Latest News from The Hill

Former CDC director on Ebola outbreak: 'I suspect this is gonna become a very significant pandemic'

By: The Hill

Published on: May 21, 2026, 2:55 pm

Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield said Wednesday that he suspects the new Ebola outbreak in Africa will spread across three new countries and become a “very significant pandemic.” “I suspect this is gonna become a very significant pandemic, probably going to leak into Tanzania, leak into Southern Sudan, maybe...

DNC releases 2024 autopsy report after party pushback 

By: The Hill

Published on: May 21, 2026, 2:50 pm

Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin released an autopsy report of the party’s loss in the 2024 presidential election on Thursday, saying he did not endorse the findings but noted that he wanted to ensure transparency.  Martin’s move is notable given the DNC chair confronted much blowback for initially saying he would not release an autopsy report of what went wrong for...

42 US military aircraft lost or damaged so far in Iran war

By: The Hill

Published on: May 21, 2026, 2:47 pm

At least 42 U.S. military aircraft have been lost or damaged during the Iran war, according to a report by the Congressional Research Service. The lost or damaged aircraft include fighter jets, helicopters and drones, the May 13 report notes.  Among the losses are four F-15E fighter jets, one F-35A fighter, one A-10 ground-attack aircraft, seven KC-135...

Watch live: Trump, Zeldin to announce revisions to Biden-era refrigerant rules

By: The Hill

Published on: May 21, 2026, 2:45 pm

President Trump and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin on Thursday morning are expected to announce new actions within the agency to bring savings to American families and businesses, according to the White House. The EPA will revise Biden administration-era technology and emissions rules that limit the type super-pollutants used in grocery refrigeration. The...

Cassidy on Trump ballroom: ‘I just don’t get it’

By: The Hill

Published on: May 21, 2026, 2:44 pm

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) says the White House has done a poor job explaining its plans to build a 90,000-square-foot ballroom to Senate Republicans amid its push for Congress to provide up to $1 billion in a budget reconciliation package to help build the ballroom. “I just don’t get it,” Cassidy, who lost his primary...

Trump approval among Republicans at new low in Fox News poll

By: The Hill

Published on: May 21, 2026, 2:36 pm

A new Fox News poll shows President Trump’s approval rating reached an all-time low with Republicans as the issues of affordability, job growth and the economy remain top of mind for voters across the country. Trump’s approval rating among Republicans hit a new low at 80 percent, according to the Fox News poll. The numbers...

Live updates: Senate awaits reconciliation bill; Trump expected to loosen greenhouse gas rule

By: The Hill

Published on: May 21, 2026, 2:34 pm

President Trump's $1 billion request to fund security for the White House ballroom faces a test in the Senate, which could start voting on a reconciliation package on Thursday that may not include the money. The legislative text to fund immigration enforcement agencies hasn't yet been released, but inclusion of the ballroom funding has faced...

Trump to announce looser rules for super-pollutants used in grocery refrigeration, in bid to lower costs

By: The Hill

Published on: May 21, 2026, 2:28 pm

President Trump is expected to announce Thursday that his administration is loosening rules that would have restricted the use of super-polluting greenhouse gases in commercial refrigeration. A White House official confirmed that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would issue a final rule giving companies including grocery stores more time to phase down the use of...

Supreme Court declines to weigh IQ standards in Alabama death row case 

By: The Hill

Published on: May 21, 2026, 2:28 pm

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed an Alabama death row inmate’s appeal to the justices, declining to weigh how multiple IQ scores should be evaluated in capital cases for now. In an unsigned opinion, the court said Joseph Clifton Smith’s appeal was “improvidently granted,” meaning the justices made a mistake by agreeing to take it up. Smith...

Texas Senate: Cornyn vs Paxton showdown; Can Dems win in Florida? Join the live discussion

By: The Hill

Published on: May 21, 2026, 2:21 pm

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) are headed for a showdown in the Texas Senate primary next week. Which candidate would fare better in November? Is it really far-fetched for Democrats to dream of victories in ruby-red Florida? Join The Hill’s senior vice president of editorial content, Bill Sammon, and Decision...

Boebert: 'You don't have to be a rubber stamp for the president to support him'

By: The Hill

Published on: May 21, 2026, 2:18 pm

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) said Wednesday that Republicans lawmakers do not have to agree with President Trump on every issue to support him, in the wake of a string of primary losses for Republicans the president considered disloyal. Asked about Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-Ky.) primary loss to the Trump-backed Ed Gallrein on Tuesday, Boebert told...

Are we nearing the end of tech layoffs? Or are they just the beginning?

By: The Hill

Published on: May 21, 2026, 2:00 pm

No one knows with certainty the answer to this question. Given the speed at which AI systems are being developed, with their capabilities continuing to expand, what is certain is that AI systems have a long runway ahead of them before they reach anywhere near their ceiling.

Detroit-bound flight diverted over Ebola-linked restrictions

By: The Hill

Published on: May 21, 2026, 1:59 pm

A flight destined for Detroit was diverted to Montreal on Wednesday after a passenger from Congo boarded the flight “in error,” according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).  The Congo passenger’s travel to the U.S. was restricted under a new travel ban from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during a growing...

Watch live: NIH director faces Senate questions over budget

By: The Hill

Published on: May 21, 2026, 1:48 pm

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jay Bhattacharya will testify Thursday morning before the Senate Appropriations Committee on President Trump's fiscal 2027 budget request. The White House is seeking a $5 billion reduction in NIH funding next year, including cuts to grant and research programs the administration argues "broke the trust of the American people...