Almost since Amtrak’s creation in 1971, the 21,000-mile U.S. intercity passenger rail service has been fighting calls that it should be privatized. Now it may have met one of its most aggressive and powerful skeptics yet. Speaking at a tech conference on Wednesday, Elon Musk added Amtrak to the list of government-funded services on his … Read more
Senior U.S. and Ukrainian officials are planning to meet next week to discuss the first steps of a deal that could seek an end to the war in Ukraine, after a week of U.S. moves casting doubt on its support for the country. Both President Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine confirmed the meeting, … Read more
President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday seeking to severely punish the law firm Perkins Coie by stripping its lawyers of security clearances and access to government buildings and officials — a form of payback for its legal work for Democrats during the 2016 presidential campaign. With the order, Perkins Coie becomes the second … Read more
We invited readers of The New York Times to ask about our reporting on the second Trump administration, and hundreds responded. We read every question that came in, selected those that represented some of the most common themes and then distributed them to editors and reporters responsible for our daily coverage of the administration. Here … Read more
Senior State Department officials have drawn up plans to close a dozen consulates overseas by this summer and are considering shutting down many more missions, in what could be a blow to the U.S. government’s efforts to build partnerships and gather intelligence, American officials say. The department also plans to lay off many local citizens … Read more
When the United States signed a free-trade agreement with Canada and Mexico more than 30 years ago, the premise was that partnering with two other thriving economies would also benefit America. This week, President Trump abruptly scrapped that idea. He imposed a sweeping 25 percent tariff on the roughly $1 trillion of imports that Mexico … Read more
Justice Amy Coney Barrett is the junior member of the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority, having served just three full terms. But her vote may be decisive as the justices consider whether and how hard to push back against President Trump’s efforts to reshape American government. On Wednesday, for instance, she was the only one of … Read more
President Trump said on Thursday that he would offer a one-month exemption from tariffs for imports from Mexico that trade under the rules of U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the trade pact he signed in his first term. The president wrote on Truth Social that he would give Mexican products an exemption until April 2 from the 25 … Read more
The House on Thursday officially rebuked Representative Al Green of Texas, the Democrat who Republicans ejected from the chamber on Tuesday night for standing and heckling President Trump during his address to a joint session of Congress. A resolution of censure passed 224 to 198, with 10 Democrats joining Republicans in support of the punishment. … Read more
Dr. Marty Makary may face sharp questions from senators about whether he will defend the Food and Drug Administration against staff cutbacks and industry pressure on Thursday, although he is still expected to sail through his confirmation hearing to become the agency’s commissioner. Dr. Makary built his reputation as a contrarian in the medical field, … Read more