Politics and Government News

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GOP's McConnell blasts 'loony lies' by Ga. Rep. Greene
Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell is blasting newly elected Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, calling the far-right Georgia Republican’s embrace of conspiracy theories and “loony lies” a “cancer for the Republican Party.”
Biden meets Republicans as Democrats push on for virus aid
President Joe Biden has met with a group of Republican senators who have proposed a slimmed down $618 billion coronavirus aid package, about a third of what he's seeking. The Republicans propose fewer benefits, including $1,000 in direct payments to individuals earning up to $40,000 a year, or $80,000 for couples. 
The growing threat of right-wing extremism 
Emboldened by years of support from the president and encouraged by millions of Americans joining the disinformation whirlpool, far-right extremist groups are growing in number and in danger.
Legal cannabis bill returns with prospects still hazy
Minnesota House Democrats have again introduced legislation to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, but it is unlikely to move in the Republican Senate.
Meatpacking companies, OSHA face investigation over coronavirus in plants
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis is seeking documents from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, as well as three of the country's largest meatpacking companies.
Biden threatens sanctions on Myanmar after military coup
President Joe Biden is threatening new sanctions on Myanmar after its military staged a coup and arrested the civilian leaders of its government, including Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Biden assailed the country’s army for the coup, calling it a “direct assault on the country’s transition to democracy and rule of law.”
Trump names new defense team ahead of Senate impeachment trial
Attorneys David Schoen and Bruce Castor Jr. will help defend the former president in next week's trial before the Senate on one article of impeachment, "incitement of insurrection."
Spurred by the Capitol riot, thousands of Republicans drop out of GOP
About 4,600 Republicans changed their party status in Colorado in the immediate aftermath of the Capitol riot. Other states are reporting similar defections from the GOP.
Report: Hate groups in decline, migrate to online networks
During one of the most politically divisive years in recent memory, the number of active hate groups in the U.S. actually declined as far-right extremists migrated further to online networks, reflecting a splintering of white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups that are more difficult to track.
'Fully erased': With Harris' rise, there are no Black women in the Senate
The lack of a Black woman in the Senate has turned a moment of triumph for many thrilled to see Kamala Harris ascend to the vice presidency into something more bittersweet.