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U.S. Senate votes to curb farmland purchases by China, Iran, North Korea, Russia
WASHINGTON – U.S. senators approved bipartisan amendments to the annual defense policy bill Tuesday night that would prohibit China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia from purchasing U.S. farmland and screen American investment in high-tech ventures on foreign adversary soil. By a 91-7 vote, the lawmakers approved a measure that would require review of – and […]
Ethics rules for Supreme Court justices approved on party-line vote by U.S. Senate panel
WASHINGTON — The Senate Committee on the Judiciary on Thursday approved a proposal to impose a code of ethics for the U.S. Supreme Court, amid revelations that justices failed to disclose luxury travel and real estate deals, as well as directing staff to promote book sales. The panel split along party lines, in an 11-10 […]
White House rolls out strategy to battle deadly drug mixture of fentanyl and xylazine
WASHINGTON – The White House is unveiling a plan to combat the growing threat of drug overdose deaths involving the combination of illicitly manufactured fentanyl and the powerful sedative xylazine, approved only for veterinary use. The plan comes ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris’s meeting with state attorneys general next week to discuss the staggering […]
US Supreme Court strikes down use of affirmative action in college admissions
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that two prominent universities’ consideration of race in acceptances violated the U.S. Constitution, effectively reshaping the role of affirmative action in the college admissions process throughout higher education. In a 6-3 decision, Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, wrote that the admissions processes at […]
US Senate Democrats ask for more specifics on SNAP changes resulting from debt deal
This story was updated on June 30 at 11:55 a.m. with a comment from the USDA. WASHINGTON – Democratic U.S. senators want more details about who will be affected by new work requirements for government food assistance that were a Republican demand under a deal to raise the nation’s debt ceiling. Led by Sen. John […]
Recreational rock climbing on federal lands would be regulated under bill in Congress
WASHINGTON – A bipartisan bill that would establish standards for recreational rock climbing on federal lands is one step closer to becoming law. The Protecting America’s Rock Climbing Act was approved by the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources in late June, giving a boost to the millions of climbing advocates working to safeguard the […]
White House unveils $42.5B to connect every American to high-speed broadband internet
WASHINGTON – The Biden administration on Monday announced $42.45 billion to connect all Americans to high-speed broadband internet by the end of the decade, likening the ambitious goal to FDR’s New Deal-era rural electrification program that brought the then-modern technology to farms and rural areas across the United States. The funds, which will be distributed […]
Tougher ethics rules for U.S. Supreme Court justices advocated in Senate hearing
WASHINGTON – Senate Democrats for the third time this year made their case that U.S. Supreme Court justices must follow stronger ethics rules, including recusing themselves from cases where they have a financial stake or other connection to a case. The series of hearings by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and its subcommittees came […]
Hate groups’ political influence growing, watchdog says
WASHINGTON – More than 1,200 hate and anti-government extremist groups were active across the United States in 2022, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s latest report on the nationwide prevalence of extremists who target people of color, LGBTQ people, Jewish communities, and other religious minorities. While the overall number of hate and anti-government groups […]
Fentanyl-related drugs permanently made criminal under bill passed by U.S. House
WASHINGTON – Lawmakers in the U.S. House passed bipartisan legislation Thursday in an effort to curb staggering overdose deaths from illegal fentanyl substances that are illicitly produced and up to 50 times stronger than heroin. The HALT Fentanyl Act, passed on a 289-133 vote with 74 Democratic votes and support from the Biden administration, would […]
Progressives try to persuade Biden to use the 14th Amendment to resolve debt crisis
WASHINGTON – Progressives are pushing hard for President Joe Biden to take the unprecedented step of invoking the 14th Amendment as a way to avoid financial calamity if the White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy do not strike a deal on the debt ceiling in the coming days. The lawmakers and legal scholars argue […]
Biden and McCarthy strike positive tone after debt limit talks, but no deal yet
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy left their closely watched meeting Monday without an agreement on government spending or the debt limit, prolonging a stalemate that could soon disrupt Americans’ everyday lives as well as the global economy. Both struck a positive tone Monday, though neither divulged details about what remains unresolved […]