INSIDER
Club Q shooting survivors press Congress to act on guns
Read full article: Club Q shooting survivors press Congress to act on gunsSurvivors of last month’s deadly mass shooting at a Colorado gay nightclub have testified to Congress about the onslaught of threats and violence against members of the LGBTQ community as they urged lawmakers to pass a law banning some semiautomatic weapons.
IRS contractor gets more scrutiny in congressional report
Read full article: IRS contractor gets more scrutiny in congressional reportHouse investigators say a federal contractor that provided identity verification services for the Internal Revenue Service overstated its capacity to perform its services.
Documents show big foreign gov't spending at Trump hotel
Read full article: Documents show big foreign gov't spending at Trump hotelThe Trump hotel in Washington took in more than $750,000 from six foreign governments at sensitive moments in their U.S. relations, with guests spending as much as $10,000 per room a night.
House panel: Trump's bills to Secret Service 'exorbitant'
Read full article: House panel: Trump's bills to Secret Service 'exorbitant'Donald Trump’s private company arranged for the Secret Service to pay for rooms at his properties in excess of government-approved rates at least 40 times — including two charges for more than $1,100 per room, per night.
Archives: Records from Trump WH staffers remain missing
Read full article: Archives: Records from Trump WH staffers remain missingThe National Archives has informed congressional lawmakers that a number of electronic communications from Trump White House staffers remain missing, nearly two years since the administration was required to turn them over.
House OKs bill to curb political interference with census
Read full article: House OKs bill to curb political interference with censusThe House has passed legislation on a party-line vote that aims to make it harder for future presidents to interfere in the once-a-decade headcount that determines political power and federal funding.
Panel: Archives still not certain it has all Trump records
Read full article: Panel: Archives still not certain it has all Trump recordsA congressional oversight committee has requested an assessment from the National Archives on whether presidential records removed by former President Donald Trump remain unaccounted for and potentially in his possession.
House committee reaches deal to get Trump financial records
Read full article: House committee reaches deal to get Trump financial recordsA House committee seeking financial records from former President Donald Trump has reached an agreement that ends litigation on the matter and requires his accounting firm to turn over certain records to the panel.
Nadler defeats Maloney in battle of top House Democrats
Read full article: Nadler defeats Maloney in battle of top House DemocratsU.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler has defeated U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney in a Democratic primary after a court forced the two veteran lawmakers into the same New York City congressional district.
2 New York Democrats ousted from US House in primary losses
Read full article: 2 New York Democrats ousted from US House in primary lossesTwo New York Democrats were ousted from the U.S. House in primary elections Tuesday after redistricting shuffled congressional districts in one of the nation’s largest liberal states.
Florida Democrats choose Rep. Crist to challenge DeSantis
Read full article: Florida Democrats choose Rep. Crist to challenge DeSantisU.S. Rep. Charlie Crist has won the Democratic nomination for governor in Florida, putting him in position to challenge Gov. Ron DeSantis this fall in a campaign the Republican incumbent is eyeing as the first step toward a potential White House run.
DHS watchdog rebuffs lawmakers on Secret Service testimony
Read full article: DHS watchdog rebuffs lawmakers on Secret Service testimonyThe Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general has refused congressional requests for documents and staff testimony about the erasure of Secret Service communication related to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack at the Capitol.
Schumer endorses Nadler in New York Democratic House race
Read full article: Schumer endorses Nadler in New York Democratic House raceU.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York is endorsing Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler in his contentious primary contest with another veteran U.S. House member from New York, Carolyn Maloney.
Timeline of events leading up to FBI search of Trump’s home
Read full article: Timeline of events leading up to FBI search of Trump’s homeThe FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate has already sent reverberations across the country even as new details emerge about what federal agents were looking for in the investigation into whether he took classified records from the White House to his Florida residence.
One thing voters agree on: Fresh voices needed in politics
Read full article: One thing voters agree on: Fresh voices needed in politicsPolitical divides in the U.S. seem deeper than ever, but one of the few shared sentiments right now from voters of all stripes is the desire for something different.
Bill attempts to prevent political meddling in US head count
Read full article: Bill attempts to prevent political meddling in US head countA U.S. Census Bureau director couldn’t be fired without cause and new questions to a census form would have to be vetted by Congress under proposed legislation that attempts to prevent in the future the type of political interference into the nation’s head count that took place during the Trump administration.
Snyder camp says he'll testify voluntary, not subpoenaed
Read full article: Snyder camp says he'll testify voluntary, not subpoenaedThe attorney for Dan Snyder told the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform there is no reason for the owner of the Washington Commanders to testify under subpoena for the congressional investigation into the NFL team’s workplace culture.
Congress alleges 'shadow' probe by Commanders owner Snyder
Read full article: Congress alleges 'shadow' probe by Commanders owner SnyderA U.S. House committee says Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder conducted a “shadow investigation” that sought to discredit former employees making accusations of workplace sexual harassment.
Commanders' Snyder won't testify before US House committee
Read full article: Commanders' Snyder won't testify before US House committeeA lawyer representing Dan Snyder told Congress the Washington Commanders owner will not testify at a hearing next week as part of an investigation into the team’s workplace conduct.
4th grade Uvalde survivor: ‘I don’t want it to happen again’
Read full article: 4th grade Uvalde survivor: ‘I don’t want it to happen again’An 11-year-old girl who survived the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, has told members of Congress how she covered herself in her dead classmate’s blood and played dead to avoid being shot.
House Oversight Committee invites Goodell, Snyder to appear
Read full article: House Oversight Committee invites Goodell, Snyder to appearThe U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform has invited NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder to appear at a hearing later this month.
New York's hasty redistricting rewrite draws ire of locals
Read full article: New York's hasty redistricting rewrite draws ire of localsNew York’s political landscape for the next decade is being quickly retooled by a rural judge and out-of-state expert after a court ruled Democrats controlling New York's legislature bungled the job.
Court expert draws more GOP-friendly New York political maps
Read full article: Court expert draws more GOP-friendly New York political mapsA court-appointed expert released a draft of new congressional maps for New York that are more favorable to Republicans than the original gerrymandered political maps drawn by Democrats.
Lawmakers scrutinize McKinsey's opioid, FDA consulting work
Read full article: Lawmakers scrutinize McKinsey's opioid, FDA consulting workLawmakers vowed to continue investigating consulting firm McKinsey after a hearing scrutinizing its work for the Food and Drug Administration even as it advised opioid makers on boosting sales.
AP source: DOJ denies panel details in Trump records probe
Read full article: AP source: DOJ denies panel details in Trump records probeThe Justice Department has declined a request this week from the House oversight committee regarding the contents of records that former President Donald Trump took to his Florida residence after leaving the White House.
Govt watchdog faults Postal Service analysis of new trucks
Read full article: Govt watchdog faults Postal Service analysis of new trucksA government watchdog says the U.S. Postal Service's environmental evaluation used for purchases of next-generation delivery vehicles relied on some false assumptions.
Trump DC hotel gets OK to sell to Miami investment fund
Read full article: Trump DC hotel gets OK to sell to Miami investment fundDonald Trump’s luxury hotel near the White House has received government approval to hand the keys to a Miami investment fund in a sale many industry experts doubted would ever go through.
FBI eyeing 6 suspects after bomb threats at Black colleges
Read full article: FBI eyeing 6 suspects after bomb threats at Black collegesAs the nation’s historically Black colleges remain on edge after receiving dozens of bomb threats in recent weeks, federal law enforcement officials said they have identified six people who they believe are responsible.
House panel launches probe of New Mexico 2020 election audit
Read full article: House panel launches probe of New Mexico 2020 election auditA congressional oversight committee has opened an investigation into a partisan audit of the 2020 election results that is taking place in New Mexico and was authorized by a Republican-led county commission.
House Dems seek probe of USPS plan for new mail truck fleet
Read full article: House Dems seek probe of USPS plan for new mail truck fleetDemocrats on the House Oversight Committee are seeking an investigation into a U.S. Postal Service plan to replace its aging mail trucks with mostly gasoline-powered vehicles.
House panel requests Trump WH records from National Archives
Read full article: House panel requests Trump WH records from National ArchivesA congressional oversight committee has sought additional documents from the National Archives related to former President Donald Trump’s handling of White House records.
Records obtained by Jan. 6 panel don't list Trump's calls
Read full article: Records obtained by Jan. 6 panel don't list Trump's callsWhite House call logs obtained so far by the House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol do not list calls made by then-President Donald Trump as he watched the violence unfold on television.
Congress urges Washington Football Team to lift NDAs
Read full article: Congress urges Washington Football Team to lift NDAsTwo members of the House of Representatives are urging the NFL and the Washington Football Team to release individuals from non-disclosure agreements that would prevent them from discussing sexual harassment and workplace issues at owner Daniel Snyder’s club.
Democratic chair issues subpoenas to oil executives
Read full article: Democratic chair issues subpoenas to oil executivesThe chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee has issued subpoenas to top executives of ExxonMobil, Chevron and other oil giants, charging that the companies have not turned over documents needed by the committee to investigate allegations that the oil industry concealed evidence about the dangers of global warming.
Oil giants deny spreading disinformation on climate change
Read full article: Oil giants deny spreading disinformation on climate changeTop executives of ExxonMobil and other oil giants have denied spreading disinformation about climate change while sparring with congressional Democrats over allegations that the industry concealed evidence about the dangers of global warming.
Congressional members share own abortion stories at hearing
Read full article: Congressional members share own abortion stories at hearingThree Democratic members of Congress have offered deeply personal testimony about their own abortions as a congressional committee looks at how to respond to conservative states that are passing laws limiting abortion access.
Democrats call oil giants to testify on climate campaign
Read full article: Democrats call oil giants to testify on climate campaignCongressional Democrats are calling top executives at ExxonMobil and other oil giants to testify about what lawmakers say is a long-running, industry-wide campaign to spread disinformation about the role of fossil fuels in causing global warming.
Arizona county to spend $3M on voting machines after audit
Read full article: Arizona county to spend $3M on voting machines after auditArizona’s largest county has approved nearly $3 million for new vote-counting machines to replace those given to legislative Republicans for a partisan review of the 2020 election.
Medicare evaluating coverage for $56,000 Alzheimer's drug
Read full article: Medicare evaluating coverage for $56,000 Alzheimer's drugMedicare is launching a formal process to decide whether to cover the new Alzheimer’s drug, Aduhelm, whose $56,000-a-year price tag and unproven benefits have prompted widespread criticism and a congressional investigation.
Purdue Pharma exit plan gains steam with OK from more states
Read full article: Purdue Pharma exit plan gains steam with OK from more statesOxyContin maker Purdue Pharma's plan to reorganize into an entity whose profits will be used to combat the U.S. opioid crisis got a big boost as 15 states have dropped their objections to the new business model.
President Biden signs bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday
Read full article: President Biden signs bill making Juneteenth a federal holidayPresident Joe Biden has signed legislation Thursday establishing a new federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery, saying he believes it will go down as one of the greatest honors he has as president.
Democrats push bill aimed at family that owns Purdue Pharma
Read full article: Democrats push bill aimed at family that owns Purdue PharmaA congressional committee has heard grievances against the owners of OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma as it considered legislation that would keep them from using a corporate bankruptcy as a shield for personal liability.
The Latest: Hearing on Capitol riot wraps; little new info
Read full article: The Latest: Hearing on Capitol riot wraps; little new infoA House hearing on the federal response to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection has concluded after more than five hours of testimony that exposed stark partisan divisions.
New law cracks down on shell companies to combat corruption
Read full article: New law cracks down on shell companies to combat corruptionFILE - This Thursday, June 6, 2019 file photo shows the U.S. Treasury Department building at dusk in Washington. “It required all kinds of shoe-leather investigating to identify who was really behind these shell companies,” recalled Alonso. For the first time, shell companies will be required to provide the names of their owners or face stiff penalties and jail sentences. The information will be stored in a confidential database accessible to federal law enforcement and shared with banks who are often unwitting accomplices to international corruption. Box and a registered agent who is frequently a law firm dedicated to churning out companies in bulk.
Family behind OxyContin attests to its role in opioid crisis
Read full article: Family behind OxyContin attests to its role in opioid crisisMembers of the family that owns OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma have acknowledged the drug had a role in the opioid crisis but have stopped short of apologizing or admitting wrongdoing. “I want to express my family’s deep sadness about the opioid crisis,” David Sackler, whose family owns Purdue Pharma, said at a rare appearance in a public forum. In contrast to the family members, Purdue CEO Craig Landau testified that the company accepts “full responsibility." The deal leaves open the possibility that family members could be criminally prosecuted. He also noted that about half of what family members took out of the company was paid in taxes.
Family members who own Purdue to appear before Congress
Read full article: Family members who own Purdue to appear before CongressTwo members of the Sackler family who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma agreed to appear this week before a congressional committee investigating the family and the company's role in the national opioid addiction and overdose epidemic. The committee scheduled and then canceled a hearing earlier this month after family members would not commit to appearing. Under the deal, family members would also pay at least $3 billion in cash over time. Most Democratic state attorneys general oppose the settlement, saying they want more accountability for Sackler family members. The agreement did not result in criminal claims against Sackler family members, but left open the possibility that some could be brought.
Census numbers-crunching documents at center of latest fight
Read full article: Census numbers-crunching documents at center of latest fightGovernment attorneys had asked Koh over the weekend to reconsider her order to release the documents or put it on hold. Last week, Koh ordered the government attorneys to produce documents that show details of the Census Bureau ’s plans, procedures and schedules for the numbers-crunching phase of the 2020 census. Democratic U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, the committee's chair, has alleged that the Republican Trump administration is blocking the release of full, unredacted documents she requested about data anomalies. The Census Bureau has admitted discovering data irregularities in recent weeks that put the Dec. 31 deadline in jeopardy. Besides being used for apportionment and redistricting, the 2020 census numbers will help determine the distribution of $1.5 trillion in federal spending.
House committee issues subpoena for Census documents
Read full article: House committee issues subpoena for Census documentsThe congressional committee that oversees the Census Bureau issued a subpoena Thursday to U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, seeking documents related to data irregularities that threaten to upend a yearend deadline for submitting numbers used for divvying up congressional seats. The anomalies will likely force a delay of several weeks past a Dec. 31 deadline for the Census Bureau to turn in the congressional apportionment numbers. In a letter last week, Maloney wrote that the Commerce Department — which oversees the Census Bureau — missed a Nov. 24 deadline to give the documents to the committee. The Census Bureau said last week that the data irregularities affect only a tiny percentage of the records and are being resolved as quickly as possible. The House committee has obtained three new internal agency documents showing the Census Bureau plans to deliver the apportionment numbers to the president no earlier than Jan. 23, which would be shortly after Trump leaves office and President-elect Joe Biden takes over.
Census Bureau says data irregularities being fixed quickly
Read full article: Census Bureau says data irregularities being fixed quicklyThe U.S. Census Bureau says the data irregularities that are putting in jeopardy a year-end deadline for turning in numbers used for divvying up congressional seats affect only a tiny percentage of the records and are being resolved as quickly as possible. The timeline remains in flux for turning in the apportionment numbers used for deciding how many congressional seats and Electoral College votes each state gets in future elections, the Census Bureau said in a statement late Wednesday. “These kinds of anomalies and issues are expected and are similar to the Census Bureau’s experience in prior decennial censuses," the bureau said. “What is certain is that the Census Bureau is working to thoroughly correct and address all issues and anomalies as a part of its mission to deliver accurate 2020 Census data products as close to the statutory deadline as possible." The data anomalies represent less than seven-tenths of 1% of records, according to the Census Bureau.
House committee chair presses Census on delays to count
Read full article: House committee chair presses Census on delays to countMaloney wrote that the Commerce Department — which oversees the Census Bureau — missed a Nov. 24 deadline to give the documents to the committee. Maloney threatened a subpoena if “a full and unredacted set” of the requested documents are not given to the committee by Dec. 9. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Census Bureau switched its deadline for wrapping up the once-a-decade head count of every U.S. resident from the end of July to the end of October. The Census Bureau already was facing a shortened schedule of two and a half months for processing the data collected during the 2020 census — about half the time originally planned. The bureau has not officially said what the anomalies were or publicly stated if there would be a new deadline for the apportionment numbers.
Health contractors vetted stars' politics for US virus ad
Read full article: Health contractors vetted stars' politics for US virus adThis photo combination shows from left: musician Christina Aguilera in Los Angeles, March 29, 2012, comedian George Lopez in Los Angeles, Dec. 25, 2012, and actor Jack Black in Las Vegas, April 25, 2012. Public relations firms hired by the Department of Health and Human Services vetted the political views of hundreds of celebrities, including Aguilera, Lopez, and Black, for a health education advertising campaign on the coronavirus outbreak. That's according to documents released Thursday by a House committee.
US vetted stars' politics to showcase Trump virus response
Read full article: US vetted stars' politics to showcase Trump virus responseDirector Judd Apatow believes Trump “does not have the intellectual capacity to run as president,” according to a list of more than 200 celebrities compiled by one of the firms. “I have ordered a strategic review of this public health education campaign that will be led by our top public health and communications experts to determine whether the campaign serves important public health purposes,” Azar told the subcommittee, which is investigating the federal government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. Because public health policy around the coronavirus pandemic has become so politically polarized, it’s unclear how well a confidence-building campaign from the government would play. And Trump has alienated much of the medical establishment with his dismissive comments about basic public health measures, such as wearing masks. Antony and Quaid were among just a few celebrities who were approved for the campaign, according to the documents.
US official: 2020 census to end Oct. 5 despite court order
Read full article: US official: 2020 census to end Oct. 5 despite court orderThe tweet said the ability for people to self-respond to the census questionnaire and the door-knocking phase when census takers go to homes that haven't yet responded are targeted to end Oct. 5. Monday's statement was noteworthy in that it was solely attributed to the commerce secretary, while previous announcements about census schedule changes had been made either by Census Bureau director Steven Dillingham or both men jointly. In upstate New York, a census supervisor told her census takers Friday that the Buffalo office was operating with Sept. 30 as the end date, according to a text obtained by AP. In response to the pandemic, the Census Bureau last April pushed back the deadline for ending the 2020 census from the end of July to the end of October. The bureau also asked Congress to let it turn in numbers used for apportionment from the end of December to the end of April.
Order forces Census to do more visits, rely less on records
Read full article: Order forces Census to do more visits, rely less on recordsThat likely increased the workload of the door-knocking census takers, causing slight decreases in completion rates for the moment. The Census Bureau said in an email Thursday that the footnote applied only to the date it was posted, Sept. 14, and that's why it was removed in future posts. The temporary restraining order was requested by a coalition of cities, counties and civil rights groups whose lawsuit demanded the Census Bureau restore its previous plan for finishing the census at the end of October. Two states asked Wednesday to join the lawsuit in opposition of the temporary restraining order. The script says that among the questions census takers would ask shelter residents during visits was their citizenship status.
Democrats propose sweeping bill to curb presidential abuses
Read full article: Democrats propose sweeping bill to curb presidential abusesWASHINGTON – House Democrats on Wednesday proposed a bill to curb presidential abuses, a pitch to voters weeks ahead of Election Day as they try to defeat President Donald Trump, capture the Senate from Republicans and keep their House majority. Each of the bill’s provisions is a response to actions by Trump or his administration that Democrats see as abuses of presidential power. It builds on an elections and ethics reform package the House passed soon after Democrats reclaimed the majority in 2019. Congress has yet to send to the president any legislation to try to curb foreign election interference after Russia meddled on several fronts in the 2016 presidential contest. “The degradation of our democracy over the past 3 1/2 years is not the work of the president alone,'' Schiff said.
House to investigate DeJoy possible campaign law violations
Read full article: House to investigate DeJoy possible campaign law violationsWASHINGTON House Democrats said Tuesday they will investigate whether Postmaster General Louis DeJoy encouraged employees at his business to contribute to Republican candidates and then reimbursed them in the guise of bonuses, a violation of campaign finance laws. Two former employees told the newspaper that DeJoy would later give bigger bonuses to reimburse for the contributions. Postal Service to immediately suspend DeJoy, whom they never should have selected in the first place.Monty Hagler, a spokesperson for DeJoy, told the Post that DeJoy was unaware that any workers felt pressure to make donations. Postal Service changes that some fear will slow delivery of mail-in ballots for the Nov. 3 elections. The House Oversight Committee recently subpoenaed DeJoy for records about widespread mail delivery delays that have pushed the Postal Service into the political spotlight.
Progressive challengers' year: 3 wins and some close calls
Read full article: Progressive challengers' year: 3 wins and some close callsBut some challengers lost, and their overall wins were a modest number compared with the 535 House and Senate members. Kessler wasn't impressed with the three progressive challengers who defeated Democratic incumbents, either. Other high-profile progressive hopefuls lost Senate Democratic primaries in Colorado, Maine and Texas, and House contests in states including Georgia, New York and Ohio. Jamaal Bowman, a Black educator raised by a single mom, defeated House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel of the Bronx and Westchester, New York. They're an effective and well-funded operation now," said Sean McElwee, who does polling and research for progressive Democrats.
Census document says cutting steps risks errors in count
Read full article: Census document says cutting steps risks errors in countORLANDO, Fla. To meet an end-of-the-year deadline, some steps in the numbers-crunching phase of the 2020 census will need to be cut and that could increase the risk for errors, according to an internal U.S. Census Bureau document made public Wednesday by House Democrats. Because of the pandemic, the Census Bureau revised its deadlines so the 2020 census would finish at the end of October. The letter included partial transcripts from briefings last week that top Census Bureau officials gave to the House committee. At several points during the briefings, officials at the Commerce Department, which oversees the Census Bureau, stopped the officials from the statistical agency from answering the questions, the letter noted. During the door-knocking phase, census takers go to homes that haven't yet responded to the census questionnaire either online, by phone or by mail.
House subpoenas embattled Postal Service leader over delays
Read full article: House subpoenas embattled Postal Service leader over delaysDemocrats have been pushing for increased oversight of the Postal Service following DeJoy's operational changes and Trump's baseless claims that mail-in voting will lead to widespread fraud. A spokesman for the Postal Service said the agency will comply with its legal obligations. Separately, an audit from the inspector general of the Postal Service found that more than a million mail-in ballots were sent to voters late during the primary elections. Also, an analysis of political and election mail in seven Postal Service processing centers between April and June identified around 1.6 million mailpieces that were not delivered on time. We can, and will, handle the volume of election mail we receive," DeJoy told the House Oversight committee last week.
Brother of impeachment figure claims White House retaliation
Read full article: Brother of impeachment figure claims White House retaliationIn the August complaint, Lt. Col Yevgeny Vindman alleges he faced retaliation from Trump and White House officials after raising concerns about the presidents pressure on Ukrainian officials to investigate Democrat Joe Bidens family the heart of the Democrats impeachment inquiry. Both Vindmans worked for the National Security Council in the White House and were reassigned to the Army after the Senate voted to acquit Trump in his impeachment trial. If the White House refuses to cooperate fully including by denying requests for documents or for interviews with White House officials we will have no other choice but to infer that any such actions were retaliatory, the Democrats wrote. Mark Zaid, a lawyer for Yevgeny Vindman, confirmed the existence of the complaint and said it states that that senior White House officials, to include the president, retaliated against him for performing his duty as an attorney and soldier. The White House did not immediately comment on the allegations. The allegations are wide-ranging, including his apprehension about the pressure on Ukraine and the behavior of OBrien, who was then the assistant to the president for national security affairs.
Central Park monument honors women's rights pioneers
Read full article: Central Park monument honors women's rights pioneersJaya Shri, 13, , right stands with friends at the unveiling of a new statue honoring suffragettes in Central Park on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020. bronze statue depicting womens rights pioneers Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony was unveiled in Central Park on Wednesday. It's the 167-year-old parks first monument honoring real historical women as opposed to fictional heroines like Alice in Wonderland and Shakespeares Juliet. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)NEW YORK A bronze statue depicting womens rights pioneers Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony was unveiled in Central Park on Wednesday, becoming the 167-year-old parks first monument honoring historical heroines, as opposed to fictional female characters like Alice in Wonderland and Shakespeares Juliet. The commission from Monumental Women, a nonprofit that formed in 2014 to raise funds for a suffragist statue in Central Park, originally included just Stanton and Anthony, two white leaders of the fight for women's equality. Truth, a Black woman who escaped slavery and went on to campaign for abolition as well as women's rights, was a late addition.
Postal chief urges voters to request, return ballots early
Read full article: Postal chief urges voters to request, return ballots earlyAcknowledging an expected surge in mail-in ballots because of the coronavirus pandemic, DeJoy says voters should mail back their ballots at least seven days prior to the election. Trump urged a no vote, railing on Twitter against mail-in ballots expected to surge in the COVID-19 crisis. He has said he wants to block extra funds to the Postal Service. Still, there were signs of bipartisan support for the Postal Service, one of the most popular government agencies with an approval rating above 90%. Twenty-six House Republicans broke with Trump and GOP leaders to back the House bill, which passed 257-150.
Pelosi to call House back into session to vote on USPS bill
Read full article: Pelosi to call House back into session to vote on USPS billWASHINGTON Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she is calling the House back into session over the crisis at the U.S. In a time of a pandemic, the Postal Service is Election Central," Pelosi wrote Sunday in a letter to colleagues, who had been expected to be out of session until September. The House Oversight and Reform Committee said it wants to hear from DeJoy and from the chair of the Postal Service board of governors, Robert Mike Duncan. With heightened scrutiny of its operations, the Postal Service is now requesting a temporary preelection rate increase, from mid-October through Christmas, although not for first-class letters. "Given the recent customer concerns the Postal Service will postpone removing boxes for a period of 90 days while we evaluate our customers concerns,'' Postal Service spokeswoman Kimberly Frum said.
House Dems summon postal leaders to hearing on mail delays
Read full article: House Dems summon postal leaders to hearing on mail delaysFILE - In this Aug. 5, 2020, file photo Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, left, is escorted to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)BEDMINSTER, N.J. The Democratic-run House on Sunday demanded that leaders of the U.S. Postal Service testify at an emergency oversight hearing Aug. 24 on mail delays as concerns grow that the Trump White House is trying to undermine the agency during the coronavirus pandemic while states expand mail-in voting options for the November presidential election. The House Oversight and Reform Committee said it wants to hear from new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and from the chair of the Postal Service board of governors, Robert Duncan. On Saturday, Trump tried to massage his message, saying he supports increasing money for the Postal Service.