LOADING ERROR LOADINGWASHINGTON ― Republican lawmakers are coming to the defense of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell following the opening of an unprecedented criminal probe into Powell by President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice over the weekend. Advertisement“If there were any remaining doubt whether advisers within the Trump Administration are actively pushing to end the independence of the Federal Reserve, there should now be none,” Tillis said in a statement on Sunday. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks at the Federal Reserve on Dec. 10, 2025, in Washington. Powell said scrutiny of the project is legitimate, but he called the matter a “pretext” for gutting the independence of the Federal Reserve. AdvertisementSenior Republicans in the House signaled their discomfort with the DOJ probe of Powell as well.

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In many places, the gains of the ecumenical movement, especially among Protestants, mean that we don’t think that much about Christian unity anymore. At least, we don’t think that much about Christian unity in a traditional sense of denominational divisions. Christian unity isn’t about going along to get along, or denying our conflicts and differences. Maybe the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity should be a week of prayer not just for unity, but to remember what Christian unity means. Christian unity means that we are never satisfied with being divided from each other, and division will never be the last word.

Wanda Sykes used her appearance at the 2026 Golden Globes on Sunday to take pointed swipes at fellow comedians Ricky Gervais and Bill Maher. Just try less.”Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementThe camera panned to Maher, who appeared less than pleased by Sykes’ joke. Moments later, Sykes offered a more brutal roasting of Gervais, who was not at the ceremony despite being nominated for his Netflix special, “Morality.”Watch Wanda Sykes zing Ricky Gervais and Bill Maher in her Golden Globes remarks below:“Ricky Gervais, I love you for not being here,” she said. ': Jimmy Kimmel Nails Trump's Most Baffling Claim YetAfter Sykes announced Gervais as the winner, she made good on her promise. “You know, it’s not like I was ever deceived before or after I had dinner with him, and I want to have dinner with him again,” Maher said.

President Donald Trump injected fresh uncertainty into a high-stakes health-care fight when he told reporters aboard Air Force One that he "might" veto legislation the House passed to restore enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. The comment came as Americans approach open-enrollment deadlines that could determine access to affordable coverage for the year ahead. Congressional Republicans holding the majority in the Senate have already rejected a similar bill, and the path to final enactment remains uncertain. For now, millions of Americans face the prospect of significantly higher premiums in 2026 if the subsidies are not restored. The debate over subsidies has become a flashpoint between ideological opposition to the statute and pragmatic concerns about constituent access to coverage.

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LOS ANGELES — Matthew Stafford suffered a sprained right index finger in the Los Angeles Rams' wild-card victory over the Carolina Panthers, but he will be ready for Sunday's divisional-round game against the Bears in Chicago, coach Sean McVay said Monday. Stafford injured his finger Saturday when his hand hit the helmet of a Panthers player during the Rams' 34-31 victory in Charlotte, N.C. In his postgame news conference, Stafford said he did not know what happened until he saw video that showed his finger bent backward. Stafford and the Rams are traveling to a cold-weather region, but Stafford has plenty of experience in those conditions, having played 12 seasons in the NFC North. While the Rams are preparing for Sunday's game, defensive coordinator Chris Shula, offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase will interview virtually with NFL teams hiring head coaches.

“Jerome Powell wanted to avoid a fight. That had long been his approach to handling President Trump and his relentless attacks on the Federal Reserve, which in his second term had taken on heightened intensity,” the New York Times reports. “Between an executive order wresting more control over the Fed’s oversight of Wall Street to Mr. Trump’s attempt to oust a sitting member of the policy-setting board of governors, the Fed had stuck to a time-tested strategy: Avoid provoking the president. At times, that meant bending to meet his demands in areas like climate change and bank regulation. But Mr. Powell, the Fed chair, drew the line when it came to protecting the central bank’s autonomy to set interest rates.”“A criminal investigation into whether Mr. Powell lied to Congress… has prompted the central bank to cast aside that approach and instead fight, the outcome of which could determine whether the Fed remains an independent entity.”Washington Post: Former Fed chiefs rebuke Justice Department probe into Fed chair.

The high court has combined the arguments of two states whose laws deny transgendered students a spot on female teams. The Supreme Court is expected to hear a highly anticipated case on transgender athletes Tuesday in a decision whose impact could extend beyond sports to redefine the 1972 Title IX law guaranteeing sex-based equality in education. Both Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause make room for this common-sense lawmaking. The Alliance Defending Freedom, which will be presenting oral arguments on behalf of female student athletes challenging the right of biological males to compete alongside them, says permitting transgender athletes on female teams extends inequality beyond the playing fields. It is not normal to try to force that on them.”But women’s rights groups defending transgender athletes say that a decision to uphold the state laws undermines Title IX.

Montana State captured the 2025-26 FCS national championship with a dramatic 35-34 overtime victory over Illinois State, ending a 41-year title drought that dated to 1984. The Bobcats survived a furious fourth-quarter rally by the Redbirds and prevailed in the game’s first overtime in FCS championship history. Montana State then converted on a fourth-and-10 when quarterback Justin Lamson connected with Taco Dowler on a 14-yard touchdown, and kicker Myles Sansted’s PAT provided the final margin that sealed the title. A late regulation field-goal attempt by Illinois State was blocked, forcing overtime after rescinding what looked like a potential game-winning kick. AI-generated illustrationThe victory has ripple effects for Montana State and the Big Sky Conference.

Secret Service found a 'suspicious object' ahead of Trump's motorcade in Palm Beach A "suspicious object" was discovered by the Secret Service on Sunday as President Donald Trump was headed to Palm Beach International Airport from Mar-a-Lago, the White House said in a statement.

Veteran President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who has governed Uganda since 1986, is widely expected to run for a seventh consecutive term in the general elections scheduled from 15 January to 6 February 2026. Museveni was nominated in July 2025 as the sole candidate of the ruling National Resistance Movement, a move that cemented his path to the ballot after constitutional changes removed term and age limits. Muhoozi is widely viewed as a favored eventual successor, and has publicly expressed a desire to lead. Economically, the government points to potential gains from forthcoming oil production as a factor that could reshape Uganda’s growth trajectory during a next term. Whether the election produces an accepted result or a further consolidation of power will have consequences not only for Uganda’s democratic trajectory but for stability and governance across the East African region.

The order instructs agencies to develop a regulatory framework for hemp-derived cannabinoid products, including possible limits on THC per serving and guidance on CBD-to-THC ratios. The policy package is intended to reduce barriers to research and to reposition federal regulators toward medicinal evaluation. A Jan. 12 analysis by public health and legal experts reached the same conclusion, saying the order is unlikely to materially reduce criminal penalties for many people. Employer drug policies, state criminal statutes and many regulatory frameworks would remain unchanged unless separately addressed by agencies or Congress. With cannabis legal for medical use in 40 states and recreationally in 24, and with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating about 30 percent of users develop cannabis use disorder, the administration's move is consequential.

Years before Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer were gunned down in their Columbus, Ohio, home, the mother of two had a brief marriage to a doctor named Michael David McKee. Here’s what we know about McKee and his marriage to Monique Tepe. Michael McKee was arrested on two counts of murder January 10 in connection with the deaths of Spencer and Monique Tepe. In 2005, McKee began medical school at Ohio State University and interned at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center starting in 2014, records show. Flowers adorn the curb outside the home where Monique and Spencer Tepe were found dead.