On Thursday, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, declared racism a “serious public health threat,” promising new efforts to “address racism as a fundamental driver of racial and ethnic health inequities in the United States.” In a statement published on the CDC’s …

The House ethics committee announced Friday it opened an investigation into accusations Rep. Matt Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct along with a number of other allegations. The decision comes after Gaetz confirmed last month that he was under investigation for allegedly violating federal sex trafficking laws. “The committee is aware of …

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia L. Fudge today announced the allocation of nearly $5 billion in American Rescue Plan funds to help communities across the country create affordable housing and services for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Secretary Fudge made the announcement …

Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear signed into law Wednesday a significant election reform bill that will make it easier to vote early in the state. The bipartisan bill bucks a national trend of more restrictive election laws in the aftermath of the 2020 election. “We showed during this pandemic that …

St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones will be the first Black woman to serve as mayor of St. Louis after defeating Alderwoman Cara Spencer in Tuesday’s general election. Jones defeated Spencer with 51.68% of the vote. Jones and Spencer, both Democrats, advanced to the general election after St. Louis’ first nonpartisan …

A district attorney in Atlanta said Wednesday that she will not pursue charges against a Georgia state lawmaker who was arrested during a protest of the state’s sweeping new election law. “After reviewing all of the evidence, I have decided to close this matter,” Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis …

The U.S. State Department said Tuesday that it is considering a possible joint boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics. State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters that the prospect of a joint boycott is “something that we certainly wish to discuss,” citing human rights violations by the Chinese government. “A …

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has issued an Administrative Order in response to the voting legislation passed by the Georgia legislature last month. The Order directs the City’s Chief Equity Officer to implement a series of actions to mitigate the impact of the new voting restrictions imposed by Senate Bill 202. …

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Tuesday announced the allocation of $689,565,492.92 through the nation’s Housing Trust Fund (HTF) for affordable housing. The Housing Trust Fund was launched in 2008 as an affordable housing production program that complements existing federal, state, and local efforts to increase …

The Biden Administration revealed its first-year plan to address the nation’s addiction crisis, with 7 priorities highlighted and a focus on the inequality of treatment access. In a video message delivered during the 10th annual Drug and Heroin Summit, President Biden noted that fatal opioid overdoses surged last year as …

The rate of gun background checks in the United States—a rough correlator to how many guns are being sold here—shattered records in March, breaking four million checks for the second time in history and blowing past the earlier one-month record set in January. The FBI performed nearly 4.7 million background …

Arkansas GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson vetoed a bill Monday that would have made the state the first in the nation to restrict gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors. Hutchison suggested the bill was well-intended but called it a “vast government overreach.” He also said the measure, if signed into law, would have created “new …

At least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine has now been given to more than 100 million Americans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday. That means more than 30% of the population has gotten the shot. The country hit the 100 million milestone Friday after setting an “all-time …

President Joe Biden has proposed investing $100 billion in an effort to make high-speed internet available throughout the country and affordable for every American. Likening the investment to the 1936 Rural Electrification Act, which brought power to farms and country towns throughout the heartland as part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s …

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden delivered a message of hope on Easter Sunday as they encouraged Americans to get vaccinated. From our family to yours, we wish you health, hope, joy, and peace. Happy Easter, everyone! pic.twitter.com/3NHPrbFCVt — President Biden (@POTUS) April 4, 2021 In a video …