Top United States government News

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on climate change and green jobs, in the State Dining Room of the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

New Biden health care orders begin to unspool Trump policies

Jan. 28, 2021 9:42 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will act Thursday to get more people health insurance in the middle of the raging coronavirus pandemic, a down payment on his pledge to push the U.S. toward coverage for all. The White House said he would sign an executive order reopening the HealthCare.gov insurance...

In this Jan. 27, 2021, photo, President Joe Biden speaks in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package presents a first political test. More than a sweeping rescue plan, it's a test of the strength of his new administration, of Democratic control of Congress and of the role of Republicans in a post-Trump political landscape. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Virus aid package tests whether Biden, Congress can deliver

Jan. 28, 2021 10:22 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than a sweeping national rescue plan, President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package presents a first political test — of his new administration, of Democratic control of Congress and of the role of Republicans in a post-Trump political landscape. For...

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin participates in a ceremonial swearing-in ceremony with Vice President Kamala Harris, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Monday, Jan. 25, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

US: Germany is 'highly valued' station for American troops

Jan. 28, 2021 10:21 AM EST

BERLIN (AP) — Germany is “highly valued” as a station for American soldiers, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer in his first conversation with her since taking up his new post, the German Defense Ministry said Thursday. Last year, then...

FILE - In this May 15, 2020, file photo, Chief Master Sgt. Roger Towberman displays his insignia during a presentation of the United States Space Force flag in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. President Joe Biden has been working quickly to undo many initiatives by his predecessor. But Donald Trump's space-faring military service, Space Force, seems likely to survive. Space Force was created in December 2019 and is still in its infancy. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Biden seen likely to keep Space Force, a Trump favorite

Jan. 28, 2021 7:05 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — To the last moments of his presidency, Donald Trump trumpeted Space Force as a creation for the ages. And while President Joe Biden has quickly undone other Trump initiatives, the space-faring service seems likely to survive, even if the new administration pushes it lower on the list of...

FILE - In this Dec. 17, 2019 file photo, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., speaks with reporters at the Capitol in Washington. A nationwide fight for the GOP’s future is getting fierce in Wyoming. House Republicans are expected to vote in the coming days on whether to oust Cheney from their third-ranking leadership post over her vote to impeach former President Donald Trump. Back in Cheney's GOP-dominated home state, momentum is growing not only for statewide GOP censure but also for a 2022 primary opponent (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

In Wyoming, Cheney faces blowback for vote to impeach Trump

Jan. 28, 2021 5:51 AM EST

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — When Liz Cheney, the third-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives, decided to vote to impeach a president from her own party, she knew she'd cause some waves. She might not have expected the seismic impact at home. But Cheney's vote against Donald Trump has put her home...

FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., sits in the House Chamber after they reconvened for arguments over the objection of certifying Arizona's Electoral College votes in November's election, at the Capitol in Washington. Republicans have a Marjorie Taylor Greene problem. Again. Before she joined Congress this month, Greene supported Facebook posts that advocated violence against leading Democrats and the FBI. While some Republicans condemned the activity on Wednesday, it was hardly a surprise. Facebook posts surfaced last year showing she’d expressed racist, anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim views. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool, File)

GOP tested anew by Georgia congresswoman's Facebook activity

Jan. 28, 2021 9:57 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans have a Marjorie Taylor Greene problem. Again. Before she joined the House this month, Greene supported Facebook posts that advocated violence against Democrats and the FBI. One suggested shooting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the head. In response to a post raising the...

President Joe Biden signs a series of executive orders on climate change, in the State Dining Room of the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, in Washington. From left, Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden, White House science adviser Dr. Eric Lander, and National Climate Adviser Gina McCarthy. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

EXPLAINER: Executive orders can be swift but fleeting

Jan. 28, 2021 6:06 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden arrived at the White House ready to wield his pen to dismantle Donald Trump’s legacy and begin pushing his own priorities. Presidents Trump and Barack Obama both relied on executive orders and other presidential directives to get some of their most controversial...

FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 file photo, Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol in Washington. Right-wing extremism has previously mostly played out in isolated pockets of America or in smaller cities. In contrast, the deadly attack by rioters on the U.S. Capitol targeted the very heart of government. It brought together members of disparate groups, creating the opportunity for extremists to establish links with each other. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

US terrorism alert warns of politically motivated violence

Jan. 27, 2021 10:15 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Homeland Security issued a national terrorism bulletin Wednesday warning of the lingering potential for violence from people motivated by antigovernment sentiment after President Joe Biden's election, suggesting the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol may embolden extremists and...

FILE - In this Sept. 26, 2020, file photo, Proud Boys leader Henry

Proud Boys leader was government informant, records show

Jan. 27, 2021 6:53 PM EST

The leader of the Proud Boys, who was arrested in Washington shortly before the Capitol riot, previously worked undercover and cooperated with investigators after he was accused of fraud in 2012, court documents show. Henry “Enrique” Tarrio helped law enforcement in a variety of investigations...

In this image from video, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., speaks as the Senate reconvenes after protesters stormed into the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. (Senate Television via AP)

Democrat floats Trump censure as conviction grows unlikely

Jan. 27, 2021 5:57 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said Wednesday that he’s discussing with colleagues whether a censure resolution to condemn former President Donald Trump for his role in the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol could be an alternative to impeachment, even as the Senate proceeds with a...

Latest United States government News

Amazon asks for block on shareholder hate speech proposal

Jan. 28, 2021 11:26 AM EST

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle-based Amazon.com, Inc. has asked federal regulators to block multiple shareholder proposals addressing criticism of company stances on curbing hate speech, diversity in hiring, workplace conditions and surveillance technologies. Shareholders would not have an opportunity to vote on...

In this Jan. 25, 2021 photo, Secret Service vehicles parked outside of Blair House in Washington. Blair House, the official government guest house, is serving as a temporary home for Vice President Kamala Harris. Vice presidents have an official residence on the grounds of Washington's Naval Observatory. Harris (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Blair House guest quarters a temporary home for VP Harris

Jan. 28, 2021 11:23 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris can’t beat the work commute. She's living temporarily at Blair House, the president's official guest residence on Pennsylvania Avenue across from the White House, while some repair work is done at the official vice presidential home a few miles away on...

Pedestrians pass the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, in New York. Stocks are climbing back in the early going on Wall Street Thursday, a day after the market took its biggest one-day loss since October. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Stocks rise sharply, with investors watching online traders

Jan. 28, 2021 11:18 AM EST

Stocks were moving sharply higher Thursday morning, a day after sinking to their worst loss since October amid lingering worries about the long-term economic damage from the pandemic. Investors continued to closely watch the nauseating moves of stocks like GameStop and AMC, which have become targets of online...

FILE - A pharmacist fills a dead volume syringe with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine at a pop-up COVID-19 vaccination site at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in the Bronx borough of New York. The U.S. Government Accountability Office is making some new recommendations related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The office has continued to report on its ongoing monitoring and oversight efforts related to the pandemic. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

GAO makes new recommendations related to pandemic response

Jan. 28, 2021 11:17 AM EST

The U.S. Government Accountability Office is making some new recommendations related to the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the vaccine rollout has not met expectations. The office has continued to report on its ongoing monitoring and oversight efforts related to the pandemic. Its latest report examines the federal...

The Latest: Spurs' Popovich says he's gotten COVID vaccine

Jan. 28, 2021 11:08 AM EST

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world: ___ San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich has gotten the COVID-19 vaccine, going public with that announcement Thursday to encourage others to receive the shot when they have the opportunity. Popovich released the news on his 72nd...

A man walks past Tokyo's promotional banners for its rescheduled Olympic games to be held in the summer 2021, in Tokyo on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

The Latest: Japan to produce 90M doses of AstraZeneca shots

Jan. 28, 2021 10:31 AM EST

TOKYO — More than 90 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine will be produced in Japan by a Japanese pharmaceutical company through a licensing agreement. It will cover three quarters of the supply the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company has pledged to provide to the country, officials said...

In this Jan. 27, 2021, photo, President Joe Biden speaks in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package presents a first political test. More than a sweeping rescue plan, it's a test of the strength of his new administration, of Democratic control of Congress and of the role of Republicans in a post-Trump political landscape. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Virus aid package tests whether Biden, Congress can deliver

Jan. 28, 2021 10:22 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than a sweeping national rescue plan, President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package presents a first political test — of his new administration, of Democratic control of Congress and of the role of Republicans in a post-Trump political landscape. For...

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin participates in a ceremonial swearing-in ceremony with Vice President Kamala Harris, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Monday, Jan. 25, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

US: Germany is 'highly valued' station for American troops

Jan. 28, 2021 10:21 AM EST

BERLIN (AP) — Germany is “highly valued” as a station for American soldiers, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer in his first conversation with her since taking up his new post, the German Defense Ministry said Thursday. Last year, then...

Land is excavated to make way for more burial space in the Maitland cemetery in Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021. The City of Cape Town is working closely with the Muslim Judicial Council to increase burial capacity as COVID-19 claims more lives in a second surge of the pandemic. (AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht)

Africa secures another 400 million COVID-19 vaccine doses

Jan. 28, 2021 10:08 AM EST

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Another 400 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been secured for the African continent through the Serum Institute of India, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. With the new doses, on top of the 270 million doses announced earlier this month from...

FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., sits in the House Chamber after they reconvened for arguments over the objection of certifying Arizona's Electoral College votes in November's election, at the Capitol in Washington. Republicans have a Marjorie Taylor Greene problem. Again. Before she joined Congress this month, Greene supported Facebook posts that advocated violence against leading Democrats and the FBI. While some Republicans condemned the activity on Wednesday, it was hardly a surprise. Facebook posts surfaced last year showing she’d expressed racist, anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim views. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool, File)

GOP tested anew by Georgia congresswoman's Facebook activity

Jan. 28, 2021 9:57 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans have a Marjorie Taylor Greene problem. Again. Before she joined the House this month, Greene supported Facebook posts that advocated violence against Democrats and the FBI. One suggested shooting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the head. In response to a post raising the...

LOADING MORE STORIES