House Passes Trump's Spending Bill, Sending it to the Senate

The big news coming out of Washington, D.C. this week has been the advancement of President Donald Trump's massive domestic spending bill. Here is a look at what has been making news this week in the world of politics.

Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill" Goes on to the Senate for a Vote

President Donald Trump's self-proclaimed "big, beautiful bill" is moving on to the Senate after narrowly passing the U.S. House of Representatives early Thursday morning. The controversial piece of legislation is expected to undergo many changes when it reaches the Senate. The bill has been widely criticized by Democrats due to its massive cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, two of the country's most important safety nets. The legislation also includes an extension of tax cuts for wealthy Americans.

Trump criticized GOP Reps. Warren Davidson of Ohio and Thomas Massie of Kentucky for being the two lone Republicans voting no against the legislation. The president said that they should face challenges during the next primary season because of their decision to vote no.

President Donald Trump was on Capitol Hill on Tuesday working to garner support for his legislation. The president met with House Republicans in an effort to court votes to pass the domestic policy bill through this chamber of Congress before sending it on to the Senate for final approval.

There has been an increasing amount of uncertainty in recent days about whether the GOP will be able to pass the legislation with its slim majority. Tuesday's meeting was the first time that Trump had met in person with GOP members of the House since he began pushing the massive piece of legislation. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has been clear that he wants to pass the bill before Congress breaks for the Memorial Day weekend.

The stock market has been reacting unfavorably to the uncertainty surrounding the legislation. Stocks fell dramatically on Wednesday as House GOP members could not come to an agreement about the specifics of the bill. The Dow closed down 817 points, amounting to a loss of 1.91%. The S&P 500 finished the trading session down 1.61% while the Nasdaq Composite slipped 1.41%.

Access to COVID-19 Vaccines Could be Limited This Year

It could be more difficult to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine this year. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is modifying how it approves COVID-19 vaccines, possibly limiting who will be eligible to receive the immunization this fall. The agency is changing the type of evidence that it will review from vaccine manufacturers to provide approval. The FDA announced the change on Tuesday through an editorial published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The end result of the change to the review process means that millions of Americans may not be able to receive the latest round of booster shots this fall. The latest recommendations would only approve the vaccine for adults ages 65 and older and younger Americans with underlying health conditions.

Those advocating for this change defended the decision by saying that the new recommendations would be in alignment with Canada, Australia, and the U.K. Those in opposition to the change say that limiting access to the vaccine will put millions of people at risk.

Trump Unveils Plans to Build Golden Dome Over the U.S.

Also this week, President Trump unveiled his plans to build a multibillion-dollar "Golden Dome" to serve as a missile defense system over the U.S. While military experts have said that such a project with take years to finish, Trump is confident that he can have it done by the end of this current term. Trump told reporters about his plan from the Oval Office on Tuesday, saying that the dome will be able to intercept missiles launched from all over the world.

A number of defense contractors are already expressing interest in building the project. The interested companies include Elon Musk's SpaceX.

Trump Makes Unsubstantiated Claims of Genocide in South Africa

What was supposed to be a standard meeting between global leaders in the Oval Office on Wednesday turned tense when U.S. President Donald Trump presented unsubstantiated claims of genocide to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. The South African leader was visibly caught off guard when a video alleging the genocide was shown during the meeting. White House staff were seen bringing two televisions into the West Wing before the start of the meeting, signaling that the screening was pre-planned.

While Ramaphosa denied that genocide was happening in his country, he did acknowledge that his country had issues with what he called "criminality." Ramaphosa pointed out that the bulk of the people killed as a result of criminal activity in South Africa are Black.

Pentagon Confirms it Will Accept Gift of Qatari Jet

The Pentagon confirmed on Wednesday that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will accept the gift of a jet from the Qatari government. A spokesperson for the Department of Defense (DoD) said that the agency will outfit the jet with the proper security requirements so that it can be used to transport President Trump. The DoD said that the acceptance meets all federal regulations and rules about gifts.

The news of the jet acceptance was not the only controversy at the Pentagon on Wednesday. The day started with a Christian prayer service in the agency's auditorium hosted by Hegseth. The secretary said that he plans to host this type of religious service once per month at the Pentagon, also broadcasting it through the agency's internal television network.

Two People Shot and Killed Outside Capital Jewish Museum

Two people are dead after a shooting outside the Jewish Capital Museum in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday night. Yaron Lischinsky, age 30, and Sarah Milgrim, age 26, were killed in the attack that was believed to be an act of antisemitism.

Law enforcement officials have charged 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez with the shooting. The man from Chicago was heard saying that he "did it for Gaza" shortly after the attack. Rodriguez did not enter a plea during this courtroom appearance, meaning that he will remain detained until his next hearing.

Lischinsky and Milgrim were reportedly planning to become engaged on a trip to Israel next week.

DHS Bans Harvard from Enrolling Foreign Students

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a statement on Thursday, prohibiting Harvard University from enrolling international students. According to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the decision to terminate Harvard's Student Exchange Program certification was the result of the school's refusal to submit conduct records of its global students to the Trump administration.

In addition to not being able to enroll new foreign students, the order dictates that existing international students must transfer or risk losing their legal status. Officials at Harvard immediately condemned the order, calling it "unlawful" and confirming that it remains committed to providing educational opportunities for foreign students.

The move by the White House is an escalation of the current tensions brewing between the Trump Administration and the nation's premier Ivy League university. According to recent data, the international student body comprises 27.2% of the total enrollment at Harvard.

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