The US Senate is considering giving up crucial authority over key intelligence officials responsible for assuring major agencies comply with legal restrictions and the Constitution.The top legal officials at the Central Intelligence Agency and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence would no longer need Senate confirmation under the latest version of a broad policy bill approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee.

President Donald Trump is one step closer to having Congress officially sign off on a slice of his Department of Government Efficiency’s spending cuts after Senate Republicans agreed TK DATE to cancel $9 billion in funding to foreign aid and public broadcasting.

GOP senators said they would remove $400 million in cuts to PEPFAR from the rescissions proposal, which targets foreign aid and public broadcasting, ahead of a Friday deadline.

Trump's $9 billion rescissions package is advancing, despite a trio of Republican defections. It targets foreign aid and public broadcasting funding.

A Senate advanced a spending bill that includes $20 million in funding for infrastructure upgrades at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan.

NPR and PBS outlets, including several in Southern California, will have to make tough decisions as the U.S. Senate votes to claw back money previously allocated for their operations.

Congress approves a $9 billion spending cut targeting public broadcasting and foreign aid, overcoming GOP divisions despite the cuts making up a small share of the budget.

Esther Dikongue-Bayighomog was a legislative aide for state Sen. William C. Smith Jr. during most of the time prosecutors say she stole $20,000 in scholarship funds.