In The News

BISMARCK, N.D. - The North Dakota House of Representatives expelled Republican Rep. Luke Simons on Thursday on charges he “exhibited a history of hostile, threatening, and inappropriate behavior, most frequently toward women.” The vote to remove him was 69-25. According to the resolution, Simons... Read More

Rhode Island Lt. Gov. Dan McKee was sworn in las week as the state’s new governor following former Gov. Gina Raimondo’s confirmation as the nation's next secretary of commerce. McKee was first elected as lieutenant governor in 2014, prior to which he... Read More

Rhode Island voters authorized $400 million in borrowing last week, funding projects across the states ranging from improving state beaches to renovating affordable housing projects to bosltering arts and state preservation progams. The seven bond measures were on the ballot... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to sign an executive order on Monday directing the Department of Education to review policies implemented by Donald Trump's administration, including changes to Title IX regulations that prohibit sex discrimination in federally... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — With President Joe Biden on the verge of his first big legislative victory, a key moderate Democrat says he's open to changing Senate rules that could allow for more party-line votes to push through other parts of... Read More

Bye-bye, Bismarck. So long, Sheboygan. Those cities in North Dakota and Wisconsin, respectively, are two of 144 that the federal government is proposing to downgrade from the metropolitan statistical area designation, and it could be more than just a matter... Read More

WASHINGTON - The Senate on Saturday afternoon narrowly passed the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package with a 50-49 vote down party lines, moving the rescue plan one step closer to President Joe Biden’s desk. The package, settled on after hours... Read More

WASHINGTON – A new study suggests the deeper a member of Congress’s local roots in their congressional district, the less likely they are to attract a primary challenger, and if they do, the more likely they are to win by... Read More

WASHINGTON - Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., a House manager in Donald Trump’s last impeachment trial,, filed a civil lawsuit on Friday against the former president and others whose words and actions, he claims, led directly to January’s riot at the... Read More

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas has long been an attractive hotspot for individuals fleeing their states in search of low taxes and affordable housing. But the state’s reputation as an economical place to live might be in danger as cost-of-living expenses... Read More

WASHINGTON – The White House on Thursday agreed to suspend millions of dollars worth of tariffs on U.K. exports, including Scotch whisky, as part of an effort to resolve a long-running trans-Atlantic trade dispute over aerospace subsidies. In a joint... Read More

The United Nations Environment Program released the 2021 Food Waste Index Report on Thursday, the most comprehensive data on food waste across 54 countries.   The report suggests that food waste is a significant problem, which data could help policymakers address. ... Read More

If the United States wants to remain competitive in the global marketplace for the rest of this century and beyond, it needs to foster education in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math, said a group of experts on... Read More

WASHINGTON – Justice Amy Coney Barrett released the first majority opinion of her Supreme Court career Thursday, ruling against an environmental group that had sought access to government records. The decision prompted a dissent from two liberal justices Stephen Breyer... Read More

WASHINGTON - A new report from Third Way, released this week, calls on lawmakers and researchers to prioritize and protect college students’ return-on-investment as the higher education sector continues to feel the impact of COVID..   In “Paying More for Less?... Read More

WASHINGTON - A Congressional Budget Office report estimating that persistent budget deficits will cause the federal debt to double in size over the next 30 years, "provides a troubling snapshot of America’s fiscal outlook, which we know will only get... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Islands that fall under U.S. protection asked Congress for help Thursday from the climate change that is making their shores sink into the ocean and subjecting them to devastating hurricanes. With so little land compared with the U.S.... Read More

WASHINGTON — Just over a week after he was confirmed as head of the United States Department of Agriculture for the second time, Tom Vilsack doubled down on his efforts to solve both food and nutrition insecurity around the nation. ... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate steered on Friday toward a voting marathon on Democrats' $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill after enduring an extraordinary half-day holdup forced by a Republican foe of President Joe Biden's top legislative priority. The chamber planned... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden is enjoying an early presidential honeymoon, with 60% of Americans approving of his job performance thus far and even more backing his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new poll from The Associated... Read More

AUSTIN, Texas – It was a dire situation that Lloyd Armbrust can almost laugh about now.  A global pandemic had swept across the United States, a baby was on the way, and Armbrust, hard as he tried, could not find... Read More

WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act on Wednesday by a margin of 220 in favor and 212 opposed.  The bill was named after the Minneapolis man killed during an arrest in May... Read More

WASHINGTON - A Blue Dog Coalition-backed redistricting reform measure is among the key provisions of the H.R 1, For the People Act bill passed by the House Wednesday night. The language in the bill closely tracks what Rep. Jim Cooper,... Read More

American Home Shield, the Memphis, Tenn.-based home warranty company, has created multi-dimentional renderings of the changes made to the Oval Office by each president since 1909. Posted to the company's website, the renderings of the president's work space are part... Read More

WASHINGTON - For the first time in its history, the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms office will be led by a team composed entirely of women. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer announced Wednesday that retired Army Lt. Gen. Karen Gibson will be the... Read More

The widespread disruptions of COVID led to an unprecedented drop in global greenhouse emissions. However, many post-coronavirus investments are fossil fuel heavy, including those in the U.S., emphasizing the policy commitments that need to be made to capitalize on these... Read More

WASHINGTON — Immigration, an often controversial political topic, has played an important role in American history and continues to shape the nation today. While the United States actually has one of the most open immigration policies in the world, accepting... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Many questions remain unanswered about the failure to prevent the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. But after six congressional hearings, it's clear that the Capitol Police were unprepared and overwhelmed as hundreds of Donald Trump's... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats passed sweeping voting and ethics legislation over unanimous Republican opposition, advancing to the Senate what would be the largest overhaul of the U.S. election law in at least a generation. House Resolution 1, which touches... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Democrats agreed to tighten eligibility limits for stimulus checks, bowing to party moderates as leaders prepared to move their $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill through the Senate. At the same time, the White... Read More