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Trump pleads not guilty in federal documents case, heads back out on campaign trail
By: Jacob Fischler - June 13, 2023
Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in federal court in Miami on Tuesday to 37 felony counts of taking highly classified national security documents from his time in office and obstructing efforts to recover the documents, according to media reports from inside the courtroom. Trump, the first former president charged with a federal crime, […]
Questions and answers about Trump’s indictment on federal criminal charges
By: Jacob Fischler - June 11, 2023
A federal judge in Florida unsealed an indictment that accuses former President Donald Trump of hiding classified national security documents after he left the White House, improperly storing them and sharing sensitive information with people who lacked security clearance. Though he’s not the only former federal official to improperly take classified documents with him after […]
The indictment is unsealed: Trump faces 37 felony counts in classified documents prob
By: Jacob Fischler - June 9, 2023
Donald Trump has been indicted by a federal grand jury, making him the first former president to face federal criminal charges. The 37-count indictment in the Southern District of Florida, handed up by a grand jury there, was unsealed Friday. According to the indictment, Trump schemed with an aide to keep possession of top secret […]
A default on the U.S. debt would be far worse than a government shutdown. Here’s how.
By: Jennifer Shutt, Ashley Murray, Ariana Figueroa and Jacob Fischler - May 22, 2023
WASHINGTON — A U.S. default on its debt would have a significantly broader impact on federal operations, financial markets and the global economy than recent government shutdowns that have left ordinary Americans largely untouched. While the two have been confused frequently during debate over the debt limit, the federal government has had considerable practice with […]
Overhaul federal permitting as part of the debt limit deal? Not as easy as it sounds.
By: Jacob Fischler - May 19, 2023
Congressional leaders negotiating a deal to avoid a catastrophic default on the nation’s debt are talking about including an overhaul of how the federal government reviews projects for their environmental impact. There is bipartisan support for changes to the lengthy environmental approval process among climate-minded Democrats eager to speed construction of renewable energy projects, as […]
Rural electric co-ops to get $10.7B in USDA funds for clean energy grants, loans
By: Jacob Fischler - May 16, 2023
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin to administer two loan and grant programs worth nearly $11 billion to boost clean energy systems in rural areas, administration officials said Tuesday. Congress approved the federal spending — $9.7 billion for a grant and loan program the department is calling the New Empowering Rural America program, or […]
U.S. House GOP pushes through debt ceiling increase coupled with massive spending cuts
By: Ashley Murray and Jacob Fischler - April 27, 2023
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans on Wednesday struggled but whipped just enough votes to pass their plan to temporarily raise the nation’s borrowing limit and also cut spending by slashing key parts of President Joe Biden’s climate and tax law, potentially risking some veterans’ health benefits and imposing more work rules on the nation’s safety […]
Federal judge temporarily blocks new Biden WOTUS rule in two dozen states
By: Jacob Fischler - April 13, 2023
A federal judge in North Dakota on Wednesday blocked in 24 states the Biden administration’s newly effective definition of waters that can be regulated under the Clean Water Act. U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland, a George W. Bush appointee on retired status in the North Dakota District, issued a preliminary injunction in a case two […]
Trump indicted by Manhattan grand jury, according to reports
By: Jacob Fischler - March 31, 2023
WASHINGTON — A New York criminal grand jury has indicted former President Donald Trump, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office confirmed following news reports. A former president has never been indicted before. Trump is also a Republican candidate in the 2024 race for the presidency. “This evening we contacted Mr. Trump’s attorney to coordinate his surrender […]
U.S. House votes to roll back Biden’s WOTUS rule
By: Jacob Fischler - March 15, 2023
The U.S. House voted last week to undo a Biden administration definition of wetlands that allows for regulations on private lands. The chamber approved, 227-198, a resolution to roll back the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s broader definition of what qualifies as “waters of the United States,” or WOTUS, for the purposes of federal regulation under […]
U.S. Senate Democrats back FAA nominee, despite GOP attacks at confirmation hearing
By: Jacob Fischler - March 2, 2023
(An earlier version of this report misstated the last Senate-confirmed FAA administrator. It was Steve Dickson.) Republicans on a U.S. Senate panel raised several objections Wednesday to President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Federal Aviation Administration, while Democrats indicated their support and called the objections “fake scandals” meant only to create a political controversy. […]
Biden in State of the Union address draws boos and shouts from a combative GOP
By: Jacob Fischler and Ashley Murray - February 8, 2023
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden began his State of the Union address Tuesday — his first to a divided Congress — with an appeal to bipartisan priorities, but later criticized parts of the GOP agenda and got a sense of Republicans’ appetite for conflict during one combative stretch. Biden opened the 72-minute speech with an […]