INSIDER
Democrats stick with Schumer as leader. Their strategy for countering Trump is far less certain
Read full article: Democrats stick with Schumer as leader. Their strategy for countering Trump is far less certainSenate Democrats reelected Chuck Schumer as party leader on Tuesday as the party moves into a deeply uncertain time, with no real consensus on a strategy as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office.
Two US senators urge FIFA not to pick Saudi Arabia as 2034 World Cup host over human rights risks
Read full article: Two US senators urge FIFA not to pick Saudi Arabia as 2034 World Cup host over human rights risksTwo United States senators have urged FIFA not to pick Saudi Arabia as the 2034 World Cup host next month.
Congress OKs bill overhauling oversight of troubled federal Bureau of Prisons
Read full article: Congress OKs bill overhauling oversight of troubled federal Bureau of PrisonsCongress has passed legislation overhauling oversight and bringing greater transparency to the crisis-plagued federal Bureau of Prisons, following reporting from The Associated Press that exposed systemic corruption in the federal prison system and increased congressional scrutiny.
Justice Clarence Thomas took more trips paid for by donor Harlan Crow, Senate panel reveals
Read full article: Justice Clarence Thomas took more trips paid for by donor Harlan Crow, Senate panel revealsSenate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin says his committee has uncovered at least three additional luxury trips given to Justice Clarence Thomas by donors as part of the panel’s ethics investigation into the Supreme Court.
Senators blast health and law enforcement officials over illegal e-cigarettes used by teens
Read full article: Senators blast health and law enforcement officials over illegal e-cigarettes used by teensSenators criticized top federal officials over the rise of illegal electronic cigarettes in the U.S., a multibillion-dollar business that has flourished in recent years.
Democratic senators request meeting with Chief Justice Roberts over flags flown at Alito's homes
Read full article: Democratic senators request meeting with Chief Justice Roberts over flags flown at Alito's homesTwo Democratic senators are requesting a meeting with Chief Justice John Roberts after reports that two separate flags carried by rioters at the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol had flown outside of houses owned by Justice Samuel Alito.
How the White House got involved in the border talks on Capitol Hill -- with Ukraine aid at stake
Read full article: How the White House got involved in the border talks on Capitol Hill -- with Ukraine aid at stakeTop Biden administration officials have ramped up their involvement in the recent border talks on Capitol Hill.
Senate Democrats authorize subpoenas in the Supreme Court ethics probe. GOP won't back enforcement
Read full article: Senate Democrats authorize subpoenas in the Supreme Court ethics probe. GOP won't back enforcementDemocrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have voted to authorize subpoenas for two prominent conservatives who arranged luxury travel and other benefits for Supreme Court justices.
Senate panel subpoenas CEOs of Discord, Snap and X to testify about children's safety online
Read full article: Senate panel subpoenas CEOs of Discord, Snap and X to testify about children's safety onlineA Senate committee has issued bipartisan subpoenas to the CEOs of Discord, Snap and X, demanding that the heads of the three companies testify at a December hearing on protecting children online.
The Supreme Court says it is adopting a code of ethics, but it has no means of enforcement
Read full article: The Supreme Court says it is adopting a code of ethics, but it has no means of enforcementThe new Supreme Court code of conduct agreed to by all nine justices does not appear to impose any significant new requirements on them.
Democrats postpone a subpoena vote in the Supreme Court ethics probe after a blowup with Republicans
Read full article: Democrats postpone a subpoena vote in the Supreme Court ethics probe after a blowup with RepublicansDemocrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have abruptly adjourned a meeting without an expected vote on subpoenas for two conservatives who helped arrange luxury travel and other benefits for Supreme Court justices.
Senate Democrats plan to subpoena Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo over Supreme Court justices' travel
Read full article: Senate Democrats plan to subpoena Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo over Supreme Court justices' travelSenate Democrats say they will subpoena Republican megadonor Harlan Crow and conservative activist Leonard Leo for more information about their roles in organizing and paying for luxury travel for Supreme Court justices.
Senators clash with US prisons chief over transparency, seek fixes for problem-plagued agency
Read full article: Senators clash with US prisons chief over transparency, seek fixes for problem-plagued agencyThe director of the federal Bureau of Prisons was scolded Wednesday by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who say her lack of transparency is hampering their ability to help fix the agency, which has long been plagued by staffing shortages, chronic violence and other problems.
Justice Alito rejects Senate Democrats' call to step aside from an upcoming Supreme Court case
Read full article: Justice Alito rejects Senate Democrats' call to step aside from an upcoming Supreme Court caseJustice Samuel Alito is rejecting demands from Senate Democrats that he step aside from an upcoming Supreme Court case because of his interactions with one of the lawyers, in a fresh demonstration of tensions over ethical issues.
Senate committee approves legislation to impose stronger ethics standards on Supreme Court justices
Read full article: Senate committee approves legislation to impose stronger ethics standards on Supreme Court justicesThe Supreme Court would have to abide by stronger ethics standards under legislation approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Senators call for Supreme Court to follow ethics code like other branches of government
Read full article: Senators call for Supreme Court to follow ethics code like other branches of governmentThe chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee says it's time for Supreme Court justices to bring their conduct in line with the standards of other branches of government.
With Feinstein back in Senate, 3 of Biden's stalled judicial nominees move forward
Read full article: With Feinstein back in Senate, 3 of Biden's stalled judicial nominees move forwardSenate Democrats moved three of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees along party lines Thursday after weeks of delay due to California Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s extended absence.
Overhaul of Supreme Court ethics runs into GOP opposition
Read full article: Overhaul of Supreme Court ethics runs into GOP oppositionSenate Democrats are promising to pursue stronger ethics rules for the Supreme Court in the wake of reports that Justice Clarence Thomas participated in luxury vacations and a real estate deal with a top GOP donor.
Roberts declines Senate request to testify on court ethics
Read full article: Roberts declines Senate request to testify on court ethicsChief Justice John Roberts has declined a request from the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify at a hearing next week on ethical standards at the court, instead providing the panel with a statement of ethics reaffirmed by the court’s justices.
Biden outpacing Trump, Obama with diverse judicial nominees
Read full article: Biden outpacing Trump, Obama with diverse judicial nomineesThe White House and Senate Democrats are closing out the first two years of Joe Biden’s presidency having installed more federal judges than his two immediate predecessors.
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.
Lawmakers urge action after report of other high court leak
Read full article: Lawmakers urge action after report of other high court leakThe Senate Judiciary Committee chairman is among those urging action in response to a report that a former anti-abortion leader knew in advance the outcome of a 2014 Supreme Court case involving health care coverage of contraception.
A bump and a miss: Saudi oil cut slaps down Biden's outreach
Read full article: A bump and a miss: Saudi oil cut slaps down Biden's outreachPresident Joe Biden is effectively acknowledging the failure of one of his biggest foreign policy gambles: a fist-bump with the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia, the crown prince associated with human rights abuses.
Senators call for stronger rules on off-the-books suspension
Read full article: Senators call for stronger rules on off-the-books suspensionDemocratic Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth are urging the Education Department to strengthen regulations against excluding kids from class because of behaviors related to a disability — a practice known as informal removal.
Senators push new oversight to combat federal prison crises
Read full article: Senators push new oversight to combat federal prison crisesA bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced legislation Wednesday to overhaul oversight and bring greater transparency to the crisis-plagued federal Bureau of Prisons.
Whistleblower: China, India had agents working for Twitter
Read full article: Whistleblower: China, India had agents working for TwitterTwitter’s former security chief told Congress Tuesday there was “at least one agent” from China’s intelligence service on Twitter’s payroll — and that the company knowingly allowed India to add agents to the company roster as well.
US leaders avoid victory dance in Ukraine combat advances
Read full article: US leaders avoid victory dance in Ukraine combat advancesU.S. leaders from President Joe Biden on down are being careful not to declare a premature victory after a Ukrainian offensive forced Russian troops into a messy retreat in the north.
Twitter whistleblower bringing security warnings to Congress
Read full article: Twitter whistleblower bringing security warnings to CongressPeiter “Mudge" Zatko, the Twitter whistleblower who is warning of security flaws, privacy threats and lax controls at the social platform, will take his case to Congress on Tuesday.
Former Westwood College students get federal debt canceled
Read full article: Former Westwood College students get federal debt canceledThe Biden administration says it will cancel any federal student loans used to attend the for-profit Westwood College from 2002 through 2015 after officials found that the school exaggerated the job prospects of graduates.
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.
Senate to hold hearing on crisis-plagued federal prisons
Read full article: Senate to hold hearing on crisis-plagued federal prisonsThe chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee says he plans to hold an oversight hearing on the crisis-plagued federal Bureau of Prisons after The Associated Press reported that the agency is keeping its embattled ex-director on the payroll as an adviser to his successor.
Dems seem headed for climate, health win after ups and downs
Read full article: Dems seem headed for climate, health win after ups and downsIn a story published July 30, 2022, The Associated Press reported that the Congressional Budget Office estimated that an insulin bill would increase the price of the drug.
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.
Schumer: Dems will push ahead on pared down economic measure
Read full article: Schumer: Dems will push ahead on pared down economic measureSenate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says Democrats will push ahead on restraining pharmaceutical prices and extending health insurance subsidies for millions of Americans.
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.
McConnell warns Dems of fallout for reviving Biden bill
Read full article: McConnell warns Dems of fallout for reviving Biden billSenate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is threatening to derail a bill designed to boost semiconductor manufacturing in the United States if Democrats revive their stalled package of energy and economic initiatives.
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.
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.
House passes domestic terrorism bill after Buffalo shooting
Read full article: House passes domestic terrorism bill after Buffalo shootingThe House has passed legislation that would devote more federal resources to preventing domestic terrorism in response to the racist mass shooting in Buffalo, New York.
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.
The story so far: AP's investigation into federal prisons
Read full article: The story so far: AP's investigation into federal prisonsAn ongoing Associated Press investigation has uncovered deep, previously unreported flaws within the Justice Department’s largest law enforcement agency, the federal Bureau of Prisons.
Crowd, cheers, history as Senate confirms Supreme Court pick
Read full article: Crowd, cheers, history as Senate confirms Supreme Court pickMoments before the Senate began Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation vote to become the first Black woman on the Supreme Court, the chamber filled with the swell of history.
Murkowski, Romney back Jackson, all but assure confirmation
Read full article: Murkowski, Romney back Jackson, all but assure confirmationRepublican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney say they will vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic nomination to the Supreme Court, giving President Joe Biden’s nominee a new burst of bipartisan support to become the first Black woman on the high court.
Democrats push toward vote on Jackson for Supreme Court
Read full article: Democrats push toward vote on Jackson for Supreme CourtThe Senate Judiciary Committee is pushing Ketanji Brown Jackson closer to confirmation, setting up a vote next week to recommend her nomination to the full Senate and seat her as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.
Key Dem Manchin says he'll back Jackson for Supreme Court
Read full article: Key Dem Manchin says he'll back Jackson for Supreme CourtDemocratic Sen. Joe Manchin has announced his intention to support the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, pushing her one step closer to confirmation.
'You are worthy': Sen. Booker draws tears at Jackson hearing
Read full article: 'You are worthy': Sen. Booker draws tears at Jackson hearingSen. Cory Booker of New Jersey drew tears from Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson at her confirmation hearing with the words, “You are worthy,” and others like them.
Jackson heading for likely confirmation despite GOP darts
Read full article: Jackson heading for likely confirmation despite GOP dartsJudge Ketanji Brown Jackson faced down a barrage of Republican questioning about her sentencing of criminal defendants on Wednesday, as her history-making bid to join the Supreme Court veered from lofty constitutional questions to attacks on her motivations as a judge.
Jackson pushes back at GOP critics, defends judicial record
Read full article: Jackson pushes back at GOP critics, defends judicial recordSupreme 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.
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.
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.
Senate launches group to examine embattled US prison system
Read full article: Senate launches group to examine embattled US prison systemThe U.S. Senate is launching a bipartisan working group of lawmakers to scrutinize conditions within the Bureau of Prisons following reporting by The Associated Press that uncovered widespread corruption and abuse in federal prisons.
Opposition from GOP senator threatens Biden judicial pick
Read full article: Opposition from GOP senator threatens Biden judicial pickRepublican Sen. Ron Johnson's opposition to President Joe Biden's judicial nominee in Wisconsin has surprised Democrats and is providing the latest test to the Senate tradition of letting home state senators block district court judges from advancing.
Senators strike bipartisan deal on domestic violence bill
Read full article: Senators strike bipartisan deal on domestic violence billA bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced a proposal to reauthorize the 1990s-era law that extends protections for victims of domestic and sexual violence after it lapsed in 2019 because of Republican opposition.
High court's Alabama ruling sparks alarm over voting rights
Read full article: High court's Alabama ruling sparks alarm over voting rightsThe Supreme Court’s decision to halt efforts to create a second mostly Black congressional district in Alabama for the 2022 election has sparked fresh warnings that the court is eroding the Voting Rights Act and reviving the need for Congress to intervene.
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.
Biden stretches for GOP support for Supreme Court nominee
Read full article: Biden stretches for GOP support for Supreme Court nomineePresident Joe Biden is reaching out to Republican as well as Democratic Senate Judiciary Committee leaders as he works to gain GOP support for his Supreme Court nominee.
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.
After bitter battles, Senate eyes less toxic court fight
Read full article: After bitter battles, Senate eyes less toxic court fightIn a Senate where bitter Supreme Court battles have left a lasting imprint, the confirmation of President Joe Biden’s pick for Supreme Court has the potential to be much less combative and toxic.