Author: potus

WASHINGTON (AP) — Just hours after she pleaded not guilty to federal charges brought by the Trump administration, New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver was surrounded by dozens of supportive Democratic colleagues in the halls of the Capitol. The case, they argued, strikes at the heart of congressional power.“If they can break LaMonica, they can break the House of Representatives,” said New York Rep. Yvette Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. Federal prosecutors allege that McIver interfered with law enforcement during a visit with two other House Democrats to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Newark, New Jersey. She…

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is expected to grind through a rare weekend session as Republicans race to pass President Donald Trump’s package of tax breaks and spending cuts by his July Fourth deadline.Republicans are using their majorities in Congress to push aside Democratic opposition, but they have run into a series of political and policy setbacks. Not all GOP lawmakers are on board with proposals to reduce spending on Medicaid, food stamps and other programs as a way to help cover the cost of extending some $3.8 trillion in Trump tax breaks.The 940-page bill was released shortly before midnight…

A divided U.S. Supreme Court has sided with religious parents who want to pull their children out of the classroom when a public school lesson uses LGBTQ-themed storybooks.The 6-3 decision Friday in a case brought by parents in Maryland comes as certain books are increasingly being banned from public schools and libraries.In Justice Samuel Alito’s majority opinion — joined by the rest of the court’s conservatives — he wrote that the lack of an “opt-out” for parents places an unconstitutional burden on their rights to religious freedom.Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent for the three liberal justices that public schools…

In the days before the surprise U.S. attack on Iran, Politico reported that one man in the Defense Department was having an outsized say on Washington’s Iran strategy: Erik Kurilla, the hawkish U.S. Central Command leader known as “The Gorilla.” “He’s a big dude, he’s jacked, he’s exactly this ‘lethality’ look they’re going for,” said an anonymous former official. So long as military advisors “come across as tough and warfighters,” the source added, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “is easily persuaded to their point of view.” Kurilla’s influence illustrates a broader truth about Washington’s current priorities: In President Donald Trump’s second…

Four years ago, financial advisor Ric Edelman went out on a limb in saying everyone should hold cryptocurrencies. But how much? Low single digits was his recommendation.In his “The Truth about Crypto” book in 2021, Edelman said as low as a 1% allocation was reasonable.A lot has changed.This week, Edelman said financial advisors should be recommending anywhere from 10% to 40% allocations to cryptocurrencies, and he is aware it’s quite a shift in his own thinking.”Today I am saying 40%, that’s astonishing,” he told CNBC’s Crypto World in an interview. “No one has ever said such a thing.”But the “why”…

(The Center Square) – With the stroke of a pen, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker could restrict access to mental health therapy that utilizes artificial intelligence. House Bill 1806 is one of nearly 420 bills on the governor’s desk that were passed during spring session. The measure regulates how AI can be utilized in the space of offering mental health therapy. Kyle Hillman, with the Illinois Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, said the measure draws a clear line that AI can support mental health professionals, but it can’t pretend to be one. “The law ensures AI tools in therapy are just…

(The Center Square) – The state Public Service Commission is scheduled to vote Tuesday on an agreement that could lock in Georgia Power’s rates for the next three years.Gov. Brian Kemp touted the agreement as a positive move for Georgia after it was announced in May.”Our utility providers are at the table and are active partners in bringing jobs and investments to our state,” Kemp said. “As constitutional officer, the PSC members are also great partners in our constant work and the result as I have said many times over the last seven months, we’ve seen over 193,000 job announcements and…

(The Center Square) – Contrary to a local media report and claim by a Democratic congresswoman, medical care was provided to a Guatemalan woman detained by immigration authorities – and she was detained because she was wanted in connection to a homicide, the Department of Homeland Security said.A local news outlet in Nashville reported that Guatemalan national Iris Dayana Monterroso-Lemu, who was illegally living in Lenoir City near Knoxville, miscarried after she was arrested and detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.In response, U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal said, “A pregnant woman lost her baby after ICE refused to give her…

(The Center Square) – With the president’s self-imposed July 4 deadline just a week away, Gov. Bob Ferguson berated President Donald Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ on Thursday over controversial cuts to Medicaid.Ferguson’s Tri-Cities press conference coincided with a U.S. Senate parliamentarian ruling out a few of those cuts, particularly around eligibility for immigrants and gender-affirming health care.Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled that those provisions and others around Trump’s agenda violated the Byrd rule. The procedure requires those cuts to be directly tied to the budget, not ideological reforms, to pass the reconciliation bill with a simple majority.“These Medicaid cuts are cruel and…

(The Center Square) – Gov. Jeff Landry, alongside U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., signed a sweeping new law aimed at reshaping how Louisiana regulates food, nutrition, and consumer health.”A healthy independent population reduces reliance on Medicaid, freeing us from government dependence,” Landry said.Senate Bill 14 bans schools from serving foods containing certain artificial dyes, preservatives, and sweeteners linked to health risks and requires schools to prioritize locally sourced food when possible. It also mandates that restaurants disclose when they use seed oils like soybean, corn or canola in food preparation. Additionally, doctors and nurse practitioners in…