June 23, 2021

FILE - In this June 7, 2021, file photo, a person holds a sign to protest at Houston Methodist Hospital in Baytown, Texas, a policy that says hospital employees must get vaccinated against COVID-19 or lose their jobs. Over 150 employees at Houston Methodist system, who refused to get a COVID-19 vaccine, have been fired or resigned after a judge dismissed an employee lawsuit over the vaccine requirement, said Houston Methodist system spokesperson Gale Smith on Tuesday, June 22, 2021. (Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)

153 Houston Methodist employees resign or are fired after refusing to get Covid-19 vaccine, official says

By Keith Allen More than 150 Houston Methodist Hospital employees were officially out of a job Tuesday, 10 days after a judge dismissed a lawsuit against the hospital by employees who opposed a Covid-19 vaccine mandate as a condition of employment, a hospital spokesperson said. The 153 employees either resigned in the two-week suspension period that

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IRVINE, CA - JULY 26: Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna Bryant watch during day 2 of the Phillips 66 National Swimming Championships at the Woollett Aquatics Center on July 26, 2018 in Irvine, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Kobe Bryant’s widow, other families, settle wrongful death suit related to fatal helicopter crash

By Alexandra Meeks and Jon Passantino Vanessa Bryant and other families have settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the company that owned and operated the helicopter that crashed last year in Southern California, killing her husband, NBA legend Kobe Bryant, their daughter and seven others. Attorneys for Bryant filed a joint notice of settlement Tuesday in US District

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WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 14: U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) speaks as Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the third day of her Supreme Court confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on October 14, 2020 in Washington, DC. Barrett was nominated by President Donald Trump to fill the vacancy left by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who passed away in September. (Photo by Hilary Swift-Pool/Getty Images)

Democrats plot next steps on new election rules with a focus on Georgia

By Manu Raju Senate Democrats, stymied in their push to mandate a major revamp of election laws, are beginning to map out their next steps to draw attention to the issue and to put the focus on a critical battleground state: Georgia. The Democratic-led Senate Rules Committee plans to move ahead with a series of

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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 19: President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for Secretary of Defense Retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin answers questions during his confirmation before the Senate Armed Services Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on January 19, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images)

Defense secretary to recommend prosecution of sexual assaults in the military be taken out of commanders’ hands

By Oren Liebermann Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Tuesday announced he will recommend to President Joe Biden a change in the military justice system to take the prosecution of sexual assaults out of the hands of commanders. “We will work with Congress to amend the Uniform Code of Military Justice, removing the prosecution of sexual

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IRS adds tools to help parents claim expanded child tax credit payments

By Tami Luhby Parents can now check their eligibility for the expanded child tax credit and manage their payments, which begin next month, using two online tools the Internal Revenue Service debuted on Tuesday. An eligibility assistant allows families to determine whether they qualify for the advance credit by answering a series of questions. Eligible parents will get $300

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Senate Republicans block signature Democratic election bill in key test vote

By Clare Foran and Lauren Fox Senate Democrats suffered a loss on Tuesday when Republican opposition sunk their signature voting and election bill during a key test vote, underscoring the limits of the party’s power with the narrowest possible Senate majority. A procedural vote to open debate on the legislation was defeated by a tally

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President Joe Biden speaks during a news conference after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Wednesday, June 16, 2021, in Geneva, Switzerland. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Biden set to announce his gun crime prevention and public safety strategy as White House looks to tackle crime surge

By Maegan Vazquez President Joe Biden on Wednesday will announce a comprehensive strategy on violent crime prevention — with a particular emphasis on gun crimes — amid a nationwide surge in violent crime that’s emerged as an area of concern for the White House. Biden is expected to address recent spikes in shootings, armed robberies

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UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 16: Mayor Muriel Bowser, rides a bus to a rally on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, with 51 military veterans ahead of this weeks House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on a bill that would make D.C. the 51st state, on Monday, September 16, 2019. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

GOP senator blasts DC statehood as ‘power grab’ in clash with Democratic mayor during hearing

By Devan Cole A Senate committee hearing on a bill to grant statehood to Washington, DC, grew tense for a time on Tuesday when one of the panel’s Republican lawmakers clashed with the city’s mayor on the key Democratic priority, which has gained momentum in recent years. Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin told DC Mayor

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