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Conservative groups are criticizing ties between officials in the Biden administration and liberal outside groups pressuring it on climate change, the filibuster and other left-wing causes. The outside groups are flexing their muscle to boost the White House agenda on Capitol Hill and to pressure President Biden Joe Biden House panel approves bill to set up commission on reparations Democrats to offer bill to expand Supreme Court Former Israeli prime minister advises Iran to 'cool down' amid nuclear threats MORE on a number of policy areas. Demand Justice, an advocacy group focused on reforming the Supreme Court, has in recent days ramped up pressure on Justice Stephen Breyer Stephen Breyer Conservatives slam ties between liberal groups, White House The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Tax March - Congress returns; infrastructure takes center stage NY Times beclowns itself by normalizing court-packing 'to balance the conservative … [Read more...] about Conservatives slam ties between liberal groups, White House

MOSCOW - Russian authorities on Wednesday charged four editors of an online student magazine with encouraging minors to take part in illegal activity for a report about the nationwide protests supporting jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny. All four were ordered by a court not to leave their residences for the next two months and were banned from using the internet and communicating with anyone other than immediate family, lawyers and law-enforcement agencies. The charges, which carry a potential sentence of three years in prison, come amid heightened pressure on independent news media. Police raided the Moscow apartments of the four DOXA magazine editors as well as the apartments of two of the editors' parents and the magazine's offices before taking the editors in for questioning, according to DOXA and a human rights group involved in their defense. DOXA said the actions were connected to a video the magazine ran about the protests calling for Navalny's freedom, which … [Read more...] about Russia Targets Student Magazine With Raids, Criminal Charges

Unions and labor advocates with high hopes that President Biden Joe Biden House panel approves bill to set up commission on reparations Democrats to offer bill to expand Supreme Court Former Israeli prime minister advises Iran to 'cool down' amid nuclear threats MORE would help deliver on major priorities like raising wages and increasing worker power have few if any concrete victories to point to as Biden approaches 100 days in office. A $15 minimum wage provision was jettisoned from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan; labor’s top legislative priority, the PRO Act, is once again stalled in the Senate; and a union organizing effort at an Amazon warehouse in Alabama was soundly defeated. Union leaders argue that Biden is still delivering on his campaign promise to be a pro-union president and that progress has been slow going because of razor-thin Democratic majorities in the House and Senate. But many progressive groups say Biden needs to be fighting … [Read more...] about Unions struggle to secure wins under Biden

Sen. Josh Hawley Joshua (Josh) David Hawley Anti-Asian hate crimes bill overcomes first Senate hurdle Republicans see record fundraising in months after Capitol breach Biden sparks bipartisan backlash on Afghanistan withdrawal MORE (R-Mo.) led a group of Senate Republicans on Thursday in reintroducing legislation to ban the use of social media app TikTok on federal government devices, citing potential national security concerns. The No TikTok on Government Devices Act would ban all federal employees from using the popular app on government devices. The legislation was previously introduced in 2020, and was unanimously passed by the Senate in August, but the bill never received a vote in the House. “TikTok is a Trojan horse for the Chinese Communist Party that has no place on government devices—or any American devices, for that matter,” Hawley said in a statement Thursday. “My bill is a straightforward plan to protect American government data from a … [Read more...] about Republican lawmakers reintroduce bill to ban TikTok on federal devices

All eyes are on Michigan as the state endures a surge of COVID-19 cases, underscoring how fatigue with coronavirus restrictions, and political divisions, have disrupted the response to the pandemic across the country. More than a year after the start of the pandemic, Michigan has evolved into a hot spot for COVID-19, recording a seven-day average of 7,377 new cases and 3,570 hospitalizations in the past week, according to The New York Times. The state is also home to nine of the top 10 cities with the highest rate of cases per 100,000 people over the last two weeks. ADVERTISEMENT Amid the new surge, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Gretchen Whitmer Watch live: Whitmer provides update on COVID-19 in Michigan Multiple GOP Michiganders test positive for COVID-19 after district meeting White House on Whitmer's handling of pandemic: She's shown 'serious' grit MORE (D) has avoided instituting new lockdowns after receiving backlash from Republicans and … [Read more...] about Michigan’s spike highlights fatigue over restrictions