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Virginia senator defends rollback of U.S. banking rules, blames managers for bank failures
WASHINGTON 鈥 The聽recent bank failures聽that shocked the markets and caused a speedy government bailout were 鈥渂asic prudential regulation failure鈥 by management, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia said Monday. The Democratic senator, who sits on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, told reporters he stands by his position that 2018 banking regulation […]
As opioids overdose deaths keep rising, report urges lawmakers to develop new approaches
WASHINGTON 鈥 Lawmakers should view America鈥檚 staggering opioid crisis, including the rise of illicit fentanyl, through an 鈥渆cosystems鈥 approach, argues a massive RAND Corporation聽report聽published Thursday. That means they should examine the gaps and interconnections among emergency response, data collection, education, treatment, housing and law enforcement, the report advises. The 600-page volume 鈥 which the authors […]
Pentagon to halt use of firefighting foam that contains PFAS as cleanup costs mount
WASHINGTON 鈥 Battered by years of criticism from U.S. lawmakers and environmental advocates, the Department of Defense will stop purchasing PFAS-containing firefighting foam later this year and phase it out entirely in 2024. The replacement for Aqueous Film Forming Foam has yet to be determined, and advocates are frustrated it鈥檚 taken so long to halt […]
Biden says U.S. bank deposits are safe despite tumult over California bank collapse
WASHINGTON 鈥 President Joe Biden reassured Americans early Monday that their money is safe in U.S. banks, after a tumultuous weekend following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and a move by regulators to shut down a second lender. Americans 鈥渟hould feel confident that their deposits will be there, if and when they need them,鈥 […]
GOP bill mandating federal Parents Bill of Rights passed by U.S. House committee
WASHINGTON 鈥- A national 鈥淧arents Bill of Rights鈥 is headed for a full U.S. House vote after the House Committee on Education and the Workforce early Thursday approved the measure designed to empower parents to inspect books and other teaching materials in schools. Lawmakers on the committee debated the GOP-backed bill that would federally mandate […]
U.S. Senate panel probes how crypto mining increases energy consumption
WASHINGTON 鈥 The so-called mining for digital assets, or cryptocurrency, consumes as much electricity as some entire nations, and U.S. senators explored the issue Tuesday in what they said was their first-ever hearing focused on the energy implications of digital currency. Crypto mining in both Nebraska and Pennsylvania was discussed in particular by the members […]
Biden pick for U.S. archivist caught up in controversy over missing presidential documents
WASHINGTON 鈥 The nominee for archivist of the United States made her second appearance before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee Tuesday, after the panel blocked her last Congress following a high-profile probe into records at former President Donald Trump鈥檚 Mar-a-Lago estate. Colleen Shogan, an executive for the nonprofit White House Historical Association […]
White House unveils $2B in weapons for Ukraine on one-year anniversary of Russian invasion
WASHINGTON 鈥 On the one-year anniversary of Russia鈥檚 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration last week announced an additional $2 billion in weapons and a host of new sanctions targeting Russia鈥檚 key industries and government officials. The Friday announcement came on the heels of President Joe Biden鈥檚 historic and surprise visit to Ukraine鈥檚 capital […]
Biden says no evidence yet that unidentified flying objects were tied to China spying
WASHINGTON 鈥 In his first address since the U.S. military shot down three unidentified flying objects last weekend, just days after taking down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon, President Joe Biden on Thursday defended the actions and said the skies above the U.S. will now be more closely scrutinized. Biden, who was under increasing pressure […]
One missile fired at mystery flying object wound up in Lake Huron, officials say
WASHINGTON 鈥 The American public may know by week鈥檚 end the administration鈥檚 strategy on unidentified flying objects going forward, but some questions about聽three recent ones shot down by the U.S. military聽may not be answered for a long time, if ever. Debris from the three low-altitude objects downed by U.S. Air Force air-to-air missiles last weekend […]
Midwestern, Western states in spotlight after mystery flying objects shot down by military
WASHINGTON 鈥 Military posts in Midwestern and Western states played key roles in the unprecedented downings of multiple unmanned aerial objects over the North American continent this weekend. Members of Congress and governors from the states involved and from both parties have shared information about the downings on Twitter and in statements, in some cases […]
China balloon鈥檚 voyage across Alaska, Montana and U.S. enrages members of U.S. Senate panel
WASHINGTON聽鈥斅燗 bipartisan group of U.S. senators grilled Pentagon officials Thursday on why a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon was permitted to fly over Alaska and across the lower 48 states before being shot down off the coast of South Carolina. The Senate Committee on Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, led by Montana Democrat Jon Tester, featured questions from […]