Stories from Washington · United States

An Honor Flight carrying nearly 100 veterans, including some dating back to World War One, departs for Washington, D.C. this Friday. The group is scheduled to return on Sunday for a homecoming in San Diego.

Health officials have confirmed 34 cases of measles, whooping cough, tuberculosis, and mumps across 11 US states. This follows a period where these diseases were nearly eradicated.

James Comey has been charged with threatening President Trump. Protesters reportedly swarmed Savannah Hernandez and yelled obscenities during the demonstration. He appeared briefly at the location, according to the report. He described the term as a 'mob term' used to target the 47th president. The Department of Justice is pursuing prosecution over claims he lied to Congress in 2020. Comey is accused of threatening President Donald Trump in an Instagram post made in May 2025. The warrant follows the publication of an image on the social media platform. Prosecutors allege the post contained a threat aimed at President Trump. The post featured an image of seashells forming the numbers 86 and 47. Comey, who turned himself in, denies any wrongdoing. The term 47.86 is cited as slang meaning eject or remove, which prosecutors claim was a threat against President Trump.

Kennedy has emerged as the primary candidate to lead the Department of Health and Human Services under President Trump. Members of the MAHA coalition expressed disappointment with Secretary Kennedy, citing a failure to deliver reforms to national health and food systems. Some coalition members reported feeling politically alienated by recent Republican actions. The HHS statement noted that Kennedy used a report that was taken out of context. Kennedy initially denied making a specific comment but later issued a statement via email. HHS stated that Kennedy's comments were taken out of context and that he was referring to a practice used in psychotherapy. Kennedy declined to answer a series of detailed questions sent by NPR regarding the matter. Black lawmakers have expressed concerns regarding these statements.

A court ruling has compelled the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate dangerous air pollutants specifically emitted from vehicle tailpipes. The ruling mandates that the agency must now make a formal decision regarding these regulations.

The Environmental Protection Agency is set to dismantle the Office of Research and Development, which serves as the agency's scientific arm. The office employs 1,500 people tasked with identifying environmental threats and scanning future risks.

EPA departments are being drastically reduced or eliminated under the leadership of EPA head Lee Zeldin. Efforts to address climate change and reduce pollution are being decreased according to the report. President Trump has described Zeldin as a "secret weapon." President Trump has appointed Lee Zeldin to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Multiple lawsuits are currently being filed regarding this rescission. The case will likely proceed through the court system toward the Supreme Court.

CISA released a joint guide regarding the adaptation of Zero Trust principles to Operational Technology (OT). CISA has released a joint advisory with the EPA, FBI, and NSA regarding Iranian-affiliated cyber attacks targeting water systems. The document provides principles for securing critical infrastructure through zero trust frameworks. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released a guide on adapting Zero Trust principles to Operational Technology.

The United States reported a GDP growth rate of only 1.4% for the fourth quarter.

The Biden administration previously made a decision to reevaluate the pesticide Paraquat, which has been linked to Parkinson's disease.