Politics

In a somewhat shocking admission, if it is true, officials have told The New York Times that the National Security Agency is stopping one of the most disputed forms of its warrantless surveillance program.

The so-called "about the target" collection from network switches was first reported by The New York Times in 2013, but the issues surrounding NSA practices once again surged to the front page as 'excuses' such as this were allegedly used by the Obama administration to spy on the Trump campaign.

One hour after the House of Representative passed the a stopgap spending bill in a 382-30 vote, moments ago the US Senate likewise voted the measure through; the bill which gives the government a week before this specatcle has to be repeated again unless a full spending bill is enacted, now goes to Trump for signing later today. 

The Senate's low-drama vote came after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) blocked a deal on passing the stopgap measure over concerns about the remaining hurdles in the larger deal.

The US House of Representatives passed a one week stopgap spending bill to keep the government funded through next Friday, as lawmakers continue work to finish legislation that extends funding through the rest of the fiscal year.

Next, the bill will go to the Senate, which is also expected to clear the vote later today, and then send it to President Trump for his signature.

Get ready for nuclear war, S. Koreans. The United States will have plenty of opportunities to help defend your nation against a sundry of missiles, some armed with poisonous gas, others of the nuclear varietal. But some will slip by, leveling your cities to ash -- pushing you back into the bronze age. But from that ash will rise Samsung, greater and stronger than ever. Miraculously, you will be placed under a Marshall plan, led by the United States "and its allies", to rebuild your proud peninsula.

If Trump was hoping to at least vote on Obamacare repeal before his first 100 days are up, he was up for more disappointment.

Late on Thursday night, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy confirmed that, as expected, the GOP leadership would not bring up a revised ObamaCare repeal bill to the floor this week, after it became clear Thursday night that the 216 GOP votes needed to pass the healthcare bill had not materialized. At least 21 Republicans had come out against the bill, with many more undecided. Leaders can only afford 22 GOP defections.