This Week

The media instills fear (some of which is justified) in Americans every day over COVID-19. Yet it largely ignores another major health care scare nearly on par with the pandemic: going to the hospital. According to recent reporting by Axios, roughly two-thirds... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Empty streets, a large police presence and a smattering of tourists taking photographs of the newly installed security fence lent a somber air to Capitol Hill Friday as preparations continued for Saturday’s J6 rally. It was a reminder,... Read More

WASHINGTON -- A prominent Washington, D.C. attorney pleaded not guilty Friday to lying to the FBI after he allegedly said he had possible evidence of the Trump campaign’s communications with a Russian bank. The FBI was investigating accusations that former... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The architect of a Washington protest planned for Saturday that aims to rewrite history about the violent January assault  on the U.S. Capitol is hardly a household name. Matt Braynard worked as an analyst for the Republican... Read More

WASHINGTON -- A former Georgetown University tennis coach plans to plead guilty to participating in the college admissions cheating scandal known as Varsity Blues.  Gordon Ernst is admitting to accepting about $2.7 million in bribes to help children of wealthy... Read More

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - A single line in Netflix sensation “The Queen’s Gambit,” which is expected to rake in the statues at this weekend’s 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, could wind up costing the streaming giant a cool $5 million thanks... Read More

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has expanded litigation efforts against a swath of school districts that defied Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates. Paxton announced on Tuesday his office had filed lawsuits against the Paris, Diboll,... Read More

WASHINGTON- The economic impact of the switch to clean energy may have the chance to make the transition a truly bipartisan issue, according to Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo. During an event Tuesday hosted by the Public Policy Institute on expanding... Read More

WASHINGTON -- A variety of federal departments will come together Friday to discuss the future of broadband internet connectivity for Native American communities. The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Summit, led in part by a coalition of tribal governments, organizers and seven... Read More

WASHINGTON — When he’s not feeding the world, Chef José Andrés is planning how to feed the world… better. The humanitarian chef recently co-chaired a Food and Nutrition Security Task Force of the Bipartisan Policy Center with the aim of... Read More

WASHINGTON -- The sexual abuse perpetrated against female U.S. Olympic gymnasts by former team doctor Larry Nassar was exacerbated by inaction of the FBI, the athletes told a Senate panel Wednesday. As a result, Nassar sexually abused at least 70... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits moved up last week to 332,000 from a pandemic low, a sign that worsening COVID infections may have slightly increased layoffs. Applications for jobless aid rose from 312,000 the week... Read More

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom handily defeated a recall election that could have removed him from office, but his Democratic allies in the Legislature already are seeking changes that could make it harder to mount such a... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration began notifying governors and state refugee coordinators across the country about how many Afghan evacuees from among the first group of nearly 37,000 arrivals are slated to be resettled in their states. California is... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that the United States is forming a new Indo-Pacific security alliance with Britain and Australia that will allow for greater sharing of defense capabilities — including helping equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.... Read More

An estimated 2,600 Los Angeles Police Department employees are citing religious objections to try to get out of the required COVID-19 vaccination. In Washington state, thousands of state workers are seeking similar exemptions. And in Arkansas, a hospital has been... Read More

WASHINGTON -- A congressional panel raised the chances Wednesday for President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Plan to succeed when it approved key portions of the bill. The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted to endorse parts of the $3.5... Read More

WASHINGTON - The historic BBC microphone that Edward R. Murrow used during his CBS radio broadcasts from London during World War II has found a permanent home at the National Press Club. The announcement came as the surprise climax of... Read More

GOLDEN, Colo. -- “Yes, we face a crisis, but we face a crisis with an unprecedented opportunity to create good jobs of the future, to create industries of the future, to win the future, to save the planet.” That was... Read More

WASHINGTON — Data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on COVID-19's delta variant found that vaccine efficacy was higher among recipients of the Moderna vaccination at 95%, higher than both the Pfizer-BioNTech and the Johnson & Johnson... Read More

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that no nation has the perfect health system, but a report from the Commonwealth Fund finds the U.S. trails far behind other high-income countries on measures of health care affordability, administrative efficiency, equity, and outcomes.... Read More

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After months of campaigning in a crowded field, two finalists emerged Tuesday night as the voters’ potential choice to become Cleveland's next mayor.  Justin Bibb, chief strategy officer with technology firm Urbanova, garnered 27.1% of the mayoral... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Cities that have been investing in technology to someday become Smart Cities have been able to react, adapt and meet the digital challenges brought on by the pandemic quicker than those that have not, said Patti Zullo, senior... Read More

WASHINGTON — One year ago the United States, UAE, and Bahrain signed a historic agreement and charted a new course in Arab-Israeli relations which recognized the state of Israel and normalized diplomatic relations between the countries. But the desire for... Read More

BOSTON, Mass. -- Michelle Wu, an Asian American progressive and Annissa Essaibi George, a moderate, appear to be the last candidates left standing after Tuesday’s preliminary mayoral election in Boston, and will now face each other in November when the... Read More

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- A year-long study conducted by researchers from the University of Southern California finds that getting vaccinated against COVID-19 can actually improve mental health. “We were interested to see what the short-term effects of getting a COVID-19... Read More

WASHINGTON — After a frantic two weeks of the biggest military evacuations in history, the United States is trying to figure out what to do with tens of thousands of Afghan refugees that will soon be flooding into the country. ... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden was meeting Wednesday with the CEOs of Walt Disney and Columbia Sportswear, and other business executives and leaders leaders to discuss  his recently announced vaccine requirement for companies  that employ at least 100 people. ... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly 3 million consumers took advantage of a special six-month period to sign up for subsidized health insurance coverage made more affordable by the COVID-19 relief law, President Joe Biden said Wednesday. He called that number encouraging... Read More

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Despite warnings the race would be close, California Gov. Gavin Newsom decisively defeated efforts to kick him out of office, a win the Democrat cast as an endorsement of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and... Read More

This article is by Warren Cornwall and was originally published by Anthropocene magazine. When tallying up the myriad things sending planet-warming gases into the atmosphere, don’t overlook bugs. While humans drive up the overall levels of greenhouse gases by burning fossil fuels, a... Read More

A group of moderate Democrats led by Rep. Scott Peters sought on Tuesday to change the House debate on how prescription drug prices are set in the U.S., arguing sweeping proposals put forward by progressives could threaten passage of the... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Senate Democrats introduced a pared down version of the House voting rights bill Tuesday, and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer indicated he likely will bring it to a vote in the chamber as early next week. After introducing... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Senators who handle foreign relations hammered away at the U.S. secretary of state for a second day Tuesday for what they described as the disastrous military withdrawal from Afghanistan. They criticized the lack of planning, the poor intelligence... Read More

More than 350 environmental justice advocates, environmental groups and renewable energy companies announced the formation of Residential Renewables for All Tuesday. The group is focused on expanding access to the economic, health, and emissions benefits of clean energy to disadvantaged... Read More

Clinics outside of Texas are seeing an increase in women traveling across state lines to get abortions only two weeks after Senate Bill 8, a Texas law which bans nearly all abortions after six weeks of pregnancy before most women... Read More

States will be at the helm of the $42.5 billion in block grants designated in the historic $65 billion proposed for nationwide high-speed broadband within President Biden’s infrastructure bill.  The broadband-related funding of the bill itself shows the federal government... Read More

The nation’s state retirement systems finished the 2021 fiscal year in their best condition since the Great Recession of 2007-09, according to projections compiled by the Pew Charitable Trusts. The public policy nonprofit found the gap between the cost of... Read More

BOSTON, Mass. -- Voters in Boston are casting their ballots for mayor on Tuesday, choosing from the most diverse mayoral slate in the city’s fabled history. The Sept. 14 vote, of course, is just the city’s preliminary mayoral election, intended... Read More

CARLISLE, Pa. (AP) — More than $104 million in Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls went uncollected last year as the agency fully converted to all-electronic tolling, with the millions of motorists who don't use E-ZPass having a nearly 1 in 2 chance... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The share of Americans living in poverty rose slightly as the COVID-19 pandemic shook the economy last year, but massive relief payments pumped out by Congress eased hardship for many, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday. The official... Read More

The average person doesn't need a COVID-19 booster yet, an international group of scientists — including two top U.S. regulators — wrote Monday in a scientific journal. The experts reviewed studies of the vaccines' performance and concluded the shots are... Read More

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — While legislators craft the details back in Washington, President Joe Biden is pitching his massive domestic spending package with a visit to a renewable energy lab in Colorado to highlight how the investments in clean... Read More

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Four former Minneapolis police officers charged with violating George Floyd's civil rights  are scheduled to be arraigned in federal court Tuesday at a hearing that could also address some pretrial motions. A federal grand jury indicted Derek... Read More

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) — After a year of debate that laid bare divisions in America's most populous state, Californians on Tuesday will be deciding whether Gov. Gavin Newsom keeps his job, or if the state goes in a more... Read More

WASHINGTON -- Airlines failed to provide timely refunds for flights cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report from the United States Department of Transportation. USDOT issued two enforcement notices to airlines emphasizing the companies’ obligation to provide... Read More

The head of the U.S. Capitol Police confirmed on Monday that fencing surrounding the U.S. Capitol in the wake of the Jan. 6 siege on the building will return ahead of a follow up rally by Trump supporters on Sept.... Read More

A new law is dissuading some law enforcement officials in Washington from taking mental health calls, according to a memo from the attorney general’s office.  “Recently, certain law enforcement agencies may have expressed concerns that House Bill 1310 limits when... Read More