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Missouri man arrested for crashing truck, making threats near White House
By: Jacob Fischler - May 23, 2023
Federal police arrested a Missouri man on Monday night after he crashed a vehicle into security barriers in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House. Sai Varshith Kandula, 19, of Chesterfield, has been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm […]
A default on the U.S. debt would be far worse than a government shutdown. Here’s how.
By: Jennifer Shutt, Ashley Murray, Jacob Fischler and Ariana Figueroa - May 22, 2023
WASHINGTON — A U.S. default on its debt would have a significantly broader impact on federal operations, financial markets and the global economy than recent government shutdowns that have left ordinary Americans largely untouched. While the two have been confused frequently during debate over the debt limit, the federal government has had considerable practice with […]
Overhaul federal permitting as part of the debt limit deal? Not as easy as it sounds.
By: Jacob Fischler - May 18, 2023
Congressional leaders negotiating a deal to avoid a catastrophic default on the nation’s debt are talking about including an overhaul of how the federal government reviews projects for their environmental impact. There is bipartisan support for changes to the lengthy environmental approval process among climate-minded Democrats eager to speed construction of renewable energy projects, as […]
Rural electric co-ops to get $10.7B in USDA funds for clean energy grants, loans
By: Jacob Fischler - May 16, 2023
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin to administer two loan and grant programs worth nearly $11 billion to boost clean energy systems in rural areas, administration officials said Tuesday. Congress approved the federal spending — $9.7 billion for a grant and loan program the department is calling the New Empowering Rural America program, or […]
Speedier permitting of energy projects gains bipartisan backing on U.S. Senate panel
By: Jacob Fischler - May 11, 2023
Members of both parties on the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voiced their support Thursday for reforming the federal process for approving energy projects, saying it should be prioritized to secure domestic energy supply and boost renewable energy. There is bipartisan interest in revising the permitting process and members of both parties have […]
New claims aired by GOP of Biden family influence-peddling, but questions remain
By: Jacob Fischler - May 10, 2023
U.S. House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer and fellow House Republicans on Wednesday used newly unearthed bank records to claim that President Joe Biden’s family members sought to improperly benefit from his vice presidency — though the preliminary findings leave several major questions unanswered. No direct ties to Biden while he served as […]
U.S. House GOP pushes through debt ceiling increase coupled with massive spending cuts
By: Ashley Murray and Jacob Fischler - April 27, 2023
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans on Wednesday struggled but whipped just enough votes to pass their plan to temporarily raise the nation’s borrowing limit and also cut spending by slashing key parts of President Joe Biden’s climate and tax law, potentially risking some veterans’ health benefits and imposing more work rules on the nation’s safety […]
U.S. House fails to override Biden veto of WOTUS legislation
By: Jacob Fischler - April 18, 2023
The U.S. House on Tuesday failed to override a President Joe Biden veto, which means the administration’s regulation stays in place expanding which waters and wetlands can be regulated under the federal Clean Water Act. The House did not clear the two-thirds mark needed to overturn Biden’s veto of a resolution that would have blocked […]
One state already has voted to ban TikTok. For Congress, it’s going to be much tougher.
By: Jacob Fischler - April 18, 2023
As TikTok has mushroomed to more than 150 million monthly U.S. users, so have warnings among both state legislators and members of Congress about its potential danger as a tool of the Chinese government. Dozens of states and the federal government this year banned public employees from downloading the popular app on their government devices. […]
Biden rule on transgender athletes would set conditions on school sports bans
By: Jacob Fischler - April 6, 2023
The Biden administration will advance a rule to make it more difficult for schools to exclude transgender youth athletes from competition based on their gender identity, a senior U.S. Education Department official told reporters Thursday. The proposed rule would prohibit blanket bans of transgender athletes competing in sports consistent with their gender identity. But it […]
Trump hit with 34 felony counts of falsifying New York state business records
By: Jacob Fischler, Ashley Murray and Jennifer Shutt - April 4, 2023
Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 34 New York state felony offenses related to what prosecutors say were hush money payments to an adult film star. In a brief but historic appearance in a Manhattan trial court, Trump, the first former president to face criminal prosecution, learned he was charged with falsifying […]
Trump indicted by Manhattan grand jury, according to reports
By: Jacob Fischler - March 30, 2023
WASHINGTON — A New York criminal grand jury has indicted former President Donald Trump, according to multiple news reports Thursday night citing persons familiar with the case. A former president has never been indicted before. Trump is also a Republican candidate in the 2024 race for the presidency. The New York Times and Washington Post […]