WASHINGTON — The White House called on Congress Thursday to pass an emergency extension of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eviction ban, three days before it is set to expire. Without immediate action, the Biden administration said it will allow a nationwide ban on evictions to expire Saturday. “For nearly 11 months, ... Read More

AUSTIN, Texas — In accordance with plans first announced in June, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday ordered the state National Guard to aid Department of Public Safety troopers with apprehending individuals for state charges related to the border crisis. State law enforcement this month began arresting migrants on trespassing charges along the ... Read More

WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of 6.5% in the second quarter, as vaccinations that released pent up consumer activity finally lifted the nation out of the pandemic-sized crater it had been in for more than a year. The numbers released Thursday by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of ... Read More

WASHINGTON — Reciting Thomas Paine’s The American Crisis from memory, Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., philosophized about fair weather patriots in America today during a discussion with Axios. Claiming that some people only “love the country when everything is going well for them,” he warned, “If we fail to do today ... Read More

A dimly lit silver lining surrounding the coronavirus pandemic is telehealth. This could ultimately narrow the disparities so many pregnant women face, said Dr. Alan Fishman, specialty medical officer for maternal fetal medicine at Mednax National Medical Group, during a U.S. Chamber of Commerce event Tuesday.  Telehealth, the ability to ... Read More

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Wednesday evening voted to advance bipartisan infrastructure legislation, despite the lack of actual bill text to consider and a looming battle in the House over the measure. By a 67-32 vote, the Senate moved to invoke cloture on a motion to proceed to the legislative vehicle ... Read More

WASHINGTON — Federal law enforcement personnel tried to convince sometimes skeptical members of Congress Wednesday they are making adequate efforts to control transnational crime along the U.S. southern border. However, they also acknowledged a “crisis” as illegal immigrants and drug gangs overwhelm resources intended to keep them out of the United States. “... Read More

WASHINGTON — Had President Biden sought Gen. David Petraeus’s advice on the Allied troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, he has made no secret of that fact he would have advised against it, even though the general admits the goals from engaging in 2001 have largely been met.  “The decision didn’t end the ... Read More

Concerned with Black mothers’ increasing maternal death rates in the U.S., members of the Black Maternal Health Caucus introduced the Black Maternal Health Omnibus Act of 2021 to cover every phase of the maternal health crisis. The act should benefit all new U.S. mothers, who are dying at the highest reported ... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department released two guidance documents Wednesday intended to ensure states fully comply with federal election laws, specifically those statutes pertaining to methods of voting and constraints on post-election audits. “The right of all eligible citizens to vote is the central pillar of our democracy, and the Justice Department will ... Read More

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of senators who have been negotiating for weeks on an infrastructure bill since forging an alliance with the White House say they’ve reached a deal on the “major issues” and can now move forward. “I think we’re good to go,” Sen. Jon. Tester, D-Mont., told reporters ... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Census Bureau will release redistricting data to the states in two formats beginning on Aug. 16. The first release will be geared for what the agency calls “experienced data users,” with a second, easier to use release of the same data planned for Sept. 30. In a blog post on the Bureau’... Read More

WASHINGTON — Attorneys general from 45 states, the District of Columbia and Guam served notice on Wednesday that they are appealing a federal judge’s decision to throw out their antitrust lawsuit against Facebook. “We filed this notice of appeal because we disagree with the court’s decision and must hold Facebook accountable for ... Read More

The coronavirus pandemic has sparked the emergence of Femtech, a category of software, diagnostics, products, and services that use technology to focus on women’s health. Now Nurx, the largest digital practice for women’s health, is seeing a continued surge in requests for at-home delivery of birth control after COVID-19, during ... Read More

Hospitalizations in some regions of Florida are increasing at their fastest rate since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as it records more new cases than any other state. Florida recorded 73,199 cases over the course of last week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Thirty-five percent of U.S. ... Read More

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Fred Ware and his son were researching the history of the home he’s owned in the Hartford suburbs since 1950 when they discovered something far uglier than they expected.  Tucked in a list of rules on the home’s original deed from the developer was a provision that ... Read More

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — As a member of the secretive Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Angus King has reason to worry about hackers. At a briefing by security staff this year, he said he got some advice on how to help keep his cellphone secure. Step One: Turn off phone. Step Two: Turn it ... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s latest leap into the Senate’s up-and-down efforts to clinch a bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure deal comes with even more at stake than his coveted plans for boosting road, rail and other public works projects. The outcome of the infrastructure bargaining, which for weeks has encountered one ... Read More

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced a new proposed rule Wednesday morning that’s intended to strengthen domestic supply chains and bolster the nation’s manufacturing sector by establishing a higher threshold for products to qualify as made in the United States. The announcement comes ahead of Biden’s appearance this afternoon at ... Read More

First-term Texas State Rep. Jake Ellzey defeated fellow Republican Susan Wright in a special runoff  election in Texas’s 6th Congressional District Tuesday night, dealing former President Donald Trump a defeat in terms of the enduring power of his endorsement. Ellzey received 53.3% of the vote to Wright’s 46.7%. The seat opened ... Read More

Biometric technology identifies you based on your biological characteristics: your fingerprint, your iris, your face.  It can even measure how you walk, your gait, said Steve Crown, vice president and general counsel at Microsoft, during Tuesday’s Center for Strategic & International Studies’ event on the human rights issues associated with ... Read More

A study by Chinese researchers examines the ability of acupuncture treatment to suppress inflammatory stress, improve immunity, and regulate nervous system function to help patients with COVID-19.  “Acupuncture is widely used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases, such as osteoarthritis, pancreatitis, obstructive emphysema, but in China, it is also used in ... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — “This is how I’m going to die, defending this entrance,” Capitol Police Sergeant Aquilino Gonell recalled thinking, testifying Tuesday at the emotional opening hearing of the congressional panel investigating the violent Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Gonell told House investigators he could feel himself losing oxygen as he was crushed by ... Read More

WASHINGTON — The New Democrat Coalition on Tuesday unveiled three new policy task forces which will focus on rural reinvestment, future of work and capitalism, and trade. The second slate of coalition task forces for the 117th Congress join previously announced panels focusing on climate change, health care, immigration and infrastructure. Coalition Chair ... Read More

The Federal Communications Commission announced yesterday that it is ready to release more than $311 million in funding for high-speed broadband deployment across 36 states through its Rural Digital Opportunity Fund.  Working to clean up the RDOF “waste” such as winning bids to deploy in areas that are already served, FCC Acting Chairwoman ... Read More

WASHINGTON — A new two-part study from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a D.C.-based national security think tank, has said that civilian and judicial oversight will be crucial to limiting the potential human rights abuses from government use of facial recognition technology. This would need to include operational rules ... Read More

WASHINGTON — The U.S. dollar risks losing its preeminence in international transactions unless the Federal Reserve moves promptly to sponsor a digital currency, economists told Congress Tuesday. Once again, the main competitive threat to U.S. currency comes from China, according to witnesses at a House Financial Services subcommittee hearing. The Chinese ... Read More

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday afternoon said fully vaccinated people should now wear face masks if they live or work in a location experiencing a surge in delta variant cases. The new guidance effectively reverses a recommendation from May, when the CDC said fully vaccinated people did not ... Read More

WASHINGTON — The White House on Tuesday released a 21-point plan aimed at processing asylum claims quickly and deporting those who do not qualify. “Asylum and other legal migration pathways should remain available to those seeking protection. Those not seeking protection or who don’t qualify will be promptly removed to their countries ... Read More

The U.S. combat mission in Iraq will conclude by the end of the year, President Joe Biden announced Monday. However the president would not say whether he planned to reduce the number of troops in Iraq, which now number about 2,500. The announcement came during an Oval Office session with Iraqi Prime ... Read More