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Trump loyalist Kash Patel is confirmed as FBI director by the Senate despite deep Democratic doubts
By ERIC TUCKERUpdated 3:25 PM CST, February 20, 2025
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Thursday narrowly voted to confirm Kash Patel as director of the FBI, moving to place him atop the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency despite doubts from Democrats about his qualifications and concerns he will do Donald Trump’s bidding and go after the Republican president’s adversaries.
“I cannot imagine a worse choice,” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told colleagues before the 51-49 vote by the GOP-controlled Senate. Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were the lone Republican holdouts.
A Trump loyalist who has fiercely criticized the agency he will now lead, Patel will inherit an FBI gripped by turmoil as the Justice Department over the past month has forced out a group of senior bureau officials and made a highly unusual demand for the names of thousands of agents who participated in investigations related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Patel has spoken of his desire to implement major changes at the FBI, including a reduced footprint in Washington and a renewed emphasis on the bureau’s traditional crime-fighting duties rather than the intelligence-gathering work that has come to define its mandate over the past two decades as national security threats have proliferated. ...
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US sanctions Rwanda minister over DRC fighting
Rwanda is facing international backlash for allegedly backing M23 rebels in DR Congo, an accusation it denies.
New election official picked in Arizona county where leaders embraced conspiracy theories
A Republican who worked previously in law enforcement and as a staff member at the Arizona Legislature has been appointed to replace an election official who resigned in a southern Arizona county where some leaders embraced voting conspiracy theories.
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Social media erupts after 'terrified' Dem senator lashes out at Kash Patel ahead of confirmation vote
Senate Democrats' latest attack on FBI director nominee Kash Patel was mocked online by conservatives for what they said was a "cringe" line of criticism.
What's next for NYC Mayor Eric Adams as a judge weighs dismissing his corruption case?
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is in a state of legal and political purgatory. The first-term Democrat is waiting on a judge to rule on a Justice Department request to dismiss a federal indictment charging him with accepting lavish travel perks and illegal campaign contributions from foreign interes
apnews.comIn Trump’s first month, a relentless effort to remake the presidency
In just one month in office, President Donald Trump has made it clear that he sees the presidency in starkly different terms from virtually any of his 44 predecessors. He is not the first president to push the bounds of his authority. Andrew Johnson fired a Cabinet secretary in defiance of...
Florida holds off updating population projections because of uncertainties over immigration policies
Florida officials are holding off updating the state’s population projections because of the uncertainties surrounding how the immigration policies of President Donald Trump and Gov.
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Ukraine must strike minerals deal, says Trump adviser Mike Waltz
The comments overshadowed Zelensky's meeting with US envoy Keith Kellogg in Kyiv.
www.bbc.com4 candidates want to be Germany's next chancellor. Who are they?
Four candidates are bidding to be Germany’s next leader in Sunday’s election. The would-be chancellors are the incumbent, the opposition leader, the current vice chancellor and — for the first time — a leader of a far-right party.
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Riley Gaines featured in Trump HHS website that builds on 'two sexes' executive order
An HHS website devoted to women's health issues features a new video with women's sports activist Riley Gaines and builds on President Trump's "two sexes" executive order.
Republicans caught between Trump and farmers pleading for frozen funds
Shanon Jamison, a corn and soybean farmer in Iowa, learned in late January that her $69,000 federal reimbursement for a cover crop to boost soil health and slow erosion was frozen due to an executive order from President Donald Trump. Jamison called and emailed her members of Congress, pleading...
Singer of Canadian anthem at 4 Nations Face-Off changes lyric to protest Trump's 51st state remarks
The anthem singer who performed the Canadian anthem prior to the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game changed a lyric in “O Canada” from “in all of us command” to “that only us command.”
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The pitfalls worrying officials ahead of Starmer's US trip
When Sir Keir Starmer touches down in Washington next week, he will be treading a fine diplomatic line.
www.bbc.comWhat is Humphrey's Executor? A look at the 90-year-old Supreme Court decision Trump is targeting
A month into President Donald Trump’s second term, lawyers for the Republican administration seem intent on provoking a legal fight to overturn a 90-year-old Supreme Court decision known as Humphrey’s Executor.
apnews.comPhilippine Vice President Duterte asks Supreme Court to void her impeachment and block Senate trial
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte has asked the Supreme Court to void her impeachment and block a Senate trial that could remove her from office.
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Arab leaders set to meet to counter Trump’s Gaza plan
The closed-door summit in Riyadh will take place tomorrow, Saudi Arabia has said.
