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Barrett nomination advances to the U.S. Senate floor with a GOP-only vote
By: Ariana Figueroa and Laura Olson - October 22, 2020
WASHINGTON—Republicans on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, as Democrats boycotted the vote in a show of protest. The 12 Republicans on the panel speedily voted on Barrett’s nomination and sent it to the Senate floor. The full Senate will vote Monday, […]
Few precedents for presidential candidates unable to stay on the ticket
By: Ariana Figueroa - October 3, 2020
President Donald Trump’s diagnosis with COVID-19 just a month before Election Day raises the question of what happens in the unlikely case a nominee is unable to continue as a candidate for the presidency. The answer is murky at best, and complicated, with little precedent to follow. Trump arrived at Walter Reed National Military Medical […]
Trump taken to Walter Reed hospital; Biden tests negative
By: Laura Olson, Jane Norman and Ariana Figueroa - October 2, 2020
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in suburban Maryland late Friday afternoon, where White House officials said he is expected to stay for “the next few days” for treatment of COVID-19. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany described Trump, who disclosed his diagnosis earlier Friday, as having mild symptoms […]
U.S. House passes new pandemic relief bill, but talks lag on a bipartisan deal
By: Ariana Figueroa - October 1, 2020
WASHINGTON—The U.S. House on Thursday night narrowly passed a slimmed-down $2.2 trillion Democratic coronavirus relief bill that retains hundreds of billions in aid for states and local governments, boosts unemployment benefits and extends another round of $1,200 checks for each taxpayer. But the package, passed on a 214-207 vote, with 18 Democrats splitting from their […]
Trump tells far-right group to ‘stand back and stand by’ in presidential debate
By: Ariana Figueroa - September 30, 2020
President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden in Tuesday night’s chaotic and messy presidential debate were each asked how they would deal with the nation’s institutional racism. Trump directly addressed a far-right group, the Proud Boys, telling them to “stand back and stand by,” and failed to answer a question about why Americans should […]
Trump picks Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court, and D.C. girds for a fight
By: Ariana Figueroa - September 26, 2020
President Donald Trump at the White House on Saturday introduced federal appeals court Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his Supreme Court nominee, setting off a confirmation battle that could secure a conservative court for generations. “She is a woman of unparalleled achievement, towering intellect and sterling credentials and unyielding loyalty to the Constitution,” Trump said […]
House passes deal on stopgap funding, avoids government shutdown
By: Ariana Figueroa - September 23, 2020
House and Senate leaders reached a bipartisan agreement Tuesday night to pass a three-month funding stopgap, averting a government shutdown in the midst of a pandemic and a short time before the November elections. In a 359-57 vote, the House passed H.R. 8337, which extends federal government funding until Dec. 11, when lawmakers would have […]
Congress launches inquiry into claims about gynecological procedures at Georgia immigrant facility
By: Ariana Figueroa - September 22, 2020
Top U.S. House Democrats are investigating a whistleblower’s allegations that immigrant women in a Georgia detention center endured gynecological procedures without their consent or full understanding of the treatment that was being performed. Dawn Wooten, a nurse who worked at the Irwin County Detention Center, said women at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility “were […]
Trump says he’ll announce Supreme Court pick by Friday or Saturday
By: Ariana Figueroa - September 21, 2020
President Donald Trump said Monday that he would announce a replacement for the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg by either Friday or Saturday. During a morning interview on “Fox and Friends,” the president said the administration wanted to pay its respects to Ginsburg, who died Friday night from complications with cancer, before […]