Politics

Washington — Charles McGonigal, the former top counterintelligence official at the FBI’s New York office, was sentenced to more than two years in prison on Friday for concealing at least $225,000 in cash he received from a former Albanian intelligence officer. McGonigal pleaded guilty in September to one count of hiding from the FBI the payments he received from a …

Washington — West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin announced Friday that he will not run for the presidency in 2024, silencing whispers about whether his political future would include a White House bid. Manchin squashed speculation about a presidential campaign during an event at West Virginia University, during which he recounted his political career. The senator said the collapse of a …

SAINT PAUL, Minn. —Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota confirmed Friday he is laying off a large number of his campaign staff amid his 2024 presidential run. Phillips took to social media Friday evening to post a video announcing his reason for the layoffs, but did not indicate he is dropping out of the race. “I found it almost impossible …

Former President Donald Trump and the Trump Organization must pay $354 million in fines — a total that jumps to $453.5 million when pre-judgment interest is factored in — a judge ruled Friday in their New Yorkcivil fraud case. The long-awaited ruling also bars them from seeking loans from financial institutions in New York for a period of three years, …

Americans’ economic outlook continues to improve, even if it still isn’t great. The number who see economic growth, or even a boom coming, has risen for the second consecutive month; the number who fear a recession is down again. Ratings of the current economy are at their highest level in over two years; they’ve also been trending up, albeit slowly …

Washington — The head of the House Intelligence Committee disclosed Wednesday that members of Congress had access to information about an unspecified “serious national security threat,” issuing a vague warning that prompted other lawmakers to downplay the urgency of the situation and urge the public to remain calm. The revelation from Rep. Mike Turner, an Ohio Republican and the chairman …

President Biden on Wednesday issued an executive order instructing federal immigration officials to refrain from deporting most Palestinian immigrants in the U.S., saying the months-long war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas has made it too dangerous to send deportees there. The move, which Democratic lawmakers in Congress had demanded last year, is expected to shield several thousand …

Washington — Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina announced Wednesday that he will step down from House Democratic leadership. Clyburn has served as assistant House Democratic leader for a little more than a year. He stepped down from his role as whip at the start of the current Congress, when former House Nancy Pelosi of California and former Majority Leader …

Washington — Special counsel Jack Smith urged the Supreme Court on Wednesday to allow a lower court decision rejecting former President Donald Trump’s claim he is immune from federal prosecution to take effect, clearing the way for his trial in the case involving the 2020 presidential election to proceed. In a 40-page filing with the Supreme Court, the special counsel …

Washington — A former top U.S. diplomat who is accused of spying for Cuba for decades pleaded not guilty on Wednesday. Victor Manuel Rocha, the former U.S. ambassador to Bolivia, wasindicted by a federal grand jury on Dec. 5 on charges that he allegedly spied for Cuba’s intelligence agency for four decades. In a court document filed Wednesday saying he …