EPA weighs slowing shift to electric vehicles
The move comes as the Biden administration faces pressure on multiple fronts to weaken its electrification targets, in part because of slowing EV sales and also problems with public EV charging stations.
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Congress agrees on how much to spend—but not on how to spend it
Lawmakers are racing to beat fast-approaching government shutdown deadlines in March, but deep policy divisions may slow them down on everything from passenger rail funding to Internal Revenue Service resources to support for the World Health Organization.
Self-funding prominent in campaign contributions for some congressional candidates
Dozens more congressional candidates filed their latest quarterly reports with the Federal Election Commission ahead of a Wednesday deadline, detailing contributions to their campaigns and how they spent the money.
U.S. employers added surprisingly robust 353,000 jobs in January
Wages rose unexpectedly fast in January, too. The strong hiring and wage growth could complicate or delay the Federal Reserve’s intention to start cutting interest rates later this year.
Meta, TikTok and other social media CEOs testify in heated Senate hearing on child exploitation
On Wednesday, the CEOs went before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify as lawmakers and parents grow increasingly concerned about the effects of social media on young people’s lives.
Biden administration to finalize scaled back regulations on gas stoves
The move, part of a broader effort to curb planet-warming emissions from household appliances, could prompt political backlash even though it reflects a compromise with U.S. manufacturers.
Congress aims to wind down COVID-era program rife with fraud, expand child tax credit
Congress wants to end a tax break meant to encourage businesses to keep workers on the payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic. What was expected to cost the federal government $55 billion has instead cost it nearly five times that amount as of July.
Congress votes to avert shutdown and keep the government funded into early March
The measure extends current spending levels and buys time for the two chambers to work out their differences over full-year spending bills for the fiscal year that began in October.
Overdraft fees could drop to as low as $3 under new White House proposal
The proposed change by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would potentially eliminate billions of dollars in fee revenue for the nation’s biggest banks.
JetBlue’s $3.8B buyout of Spirit Airlines blocked by judge citing threat to competition
The Justice Department said if JetBlue were allowed to buy Spirit, it would especially hurt travelers who depend on Spirit’s low fares.
Federal lawmakers negotiating expanded child tax credit
The emerging deal would make the existing child tax credit more generous, a major Democratic priority. In exchange, it would also continue several business tax breaks favored by corporate America, a Republican priority.
As shutdown nears, Congress considers extending funding to March
Funding for 20 percent of the government—including the Transportation Department, some veterans’ assistance and food and drug safety programs—is set to expire Jan. 20, just after midnight.
Some Americans will get student loans canceled in February as Biden accelerates new plan
Borrowers will be eligible for cancellation if they are enrolled in the new SAVE plan, if they originally borrowed $12,000 or less to attend college, and if they have made at least 10 years of payments.
FAA probes potential flaws in Boeing’s manufacturing process
The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday that it is launching an investigation into whether aerospace giant Boeing followed rules to ensure the aircraft that it built were safe for operation.
House Republican revolt scrambles plan to prevent government shutdown
Congress began leaving Washington on Thursday for the long holiday weekend without a plan for how to prevent a government shutdown next week.
Biden awards $623M to states, local governments and tribes to build EV charging network
A proposal from the Michiana Area Council of Governments for an EV charging project based in Indiana is set to receive $4.2 million.
Congress saddled scam victims with taxes. A new bill would change that.
The bill would reinstate a tax deduction for personal casualty losses that was removed by congressional Republicans in 2017. The deduction covered sudden or unexpected events such as floods, fires, earthquakes—and thefts.
For consumers shopping for EVs, new rules mean fewer models qualify for tax credit
Qualifying for the credits depends on requirements related to their battery makeup and minerals that get tougher each year.
New rule tightens worker classification standards; Uber, Lyft say drivers won’t be affected
The Labor Department rule, which the Biden administration proposed 15 months ago, replaces a scrapped Trump-era standard that lowered the bar for classifying employees as contractors.
House GOP stare down another internal fiscal fight as deadline looms
Following weeks of negotiations, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced Sunday that they had agreed to a $1.66 trillion funding deal that would reduce overall spending by the federal government.