Tom Howell Jr.

Bessent presses Congress to suspend federal gas tax

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday urged Congress to suspend the federal gas tax as U.S. consumers deal with higher fuel prices due to the Iran war.

June 4, 2026

Trump lashes out at lawmakers who voted to rein in his Iran war powers

President Trump on Thursday scolded House lawmakers who voted to rein in his war powers in Iran, calling it a "meaningless" move that undercut his ability to negotiate a peace deal.

June 4, 2026

Trump: Ceasefire in the Middle East means ‘moderate’ shooting

President Trump on Wednesday brushed off Iran's recent attack on Kuwait, saying it was part of an exchange of fire in the region, and argued he is still on track to make a peace deal.

June 3, 2026

Iranian attack on Kuwait airport puts deadly dent into ceasefire

Iran escalated tensions in the Middle East on Wednesday by bombing a Kuwaiti airport and targeting a U.S. fleet in Bahrain in the biggest flare-up since the start of a ceasefire in April.

June 3, 2026

Rubio bemused by Democrats’ questions about Trump ‘sleeping,’ shoe gift: ‘Are you guys kidding me?’

Democrats challenged Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday over President Trump's sleeping habits and whether the shoes the president gave him fit well, flummoxing the Cabinet member.

June 3, 2026

Trump says he would like to meet Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei

President Trump says that Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is heavily involved in Iran's decision-making during peace talks and that he would like to meet with the supreme leader at some point.

June 3, 2026

Iran, U.S. issue contradictory statements on diplomacy as Rubio details redlines

The U.S. and Iran sent contradictory signals on the status of peace negotiations Tuesday, as Israel's assault in southern Lebanon threatened to derail the process entirely.

June 2, 2026

Trump says U.S.-Iran talks are on, denies any break in communication

President Trump on Tuesday insisted that talks with Iran have been continuous, despite recent turmoil in the Middle East and a flare-up over Israel's actions in Lebanon.

June 2, 2026

Iran’s Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei probably still alive, Rubio says

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday he believes Mojtaba Khamenei is alive and "increasingly engaging at some level" in decision-making, even though he hasn't appeared in public.

June 2, 2026

Trump names Bill Pulte, a vocal attack dog, to oversee national intelligence

President Trump appointed William J. Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to serve as acting director of National Intelligence after Tulsi Gabbard's departure.

June 2, 2026

Sen. Lindsey Graham says any Iran deal must prevent future support for Hezbollah in Lebanon

Sen. Lindsey Graham pushed President Trump on Tuesday to include strict limits on Iran's support for terror proxies in Lebanon as part of any peace deal with Tehran.

June 2, 2026

Trump keeps fragile Iran talks intact after urging restraint on Netanyahu, Tehran proxies in Lebanon

President Trump said Monday that peace talks with Iran remain on track after he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and representatives of the Iran-backed Hezbollah to rein in fighting in Lebanon.

June 1, 2026

Trump: Iran war negotiations intact, Netanyahu will cool it in Lebanon

President Trump said Monday that talks with Iran remain on track after he spoke to Israel and representatives of the Iran-backed Hezbollah to calm things down in Lebanon, a key sticking point for Tehran.

June 1, 2026

Trump says Iran did not tell him it wanted to withdraw from talks, but it would be ‘fine’

President Trump said Iran has not informed him of their desire to quit peace negotiations over Israel's actions in Lebanon, but he said it is "fine if they're done talking."

June 1, 2026

Oil prices rise on Iranian report that Tehran will suspend talks over Israeli attacks in Lebanon

Oil prices jumped and stocks wobbled on Monday after an Iranian state media report said Tehran would suspend peace negotiations because of Israel's assaults on Hezbollah in Lebanon.

June 1, 2026

Trump says Iran war critics are making it tougher for him to negotiate

President Trump said Monday that Iran peace talks will "work out well in the end" but grumbled that his critics are making the process harder and undercutting his negotiating position.

June 1, 2026

Trump says he’s about to decide whether to approve the draft Iran deal

President Trump on Friday said he was heading into the Situation Room to decide whether to approve a U.S.-Iran peace deal that would restore traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and lift the American blockade of Iranian ports.

May 29, 2026

U.S. opens Ebola quarantine center in Kenya for potentially exposed Americans

The Trump administration on Thursday announced additional steps to fight an alarming Ebola outbreak in Africa and prevent cases from reaching U.S. shores.

May 28, 2026

Trump weighs 60-day plan to extend ceasefire, push nuclear talks with Iran

President Trump is considering whether to sign off on a 60-day memorandum of understanding that would extend the U.S.-Iran ceasefire in the Middle East and set the table for nuclear talks, a significant development in the three-month-old war.

May 28, 2026

Bessent says Iran’s economy is in ‘free fall’ and U.S. will target Iranian airlines next

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday said Iran must satisfy U.S. demands in peace negotiations to "end the downward spiral" of its economy.

May 28, 2026