Drug companies in opioid crisis donated $27K to Ohio's Ryan
A Democratic congressman who has made his opponentโs questionable record fighting the opioid epidemic a central theme of his campaign for Ohioโs open U.S. Senate seat has accepted campaign donations over the years from drug distributors blamed for key roles in the crisis.
Vance's anti-drug charity enlisted doctor echoing Big Pharma
When bestselling author JD Vance founded โOur Ohio Renewalโ a day after the 2016 presidential election, he promoted the charity as a vehicle for helping solve the scourge of opioid addiction heโd lamented in his memoir, โHillbilly Elegy.โ.
Biden, lawmakers pay tribute to slain Capitol Police officer
Slain U.S. Capitol Police Officer William โBillyโ Evans was lauded for his dedication to country, love for his job and for a mischievous sense of humor as President Joe Biden and congressional leaders honored him during a memorial service Tuesday.
Latest attack pushes US Capitol Police further toward crisis
The death of another U.S. Capitol Police officer has exacerbated problems for a department months after the worst moment in its history โ the storming of the Capitol by violent insurrectionists โ and placed new urgency on lawmakers considering proposals to bolster the agency.
House approves pro-union bill despite dim Senate odds
But it faces an all-but-certain Republican blockade in a narrowly divided Senate and is unlikely to become law. AdโIโve heard Democrats argue that itโs the unions that built the middle class,โ said Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., the senior Republican on the House labor panel. And what this bill does is take away their freedom.โLabor unions have long been a bedrock of Democratic support. โThis far-reaching legislation is nothing more than an union boss wish list,โ said Foxx, who led Republican debate on the bill. Virginia Republican Rep. Bob Good excoriated the bill, saying it would effectively โfunnel money to Democratsโ by allowing unions to collect additional dues.
House approves pro-union bill despite dim Senate odds
But it faces an all-but-certain Republican blockade in a narrowly divided Senate and is unlikely to become law. AdโIโve heard Democrats argue that itโs the unions that built the middle class,โ said Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., the senior Republican on the House labor panel. And what this bill does is take away their freedom.โLabor unions have long been a bedrock of Democratic support. โThis far-reaching legislation is nothing more than an union boss wish list,โ said Foxx, who led Republican debate on the bill. Virginia Republican Rep. Bob Good excoriated the bill, saying it would effectively โfunnel money to Democratsโ by allowing unions to collect additional dues.
EXPLAINER: What were the warnings before the Capitol riot?
Fencing and razor wire surrounds the perimeter of the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021. Scott Applewhite)Capitol Police leadership had plenty of intelligence warning that armed extremists were planning to target the Capitol over President Donald Trumpโs election loss, according to new testimony Thursday. In an appearance before a House subcommittee, acting Chief Yogananda Pittman said none of the warnings forecast the mass attack that actually took place. โI cannot get past a glaring discrepancy between intelligence received and preparation,โ Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., said during Thursday's hearing before the House Appropriations Committee. AdThe Capitol Police union issued a vote of no confidence last week against Pittman.
Chief: Police heeded Capitol attack warnings but overwhelmed
In this Feb. 2, 2021 file photo, acting U.S. Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman pays respects to U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington. However, she denied that law enforcement failed to take seriously warnings of violence before the Jan. 6 insurrection. AdEven if it had reached the top officials, Pittman argued, Capitol Police wouldn't have done anything differently. Before she was named acting police chief โ Sund, the former chief, resigned after the riot โ Pittman was the assistant chief in charge of intelligence operations. In her testimony, Pittman denied that race played a role in the failure to heed warning signs.
GOP's Josh Mandel joins race for open Senate seat in Ohio
FILE In this Nov. 4, 2014, file photo, Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel speaks at the Ohio Republican Party election night celebration in Columbus, Ohio. AdMandel abruptly abandoned his last Senate campaign in January 2018, citing unspecified health issues being experienced by his then-wife, Ilana. He personally backed her takeover of the state party four years ago from a state chair allied with then-Gov. But Mandel enters the race as a tested statewide candidate, having won two terms as state treasurer following a stint as a state legislator. He has about $4.3 million remaining in his Senate campaign account, and about $500,000 in a leadership PAC.
Virus expert says she's exploring bid for US Senate in Ohio
Mike DeWine in the stateโs response to the COVID-19 pandemic made her something of a folk hero and role model for Ohio girls. Kasich has said he won't run, but Johnson warned Kasich would try to get an โelitistโ elected to the seat. AdFormer Treasurer Kevin Boyce and state House Democratic leader Rep. Emilia Sykes, who both are Black, are among other potential Democratic contenders. Actonโs political experience is limited, and involves volunteering for former President Barack Obamaโs 2008 Democratic primary campaign in Ohio. Cranley said the emerging prospect of a strong Democratic battle for the Senate seat is good news for other statewide candidates.
In Ohio, open Senate seat sparks debate on gender, diversity
An open Senate seat in Ohio has set off a round of jockeying among ambitious Democrats and a spirited debate over who is best poised to lead a party comeback in a one-time battleground that has been trending Republican. While Acton and Ryan are believed to be the furthest along in their deliberations, several politicians who are Black are also eyeing the seat. The group is working to recruit a Black candidate for the Senate seat, he said. AdStill, Ryan got a boost Saturday when Hillary Clinton, the partyโs 2016 presidential nominee, declared on Twitter that she was โall inโ for a Ryan Senate candidacy. For some Ohio Democrats the cautionary tale is 2018, when a group of female gubernatorial candidates all ceded their ambitions to former Obama administration consumer chief Richard Cordray, who lost the race.
GOP's Rep. Jim Jordan won't seek Portman's US Senate seat
Rob Portman, R-Ohio, speaks to members of the media outside a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. Portman said Monday, Jan. 25 that he won't seek reelection and plans to end a career in federal government spanning more than three decades. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)CINCINNATI โ Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, a fiery Donald Trump supporter, won't run to succeed Ohio Sen. The former star college wrestler's style doesn't reflect that of Portman, a career establishment Republican with a reputation for bipartisanship. AdTrump rewarded Jordan, 56, for his steady support by giving him the Presidential Medal of Freedom before leaving office this month.
Capitol Police chief apologizes for failures in Jan. 6 siege
U.S. Capitol Police hold rioters at gun-point near the House Chamber inside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. Yogananda Pittman, in prepared testimony before Congress, said that the Capitol Police โfailed to meet its own high standards as well as yours." A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that authorities have detected ominous chatter about killing legislators or attacking them outside the Capitol. Five people died, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher. The Defense Department has said it asked the Capitol Police if it needed the Guard, but the request was denied.
Guard in DC forced to sleep in garages, sparking outcry
About 25,000 Guard members from across the country deployed to help secure President Joe Biden's inauguration, which went off with only a handful of minor arrests. First lady Jill Biden visited Guard troops outside the Capitol on Friday, bringing them cookies and thanking them for protecting her family. She noted that the Bidensโ late son, Beau, served in the Delaware Army National Guard. All 25,000 Guard members were vetted by the FBI over concerns of an insider attack, and a dozen were removed from their posts including two who made extremist statements about the inauguration. Thousands of Guard troops from all across the country poured into D.C. by the planeload and busload late last week, in response to escalating security threats and fears of more rioting.
After deadly siege, lawmakers ask why police so outnumbered
The lawmakers who were voting to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory were forced into hiding for hours. One Capitol Police officer, Brian Sicknick, died Thursday night from injuries suffered during the riot. One disturbing video shows a bloodied police officer screaming for help as heโs crushed by rioters inside the Capitol building. The riot focused renewed attention on Capitol Police, a force of more than 2,300 officers and civilian employees that protects the Capitol, lawmakers, staff and visitors. And as the mob descended on the building Wednesday, Justice Department leaders reached out to offer up FBI agents.
Deadly siege focuses attention on Capitol Police
This undated image provided by the United States Capitol Police shows U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, of injuries sustained during the riot at the Capitol. One Capitol Police officer, Brian Sicknick, died Thursday night from injuries suffered during the riot. Another disturbing video shows a bloodied police officer screaming for help as heโs crushed by protesters inside the Capitol building. Still, the riot โ and Sicknick's death โ focused renewed attention on Capitol Police, a force of more than 2,300 officers and civilian employees that protects the Capitol, lawmakers, staff and visitors. Capitol Police turned them down both times, according to senior defense officials and two people familiar with the matter.
Capitol siege by pro-Trump mob forces questions, ousters
Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington. The tragedy deepened late Thursday as a Capitol police officer injured in the melee died, the fifth death related to the riot. The U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement that Officer Brian D. Sicknick died from injuries sustained responding to the riot on Wednesday at the Capitol. The procedure allows for the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet to declare the president unfit for office. Black lawmakers, in particular, noted the way the mostly white Trump supporters were treated.
Capitol police chief defends response to 'criminal' rioters
(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)WASHINGTON โ Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund on Thursday defended his department's response to the violent breach at the Capitol, saying officers โacted valiantly when faced with thousands of individuals involved in violent riotous actionsโ as they stormed the building. Rioters โactively attackedโ Capitol police and other law enforcement officers Wednesday with metal pipes, discharged chemical irritants, and took up other weapons against our officers,'' Sund said in a statement. Capitol Police, who are charged with protecting Congress, turned to other law enforcement for help with the mob that overwhelmed the complex and sent lawmakers into hiding. Both law enforcement and Trump supporters deployed chemical irritants during the hourslong occupation of the complex before it was cleared Wednesday evening. Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., a former police chief, said it was โpainfully obvious" that Capitol police "were not prepared for today.
Lawmakers vow to investigate police after Capitol breach
(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)WASHINGTON โ Lawmakers are vowing an investigation into how law enforcement handled Wednesdayโs violent breach at the Capitol, questioning whether a lack of preparedness allowed a mob to occupy and vandalize the building. U.S. Capitol Police, who are charged with protecting Congress, turned to other law enforcement for help with the mob that overwhelmed the complex and sent lawmakers into hiding. Both law enforcement and Trump supporters deployed chemical irritants during the hourslong occupation of the complex before it was cleared Wednesday evening. Three other people died after suffering โmedical emergenciesโ related to the breach, said Robert Contee, chief of the cityโs Metropolitan Police Department. Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., a former police chief, said it was โpainfully obvious" that Capitol police "were not prepared for today.
Biden, Trump snipe from road and rails after debate chaos
Less than 12 hours after the wild debate concluded, Biden called Trump's behavior in the prime-time confrontation a โa national embarrassment." Trump proclaimed his debate performance a smashing success during a Wednesday evening rally in Duluth, Minnesota. Iโm going to be an American president," Biden said at the Cleveland train station. While some Republicans feared that Trump's debate performance was too aggressive, he gave himself high marks as he left Washington. He had spent much of the day assailing Biden and debate moderator Chris Wallace on social media.
Democrats push new $3T coronavirus relief bill through House
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON Democrats have powered a massive $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill through the House, an election-year measure designed to brace a U.S. economy in free fall and a health care system struggling to contain a pandemic still pummeling the country. It has no chance of becoming law as written, but will likely spark difficult negotiations with the White House and Senate Republicans. The enormous Democratic measure would cost more than the prior four coronavirus bills combined. This bill is nothing more than the Democratic policy agenda masquerading as a response to the coronavirus crisis, said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla. He said the bill is going nowhere, and is going nowhere fast.Liberal Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., also opposed the bill.
Tim Ryan ends 2020 presidential campaign
(CNN) - Rep. Tim Ryan dropped out of the 2020 presidential race on Thursday, ending a campaign that failed to gain any traction in a large field of better-financed and better-known Democrats. "I am announcing today that I am withdrawing from the presidential campaign," Ryan said in the video. Ryan raised a paltry $889,000 in the second quarter of 2019, a haul that paled in comparison to his competitors, some of whom raised in the tens of millions. Ryan only raised $1.3 million throughout his entire presidential bid, according to Federal Election Commission reporters. Ryan entered the presidential race as a longshot candidate with less name recognition than most candidates and a far smaller political network, two issues that eventually sunk his campaign.
Newspaper closing after celebrating 150th year in business
"So much is pulling us apart," he said, "and those local papers pulled us together." "The biggest question in local news has been when newspapers will stop shrinking and start closing. They said "we have been fighting against the tide of a changing newspaper business model and struggling to place The Vindicator on sound financial footing." "And that's what you lose when you lose the local newspaper. The result: Fewer subscribers and advertisers for a local paper.