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Ohio seeks more federal help for Great Lakes erosion problems
WASHINGTON — Bipartisan members of Congress from Ohio and the Midwest are leading a regional push to shore up the Great Lakes, which have been battered by coastal erosion in recent years. U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, the dean of Ohio’s congressional delegation and co-chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, points to an Ohio-led effort to […]
Federal rural health panel offers little help for the public on COVID-19
WASHINGTON — The pandemic is ripping through rural America, but the website for a federal advisory panel on rural health is silent on COVID-19. The panel is headed by former Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer. Colyer, a Republican and physician, continues to tout the use of hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment despite warnings about its use. He […]
‘I just don’t trust the system any more.’ Voters on edge as election nears.
WASHINGTON — Widespread anxiety and confusion around voting, compounded by the pandemic that has spread to millions of Americans, including President Donald Trump. A vastly underfunded and decentralized electoral system that could take days and possibly weeks to certify results. Attempts to suppress voting, interfere with elections and cast doubt on the integrity of mail-in […]
Two more senators side with GOP leaders’ push for a Supreme Court vote
WASHINGTON — Two key Republican senators indicated Monday they won’t stand in the way of a furious effort by the Senate GOP to confirm a nominee to fill a Supreme Court vacancy before Inauguration Day. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley ended the suspense with a statement Monday night saying there’s no “ambiguity” about what direction for […]
Ohio joins other states in refusing to foot the bill for ballot postage
WASHINGTON — Ohio Democrats are fuming over a recent decision to levy what they call a “modern-day poll tax” on voters this fall: the cost of the stamps needed to mail a ballot. The state’s GOP-led Controlling Board this week rejected a $3 million proposal to pay for postage on absentee ballots and ballot application forms. […]
Bush administration ethics lawyer slams hiring of DeJoy as postmaster
WASHINGTON — A top ethics lawyer to President George W. Bush on Monday decried Louis DeJoy’s appointment to postmaster general and called for a congressional investigation into allegations of criminal activity. Richard Painter, who served as chief White House ethics lawyer and associate counsel to Bush, said DeJoy should not have been allowed to take […]
‘We’re not through this’: Governors plead with Congress for emergency assistance
WASHINGTON — Democratic governors last Thursday begged Congress to come to the aid of ailing states, which face unexpected expenses as they attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19 as well as massive revenue shortfalls due to the pandemic. But Republicans at a House hearing rejected their pleas, arguing that states have yet to spend […]
Senate GOP emergency relief plan leaves out direct aid to states
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans unveiled their latest coronavirus relief proposal Tuesday but were met with swift objections from Democrats. The GOP plan failed to include direct aid to cities and states, a priority for Democrats, or rental relief or nutrition assistance, and it appeared it wouldn’t go far enough to resolve a monthslong stalemate over […]
White House orders suspension of residential evictions
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced on Tuesday it would temporarily halt residential evictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin disclosed during a congressional hearing that the executive order would be issued. It runs through Dec. 31. “I think you’ll be quite pleased with the impact that it will have,” Mnuchin told […]
Mnuchin: White House would back additional cash to states in relief deal
WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Tuesday said the Trump administration would be open to providing additional aid to state and local governments — a key sticking point in stalled negotiations over another round of federal coronavirus relief. Mnuchin also urged lawmakers to move forward with a package that would address specific areas of […]
‘You just have to act’: Thousands outraged by police brutality rally at March on Washington
WASHINGTON – On the 57th anniversary of the original March on Washington and in the throes of a pandemic, thousands of demonstrators on Friday joined Democratic lawmakers on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to demand Congress act on police brutality and voter suppression. The event, organized by the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, […]
House Democrats pummel postmaster over sharp declines in on-time mail delivery
WASHINGTON — Postmaster General Louis DeJoy came under heavy fire Monday for withholding key information about delays in the delivery of mail since he took over the Postal Service just two months ago. In a hearing before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Democrats pressed DeJoy over an internal report made public over the weekend showing steep […]