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Experts warn of election ‘havoc’ across the U.S. if North Carolina case succeeds
WASHINGTON — Legal experts on Thursday warned lawmakers on the U.S. House Administration Committee that if the U.S. Supreme Court upholds a North Carolina case that embraces a fringe election theory, it will undermine future elections across the country. “To be blunt, it would be extraordinarily destabilizing,” said Carolyn Shapiro, a law professor at the […]
Gun company CEOs tell Congress they’re not to blame for mass shootings
WASHINGTON — The CEOs of major gun manufacturing companies told a U.S. House panel on Wednesday that their production of AR-15-style guns did not contribute to recent mass shootings that left 29 people dead, and that the killings were due to the actions of individual shooters. Ahead of the hearing, the House Oversight & Reform […]
Biden tests positive for COVID-19
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms, the White House announced Thursday morning. Biden, 79, is fully vaccinated against the virus and has twice received booster doses, according to the statement. He is taking Paxlovid, an antiviral prescription medication that is meant to reduce the severity of […]
Progressives renew call for U.S. Supreme Court expansion after abortion rights decision
WASHINGTON — A group of U.S. House Democrats Monday called for the passage of legislation that would add four justices to the Supreme Court, following the overturning of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that provided the constitutional right to abortion. “It’s an ultra-right-wing Republican Supreme Court,” Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia said during a press conference […]
U.S. inflation hits a 40-year high in June
WASHINGTON — U.S. inflation reached a 40-year high for June as prices for gas, food and rent increased, according to the latest Consumer Price Index from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Wednesday. Consumer prices for all items increased 9.1 percent for the 12 months ending in June compared to last year, the biggest year-to-year increase since […]
Courts take the lead role as U.S. immigration policy remains in limbo
WASHINGTON — Eighteen months into the Biden administration, immigration reform has stalled despite campaign promises to reform the system, with the most recent movement on immigration policy doled out by the U.S. Supreme Court and in lower federal courts. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Biden administration in a 5-4 decision on June 30 that […]
U.S. House panel presses gun makers to testify before Congress
WASHINGTON — The chair of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Thursday said she has requested that CEOs of three gun manufacturing companies appear before Congress to testify at a hearing later this month on gun violence. Chair Carolyn B. Maloney of New York said she has asked for appearances by Marty Daniel of […]
Congress sends Biden historic gun safety legislation, with GOP support
WASHINGTON — Congress on Friday cleared the most comprehensive federal gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years, a bipartisan package that will now head to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature. In a 65-33 vote, the bill, comprised of eight provisions, passed the U.S. Senate late Thursday. The House on Friday joined, approving the Senate’s bill 234-193, with […]
U.S. Supreme Court expands gun rights in striking down New York concealed carry law
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a New York law that made it illegal to carry a firearm in public without showing a special need for protection. The court ruled that the state’s concealed carry law violates the 14th Amendment of the Constitution — a major decision that expands the Second […]
U.S. Senate moves forward on gun safety legislation
WASHINGTON — The Senate is poised to pass a bipartisan bill later this week that could become the most comprehensive federal gun safety legislation in years, including billions in new mental health funding. Senators on a procedural vote late Tuesday agreed 64-34 to start debate on the gun control bill, which would also have to be passed by […]
GOP leader McConnell ‘comfortable’ with framework for gun control bill
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday said he is comfortable with the bipartisan deal Senate Democrats and Republicans struck on gun control legislation, signaling that he will join in passing a bill when it comes to a vote. “For myself, I’m comfortable with the framework,” the Kentucky Republican said during a […]
Bipartisan U.S. Senate deal on gun control met with praise from Biden, Democrats
WASHINGTON — The White House and Democratic leaders expressed support Monday for a framework on gun control legislation that 10 Senate Democrats and 10 Senate Republicans agreed to over the weekend. The second-deadliest school shooting in a decade in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were murdered on May 24, sparked pressure on […]