Government

The Wall Street Journal reports: President Biden on Tuesday will sign a series of executive orders that are intended to advance racial equity, including action to phase out the federal use of private prisons. Mr. Biden is expected to sign four orders in the afternoon, administration officials said. He will also deliver remarks on the need to address inequities in …

NBC News reports: The House will deliver its article of impeachment against former President Donald Trump to the Senate on Monday, kicking off preparations for the upcoming trial. House impeachment managers will hold a procession ceremony through National Statuary Hall and the Capitol Rotunda to the Senate on Monday evening to present the article of impeachment to the secretary of …

The Washington Post reports: Janet Yellen was confirmed as the first female treasury secretary in American history by the U.S. Senate Monday evening. Yellen’s confirmation process garnered little controversy as the former Federal Reserve chair has long-standing ties to Senate policymakers and extensive economic and government credentials. The final vote was 84-15, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) among …

CBS News reports: U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, along with other Republican Senators, has reintroduced an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would impose term limits on members of Congress. The amendment would limit U.S. Senators to two six-year terms, and members of the House of Representatives to three two-year terms. Sen. Cruz was joined by Sen. Mike Braum (R-Ind.), Pat …

The Wall Street Journal reports: Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is set to resign on Tuesday, his office said, as Europe’s underlying problems of economic stagnation and political fragmentation start to reassert themselves amid the gruelling pandemic. The fall of Italy’s government, in office for just 17 months, is a symptom of the continuing fissures in Italian and European politics. …

The Hill reports: Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) said he is “looking seriously” at running for Senate in 2022 after Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) announced his retirement earlier Monday. Ryan briefly ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2019, presenting himself as a moderate capable of winning over Trump supporters in contrast to progressive figures such as Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) …

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports: Republican Rob Portman will not seek a third term in the U.S. Senate in 2022, he told The Enquirer – a move that will unsettle politics in both Greater Cincinnati and Washington D.C. Reading a statement on his decision to not seek re-election, Portman said he is looking forward to spending more time at home and …

CNN reports: US Capitol Police are investigating an incident in which a Republican lawmaker was stopped from bringing a concealed gun onto the House floor on Thursday, sources told CNN, the first time a member of Congress has been discovered with a firearm by the metal detectors now set up outside the legislative chamber. Rep. Andy Harris, of Maryland, set …

Fox News reports: The Senate voted to confirm Avril Haines as director of National Intelligence, making her the first woman in history to lead the intelligence community. The Senate confirmed Haines 84-10, just hours after President Joe Biden was sworn into office. Haines had her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday and vowed to “set a strategic vision” …

PBS NewsHour reports: After Joe Biden was sworn in as the nation’s 46th president, Press Secretary Jen Psaki will hold the first White House news briefing under the new administration. With Wednesday evening’s briefing, the Biden administration will resume an activity that fell by the wayside during long stretches of former President Donald Trump’s term. Trump often eschewed traditional briefings …

USA Today reports: Georgia’s Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff were sworn into the Senate Wednesday, officially giving Democrats control of the chamber as President Joe Biden aims to push through his legislative agenda. The senators were sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris in a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, one of her first actions as vice president just hours …

Politico reports: Incoming White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday it was personally important to President-elect Joe Biden that a bipartisan delegation of congressional leaders join him at church on Inauguration Day morning. Psaki said Biden hopes it will signal “the beginning of a path forward” to national healing and political unity at the outset of his term. Senate …

NPR reports: Antony Blinken, President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for Secretary of State, is appearing Tuesday afternoon before a Senate panel to begin his confirmation process. He’s vowing to restore American leadership on the world stage and work for the “greater good.” “Humility and confidence should be the flip sides of America’s leadership coin,” he will tell the Senate Foreign Relations …

The Associated Press reports: Kamala Harris has officially resigned from her Senate seat in California she has held since January 3rd, 2017. This due to her presence and role as Vice President of the United States that she will take the oath for in exactly 48 hours. She wrote a Medium article about her previous time as Senator, and what …

Gothamist reports: New York City will run out of COVID-19 vaccine supplies by the end of next week, Mayor Bill de Blasio warned on Friday. The shortage would disrupt the mayor’s goal of administering 1 million doses across the five boroughs by the end of January, delaying the prospect of rapidly achieving herd immunity and reopening safely. “We will run …

Baltimore’s NBC News affiliate reports: Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Friday issued a proclamation declaring a state of emergency related to the 2021 presidential inauguration. The executive action will allow the state to more efficiently coordinate support and provide assistance to local jurisdictions within Maryland and neighboring states. “The state of Maryland will continue to do everything we possibly can …

The Associated Press reports: Federal safety officials said Wednesday they stepping up enforcement against unruly airline passengers after confrontations on flights to and from Washington, D.C., around the time of the riot at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump. The Federal Aviation Administration said there has been “a disturbing increase in incidents where airline passengers have disrupted …

People Magazine reports: Without even saying a word, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke volumes today as she arrived to Wednesday’s House impeachment vote wearing the same outfit she wore at President Donald Trump’s first impeachment. Pelosi’s office confirmed to PEOPLE that the outfit worn by Pelosi on Wednesday is the same one worn on Dec. 18, 2019, when she presided …

The final roll call voting has begun: The debate has ended, and the House is voting now on an impeachment resolution that would make Trump the first President in United States history to be impeached for a second time for his role in last week’s Capitol attack. Voting is expected to take between 60 to 90 minutes to complete. The …

The New York Times reports: Returning to a heavily fortified Capitol, protected by thousands of National Guard troops, lawmakers began what was expected to be a daylong debate on an article of impeachment that accuses the president of “inciting an insurrection” that led to the rampage by his supporters. The final vote after the debate is expected to pass, with …