Jun 22 France’s former President Nicolas Sarkozy faces jail term in campaign financing trial By Nicolas Vaux-Montagny, Sylvie Corbet, Associated Press The trial of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has concluded in Paris, after a month during which the court sought to determine whether he broke laws on campaign financing in his unsuccessful 2012 re-election bid. Continue reading
Jun 22 The gas tax’s tortured history shows how hard it is to fund new infrastructure By Theodore J. Kury, The Conversation A bipartisan group of senators proposed the gas tax should be indexed to inflation to help pay for new infrastructure spending, an approach Biden calls 'regressive.'… Continue reading
Jun 22 Gerrymandering Texas could help Republicans take back the House in 2022 By Daniel Bush Texas gained two House seats in the 2020 U.S. Census, driven by a population boom in the left-leaning metropolitan regions. But the Republican-controlled state legislature will be in charge of drawing the new districts, leaving Democrats on the sidelines of… Continue reading
Jun 22 Connecticut legalizes recreational use of marijuana By Susan Haigh, Associated Press People age 21 and older will be allowed to possess and consume marijuana beginning on July 1 under the new law. The measure also lays the groundwork for a new cannabis industry in the state and attempts to address racial… Continue reading
Jun 22 International criticism of Nicaragua crackdown grows By Associated Press Fifty-nine countries at the United Nations Human Rights Council signed onto a statement Tuesday expressing concern over arbitrary arrests and the restriction of fundamental rights. Continue reading
Jun 22 WATCH: U.S. official to address legacy of Indigenous boarding schools By Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press The unprecedented work will include compiling and reviewing decades of records to identify past boarding schools, locate known and possible burial sites at or near those schools, and uncover the names and tribal affiliations of students, she said. Continue reading
Jun 22 Watchdog says almost 900 Secret Service employees were infected with COVID By Josh Boak, Associated Press The group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington says that 881 people on the Secret Service payroll were diagnosed with COVID-19 between March 1, 2020 and March 9, 2021. Continue reading
Jun 22 WATCH: GOP filibuster halts Democrats’ signature voting bill By Brian Slodysko, Christina A. Cassidy, Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press The Democrats' sweeping attempt to rewrite U.S. election and voting law stalled in the Senate Tuesday, blocked by a wall of Republican opposition to what would have been the largest overhaul of the electoral system in a generation. Continue reading
Jun 22 New Yorkers cast ballots in city’s first mayoral primary to use ranked choice voting By Karen Matthews, Associated Press Thirteen Democrats and two Republicans engaged in a last effort to rally supporters Tuesday as voters cast their ballots in New York City's mayoral primary, the first citywide election to use ranked choice voting. Continue reading
Jun 22 WATCH: Federal Reserve Chair Powell says high inflation temporary, will ‘wane’ By Christopher Rugaber, Associated Press Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday responded to concerns from Republican lawmakers about spiking inflation by reiterating his view that current price increases will likely prove temporary. Continue reading