The new Republican chairwoman of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee said just before taking over the panel that she planned to “tweak” how the chamber earmarks spending for community projects — coveted state and local funding that members of Congress request. Some of those changes hinted at by Kay Granger of Texas …

Anna Liz Nichols, Michigan Advance Several individuals charged by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel with multiple felonies for submitting false electoral counts in 2020 in support of then-President Donald Trump appeared in a Lansing court Thursday. A total of 16 individuals were each charged in July with eight election fraud-related …

Jennifer Shutt, Arkansas Advocate The Biden administration is asking Congress to approve more than $40 billion in additional spending for Ukraine, border security, FEMA’s disaster response and wildland firefighters pay. The supplemental spending request comes in the middle of Congress’ annual August recess, giving lawmakers weeks to mull over the …

Jack Truesdale and Thomas Heaton/Civil Beat Large sections of Lahaina town have been altered almost beyond recognition by the wildfire that raged Tuesday night. By Wednesday morning, the United Methodist Church had been burned to its stone foundation and many homes and businesses were down to floor level, some with …

Holly McCall, Tennessee Lookout A coalition of civil rights and civic organizations has filed a federal lawsuit alleging Tennessee’s 2022 redistricting plan violates the 14th and 15th amendments of the U.S. Constitution and the rights of Black voters. Filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee on …

by Brett Murphy and Alex Mierjeski Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ decadeslong friendship with real estate tycoon Harlan Crow and Samuel Alito’s luxury travel with billionaire Paul Singer have raised questions about influence and ethics at the nation’s highest court. During his three decades on the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas …

Casey Quinlan, Michigan Advance Construction workers who work on federal projects are poised to receive better wages and worker protections under a Department of Labor rule touted by Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday. Speaking at a union hall in Philadelphia, Harris praised the Biden administration’s economic agenda and pointed …

On Wednesday, a dramatic incident unfolded in Provo, Utah, where the FBI shot and killed a man named Craig Deleeuw Robertson while executing a warrant at his residence. Robertson had allegedly made serious online threats to not only President Joe Biden but also to New York prosecutor Alvin Bragg. This …

Special Counsel Jack Smith acquired a search warrant earlier this year for the Twitter account belonging to former President Donald Trump, the handle @realDonaldTrump. New court documents have shed light on this previously undisclosed development. At the outset, Twitter resisted complying with the search warrant issued on January 17. This …

Jake Johnson, Common Dreams Rep. Rashida Tlaib on Tuesday introduced legislation that would prohibit the inclusion of medical debt—which impacts more than 100 million people across the U.S.—on credit or consumer reports. “The use of credit reports—which frequently contain errors—is now more than ever a huge barrier to a thriving …

Grace Panetta Originally published by The 19th Ohio voters rejected an effort that would have made it harder to pass citizen-led ballot initiatives, in a rebuke of Republican efforts to block an expansion of abortion rights that’s on the ballot in November. Issue 1, which would have raised the threshold …

Matt Vasilogambros, Pennsylvania Capital-Star The year started out strong for advocates trying to make it easier for people with felony convictions to regain their voting rights. In March, the Democratic-led legislatures in Minnesota and New Mexico enacted measures that cleared a pathway for residents serving prison time for felonies to …

Jake Johnson, Common Dreams Democrats on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee on Monday slammed the Republican leadership’s ongoing attacks on federal nutrition assistance, specifically criticizing members of Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s team for floating eligibility restrictions on top of those already imposed by the bipartisan debt ceiling agreement. “You have seen …

President Joe Biden warmly welcomed the Houston Astros on Monday to honor their 2022 World Series victory. The team, including players, coaches, manager Dusty Baker, and owner Jim Crane, joined the president at the White House to celebrate their achievement. During the event in the East Room, President Biden praised …

Julia Conley, Common Dreams Recent polling in Ohio has shown that a majority of residents disapprove of a proposed measure that will be on ballots across the state in a special election on Tuesday, but abortion rights advocates have spent recent days warning voters that failing to block the proposal …