What do Cabinet members do? Here are the expectations for each role
These are the president's top advisers and the highest-ranked U.S. officials. Here's what Cabinet members do — and some issues they're likely to face if confirmed by the Senate.
Federal Government of the United States
What unified government means for Trump's Cabinet and agenda
Even with unified GOP control of government, Trump's agenda and some of his more controversial nominees may run into some opposition.
TikTok argues against U.S. ban in court
TikTok faced a key court hearing Monday in its lawsuit to block a law that could ban the social media app in the U.S. early next year. CBS News chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford is in Washington, D.C., with more details. Then, CBS News legal contributor Jessica Levinson joins to unpack the arguments.
Special counsel reindicts Trump with narrower set of accusations
The superseding indictment against Trump is based on a narrower set of allegations after the Supreme Court ruled Trump had some immunity from prosecution.
Examining the presidential transition process
The executive branch is preparing for what happens after the 2024 election, and the possibility they'll have to pack up and make way for a new administration. The Partnership for Public Service, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, breaks the transition into three phases -- with one already underway. President and CEO Max Stier joins CBS News to take a deeper look at the lengthy process.
U.S. announces effort to expedite cases of migrants who cross border illegally
Migrant adults released by federal border officials after crossing into the U.S. unlawfully will be eligible to be placed in the program.
Justice Department moves forward with easing restrictions on marijuana
The Justice Department officially proposed a new rule on Thursday that would reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug.
Closing arguments in Google antitrust trial
Closing arguments begin Thursday in the Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit against Google. The government and more than a dozen states say Google has turned its search engine into an illegal monopoly, while Google says people like to use the engine and could change their search habits at any time. Matthew Perlman, senior competition reporter for Law 360, joins CBS News to discuss the case.
U.S. considers sanctioning some in IDF
The United States is considering the unprecedented step of sanctioning members of the Israel Defense Forces in the West Bank for alleged human rights violations.
DOJ to meet with families of Boeing crash victims
CBS News has confirmed that the U.S. Department of Justice will meet later this month with the families of Boeing crash victims. CBS News' Lilia Luciano has more.
Majority of U.S. bridges lack impact protection. Will anything change?
There are 4,207 bridges in the U.S. that allow ships to pass under them. Of those, only 36% are described as having functional pier protection.
Francis Scott Key Bridge reconstruction should be paid for by feds, Biden says
The FBI earlier said there was no "there is no specific or credible information to suggest there are ties to terrorism."
Supreme Court social media case: What to know
The Supreme Court appeared skeptical during Monday's oral arguments over whether contact between the federal government and social media platforms should be limited. CBS News legal contributor Jessica Levinson explains.
Documents show $12 million price tag to protect 2 Trump advisers from Iran
Documents obtained by "60 Minutes" show the Secret Service shelled out more than $12 million to protect John Bolton and Robert O'Brien, two former national security advisers, over the course of a year.
Alaska company pays $900,000 after guide likely caused wildfire with campfire
In a settlement with the federal government, an Alaska fishing guide company paid $900,000 following allegations that one of its guides caused a 2019 wildfire by not properly putting out a campfire.
SCOTUS appears ready to limit agency powers
The Supreme Court is putting the power of federal agencies on the chopping block. The latest case before the justices could forever change the way the government operates. Craig Green, law professor at Temple University, joins CBS News to explain.
Survey: Americans overstate president's power
A recent survey suggests the American public tends to hold exaggerated ideas of what a president can and can't do. Brendan Nyhan, professor of government at Dartmouth College and one of the survey's co-authors, joins CBS News to unpack the findings.
Supreme Court to hear federal authority case
The Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday on a case that could impact the independent authority of every federal agency in the U.S. CBS News legal contributor and Loyola Law School professor Jessica Levinson joins to unpack what's at stake.
President Biden signs short-term funding bill to keep government open
The bill will fund the government at current levels until mid-January.
Pentagon reports more than 270 UFO sightings
More than 270 reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena, known as UAPs or UFOs, were made to the U.S. government in a recent eight-month period, the Department of Defense said in a Tuesday report to Congress. Chris Impey, astronomy professor at the University of Arizona, joins CBS News to unpack the findings.
Honoring America's public servants
America's public servants will be honored at an award ceremony Tuesday night. CBS News' John Dickerson takes a look at some of the 2023 Service to America Medal winners.
40 Acres and a Mule | CBS Reports
Today, the phrase "40 acres and a mule" represents the broken promises the U.S. government has made to Black American farmers, contributing to a vast racial wealth gap. CBS Reports explores the ways in which Black Americans are trying to reclaim their land, connect to their ancestry, and generate wealth that can be passed on for generations to come.
U.S. government agencies hit in cyberattack
The U.S. is working to understand the full scale of a cyber security attack that hit a number of government agencies. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency says it is providing support to several federal agencies experiencing what it described as "intrusions." CBS News senior investigative correspondent Catherine Herridge has more on the attack that's affecting universities and state governments as well.
Alleged Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira indicted by federal grand jury
Jack Teixeira, the former Air National Guardsman accused of leaking Pentagon documents, originally faced charges stemming from a criminal complaint.
Supreme Court rejects challenges to Indian Child Welfare Act, leaving law intact
The Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in the case challenging the Indian Child Welfare Act.
Israeli officials furious that Signal group chat exposed intelligence, sources say
Sources tell CBS News the Signal chat involving senior Trump administration officials included sensitive intelligence Israel provided to the U.S.
UAW's Shawn Fain slams Trump executive order targeting federal unions
UAW president Shawn Fain said Trump's order to end collective bargaining for swath of federal workers would cost 700,000 people their union contracts.
FDA's top vaccine official forced out, decries RFK Jr.'s "misinformation and lies"
A Department of Health and Human Services official delivered an ultimatum to Dr. Peter Marks: either resign or be fired.
Death toll in Myanmar earthquake nears 700, with hundreds more injured
It sent buildings in many areas toppling to the ground, buckled roads, caused bridges to collapse and burst a dam.
Columbia University interim President Katrina Armstrong steps down
Katrina Armstrong, Columbia University's interim president, is being replaced by Claire Shipman. The university did not offer an explanation for the change in leadership.
JD Vance blasts Denmark in visit to Greenland with wife Usha
A recent poll shows 85% of Greenlanders do not want to be part of the United States.
Law firm Skadden cuts $100 million pro bono deal with Trump to avoid executive order
President Trump has issued executive orders targeting law firms that have employed his purported political opponents.
RFK Jr. to gut vaccine promotion and HIV prevention office, sources say
Much of the federal government's efforts to buoy lagging childhood vaccination rates have been run through the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy.
3 dead, more than 200 rescued in South Texas after flooding
At least three people have died due to severe storms in South Texas this week as rescues were still ongoing Friday.
U.S.
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Close call between Delta flight, Air Force jet near Reagan National
The incident occurred just after the Delta Air Lines flight had taken off from Reagan National Airport.
Trump's changes to the Social Security Administration has many seniors alarmed
The average wait time for Social Security calls has doubled in the last six months to 104 minutes.
Trump commutes sentence of Ozy Media founder Carlos Watson convicted of fraud
Prosecutors said Carlos Watson deceived investors and lenders by inflating revenue numbers and suggesting deals were final when they were not. He had been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Elon Musk's xAI to acquire his X social media platform
The companies are being combined in an all-stock deal that values xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion, factoring in the social network's $12 billion debt.
3 dead, more than 200 rescued in South Texas after flooding
At least three people have died due to severe storms in South Texas this week as rescues were still ongoing Friday.
MoneyWatch
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Trump's changes to the Social Security Administration has many seniors alarmed
The average wait time for Social Security calls has doubled in the last six months to 104 minutes.
Elon Musk's xAI to acquire his X social media platform
The companies are being combined in an all-stock deal that values xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion, factoring in the social network's $12 billion debt.
UAW's Shawn Fain slams Trump executive order targeting federal unions
UAW president Shawn Fain said Trump's order to end collective bargaining for swath of federal workers would cost 700,000 people their union contracts.
Federal judge blocks mass firings of CFPB workers
A federal judge has blocked the mass firings of employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Flight bookings between Canada and the U.S. plunge amid trade war
Airlines are seeing lower demand from Canadians looking to travel to the U.S. amid a brewing U.S.-Canada trade war.
Politics
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FDA's top vaccine official forced out, decries RFK Jr.'s "misinformation and lies"
A Department of Health and Human Services official delivered an ultimatum to Dr. Peter Marks: either resign or be fired.
Trump's changes to the Social Security Administration has many seniors alarmed
The average wait time for Social Security calls has doubled in the last six months to 104 minutes.
Trump commutes sentence of Ozy Media founder Carlos Watson convicted of fraud
Prosecutors said Carlos Watson deceived investors and lenders by inflating revenue numbers and suggesting deals were final when they were not. He had been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Elon Musk makes false claim about billion-dollar National Park survey
In a Fox News interview, Musk claimed DOGE found billions in waste — including a nearly billion-dollar National Park Service survey. No evidence supports that.
UAW's Shawn Fain slams Trump executive order targeting federal unions
UAW president Shawn Fain said Trump's order to end collective bargaining for swath of federal workers would cost 700,000 people their union contracts.
HealthWatch
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FDA's top vaccine official forced out, decries RFK Jr.'s "misinformation and lies"
A Department of Health and Human Services official delivered an ultimatum to Dr. Peter Marks: either resign or be fired.
RFK Jr. to gut vaccine promotion and HIV prevention office, sources say
Much of the federal government's efforts to buoy lagging childhood vaccination rates have been run through the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy.
Utah becomes first state to ban adding fluoride to public water systems
Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox signed a bill banning fluoride from public water supplies. The ban will take effect in May.
Kansas reports measles outbreak with 23 cases
23 measles cases have been confirmed in Kansas, marking an outbreak for the state, according to local health officials. Ohio has reported 10 cases.
Trump administration to shrink federal health agencies by 20,000 employees
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy will cut 3,500 jobs from the Food and Drug Administration and 2,400 from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
World
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Israeli officials furious that Signal group chat exposed intelligence, sources say
Sources tell CBS News the Signal chat involving senior Trump administration officials included sensitive intelligence Israel provided to the U.S.
U.S. goes on international egg hunt to ease prices at home
U.S. egg prices are just starting to fall, but big demand for Easter and Passover could cause prices to edge up again next month.
U.S. Army details challenges of recovering soldiers missing in Lithuania
A U.S. Army commander says recovering four soldiers from their submerged vehicle in swampland in Lithuania "will be a long and difficult" operation.
Israel bombs Beirut for first time since ceasefire with Hezbollah
France and Lebanon say Israel violated its ceasefire with Hezbollah with a strike in Beirut, as deaths mount in Gaza after Israel abandoned its ceasefire with Hamas.
Former Australian officer who killed 95-year-old with Taser avoids prison
A former Australian police officer avoided a prison term when sentenced for killing a 95-year-old nursing home resident with a Taser.
Entertainment
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Sex Pistols announce first North American tour in 22 years
The Sex Pistols, the legendary English punk band, last went on a North American tour in 2003.
Book excerpt: "I Am Maria" by Maria Shriver
In her new memoir, the daughter of Kennedys, broadcast journalist and former first lady of California uses poetry to explore a woman in search of herself.
Trump targets Smithsonian funding for programs with "improper ideology"
President Trump signed an executive order targeting funding for Smithsonian Institution programs that he says contain "divisive, race-centered ideology."
Sundance Film Festival moving to Boulder
The iconic Sundance Film Festival will be moving from Park City, Utah to Boulder, Colorado, starting in 2027, the festival and the Colorado Governor's Office announced on Thursday.
William Shatner offers Gayle King advice before women-led space flight
William Shatner, who became the oldest person to travel to space at age 90, is offering encouragement and practical advice to Gayle King and the all-female crew launching April 14.
Technology
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Technology
Growing demand to power AI, cryptocurrency
As cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence advancements are made, U.S. demand for the energy needed to power massive mining and data centers grows. David Turk, former deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, joins "The Daily Report" to discuss how much energy the U.S. needs and the potential environmental impacts.
Waltz's Venmo showed his contacts — even after bombshell report on Signal chat
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles was among the contacts listed in Waltz's Venmo account.
How AI powered robots are helping small farms
From labor shortages to environmental impacts, farmers are looking to AI to help revolutionize the agriculture industry. One California startup, Farm-ng, is tapping into the power of AI and robotics to perform a wide range of tasks, including seeding, weeding and harvesting.
Lawsuit against OpenAI over newspaper copyright can proceed, judge rules
Several newspapers have sued OpenAI and Microsoft, seeking to end the practice of using their stories to train artificial intelligence chatbots.
What is Signal, the app used by Trump's team
The Senate Intelligence Committee heard testimony on Tuesday from key players involved in a group chat on the messaging app Signal, in which the U.S.'s highly sensitive plans to bomb Houthi targets in Yemen were discussed inadvertently with a journalist. President Trump said that his administration would investigate the government's use of Signal. CBS News contributor and former CIA official Andrew Boyd has more on what it is and how it's used.
Science
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Is carbon capture a solution to the climate crisis?
Carbon capture chemically removes CO2 from the air, to store or recycle into products. But is this technology – underwritten by the fossil fuel industry – an effective means to address climate change?
Is carbon capture a solution to the climate crisis?
As a tool to address rising greenhouse gas emissions, carbon capture chemically removes carbon dioxide from the air, to store or recycle into products. The company behind a new plant to be opened this summer claims the facility will remove 500,000 tons of CO2 a year. But is this form of carbon capture – underwritten by the fossil fuel industry – an effective means to address climate change? Correspondent David Pogue looks at the technology behind this initiative, and the controversy it has raised.
Bones of mammoths butchered for their tusks unearthed by archaeologists
Remains of five mammoths were found archaeologists from the Austrian Academy of Sciences said Thursday in a news statement.
Venus will pass between the Earth and sun on Saturday
Our planet's closest and brightest neighbor will pass approximately between the Earth and sun this week, in what's called an inferior conjunction.
New evidence about dark energy may be "cusp of a major discovery"
The new findings come from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), which sits on a telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona.
Crime
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Crime
Utah law to protect child influencers
Utah is establishing legal protections for children who are social media influencers. This comes as cases of abuse emerge among parents with kids in the industry. Tiffany Li, a technology attorney, joins CBS News with more details.
Case of stepson allegedly held captive
A judge held a hearing in the case against a Connecticut woman accused of keeping her stepson captive for 20 years. This comes as the man's biological mother speaks out about the alleged abuse.
Second South Carolina inmate on death row chooses firing squad
Mikal Mahdi, who pleaded guilty to murder for killing a police officer in 2004, is scheduled to be executed April 11.
Lawyers say execution of morbidly obese inmate could be botched
Lawyers for convicted murderer Michael Tanzi say that his weight and health conditions could cause a lethal injection cocktail to fail.
Survivors give victims a voice at murder trial
"48 Hours" correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti speaks to one of seven Jane Does who testified at the trial of David Pearce, the Los Angeles man charged with murder in the overdose deaths of friends Christy Giles and Hilda Marcela Cabrales in 2021.
Space
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Mae Jemison on making history in space and inspiring change on Earth
Dr. Mae Jemison, the first woman of color in space, shares wisdom and encouragement with "CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King ahead of King's upcoming Blue Origin launch.
When, where to see the March partial solar eclipse
Astronomy fans figuring out where and what time to see the March 29, 2025, partial solar eclipse can check out a map from NASA.
William Shatner offers Gayle King advice before women-led space flight
William Shatner, who became the oldest person to travel to space at age 90, is offering encouragement and practical advice to Gayle King and the all-female crew launching April 14.
Democrats warn of cuts to space office
Democratic members of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee are warning that Department of Government Efficiency cuts to the Office of Space Commerce at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration could harm American interests. CBS News' Natalie Brand reports.
What to know as Gayle King gears up for April space flight
Gayle King will step out of her comfort zone and into a space suit alongside Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez, Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen and Kerianne Flynn.
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Notable Deaths in 2025
A look back at the esteemed personalities who've left us this year, who'd touched us with their innovation, creativity and humanity.
Husband pieces together wife's last movements to find out how she was killed
A look into a grieving husband Jan Cilliers' investigative work after his wife Christy Giles and her friend Hilda Marcela Cabrales died after a night out.
The Scott Peterson case: New evidence?
Peterson's death sentence for the murder of his pregnant wife Laci has been overturned. Now his supporters are pushing for a complete retrial.
The troubled marriage of Ashley and Doug Benefield
The seesaw marriage between the former ballerina and her much older husband only lasted four years, until she shot him on Sept. 27, 2020.
Texas couple investigates teen daughter's unusual death
Cayley Mandadi's mother and stepfather go to extreme lengths to prove her death was no accident.
Latest CBS News Videos
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Latest CBS News Videos
Where the economy is headed amid tariff impact
Wall Street's decline fueled by inflation worries and the impact of tariffs likely won't be short-lived as wider reciprocal import taxes are set to go into effect next week. Consumer confidence along with spending aren't faring much better. Jo Ling Kent joins to discuss.
Heavy rain causes devastating flooding in Texas
At least three people are dead in South Texas following a severe storm that delivered more than a foot of rain. That's about half the precipitation the region typically sees in an entire year. Karen Hua reports.
Researchers investigating causes of Long COVID
The pandemic may be over, but millions are still dealing with COVID-19's effects. The CDC estimates nearly 20 million Americans are struggling with the effects of Long COVID -- the persistence of ongoing health problems long after the infection has passed. Bradley Blackburn has more.
How Trump administration is targeting visa holders
Around 300 people permitted to be in the United States on student visas have had them revoked so far, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Lilia Luciano has details on who the Trump administration is targeting.
Breaking down Trump's legal battles with law firms
President Trump has issued executive orders targeting major law firms. Several of the firms have filed federal lawsuits over the orders on First Amendment grounds. Scott MacFarlane has more.
