cuts to individual tax rates beyond 2025, a proposal that will have trouble advancing in the Senate but which sends a signal about GOP priorities ahead of competitive midterm elections.
Expect a Storm Surge of 15-20 Feet in a Landfalling Category 4 Storm in the Carolinas
Landfalling Category 4 hurricanes are rare in the mainland U.S., with just 24 such landfalls since 1851—an average of one every seven years. Category 5 landfalls are rarer still, with just three on record. All but three of these 27 landfalls by Cat 4s and Cat 5s have occurred south of South Carolina’s latitude, so Florence will be in very select company if it manages to make landfall at Category 4 strength in North or South Carolina.
Congress ready to call Trump’s bluff on shutdown threat
President Trump this week threatened to partially shut down the federal government unless it approves funding for his border wall, but lawmakers from both parties say that isn’t going to happen.
Strengthening Hurricane Florence Takes Aim at US Southeast
A rapidly strengthening Hurricane Florence churned across the Atlantic on Sunday toward a possible direct hit on the U.S. Southeast late this week, triggering warnings to people up and down the coast to get their emergency kits ready, map out escape routes and fill sandbags.
Democrats, Republicans both claim victory in explosive Kavanaugh hearing
Democrats and Republicans were all smiles Thursday after fireworks erupted in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing amid a heated battle over the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Unemployment claims fall to 49-year low
The number of U.S. workers filing for unemployment benefits fell to near a 49-year low last week, as the labor market continues to show strength.
Hurricane Florence upgraded to Category 4 storm as Gordon moves inland
Florence, the first major storm of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, was upgraded to a Category 4 storm Wednesday as forecasters warned it could cause ‘life-threatening’ surf and rip current conditions in Bermuda later this week.
Democrats Set to Launch 52 Trump Investigations if They Win the Midterms
House Democrats intend to unleash an avalanche of hearings, subpoenas, and investigations on the Trump Administration if they take control of the House in the November elections.
Democrats inject chaos into Brett Kavanaugh hearing with delay demands
Senate Democrats repeatedly interrupted the opening of Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination hearing Tuesday morning in a failed bid to delay proceedings.
Capitol Hill probes on Trump, elections may factor in November vote
Congress returns this week from its August recess and while the House Intelligence Committee has wrapped up its probe, lawmakers still face big questions regarding the Russian-meddling scandal, threats to the U.S. electoral system, the uses and abuses of social media sites and fresh clashes between the White House and the Department of Justice.
Tropical Storm Gordon Moving Into Gulf of Mexico as it Soaks South Florida
Tropical Storm Gordon is strengthening over the eastern Gulf of Mexico as heavy rain and gusty winds begin to subside in southwestern Florida. Gordon will head for a northern Gulf Coast landfall Tuesday night as a Category 1 hurricane.
With Kavanaugh on track for confirmation, Democrats regret triggering ‘nuclear option’
With attempts to attack Brett M. Kavanaugh’s record failing, Democrats over the weekend mounted a last-ditch bid to derail his confirmation to the Supreme Court by claiming that the vetting process is so bad that it demands a do-over.
Trump to sign executive order to boost retirement savings
President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Friday aimed at boosting retirement savings, giving Americans more time to keep their money in tax-deferred accounts and allowing small businesses to band together to offer 401(k)s.
US economy’s growth rate boosted to 4.2 percent
The U.S. economy grew 4.2 percent in the three months through June, slightly faster than initially reported and the most in four years.
STDs on the rise: CDC says gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia hit record levels in U.S.
The United States is experiencing a ‘steep and sustained’ spike in sexually transmitted diseases, a new government analysis shows.
Trump tells Evangelical leaders he’s delivered ‘just about everything I promised’
President Trump hosted a dinner of Evangelical leaders at the White House Monday night and told them that he has delivered ‘just about everything I promised’ on policies of religious liberty and defense of life.
Republicans Secretly Study Potential Investigations if Dems Take Control of House
Congressional Republicans are getting ready for hell. Axios has obtained a spreadsheet that’s circulated through Republican circles on and off Capitol Hill — including at least one leadership office — that meticulously previews the investigations Democrats will likely launch if they flip the House.