A Canadian singer who performed "O Canada" prior to the start of Thursday's 4 Nations Face-Off championship game changed one of the lyrics in an apparent protest.

Chantal Kreviazuk modified the line "all of us command" to "that only us command" in an apparent response to President Donald Trump's proposal to turn Canada into the 51st U.S. state. The line "all of us command" had been added to the Canadian national anthem in 2018 to replace the lyric "all thy sons command."

Before Thursday's game, Kreviazuk said she sang "all thy sons command" instead of the amended lyrics.

"During soundcheck I sang the wrong words, 'in all thy sons command,' out of habit, and when I analyzed the new line I thought, wow this could mean something so pertinent to our country in this moment with a change in just two words, three syllables," she said. "I didnt dream that such an effect would be had by deciding to go out there and do it. But it really felt like the right thing to do."

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Thursday's battle between Team USA and Canada was the second time in a week the countries' top hockey players met on the ice. When the two teams squared off in Montreal on Saturday, a smattering of boos could be heard during the U.S. anthem. Likewise, some booing came during the Canadian anthem from American fans.

After the U.S. won on Canadian soil on Saturday, Canada returned the favor on Thursday, toppling Team USA 3-2 in overtime to claim the 4 Nations Face-Off crown.

After Thursday's championship game, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appeared to take a shot at President Trump in a social media post.

"You cant take our country and you cant take our game," he said.

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Following the game, Kreviazuk, a native of Winnipeg, said she received love and support for her protest.

"The anthem is not a lawful document; it is an expression of the collective, and it changes from time to time when the moment demands it should. So yes, in this very peculiar and potentially consequential moment, I truly believe that we must stand up, use our voices, and try to protect ourselves," she said.

Hockey was served over a dish of politics over the last week as Team USA and Team Canada twice competed against each other in the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, which also featured national teams from Finland and Sweden.

After the USA toppled Canada in a round-robin match last Saturday in Montreal, Canada came back to defeat the USA in overtime on Thursday in the tournament's championship game. The tournament marked the first time in nine years that the best hockey players from the U.S. competed against the best from Canada.

After Thursday's championship game, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took an apparent shot at President Donald Trump in a social media post.

"You cant take our country and you cant take our game," he said.

The response came as President Trump has said numerous times that he would like the U.S. to annex Canada as a 51st state, a proposal Trudeau has said the U.S. leader is serious about.

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President Trump has also threatened to impose a 25% tariff on most Canadian imports, a move that economists say would devastate the Canadian economy, but could also make items more expensive for Americans.

The response Team USA received in Canada on Saturday was lukewarm, at best. During the U.S. national anthem in Montreal, a smattering of boos could be heard throughout the arena. Typically, when the U.S. anthem has been played in Canadian arenas, Canadians are known for singing along to the "Star-Spangled Banner."

President Trump also involved himself in the tournament. He called the team to wish players and coaches good luck prior to their face-off on Thursday.

Another way politics was involved in the tournament was that Russia was not represented in the tournament due to its ongoing conflict with Ukraine. Had the Russians been allowed to field a team, they might have been able to challenge Canada and the USA for a title, with star players Alex Ovechkin, Nikita Kucherov, and Andrei Vasilevskiy leading the way.

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Battles between the U.S. and Canada are expected to become more frequent on the ice in the coming years. The NHL has agreed to send players to the next Winter Olympics in 2026 and 2030. The NHL has also said it plans to help organize a Hockey World Cup every four years, starting in 2028.

It meant a lot, putting the USA in the forefront of hockey, U.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck told NHL.com. We have a great team in here, and it sucks to end like that.

The U.S. has not won a "best-on-best" hockey tournament since the World Cup of Hockey in 1996.

The U.S. Senate approved a budget "blueprint" early Friday by a nearly party-line vote as Republican senators seek to bolster defense and border patrol spending.

The resolution was approved by a 52-48 margin with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, joining all 47 Democrats in opposing the resolution. Friday's vote comes nearly a week after a House committee approved its blueprint that included nearly $2 trillion in cuts over the next decade, including sizable deductions to education, energy and agriculture spending.

The process still has a long way to go before being finalized, especially given the different philosophies between Republican senators and representatives.

The most notable difference is that the Senate proposal would break the budget process into two bills. The first would include funding some of President Donald Trump's initiatives, such as bolstering border security. The second bill would focus on extending tax cuts that are set to expire later this year.

The House's version would roll both proposals into one bill.

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I hope the House can pass one big bill that meets President Trumps priorities," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who chairs the Senate Budget Committee. "But this approach provides money that we needed yesterday to continue the momentum on securing our border, enforcing our immigration laws, and rebuilding our military. Time is of the essence.

This budget resolution allows the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees to spend up to $175 billion in total to implement President Trumps border security agenda. It instructs the Armed Services Committee to spend up to $150 billion to make our military more lethal. It also allocates up to $20 billion to be spent to modernize the Coast Guard," Graham added. 

The final vote came after Democrats introduced dozens of amendments as part of a "vote-a-rama," which forced the Senate's Thursday session to extend several hours into Friday.

Families lose and billionaires win. Thats the heart of the Republicans' budget resolution," said Sen. Jeff Merkley, the leading Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee. This Republican budget proposes $1 trillion cuts to programs for working families by the end of this fiscal year. The only way to cut $1 trillion by September 30 is to gut entire agencies and all of their services, which families rely on. Trump and Senate Republicans are showing who they truly care about as they slash programs for families to line the pockets of their billionaire friends. Trumps tax plan is the Great Betrayal of working families."

President Donald Trump told reporters on Tuesday that he expects to implement additional tariffs in April on auto, semiconductor, and pharmaceutical imports.

"I probably will tell you that on April 2nd, but it'll be in the neighborhood of 25%," President Trump said about auto imports.

He added that the semiconductor and pharmaceutical imports will also be subject to a 25% tariff.

"And it'll go very substantially higher over the course of a year," he added.

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The tariffs would expand on a 10% tariff on nearly all goods coming from China. The U.S. has also imposed a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports from China.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. imports about $100 billion a year in human and pet drugs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, about $1.8 trillion in automotive vehicles, engines and parts were imported into the U.S. in 2024.

The Observatory of Economic Complexity said the U.S. imported $25.4 billion in semiconductors in 2023, but there has been a significant increase in those imports in recent years.

Tariffs are fees charged for companies to import their goods from another country. Many economists believe that most companies will pass the cost of a tariff to the consumer instead of absorbing the fee.

According to research released in October 2024 by Georgia State University, Arizona State University, and Colorado State University, tariffs might not only cause an increase in prices for consumers, but they can also disrupt supply chains.

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"While tariffs can provide some protection to certain industries, they can also create inefficiencies for the industries they were designed to protect, as well as for their supply chain partners," the study said. The disruption to the supply chain could cause additional challenges to the economy.

"These findings demonstrate the ripple effect of unintended consequences that tariffs can lead to throughout supply chains, motivating further theoretical development and informing trade policy," the study said. But the Trump administration has contended that the tariffs can raise revenue for the U.S. and force manufacturers to produce more products in the U.S.

ALDI said it is planning its biggest year of expansion in 2025 by opening over 225 locations throughout the U.S.

Some of the openings will be through the conversion of Southeastern Grocers locations. Aldi also plans to expand and add locations in the Midwest and Northeast and expand its footprint in the West.

Aldi said about 100 of the 225 store openings this year will be from converted Southeastern Grocers locations. ALDI plans to convert approximately 220 Southeastern Grocers locations through 2027.

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Aldi also announced that it has sold 170 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores that are not part of the ALDI conversion plan. Aldi had purchased these locations last year with the intention of converting them into Aldi locations.

"When we announced our acquisition of Southeastern Grocers, we shared that we intended for a meaningful number of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets to continue to operate, and we're delivering on that promise while also supporting ALDI's growth. Over the last year, we've seen firsthand how C&S Wholesale Grocers, Southeastern Grocers, and their teams have continued to deliver great quality, service, and value to their customers, and we are confident they will lead the company successfully into its next chapter," said Jason Hart, CEO, ALDI.

Market Force Information, a market research company that utilizes customer feedback to assist retailers, released a report in 2024 ranking consumer sentiment on grocery stores.

Market Force's data indicated that Aldi provides the most value for money among America's leading grocery stores. The survey included 45 chains throughout the U.S., including warehouse stores such as Costco and Sam's Club, as well as big-box retailers like Target and Walmart.

Aldi said that in 2024 it plans to open 800 new locations by 2028.

The Trump administration has restored numerous webpages containing health information following a judge's ruling earlier this week.

On a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage providing "fast facts" on HIV, the Trump administration said it disagreed with the information presented on the site.

"Per a court order, HHS is required to restore this website as of 11:59PM ET, February 14, 2025," the message read. "Any information on this page promoting gender ideology is extremely inaccurate and disconnected from the immutable biological reality that there are two sexes, male and female. The Trump Administration rejects gender ideology and condemns the harms it causes to children, by promoting their chemical and surgical mutilation, and to women, by depriving them of their dignity, safety, well-being, and opportunities. This page does not reflect biological reality and therefore the Administration and this Department rejects it."

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The website shows that gay and bisexual men face a higher risk of HIV. It also shows that transgender people have a disproportionately higher rate of HIV infections. The website also provides basic information, such as symptoms and potential treatments.

A fact page on vaccines for Mpox was already restored this week, but that site does not contain the same message at the top.

Earlier this week, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against the Trump administration, preventing the White House from deleting additional information from several government health websites. Numerous pages belonging to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration have been deleted since January 20, after President Donald Trump took office. The deletions were due to Executive Order 14168, which ordered government agencies to limit discussions of sex and gender to male and female.

My Administration will defend women's rights and protect freedom of conscience by using clear and accurate language and policies that recognize women are biologically female, and men are biologically male, the order states.

Doctors for America argued that the information being removed from government health websites includes a broad range of health-related data and other information used by health professionals and researchers. It added that the removal of key webpages and datasets creates a dangerous gap in the scientific data available to monitor and respond to disease outbreaks, deprives physicians of resources that guide clinical practice, and takes away key resources for communicating and engaging with patients.

After a series of favorable decisions for conservatives, the U.S. Supreme Court's approval rating climbed above 50% for the first time in nearly three years, according to a new poll released by Marquette Law School.

The poll showed that 51% of Americans have a favorable view of the Supreme Court, compared to 49% who disapprove. It was the highest approval rating for the Supreme Court since March 2022. The Supreme Court's approval rating went from 54% to 38% after the court overturned Roe v. Wade, essentially eliminating national abortion rights.

Since May 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court's approval rating has gradually increased. Some of the major rulings since then have been seen as wins for conservatives.

Some of the major rulings to come down since then include:

Supreme Court sends Trump case back to lower court, giving him limited immunity

Supreme Court keeps hold on state laws that limit social media censorship

Supreme Court: DOJ went too far with charges against Jan. 6 rioters

Supreme Court overturns Chevron decision, weakening regulations on environment

Supreme Court rules cities can ban homeless encampments

Supreme Court rules to allow emergency abortions in Idaho

Supreme Court rejects challenge to efforts to remove social media misinformation

Supreme Court upholds ban on domestic abusers owning guns

Supreme Court strikes down federal ban on bump stocks

Supreme Court allows abortion drug mifepristone to remain widely available in US

The court's rulings come amid concerns over conflicts of interest among the court's justices. Some Democrats have called on Congress to implement ethics reforms as a December 2024 Senate review found Justice Clarence Thomas went on several unreported trips sponsored by billionaire Harlan Crow.

Two American astronauts stranded on the International Space Station who had their eight-day mission turn into an eight-month stay pushed back against allegations that they were "abandoned" in space.

In an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper on Thursday, astronaut Barry Wilmore dismissed claims of being abandoned as rhetoric.

"We don't feel abandoned. We don't feel stuck," he said. "We don't feel stranded. I understand why others may think that. We come prepared. We come committed. That is what your human spaceflight program is. It prepares for any and all contingencies that we can conceive of. And we prepare for those."

Starliner, the craft that was expected to return Wilmore and Suni Williams to Earth, experienced problems with its thrusters as well as helium leaks as it approached the space station in June.

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Because of the issues, NASA decided not to have Wilmore and Williams return on the Starliner. After a six-hour remotely controlled flight, the empty capsule landed in New Mexico on September 6.

Instead of returning on the Starliner, SpaceX will bring Williams and Wilmore home in March. SpaceX was founded by Elon Musk, who is a close ally of President Donald Trump.

Musk's SpaceX was contracted to pick up the astronauts prior to President Trump returning to the White House.

"I have just asked Elon Musk and SpaceX to 'go get' the two brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration," Trump wrote on Jan. 28. "They have been waiting for many months on the Space Station. Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck, Elon!!!"

Both Wilmore and Williams have participated in long-duration trips to space in the past, and they both told Cooper they were prepared to do it again.

"We have a cycle of a period of time where those things take place," Wilmore said regarding travel to and from the Space Station. "And to alter that cycle sends ripple effects all the way down the chain. We would never expect to come back just special for us or anyone unless it was a medical issue or something really, really out of the ordinary. So we need to come back and keep the normal cycle going."

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During the extended stay, Williams and Wilmore have participated in numerous experiments and spacewalks while at the station. For instance, the astronauts have been experimenting with Astrobees.

"They actually can come off the wall and fly around," Williams said. "Huge opportunities for people to test out guidance, navigation and control on a, quote-unquote, spacecraft in microgravity inside here. So we have companies, universities, students all flying these Astrobees around at different times. Some of them are actually even grabbing onto other satellites or other pieces that we might have floating around, and that might help us clean up space debris."

On Friday, President Donald Trump will sign an executive order that would ban federal funds to schools and colleges that maintain COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Despite only a handful of schools still maintaining vaccine requirements, aid will not be awarded to schools and colleges that maintain COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

According to No College Mandates, a group against COVID-19 vaccine mandates, only 15 colleges and universities still had mandates as of the end of 2024. Most of the colleges are smaller, private schools.

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Many schools and colleges implemented COVID-19 vaccine mandates in 2021 as cases and deaths spiked in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 was associated with approximately 460,000 deaths in the U.S. in 2021.

But as Americans gained some immunity, whether through vaccination, infection, or both, those numbers tumbled. In 2022, COVID-19 was associated with an estimated 244,000 deaths in the U.S. By 2023, this number dropped to around 76,000.

These mandates pressure students into making COVID-19 vaccine decisions based on government coercion, rather than on their own informed choices, said a White House fact sheet previewing the executive order.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data indicates Americans are far less interested in getting a COVID-19 vaccine than they were in 2021.

As of last week, an estimated 11.7% of children ages 6 months through 17 years had received this seasons COVID-19 vaccine. For adults, about 22.6% have gotten a shot.

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced late Thursday that 1,000 employees have been dismissed as President Donald Trump seeks to cut the size of the federal workforce.

The V.A. said the positions eliminated were among non-bargaining unit probationary employees who have served less than a year in a competitive service appointment or who have served less than two years in an excepted service appointment. The V.A. says the dismissals will save the department $98 million per year.

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The figure also does not include employees who accepted buyouts, which would allow them to leave their job and continue getting paid through September. A total of 75,000 throughout the federal government accepted a buyout, which accounted for just under 4% of the federal workforce.

The V.A. says that 42,000 probationary employees will remain within the department because they serve in mission-critical positions or are covered under a collective bargaining agreement.

At VA, we are focused on saving money so it can be better spent on veteran care. We thank these employees for their service to VA. This was a tough decision, but ultimately its the right call to better support the veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors the department exists to serve, said VA Secretary Doug Collins. To be perfectly clear: these moves will not negatively impact VA health care, benefits or beneficiaries. In the coming weeks and months, VA will be announcing plans to put these resources to work helping veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors.

The V.A. had previously instituted a hiring freeze soon after President Trump took office, which drew ire from Democrats. The V.A. responded by saying some positions were exempt from President Trumps hiring freeze.

The size of the V.A. grew steadily during the Biden administration, growing to a workforce of 471,621 employees last year. The overwhelming majority of employees are involved in providing health care for veterans.

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Denis McDonough, who served as the Biden administrations secretary of Veterans Affairs, said last month he wanted to see more, not less, spending for the department.

I think weve been very clear that weve asked for significant increases in the VA budget for the last four years, he said. Weve been very clear in how and where we spend that. When weve needed extra money, weve gone to the Hill to explain what it is we need it for and why it is that we need it. And inevitably, we only need the extra funding because this is a veteran-centered organization, meaning were going to make every decision based on what the veterans need.

Collins has said the V.A. is going to deliver timely access to care and benefits for every eligible Veteran, family member, caregiver and survivor.

The House Budget Committee approved a budget plan on Thursday that would shrink federal spending by about $2 trillion over the next decade, while cutting nearly $4.5 trillion in tax revenue.

It would also authorize a $4 trillion increase to the debt ceiling.

Although the process of approving a budget has gotten through the Budget Committee, it has a long way to go until it is complete. The Senate has also offered its own budget proposal, which keeps government spending closer to current levels.

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House Republicans say that the resolution passed by the Budget Committee on Thursday offers a "blueprint" to tackle President Donald Trump's spending goals.

The resolution passed out of committee today is a blueprint to right-size the bloated federal bureaucracy, rein in the reckless spending that spurred record inflation, and roll back the barrage of burdensome regulations that are crushing our small businesses," said House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington.

Coupled with cuts to tax revenue, the House GOP's proposed budget would still have about $2 trillion a year in deficit spending through 2034. The federal government is still expected to spend nearly $83 trillion between 2025 and 2034, according to House documents.

The blueprint tasks various House committees to find spending cuts over the next decade. For instance, the bill asks the Committee on Education and Workforce to make $330 billion in cuts, the Committee on Energy and Commerce to make $880 billion in cuts, and the Committee on Agriculture to make $230 billion in cuts. Conversely, spending on Homeland Security, the Judiciary, and Armed Services are being given leeway to add to the deficit, according to the bill.

The budget resolution has passed through committee and House Republicans have now cleared a critical hurdle to delivering on the major priorities of President Trumps America First agenda," Speaker Mike Johnson said. "From the outset of this process, we sought to ensure participation from every member of our conference and make clear that this resolution reflects our collective commitment to enacting the Presidents full agenda not just a part of it."

The way the resolution is written, Republicans can pass the bill without any Democratic support using a process known as reconciliation. In that case, a simple majority in both the House and Senate is needed for passage. But House Republicans only hold a three-vote advantage, meaning they'll need near universal support for a final proposal. And whatever the House agrees to must get the support of at least 50 Republican senators.

The Senate Budget Committee approved its version of the budget earlier this week along party lines.

To those who voted for and support real border security and a stronger defense in a troubled world, help is on the way, said Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham. This budget resolution jumpstarts a process that will give President Trumps team the money they need to secure the border and deport criminals, and make America strong and more energy independent.

President Donald Trumps nominee for Education secretary Linda McMahon faced Senate questioning on Thursday to lead the very same organization President Trump has called for dismantling.

President Trump has repeatedly lambasted the Department of Education.

I'd like it to be closed immediately, he said last week. Look, the Department of Education is a big con job. We're ranked--so they ranked the top 40 countries in the world. We're ranked number 40th, but we're ranked No. 1 in one department, cost per pupil.

McMahon echoed these sentiments on Thursday, saying the system is not working.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, however, has ranked the U.S. educational system far better than President Trumps assessment. Among 41 of the worlds top economies, the U.S. ranked eighth for educational attainment. The OECD said American students rank above global averages for reading, mathematics, and sciences.

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The OECD says the U.S. has the third-highest per-pupil spending in the world.

But McMahon believes the system is not working.

"The Department of Education was set up in 1980 and since that time, we have spent almost a trillion dollars and we have watched our performance scores continue to go down," said McMahon. I do believe it is our responsibility to make sure our children have equal access to excellent education. I think that is best handled at the state level.

During her testimony, McMahon conceded that it would take an act of Congress to dismantle the Education Department.

It is set up by the United States Congress and we work with Congress. It clearly cannot be shut down without it, she said.

Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, said during Thursdays hearing that schools simply dont want help from the Department of Education.

Im hearing from schools across the country that they have stopped going after federal competitive grant funding because its not worth the hoops and red tape the Department of Education has placed on those dollars, he said. If schools are not eager to apply for competitive grants to improve operations, something is wrong. Something should change.

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But National Education Association President Becky Pringle pushed back, saying families and schools are seeking more help from the federal government, not less.

Americans all across this nation share our belief that every studentno matter their race or place, or the language they speakdeserves to attend public schools that are high-quality, safe, welcoming, and inclusive, said Pringle. As I travel around the country, I have heard from parents and educators that they want more resources, more opportunities that will help students live into their brilliance. They do not want to dismantle public schools and privatize them. Quite the opposite. Instead of sending money to private schools, they want us to strengthen public schools, where 90% of all children attend, not take money away from them.

So far, McMahons nomination has faced little opposition from Republicans who have more than enough members in the Senate to confirm her nomination.

If confirmed, McMahon would be one among a handful of officials from Trumps first term to return to his cabinet. During Trumps first term, McMahon served as the administrator of the Small Business Administration.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted on Thursday in a party-line vote of 12-10 to advance the nomination of Kash Patel to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The vote came after Democrats were able to force a one-week delay to his vote within the committee.

Patel's nomination has been among the more contentious choices among President Trump's nominees. Democrats on the committee accused Patel of having an "enemy's list." Democrats claimed Patel created a list of President Trump's political opponents that would be subject to FBI investigations.

Democrats called on Patel to return to the committee to answer additional questions, but Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley did not heed their call. Sen. Amy Klobuchar challenged Patel during a recent Judiciary Committee hearing, when she referenced a list in Patel's 2023 book "Government Gangsters."

Patel denied such a list exists.

Its not an enemies list. That is a total mischaracterization, he said.

More broadly, Patel denied accusations that he would use his office to seek political retribution.

"Any accusations leveled against me that I would somehow put political bias before the Constitution are grotesquely unfair," Patel said during the hearing. "And I will have you reminded that I have been endorsed by over 300,000 law enforcement officers to become the next director of the FBI."

It appears Patel has enough support in the Senate to be confirmed. No Republicans have spoken in opposition to his nomination so far, and he would not need any Democratic support to receive a confirming vote.

"Mr. Patel has undergone a rigorous vetting," Grassley said. "Before his hearing, he produced more than a thousand pages of records and disclosed over a thousand interviews. He underwent an FBI background investigation, produced a financial disclosure, and worked with ethics officials to identify and resolve potential conflicts of interest. At his hearing, he answered questions for more than five hours and provided 147 pages of responses to written questions. Weve examined every detail of his life, and hes been subjected to relentless attack on his character the whole time.

"What weve learned from this committee process is what we knew from his resume. Mr. Patel has spent his whole career fighting for righteous causes."

RELATED STORY | Robert F. Kennedy confirmed as HHS secretary after Senate vote.

Sen. Dick Durbin, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, claimed that Patel was already aiming to fire some FBI officials.

"My Republican Committee colleagues have chosen to ignore the myriad red flags about Mr. Patel, especially his recurring instinct to threaten retributionpolitical retributionagainst his and President Trumps perceived enemies. This is a dangerous characteristic for a person who wants to lead the nations most powerful domestic investigative agency, the FBI, he said.

Patel's nomination goes to the full Senate where he needs 50 votes.

The U.S. Senate convened on Thursday to confirm the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead Health and Human Services in a nearly party-line vote. Sen. Mitch McConnell was the only Republican to join all 47 Democrats in voting against Kennedy's nomination.

The vote came after Democrats tried to stall his nomination for as long as they could in hopes of finding several Republican members to vote against his nomination. However, several Republicans who were considered swing votes supported Kennedy's confirmation.

Among them, Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voted in favor of Kennedy's nomination. On Wednesday, Kennedy cleared a key procedural vote with all 53 Republicans voting to advance his nomination. It was unclear how former Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell would vote, given that he is a strong proponent of vaccines, but he ultimately voted to advance Kennedy's nomination. One day later, however, he voted against his final confirmation.

"I'm a survivor of childhood polio. In my lifetime, I've watched vaccines save millions of lives from devastating diseases across America and around the world. I will not condone the re-litigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their survival and quality of life to scientific miracles," McConnell said following Thursday's vote. "Individuals, parents, and families have a right to push for a healthier nation and demand the best possible scientific guidance on preventing and treating illness. But a record of trafficking in dangerous conspiracy theories and eroding trust in public health institutions does not entitle Mr. Kennedy to lead these important efforts."

McConnell added, "Mr. Kennedy failed to prove he is the best possible person to lead Americas largest health agency. As he takes office, I sincerely hope Mr. Kennedy will choose not to sow further doubt and division but to restore trust in our public health institutions.

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The Senate Finance Committee voted earlier this month to advance Kennedy's nomination to the full Senate by a party-line vote of 14-13. All 13 committee Democrats were unified in their opposition to Kennedy's nomination as all 14 Republicans voted in favor.

Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a doctor who specialized in liver diseases before entering politics, had also questioned Kennedy's nomination before voting in favor within the committee.

At a Senate Health Committee hearing, Cassidy told Kennedy, "I have been struggling with your nomination." Cassidy cited differences in his approach to vaccines.

Although Kennedy said he does not consider himself anti-vaccine, he has often expressed skepticism over the safety and efficacy of routine vaccinations.

Kennedy said he would not reduce access to vaccines if confirmed, which drew apprehension from Democrats on the committee.

"I support the measles vaccine. I support the polio vaccine. I will do nothing as HHS secretary that makes it difficult or discourages people from taking either of those vaccines," he said.

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As the head of Health and Human Services, Kennedy would have broad oversight of numerous government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the Food and Drug Administration.

Kennedy has proposed a Make America Health Again platform, which is the name of his political action committee. Broadly, the PAC's goals are to expose corporate corruption, tackle chronic diseases and eliminate environmental toxins.

But Democrats have pointed to an ethics report as Kennedy said he plans to keep his financial stake in some pharmaceutical litigation if confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary. Kennedy said in the report that he has earned more than $2.4 million referring clients to the law firm WisnerBaum. That firm is suing a drug maker over its HPV vaccine, Gardasil.

Democrats claim this constitutes a conflict of interest for someone in his role.

The Trump administration is urging the NCAA and high schools across the U.S. to erase any athletic records achieved by transgender athletes competing in women's sports.

The memo from the U.S. Department of Education comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order essentially banning transgender women from competing in women's athletics at the high school and collegiate levels. Following President Trump's executive action, the NCAA announced it would no longer allow transgender women to compete against cisgender women.

The next necessary step is to restore athletic records to women who have for years been devalued, ignored, and forced to watch men steal their accolades. The Trump Education Department will do everything in our power to right this wrong and champion the hard-earned accomplishments of past, current, and future female collegiate athletes," said Candice Jackson, Deputy General Counsel of the Department of Education.

RELATED STORY | NCAA changes transgender sports participation policy following Trump executive order

The NCAA had allowed transgender women to compete in women's athletics as long as they met certain testosterone testing levels that were sport-specific. NCAA President Charlie Baker said in December that fewer than 10 transgender athletes were competing in women's sports.

Even with the relatively small number of transgender athletes in college athletics, the issue of including transgender women in women's athletics has become a key policy issue for lawmakers. Riley Gaines, an outspoken critic of allowing trans athletes in women's sports, celebrated the announcement.

"Restoring stolen athletic accolades to their rightful owners is a crucial step towards reinstating accountability, integrity, and common sense one that I wholeheartedly support," she said, after tying trans athlete Lia Thomas in the women's 200-meter championship in 2022.

GLAAD, an organization that advocates for LGBTQ+ rights, has criticized the Trump administration's transgender policies.

This administrations latest inaccurate and incoherent piece of paper smears an entire group of Americans but does not change the law or the facts. All women and girls, including transgender women and girls, should be welcome to play sports if they want, make decisions about their own bodies, be hired for jobs they are qualified for, and be free from attacks by extremists in elected office," the organization said.

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The consumer price index, the top measure for inflation in the U.S., increased 3% in the 12-month period ending in January, which was up from 2.9% in December. The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the updated consumer price index on Wednesday.

The consumer price index weighs the costs of goods based on their importance. Items like food, shelter and energy tend to be weighted more heavily.

For January alone, the price of goods and services increased by 0.5%. This was driven by a 1.1% increase in energy prices throughout the month.

January 2025 marked the largest month over month increase in the consumer price index since August 2023.

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Although the rate of inflation started increasing late in 2024, the year as a whole had lower inflation than in previous years. The year 2023 ended with an inflation rate of 3.4%, while 2022 had an inflation rate of 6.5% and 2021 had an inflation rate of 7.0%.

In the last decade, prices generally increased at a rate of 3.2% per year. In the last 20 years, consumer inflation has generally increased by 3% annually. But the Federal Reserve has aimed to keep annual inflation right at 2%.

Month over month, food prices increased 0.4% in January alone, and 2.5% year over year. Egg prices notably increased 15.2% throughout the month, and ended January 53% more expensive than a year earlier.

The new data comes as President Donald Trump has implemented 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports into the U.S. It is unclear what, if any, impact these tariffs will have on consumer prices.

Are wages keeping up with inflation?

Wages slightly outpaced inflation, meaning the typical American gained back some of the buying power lost in 2021 and 2022.

U.S. workers were making 4.1% more per hour in January than at the start of 2024. Workers were also earning 3.8% more per week at the start of 2025 compared to a year prior.

The House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency held its first hearing on Wednesday as Democrats cry foul on Elon Musk's growing influence in the federal government.

On Tuesday, Musk joined President Donald Trump in the Oval Office to defend DOGE and its overhaul of the federal government. His presence coincided with President Trump's signing of an executive order aimed at shrinking the size of government.

"We have this unelected and unconstitutional branch of government, which is the bureaucracy, which has in a lot of ways currently more power than any elected representative," Musk claimed. "And this is not something that people want. It does not match the will of the people, so it's just something we have to fix."

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Musk was not on hand for Wednesday's hearing led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia.

Fraudsters, organized criminals, malign foreign actors, and even corrupt government employees are filing hundreds of billions of dollars worth of fraudulent claims each year and getting away with it," she said. "Every taxpayer dollar that goes to these criminals is one dollar less for hardworking Americans, who expect and deserve more from their government. The Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency will work hand-in-hand with President Trump to root out waste, fix broken payment systems, and investigate fraud schemes."

But Democrats have grown increasingly concerned about Musk's influence and potential conflicts of interest. The leading Democrat on the House Subcommittee, Rep. Melanie Stansbury, introduced the "Nobody Elected Elon Musk Act." She said the bill would hold Musk and anyone in charge of DOGE liable for claims against the federal government.

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"Over the past two weeks, Elon Musk and his cronies have infiltrated agency after agency, taking illegal actions in government agencies by withholding funds approved by Congress, shutting down agencies like USAID, and firing protected civil servants. They also accessed the personal information of all Americans, flagrantly disregarding our national security protocols," said Stansbury. "Elon Musk is fueling chaos and corruption, and taxpayers shouldn't pay for this. My bill would hold him and anyone in charge of DOGE responsible for their illegal actions."

The hearing drew four witnesses, three of whom were invited by Greene. While Democrats and Republicans seemed to agree strong oversight of government spending and programs is needed, Republicans and Democrats largely disagreed on how to cut government waste.

"Rather than applauding the work of DOGE in helping to end such wasteful spending, some have launched a coordinated campaign to try to demonize Mr. Musk with the hope of somehow shifting focus away from the disastrous waste, fraud, and abuse that occurred on their watch," said Stewart Whitson, the senior director of federal affairs for the Foundation for Government Accountability.

But Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, director of government affairs for the Project On Government Oversight, noted the role that internal watchdogs can play, including inspectors general. Since taking office, President Trump has fired numerous inspectors general overseeing investigations into waste and fraud within their respective agencies.

"Inspectors general are vital to identifying and eradicating waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government," Hedtler-Gaudette said. "Congress should further solidify inspector general independence by providing for-cause removal protections. This will further insulate inspectors general from political pressure and enhance their ability to fulfill their independent watchdog function."

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on Saturday toured the damage left by flooding caused by Hurricane Helene in September 2024. During her stop in North Carolina, she said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will speed up aid in future disasters despite President Donald Trump hinting at eliminating the agency.

On Saturday, Noem said that FEMA has resolved 80% of the cases remaining as of five days ago. She said that 2,600 additional families have registered for assistance since President Trump visited the region nearly two weeks ago.

According to FEMA, 153,000 households have received FEMA assistance since September 2024 in North Carolina related to the storm. FEMA said the types of assistance families have received include rental assistance, money for basic repairs to their homes, sheltering in hotels, temporary housing in FEMA-provided mobile homes and travel trailers, funds for replacement of essential personal property, money for serious needs, and other assistance.

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Thousands of households remain homeless. As of Friday, 2,596 households were in FEMA-paid hotels, and 150 households were in FEMA-provided temporary housing units. FEMA also said that 3,284 households have received rental assistance.

FEMA can often be slow and confusing and a lot of paperwork. I heard that over and over and over again today. And we're going to fix that, Noem said. I'll promise you one thingPresident Trump has committed, and I'm committed with him to bringing FEMA into the 21st century."

Days after taking office, President Trump said he would end the Federal Emergency Management Agency "right now" if it was up to him. "FEMA is a very expensive organization that really doesn't work out very well," he said.

Trump revealed that he would be signing an executive order that would overhaul FEMA or possibly "get rid" of the agency. He has yet to sign such an order, however. The president suggested the federal government could give money directly to states so they could respond to the disasters directly.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was caught on a hot microphone telling a group of business leaders that Trump is serious about annexing Canada and having it become the 51st state.

In the audio published by the CBC, Trudeau could be heard saying, "Mr. Trump has it in mind that the easiest way to do it is absorbing our country and it is a real thing."

Canada is among a number of areas President Trump has openly mused about annexing. He has also expressed interest in having the U.S. own Greenland, the Panama Canal, and the Gaza Strip.

RELATED STORY | Proposed tariffs on Canada, Mexico paused after countries agree to tougher border security measures

"Canada ceases to exist as a viable country. Harsh but true! Therefore, Canada should become our cherished 51st state. Much lower taxes, and far better military protection for the people of Canada AND NO TARIFFS! Trump had said prior to pausing tariffs.

But the U.S.-Canada relationship has changed since President Trump took office, as he signed an executive order to impose 25% tariffs on goods being imported into the U.S. Trudeau's government retaliated by issuing 25% tariffs of its own on certain items from the U.S.

At the last minute, just hours before the tariffs were set to begin, President Trump and Trudeau agreed to delay the implementation of tariffs by 30 days.

Trudeau said Canada was in the midst of updating its border security plan.

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"Canada is making new commitments to appoint a Fentanyl Czar, we will list cartels as terrorists, ensure 24/7 eyes on the border, launch a Canada- U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl and money laundering. I have also signed a new intelligence directive on organized crime and fentanyl and we will be backing it with $200 million," Trudeau said.

Even though Trump has cited the flow of fentanyl from Canada as a reason for the tariffs, officials say China is where the U.S. primarily gets the deadly drug. Trudeau has said that less than 1% of America's fentanyl comes from Canada.

In a January Ipsos poll, 80% of Canadians said they would vote against Canada becoming part of the U.S. If the U.S. offered full citizenship and converted Canadian currency into the American dollar, 30% of Canadians said they would vote in support.

Canada is the fourth-largest country by land, behind Russia, China and the U.S. It has a population of over 40 million people, larger than any U.S. state.