Congress votes to suspend Russia trade status, enact oil ban
The White House said sanctions the U.S. and more than 30 other nations have already enacted have stung the Russian economy.
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Biden administration bets strong job market will shield economy from slump
The next few months will test whether President Joe Biden built a durable recovery full of jobs with last year’s $1.9 trillion relief package, or an economy overfed by government aid that could tip into a downturn.
Supreme Court reinstates Trump-era water rule, for now
The justices agreed to halt a lower court judge’s order throwing out the rule and sending it back to the Environmental Protection Agency. Four justices said they disagreed with the decision.
Government spending bill contains nearly $10B in home-district projects
The bipartisan spending measure, financing federal agencies this year, contains 4,975 such home-district projects, according to an Associated Press examination of items attributed to specific lawmakers in documents accompanying the bill.
Battle heats up over remaining federal rental assistance
The debate is playing out across the country as the Treasury Department begins reallocating some of the $46.5 billion in rental assistance from places slow to spend to others that are running out of funds.
UPDATE: Biden tapping oil reserve for 6 months to control gas prices
The release of reserves in the U.S. could create pressures that could reduce oil prices, though Biden has already twice ordered releases from the strategic reserves without causing a meaningful shift in oil markets.
Commerce investigation imperils solar industry, advocates say
Clean energy leaders said the investigation—which could result in retroactive tariffs of up to 240%—would severely hinder the U.S. solar industry, leading to thousands of layoffs and imperiling up to 80% of planned solar projects in the United States.
Biden’s budget plan calls for higher taxes on rich, lower deficits
Biden is proposing a total of $5.8 trillion in federal spending in fiscal 2023, which begins in October. The deficit would be $1.15 trillion.
Biden budget seeks minimum tax on households worth $100M
The introduction of the minimum tax on the wealthiest Americans would represent a significant reorienting of the tax code.
Pandemic relief money spent on hotel, ballpark, ski slopes
Scores of projects across the United States are being funded with federal coronavirus relief money despite having little to do with combating the pandemic, a review by The Associated Press has found.
U.S. plan aims to end racial, ethnic bias in home appraisals
The plan contains 21 steps to improve oversight and accountability, including a legislative proposal to modernize the governance structure of the appraisal industry.
Braun: Supreme Court should leave decisions on interracial marriage, abortion to states
During a conference call to discuss the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, Sen. Mike Braun from Indiana said he’d welcome the rescinding of several key decisions made by the court in the past 70 years to pass the power to the states.
Hacked U.S. companies to face new reporting requirements
The rules are part of a broader effort by the Biden administration and Congress to shore up the nation’s cyberdefenses after a series of high-profile digital espionage campaigns and disruptive ransomware attacks
Senate gives final approval to Ukraine aid, huge budget bill
The Senate rejected an amendment by Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., to strip earmarks from the legislation. Braun said they encompassed 367 pages that weighed five pounds and showed “the swamp is rising again.”
Justice Department reports more than $8B in alleged fraud tied to federal COVID aid programs
In some of the cases, suspects wrongfully obtained federal loans to bolster companies that didn’t actually exist. In others, large, transnational crime syndicates stole workers’ identities to receive generous unemployment benefits under someone else’s name.
Holcomb visits White House to urge Congress to pass innovation bill
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb joined President Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday to urge Congress to pass funding provisions to legislation designed to boost economic competition and semiconductor chip production in the United States.
Congress weighs permanent daylight saving time in debate as regular as clockwork
A congressional panel on Wednesday debated whether to end the nation’s “spring forward” and “fall back” daylight saving policy, citing the health effects of shifting the clock twice per year. Most agreed it was about time.
Lawmakers ask Justice Department to probe Amazon for criminal violations
The House Judiciary Committee escalated the bipartisan battle against the world’s biggest online retailer with a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, referring the case for a criminal inquiry.
U.S. House OKs $13.6B for Ukraine in huge spending bill
Passage of the Ukraine aid and the $1.5 trillion government-wide legislation that carried it let both parties lay claim to election-year victories for their priorities.
Limits on insulin costs revived in push for Senate action
Nearly 30 million Americans have diabetes, and more than 6 million use insulin to keep their blood sugars under control. It’s an old drug, refined over the years, that has seen relentless price increases.