Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia died Wednesday morning at age 75, his family announced, according to CNN.

In a statement, the family said Connolly died peacefully at home, surrounded by loved ones.

Last month, Connolly announced he would not seek reelection and would step down from his leadership role on the House Oversight Committee following the return of his esophageal cancer, first diagnosed in November. He vowed transparency, saying he would continue serving “with grace.”

Connolly had represented Virginia’s 11th District since 2009 and previously served 14 years on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

His family remembered him as a devoted public servant who championed justice and the voiceless, saying, “His absence will leave a hole in our hearts.”

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Is your immune system strong enough for politics? In a reversal of federal public health policy, the Trump administration announced it will restrict access to seasonal COVID-19 shots, reserving them mainly for seniors and high-risk individuals. That’s despite the fact that COVID-19 claimed more than 47,000 American lives last year, including 231 children.

Under new FDA guidance backed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., most healthy Americans under 65 will not be eligible for updated boosters unless new clinical trials prove they’re necessary. That means, for the first time, your access to a shot could depend on whether you’re deemed high-risk.

The new policy reflects a growing movement inside the administration to pull back on vaccines, especially for the young and healthy. Dr. Vinay Prasad, now the FDA’s top vaccine official, described the decision as a compromise. Critics call the policy dangerous.

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(AURN News) — President Donald Trump’s fiscal policies are under renewed scrutiny after Moody’s downgraded the U.S. credit rating from Aaa to Aa1, citing the nation’s rising debt, widening deficits and mounting interest costs.

While Moody’s did not name Trump in its downgrade announcement, the agency pointed to long-term trends that have intensified under his administration. Federal spending has increased sharply, and Trump has called for extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — moves that analysts say are worsening the country’s fiscal outlook.

“Over more than a decade, US federal debt has risen sharply due to continuous fiscal deficits. During that time, federal spending has increased while tax cuts have reduced government revenues,” Moody’s said in a statement.

The agency projected that without changes to taxation or spending, the government’s budget flexibility will remain limited. It expects mandatory spending — including interest payments — to rise from 73% of total federal outlays in 2024 to 78% by 2035.

Moody’s also warned that extending the 2017 tax law would add about $4 trillion to the federal primary deficit over the next decade. Deficits are projected to reach nearly 9% of GDP by 2035 — up from 6.4% this year — with debt rising to 134% of GDP, up from 98% in 2024.

According to CBS News, federal spending under Trump is now higher on a day-to-day basis than in nine of the past 10 years. In the first 100 days of his presidency, spending was $200 billion higher than during the same period the year before.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan watchdog group, called the downgrade a warning sign that policymakers are heading in the wrong direction.

“Can you hear that? It’s the sound of not one, not two, but all three major credit rating agencies now saying the same thing: the US fiscal situation is unsustainable,” said Maya MacGuineas, the group’s president.

“At the very least, we should not be considering adding more than $3 trillion to the debt — or $5.2 trillion if temporary provisions are made permanent — after we were just told our credit worthiness is inferior to what it was,” she added.Trump has touted cost-cutting efforts through the Department of Government Efficiency, but so far, overall federal expenditures have continued to grow.

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Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has officially launched her campaign for Georgia governor, becoming the most prominent Democrat to enter the 2026 race.

In her announcement video, titled For Georgia, she recalls her grandmother teaching her to “always stand up to bullies” and sharply criticizes President Donald Trump, calling him “a disaster.”

She accuses Trump of empowering “an unelected billionaire” to threaten Medicare and Social Security — a reference to Elon Musk.

Bottoms is entering the Democratic primary and vows to make expanding Medicaid her top priority, while also proposing to eliminate state income taxes for teachers.

The 2026 Georgia gubernatorial election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.

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In a rare and fiery clash between Congress and the Trump administration, Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver of New Jersey is facing federal assault charges after what her supporters call a chaotic overreach by ICE officers outside the Newark Immigration Detention Center.

McIver says she was simply doing her job conducting oversight when Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested trying to join her.

The charges against Baraka have quietly been dropped, but McIver is being prosecuted for allegedly elbowing an officer in the crowd.

Homeland Security released shaky video footage, but it does not clearly show intent.

Democrats are calling foul, accusing Trump’s Justice Department of weaponizing law enforcement to silence dissent.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned the charges, calling them a "morally bankrupt attack on legislative oversight."

Framing the charges as political retaliation, McIver says she’s not backing down — and she’s ready for court.

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The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to move forward with stripping temporary deportation protections from more than 300,000 Venezuelan migrants, marking what legal experts call the largest removal of immigration status for any group in modern U.S. history.

The case centers on Temporary Protected Status, or TPS — a designation created for migrants fleeing dangerous conditions. It was expanded under President Joe Biden due to Venezuela’s collapsing economy and political chaos. But Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem abruptly reversed it, prompting lawsuits from Venezuelan nationals who say the decision was rooted in racial and political bias.

The high court did not explain its reasoning and made no mention of the work permits already granted under the Biden extension. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the only dissenter.

Is this law — or politics in legal disguise?

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(AURN News) — President Donald Trump is pushing back against Walmart after the retail giant said updated tariffs would raise prices for American consumers.

In a post Saturday on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain. Walmart made BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected. Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, ‘EAT THE TARIFFS,’ and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. I’ll be watching, and so will your customers!!!”

The statement follows comments from Walmart’s Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey, who told CNBC in an interview last week that suppliers cannot absorb the cost of the 30% tariffs recently announced by the Trump administration. “I’m concerned that consumer is going to start seeing higher prices,” Rainey said, warning of noticeable increases by the end of May and more in June.

According to economists and trade experts, tariffs are not paid by foreign exporters directly. Instead, the cost is typically borne by U.S. importers — such as retailers — and often passed on to American consumers in the form of higher prices. That’s why many policy analysts describe tariffs as a “tax on the American people.”

The updated 30% tariffs are scheduled to remain in effect for 90 days.

Trump has continued to defend his tariff strategy, claiming it protects American manufacturing and improves negotiating leverage with China. Yet in the end, it is Americans who are now footing the bill.

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According to the Associated Press, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore vetoed a bill to create a commission to study slavery reparations, calling it a difficult decision but saying the issue had already been thoroughly examined.

The bill was a top priority for the Legislative Black Caucus — the largest such group in the nation.

Moore, the state’s first Black governor, said it’s time to act — not study — by closing the racial wealth gap and supporting Black communities.

The veto drew sharp criticism from the caucus, which called it a missed opportunity to address historical harms.

The measure passed both chambers with veto-proof majorities. Lawmakers could revisit it in a future session.

Moore issued 23 vetoes in total Friday.

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Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. The news came Sunday in a statement from his office detailing a Gleason score of 9 — the most severe grade for this cancer. It means it’s fast-moving and deadly serious.

Doctors say it’s hormone-sensitive, which opens the door for treatment. But make no mistake — cancer that reaches the bones is not curable.

The 82-year-old has long championed cancer research, after losing his son Beau to brain cancer in 2015.

In office, he revived the Cancer Moonshot and pushed to cut U.S. cancer deaths in half over the next 25 years. Now, he’s facing the very disease he once vowed to end.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, President Donald Trump, former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton all offered public well-wishes.

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