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The Trump administration is seeking to completely revamp the country’s social safety net, targeting recipients of Medicaid, food stamps and housing assistance. Trump is doing so through a sweeping executive order that was quietly issued earlier this week — and that largely flew under the radar. It calls on the Departments of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture and other agencies across the federal government to craft new rules requiring that beneficiaries of a host of programs work or lose their benefits. Trump argued with the order, which has been in the wor

Pentagon officials on Saturday claimed that U.S.

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Using two words that ended up haunting George W. Bush during Syria. Pentagon officials said the overnight missile strikes by the U.S., the U.K., and France on three key targets in Syria crippled the ability of dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime to use chemical weapons. "A perfectly executed strike last night. Thank you to France and the United Kingdom for their wisdom and the power of their fine Military. Could not have had a better result.

Donald Trump and his desire to make sure that the election results were viewed as legitimate. “I don’t remember consciously thinking about that, but it must have been because I was operating in a world where Hillary Clinton was going to beat Donald Trump, and so I’m sure that it was a factor,” Comey told ABC News' chief anchor George Stephanopoulos in an exclusive interview ahead of the April 17 release of his book, “A Higher Loyalt

Facing a stark choice between engaging the United States, Britain and France in combat or passively watching them strike his ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin has opted for the peaceful route. That cautious response may dent the Russian leader's tough-man image but it won't undermine his gains in Syria or erode his authority at home. The Kremlin had warned Washington that Russia would fend off any strike that jeopardized its servicemen in Syria.

The Latest on U.S.-led missile strikes on Syria (all times local): 9:40 p.m. Syrian-Americans have expressed anger at the missile strike on their homeland as they celebrated their country's independence day at a rally in Pennsylvania. The Morning Call of Allentown reports a crowd of about 50 Syrians chanted in Arabic and sang the Syrian national anthem at the annual event. They also sang the "Star-Spangled Banner." The rally in Allentown is usually a celebration of Syria's independence.

The Latest on U.S.-led missile strikes on Syria (all times local): 2:50 a.m. The Russian military says Syria's Soviet-made air defense systems have shot down all 12 cruise missile aimed at a Syrian air base. The Russian Defense Ministry said that 12 cruise missiles have been launched at the Dumayr air base east of Damascus. It said that Syria's air defense assets have downed all of them. The ministry said that altogether more than 100 cruise and air-to-ground missiles were launched by U.S., British and French aircraft and navy ships.

DATA: Twitter Daniel McLaughlin / Globe Staff © 2018 Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC

Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera is crossing party lines to back the governor in his reelection bid, delivering the Republican an early endorsement.  Capital Source Baker’s aides were quick to push back at any notion there was a line between the donations and his justifying the cost of Vertex’s drugs.