The U.S. Supreme Court said Thursday it will hear oral arguments in February over a legal challenge by six Republican-led states to the Biden administration student borrower relief plan. Until the arguments are heard and the court issues a ruling, the $400 billion Biden plan is on hold due to …
Read More »Senate Averts Freight Rail Strike, But Bid To Include Worker Sick Leave Fails
Ariana Figueroa, Nebraska Examiner The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to codify an agreement the White House brokered between rail unions and freight companies in order to avoid a catastrophic rail strike, but fell short of enough votes to include paid sick leave for workers. The Senate backed the rail …
Read More »House Democrats Finally Get Trump Tax Returns
On Wednesday, the Democratic-controlled U.S. House Ways and Means Committee received six years of former President Donald Trump’s federal tax returns, ending a three-year battle in which the 2024 Republican presidential candidate fought fiercely against sharing documents that every one of his predecessors since Richard Nixon have disclosed. “Donald Trump …
Read More »Colorado’s Automatic Recount Law Triggered In Boebert-Frisch House Race
Chase Woodruff, Colorado Newsline Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold on Wednesday formally ordered a mandatory recount of the results for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District race, pursuant to the state’s automatic recount law. In the final tabulation of unofficial results, Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert led her opponent, Democrat Adam …
Read More »Rights Groups Rip NYC Mayor Over Forced Hospitalizations for Mental Illness
Jessica Corbett, Common Dreams Rights groups are sharply condemning New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ Tuesday directive requiring local law enforcement and emergency medical workers to respond to the intertwined mental health and homelessness crises with involuntary hospitalizations. “If the circumstances support an objectively reasonable basis to conclude that the …
Read More »House GOP To Keep Earmarks For Local Projects — With Some ‘tweaks’
Jennifer Shutt, Missouri Independent House Republicans voted Wednesday to keep earmarks in place when they take over the chamber in January, a move that solidifies GOP support for the controversial spending practice that was brought back under new guardrails and transparency mechanisms less than two years ago. Earmarking has become …
Read More »House Democrats Make History Electing First Black Party Leader In Congress
The three U.S. House Democrats who have led their party through four presidencies and thousands of floor votes formally passed the torch to the next generation Wednesday, when the party gathered behind closed doors to elect its top leaders for the 118th Congress. House Democrats named Hakeem Jeffries, of New York, …
Read More »House Votes To Avert Calamitous Rail Strike, But Senate Prospects Murky
Jacob Fischler, Virginia Mercury The U.S. House moved Wednesday to avoid an economically disastrous nationwide rail strike, voting to codify an agreement that members of some unions had already rejected and separately add paid sick leave that workers had demanded. The two-track approach allows Democrats to avert a strike …
Read More »National Democrats Meet This Week To Decide Fate Of Iowa Caucuses
Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch Iowa Democrats are staying tight-lipped about their plans moving forward from this week’s Democratic National Committee rules meeting, where some predict national leadership will displace the Iowa Caucuses from their first-in-the-nation position. Iowa Democrats could move forward with presidential caucuses with or without the national …
Read More »Oath Keeper Founder Stewart Rhodes Found Guilty Of Seditious Conspiracy In Jan. 6 Case
Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right Oath Keepers militia, was convicted Tuesday by a federal jury of seditious conspiracy for his leading role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump and his “Big Lie” that the 2020 presidential election …
Read More »Same-Sex Marriage Protected Under Bill Passed By Senate With GOP Support
Jennifer Shutt, Missouri Independent The U.S. Senate approved legislation Tuesday that would enshrine protections for same-sex and interracial marriages, codifying many of the rights that would disappear if the U.S. Supreme Court were to overturn those landmark decisions the way it overturned the nationwide right to an abortion this summer. …
Read More »With No Child Tax Credit And Inflation On The Rise, Families Are Slipping Back Into Poverty
Rebekah Barber Originally published by The 19th A year ago, the expanded child tax credit ended. Between 2020 and 2021, the credit — which gave monthly payments of up to $300 per child — helped reduce child poverty by more than 40 percent. More than 36 million families received the …
Read More »U.S. House To Intervene In Rail Workers Strike, Heeding Biden Call
Ariana Figueroa, Georgia Recorder U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday said the House will take up legislation to ratify an agreement between rail workers and operators in order to avert a nationwide rail strike. “This week, the House will take up a bill adopting the Tentative Agreement — with …
Read More »State Board Certifies Michigan Election Results Despite Protest From Some GOP Candidates
Allison R. Donahue, Michigan Advance The Michigan Board of State Canvassers unanimously voted Monday to certify the results of the Nov. 8 election. The midterm election resulted in victories for the three Democratic incumbents in the top statewide offices. Democrats in Michigan also took control of both the state House …
Read More »Statement From President Joe Biden On Averting A Rail Shutdown
The White House released a statement on Monday from President Joe Biden on averting a rail shutdown. I am calling on Congress to pass legislation immediately to adopt the Tentative Agreement between railroad workers and operators – without any modifications or delay – to avert a potentially crippling national rail …
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