
Senate committee to vote today on RFK Jr.'s nomination
CBSN
Washington — The Senate Finance Committee is considering Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination on Tuesday, with a key vote on whether to advance his confirmation to lead the Department of Health and Human Services after a pair of fiery hearings last week.
Kennedy appeared Wednesday before the finance committee for a confirmation hearing, before testifying to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions the following day. During both appearances, Democrats on the committees — and even some Republicans — grilled the longtime environmental lawyer and activist on his stances on vaccines, abortion, and other issues.
President Trump's pick for HHS secretary has faced scrutiny from both sides. Though Kennedy, 71, initially sought the Democratic presidential nomination and has close ties to the party as the nephew of President John F. Kennedy and the son of Robert F. Kennedy, he dropped out of the presidential race to endorse Mr. Trump in August, and has long been the recipient of the Democratic establishment's ire.

Washington — The Trump administration on Thursday intensified its sweeping efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce, the nation's largest employer, by ordering agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who hadn't yet gained civil service protection - potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of workers.

It was Labor Day weekend 2003 when Matt Scribner, a local horse farrier and trainer who also competes in long-distance horse races, was on his usual ride in a remote part of the Sierra Nevada foothills — just a few miles northeast of Auburn, California —when he noticed a freshly dug hole along the trail that piqued his curiosity.

Each Valentine's Day, millions of Americans gift their partners or loved ones with flowers, cards or candy as a token of their affections on Feb. 14. But while some see it as a commercialized "Hallmark holiday," the occasion actually has ancient roots in Roman history and connections to Saint Valentine.