INSIDER
Republicans on House Ethics reject for now releasing report on Matt Gaetz
Read full article: Republicans on House Ethics reject for now releasing report on Matt GaetzRepublicans on the House Ethics Committee voted Wednesday against releasing a report on their long-running investigation into President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz.
Kansas City Chiefs owner backs kicker Harrison Butker forming PAC supporting ‘traditional values’
Read full article: Kansas City Chiefs owner backs kicker Harrison Butker forming PAC supporting ‘traditional values’Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt says he has no issue with kicker Harrison Butker forming a political action committee designed to encourage Christians to vote for “traditional values.”.
Wesley Bell defeats ‘Squad’ member Cori Bush. A pro-Israel group spent $8.5 million to help oust her
Read full article: Wesley Bell defeats ‘Squad’ member Cori Bush. A pro-Israel group spent $8.5 million to help oust herSt. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell has defeated U.S. Rep. Cori Bush in a Democratic primary in St. Louis.
Sale of US Steel kicks up a political storm, but Pittsburgh isn't Steeltown USA anymore
Read full article: Sale of US Steel kicks up a political storm, but Pittsburgh isn't Steeltown USA anymorePittsburgh's most storied steel company, U.S. Steel, is on the cusp of being bought by Japanese steelmaker Nippon Steel Corp. in a deal that's kicking up an election year political maelstrom.
Senate passes bill to compensate Americans exposed to radiation by the government
Read full article: Senate passes bill to compensate Americans exposed to radiation by the governmentThe Senate has passed legislation that would compensate Americans exposed to radiation by the government by renewing a law initially passed more than three decades ago.
Homes near St. Louis County creek are being tested after radioactive contamination found in yards
Read full article: Homes near St. Louis County creek are being tested after radioactive contamination found in yardsA federal agency is examining soil beneath homes in a small suburban St. Louis subdivision to determine if residents are living atop Cold War era nuclear contamination.
As some call for his ouster, McConnell pushes back on GOP critics: 'They've had their shot'
Read full article: As some call for his ouster, McConnell pushes back on GOP critics: 'They've had their shot'After months of negotiations and delays, the Senate has voted to move forward on legislation that would provide wartime aid to Ukraine and Israel.
Meta, TikTok and other social media CEOs testify in heated Senate hearing on child exploitation
Read full article: Meta, TikTok and other social media CEOs testify in heated Senate hearing on child exploitationThe CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X and other social media companies have testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about child safety on their platforms.
St. Louis County prosecutor drops U.S. Senate bid, will instead oppose Cori Bush in House race
Read full article: St. Louis County prosecutor drops U.S. Senate bid, will instead oppose Cori Bush in House raceSt. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell is dropping his bid to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley in 2024, and will instead make a run at a fellow Democrat — U.S. Rep. Cori Bush.
Government should pay compensation for secretive Cold War-era testing, St. Louis victims say
Read full article: Government should pay compensation for secretive Cold War-era testing, St. Louis victims sayAs Congress considers payments to victims of Cold War-era nuclear contamination in the St. Louis region, people who were targeted for secret government testing from that same time period believe they’re due compensation, too.
US Senate votes to expand radiation-exposure compensation, from Guam to original A-bomb test site
Read full article: US Senate votes to expand radiation-exposure compensation, from Guam to original A-bomb test siteThe U.S. Senate has endorsed a major expansion of a compensation program for people sickened by exposure to radiation during nuclear weapons testing and the mining of uranium during the Cold War.
Missouri prosecutor Wesley Bell vies for GOP Sen. Hawley's seat
Read full article: Missouri prosecutor Wesley Bell vies for GOP Sen. Hawley's seatA Black prosecutor who stepped into leadership during protests over the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown is running for Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley's Missouri seat.
Bank execs blame panicked depositors for Silicon Valley, Signature failures, but senators blame them
Read full article: Bank execs blame panicked depositors for Silicon Valley, Signature failures, but senators blame themTop executives at Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank largely avoided taking responsibility for their banks’ dramatic failures at a Senate hearing Tuesday, instead using their time to assign blame to events they said were largely out of their control.
On Capitol attack anniversary, challenge of Hawley announced
Read full article: On Capitol attack anniversary, challenge of Hawley announcedTwo years to the day since U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley’s now-famous raised-fist salute to rioters at the U.S. Capitol, a Marine veteran who ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 2022 has announced that he’ll try to unseat Hawley in 2024.
GOP raises Mar-a-Lago search at Archives nominee's hearing
Read full article: GOP raises Mar-a-Lago search at Archives nominee's hearingPresident Joe Biden’s pick to head the National Archives is pledging to be a nonpartisan leader as she tries to allay concerns by Republicans considering her nomination.
Overturning Roe v. Wade isn't the end for abortion opponents
Read full article: Overturning Roe v. Wade isn't the end for abortion opponentsAnti-abortion groups are looking to the courts, lawmakers and elections to facilitate more abortion restrictions and bans after a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June left the issue up to states.
Missouri GOP contenders distance themselves from McConnell
Read full article: Missouri GOP contenders distance themselves from McConnellAs the U.S. Senate primary campaign nears its end in Missouri, all three of the leading Republican candidates are making it clear that if elected, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell won't have their support.
Trump's Ukraine impeachment shadows war, risks GOP response
Read full article: Trump's Ukraine impeachment shadows war, risks GOP responseEven the staunchest defense hawks in the Republican Party stood virtually united by Donald Trump’s side when the then-president was impeached in late 2019 after pressuring Ukraine’s leader for “a favor” and withholding $400 million in military aid.
Army pressed to fix dilapidated base housing by senators
Read full article: Army pressed to fix dilapidated base housing by senatorsU.S. senators are demanding that the Army put more money and effort into repairing poorly maintained and substandard base housing for military service members and their families.
Black women feel sting of 'traumatizing' Jackson hearings
Read full article: Black women feel sting of 'traumatizing' Jackson hearingsSupreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson had to endure hours of public scrutiny from skeptics during her Senate hearings this past week, and that's something familiar to many Black women.
Legal experts to weigh in on last day of Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing
Read full article: Legal experts to weigh in on last day of Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearingAfter more than 30 hours of hearings, the Senate is on track to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.
Jackson heading for likely confirmation despite GOP darts
Read full article: Jackson heading for likely confirmation despite GOP dartsJudge Ketanji Brown Jackson faced down a barrage of Republican questioning about her sentencing of criminal defendants on Wednesday, as her history-making bid to join the Supreme Court veered from lofty constitutional questions to attacks on her motivations as a judge.
Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson continues to answer questions in the Senate
Read full article: Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson continues to answer questions in the SenateSupreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson forcefully defended her record as a federal judge Tuesday, pushing back on Republican assertions that she would be soft on crime and declaring she would rule as an “independent jurist” if confirmed as the first Black woman on the high court.
History-making Jackson set for Senate hearing for high court
Read full article: History-making Jackson set for Senate hearing for high courtJudge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman nominated to the Supreme Court, is going before the Senate Judiciary Committee with the path to her historic confirmation seemingly clear.
Ketanji Brown Jackson's Guantanamo clients an issue for GOP
Read full article: Ketanji Brown Jackson's Guantanamo clients an issue for GOPPresident Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee will face sharp questions from Republican lawmakers this coming week about the work she did as a public defender representing four Guantanamo Bay detainees.
GOP split on alternative to Greitens in Missouri Senate race
Read full article: GOP split on alternative to Greitens in Missouri Senate raceFor all their angst about the possibility of former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens winning the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in the state, GOP leaders haven’t coalesced behind an alternative.
Trump talks Putin, grievances as GOP focuses on midterm wins
Read full article: Trump talks Putin, grievances as GOP focuses on midterm winsLeading Republicans spent much of the first three days at a conservative political gathering avoiding Donald Trump’s chief grievances or ignoring him altogether.
Trump reasserts GOP dominance as others focus on midterms
Read full article: Trump reasserts GOP dominance as others focus on midtermsOver three days, Republicans at the Conservative Political Action Conference seemed intent on avoiding Donald Trump’s grievances about the last election, and some ignored him altogether.
Republican rift exposes choice: With Trump or against him
Read full article: Republican rift exposes choice: With Trump or against himA rift over the Republican National Committee's symbolic vote to censure former President Donald Trump’s House GOP critics has exposed the competing forces fighting to control the party.
White House pushes GOP to end blockade of ambassador picks
Read full article: White House pushes GOP to end blockade of ambassador picksAs President Joe Biden announces two more ambassador nominees, the White House and Democrats are warning that maneuvering by some Senate Republicans to block all but a small fraction of Biden’s diplomatic and other national security appointees is doing serious harm to U.S. diplomatic efforts around the globe.
Lawsuit: NRA illegally funded Trump, other GOP candidates
Read full article: Lawsuit: NRA illegally funded Trump, other GOP candidatesA federal lawsuit accuses the National Rifle Association of violating campaign finance laws by using shell companies to illegally funnel up to $35 million to Republican candidates, including former President Donald Trump, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri and others.
Garland defends school violence memo against GOP criticism
Read full article: Garland defends school violence memo against GOP criticismAttorney General Merrick Garland has defended a Justice Department memo aimed at combating threats and violence against teachers, administrators and other school officials.
Ambassador pick emphasizes US strengths in countering China
Read full article: Ambassador pick emphasizes US strengths in countering ChinaPresident Joe Biden’s pick for ambassador to Beijing has told lawmakers considering his nomination that Americans should “have confidence in our strength” when dealing with the rise of China, a nation he says the U.S. and its allies can manage.
Senate hopeful flexes power of AG's office through lawsuits
Read full article: Senate hopeful flexes power of AG's office through lawsuitsA U.S. Senate candidate in Missouri, Republican state Attorney General Eric Schmitt, is flexing the power of his office by filing a slew of lawsuits, including against Democratic cities and schools to stop mask mandates.
6 months after Capitol assault, corporate pledges fall flat
Read full article: 6 months after Capitol assault, corporate pledges fall flatFollowing the deadly riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, many big corporations pledged not to donate to members of Congress who objected to the results of the presidential election.
Trump's heir? Pence reemerges, lays groundwork for 2024 run
Read full article: Trump's heir? Pence reemerges, lays groundwork for 2024 runFILE - In this Jan. 20, 2021, file photo, former Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen walk from the plane to greet supporters after arriving back in his hometown of Columbus, Ind. Conspicuously absent from the list: Mike Pence. The former vice president is steadily reentering public life as he eyes a potential run for the White House in 2024. Ad“Obviously Mike Pence has a very different persona, a very different tone. The anger at Pence took a dangerously personal turn on Jan. 6 when rioters paraded through the Capitol chanting “Hang Mike Pence” as a mob outside set up a makeshift gallows.
GOP Missouri Attorney General Schmitt running for US Senate
Read full article: GOP Missouri Attorney General Schmitt running for US SenateFILE - In this Aug. 6, 2020 file photo, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt speaks during a news conference in St. Louis. – Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt on Wednesday announced he's making a bid to replace Roy Blunt in the Senate, setting up a Republican primary against disgraced former Gov. Voters first elected Schmitt to the state Senate in 2008 to represent a suburban St. Louis district. He was elected state treasurer in 2016, then took over as the state attorney general after Josh Hawley vacated the seat to join the U.S. Senate in 2019. He won another term as attorney general in 2020.
Democrats bank on relief aid to win back wary working class
Read full article: Democrats bank on relief aid to win back wary working class“A lot of white, working-class Democrats thought we forgot them,” Biden said after touring a union training facility during a late September swing through Westmoreland County. Still, that proposition — which Republicans dismiss as a “liberal wish list” — will be tested in places such as Westmoreland County. “There’s a lot of people who are still registered Democrats, who still hold on to those working-class Democratic values," Bretz said. Trump won 62% of white voters without a college degree in November, according to AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of the electorate. Ad“We are a working-class party now," Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley tweeted on election night.
Is Blunt's exit an opening for ex-Gov. Greitens to return?
Read full article: Is Blunt's exit an opening for ex-Gov. Greitens to return?Greitens' political future seemed doomed by scandal when he resigned as Missouri governor. – O'Eric Greitens' political future seemed doomed by scandal when he resigned as Missouri governor. Also like Trump, Greitens defeated establishment Republicans in the primary before winning in November. Many see Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft as the early favorite to win Blunt's seat, if Ashcroft opts to run. But Missouri Republican Party Treasurer Pat Thomas said Greitens retains “a definite following” among state Republicans.
Trump the dominant force at conservative conference
Read full article: Trump the dominant force at conservative conferenceA conference attendee takes a selfie photo in front of a statue of former president Donald Trump at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Friday, Feb. 26, 2021, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)WASHINGTON – A conference dedicated to the future of the conservative movement turned into an ode to Donald Trump as speakers declared their fealty to the former president and attendees posed for selfies with a golden statue of his likeness. Trump on Sunday will be making his first post-presidential appearance at the conference, and aides say he will use the speech to reassert his power. “If we do, we will lose the working base that President Trump so animated. Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., lit into Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the No. “And I assure you that it will solidify Donald Trump and all of your feelings about the MAGA movement as the future of the Republican Party.”
Conservative gathering to feature Trump's false fraud claims
Read full article: Conservative gathering to feature Trump's false fraud claimsTrump himself is headlining the three-day session in a Sunday speech that will be his first public appearance since leaving the White House on Jan. 20. Trump has been keeping a relatively low profile since he moved from the White House to Palm Beach a month ago. “I think the broader point will be: Here's where the Republican Party and conservative movement and the America First movement goes from here," said senior Trump adviser Jason Miller. Here we’ll see the president address the fact that the only divide in the Republican Party is between the elites and the conservative grassroots in the party." “In opposition, when you don’t have the White House, there are many more voices that lead the party,” Cotton said in an interview.
Takeaways from Congress' first hearing on Capitol riot
Read full article: Takeaways from Congress' first hearing on Capitol riotFormer U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund appears before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs & Senate Rules and Administration joint hearing on Capitol Hill, Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, to examine the January 6th attack on the Capitol. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool)WASHINGTON – Security officials testifying at Congress' first hearing on the deadly siege of the Capitol cast blame and pointed fingers on Tuesday but also acknowledged they were woefully unprepared for the violence. The security officials lost their jobs, and Trump was impeached by the House on a charge of inciting the insurrection, the deadliest attack on Congress in 200 years. But then-Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund testified that he only learned about it the day before Tuesday's hearing. But in closing, Klobuchar restated the testimony: “There was clear agreement this was a planned insurrection.”ONE OFFICER'S PERSONAL STORYThe hearing opened with Capitol Police Capt.
Capitol defenders cite missed intelligence for deadly breach
Read full article: Capitol defenders cite missed intelligence for deadly breachFormer U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund testifies before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs & Senate Rules and Administration joint hearing on Capitol Hill, Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, to examine the January 6th attack on the Capitol. Sund said he hadn’t seen an FBI field office report that warned of potential violence citing online posts about a “war." Sund said he did see an intelligence report created within his own department warning that Congress could be targeted on Jan. 6. ”Sund and Irving disagreed on when the National Guard was called and on requests for the guard beforehand. A House subcommittee will examine damage to the Capitol on Wednesday and will hear testimony from currrent security officials, including Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman, on Thursday.
Trial highlights: Trump grievances, angry outbursts and more
Read full article: Trial highlights: Trump grievances, angry outbursts and more"The Senate cannot ignore the First Amendment," said van der Veen. In a letter signed last week they wrote that “the First Amendment does not apply in impeachment proceedings, so it cannot provide a defense for President Trump." van der Veen bristled and inquired who had asked. Sanders responded, “I did.” van der Veen retorted: “irrelevant.”“No, it isnt!” Sanders angrily shot back from his desk, adding: “You represent the president of the United States!”He scoffed audibly when van der Veen avoided answering the question. “This is not whataboutism," said Michael van der Veen.
Riot video spotlights mob’s focus on stopping Biden win
Read full article: Riot video spotlights mob’s focus on stopping Biden win“Where are they counting the (expletive) votes!” they hollered as they streamed inside, wielding wooden beams and a metal baseball bat, forcing the officer to retreat, according to footage shown this week at Donald Trump's impeachment trial. Outside, others were setting up a makeshift gallows on the Capitol lawn for Trump’s own vice president, Mike Pence. They say the clips prove that without Trump’s attempt to overturn the election results, the Capitol riot would never have taken place. The trial was continuing Friday with a presentation from Trump's lawyers, who have decried the use of the video footage as unnecessary. AdOne of those people, Jessica Watkins, suggested as Biden’s inauguration neared that she “was awaiting direction from President Trump,” prosecutors said in court papers this week.
Trump lawyers: Impeachment based on hatred, not facts
Read full article: Trump lawyers: Impeachment based on hatred, not factsTrump's lawyers made an abbreviated presentation that used less than three of their allotted 16 hours. But in trying to draw that equivalency, the defenders minimized Trump's months-long efforts to undermine the election results and his urging of followers to do the same. On Friday, as defense lawyers repeated their own videos over and over, some Democrats chuckled and whispered among themselves as many of their faces flashed on the screen. Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet said it felt like the lawyers were “erecting straw men to then take them down rather than deal with the facts." Trump's lawyers say that goal only underscores the “hatred” Democrats feel for Trump.
Trial highlights: Harrowing footage, focus on Trump's words
Read full article: Trial highlights: Harrowing footage, focus on Trump's wordsNEW SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGETo reconstruct the siege for senators, Democrats aired never-before-seen security footage from inside the Capitol that showed the attack unfolding. Ad“Vice President Pence had the courage to stand against the president, tell the American public the truth and uphold our Constitution. Many Republicans had been appalled by Trump's treatment of his most loyal soldier during his final days in office. REPUBLICANS HOLD FIRMThere appears little chance enough Republicans will break with Democrats to convict Trump at the end of the trial. AdThe video evidence was “nothing new here, for me, at the end of the day,” said Hawley, who maintains the trial is unconstitutional.
White House budget chief nominee apologizes for past tweets
Read full article: White House budget chief nominee apologizes for past tweetsNeera Tanden also admitted to spending “many months” removing past Twitter posts, saying, “I deleted tweets because I regretted them." He said that included Tanden calling Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton "a fraud” and tweeting that “vampires have more heart” than Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford said Tanden had tweeted more over the past four years than even Trump did. Still, Senate discussion of Tanden's nomination is likely to center more on her past tweets than her budget priorities. Cotton has said they were “filled with hate.” Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn suggested previously that she'd face “certainly a problematic path” to nomination.
Hunter Biden’s memoir ‘Beautiful Things’ out in April
Read full article: Hunter Biden’s memoir ‘Beautiful Things’ out in AprilThis cover image released by Gallery Books shows "Beautiful Things" a memoir by Hunter Biden. Biden, son of President Joe Biden and an ongoing target for conservatives, has a memoir coming out April 6. (Gallery Books via AP)NEW YORK – Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden and an ongoing target for conservatives, has a memoir coming out April 6. The book is called “Beautiful Things” and will center on the younger Biden's well publicized struggles with substance abuse, according to Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. “Beautiful Things” was circulated among several authors and includes advance praise from Stephen King, Dave Eggers and Anne Lamott.
Senate confirms Mayorkas as Biden’s homeland security chief
Read full article: Senate confirms Mayorkas as Biden’s homeland security chiefVice President Kamala Harris, right, ceremonially swears in Alejandro Mayorkas as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, accompanied by his wife Tanya Mayorkas, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House Complex in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON – The Senate confirmed Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday as President Joe Biden's homeland security secretary, the first Latino to fill a post that will have a central role in the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic, a sweeping Russia-linked cyber hack and domestic extremism. His nomination was stalled in the Senate by Republicans who wanted to question him further on Biden's plans for immigration policy. Mayorkas is uniquely qualified to make sure the Department of Homeland Security is working to protect people from all backgrounds, all communities and all walks of life,” Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat and chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said from the Senate floor. “He has nominated a very good secretary for DHS, a secretary that understands that policies affect border security,” he said.
Democratic colleagues file ethics complaint against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz after Capitol riot
Read full article: Democratic colleagues file ethics complaint against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz after Capitol riotSeven Democrats in the U.S. Senate have filed an ethics complaint against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, for his role lending “legitimacy” to false claims of election fraud ahead of the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection in the Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump. The Constitution also grants Congress the ability to censure its members, which is essentially just a strong condemnation from the chamber. Even after a mob of Trump supporters desecrated the U.S. Capitol, Cruz objected to certifying Arizona’s electoral results and he’s been in political hot water ever since. At any point in the investigation, the Senate ethics committee can hold a public or executive hearing to cross-examine documents and hear testimonies. Cruz denounced the violence, but he has fierce backlash from Democrats, and even some Republicans.
Democrats ask ethics panel to investigate Sens. Cruz, Hawley
Read full article: Democrats ask ethics panel to investigate Sens. Cruz, HawleyThousands had gathered that day as Congress voted to formally certify President Joe Biden’s victory over Trump in November. Hawley and Cruz led objections in the Senate to Biden’s victory, despite the widespread recognition that the effort would fail. And both senators used their objections for political fundraising,” the Democratic senators said in their letter. Cruz helped force a vote on Biden's victory in Arizona, while Hawley helped force one on Biden's victory in Pennsylvania. “This latest effort is a flagrant abuse of the Senate ethics process and a flagrant attempt to exact partisan revenge."
Senate confirms Biden 1st Cabinet pick as Democrats control
Read full article: Senate confirms Biden 1st Cabinet pick as Democrats controlIn a first vote, the Senate confirmed Biden's nominee for director of national intelligence, Avril Haines. The new Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., urged colleagues to turn the spirit of the new president’s call for unity into action. The three Democrats complete a Senate narrowly split 50-50 between the parties, but giving Democrats the majority with Harris able to cast the tie-breaking vote. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to soon transmit to the Senate the House-passed article of impeachment against Trump, charged with incitement of insurrection, a step that will launch the Senate impeachment trial. Progressive and liberal Democrats are eager to do away with the filibuster to more quickly advance Biden’s priorities, but not all rank-and-file Senate Democrats are on board.