Washington, U.S.According to a Senate Democratic report released Wednesday, a vital national security office is still severely understaffed, allowing Russian-made technology to continue to end up in Ukrainian hands. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, is leading the investigation, which was released at the same time as members of the incoming Trump Administration demand significant expenditure cutbacks. The new analysis emphasizes how current capacity shortages in important federal agencies are already harming U.S. interests, despite their arguments centered on reducing government waste. Democratic staff on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations claim in the 30-page study that the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) enforcement of expo...

Convincing Senate Republicans that he does not have radical views on vaccines may be the most difficult task facing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as he meets with them on the Hill this week to seek his confirmation as secretary of health and human services. That would be challenging, though, given Kennedy's decades-long public opposition to vaccines, which includes his affiliation with Children's Health Defense, a prominent anti-vaccine organization, and his repeated fabrications that vaccines cause autism. Concerns over Kennedy's potential use of his position as health secretary have increased in recent days. The New York Times revealed this week that Kennedy's attorney, who is vetting applicants for HHS positions, petitioned the Food and Drug Administration in 2022 to rescind the polio vaccine's...

Columbia, S.C.Serving over 800,000 students, South Carolina's public schools continue to receive billions of dollars in taxpayer funding each year, making them a top priority for the state's budget. The Department of Education is laying out its goals for the next fiscal year as lawmakers get ready to meet again in January. Ellen Weaver, the state superintendent of education, is pushing for large investments, especially in rural school infrastructure and teacher compensation. Building on recent accomplishments that saw starting pay rise from $32,000 to $47,000 over the previous six years, Weaver wants to raise the minimum teacher compensation to $50,000. In order to draw the best teachers to the most underserved communities, she also suggests spending $5 million to extend a strategic compen...

This Christmas season, York County residents may anticipate a weather rollercoaster, with pleasant temperatures giving way to a chilly Arctic blast just in time for the holiday. Compared to previous cold spells, this week's temperatures will feel rather mild. But as Arctic air moves into the area on Saturday and Sunday, there will likely be a big decrease, with lows in the low 20s by Monday. With this, cold weather akin to recent cold outbreaks will return. Since there is no snow predicted for the foreseeable future, a white Christmas is regrettably not in the cards this year. The week between Christmas and New Year's is predicted to have mild or even above-normal temperatures due to a quick warm-up after the holiday chill. Additionally, a warmer-than-normal New Year's Day is anticipated, ...

On Wednesday, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody declared that the state has secured an arrest warrant for Ryan Routh, who is currently detained in federal prison on suspicion of trying to kill Donald Trump, for attempted felony murder. It's part of an ongoing back and forth between Florida Republican leaders and the Biden administration on the state's investigation of the September assassination attempt, the second attempt on Trump's life in three months. The trial date for Routh is scheduled for February. Florida officials claim that despite Routh's five federal allegations, which include trying to kill a presidential candidate, the federal government has prevented the state from conducting its own investigation or cooperating with the federal one. Following Moody's revelation at a mo...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that a person in Louisiana was hospitalized with avian flu, the nation's first serious human H5N1 illness. This would be the first time a backyard flock has been linked to a bird flu infection in a U.S. citizen, the government said, adding that the individual was most likely exposed to the virus from the flock. During a briefing on Wednesday, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, stated that although an investigation is still underway to determine the origin of this infection in Louisiana, it is thought that the patient who was reported by Louisiana had contact with sick or dead birds on their property. Louisiana reported the case as a suspected positive on Friday, and CDC lab...