Live updates: Trump to tout economy at State of the Union; Top House Democrat to boycott

By: The Hill

Published on: February 24, 2026, 10:07 pm

President Trump is set to deliver the first State of the Union address of his second term to Congress on Tuesday night, after rolling out an ambitious agenda with a mixed record of wins and losses. He's already said it will be a "long speech." Among the topics he told reporters he'll discuss are the...

Tennessee lawmakers float abortion amendment that would charge mothers with homicide

By: The Hill

Published on: February 24, 2026, 10:01 pm

Two Republican lawmakers in Tennessee are floating an amendment to an abortion bill that would bring homicide charges against expecting mothers who choose to terminate their pregnancies. The GOP sponsors, state Rep. Jody Barrett (Dickson) and state Sen. Mark Pody (Lebanon), have not formally filed the amendment to House Bill 570/Senate Bill 738, according to...

Top Oversight Democrat says Merrick Garland should testify on Epstein

By: The Hill

Published on: February 24, 2026, 9:58 pm

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) said Tuesday that former Attorney General Merrick Garland, who served under former President Biden, should testify to Congress about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “Why the [Department of Justice (DOJ)] under Merrick Garland, or others, weren’t forthcoming in what was actually in these files, I think is an important question that...

Parents are underestimating their teens' use of AI chatbots: Survey

By: The Hill

Published on: February 24, 2026, 9:55 pm

There’s a wide gap between parents’ estimates of their teenagers' AI chatbot activities and actual usage, according to new polling data.  A majority of teens in the U.S. — 64 percent — indicated they use AI chatbots in a Pew Research Center survey. About 3 in 10 said they use these services daily.  Parents of...

Durbin whistleblowers accuse Patel of jet usage, decision-making that hindered FBI responses

By: The Hill

Published on: February 24, 2026, 9:48 pm

New whistleblower allegations shared with Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.) prompted the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday to accuse FBI Director Kash Patel of “irresponsible joyriding” on the bureau’s jet, which Durbin said had compromised high stakes investigations. The new allegations, sent to supplement an existing review Durbin requested of the Government...

Small businesses that challenged Trump’s tariffs begin refund push

By: The Hill

Published on: February 24, 2026, 9:35 pm

Fresh off their Supreme Court victory, a group of small businesses that challenged President Trump’s global tariffs formally commenced their refund push on Tuesday. In a new filing with the U.S. Court of International Trade, wine importer VOS Selections and the four other businesses it sued alongside demanded an injunction compelling the government to promptly pay out refunds.  It follows the Supreme Court striking...

Texas county drops Charlie Kirk highway renaming proposal

By: The Hill

Published on: February 24, 2026, 9:30 pm

A proposal to rename a stretch of road in a small Texas county after slain conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk has been put on hold after dozens of people showed up at a meeting Monday to weigh in on the resolution, according to local media outlets. Bastrop County commissioners were set...

Watch live: The Hill’s State of the Union coverage hosted by Blake Burman

By: The Hill

Published on: February 24, 2026, 9:26 pm

President Trump on Tuesday night will deliver his first State of the Union address in his second term before both chambers of Congress. NewsNation's Blake Burman is slated to anchor a live digital broadcast from 8-11:30 p.m. EST on TheHill.com and The Hill’s FAST Channel. Additional reporting will be provided by The Hill’s White House correspondent...

Waymo rolling out robotaxis in Texas, Florida

By: The Hill

Published on: February 24, 2026, 9:11 pm

Waymo has expanded its self-driving vehicles into four more U.S. cities, the company announced on Tuesday. The company is launching its fully autonomous Robotaxis in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando, Florida. Select drivers who already have the Waymo app downloaded will receive invitations to use the ride-hailing service, while rides are set to be...

Newsom aide to reporter who questioned governor's dyslexia diagnosis: 'F--- off'

By: The Hill

Published on: February 24, 2026, 8:59 pm

A staffer for California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Monday told a reporter to "f--- off" after she asked about the governor's dyslexia diagnosis, which has entered the discourse following a discussion on SAT scores. Real Clear Politics correspondent Susan Crabtree shared a screenshot of her email exchange with Newsom's communication director Izzy Gardon on...

Jeffries digs in on DHS funding: No deal without ICE reforms

By: The Hill

Published on: February 24, 2026, 8:49 pm

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is digging in against funding for the Homeland Security Department (DHS), saying Democrats will continue to oppose any more money for the agency without strong reforms governing the conduct of federal immigration officers. "We believe immigration enforcement should be fair and just and humane. That's what the American people...

Mamdani admonishes 'kids throwing snowballs,' while NYPD denounces 'individuals attacking cops'

By: The Hill

Published on: February 24, 2026, 8:45 pm

Video footage of New York City Police Department officers getting pelted with snow as they walked through Washington Square Park on Monday drew mixed responses from the city’s leaders. NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch condemned the footage of “individuals attacking cops,” saying her detectives are investigating the “criminal” behavior. “The NYPD is aware of certain...

Jordan declines to call for Gonzales's resignation: 'There's an election in 7 days'

By: The Hill

Published on: February 24, 2026, 8:39 pm

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) on Tuesday declined to call for the resignation of Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), who has been dealing with rising pressure over allegations of an affair with a staffer. “Should he resign?” CNN’s Manu Raju asked Jordan of Gonzales on “Inside Politics." “I’d leave that up to the voters in San Antonio...

DOJ sues UCLA, alleging antisemitism

By: The Hill

Published on: February 24, 2026, 8:28 pm

The Department of Justice (DOJ) sued the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Tuesday, accusing it of creating a hostile work environment for Jewish faculty, the latest instance of the Trump administration accusing colleges of failing to combat antisemitism during pro-Palestinian campus protests. DOJ is going after UCLA for allegedly failing to uphold Title VII during the 2024 demonstrations, arguing...

Sotomayor expresses concerns about Florida's lethal injection protocol

By: The Hill

Published on: February 24, 2026, 8:27 pm

Justice Sonia Sotomayor expressed concerns about Florida’s lethal injection procedure on Tuesday, urging more transparency as the Supreme Court denied a man’s emergency bid to avoid execution later in the day. The seniormost liberal justice voted with her colleagues to allow Melvin Trotter’s execution to move forward over the 1986 murder of a grocery store owner, saying Trotter hadn’t shown enough evidence that the state will mangle the procedure. “Even so,...