Stories from Washington DC · United States

The head of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is facing scrutiny, particularly regarding his handling of drug approvals. This comes amid broader concerns about the agency's processes.

Music publishers have filed a lawsuit against AI developer Anthropic. The publishers allege copyright infringement. The publishers claim Anthropic's AI models were trained on copyrighted music without permission.

President Trump reportedly called the agency's commissioner, Dr. Marty McCary, urging him to approve an authorization. McCary approved it on Friday after initially facing pressure.

Upcoming talks between the United States and China will include discussions on stability in the Taiwan Strait. Shipping routes and military strategy are connected, with the US focusing attention on the Taiwan Strait.

The cigarette smoking rate among U.S. adults fell below 10% for the first time in 2024. The rate of smoking in the United States has fallen below 10%. European statistics from the early 2020s show most EU countries have higher adult smoking rates, with the exception of Sweden.

Federal regulators have launched a probe into an autonomous taxi startup company. The investigation follows reports of more than a dozen accidents involving the company's vehicles, with at least one resulting in injury. The probe was initiated in Washington D.C.

US inflation figures released this morning show a rise to 0.8%, the highest level since October. The price of crude oil remains a factor in the inflation rate. This is significantly higher than the Federal Reserve's target of 2.0%. The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data shows US inflation rose to 0.8% in October. The Federal Reserve is monitoring the situation as inflation has remained above its 2% target for five years. A stable labor market is also being watched. Inflation is reportedly up, with numbers indicating a difficult economic situation. Concerns are also being raised about the potential for an economic crisis due to rising borrowing rates. Inflation in the United States has risen, with prices increasing by approximately 6.10% in April. Energy costs are cited as a contributing factor to this inflationary trend.

Senate's top Democrat Chuck Schumer is critical of the GOP plan to provide a billion dollars for the Secret Service. The funding is intended to help cover costs. Schumer's criticism was reported by Mitchell Miller. Senate Democrats have condemned a Republican proposal to allocate $1 billion in taxpayer funds for a ballroom in the East Wing of the White House. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of this plan.

WTOP is expanding its streaming services, user-generated content, and local news coverage.

The CDC is balancing the need to inform the public about health situations without causing undue alarm. The agency's approach to public health communication is under review.