The Senate’s number two Democrat says this term will be his last.

In his fifth term representing Illinois in the US Senate, Dick Durbin has made the announcement that he will not seek re-election in 2026. Durbin’s statement will mark the culmination of more than four-decades career representing his home state… He is the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and sits on the Appropriations and Agriculture committees. He has served Democratic whip since 2005. He joins Jeanne Shaheen, Tina Smith, and Gary Peters as Democrats who will not seek their seats in the upcoming mid-terms. Mitch McConnell is the lone Republican vacating his long-held seat. SOC

Trump calls Fed Chairman Powell a “major loser”

President Trump continues to blast Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Upset with the Fed’s decision not to aggressively lower the central bank’s key short-term interest rate, the president is unleashing a flurry of criticism. Last week he threatened to fire the chairman and he began this week by calling Powell a “major loser.” The president claimed online there is “virtually no inflation,” but overall inflation remains above the Fed’s 2 percent target.

“Putin Is Winning”. Jim Talent Says Trump Must Convince Russian Leader To Negotiate For Peace

House GOP Won’t Take Up DC Funding Bill

House GOP leaders won’t bring up the District of Columbia funding fix bill on the floor this week. Details from reporter Bernie Bennett.

VERBATIM: Speaker Mike Johnson and District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser spoke Monday on a call to discuss a path forward on legislation to restore the capital city’s full spending powers, according to one person granted anonymity to share details of the private conversation.

Still, there are no plans to bring the bill to the House floor in the coming days before the chamber leaves for a two-week recess.

President Donald Trump says that he wants the House to take up the funding fix, saying the chamber should vote on it “IMMEDIATELY” to “clean up our once beautiful Capital City, and make it beautiful again.”

Bernie Bennett in Washington.

A new worry for Christians in India

A new worry for Christians in India

VERBATIM:  The Hindu-nationalist government in the huge country has recently been moving to squeeze Muslims, seeking to carve up the property that is owned by mosques.  Christian leaders fear that this is just the first step in an effort to seize all non-Hindu religious property — including that of India’s embattled Christian minority.  Persecution of believers in India has been surging over the past two decades and when the government isn’t doing it — local Hindus ARE.  MHSRN NEWS

AM SPORTSCAST – 4-25-2025

AM SPORTSCAST – 4-25-2025