Today’s Political News: U.S. and Canadian Politics

Senator Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, was the first senator to question Pete Hegseth about the sexual assault allegation against the defense secretary pick. Hirono also spoke to Hegseth about his past comments on women in the military and President-elect Trump's aspirations for Greenland. 

Culture wars and personal issues are expected to dominate a hearing for Donald Trump’s choice to be the country's next defense secretary, Pete Hegseth.

Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., questioned defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth on the massive financial shortfalls at veteran organizations he previously headed. 

President Biden said the federal government will provide one-time payments of $770 to people impacted by the ongoing California wildfires.

When border crossings grew out of control in 2023, the U.S. pressured Mexico to do something. Officials rebuked the immigration chief and stripped him of a key power, an investigation shows.

When border crossings grew out of control in 2023, the U.S. pressured Mexico to do something. Officials rebuked the immigration chief and stripped him of a key power, an investigation shows.

Republican state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt announced his candidacy, becoming the first major party candidate in Michigan to launch a gubernatorial campaign in the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., accused Pete Hegseth of "denigrating" women actively serving in the military, citing multiple past comments from the defense secretary nominee.

Former first lady Michelle Obama will skip the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, the second time in two weeks that she is not attending a gathering of former U.S. leaders and their spouses, but former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush will be there.

Senator Jack Reed, D-R.I., and defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth sparred over Hegseth’s actions seeking pardons for military members accused of war crimes and past comments on diversity in the ranks.

The top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee told Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth he's unsuitable to lead a department with 3.5 million service members and civilian employees and an annual budget of nearly $900 billion.

House Oversight Chairman James Comer and a pair of IRS whistleblowers slammed Special Counsel David Weiss' final report on first son Hunter Biden as incomplete.

President-elect Donald Trump said he had a "very good experience" with TikTok as the countdown continues for the Supreme Court's ruling on the social media app.

Protesters interrupted Pete Hegseth's opening testimony Tuesday at his confirmation hearing to be President-elect Donald Trump's defense secretary, drawing repeated rebukes from the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

During an opening statement repeatedly interrupted by protesters, Pete Hegseth said that he will remove politics from the Pentagon if named secretary of defense.

Multiple protesters interrupted Pete Hegseth's opening statement before the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing. Hegseth, President-elect Trump's defense secretary pick, is facing an allegation of sexual assault and claims of excessive drinking.

Multiple protesters interrupted Pete Hegseth's opening statement before the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing. Hegseth, President-elect Trump's defense secretary pick, is facing an allegation of sexual assault and claims of excessive drinking.

Officials in the Chinese government are reportedly considering contingency plans should the U.S. choose to ban TikTok this month, possibly selling the app's U.S. operations to tech billionaire Elon Musk.

Senator Roger Wicker, R-MS, Chairman of the Armed Service Committee, praised Pete Hegseth as an “unconventional” candidate for secretary of defense. Wicker waived away accusations of misconduct, while citing numerous of letters of support written for Hegseth.

In his opening statement, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., criticized Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump's pick for defense secretary as unqualified to run the Pentagon.

The industry is pumping ever more oil and natural gas, but it is doing so with only about three-quarters as many workers as it employed a decade ago.

The industry is pumping ever more oil and natural gas, but it is doing so with only about three-quarters as many workers as it employed a decade ago.

A new report warns that over 80 Fortune 100 companies are doing significant business in China and that they could face potential sanctions of billions of dollars in the future.

Former special counsel Jack Smith says President-elect Donald Trump engaged in an "unprecedented" effort to overturn the voters' will in 2020 and would have been convicted at trial if he had not won in November.

Yusef Salaam Biden's decision to commute Allen's death sentence deserves praise and gratitude, but the president should go even further—and free an innocent man. The post An Appeal to President Biden: Pardon Billie Allen appeared first on The Nation.

Sen. James Lankford is rolling out a package of DOGE bills ahead of President-elect Donald Trump being sworn into office.

President-elect Donald J. Trump’s defense secretary pick will almost surely be asked about his alcohol use and an accusation of sexual assault when he appears before a Senate committee.

President-elect Donald J. Trump’s defense secretary pick will almost surely be asked about his alcohol use and an accusation of sexual assault when he appears before a Senate committee.

Senators opened a potentially explosive confirmation hearing Tuesday for President-elect Donald Trump's choice for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, who calls himself a "change agent" as senators determine whether the former combat veteran and TV news show host is fit to lead the U.S. military.

The Department of Homeland Security gave more than 6,800 exemptions to terrorism-related entry bars, a significantly higher number that in recent years.

According to a final report by special counsel Jack Smith, President-elect Donald Trump "inspired his supporters to commit acts of physical violence" on Jan. 6 and knowingly spread an objectively false narrative about election fraud in the 2020 election. NBC News' Ken Dilanian reports on why there […]

A plurality of people polled in a new national survey rate President Biden as a "failed" president, while only a quarter of those questioned say he was a great or good president

President-elect Trump called former Special Counsel Jack Smith "desperate" and "deranged" for releasing his "fake findings" early Tuesday morning after the Justice Department released Smith's report.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., announces intent to support Sen. Marco Rubio's confirmation to serve as Secretary of State.

The Defense Department went on its biggest monthlong spending spree since the height of the war on terror, dumping nearly $80 billion in a rush to empty its accounts before the end of the fiscal year.

President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choice to lead the Pentagon will field questions on Tuesday on a range of issues, including a sexual assault allegation and his lack of management experience.

President-elect Donald J. Trump’s choice to lead the Pentagon will field questions on Tuesday on a range of issues, including a sexual assault allegation and his lack of management experience.

President-elect Donald J. Trump’s pick for Defense Secretary has spoken candidly about his alcohol use in interviews over the past few years.

President-elect Donald J. Trump’s pick for Defense Secretary has spoken candidly about his alcohol use in interviews over the past few years.

Peter Balakian The post Leaving the Ruins appeared first on The Nation.

Our Readers Systemic failure… Industry capture… The post Letters From the February 2025 Issue appeared first on The Nation.

Campbell McGrath The post Pain appeared first on The Nation.

Ethan Iverson A selection of the best recorded examples of the otherwise mostly undocumented music heard in jazz clubs like Slugs’. The post A Listener’s Guide to Jazz From 1964–1972 appeared first on The Nation.

Katha Pollitt Much of the immediate commentary on the election turned out to be wrong. If we want to avoid the same outcome in the future, we'd better slow down. The post Let’s Cool It With the Hot Takes appeared first on The Nation.

Calvin Trillin The post Terrorist Attack in New Orleans appeared first on The Nation.

Richard Kreitner When the magazine began covering jazz in the 1920s, it often struggled to catch the beat. The post The Nation’s Early Experiments in Jazz appeared first on The Nation.

Ethan Iverson In the late 1960s, the recording industry lost interest in America’s greatest art form. But in a small, dark club on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, jazz legends were playing the best music you’ve never heard. The post Jazz Off the Record appeared first on The Nation.

Hussein Omar In his new volume of poetry, , the poet, translator, and ER doctor explores Palestinians’ experiences of exile and displacement as well as the difficulties of healing amid the protracted and ongoing Nakba. The post Fady Joudah’s Poetry of Dislocation appeared first on The […]

D.D. Guttenplan Remembering Carter as we steel ourselves for Trump’s second inauguration. The post A Tale of Two Presidents appeared first on The Nation.

Special counsel Jack Smith said his team "stood up for the rule of law" as it investigated President-elect Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, writing in a much-anticipated report released Tuesday that he stands fully behind his decision to bring criminal charges he […]