Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin plans to speak with West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin after Colin Kahl, the Biden administration’s nominee for the top policy job at the Pentagon, came under fire from Republicans for tweets criticizing several Trump administration defense policy decisions. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Austin plans on calling Manchin, a
Continue ReadingPresident Joe Biden on Tuesday continued his string of pro-union actions since entering the White House by calling for the House to pass a bill to make it easier for employees to unionize. Biden strongly encouraged the House of Representatives to pass the so-called “PRO Act,” a bill that he said would encourage unions and
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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved the request of the US Capitol Police to keep nearly 2,300 National Guard troops to support security efforts around the Capitol through May 23, the Defense Department said in a statement Tuesday evening. There are approximately 5,100 Guard members currently operating around the Capitol, so this level is nearly a
Continue ReadingA third round of stimulus payments is expected to be on the way later this month. The payments are included in a sweeping $1.9 trillion Covid relief package and are worth up to $1,400 per person, including dependents. So a couple with two children could receive up to $5,600. Unlike prior rounds, families will now
Continue ReadingFormer President Jimmy Carter on Tuesday denounced recent Republican-led efforts to restrict voter access in his home state of Georgia, saying he is “disheartened, saddened, and angry.” “American democracy means every eligible person has the right to vote in an election that is fair, open, and secure. It should be flexible enough to meet the
Continue ReadingThe founder of the Oath Keepers was giving directions before and during the US Capitol riot to alleged extremist conspirators among the right-wing paramilitary group, the Justice Department said in court filings Monday and Tuesday. The new details begin to capture more about the leadership and network within the Oath Keepers around the insurrection, as
Continue ReadingText messages show that Manatee County, Florida, Commissioner Vanessa Baugh and developer Rex Jensen said a planned vaccination drive largely serving a wealthy, gated community may give Gov. Ron DeSantis “exposure here” ahead of a potential 2022 reelection campaign. “Gov said he might show up,” Jensen, the real estate developer of Lakewood Ranch, said in
Continue Reading Almost five years ago, Ekpar Asat disappeared upon returning to China after participating in a prestigious State Department program in the United States. His sister, Rayhan, has not seen or heard from him since, but believes he is one of the up to 2 million Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities detained by the
Continue ReadingArkansas on Tuesday became the first state in 2021 to enact a near-total abortion ban — a bold step by abortion opponents seeking to renew challenges to the Supreme Court’s landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized the procedure nationally. The court, which now leans conservative, has shown it is open to considering abortion
Continue Reading Almost five years ago, Ekpar Asat disappeared upon returning to China after participating in a prestigious State Department program in the United States. His sister, Rayhan, has not seen or heard from him since, but believes he is one of the up to 2 million Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities detained by the
Continue ReadingThe Justice Department says a former Trump State Department official violated his oath of office when he allegedly pushed against a police line in storming the US Capitol on January 6. Federico Klein’s “actions on January 6, 2021, appear to be a considered decision to place himself above the law; not only did he demonstrate
Continue Reading After signing a massive but temporary expansion of the social safety net into law this week, President Joe Biden will set about convincing Americans that its benefits — which amount to a dramatic reshaping of the country’s economy — must be made permanent. His first venue will be a primetime address Thursday night, a direct-to-camera
Continue Reading Lawmakers in South Dakota voted Monday to halt their impeachment effort against the state’s attorney general, who faces three misdemeanor charges for striking and killing a man in a collision last year. The South Dakota House of Representatives voted 57-11 to amend the resolution that called for impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg to
Continue ReadingHere’s a look at the life of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a US representative from California. Personal: Birth date: March 26, 1940 Birth place: Baltimore, Maryland Birth name: Nancy Patricia D’Alesandro Father: Thomas D’Alesandro, Baltimore mayor and US congressman Mother: Annunciata (Lombardi) D’Alesandro Marriage: Paul F. Pelosi (1963-present) Children: Nancy, Christine, Jacqueline, Paul and Alexandra
Continue ReadingThe number of unaccompanied migrant children in US Border Patrol facilities intended for adults climbed on Tuesday, surpassing record highs from the previous day, according to new figures reviewed by CNN. More than 3,400 unaccompanied migrant children were in Customs and Border Protection custody, according to the data dated Tuesday. Of those, around 2,800 were
Continue Reading Senate Republicans took aim at associate attorney general nominee Vanita Gupta’s past tweets at a contentious confirmation hearing Tuesday, where Gupta was pressed on her previous comments and whether she supports defunding the police and decriminalizing drugs. The pointed questions directed at Gupta came as a conservative judicial group launched an ad campaign to try
Continue Reading The House of Representatives on Monday introduced legislation to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, a landmark bill championed by President Joe Biden that expired in 2018. Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat, introduced the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021 along with fellow Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York and Pennsylvania
Continue ReadingThe Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a case concerning a controversial Trump-era rule that makes it more difficult for immigrants to obtain legal status if they use certain public benefits, such as Medicaid, food stamps and housing vouchers, in response to a Justice Department request. The new filing is the latest example of the Biden
Continue ReadingPresident Joe Biden on Tuesday visited a hardware store in Washington, DC, to highlight the changes his administration has made to the Paycheck Protection Program to help the smallest of businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic. The owners of W.S. Jenks & Son applied for a PPP loan during the two-week exclusive window Biden announced last
Continue ReadingThe Department of Justice asked the Supreme Court on Tuesday to dismiss a case concerning a controversial Trump-era rule that makes it more difficult for immigrants to obtain legal status if they use public benefits, such as Medicaid, food stamps and housing vouchers. The new filing is the latest example of the Biden administration’s Department
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