Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., talks to reporters just after the Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to the Obama-era health care law, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 17, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
WASHINGTON (AP) — With the Affordable Care Act now secure in the framework of the nation’s health care programs, Democrats are eager to leap above and beyond.
Texas governor vetoes funding for legislative staff over Democrats' walkout
The Republican had threatened the veto after a walkout by Democrats that denied a House quorum to vote on controversial voting restrictions.
www.nbcnews.com
Georgia removes 100,000 names from voter registration rolls | CNN Politics
More than 100,000 names will be removed from Georgia's voter registration rolls in an attempt to keep the state's voter files "up to date," Georgia's secretary of state announced Friday.
Arizona 'audit' becomes far-right campaign stop, fuels conspiracy that election can be overturned
The so-called "audit" in Arizona of Maricopa County's 2020 general election ballots started as a court battle between the state Senate and the county board of supervisors. Since then, it has transformed into a full-fledged symbol of the GOP's stance on the election results. Officials claim...
56 House Republicans urge Biden to remove Harris from leading role on migration crisis
More than 50 House Republicans are urging President Biden to remove Vice President Kamala Harris from her role dealing with the migrant crisis that has overwhelmed the southern border in recent months -- accusing her of "inaction" on the crisis due to her failure to visit the border.
Democrats face divide crafting multitrillion-dollar bill without GOP
From price tag to policy, the party faces a series of internal splits about how to write a budget resolution that can bypass the Senate filibuster.
www.nbcnews.com
Activists fight back as Juneteenth milestone is undercut by GOP discriminatory voting bills | CNN Politics
As America finally recognizes the importance of Juneteenth, the full potential of a symbolic new milestone for equality is being undermined by Republican moves to make it harder for many Black Americans to vote.
Trump's hold over Republicans faces key test in Michigan governor's race
Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s pandemic leadership remains under scrutiny, but Republicans who hope she loses in 2022 are still fighting 2020 battles.
GOP increasingly balks at calling Jan. 6 an insurrection
A growing number of Republican lawmakers are refusing to say that the Jan. 6 insurrection was actually an insurrection.Nearly two dozen GOP House members voted against legislation this week th…
thehill.com
Gang life, not racism, is responsible for Chicago's violence, alderman says
Residents in one Chicago ward are “giving up” on calling the police as the city fails to protect them from violent crime, according to one city council member.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Iran dissidents blast 'sham' election after hardliner tied to executions becomes President
Iranian dissidents on Saturday slammed what they described as a "sham" election, after the election of a notorious hardliner who was tied to mass executions was elected president of the theocratic regime.
How Trump turned Russia into a partisan issue | CNN Politics
Trump was so friendly with Putin that he took an issue (Russia) that was either bipartisan or one on which Republicans were more skeptical and turned it into a partisan one, with Republicans more inclined to be on Russia's side. That still holds true.
Tropical Storm Claudette brings heavy rains and flooding to Gulf Coast
Tropical Storm Claudette landed in the United States on Saturday morning along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, bringing heavy rains and flooding along with it.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Black lawmakers warn against complacency after Juneteenth victory
The observance of Juneteenth for the first time as a federal holiday is being hailed by lawmakers and activists who for years have sought national recognition for the oldest celebration of the…
thehill.com
New York City's chaotic mayoral campaign is jolted by a late twist
The race to become New York City's 110th mayor began in a pandemic-enforced bubble, with the campaign playing out in drab Zoom forums, on social media and through the press, where email statements took the place of live exhortations to swells of supporters.
www.cnn.com
Bidens’ older dog, Champ, has died; German Shepherd was 13
“He was our constant, cherished companion during the last 13 years and was adored by the entire Biden family,” the president and first lady said in a statement.
www.politico.com
Biden struggles to detail post-withdrawal Afghanistan plans
The Biden administration is struggling to articulate how it will keep Afghanistan from falling to the Taliban after American forces depart, even as the U.S. is more than halfway through its troop w…
thehill.com
Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu accuses Catholic bishops of hypocrisy, 'dares' the Church to deny him Communion
Rep. Ted Lieu went on a rant this weekend against the Catholic Church calling U.S. bishops "hypocrites" and "nakedly partisan" for seeking to update Communion guidance that could rebuke politicians like President Biden and Speaker Nancy Pelosi for supporting abortion policies.
High winds, tornadoes and drenching rain reported as Tropical Depression Claudette batters parts of Gulf Coast
Claudette made landfall in southeast Louisiana just before 7 a.m. CT Saturday and is drenching coastal areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
www.usatoday.com
Under Trump, Juneteenth was marred by controversy — with Biden, it's a federal holiday
The contrast between former President Donald Trump's final Juneteenth in the White House and the lead-up to President Joe Biden's first is stark.
Tokyo governor to shutter public viewing sites for Olympics
The governor of Tokyo announced on Saturday that all public viewing locations for the summer Olympics will be closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
First dog Champ dies 'peacefully at home,' president and first lady say
The Bidens got Champ as a puppy in 2008, shortly before they moved into the vice president's official residence at the Naval Observatory.
www.nbcnews.com
The West's historic drought in 3 maps | CNN
Vast swaths of the West are experiencing a historic, unrelenting drought, the worst in the region in at least 20 years.
Amnesty International calls for probe into Iran’s president-elect for alleged crimes against humanity
Amnesty International is urging the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate Iranian President-elect Ebrahim Raisi for crimes against humanity in connection with his alleged particip…
thehill.com
The ethnic armies training Myanmar's protesters
Many protesters are being trained by ethnic armed groups - can they eventually topple the junta?
www.bbc.com
Biden to revive longtime presidential tradition Trump skipped
The president plans to host a White House ceremony later this year for the unveiling of former President Barack Obama’s official portrait, say sources familiar with discussions.
www.nbcnews.com
Californians cry foul on reports of state's economic boom
After a year and a half of shuttered businesses, social distancing, and masking up, California is finally returning to normalcy.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Hardline judge under U.S. sanctions for human rights abuses wins Iran presidential election
Ebrahim Raisi secured a landslide victory on Saturday.
Cheers and quiet reflection as U.S. crowds mark Juneteenth
Marching bands sparked loud cheers and quieter reflections about racial justice from crowds gathered on Saturday to mark Juneteenth as a new U.S. federal holiday commemorating the end of the legal enslavement of Black Americans.
www.reuters.com
Hollywood goes all in for the For the People Act
Hollywood is lining up behind a sweeping, Democrat-backed election reform bill, with some of the country’s biggest stars using their platforms to make a last-minute push for the passage of th…
thehill.com
Shocking video shows 2 children caught in the middle of NYC shooting
In the video, the 10-year-old girl can be seen hugging her 5-year-old brother, all while the gunman keeps firing.
www.cbsnews.com
Mike Pence: Hecklers brand ex-VP 'traitor' at conservative conference
Mike Pence draws jeers, apparently for his refusal to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
www.bbc.com
Ebrahim Raisi, ultra-conservative judiciary chief, wins Iran's presidential vote amid historically low turnout | CNN
Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline judiciary chief with a brutal human rights record, will be the next president of Iran following his win in an uncompetitive election that most of the country sat out.
Russia’s Black Sea navy grows as allies worry Biden will pull back
CONSTANTA NAVAL BASE, Romania — In the dimly lit war room of the Romanian frigate Regina Maria, glowing radar screens illuminate a cheat sheet for identifying Russian vessels.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Obama's Land Management director says Biden nominee should be disqualified over tree spiking plot
President Biden's nominee to lead the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Tracy Stone-Manning received a stamp of disapproval from the agency’s director under former President Barack Obama over her involvement in a tree spiking plot decades ago.
'Big Family' advocacy group to counter teaching of critical race theory and transgender issues in schools
Teachers have the National Education Association. Seniors are represented by the AARP and gun owners by the National Rifle Association. Other interest groups have their political action committees and industries their lobbyists.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Democrats facing tough reelections back bipartisan infrastructure deal
Senate Democrats in tough races next year, namely Sens. Mark Kelly (Ariz.) and Maggie Hassan (N.H.), say it’s more important for an infrastructure spending bill to be bipartisan than for…
thehill.com
First on CNN: Biden administration moves to make gender confirmation surgery available through Veteran Affairs health care system | CNN Politics
Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough is moving to make gender confirmation surgery available to transgender veterans through Veterans Affairs health care coverage.
‘Apocalyptic’ heat wave scorches U.S. Southwest again
An extreme heat wave that has already shattered temperature records across the U.S. Southwest threatened on Friday to push power systems to the brink of failure as residents cranked up air conditioners.
www.reuters.com
Wisconsin GOP congressman pushes bill to ban critical race theory in DC public schools
Wisconsin Republican Rep. Glenn Grothman introduced a bill Friday that would ban critical race theory in Washington, D.C. public schools – blocking a controversial education-based movement that examines how systematic racism has been perpetuated in the U.S.
Biden 'frustrating' liberals with death penalty inaction
President Joe Biden irked his left flank by moving slowly to alter Donald Trump's refugee cap, and he appears poised to again draw fire from liberals as he avoids issuing a federal moratorium on capital punishment.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Juneteenth: After decades, Opal Lee finally gets her day off
Opal Lee campaigned for years for a national holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in the US.
www.bbc.com
Teachers on edge over critical race theory debate
Teachers across the country are on edge as Republican lawmakers in multiple states have passed or introduced legislation that would limit how race is discussed in classrooms.
thehill.com
A U.S. Student Who Went Missing In Russia Is Found Dead
Catherine Serou, a 34-year-old U.S. citizen, is found dead a few days after she was feared abducted. A suspect in her killing, a man in his early 40s with past convictions, has been arrested.
www.npr.org
Texas Gov. Abbott vetoes funding for state legislature amid flap over election bill
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a portion of the state budget that funds the legislative branch on Friday, following through on a threat he made last month after Democratic lawmakers blocked a vote on a GOP-backed election bill.
Colorado man pleads guilty to hate crime charges after stabbing Black man
A Colorado man this week pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime for stabbing a Black man in a 2019 attack. Nolan Levi Strauss, 27, pleaded guilty to a hate crime involving an attempt to kill, …
thehill.com
The housing market is on fire. The Fed keeps adding gasoline
Bidding wars. All-cash offers. Homes selling for $1 million over asking. The housing boom has officially reached the ridiculous stage.
www.cnn.com
The Record Temperatures Enveloping The West Are Not Your Average Heat Wave
From the Great Plains to the California coast, a powerful "heat dome" is setting records. This one is stronger and bigger and is appearing earlier than normal.
www.npr.org
Ebola outbreak in Guinea is over: WHO
The World Health Organization this week declared that the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, which has lasted four months, is over.
thehill.com
Troubled US teens left traumatised by tough love camps
Paris Hilton is among thousands who allege abuse at programmes aimed at reforming US teenagers.
www.bbc.co.uk
Iran's Ebrahim Raisi: The hardline cleric who became president
The cleric, criticised for his human rights record, takes over amid strained ties with the West.
www.bbc.com
Million-dollar lotteries fail to cut through vaccine apathy
Prizes and giveaways appear to offer diminishing returns as the number of persuadable adults gets smaller.
www.politico.com
CDC can’t regulate cruises: judge
A federal in Florida judge on Friday ruled that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) coronavirus-era sailing orders were an overreach of power, issuing a preliminary injunct…
thehill.com
Highly-contagious Delta variant likely to become dominant in US, CDC director says. Latest COVID-19 updates
Florida has been granted a preliminary injunction that could render CDC restrictions on cruising as optional starting next month. COVID-19 updates.
www.usatoday.com
Oxygen in short supply in Afghanistan as country battles third wave of COVID-19
Oxygen is in short supply in Afghanistan as the country is battling a third wave of COVID-19 cases and its hospitals are being overrun.
thehill.com
The same mRNA technology used in COVID-19 vaccines could help treat cancer
Fighting COVID-19 proved a boon to cancer research. Here's how scientists are using the same mRNA technology to attack tumors.
www.usatoday.com
As pandemic subsides, businesses push Congress for one more bailout
The plea comes even after Congress appropriated more than $1 trillion over the past year to support smaller employers through forgivable loans and grants.
www.politico.com
Life in lockdown: The pandemic through our eyes
From freshman college to new life and loss, three young photographers document their pandemic year.
www.bbc.com
U.S. administers more than 316 mln doses of COVID-19 vaccines - CDC
The United States has administered 316,048,776 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Friday morning and distributed 377,935,390 doses, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
www.reuters.com
