Unexpected deal would boost Biden pledge on climate change
An unexpected deal reached by Senate Democrats would be the most ambitious action ever taken by the United States to address global warming and could help President Joe Biden come close to meeting his pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030.
Biden's realism approach runs head-on into liberal pressure
When it comes to the thorniest issues confronting his administration, the instinct from Biden and his White House is to often speak about what he can’t do, citing constraints imposed by the courts or insufficient support in a Congress that is controlled by his own party.
Biden calls former VP Mondale 'giant' of political history
President Joe Biden has saluted his “friend of five decades” Walter Mondale, traveling to the University of Minnesota to remember the former vice president and Democratic Party elder whose memorial service was delayed for a year due to the pandemic.
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First steps made in Congress to honor pop superstar Prince
Minnesota’s Congressional delegation on Monday is introducing a resolution to posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal to pop superstar Prince, citing his “indelible mark on Minnesota and American culture,” The Associated Press has learned.
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Climate activists hail Dem budget spending on clean energy
Environmental groups hailed a sweeping $3.5 trillion domestic spending plan announced by Democrats, saying it would make “transformational investments” in clean energy and put the nation on a path to cut greenhouse emissions by at least 50% by 2030.
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Investigation underway after man serving a life sentence for killing a Roanoke County woman dies
ROANOKE, Va. – The Virginia Department of Corrections is investigating the death of one of its inmates who was serving a life sentence. Jeffrey Easley died on Monday while at Twin County Regional Hospital in Galax, Virginia, according to the Virginia Department of Corrections. In December 2010 in Roanoke County, Easley killed Tina Smith and kidnapped her then 12-year-old daughter, leading State Police to issue an Amber Alert. On Feb. 28, 2012, he pleaded no contest to the capital murder charge against him and received a life sentence. Easley was an inmate at River North Correctional Center in Independence, Virginia, prior to his death.
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House panel seeks storm documents from Texas grid operator
As temperatures plunged and snow and ice whipped the state, much of Texas' power grid collapsed, followed by its water systems. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)WASHINGTON – The House Oversight Committee is investigating the agency that operates the Texas power grid, seeking information and documents about the lack of preparation for the recent winter storm that caused millions of power outages and dozens of deaths across the state. AdSevere winter storms in Texas “have occurred repeatedly over decades, and ERCOT has been unprepared for them,” Khanna wrote in a letter to ERCOT CEO Bill Magness. Last month's storm followed similar winter storms in 1989 and 2011 that also caused massive outages, Khanna said. “It appears that lessons learned (again) in 2011 were not implemented either, leaving Texas vulnerable to extreme winter weather again in 2021,'' he wrote.
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Senator seeks probe of natural gas price spikes during storm
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has called a special meeting Tuesday to investigate what caused the dramatic spikes in natural gas prices in that state. Natural gas hit a record $600 per million British thermal units in Oklahoma, while Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said he’s asked the state attorney general to investigate complaints of price gouging of natural gas in that state. Smith, in her letter to regulators, urged them to investigate conditions in the natural gas market over the last week, including any price gouging by natural gas producers and suppliers. Smith also urged officials to invoke emergency authorities, including under the Natural Gas Policy Act and the Defense Production Act, to ensure natural gas is sold at fair prices during the current crisis.
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Democrats ask ethics panel to investigate Sens. Cruz, Hawley
Thousands had gathered that day as Congress voted to formally certify President Joe Biden’s victory over Trump in November. Hawley and Cruz led objections in the Senate to Biden’s victory, despite the widespread recognition that the effort would fail. And both senators used their objections for political fundraising,” the Democratic senators said in their letter. Cruz helped force a vote on Biden's victory in Arizona, while Hawley helped force one on Biden's victory in Pennsylvania. “This latest effort is a flagrant abuse of the Senate ethics process and a flagrant attempt to exact partisan revenge."
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Senate Latest: Kelly win gives Arizona 2 Democratic senators
The former astronaut defeated Republican Sen. Martha McSally, who was appointed to the seat after McCain’s death in 2018. Daines’ first election in 2014 broke a Democratic lock on the Senate seat that had lasted more than 100 years. The six-term congressman from northern New Mexico defeated Republican Mark Ronchetti, a former television meteorologist, and Libertarian Bob Walsh. Reed cruised to victory over Waters, an investment consultant who mounted earlier unsuccessful campaigns for state Senate and U.S. Senate in Massachusetts. Warner defeated Republican challenger Daniel Gade in a low-key race in which the incumbent had a massive cash advantage.
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Lockdowns are fading, but GOP outrage isn’t in campaigns
She flew to Michigan to rally with shutdown protesters and launched a run for the Texas Senate, hammering Republican Gov. Greg Abbott over virus restrictions. There is skepticism that angst over lockdown measures is enough for underdog GOP candidates to narrow the gap. In Texas, where Democrats are running closer races than they have in a generation in a longtime GOP stronghold, GOP incumbents in battleground seats have focused on the recovery rather than rail against past lockdowns. ___This story has been corrected to show that it was Jason Lewis, not Tina Smith, who criticized coronavirus restrictions.
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Minnesota’s Omar holds off well-funded primary challenger
Omar, seeking her second term in November, easily defeated Antone Melton-Meaux, an attorney and mediator who raised millions in anti-Omar money. Omar rejected Melton-Meaux’s attacks, saying they were funded by interests who wanted to get her out of Congress because she’s effective. Melton-Meaux didn't support that but did support shifting some funding away from police to more social service-oriented programs. Both touched on the issue in personal ways, with Omar saying she wanted her son to grow up safely. I have some reservations.”John Hildebrand, a 47-year-old teacher in Minneapolis who voted for Omar, said her national profile is an advantage.