President Joe Biden’s federal vaccine mandate sparked controversy among Americans, but one of the nation’s most elite fighting forces may be hit harder than other groups by the new requirement.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced in August, with Biden’s approval, that all U.S. service members must receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The decision came after the Pfizer vaccine received full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

That mandate, though, leaves many U.S. troops facing a tough personal decision. Just the News reported this week that hundreds of Navy SEALs have been told they will not be deployed if they don't receive the vaccine and will no longer be able to serve as a Navy SEAL.

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House Democrats have unveiled a litany of new tax proposals to fund President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion federal spending bill, but a new report suggests the spending plan would shrink the economy.

The University of Pennsylvania’s business school, Penn Wharton, released a new budget model based on the Democrats’ plan that projects a major decrease in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the coming years if the plan were to pass.

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President Joe Biden announced sweeping new COVID-19 vaccine mandates that will force millions of unvaccinated Americans to receive the vaccine, undergo weekly testing or lose their jobs, flipping on a promise the president made in 2020 that he would enact no such mandate.

Biden rolled out the list of stringent new rules via executive orders and federal regulatory changes Thursday, most notably requiring that all private employers with 100 or more employees ensure that their employees are vaccinated or get tested weekly.

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A new federal jobs report released Friday showed that job creation for the month of August fell far short of expectations.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics report showed nonfarm jobs increased by 235,000 with unemployment at 5.2%. Dow Jones economic experts expected 720,000 new jobs for the month.

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Explosions in Afghanistan outside the Kabul airport Thursday have led to several civilian and military casualties and further heightened the chaotic evacuation of American citizens and Afghan nationals.

The Pentagon confirmed that "a number" of U.S. service members have been killed. Several media reports said the death toll includes at least 12 U.S. service members. Fox News reported that 11 were Marines and one was a Navy medic.

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As inflation continues its upward trend, government programs are giving Americans raises to keep up.

The Biden administration announced Monday a historic increase to the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. The U.S. Department of Agriculture updated the Thrifty Food Plan, a wide-ranging report that updates the expected cost to healthily feed a family of four.

The federal food report cited inflation as the driving factor behind the need for more benefits, which is the biggest increase in the program's history.

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On the heels of passing a $1 trillion infrastructure bill, Senate Democrats passed a $3.5 trillion budget resolution Wednesday that sets Congress up for a major battle later this year.

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After experiencing low fuel costs last year in most parts of the country, gas prices have now hit a new seven-year high nationwide while multiple major U.S. companies announced Tuesday they would require vaccinations for their employees, a decision that has sparked controversy and likely legal challenges.

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President Joe Biden on Thursday said his administration will require all federal employees and contractors to show proof of vaccination, a move met with swift opposition from Texas elected officials.

Federal workers or contractors who can’t show a proof of vaccination will be required to wear masks, practice physical distancing, and be subject to twice-weekly COVID-19 tests under the new rules.

Biden encouraged the private sector and professional sports leagues to follow suit in an address on Thursday.

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Earlier this week, President Joe Biden touted the country’s economic growth since he took office, but the latest economic data show that progress may not be as sturdy as experts would like.

The Department of Labor released new unemployment data Thursday showing a major spike in new jobless claims, meaning more Americans are filing for unemployment for the first time even as concerns grow over the Delta variant of COVID. The jobless increase came as a surprise to many experts, who hoped the U.S would continue an overall downward trend as the economy recovers from the pandemic-related economic shutdowns.

The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that the median existing-home sales price increased by 23.4% from June 2020 to June 2021, the second highest recorded since January 1999.

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