Conservative activist groups that generally support Republicans but oppose a pro-export, anti-import Republican tax proposal released a study on Thursday estimating its impact on individual U.S. states, underscoring the party’s division over taxes. The two activist groups, backed by billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch, reported that seven states won by President Donald Trump in November’s election would be among the 10 hardest hit by the proposal. Freedom Partners and Americans for Prosperity, both based in the Washington area, said the “border adjustment tax,” or BAT, would harm all 50 states, but that those heavily dependent on imports could suffer most. The report predicted economic harm to Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas — all states Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. The list of hard-hit states also includes California, New Jersey and Illinois, which Democrat Hillary Clinton carried. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin …

The White House said Thursday that President Donald Trump plans to nominate a Lyft executive as under secretary of transportation for policy. Derek Kan is general manager for San Francisco-based ride services company Lyft in Southern California. He previously was policy adviser to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, the husband of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. The announcement comes after Chao said in late February she was reviewing self-driving vehicle guidance issued by the Obama administration. The guidelines, which were issued in September, call on automakers to voluntarily submit details of self-driving vehicle systems to regulators in a 15-point “safety assessment.” Automakers have raised numerous concerns about the guidance, including that it requires them to turn over significant data, could delay testing by months and lead to states making the voluntary guidelines mandatory. Reuters reported on Thursday that Lyft Inc has nearly completed a funding round of at least $500 million, …

The U.S. military fired a barrage of missiles into Syria early Friday in retaliation for a gruesome chemical weapons attack blamed on President Bashar al-Assad’s forces that killed about 100 civilians. It is the first direct U.S. assault on Syrian government forces. The 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched from the U.S. Navy destroyers USS Ross and USS Porter, which are deployed in the eastern Mediterranean. U.S. forces are said to have targeted Shayrat Airfield in western Syria in retaliation for the chemical weapons attack that American officials believe Syrian government aircraft launched on a rebel-held town with a nerve gas, possibly sarin. Sarin nerve gas “We have a very high level of confidence” the strikes Tuesday were “carried out by aircraft of the Bashar al-Assad regime” and a high degree of confidence it was “sarin nerve gas,” U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Thursday. WATCH: Trump’s prime-time address …

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he was considering packaging a $1 trillion infrastructure plan with either healthcare or tax reform legislation as an incentive to get support from lawmakers, especially Democrats. Trump also said in an interview with the New York Times he may move up the unveiling of a plan to rebuild the country’s deteriorating roads, bridges and tunnels, which had been expected later this year. “I’m thinking about accelerating it. I’m thinking about putting it with another bill. Could be health care, could be something else. Could be tax reform,” Trump said. Trump was stung by his first legislative push, a failed attempt to roll back former President Barack Obama’s healthcare law, which ended in an embarrassing collapse in Congress two weeks ago. The White House has tried to revive healthcare talks while also seeking other legislative measures — such as tax reform — that could give Trump …

The Trump administration has resumed efforts at getting divided congressional Republicans to agree on a replacement for former President Barack Obama’s signature health care law. Last month’s failure to pass a replacement health care law exposed divisions among Republicans in Washington, but any attempt by President Donald Trump to reach out to opposition Democrats also carries risks. Targeting House conservatives Last month, the White House pulled a health care replacement bill when it became clear that too many conservative House members of the Freedom Caucus opposed the measure. The resistance stood even after the president met with several House members opposed to the bill. “They are friends of mine. I’m disappointed because we could have had it. So, I’m disappointed,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on the day the health care measure failed. But the president seemed to get angrier as time went by, and on March 30 …

The United States and South Korea agreed Thursday to proceed with the deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system that has angered China, a day after North Korea’s latest test launch drew condemnation across the volatile region. Leaders and senior officials from the United States, South Korea and Japan spoke Thursday to discuss the latest provocation from Pyongyang, hours before U.S. President Donald Trump begins a summit with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.  Analysts have said Wednesday’s launch of a ballistic missile from North Korea’s east coast probably took place with the summit in mind as the reclusive state presses ahead with its missile and nuclear programs in defiance of United Nations resolutions and sanctions. THAAD moves forward Trump’s national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, agreed in a phone call with his South Korean counterpart on the need to proceed with the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) …

The White House and House Republicans appear short of a last-ditch deal on their long-promised repeal of Barack Obama’s health care law. And in an unexpected twist, “Obamacare’’ — never very popular — seems to be rising in public opinion polls. “There’s no suggestion we should be changing our flights,’’ moderate Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., said Wednesday afternoon, a day before lawmakers were slated to leave Washington for their two-week recess. “We’re going home … without a deal.’’ From the party’s right flank, Freedom Caucus member Rep. Mark Sanford of South Carolina said: “I’ve heard nothing of substance at this point that would break the logjam.’’ The Thursday schedule from House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., delivered the hard truth — no health bill vote. Two weeks ago, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., was forced to call off a floor vote on a GOP measure to repeal much of the …

Many companies aim for “Best in Class” status, but some are seeking another “B” — B corporation certification. Certified B corporations, or “B corps,” address the growing consumer interest in supporting socially and environmentally responsible companies. B corps are essentially for-profit companies that behave more like nonprofits, tackling global issues such as pollution and income disparity through everyday business practices. ‘Business as a force for good’ “B corporations are companies that are using their business as a force for good,” said Andrew Kassoy, co-founder of B Lab, the nonprofit organization that issues B corp certification. “By having that B corp certification, it makes good easy for the consumer … to know that the company is having a positive impact on society,” he added. For many companies, doing good may take a back seat to making money. But not for certified B corps. Multimillion-dollar brands like fashion company Eileen Fisher and …

The grief-stricken father cradled his 9-month-old twins, Aya and Ahmed, each in the crook of an arm. Stroking their hair, he choked back tears, mumbling, “Say goodbye, baby, say goodbye” to their lifeless bodies. Then Abdel Hameed Alyousef took them to a mass grave where 22 members of his family were being buried. Each branch of the clan got its own trench. More than 80 people, including at least 30 children and 20 women, were killed in the chemical attack on the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun early Tuesday, and the toll could rise. The Alyousef family, one of the town’s main clans, was hardest hit. ‘All are dead now’ Another member of the family, Aya Fadl, recalled running from her house with her 20-month-old son in her arms, thinking she could find safety from the toxic gas in the street. Instead, the 25-year-old English teacher was confronted face to …

Teaching is a stressful profession. A 2014 survey found that nearly half of U.S. teachers say they experience a lot of daily stress. That affects their health, well-being, and job satisfaction. Jayne Donohoe is out to change that, with exercise. The physical education teacher at Gunpowder Elementary School in Baltimore, Maryland, notes that physical activity produces endorphins — chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers — and also improves the ability to sleep, which in turn reduces stress. She organized a Teachers Fitness group at her school, which meets after the day’s classes and offers a variety of exercise classes.  “Today we’re doing Bodyflow’ which is like a yoga-Pilates-type class. Before that we had a step aerobics class, or we had a Bootcamp,” she said. “We all come from a variety of shapes and sizes and fitness levels. If I can get them to show up, I can …

The United States formally entered World War I a hundred years ago, on April 6, 1917. The nation set aside its posture of neutrality nearly three years after the start of the bloody conflict that came to be known as the “Great War.” The war began in July 2014, a tumultuous period in Europe. Following the assassination in Sarajevo of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Sophie, by a suspected Serbian nationalist gunman, the Central Powers  — Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria — were pounding Russia, France and Britain. The war was the most violent conflict in centuries, largely due to advances in the technology of warfare resulting from the Industrial Revolution. Armies were modernized, using tanks, high explosives, machine guns, trench warfare, airplanes and, to the horror of combat troops and civilians alike, poison gas — chemical weapons. Shortly after Germany declared war on Russia …

As part of his policy to roll back what he calls “job killing” environmental regulations, President Trump has proposed cancelling funding for the Chesapeake Bay Program – a widely supported environmental project involving six states. In its 34 years, the program has allowed America’s largest estuary to recover from near disaster. …

The Trump administration has reportedly concluded its North Korea policy review, but there seems to be a great deal of uncertainty about how President Donald Trump will constrain the regime’s nuclear weapons development.    Pyongyang yet again defied international warnings and launched a medium range ballistic missile into its eastern waters early Wednesday, in what appeared to be an effort to develop a nuclear-tipped missile that could strike the U.S. mainland. The missile fired at a land-based facility near the North’s eastern coastal city of Sinpo, flew a distance of about 60 kilometers, but “did not pose a threat to North America,” the U.S. Pacific Command said. Shortly after the missile launch, Seoul and Tokyo responded with condemnation, calling the test a blunt challenge to U.N. Security Council resolutions and a “path to self-destruction.” Washington, however, issued a terse statement, prompting North Korea analysts to speculate about what could have …

Ebay founder Pierre Omidyar’s philanthropy promised $100 million over the next five years to support journalism and fight fake news, the foundation announced Wednesday. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which broke the story of the controversial Panama Papers, is the first organization to receive funds from the Omidyar Network – a three-year grant of up to $4.5 million “to expand its investigative reporting”. “Across the world, we see a worrying resurgence of authoritarian politics that is undermining progress towards a more open and inclusive society,” Matt Bannick, Omidyar Network Managing Partner, said. “A lack of government responsiveness and a growing distrust in institutions, especially the media, are eroding trust. Increasingly, facts are being devalued, misinformation spread, accountability ignored, and channels that give citizens a voice withdrawn.” ​ Formally announcing the commitment at the Skoll World Forum on social entrepreneurship in Oxford, England, the Omidyar Network has also promised …

A gap is widening between the Trump administration and European allies over the future of President Bashar al-Assad and how to end the six-year war in Syria. While U.S. officials have shifted the focus away from Assad having to relinquish power, European leaders remain adamant he has no future as ruler of Syria. His departure, they say, remains a crucial part of any solution to a conflict that has left an estimated 470,000 dead. Following Tuesday’s toxic gas attack on a town in northern Syria, the worst chemical weapons attack in the war since mid-2013, European leaders are intensifying their rhetoric. On Tuesday, Britain’s Theresa May called “on all the third parties involved to ensure that we have a transition away from Assad.” Photo Gallery: Aftermath of gas attack on  Khan Sheikhoun European politicians gathered for an international conference hosted by the European Union in Brussels on Syria drew a …

Political and humanitarian leaders gathered Tuesday on Capitol Hill to call for action to prevent a looming humanitarian disaster in parts of Africa. The event was hosted by Rep. Karen Bass, D-Ca., who said the United States needs to get off the sidelines and lead an international effort to help the estimated 20 million people in Africa and Yemen who are threatened with food insecurity. “This is what I perceive as the beginning of a campaign,” Bass told VOA Somali Service.  “This is not just an event where we’re educated and we go off and do other things.” Bass and others have spoken out against President Donald Trump’s proposal to cut U.S. funding to the United Nations at the same time the organization is playing a lead role in addressing what may be the worst food crisis in 70 years. Bass has proposed a bill that would increase emergency funding …

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will travel to Russia after attending the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Italy next week, the State Department announced Wednesday. Following the conclusion of the meeting on April 11, Tillerson will travel to Moscow to meet with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to discuss Ukraine, counterterrorism efforts, and bilateral relations. “This trip is part of our effort to maintain direct lines of communication with senior Russian officials and to ensure U.S. views are clearly conveyed, including on next steps in Minsk implementation,” Mark Toner, acting spokesperson for the State Department, said in the statement. The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed the trip, noting that it would be the first time it would host Tillerson as the top diplomat under the Trump administration. The statement released Wednesday echoed the issues to be discussed, including the fight against terrorism, Syria, North Korea, and others. “The situation in Ukraine …