As the 118th Congress comes to an end with a final rush of bills, bipartisan legislation honoring the late Shirley Chisholm, the country's first Black congresswoman, was signed into law last week. On Thursday, President Joe Biden signed the Shirley Chisholm Congressional Gold Medal Act, posthumously presenting Congress' highest distinction for Chisholm's outstanding accomplishments and devotion. Chisholm passed away in 2005. Sen. Laphonza Butler, a Democrat from California, and Rep. Barbara Lee, a Democrat from California, were the bill's two primary sponsors when Vice President Kamala Harris, in her capacity as Senate president, signed the law a few days before. In a statement, Lee said it was a privilege to be with Vice President Kamala Harris when she signed this landmark legislation. w...

WASHINGTON — TikTok, a video-based social networking app with millions of users in the United States, urged the Supreme Court on Monday to prevent a bill that would ban the service. In question is a bipartisan bill that was approved by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden. If the justices don't step in, it will take effect on January 19, the day before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act would force ByteDance, the Chinese corporation that owns TikTok, to sell the platform to an American business or risk being banned. The law has been contested by TikTok, which claims it infringes on the company's First Amendment rights to free speech. As stated in the court filing, "The Act will shutter one of...

WashingtonPresident-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of health and human services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., started meeting with senators on Monday. A person familiar with his intentions said he will meet with more than two dozen Republicans on Capitol Hill this week. Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and soon-to-be Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, whose committee will review and vote on Kennedy's proposed nominee, are among the important new leaders attending the sessions. As he meets with Republican senators who are mainly against legal abortion, Kennedy is expected to be questioned about his lengthy history of anti-vaccine statements, his plans to reform the health care system, and his support for abortion rights. Mr. Kenned...

The union that represents thousands of federal employees declared that it will oppose any attempt by President-elect Donald Trump to thwart an arrangement reached under the Biden administration that would permit thousands of federal employees to continue working remotely. "It's ridiculous," Trump stated Monday in reference to the telework protections pact that Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O'Malley signed with the American Federation of Government Employees prior to his resignation last month, extending them until 2029. Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump described the agreement as "very terrible," claiming it is obstructing his efforts to manage the federal workforce, including the termination of remote work. He declared that he will try to get the r...

The office of Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., told NBC News that 14 Democratic senators will introduce an amendment Monday night to remove language from Congress' mammoth defense funding bill that aims to exclude coverage of gender-affirming care for transgender children of service members. Last week, the House passed the 1,800-page National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, by a vote of 281-140, with 124 Democrats and 16 Republicans voting against it and 200 Republicans and 81 Democrats voting in favor. The $895 billion bill establishes defense plans for the next year and authorizes the Defense Department's yearly budget. A clause in the bill that would forbid medical treatment for military dependents under the age of 18 who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria under the military's he...

Due to his suspected involvement in a scam involving the defunct content company, the former head of Ozy Media was given a 10-year prison sentence. Carlos Watson was convicted in July on securities and wire fraud counts, carrying a maximum sentence of 37 years in jail. Prosecutors had demanded a forfeiture to the government of millions of dollars and a 17-year sentence. According to The Associated Press, U.S. District Judge Eric Komitee stated in imposing the sentence that the level of dishonesty in this instance is extraordinary. Later on, he said to Watson: Your internal system for discerning fact from fiction became seriously misaligned. Watson has maintained his innocence since entering a not guilty plea to the accusations. Ozy's ascent and decline closely mirrored the 2010s digital me...

The sudden increase in drone activitiesOnline blogs and conspiracies that make strange claims to explain the drone "hysteria," some including missing nuclear material and an approaching alien invasion, are being fueled by the lights that are lighting up the night skies over New Jersey and other states. The claims have been dismissed by federal government authorities in recent days, who have stated that the objects do not represent a threat to national security or public safety and that they may be mistaken for drones in certain instances. Since mid-November, the FBI has received over 5,000 drone-related reports from all over the Northeast, but warns that most of them are not worth looking any further and that some are duplicates. For live coverage, follow along. However, the ambiguity has ...

WASHINGTON — TikTok, a video-based social networking app with millions of users in the United States, urged the Supreme Court on Monday to prevent a bill that would ban the service. In question is a bipartisan bill that was approved by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden. If the justices don't step in, it will take effect on January 19, the day before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act would force ByteDance, the Chinese corporation that owns TikTok, to sell the platform to an American business or risk being banned. The law has been contested by TikTok, which claims it infringes on the company's First Amendment rights to free speech. As stated in the court filing, "The Act will shutter one of...

It's practically time to start wrapping things up if you're still shopping for holiday presents. numerous of our favorite brands, especially those with special deals this week, are urging customers to place their orders as soon as possible to ensure delivery by early next week, even if there are numerous last-minute gift choices with matching cutoff shipping dates. Additionally, big box stores like IKEA and Sephora offer loyalty members additional savings. These sales and more are included below, along with bestsellers, NBC Select staff picks, and previously suggested companies. Keep in mind that some items can have a limited-time sale, and you should be aware of the holiday shipping dates. GO Ahead and SkipBest deals from NBC Select's top brands | Best deals on clothing and accessories | ...

The sudden increase in drone activitiesOnline blogs and conspiracies that make strange claims to explain the drone "hysteria," some including missing nuclear material and an approaching alien invasion, are being fueled by the lights that are lighting up the night skies over New Jersey and other states. The claims have been dismissed by federal government authorities in recent days, who have stated that the objects do not represent a threat to national security or public safety and that they may be mistaken for drones in certain instances. Since mid-November, the FBI has received over 5,000 drone-related reports from all over the Northeast, but warns that most of them are not worth looking any further and that some are duplicates. For live coverage, follow along. However, the ambiguity has ...