US Lawmakers Approve $900 Billion Coronavirus Aid Package

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The U.S. Congress has passed a massive year-end bill that includes both a $900 billion coronavirus aid package as well as $1.4 trillion in annual government funding.Both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed the measure with overwhelming support late Monday, with lawmakers having only a few hours to look over the more than 5,000-page bill.  They were facing a midnight deadline to keep the U.S. government funded.President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill in the coming days.The legislation comes after weeks of negotiations during which Democratic and Republican leaders clashed over how much government assistance tomore

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More Than 70 West Point Cadets Accused of Cheating on Exam

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More than 70 cadets training at the U.S. Military Academy to be Army officers have been accused of cheating on a math exam taken online when they were studying remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic.  Lt. Col. Christopher Ophardt, spokesman for the academy at West Point, said Monday that 73 cadets were accused of cheating on the calculus exam in May after instructors noticed irregularities in answers. All but one were freshmen, or plebes, in a class of 1,200. The other was a sophomore. “West Point honor code and character development program remains strong despite remote learning and the challenges broughtmore

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US Attorney General: ‘No Reason’ for Special Counsel on Election, Biden’s Son 

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Outgoing Attorney General William Barr said he saw “no reason” to appoint a special counsel on potential election fraud or the tax investigation into the son of President-elect Joe Biden.  Barr said Monday in his final press conference that the investigation into Hunter Biden’s financial dealings was “being handled responsibly and professionally.”  “I have not seen a reason to appoint a special counsel and I have no plan to do so before I leave,” he said.  Barr also told The Associated Press in a previous interview that he had seen no evidence of widespread voting fraud, despite President Donald Trump’smore

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AG: ‘No Reason’ for Special Counsel on Election, Biden’s Son 

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Outgoing Attorney General William Barr said he saw “no reason” to appoint a special counsel on potential election fraud or the tax investigation into the son of President-elect Joe Biden.  Barr said Monday in his final press conference that the investigation into Hunter Biden’s financial dealings was “being handled responsibly and professionally.”  “I have not seen a reason to appoint a special counsel and I have no plan to do so before I leave,” he said.  Barr also told The Associated Press in a previous interview that he had seen no evidence of widespread voting fraud, despite President Donald Trump’smore

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Trump Wants Supreme Court to Overturn Pennsylvania Election Results

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Undeterred by dismissals and admonitions from judges, President Donald Trump’s campaign continued with its unprecedented efforts to overturn the results of the November 3 election Sunday, saying it had filed a new petition with the Supreme Court.The petition seeks to reverse a trio of Pennsylvania Supreme Court cases having to do with mail-in ballots and asks the court to reject voters’ will and allow the Pennsylvania General Assembly to pick its own slate of electors.While the prospect of the highest court in the land throwing out the results of a democratic election based on unfounded charges of voter fraud ismore

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Georgia Republicans Debate Whether to Vote in Runoff Elections

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As the U.S. state of Georgia begins early voting in a pair of runoff elections that will determine party control of the U.S. Senate, many Republicans are debating whether to vote in a system they believe to be fraudulent.“I think the presidential election was rigged,” Georgia resident Kyle Huneycutt, a Republican voter, told VOA, referring to the November 3 election that saw Joe Biden, a Democrat, defeat Republican President Donald Trump. “And I have very little confidence in Georgia’s capacity to conduct a fair and accurate election in January, either.”A POLITICO/Morning Consult survey from last month showed that even thoughmore

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Deal on Fed Removes Obstacle to US COVID Relief

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Top congressional lawmakers struck a late-night agreement on the last major obstacle to a COVID-19 economic relief package costing nearly $1 trillion, clearing the way for votes as early as Sunday.A Democratic aide said in an email that an agreement had been reached late Saturday and that compromise language was being finalized to seal a deal to be unveiled on Sunday.The breakthrough involved a fight over Federal Reserve emergency powers that was defused by an odd couple: the Senate’s top Democrat and a senior conservative Republican.“We’re getting very close, very close,” Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said earlier Saturday asmore

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Pentagon Plan on Cyber Split Draws Strong Hill Criticism 

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The Pentagon is proposing to end an arrangement in which a single military officer leads two of the nation’s main cybersecurity organizations, a move that a leading Democrat said Saturday makes him “profoundly concerned” amid a large-scale hacking campaign on U.S. government computer systems.Representative Adam Smith, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a letter to acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller that he objected to the way the Pentagon was going about splitting off U.S. Cyber Command from the National Security Agency.Both organizations currently are headed by Army General Paul Nakasone, an arrangement known as “dual-hatting.””Any action tomore

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Congressional Negotiators Down to a Few Issues on $900B US Aid Plan

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Negotiators were down to a handful of issues as they sought to finalize an almost $1 trillion COVID-19 economic relief package Saturday, still optimistic the overdue talks would soon produce an agreement. The Senate convened a Saturday session, while House members stood by for a vote that will come no earlier than Sunday.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said a provision by Senator Pat Toomey, R-Pa., that would curb emergency Federal Reserve powers was the biggest hurdle to sealing a deal.”That has to be resolved. And then everything will fall into place,” she said. “It’s a very significant difference.”Democrats said Toomey’smore

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Congress Averts Shutdown; Fight Continues Over Pandemic Aid

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Congress passed a two-day stopgap spending bill Friday night, averting a partial government shutdown and buying yet more time for frustratingly slow endgame negotiations on an almost $1 trillion COVID-19 economic relief package.The virus aid talks remained on track, both sides said, but closing out final disagreements was proving difficult. Weekend sessions were on tap, and House leaders hoped for a vote on Sunday on the massive package, which wraps much of Capitol Hill’s unfinished 2020 business into a take-it-or-leave-it behemoth.The House passed the temporary funding bill by a 320-60 vote. The Senate approved it by voice vote almost immediatelymore

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Congress Passes Bill to Avert US Government Shutdown

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Congress swiftly passed a two-day stopgap spending bill Friday night to avert a partial government shutdown, trying to buy time for frustratingly slow endgame negotiations on an almost $1 trillion COVID-19 economic relief package.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said early in the day he was “even more optimistic now than I was last night,” but Democrats launched a concerted campaign to block an effort by Republicans to rein in emergency Federal Reserve lending powers. They said the GOP proposal would deprive President-elect Joe Biden of crucial tools to manage the economy.U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky,more

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Snags on US COVID-19 Relief May Force Weekend Sessions

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It’s a hurry up and wait moment on Capitol Hill as congressional negotiators on a must-pass, almost $1 trillion COVID-19 economic relief package struggled through a handful of remaining snags. The holdups mean a weekend session now appears virtually certain, and a top lawmaker warned that a government shutdown this weekend can’t be ruled out.All sides appeared hopeful that the wrangling wouldn’t derail the legislation, even as the chances for announcing a deal Thursday slipped away. After being bogged down for much of the day, negotiators reported behind-the-scenes progress Thursday night.The central elements of a hard-fought compromise appeared in place:more

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Biden Names Michael Regan as EPA Head 

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President-elect Joe Biden has picked Michael S. Regan,  head of North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality, to head the Environmental Protection Agency.North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat who hired Regan, called him “a consensus builder and a fierce protector of the environment. He’s been part of a strong, diverse cabinet in North Carolina. And if he is selected by the president-elect, I have no doubt that he will do the same kind of job for our country,” The Associated Press reported.Democratic U.S. Representative G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina said Regan was “well-prepared to meet the environmental challenges of ourmore

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As Pandemic Rages Across US, Congress Scrambles to Reach Relief Deal

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As the coronavirus pandemic roared to new record highs across the United States, it lit a fire in the U.S. Congress, where Republicans and Democrats were scrambling to pass a new round of aid after months of partisan finger-pointing and inaction. Even as they contemplated passing a third stopgap measure to give them a few more days to agree on final amounts, lawmakers from both parties said COVID-19’s worsening toll meant that failure to agree was no longer an option. Multiple lawmakers floated the possibility the federal government would run out of money early Saturday morning while the COVID-19 relief negotiations continuemore

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Biden Names Deb Haaland as First Native American to Head Interior

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President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate New Mexico Congresswoman Deb Haaland to be secretary of the interior. She would be the first Native American to lead the agency. Haaland, 60, is a member of the Laguna Pueblo. The Interior Department has a large influence over the country’s nearly 600 federally recognized tribes, in addition to overseeing federal lands, including wildlife, national parks and mineral wealth. Native American groups were pleased. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said he was overjoyed, according to The Associated Press. “It is truly a historic and unprecedented day for all Indigenous people,” he said. Environmental groups also praised the choice. “Representativemore

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US Lawmakers Nearing COVID-19 Aid Deal Ahead of Holiday Break 

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U.S. lawmakers are nearing agreement on an almost $750 billion aid deal addressing the economic impact of the coronavirus.“We made major headway toward hammering out a targeted pandemic relief package that would be able to pass both chambers with bipartisan majorities,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor Wednesday.The aid package is based on a $908 billion proposal unveiled by a bipartisan group of senators Monday and will likely set aside the two major points of contention between the parties: business liability protections and state and local aid.FILE – A restaurant closed for indoor dining to curbmore

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Pompeo Quarantines, but Tests Negative for Coronavirus

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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is quarantining after an encounter with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus, the State Department said Wednesday. Pompeo tested negative. The top U.S. diplomat “is being closely monitored by the department’s medical team,” a spokesperson said. The agency said that “for reasons of privacy,” it would not identify the infected person who came in contact with Pompeo. “The secretary has been tested and is negative,” the spokesperson said, but in accordance with the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “he will be in quarantine.” It was not known how Pompeo encountered someone infectedmore

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Barr Resignation Caps Controversial Term

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U.S. Attorney General William Barr abruptly resigned this week, capping a controversial tenure during which he was applauded by Republicans for restoring the rule of law and excoriated by critics for acting more like President Donald Trump’s personal attorney than the nation’s top law enforcement officer.   Trump announced Barr’s resignation Monday on Twitter, writing that the 70-year-old attorney general will be stepping down on December 23, a little less than two years after the president tapped him to replace his first, ousted Attorney General Jeff Sessions.   Controversy over Barr’s 22 months at the helm of the Justice Department, the secondmore

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US Supreme Court Takes Up NCAA Appeal over Benefit Limits for College Athletes 

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The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a bid by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to defend its limits on education-related compensation for college basketball and football players. The justices took up an appeal by the NCAA, the major governing body for U.S. intercollegiate sports, of a May decision by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that deemed the organization’s rules anticompetitive under a federal law called the Sherman Antitrust Act.The justices also agreed to hear a related appeal brought by major college sports conferences including all of the big-money so-called Power Five conferences: the Bigmore

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Mexico’s President Congratulates Biden on Election Win

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Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador congratulated U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on his election victory, after U.S. state electors voted Monday to make Biden’s election official.  Speaking at his daily news conference in Mexico City on Tuesday, López Obrador told reporters he intentionally waited until after the Electoral College vote before writing Biden. The Mexican leader read the letter as it was displayed behind him, in which he called for good bilateral relations with the United States and the Biden administration “based on collaboration, friendship and respect for our sovereignty.” López Obrador said he was certain that with Biden as president itmore

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Biden to Pick Former Michigan Gov. Granholm as Energy Secretary

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President-elect Joe Biden is expected to pick former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm to be secretary of energy in his administration, two people familiar with the decision said Tuesday. Granholm, 61, was Michigan’s first female governor, serving two terms in the battleground state from 2003 to 2011. She worked with Biden, who was vice president under former President Barack Obama, on the 2009 bailout of automobile manufacturers General Motors and Chrysler. A spokesman for Biden’s transition team did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for Granholm did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. While governor, Granholm supported efforts to buildmore

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No Sign of Trump Concession as Top Senate Republican Admits Biden Won

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After weeks of silence, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, following Monday’s formal vote by the Electoral College that cemented Biden’s victory in the November 3 election. Yet there is still no sign President Donald Trump is willing to accept defeat. White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara reports. …

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Mackenzie Scott Gives $4.2 Billion to Help ‘Vulnerable’

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MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, said Tuesday she has given $4.2 billion to groups helping the vulnerable, as the pandemic hits lives like “a wrecking ball.” Scott, who formerly went by the name MacKenzie Bezos, last year signed a “giving pledge” to donate the bulk of her wealth to charity. In a round of donations early this year, Scott gave nearly $1.7 billion to groups devoted to race, gender and economic equality, as well as other social causes. “This pandemic has been a wrecking ball in the lives of Americans already struggling,” Scott said in a post detailing hermore

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Lawmakers Race to Make COVID-19 Aid Deal Ahead of Holiday Break

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Republican and Democratic leaders continued negotiations Tuesday in an effort to reach an agreement on a new round of coronavirus aid that has eluded lawmakers for months.  Without a deal, several key programs are set to expire at the end of month, including unemployment aid that reaches 12 million out-of-work Americans and a rental eviction moratorium that is keeping an estimated 40 million Americans sheltered during the cold winter months.  Funding for the U.S. government also is set to run out Friday, when a short-term extension expires.   Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has suggested that to pass more funding formore

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