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Lummis reintroduces bill to block CCP from owning farmland near federal property 
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Lummis reintroduces bill to block CCP from owning farmland near federal property 

By Samantha-Jo Roth | Washington Examiner  Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) is reintroducing legislation that would prevent the Chinese Communist Party from purchasing farmland adjacent to federal property in an effort to protect national security. Lummis is teaming up with Sens. Mike Crapo (R-ID) and John Barrasso (R-WY) on the bill, which would bring heightened scrutiny to land deals implicating Chinese actors after reports of Chinese companies acquiring U.S. farmland near military installations over the last few years. This legislation prohibits any agent or business affiliated with the CCP from purchasing land adjacent to federal land in the United States. It also specifies any business “with respect to which the Government of the People’s Rep...
U.S. Senate panel advances Linda McMahon’s nomination to Dept. of Education to the floor
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U.S. Senate panel advances Linda McMahon’s nomination to Dept. of Education to the floor

By Samantha-Jo Roth | Washington Examiner A key panel advanced the nomination of Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Education Department, voting 12-11 to send her nomination to the Senate floor. The nomination of the former Small Business Administration director and a longtime Trump ally advanced along party lines, with all Republicans voting in support and all Democrats voting against it.  McMahon affirmed during her confirmation hearing last week that shutting down the Department of Education would require congressional approval but also made it clear during her testimony that if confirmed by the Senate she intends to carry out the president’s vision. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER...
Kathy Hochul lets loose on Trump after congestion pricing dismissal
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Kathy Hochul lets loose on Trump after congestion pricing dismissal

By Brady Knox | Washington Examiner Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) has adopted a more aggressive persona in response to the Trump administration’s move to end New York City’s congestion pricing, to mixed reception. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy informed Hochul in a Wednesday letter that the federal government was terminating approval of the controversial policy. Hochul responded aggressively, holding a press conference in which she swore, invoked the American Revolution, and vowed to see Trump “in court.” “Donald Trump isn’t a ‘king’ and we won’t let him use New Yorkers as roadkill on his revenge tour,” Hochul captioned a post of her press conference. READ THE FULL STORY ON THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Trump undercuts Lindsey Graham budget plan ahead of key Senate vote
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Trump undercuts Lindsey Graham budget plan ahead of key Senate vote

By Rachel Schilke | Washington Examiner President Donald Trump sided with House Republicans in a brewing fight over whether to pass his agenda in one or two parts on Wednesday, undercutting Senate GOP leaders poised to take a key vote advancing their plan later this week. In a post to Truth Social, Trump praised both chambers for doing a “SPECTACULAR job of working together” but said House Republicans’ budget resolution, which tackles tax reform alongside priorities such as the border, is better than Sen. Lindsey Graham‘s (R-SC) because it “implements my FULL America First Agenda, EVERYTHING, not just parts of it!” The measure put forward by Graham, the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, focuses on border security, defense, and energy but l...
Senate 2026: Who’s in, who’s out, and who’s on the fence for reelection
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Senate 2026: Who’s in, who’s out, and who’s on the fence for reelection

By Samantha-Jo Roth | Washington Examiner The race for control of the Senate in 2026 has kicked off with incumbents up for reelection making decisions about their political futures, shaking up the map for next year’s midterm elections. Political handicappers like the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball have predicted that Democrats have few opportunities to claw back the majority. But, Sen. Tina Smith’s (D-MN) retirement announcement this week, the second Democratic incumbent to bow out of the 2026 election after Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), is making their efforts even more challenging. In order to take back control of the chamber next year, Democrats would need a net pickup of four seats, but only a handful...
Arizona border quiet, ‘like the faucet got turned off’
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Arizona border quiet, ‘like the faucet got turned off’

By Paul Bedard | Washington Examiner Illegal migrant crossings over Arizona’s 373-mile border with Mexico have dried up in the 18 days President Donald Trump has been in office. State officials told Secrets that the crossings have been reduced to about 5% of what they were under former President Joe Biden. During his one term, about 2 million migrants crossed Arizona’s border. “It’s like the faucet got turned off,” Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen told Secrets. READ THE FULL STORY ON THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Trump nominates Coloradan Kathleen Sgamma to head up Bureau of Land Management 
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Trump nominates Coloradan Kathleen Sgamma to head up Bureau of Land Management 

By Callie Patteson | Washington Examiner President Donald Trump has nominated Kathleen Sgamma to head up the Bureau of Land Management, further cementing an oil and gas focus for the Department of Interior under his administration.  The nomination was formally sent to the Senate from the White House on Tuesday, where it will be considered by the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, according to the congressional record.  Sgamma has served as president of the Denver-based oil and gas trade group Western Energy Alliance since 2006. For over 50 years, the group has represented independent oil and gas producers, advocating increased access to public lands for drilling as well as mining operations. READ THE FULL STORY ON THE WA...
Musk alleges FEMA reimbursed NYC hotels $59 million for housing illegal immigrants
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Musk alleges FEMA reimbursed NYC hotels $59 million for housing illegal immigrants

By Anna Giaritelli | Washington Examiner Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency alleged that the Biden administration spent tens of millions of taxpayer dollars paying for “luxury hotels” in New York City, where thousands of illegal immigrants released into the United States from the southern border were housed. Musk said Monday morning on his social media platform X that his team just uncovered that the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency dispatched $59 million this past week to reimburse New York City for the massive amount of money it spent housing illegal immigrants that traveled to the sanctuary city during the Biden administration. “The @DOGE team just discovered that FEMA sent $59M LAST WEEK ...
NCAA changes rules to ban biological men from women’s sports
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NCAA changes rules to ban biological men from women’s sports

By Jack Birle | Washington Examiner The NCAA announced Thursday that it would change its rules to ban biological males from women’s sports, a day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning transgender athletes from women’s sports. Trump’s order called on the federal government to bar transgender women – people who are biologically male – from competing in women’s sports, restricting the category to biological women only. A day after the president’s order, the NCAA Board of Governors voted to update its policy on transgender student-athletes, limiting women’s competitions only to include “student-athletes assigned female at birth only.” “The NCAA is an organization made up of 1,100 colleges and universities in all 50 states that col...
Education Department spent hundreds of millions injecting DEI into school districts
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Education Department spent hundreds of millions injecting DEI into school districts

By Robert Schmad | Washington Examiner The Department of Education, which is facing the ax under President Donald Trump’s new administration, set aside over $300 million in grants intended to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion by prioritizing resources for racial minorities, according to a Washington Examiner analysis of grant records. Federal disbursements identified by the Washington Examiner occurred under both the Biden administration and the first Trump administration. Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, however, recently ordered a freeze of all federal grants shortly after the president took office, partially to rein in government DEI spending. “The American people sent a clear message to Congress in November — they are...