WEATHER ALERT
USDA launches an internal investigation into the deadly Boar's Head outbreak
Read full article: USDA launches an internal investigation into the deadly Boar's Head outbreakU.S. Agriculture Department officials have launched an internal investigation into how the agency handled reports of serious problems tied to a deadly listeria outbreak at a Boar's Head deli meat plant in Virginia.
Senators ask Justice Department to take tougher action against Boeing executives over safety issues
Read full article: Senators ask Justice Department to take tougher action against Boeing executives over safety issuesTwo U.S. senators have asked the Department of Justice to take tougher action against Boeing executives for safety issues that have impacted its airplanes.
Boar's Head faces legal scrutiny over deadly deli meat listeria outbreak, USDA says
Read full article: Boar's Head faces legal scrutiny over deadly deli meat listeria outbreak, USDA saysThe deli meat company Boar's Head is being scrutinized by law enforcement officials over a deadly outbreak of listeria food poisoning.
In an attempt to reverse the Supreme Court's immunity decision, Schumer introduces the No Kings Act
Read full article: In an attempt to reverse the Supreme Court's immunity decision, Schumer introduces the No Kings ActSenate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has introduced legislation reaffirming presidents don't have immunity for criminal actions, an attempt to reverse the Supreme Court’s landmark decision last month.
Senate to consider bills that aim to protect children and teenagers online
Read full article: Senate to consider bills that aim to protect children and teenagers onlineThe Senate will consider legislation this week that aims to protect children from dangerous online content, moving forward with what could become the first sweeping new regulation of the tech industry in decades.
What to know about the Kids Online Safety Act that just passed the Senate
Read full article: What to know about the Kids Online Safety Act that just passed the SenateThe last time Congress passed a law to protect children on the internet was in 1998 — before Facebook, before the iPhone and long before today’s oldest teenagers were born.
Democrats on Capitol Hill express concerns about Biden in private but stay quiet in public
Read full article: Democrats on Capitol Hill express concerns about Biden in private but stay quiet in publicAfter meeting for around two hours to discuss whether President Joe Biden should remain at the top of their presidential ticket, Senate Democrats almost unanimously have agreed on one thing — not to say anything about it.
On Chinese doping case, lawmakers demand action, answers from Olympic and law-enforcement leaders
Read full article: On Chinese doping case, lawmakers demand action, answers from Olympic and law-enforcement leadersA bipartisan group of U.S. senators have sent a letter to the leader of the World Anti-Doping Agency asking for answers about the case in which 23 Chinese swimmers were cleared to compete at the Tokyo Olympics despite positive tests for a banned drug.
Democrats propose ban on officials receiving payments from foreign governments after Trump probe
Read full article: Democrats propose ban on officials receiving payments from foreign governments after Trump probeDemocrats have introduced legislation that would prohibit U.S. officials from accepting money, payments or gifts from foreign governments without congressional consent.
Amazon, Target stop selling weighted baby blankets, sleep sacks and swaddles amid safety concerns
Read full article: Amazon, Target stop selling weighted baby blankets, sleep sacks and swaddles amid safety concernsAmazon and Target are among retailers now ending their sales of weighted baby blankets, sleep sacks and swaddles as calls mount for more research and oversight of the products’ safety, according to Consumer Reports.
Lawyers for Nassar assault survivors have reached $100M deal with Justice Department, AP source says
Read full article: Lawyers for Nassar assault survivors have reached $100M deal with Justice Department, AP source saysThe U.S. Justice Department has agreed to pay approximately $100 million to settle claims with about 100 people who say they were sexually assaulted by sports doctor Larry Nassar.
UConn's Aaliyah Edwards signs NIL deal in Canada, but can't talk about it in the US
Read full article: UConn's Aaliyah Edwards signs NIL deal in Canada, but can't talk about it in the USUConn forward Aaliyah Edwards signed a big name, image and likeness contract this week with Adidas Canada, but wasn’t allowed to speak with reporters about it for fear that promoting the deal might jeopardize her student visa.
US Coast Guard service members don't feel safe, new review says. Officials are promising changes
Read full article: US Coast Guard service members don't feel safe, new review says. Officials are promising changesU.S. Coast Guard officials are promising reforms after an internal review found a “permissive environment” for sexual assault and harassment in the service.
Senator subpoenas Saudis for documents on LIV-PGA Tour golf deal
Read full article: Senator subpoenas Saudis for documents on LIV-PGA Tour golf dealThe chairman of a Senate investigations subcommittee is subpoenaing Saudi officials for documents on the kingdom’s new golf partnership with the PGA Tour.
Saudi investment in PGA Tour will top $1 billion. And Norman will exit as LIV's CEO, tour exec says
Read full article: Saudi investment in PGA Tour will top $1 billion. And Norman will exit as LIV's CEO, tour exec saysA PGA Tour executive has told Congress that Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund agreed to invest more than $1 billion in a new commercial entity controlled by the tour.
PGA Tour is sending 2 executives to a Senate hearing as LIV cites conflicts
Read full article: PGA Tour is sending 2 executives to a Senate hearing as LIV cites conflictsThe PGA Tour is sending two leading figures to next week's Senate panel reviewing its surprise business agreement with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf.
Players returning from LIV Golf is part of Saudis’ agreement with PGA Tour
Read full article: Players returning from LIV Golf is part of Saudis’ agreement with PGA TourNow that the PGA Tour and European tour have a deal with the Saudis, one step is deciding how players can return from LIV Golf if they so choose.
PGA Tour will appear before a Senate panel investigating its deal with Saudi backers of LIV
Read full article: PGA Tour will appear before a Senate panel investigating its deal with Saudi backers of LIVA Senate subcommittee is asking executives from the PGA Tour, Saudi golf interests and LIV Golf to testify as Congress investigates the shocking business deal that upended the sport.
Tom Watson is the latest to want answers on the PGA Tour's deal with Saudi backers of LIV
Read full article: Tom Watson is the latest to want answers on the PGA Tour's deal with Saudi backers of LIVEight-time major champion Tom Watson is the latest to want answers on the PGA Tour’s new business partnership with Saudi backers of LIV Golf.
Senator asks LIV Golf, PGA Tour leaders for records on merger
Read full article: Senator asks LIV Golf, PGA Tour leaders for records on mergerThe leader of a Senate subcommittee wants the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s LIV Golf to present records about negotiations that led to their new agreement and plans for what golf will look like under the arrangement.
Senators call on TikTok CEO to explain 'inaccurate' statements about how company manages US data
Read full article: Senators call on TikTok CEO to explain 'inaccurate' statements about how company manages US dataTwo U.S. senators are asking TikTok to explain what they called “misleading or inaccurate” statements about how it stores and provides access to U.S. user data.
ChatGPT chief says artificial intelligence should be regulated by a US or global agency
Read full article: ChatGPT chief says artificial intelligence should be regulated by a US or global agencyThe head of the artificial intelligence company that makes ChatGPT has told Congress that government intervention will be critical to mitigating the risks of increasingly powerful AI systems.
Ban social media for kids? Fed-up parents in Senate say yes
Read full article: Ban social media for kids? Fed-up parents in Senate say yesLegislation introduced by four senators aims to prohibit all children under the age of 13 from using social media and would give parents more control over what teenagers under the age of 18 can access.
Montana GOP seeks to bar 3rd parties from key US Senate race
Read full article: Montana GOP seeks to bar 3rd parties from key US Senate raceLibertarians lined up with Democrats on Friday against a proposal that would effectively block third party candidates from next year’s Montana U.S. Senate election.
Blumenthal breaks leg at UConn parade, to undergo surgery
Read full article: Blumenthal breaks leg at UConn parade, to undergo surgeryU.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut says he expects to undergo surgery to repair a broken leg he suffered Saturday during a victory parade for the University of Connecticut men's basketball team.
Lawsuit seeks records of toxic exposures at Uzbek air base
Read full article: Lawsuit seeks records of toxic exposures at Uzbek air baseVeterans’ advocacy groups have sued the U.S. Department of Defense seeking records of toxic conditions at an air base in Uzbekistan blamed for causing cancer and other illnesses among American troops who served there in support of the war in Afghanistan.
China accuses US of 'bullying' with new 'illegal' sanctions
Read full article: China accuses US of 'bullying' with new 'illegal' sanctionsChina has accused the U.S. of “outright bullying and double standards" in leveling what it called “illegal" sanctions on Chinese companies as part of U.S. actions against Russia’s Wagner Group and related companies and individuals.
Probe into US Olympic failings stunted by red tape in DC
Read full article: Probe into US Olympic failings stunted by red tape in DCMore than two years since it was greenlighted by Congress, the panel established to probe the inner workings of the U.S. Olympics has yet to conduct a formal interview because of bureaucratic red tape in Washington.
Southwest starts on reputation repair after cancellations
Read full article: Southwest starts on reputation repair after cancellationsWith its flights running on a roughly normal schedule, Southwest Airlines is now turning its attention to repairing its damaged reputation after it canceled 15,000 flights around Christmas and left holiday travelers stranded.
Senators to FTC: Probe Twitter security, take needed action
Read full article: Senators to FTC: Probe Twitter security, take needed actionA group of Democratic senators have asked federal regulators to investigate any possible violations by Twitter of consumer-protection laws or data-security commitments.
Congress wants to hear what Twitter whistleblower has to say
Read full article: Congress wants to hear what Twitter whistleblower has to sayU.S. lawmakers are anxious to hear from Twitter’s former security chief, who has alarmed Washington with allegations that the influential social network misled regulators about its cyber defenses and efforts to control fake accounts.
Pro-Trump wins in blue states threaten GOP hopes in November
Read full article: Pro-Trump wins in blue states threaten GOP hopes in NovemberRepublicans have found success in Democratic strongholds such as Maryland and Massachusetts when they have fielded moderate candidates who could appeal to voters in both parties.
What to watch in Wis., 3 other states in Tuesday's primaries
Read full article: What to watch in Wis., 3 other states in Tuesday's primariesThe Republican matchup in the Wisconsin gubernatorial race in Tuesday's primary elections features competing candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump and his estranged vice president, Mike Pence.
Senators Tuberville, Manchin working on bill to tackle NIL
Read full article: Senators Tuberville, Manchin working on bill to tackle NILSenators Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Joe Manchin of West Virginia have requested feedback from college sports leaders to be used to craft a bill to regulate how college athletes can be compensated for their names, images and likenesses.
Manfred to senators: antitrust exemption stops city switches
Read full article: Manfred to senators: antitrust exemption stops city switchesMajor League Baseball told a Senate committee that the sport’s antitrust exemption prevents teams from moving without approval and allows the sport to maintain the minor leagues at a wide level.
Senators ask MLB why antitrust exemption needed in minors
Read full article: Senators ask MLB why antitrust exemption needed in minorsLeaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee have asked baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred to explain the impact of potential legislation stripping the sport’s antitrust exemption from covering the sport’s relationship with minor league players.
Minors rep asks Congress to restrict MLB antitrust exemption
Read full article: Minors rep asks Congress to restrict MLB antitrust exemptionThe executive director of the nonprofit Advocates for Minor Leaguers has recommended Congress enact legislation nullifying Major League Baseball’s antitrust exemption as it applies to minor league players.
All eyes on airlines as July Fourth holiday weekend nears
Read full article: All eyes on airlines as July Fourth holiday weekend nearsIf you're flying this holiday weekend, be prepared for crowded airports, full planes, and higher-than-normal chances that your flight will be delayed or even canceled.
Senators ask minor leaguers for information on MLB antitrust
Read full article: Senators ask minor leaguers for information on MLB antitrustThe chairman and ranking minority member of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter to an advocacy group for minor leaguers asking questions about baseball’s antitrust exemption.
Scouts sell off camps under strain from sex abuse suits
Read full article: Scouts sell off camps under strain from sex abuse suitsAs the financially struggling Boy Scouts sell off a growing number of campgrounds — conservationists, government officials and others are scrambling to find ways to preserve them as open space.
GOP's Cornyn tapped to lead as Senate talks gun law changes
Read full article: GOP's Cornyn tapped to lead as Senate talks gun law changesLess than 48 hours after a gunman stormed an elementary school and killed 19 children and two teachers in his home state of Texas, Sen. John Cornyn was tapped to lead gun policy negotiations in the Senate.
Energy secretary: US offshore wind jobs should be union jobs
Read full article: Energy secretary: US offshore wind jobs should be union jobsThe U.S. energy secretary and Danish wind developer Orsted say they want American union workers to build offshore wind farms to dot the U.S. coastlines — the building trades workers who could otherwise be left out of a transition to renewable resources.
Justice Thomas' wife long steeped in conservative politics
Read full article: Justice Thomas' wife long steeped in conservative politicsThrough a decades-long career in conservative politics, Virginia Thomas has repeatedly maintained that her political activity represented no conflict of interest with the work of her husband, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
German leader's stance on Russia looms over 1st visit to US
Read full article: German leader's stance on Russia looms over 1st visit to USGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz has set off for Washington to reassure Americans that his country stands alongside the United States and other NATO partners in opposing any Russian aggression against Ukraine.
New step to curb tech giants' power advanced by Senate panel
Read full article: New step to curb tech giants' power advanced by Senate panelCongress has taken a new step toward reining in the market dominance of Big Tech. Bipartisan legislation advanced by a Senate panel would bar the dominant online platforms from favoring their own goods and services over those of rivals on the platforms.
Instagram head faces senators amid anger over possible harms
Read full article: Instagram head faces senators amid anger over possible harmsThe head of Instagram, appearing before a Senate panel, met with deep skepticism over new measures the platform is adopting to protect young users nd the company’s commitment to transparency.
Ex-Facebook employee asks lawmakers to step in. Will they?
Read full article: Ex-Facebook employee asks lawmakers to step in. Will they?The former Facebook product manager who has accused the social network giant of threatening children’s safety — and the integrity of democracy — is urging Congress to take action to rein in a largely unregulated company.
Facebook whistleblower testifies: Five highlights
Read full article: Facebook whistleblower testifies: Five highlightsA former Facebook data scientist testified before Congress that the social network’s products harm children and fuel polarization in the U.S. while executives reject changes that could hurt company profits.
Senators push Facebook exec on Instagram policies for youth
Read full article: Senators push Facebook exec on Instagram policies for youthSenators have fired a barrage of criticism at a Facebook executive over the social-networking giant’s handling of internal research on how its Instagram photo-sharing platform can harm teens.
Senate panel interviews former US attorney in Trump probe
Read full article: Senate panel interviews former US attorney in Trump probeSenators have met privately with a former U.S. attorney in Atlanta who resigned in January as then-President Donald Trump pressured officials to overturn his election defeat.
Study: Half of US cosmetics contain toxic chemicals
Read full article: Study: Half of US cosmetics contain toxic chemicalsMore than half the cosmetics sold in the United States and Canada are awash with a toxic industrial compound associated with serious health conditions, including cancer and reduced birth weight, according to a new study.
Refugees arriving in US unlikely to exceed cap set by Trump
Read full article: Refugees arriving in US unlikely to exceed cap set by TrumpPresident Joe Biden faced fierce blowback from fellow Democrats and refugee advocates for considering keeping his predecessor’s record-low cap of 15,000 for admitting refugees this budget year.
Biden keeps Trump's record-low cap on refugees
Read full article: Biden keeps Trump's record-low cap on refugeesPresident Joe Biden has signed an emergency determination that officials say will speed refugee admissions to the U.S., but he did not lift his predecessor’s historically low cap of 15,000 refugees for this year.
Senators to Biden: Waive vaccine intellectual property rules
Read full article: Senators to Biden: Waive vaccine intellectual property rulesTen liberal senators are urging President Joe Biden to back India and South Africa’s appeal to the World Trade Organization to temporarily relax intellectual property rules so coronavirus vaccines can be manufactured by nations that are struggling to inoculate their populations.
AP survey: ADs fear sharing revenue with college athletes
Read full article: AP survey: ADs fear sharing revenue with college athletesNCAA basketball administrators apologized to the womens basketball players and coaches after inequities between the mens and womens tournament went viral on social media. “How does that even work?” Boston College athletic director Patrick Kraft said. Permitting college athletes to earn money off their name, image and likeness once seemed like a radical idea, but that will soon be a reality. The NCAA is already looking for help from federal lawmakers to set national standards for NIL compensation for college athletes. ___More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/Womenscollegebasketball and https://apnews.com/hub/College-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Democrats vow vote on gun bills; Biden says 'we have to act'
Read full article: Democrats vow vote on gun bills; Biden says 'we have to act'They are not even united themselves, as Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., told reporters Tuesday that he opposes the House legislation on background checks. The gun debate also highlights a larger difficulty for Senate Democrats as they try to move forward on gun legislation and other policy priorities of the Biden White House. Schumer has not said when he will bring the House legislation up for a vote. Democrats say they feel the environment around gun legislation has evolved, especially since that last major push in 2013. Many in the GOP base are still strongly opposed to gun control of any kind.
President Biden says ‘we have to act’ after Colorado mass shooting
Read full article: President Biden says ‘we have to act’ after Colorado mass shootingThey are not even united themselves, as Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., told reporters Tuesday that he opposes the House legislation on background checks. Schumer has not said when he will bring the House legislation up for a vote. NOW,” tweeted Murphy as details of the Colorado shooting emerged Monday evening. In Tuesday’s hearing, which was scheduled before the Colorado shooting, Republicans showed no signs of wavering. Republicans have argued that background checks would not stop most mass shootings and would prevent some lawful gun owners from purchasing firearms.
Biden eyes $3T package for infrastructure, schools, families
Read full article: Biden eyes $3T package for infrastructure, schools, families(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON – Fresh off passage of the COVID-19 relief bill, President Joe Biden is assembling the next big White House priority, a sweeping $3 trillion package of investments on infrastructure and domestic needs. Biden's outreach to Senate Democrats comes as the White House is under fire for its handling of the U.S.-Mexico border. An infrastructure package would include roughly $1 trillion for roads, bridges, rail lines, electrical vehicle charging stations and the cellular network, among other items. With the House and Senate under Democratic control, the proposals are expected to draw support from all corners of Congress. A White House official said the president has been very clear about his agenda, even though the details are only just starting to surface.
Minorities underrepresented in service academy nominations
Read full article: Minorities underrepresented in service academy nominationsMinority students are significantly underrepresented when it comes to getting nominations from members of Congress to attend the nation's military service academies, according to an analysis released Wednesday, March 17, 2021. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)Minority students are significantly underrepresented when it comes to getting nominations from members of Congress to attend the nation's military service academies, according to an analysis released Wednesday. The study by the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center and the Veterans Legal Services Clinic at Yale Law School included nearly 25 years of admissions nomination data from the Military Academy at West Point, the Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy involving members of the current Congress. Members of Congress have awarded 6% of their total nominations to Black students and 8% to Hispanic students, according to the report. To be considered for admission, all service academy applicants must receive a nomination from a member of Congress, the president, the vice president, a secretary of a military service, or an academy superintendent.
Advocates seek Biden push on gun bills, but prospects iffy
Read full article: Advocates seek Biden push on gun bills, but prospects iffyThe House recently passed legislation that would require background checks for gun purchases, a signature Democratic issue for decades. The two bills that passed the House last week would expand background checks on gun purchases, the first significant movement on gun control since Democrats took control of both chambers of Congress and the White House. That leaves gun-control advocates hoping that the politics of gun control have shifted enough that more Republicans may be open to legislation that advocates argue is widely popular with the American public. Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a moderate, have worked together for years to find compromise on background checks. John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, pointed in particular to Democratic wins in the 2018 midterms while running openly for gun control as evidence the politics are changing.
House passes bill to expand background checks for gun sales
Read full article: House passes bill to expand background checks for gun salesThe House passed two bills Thursday to require background checks on all firearms sales and transfers and to allow an expanded 10-day review for gun purchases. While enhanced background checks are generally popular with the American public, even with some conservatives, Congress has so far not been able to find compromise on the issue. “These solutions will save lives.”President Joe Biden has called for Congress to strengthen gun laws, including requiring the background checks on all gun sales and banning assault weapons. AdThe second bill, which passed 219-210, would extend the review period for background checks from three to 10 days. While the House bills have Republican cosponsors and won a handful of GOP votes, most Republicans voted against them.
Minimum wage hike all but dead in big COVID relief bill that includes $1,400 direct payments
Read full article: Minimum wage hike all but dead in big COVID relief bill that includes $1,400 direct payments“He said we need to pass this bill and pass it soon. The Senate bill was expected to largely mirror the House-approved package, with the most glaring divergence the Senate's dropping of language boosting the federal minimum wage to $15 hourly. “We want to get the biggest, strongest bill that can pass, and that’s what we’re going to do," Schumer said. Progressives, though, were still smarting over the virtual certainty that the Senate bill will lack the minimum wage boost, up from $7.25 hourly locked in since 2009. The funding was removed after some Republican lawmakers had criticized it as an example of a wasteful spending item that should not be part of the COVID relief bill.
Federal watchdog blasts FAA over certification of Boeing jet
Read full article: Federal watchdog blasts FAA over certification of Boeing jetThe inspector general issued 14 recommendations to “restore confidence in FAA’s certification process and ensure the highest level of safety” in future passenger planes. While FAA test pilots knew about changes to the flight system, called MCAS, some key FAA personnel, including engineers, did not. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said the report indicated concealment by Boeing and negligence by the FAA. AdThe same inspector general’s office reported last year that Boeing failed to disclose to the FAA changes it made to MCAS. In January, Boeing agreed to a $2.5 billion settlement with the Justice Department to avoid prosecution for defrauding the FAA.