In today’s newsletter: Despite a prolonged government shutdown, Congress took major action in 2025 that will impact nearly every American. Musicians canceled Kennedy Center shows after the name change. And, meet the people risking their lives to care for Gaza’s desperate animals.
Here’s what to know today.
What did Congress achieve in 2025?
Despite a record 43-day government shutdown, the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term was a busy one for the Republican-led Congress. The actions taken on Capitol Hill will impact nearly every American.
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Here are four big things Congress can do in 2025:
Trump tax cuts made permanent: Republican leaders extended the Trump tax cuts from 2017, which were set to expire at the end of this year. The “big, beautiful bill” – as Trump dubbed it – passed with only Republican votes in both houses and was signed into law on July 4. Overall, the legislation is projected to cut taxes by $4.5 trillion over the next decade.
extended The Pentagon and mass deportation spending: Along with the tax cuts, the same bill allocates significant new funding, including $150 billion for the Pentagon and $170 billion for immigration enforcement to expand ICE staffing, raids and deportations.
Cut Rules: Republican leaders aggressively used the 1996 law, known as the Congressional Review Act, to rapidly repeal a record number of federal regulations imposed under the Biden administration that apply to consumer protection, education, energy and cybersecurity.
minority power weakened: In September, Senate Republicans used the “nuclear option” to change the body’s rules to now allow a vote to confirm an unlimited number of presidential nominations for executive branch positions, rather than debating each one individually.
Read more about the year in Congress.
More Politics News:
- FBI Director Kash Patel stresses the bureau’s There had already been a “surge” in investigative resources A viral video from a right-wing influencer has surfaced as part of a fraud investigation before claiming to show day care facilities in Minnesota that are not in operation but are receiving state and federal funding.
- Trump administration ended $10 billion for rural health care To help small community hospitals combat budget cuts — but the money comes with some strings attached.
- A California judge ruled this The federal government is allowed to share basic information about Medicaid participants With ICE.
Trump warns Iran and Hamas after meeting Netanyahu
President Donald Trump issued new warnings to Iran and Hamas after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida yesterday aimed at furthering the ceasefire agreement they struck in Gaza.
Trump said there would be “hell to pay” if Hamas did not surrender its arms to pursue a US-brokered peace plan as he sought to move into its second phase. He said Hamas, which had not agreed to demilitarization of Gaza, which Trump had said was a key point in his peace plan, would be given “very little time” to disarm.
The president also suggested Iran was trying to rebuild nuclear sites after the US attacked three nuclear sites earlier this year and threatened “very powerful” consequences if confirmed.
Iran immediately responded to this threat. An adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei said that “any aggression will receive a strong, immediate response that will be beyond what the aggressor could expect,” the state-run Nour news agency reported.
Read the full story,
More musicians cancel Kennedy Center concerts due to Trump’s name on the building
More musicians have canceled upcoming concerts at the Kennedy Center after the Kennedy Center’s board voted to change the name of the performing arts venue to include President Trump’s name.
Performances canceled to date include shows previously promoted for Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and January 14.
The Kookers, a jazz band that was scheduled to perform Wednesday night, did not give a specific reason for their cancellation, but said in a statement: “Jazz was born out of struggle and out of a relentless insistence on freedom: freedom of thought, of expression, and of the full human voice. Some of us have been making this music for many decades, and that history still shapes us.”
Read the full story.
A new Pope, political turmoil and celebrities in space: 2025 news quiz
We hope you enjoyed our weekly news quiz this year. It’s time to reward yourself with our year-in-review quiz.
Remember when 10 inmates openly escaped from a Louisiana prison? How long did it take for authorities to recapture them all?
A. 8 daysB. 4 weeksC. 8 weeksD. 4 month
Find the answers and test your knowledge about some of the biggest stories of the year. (The answer to the question is also at the bottom of this newspaper.)
Read all about it
- Russia promises to retaliate against Ukraine It was then said that about 100 drones targeted one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences.
- A judge gave this decision Release of transcript and audio from previously sealed hearing A murder case against a man accused of killing political activist Charlie Kirk earlier this year.
- A model who said she was recruited for movie roles by Tyler Perry Film and TV producer accused in a civil lawsuit Using his position to “abuse and sexually harass” them.
- Not long ago, NFL talking heads wanted the San Francisco 49ers to bench QB Brock Purdy. Now he is on his way to victory And is on the verge of clinching home ground through the playoffs.
- Beyonce is the most decorated artist in Grammys history officially achieved billionaire statusForbes report.
Staff Selection: The last hope for Gaza’s injured and starving animals
Since Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7 and its military response in Gaza, NBC News has been covering the death and destruction that has defined the upcoming war. Through my work scouring social media for videos to support our reporting on the war, I discovered the Sulala Animal Rescue account on Instagram.
Despite enduring famine, repeated attacks by Israeli forces, and the loss of loved ones, the animal rescue group has rescued dogs, cats, donkeys, and other animals living in the Gaza Strip. NBC News filmed the day-to-day operations of the staff and followed Hope through the animals and heard their stories of loss and pain over the death of a veterinarian vital to the group’s operations.
This story is a reminder of how, despite the dangers of war, some people still see the need for it. Risk your life to help the most vulnerableIn this case, four-legged creatures who are often in desperate need of help.
, tavlin tarrant, Associate Reporter, Social News Aggregation
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