INSIDER
Harris steps into the limelight. And the coconut trees and memes have followed
Read full article: Harris steps into the limelight. And the coconut trees and memes have followedIf you’re trying to get up to speed on Vice President Kamala Harris’ swift emergence as Democrats’ possible nominee this fall, you really need to know your memes.
Biden says federal government will help Maui 'for as long as it takes' to recover from wildfire
Read full article: Biden says federal government will help Maui 'for as long as it takes' to recover from wildfirePresident Joe Biden told survivors of Hawaii’s wildfires that the nation “grieves with you” and promised that the federal government will help Hawaii “for as long as it takes” to recover from the deadliest wildfire in the United States in more than a century.
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.
Manchin bid to speed energy permits to reemerge in 2023
Read full article: Manchin bid to speed energy permits to reemerge in 2023A push by West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin to speed permits for natural gas pipelines and other energy projects has failed in the current Congress, but could come back as soon as next month.
Unexpected deal would boost Biden pledge on climate change
Read full article: Unexpected deal would boost Biden pledge on climate changeAn unexpected deal reached by Senate Democrats would be the most ambitious action ever taken by the United States to address global warming and could help President Joe Biden come close to meeting his pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030.
Oklahoma-based tribes say followed rules on Freedmen rights
Read full article: Oklahoma-based tribes say followed rules on Freedmen rightsLeaders and representatives of five Oklahoma-based tribes have told a U.S. Senate committee they have followed treaties and court rulings regarding the citizenship of Freedmen and that the federal government should respect their sovereignty.
Raimondo: Inquiry on solar imports follows the law
Read full article: Raimondo: Inquiry on solar imports follows the lawCommerce Secretary Gina Raimondo pushed back forcefully Wednesday against critics — including some within the Biden administration — who say a government investigation of solar imports from Southeast Asia is hindering President Joe Biden’s ambitious climate goals.
US military drops appeal of Hawaii order to drain fuel tanks
Read full article: US military drops appeal of Hawaii order to drain fuel tanksThe U.S. government is dropping its appeal of a Hawaii order requiring it to remove fuel from a massive military fuel storage facility that leaked petroleum into the Navy’s water system at Pearl Harbor last year.
Senators strike bipartisan deal on domestic violence bill
Read full article: Senators strike bipartisan deal on domestic violence billA bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced a proposal to reauthorize the 1990s-era law that extends protections for victims of domestic and sexual violence after it lapsed in 2019 because of Republican opposition.
Anti-telescope protesters oppose US attorney pick for Hawaii
Read full article: Anti-telescope protesters oppose US attorney pick for HawaiiSome Native Hawaiians are objecting to President Joe Biden’s choice for U.S. attorney in the 50th state, saying Clare Connors treated dozens of elders like criminals when her office prosecuted them for blocking a road while protesting the construction of a telescope in Hawaii.
Beware of budget gimmicks in push for massive spending deals
Read full article: Beware of budget gimmicks in push for massive spending dealsSenators negotiating two colossal bills that would deliver more than $4 trillion for infrastructure, health care, environment and other initiatives keep insisting both bills will be fully paid for.
Climate activists hail Dem budget spending on clean energy
Read full article: Climate activists hail Dem budget spending on clean energyEnvironmental groups hailed a sweeping $3.5 trillion domestic spending plan announced by Democrats, saying it would make “transformational investments” in clean energy and put the nation on a path to cut greenhouse emissions by at least 50% by 2030.
Census: No redistricting data until end of September
Read full article: Census: No redistricting data until end of SeptemberThe U.S. Census Bureau said it wont be delivering data used for redrawing state and local legislative districts until the end of September 2021. Styles had previously said the redistricting data would be available no earlier than the end of July because of delays caused by the virus. Before the pandemic, the deadline for finishing the redistricting data had been March 31. Unlike in past decades when the data were released to states on a flow basis, the 2020 redistricting data will be made available to the states all at once, according to the Census Bureau. The state House and Senate will hold a joint committee hearing Wednesday on the impact of the delay in the Census Bureau data.
Time, transparency needed as Biden inherits frazzled census
Read full article: Time, transparency needed as Biden inherits frazzled census“We are optimistic that things at the Census Bureau will be better. The Biden administration also has pledged to give the Census Bureau the time it needs to process the data. He will report to Biden's new pick to head the Commerce Department — which oversees the Census Bureau — Rhode Island Gov. Former Census Bureau Director Kenneth Prewitt said he’s optimistic the final product will be as accurate as past censuses, especially now that Jarmin is at the helm. “The Census Bureau faced a number of challenges with the 2020 Census,” Schatz said in a letter.
Ginsburg's death draws big surge of donations to Democrats
Read full article: Ginsburg's death draws big surge of donations to DemocratsPeople gather at the Supreme Court on the morning after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 87, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Washington. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – Democrats raised more than $71 million in the hours after Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death, demonstrating how the liberal icon's passing and the contentious nomination fight that lies ahead have already galvanized the party's base. In Iowa, vulnerable Republican Sen. Joni Ernst sent out fundraising pleas shortly after Ginsburg's death was announced, drawing a swift online backlash. "BREAKING: The future of the Supreme Court is on the line,” read the subject line of fundraising email from Ernst. “The next Supreme Court nominee will shape major decisions for decades to come.”Ernst later issued an apology.
Senators push for extra census time, as court prods deadline
Read full article: Senators push for extra census time, as court prods deadlineIf an extra month were added, it would reduce the amount of time for data processing before the end-of-the-year deadline, said Brad Rosenberg, a government attorney. “It's not enough to say, ‘Statutory deadline,' and drop the mic and walk out." She also said she planned to extend by a week a temporary restraining order prohibiting the Census Bureau from winding down the 2020 census. The legislation also would extend the deadline for turning in the figures used for redrawing congressional districts from Dec. 31 to the end of next April. The inaction in the Senate coincided with a directive from President Donald Trump that tried to exclude people in the country illegally from the numbers used in redrawing congressional districts.
The Latest: India's cases rise to 4.75M with another spike
Read full article: The Latest: India's cases rise to 4.75M with another spike(AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)NEW DELHI — India has registered a single-day spike of 94,372 new confirmed coronavirus cases, driving the country’s overall tally to 4.75 million. Johns Hopkins University data analyzed by The Associated Press showed drops in seven-day rolling averages of daily new cases and daily deaths over the past two weeks. The average of daily deaths went from 488 on Aug. 28 to 299 on Friday while the average of daily deaths dropped from 15 to 9. The health department says in the three weeks before the surge, only 23 people affiliated with the university had tested positive. ___ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Anchorage will receive federal support to aid in lessening the coronavirus outbreak in its homeless population.
Democrats prepare police reform bills after Floyd's death
Read full article: Democrats prepare police reform bills after Floyd's deathCory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California, both former presidential candidates, are expected to announce a package in coming days, with a House bill coming soon. Both the Senate and House efforts are expected to include changes to police accountability laws, such as revising immunity provisions, and creating a database of police use-of-force incidents. We have a moral moment in our country, Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., the chairwoman of the CBC, said on a conference call Wednesday. With Democrats in the majority, the bills will almost certainly pass the House. She acknowledged the opposition the bills will likely face, but called on fellow lawmakers to consider the option of doing nothing.