DC BUREAU
Our Washington, D.C., bureau reports on congressional delegations and key Supreme Court and administrative decisions that affect our state.
STAFF
Jane directs national coverage, managing staff and freelance reporters in the nation’s capital and assigning and editing state-specific daily and enterprise stories.
Jacob covers federal policy as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Based in Oregon, he focuses on Western issues. His coverage areas include climate, energy development, public lands and infrastructure.
Ashley Murray covers the nation’s capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Her coverage areas include domestic policy and appropriations.
Jennifer covers the nation’s capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Her coverage areas include congressional policy, politics and legal challenges with a focus on health care, unemployment, housing and aid to families.
Ariana covers the nation's capital for States Newsroom. Her areas of coverage include politics and policy, lobbying, elections and campaign finance.
STORIES
One-dose vaccine gets FDA green light after advisory panel OK
WASHINGTON — A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Friday gave its green light to a COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, signaling that states will soon see a third vaccine option in their weekly shipments — and the first that only requires one shot. Emergency-use authorization from the FDA Saturday swiftly followed the unanimous […]
Sprawling $1.9T COVID-19 relief bill passed by the U.S. House
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House on a nearly party-line vote passed President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic aid package early Saturday, in a rush to both boost COVID-19 vaccine funding and get legislation to the president’s desk before unemployment benefits expire in mid-March. The package, dubbed the American Rescue Plan, passed 219-212. It includes a gradual […]
Game-changing one-dose vaccine could be in states’ hands shortly
WASHINGTON — States struggling to provide enough COVID-19 vaccines are likely just a few days away from a pivotal development in the vaccination race: the availability of a shot that requires only one dose. The game-changing Johnson & Johnson vaccine would differ from the two current shots by Pfizer and Moderna in several critical ways. […]
U.S. Senate panel calls on governors, mayor to talk big new infrastructure package
WASHINGTON — Senators who could decide the fate of President Joe Biden’s push for a major new infrastructure package seemed open to his priorities at a hearing Wednesday, particularly Biden’s emphasis on replacing vehicles that run on gas and diesel with ones that use electric power. But when it came to the question of who […]
Big uptick in vaccine supplies for states expected soon
WASHINGTON — Executives from five COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers told Congress Tuesday that they expect to significantly boost the number of shots delivered to states in the coming weeks. Pfizer will increase weekly shipments to more than 13 million doses by mid-March, an increase from the 4 to 5 million doses shipped weekly in early February, […]
Feds ship out COVID-19 vaccines delayed by winter storms
WASHINGTON — White House officials said Monday that thawing temperatures and a weekend of around-the-clock work has begun to clear a backlog of 6 million COVID-19 vaccines that were delayed due to last week’s devastating winter storms. On Monday, 7 million doses were set for delivery across the country, a figure that includes both delayed […]
Vaccinations slow after storms delay shipments of 6 million COVID-19 doses
WASHINGTON — The extreme cold weather across much of the country has delayed 6 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, slowing a vaccination rate that has been steadily rising since the Biden administration took office last month. The backlogged doses account for roughly three days’ of delayed shipments affecting all 50 states, due to road closures, snowed-in […]
U.S. Senate hears from Ohio on the need for economic relief, minimum wage boost
WASHINGTON — In anticipation of U.S. House votes on President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, Sen. Sherrod Brown held a Thursday hearing heavy on Ohio witnesses who stressed the urgent need for help at the grassroots. Brown, an Ohio Democrat who chairs the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, said that the […]
Biden backs reparations study, as House Dems push for commission
WASHINGTON — The White House on Wednesday indicated that President Joe Biden would support studying reparations for slavery, the same day that House Democrats held a hearing on legislation that would set up a reparations commission. But White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stopped short of saying Biden would sign the bill under consideration by […]
Added COVID-19 testing on the way with $1.6B from the Biden administration
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is directing $1.6 billion to bolster COVID-19 testing nationally, including money to expand testing in schools and homeless shelters, boost supplies needed for testing, and analyze results to more quickly identify new strains of the virus. Roughly $650 million of the sum would go toward creating regional coordinating centers, which will […]
Proposed $15-an-hour minimum wage would boost paychecks in certain areas
WASHINGTON — A gradual increase in the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour would increase the pay of low-income workers across the U.S. but particularly in much of the South, researchers and experts predict. Florida recently voted to increase its minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026, but the Sunshine State is an […]
Bipartisan state, local leaders in Biden meeting push for direct aid in COVID-19 relief
WASHINGTON — Bipartisan mayors from Detroit and Miami who met at the White House on Friday with President Joe Biden emerged saying they back his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package and urged it be passed. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, a Republican, defended the need for $350 billion in the Biden plan for states and localities, […]