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‘I just don’t trust the system any more’: Voters on edge as election nears
WASHINGTON — Widespread anxiety and confusion around voting, compounded by the pandemic that has spread to millions of Americans, including President Donald Trump. A vastly underfunded and decentralized electoral system that could take days and possibly weeks to certify results. Attempts to suppress voting, interfere with elections and cast doubt on the integrity of mail-in […]
Gardner sides with GOP leaders’ push for a Supreme Court vote
WASHINGTON — Two key Republican senators indicated Monday they won’t stand in the way of a furious effort by the Senate GOP to confirm a nominee to fill a Supreme Court vacancy before Inauguration Day. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley ended the suspense with a statement Monday night saying there’s no “ambiguity” about what direction for […]
Bush administration ethics lawyer slams hiring of DeJoy as postmaster
WASHINGTON — A top ethics lawyer to President George W. Bush on Monday decried Louis DeJoy’s appointment to postmaster general and called for a congressional investigation into allegations of criminal activity. Richard Painter, who served as chief White House ethics lawyer and associate counsel to Bush, said DeJoy should not have been allowed to take […]
‘We’re not through this’: Governors plead with Congress for emergency assistance
WASHINGTON — Democratic governors on Thursday begged Congress to come to the aid of ailing states, which face unexpected expenses as they attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19 as well as massive revenue shortfalls due to the pandemic. But Republicans at a House hearing rejected their pleas, arguing that states have yet to spend […]
Senate GOP emergency relief plan leaves out direct aid to states
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans unveiled their latest coronavirus relief proposal Tuesday but were met with swift objections from Democrats. The GOP plan failed to include direct aid to cities and states, a priority for Democrats, or rental relief or nutrition assistance, and it appeared it wouldn’t go far enough to resolve a monthslong stalemate over […]
Mnuchin: White House would back additional cash to states in relief deal
WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Tuesday said the Trump administration would be open to providing additional aid to state and local governments — a key sticking point in stalled negotiations over another round of federal coronavirus relief. Mnuchin also urged lawmakers to move forward with a package that would address specific areas of […]
White House orders suspension of residential evictions
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced on Tuesday it would temporarily halt residential evictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin disclosed during a congressional hearing that the executive order would be issued. It runs through Dec. 31. “I think you’ll be quite pleased with the impact that it will have,” Mnuchin told […]
‘You just have to act’: Thousands outraged by police brutality rally at March on Washington
WASHINGTON — On the 57th anniversary of the original March on Washington and in the throes of a pandemic, thousands of demonstrators on Friday joined Democratic lawmakers on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to demand Congress act on police brutality and voter suppression. The event, organized by the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, […]
House Democrats pummel postmaster over sharp declines in on-time mail delivery
WASHINGTON — Postmaster General Louis DeJoy came under heavy fire Monday for withholding key information about delays in the delivery of mail since he took over the Postal Service just two months ago. In a hearing before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Democrats pressed DeJoy over an internal report made public over the weekend showing steep […]
House passes bill to boost post office funding by $25 billion, block service changes
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House convened a rare weekend session Saturday in an attempt to stop the U.S. Postal Service from allegedly disrupting mail service to sabotage the November elections. The Democratic-led chamber passed a bill 257-150 that would infuse $25 billion into the agency as it prepares for a surge in mail-in ballots and bar it […]
Postmaster general insists it’s his ‘sacred duty’ to ensure election mail on time
WASHINGTON — Postmaster General Louis DeJoy mounted a strong defense of his record Friday during a high-profile Senate hearing on recent postal delays, calling claims that the Trump administration is trying to sabotage the elections by deliberately disrupting mail service “outrageous.” DeJoy acknowledged delays during the pandemic but said the agency is fully capable of […]
Postmaster general says he’s suspending post office overhaul until after the election
WASHINGTON — Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said Tuesday that he will halt a series of sweeping policy changes to the U.S. Postal Service until after the general elections this fall. DeJoy said he will not change overtime rules, retail hours at local post offices, or the location of mail processing equipment and blue collection boxes, […]