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U.S. health secretary vows to protect abortion access, but says much depends on states
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra pledged Tuesday to work to preserve abortion access in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s “despicable” decision overturning Roe v. Wade — though the department’s specific actions will depend on how states seeking to limit abortion access proceed. Becerra said HHS would enforce federal laws to […]
U.S. Senate Democrats urge ‘bold action’ by Biden on abortion rights
Most of the Democrats in the U.S. Senate have signed on to a letter to President Joe Biden pressing him to “take immediate action” to protect abortion rights, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Friday ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. The one-page letter, led by Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray of Washington […]
Voters ‘have the final word’ in protecting abortion rights, Biden says
President Joe Biden on Friday called for Congress to pass laws protecting abortion rights and for voters to elect pro-rights candidates on “a sad day for the country” after a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling on abortion. Biden pledged to fight for policies that protect abortion access, including interstate travel and access to federally approved […]
Congress roiled by U.S. Supreme Court decision revoking abortion rights
Republicans in Congress were jubilant at the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling overturning decades of precedent to revoke a constitutional right to an abortion, while Democrats were equally despondent about what they called an extremist decision that revoked a long-held right and represented an attack on women’s autonomy. The party-line reaction hints at how lawmakers will […]
‘Just say the election was corrupt’: Trump pressure on Justice Department detailed
President Donald Trump sought to use the U.S. Justice Department to create the illusion of a legitimate investigation into the validity of the 2020 election results, the Jan. 6 committee and former Justice Department leaders said Thursday in the panel’s fifth hearing this month. In the weeks between Election Day 2020 and Jan. 6, 2021, […]
How the Trump fake elector scheme fizzled in four states
Part of Donald Trump’s plan to reverse his loss in the 2020 presidential election hinged on replacing legitimate electors in a handful of swing states with “fake electors.” In theory, these bogus Republican slates in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Nevada and Wisconsin would cast their electoral votes for the incumbent — canceling out […]
Trump led pressure campaign on state election officials, Jan. 6 panel says
Former President Donald Trump was directly involved in efforts to pressure state officials in Georgia, Arizona and elsewhere to overturn the 2020 election results in their states, according to evidence the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack presented Tuesday at the panel’s fourth hearing this month. Trump and his attorneys knew that […]
Georgia, Arizona GOP officials to testify before Jan. 6 panel
The fourth Jan. 6 hearing on Tuesday will focus on pressure put by President Donald Trump and his allies on state officials in Georgia, Arizona and elsewhere to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. The U.S. House hearing will include live testimony from Republican officials in those states, committee aides said Monday. It begins at […]
Biden directs federal agencies to protect LGBTQI+ rights under attack in GOP-led states
President Joe Biden signed an executive order Wednesday aiming to curtail conversion therapy, expand health care access and promote safe learning for LGBTQI+ people. The order is meant to counter laws in Republican-led states that restrict the rights of LGBTQI+ kids and their families. A senior administration official referenced Texas and Florida as two states […]
Jan. 6 panel video shows Loudermilk tour group photographing in Capitol office buildings
The day before the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Georgia Rep. Barry Loudermilk gave a tour to a group that included a man who took unusual photos in House office buildings, including of stairwells, tunnels and security checkpoints, the House committee investigating the attack said Wednesday. On the day of the insurrection, the […]
Trump spread claims of election fraud debunked by his own legal team, Jan. 6 panel says
Former President Donald Trump planted the seeds for the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by continually promoting theories that he lost the 2020 election through fraud, even though top advisers and officials told him there was no evidence to support the claim, according to testimony a U.S. House committee presented Monday. In its […]
5 things we learned about Jan. 6 and Trump from the first hearing
The opening U.S. House hearing in a series on the Jan. 6 attack included some eye-opening new details about the events of the day and the broader plot to halt the peaceful transfer of presidential power. The nine-member investigative committee put former President Donald Trump at the center of the plot, while accusing leaders of […]