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Buttigieg to inherit a crumbling network of roads, subways and rails at DOT
Pete Buttigieg, as the incoming pick for U.S. transportation secretary, would take office at a time when both state and local officials are deeply frustrated that not enough is being done to maintain and improve the country’s transportation networks. But nobody seems to be able to solve the problem. For example, two presidents have vowed […]
Education Secretary DeVos heads for the exits, leaving a legacy of turmoil
Updated, 7:06 a.m., 12/16/20 WASHINGTON — In four years in office, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos failed to broaden her appeal beyond the moment she won a wild Senate confirmation fight by the closest of margins. She didn’t even try. Instead, the billionaire Michigan native and Republican megadonor championed private and charter schools, often trying […]
Stevens and Slotkin helped the Dems flip Congress in 2018. Now they’re running with Trump on the ballot.
Two Democratic women helped their party take back control of the U.S. House in 2018 by winning Southeast Michigan seats in areas that backed President Donald Trump and were long considered Republican territory. But two years later, Haley Stevens (D-Rochester Hills) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly), both appear to have the upper hand in their reelection […]
Immigration agency cuts of 800 jobs expected to trigger backlogs, delays
WASHINGTON — Some members of Congress scored a victory last month when a federal immigration agency backed off plans that would have led to thousands of layoffs of government employees. But their relief was short lived, as the agency now intends to furlough some 800 of its local private contractors instead — a move expected […]
Big 10 football, pandemic and politics collide in congressional hearing
The Big Ten athletic conference will “keep its season postponed” for fall sports until it can guarantee more rigorous COVID-19 testing and address potential long-term health complications for student athletes, the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin’s flagship university told U.S. senators Tuesday. The comments from Rebecca Blank, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, came […]
Why D.C. lawmakers are voting remotely during the pandemic
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans have a new line of attack against some Democrats — charging they are failing to show up for work. The criticism refers to 2020’s practice of proxy voting in the House, which enables lawmakers of either party to cast votes even when they are not at the Capitol. The emergency […]
Voting rights legislation named for John Lewis stalled in Congress
Democrats ranging from presidential nominee Joe Biden to party officials in Georgia are pushing for Congress to restore a key element of the Voting Rights Act as a way to honor civil rights icon John Lewis. The late Georgia congressman was a leader in getting Congress to pass the landmark law in 1965. But so […]
Trump raises more money than Biden in Michigan, even amid the pandemic
President Donald Trump may be lagging in most statewide polls in Michigan, but there is one critical area where he is performing better than Joe Biden, and that’s fundraising. Trump has amassed $5.8 million from Michigan donors, according to federal records, compared to $2.7 million for Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. The Republican president […]
COVID-19 pushes Postal Service’s finances to the brink
WASHINGTON — Millions of Americans are relying on the U.S. Postal Service for key supplies while they isolate themselves to slow the spread of COVID-19. But the Postal Service itself faces uncertain times ahead, as the economic fallout of the pandemic and hostility from the Trump administration threaten to hobble it. “At a time when […]
Trump reluctantly invoked an obscure wartime power. Here’s what it means.
WASHINGTON — As his administration came under fire for its handling of the COVID-19 outbreak, President Donald Trump last week invoked an obscure Korean War-era law to force General Motors to manufacture ventilators that could save patients’ lives. But the company had already been in talks to produce the equipment. And Trump waited weeks to […]