Senate Democrats are refusing to buckle to demands from Senate Republicans that they agree not to weaken filibusters against legislation, something many progressives are anxious to do in order to push through the Biden administration’s agenda as Democrats control the White House and both chambers of Congress for the first time in years. “I think
Continue ReadingPresident Joe Biden intends to keep FBI Director Christopher Wray in his post, a senior administration official tells CNN, a sign of confidence for the bureau’s leader who has more than six years remaining in his term. This is not unexpected. During the transition, Biden signaled his plan to keep Wray on board — if
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The Justice Department inspector general is investigating the sudden departure of former Atlanta US Attorney Byung “BJay” Pak, who then-President Donald Trump replaced at the same time that Pak and the state of Georgia had become a focus for Trump in his attempt to overturn the state’s certified presidential election results, The Washington Post reported
Continue ReadingJulie Payette, a former Canadian astronaut and the country’s governor general since 2017, announced she would step down Thursday after she was accused by current and former employees of creating a “toxic” workplace environment. In a detailed statement, Payette said that she took the allegations seriously — although she did not formally apologize or admit
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The Biden administration has extended the student loan payment moratorium through Sept. 30, affecting the nearly 40 million Americans who owe over $1.5 trillion in student debt.
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It’s time to admit that making jokes about sacred historical moments like inaugurations is just part of our way of coping with overwhelming political and social change. We know history is being made, yes, but what kind of history? When future generations look back on this day, what will they see? Mostly Bernie Sanders memes,
Continue ReadingThe US Army has changed its account of a key phone call that took place on January 6 as rioters stormed the US Capitol. More than two weeks after the riot, the Army put forward two senior generals to speak with reporters Thursday to explain their roles on that afternoon after conflicting accounts of what
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Seven Senate Democrats filed an ethics complaint on Thursday against Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Ted Cruz of Texas and called for the Ethics Committee to investigate how their objections to the Electoral College votes on January 6 may have contributed to inciting the violent Capitol insurrection. “The Senate Ethics Committee should open
Continue ReadingThe Army is now acknowledging that Lt. Gen. Charles Flynn, the brother of President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn, was in the room for one of the key January 6 phone calls in which DC government and US Capitol Police were asking for National Guard troops to quell the unfolding violence at
Continue Reading As the Biden administration begins to take shape, one key question President Joe Biden’s Justice Department must confront is whether to continue defending Donald Trump, who relied on Department of Justice lawyers to fight some of his personal battles. Friday may be the first test of how the Justice Department will handle some of these
Continue ReadingA public health doctor in Texas has been charged with stealing a vial of Covid-19 vaccine, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement Thursday that Dr. Hasan Gokal is accused of theft by a public servant, a misdemeanor that carries a penalty of up to one
Continue ReadingFormer “Saved by the Bell” star Dustin Diamond is making progress in his fight against cancer. A representative for the actor said on Thursday that Diamond, known for playing Samuel “Screech” Powers on the hit ’90s teen series, has completed his first round of chemotherapy treatment, with another to follow. “Dustin is looking forward to
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If you believe you are capable of becoming the healthy, engaged person you want to be in old age, you are much more likely to experience that outcome, a recent Oregon State University study shows.
Continue Reading As the Biden administration begins to take shape, one key question President Joe Biden’s Justice Department must confront is whether to continue defending Donald Trump, who relied on Department of Justice lawyers to fight some of his personal battles. Friday may be the first test of how the Justice Department will handle some of these
Continue Reading Federal investigators leading the probe into the January 6 Capitol riot briefed interim Biden administration leaders at the Justice Department on Wednesday — their first day on the job — as the sprawling nationwide hunt for suspects continues, an official briefed on the matter said. Prosecutors have charged more than 120 people, as of Thursday,
Continue ReadingCountry music singer Randy Parton, younger brother to Dolly Parton, has died after a battle with cancer. His sister announced his death on Thursday in a post on her Facebook page. “The family and I are grieving his loss but we know he is in a better place than we are at this time,” she
Continue ReadingA Florida man knew he was wanted by authorities for being at the US Capitol riots but returned to Washington, DC, to attend the inauguration, the Justice Department said in a court filing Thursday. Samuel Camargo, 26, was arrested Wednesday in Washington, prosecutors said. The name of Camargo’s attorney wasn’t immediately available Thursday. He has
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The Deschutes Lawyer in the Library program will proceed through Zoom amid the pandemic to help anyone with any legal questions they might have. The program has two lawyer volunteers available every Wednesday night.
Continue ReadingDemonstrators in Portland, Oregon, on Wednesday vandalized the state Democratic Party headquarters and a federal US Immigration and Customs Enforcement building, according to police. At least four demonstrations were planned in the city, Sgt. Kevin Allen, spokesman for the Portland Police Bureau, said in a video statement early Thursday. Two remained peaceful, but the others
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President Joe Biden’s raft of executive actions are designed to represent a U-turn from the Trump administration’s policies on everything from Covid to climate change to the border wall. But this yo-yo style of government is not how things are supposed to work in the US. Big policy changes are supposed to move through Congress
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