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Biden administration to greatly ease marijuana regulations
The Biden administration plans to remove marijuana from a list of the most dangerous and highly regulated drugs, the Department of Justice said Tuesday night. The Drug Enforcement Administration will propose moving the drug from a Schedule I substance, which also includes heroin and methamphetamine, to Schedule III, which is the category for regulated-but-legal drugs […]
Congress to add flights at Washington National, require new air refund rule in FAA deal
Key members of Congress announced an agreement Monday on a $105 billion bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration for five years ahead of a May 10 deadline. The 1,000-page bill would raise hiring targets for air traffic control and would codify in law a rule the Biden administration introduced this month requiring airlines to […]
U.S. Supreme Court floats return to trial court for Trump in presidential immunity case
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court appeared skeptical Thursday of former President Donald Trump’s argument he is immune from criminal charges that he tried to overturn his loss in the 2020 election. But conservatives who dominate the court appeared open to returning key questions to a trial court, possibly delaying Trump’s prosecution beyond the November […]
Virginia nets $41 million for terminal improvements at Dulles, Norfolk International
The Biden administration will send close to $1 billion to airports across the country to upgrade terminal facilities, including $41 million to Dulles International Airport and Norfolk International Airport in Virginia, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced Thursday. The $970 million in grants will go to 144 airports in 44 states and three territories. Earmarked for […]
Three-judge federal panel grills Trump lawyer on claim of presidential immunity
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump appeared in federal court Tuesday seeking immunity from charges that he schemed to overturn the 2020 presidential election results and knowingly fed lies to supporters who turned violent on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump, who is leading polls in the 2024 Republican presidential primary field, watched while his attorney D. […]
Pick of suburban Maryland for new FBI HQ ‘surprised’ agency, official tells Congress
A Federal Bureau of Investigation official testifying before a U.S. House panel on Tuesday questioned the process that led to the Biden administration choosing a Maryland location for a new bureau headquarters instead of a competing site in Virginia. The General Services Administration rejected an advisory panel’s recommendation for a site in Springfield, Virginia, when […]
White House calls for stronger gun policy reforms after Maine shooting
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called on Congress on Thursday to strengthen gun safety laws in the wake of the mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine. Jean-Pierre opened Thursday’s press briefing with a statement on the shootings, saying President Joe Biden stepped out of a state dinner Wednesday night to receive an initial briefing on the […]
Emmer nominated for U.S. House speaker but drops out after Trump opposition
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans Tuesday voted to tap Minnesota’s Tom Emmer as speaker following five rounds of ballots — but Emmer quit the race just four hours later, after he was attacked by the GOP’s most powerful figure, former President Donald Trump. After beating six candidates, Emmer, the No. 3 Republican, faced an uphill […]
Eight Republicans are running for U.S. House speaker. Here’s your guide to the field.
WASHINGTON – The eight Republican candidates to be speaker of the U.S. House were set to make their cases to their colleagues Monday evening as the House Republican Conference restarted its process to choose a candidate. Nine had filed on Sunday to run for speaker, but on Monday night Pennsylvania Rep. Dan Meuser dropped out, […]
How does a ‘frozen’ U.S. House function without a speaker? Everyone’s got an opinion.
WASHINGTON — The stunning ouster of U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday — the first time a speaker has been removed in Congress’ 234-year history — created a leadership vacuum in the chamber and left multiple questions about how legislative business would proceed. North Carolina Republican Patrick McHenry ascended to the role of speaker pro tempore […]
Government shutdown nears: U.S. House GOP fails to pass one-month spending plan
WASHINGTON — A sweeping government shutdown appeared inevitable on Friday, with the U.S. Senate stuck in a procedural holding pattern on its bipartisan stopgap bill and divided U.S. House Republicans unable to pass their short-term spending bill. Both chambers of Congress must approve and President Joe Biden must sign government funding legislation before midnight on […]
New federal wetlands protection rule draws mixed reaction
A federal rule limiting agencies’ power to regulate water pollution will severely restrict protections for waters and wetlands throughout the country, but could also be subject to challenges from conservative groups that maintain the new rule exerts more federal jurisdiction than the U.S. Supreme Court intended in a May decision. With the rule published Tuesday […]