INSIDER
What Republicans are saying about Matt Gaetz's nomination for attorney general
Read full article: What Republicans are saying about Matt Gaetz's nomination for attorney generalFormer Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz's nomination for attorney general is being met with a variety of reactions from Republicans, including cautious reservation, praise and pointed criticism.
Trump issues early challenge to GOP Senate with defiant nominations
Read full article: Trump issues early challenge to GOP Senate with defiant nominationsJust hours after Republican Sen. John Thune was elected as the incoming Senate majority leader, President-elect Donald Trump presented him with one of his first tests — an announcement that he intends to nominate House Republican Matt Gaetz as attorney general.
OpenAI whistleblowers ask SEC to investigate the company's non-disclosure agreements with employees
Read full article: OpenAI whistleblowers ask SEC to investigate the company's non-disclosure agreements with employeesOpenAI whistleblowers have filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission and asked the agency to investigate whether the company illegally restricted workers from speaking out about the risks of its artificial intelligence technology.
Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, oldest member of Senate, hospitalized with infection
Read full article: Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, oldest member of Senate, hospitalized with infectionIowa Sen. Chuck Grassley has been hospitalized in the Washington area with an infection and is receiving antibiotic infusions.
Iowa Republicans dash Ron DeSantis' expectations, signaling their party belongs to Donald Trump
Read full article: Iowa Republicans dash Ron DeSantis' expectations, signaling their party belongs to Donald TrumpFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ team had knocked on 947,000 doors across Iowa while the candidate had visited all 99 counties.
Grassley releases full FBI memo with unverified claims about Hunter Biden's work in Ukraine
Read full article: Grassley releases full FBI memo with unverified claims about Hunter Biden's work in UkraineRepublican Sen. Chuck Grassley has released an unclassified document that Republicans claim is significant in their investigation of Hunter Biden.
AP sources: Biden to allow Afghans to stay longer in US
Read full article: AP sources: Biden to allow Afghans to stay longer in USThe Biden administration will continue to allow tens of thousands of Afghans who fled Taliban control more than two years ago to stay and work in the U.S. That is according to two White House officials familiar with the plan, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss details that haven’t been released.
GOP senator demands DEA boss explain no-bid contracts, hires
Read full article: GOP senator demands DEA boss explain no-bid contracts, hiresA senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary committee has demanded that U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration chief Anne Milgram address allegations of improper hiring and contracting of her past associates.
Senators want answers in wake of AP’s prison investigations
Read full article: Senators want answers in wake of AP’s prison investigationsThe chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee says he plans to question the director of the federal Bureau of Prisons this week about why the agency continues to stand by a high-ranking official who beat Black inmates in the 1990s.
EPA seeks to mandate more use of ethanol and other biofuels
Read full article: EPA seeks to mandate more use of ethanol and other biofuelsThe Environmental Protection Agency has proposed increasing ethanol and other biofuels that must be blended into the nation’s fuel supplies over the next three years.
Whistleblower: 665 left FBI over misconduct in two decades
Read full article: Whistleblower: 665 left FBI over misconduct in two decadesA U.S. senator says a whistleblower has alleged that an internal review found 665 FBI personnel have resigned or retired to avoid accountability in misconduct probes over the past two decades.
House approves antitrust bill targeting Big Tech dominance
Read full article: House approves antitrust bill targeting Big Tech dominanceThe House has approved antitrust legislation targeting the dominance of Big Tech companies by giving states greater power in competition cases and increasing money for federal regulators.
Congress wants to hear what Twitter whistleblower has to say
Read full article: Congress wants to hear what Twitter whistleblower has to sayU.S. lawmakers are anxious to hear from Twitter’s former security chief, who has alarmed Washington with allegations that the influential social network misled regulators about its cyber defenses and efforts to control fake accounts.
Manfred to senators: antitrust exemption stops city switches
Read full article: Manfred to senators: antitrust exemption stops city switchesMajor League Baseball told a Senate committee that the sport’s antitrust exemption prevents teams from moving without approval and allows the sport to maintain the minor leagues at a wide level.
Immigration judge union seeks recognition as top judge quits
Read full article: Immigration judge union seeks recognition as top judge quitsThe National Association of Immigration Judges has asked the federal government to restore its union recognition after the Trump administration stripped its official status and the system’s chief judge resigned after two years on the job.
Senators ask MLB why antitrust exemption needed in minors
Read full article: Senators ask MLB why antitrust exemption needed in minorsLeaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee have asked baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred to explain the impact of potential legislation stripping the sport’s antitrust exemption from covering the sport’s relationship with minor league players.
Minors rep asks Congress to restrict MLB antitrust exemption
Read full article: Minors rep asks Congress to restrict MLB antitrust exemptionThe executive director of the nonprofit Advocates for Minor Leaguers has recommended Congress enact legislation nullifying Major League Baseball’s antitrust exemption as it applies to minor league players.
Senators ask minor leaguers for information on MLB antitrust
Read full article: Senators ask minor leaguers for information on MLB antitrustThe chairman and ranking minority member of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter to an advocacy group for minor leaguers asking questions about baseball’s antitrust exemption.
Iowa Democrat Franken to face GOP's Grassley in Senate race
Read full article: Iowa Democrat Franken to face GOP's Grassley in Senate raceA retired Navy admiral, Democrat Mike Franken, will challenge Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley’s reelection this fall after winning his party’s nomination over two competitors.
Inspectors ask for authority to go after more COVID fraud
Read full article: Inspectors ask for authority to go after more COVID fraudInspectors general need more authority to go after fraud in the COVID-19 relief programs, the independent committee overseeing federal pandemic relief spending said Tuesday.
What GOP-nominated justices said about Roe to Senate panel
Read full article: What GOP-nominated justices said about Roe to Senate panelIn one form or another, every Supreme Court nominee is asked during Senate hearings about his or her views of the landmark abortion rights ruling that has stood for a half century.
Biden's ATF pick endorsed by ex-Justice Department officials
Read full article: Biden's ATF pick endorsed by ex-Justice Department officialsMore than 140 former Justice Department officials are throwing their support behind President Joe Biden’s nominee to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Iowa GOP open to non-Trump prospects as 2024 gets underway
Read full article: Iowa GOP open to non-Trump prospects as 2024 gets underwayFormer President Donald Trump’s persistent flirtation with another White House run is doing little to discourage other potential Republican candidates from stepping up their activity in Iowa, the state that will formally launch the nomination process.
Iowa Supreme Court: Finkenauer qualifies for Senate ballot
Read full article: Iowa Supreme Court: Finkenauer qualifies for Senate ballotThe Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that Democratic Senate candidate Abby Finkenauer qualifies for the primary ballot, rejecting a lower court decision and allowing her to continue her campaign for the nomination.
Sex abuse case in snowboarding exposes flaws in reporting
Read full article: Sex abuse case in snowboarding exposes flaws in reportingWhen former members of the U.S. snowboarding team sought help reporting sexual-abuse allegations against a longtime coach, they were met with conflicting information that left them unsure of where to turn.
EXPLAINER: Why Finkenauer's Senate bid rests on 3 signatures
Read full article: EXPLAINER: Why Finkenauer's Senate bid rests on 3 signaturesIowa Democrat Abby Finkenauer’s hopes of running against Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley this fall may hinge on a state Supreme Court ruling on three petition signatures.
Biden waiving ethanol rule in bid to lower gasoline prices
Read full article: Biden waiving ethanol rule in bid to lower gasoline pricesPresident Joe Biden has journeyed to corn-rich Iowa to announce he's suspending federal rules that restrict ethanol in gasoline, aiming to strike at least a small blow against surging inflation.
Democrat Finkenauer knocked off US Senate primary ballot
Read full article: Democrat Finkenauer knocked off US Senate primary ballotA state court judge has concluded that Democrat Abby Finkenauer cannot appear on the June 7 primary ballot for U.S. Senate because she didn’t gather enough petition signatures, knocking off the candidate considered by many to be the party’s best chance to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley.
Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson faces initial round of questioning
Read full article: Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson faces initial round of questioningSupreme 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.
Senators issue bipartisan call to restore donors' tax breaks
Read full article: Senators issue bipartisan call to restore donors' tax breaksBoth Democratic and Republican lawmakers called Thursday for restoring the charitable deduction for donors who don’t itemize their taxes, a priority for nonprofits nationwide, but a key senator was noncommittal on the question of whether to support legislation designed to boost payout from foundations and donor-advised funds.
Democrats see 'no reason to wait' on Supreme Court vote
Read full article: Democrats see 'no reason to wait' on Supreme Court voteSupreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson has begun courting senators on Capitol Hill, making her case for confirmation in private meetings as Democrats worked to move her nomination through the Senate within weeks.
Iowa governor swipes at Biden leadership in GOP rebuttal
Read full article: Iowa governor swipes at Biden leadership in GOP rebuttalIowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, delivering the Republican rebuttal to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address Tuesday, painted the picture of a country in the grip of several crises.
EXPLAINER: What's ahead for Biden's Supreme Court nominee
Read full article: EXPLAINER: What's ahead for Biden's Supreme Court nomineePresident Joe Biden’s nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court has launched what Democrats hope will be a quick, bipartisan confirmation process for the court’s first Black woman.
Senators push Garland to reform prisons after AP reporting
Read full article: Senators push Garland to reform prisons after AP reportingThe leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee are demanding Attorney General Merrick Garland take immediate action to reform the beleaguered federal Bureau of Prisons.
Childs gets prosecutors' 'wholehearted' backing for DC court
Read full article: Childs gets prosecutors' 'wholehearted' backing for DC courtA bipartisan group of two dozen former South Carolina federal prosecutors are offering their “wholehearted support” for Judge Michelle Childs’ nomination to an appellate court.
White House: No 'gaming the system' on Supreme Court pick
Read full article: White House: No 'gaming the system' on Supreme Court pickThe White House says President Joe Biden will meet with Senate Judiciary Committee leaders on Tuesday to discuss the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court vacancy and the president’s promise to nominate a Black woman to the high court.
New step to curb tech giants' power advanced by Senate panel
Read full article: New step to curb tech giants' power advanced by Senate panelCongress has taken a new step toward reining in the market dominance of Big Tech. Bipartisan legislation advanced by a Senate panel would bar the dominant online platforms from favoring their own goods and services over those of rivals on the platforms.
No settlement for separated migrant families amid criticism
Read full article: No settlement for separated migrant families amid criticismMigrants whose children were taken from them under former President Donald Trump’s zero-tolerance border policy have not reached a settlement agreement with the U.S. government.
Black Democratic chair gets lynching threat over Trump essay
Read full article: Black Democratic chair gets lynching threat over Trump essayThe first Black chair of Iowa’s Democratic Party says he received a series of racist messages, including a lynching threat, after writing a newspaper op-ed criticizing former President Donald Trump and the state Republican officials who stood with him at a recent rally in Des Moines.
Senators question FDA on work with opioid maker consultant
Read full article: Senators question FDA on work with opioid maker consultantSeveral U.S. senators are questioning the Food and Drug Administration’s work with a consulting firm that helped businesses sell prescription painkillers during the nation’s overdose crisis.
Justice says IRS must give Trump tax returns to Congress
Read full article: Justice says IRS must give Trump tax returns to CongressThe Justice Department says the Treasury Department must provide the House Ways and Means Committee former President Donald Trump’s tax returns, apparently ending a long legal showdown over the records.
GOP's vaccine push comes with strong words, few actions
Read full article: GOP's vaccine push comes with strong words, few actionsRepublican lawmakers are under increasing pressure to persuade vaccine skeptics to roll up their sleeves and take the shots as a new, more contagious COVID-19 variant sends caseloads soaring.
In shift, GOP ramps up vaccine push as resistance hardens
Read full article: In shift, GOP ramps up vaccine push as resistance hardensRepublican lawmakers are under increasing pressure to persuade vaccine skeptics to roll up their sleeves and take the shots as a new, more contagious COVID-19 variant sends caseloads soaring.
Critics take aim at charitable money sitting in donor funds
Read full article: Critics take aim at charitable money sitting in donor fundsWealthy philanthropists have long enjoyed an advantageous way to give to charity: Using something called a donor-advised fund, they’ve been able to enjoy tax deductions and investment gains on their donations long before they give the money away.
Senators push measure to accelerate DAF, foundation giving
Read full article: Senators push measure to accelerate DAF, foundation givingTwo key U.S. senators introduced legislation Wednesday designed to spur faster payouts from donor-advised funds and foundations, giving new momentum to an effort that has deeply divided philanthropy.
Democrats must find narrow path to curb high medicine prices
Read full article: Democrats must find narrow path to curb high medicine pricesPresident Joe Biden’s call for authorizing Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices has energized Democrats on a politically popular idea they’ve been pushing for nearly 20 years only to encounter frustration.
GOP 2024 contenders enter Iowa, wary of Trump's long shadow
Read full article: GOP 2024 contenders enter Iowa, wary of Trump's long shadowFormer Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at the West Side Conservative Club, Friday, March 26, 2021, in Urbandale, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)DES MOINES, Iowa – Ambitious Republicans are starting to make moves in Iowa, long a proving ground for future presidents. Pompeo's two-day Iowa trip leads an exceptionally early round of Iowa travel planned by U.S. senators, emerging as national GOP figures. Ecklund, Crawford County Republicans' communication director, has encountered Republicans “ready to move on” and “tired of the extreme controversy” in a county Trump carried by more than 30 percentage points twice. ___This story has been corrected to show Ecklund is the Crawford County Republicans' communication director, not Crawford County Republicans' co-chair.
Wave of retirements signals battles ahead for Republicans
Read full article: Wave of retirements signals battles ahead for RepublicansBut officials in both parties agree that the surge of GOP departures will make the Republicans' challenge more difficult in the Senate. Several Missouri Republicans are expected to seek the nomination to replace Blunt, but none will be more divisive than former Gov. Ahead of Greitens' announcement, some Republicans worried that he could jeopardize the Senate seat if he emerges as the party's nominee. The former president won by the same margin in Iowa, where 87-year-old Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley is considering retirement. AdMeanwhile, Blunt predicted political success for Republicans in Missouri and beyond during a Monday news conference.
75 ex-top prosecutors endorse Biden’s pick for associate AG
Read full article: 75 ex-top prosecutors endorse Biden’s pick for associate AGFILE - In this Jan. 7, 2021 file photo, Associate Attorney General nominee Vanita Gupta speaks during an event with President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del. More than 75 former U.S. attorneys are throwing their support behind Gupta for associate attorney general and urging congressional leaders to quickly confirm her to the post. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON – More than 75 former U.S. attorneys are throwing their support behind President Joe Biden’s nominee for associate attorney general and urging congressional leaders to quickly confirm her to the post. She was in charge of the Justice Department’s civil rights division in the Obama administration. The Senate has scheduled the confirmation hearing for Gupta and Lisa Monaco, Biden’s nominee for deputy attorney general, for March 9.
Senate panel votes to advance Garland's nomination to be AG
Read full article: Senate panel votes to advance Garland's nomination to be AGJudge Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden's pick to be attorney general, answers questions from Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., as he appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Monday to advance the nomination of Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden’s nominee for attorney general. The committee voted 15 to seven in favor of Garland's nomination at a meeting on Monday afternoon. The committee’s vote puts him on track for a quick confirmation, potentially within days. AdThe committee’s top Republican, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, said he also intends to support Garland’s nomination.
Garland vows sharp focus on Capitol riot as attorney general
Read full article: Garland vows sharp focus on Capitol riot as attorney generalJudge Merrick Garland, nominee to be Attorney General, is sworn in at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington. That is what I intend to do as the attorney general," Garland said. Garland said his first briefing as attorney general would be focused on the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Other backers include two sons of former Attorney General Edward Levi. “There have been few moments in history where the role of attorney general — and the occupant of that post — have mattered more,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the Senate Judiciary chairman.
Trump looks to reassert himself after impeachment acquittal
Read full article: Trump looks to reassert himself after impeachment acquittalOne joked, "We’re going to Disney World!”Now acquitted in his second Senate impeachment trial, Trump is preparing for the next phase of his post-presidency life. And he's confronting a Republican Party deeply divided over the legacy of his jarring final days in office, culminating in the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol. Searing video images of the day played on loop during his impeachment trial, which ended Saturday. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who spoke with Trump on Saturday night, acknowledged that Trump is “mad at some folks,” but also “ready to move on and rebuild the Republican Party” and “excited about 2022." That sharp rebuke from his once-loyal defender underscores how dramatically Trump's stock has fallen in Washington since his first impeachment trial just over a year ago.
GOP's McConnell: Trump morally responsible for Jan. 6 attack
Read full article: GOP's McConnell: Trump morally responsible for Jan. 6 attackScott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – In his speech from the Senate floor, Sen. Mitch McConnell delivered a scalding denunciation of Donald Trump, calling him “morally responsible” for the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Ad“He didn’t get away with anything yet,” said McConnell, who turns 79 next Saturday and has led the Senate GOP since 2007. It was a stunningly bitter castigation of Trump by McConnell, who could have used much of the same speech had he instead decided to convict Trump. “There is no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the event of that day," he said. It withered completely last month, after Republicans lost Senate control with two Georgia runoff defeats they blamed on Trump, and the savage attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters.
'Distressing and emotional': Senators relive horror of riot
Read full article: 'Distressing and emotional': Senators relive horror of riotReporters vie for a response from Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, as Senators take a dinner break while arguments continue in former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – For 90 tense minutes, members of the Senate relived the horror. The rioters were “58 steps” from senators at one point, impeachment manager Eric Swalwell told them. Senators were silent afterward, some sitting quietly and alone, as if to process it all. He walked out of the room in the middle of the presentation, as impeachment manager Stacey Plaskett detailed the threats to Pence’s life.
Takeaways from legal filings for Trump's impeachment trial
Read full article: Takeaways from legal filings for Trump's impeachment trial(Senate Television via AP)WASHINGTON – The legal sparring around Donald Trump's impeachment trial is underway, with briefs filed this week laying out radically different positions ahead of next week's Senate trial. “Some Members called loved ones for fear that they would not survive the assault by President Trump’s insurrectionist mob,” the impeachment managers wrote. Trump’s team denies that the impeachment trial can be held because he is no longer in office. Ad“It is denied that President Trump ever endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government,” they wrote. AdIt is true that no president has faced impeachment proceedings after leaving office, but House managers say there's ample precedent.