Pandemic failures expose problems of the administrative state
State governments used an unprecedented level of executive power to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Governors and other state officials tried to control entire state economies and even our private interactions. The impact these measures had on overall public health is not yet known, but there were many blunders made along the way. These failures expose some inherent problems of the administrative state — the vast landscape of departments and agencies that make up the executive branch of government. One must separate intent from reality to understand how the administrative state
Read MoreJan. 6 panel shows few signs of slowing down despite midterm risks
So much for a clean summer wrap. A stream of new evidence and emerging witnesses has led the Jan. 6 committee to extend its public hearings at least another two months, creating new opportunities for investigators to explore former President Trump’s role in the Capitol attack while pushing the disclosure of potentially explosive new findings closer to the midterm elections. The select committee’s p
Read MoreHere are the GOP candidates Democrats have helped in primaries
Democratic-aligned groups and candidates have spent tens of millions of dollars to influence GOP primaries across the country this year, hoping that their efforts will yield less-electable, more-controversial Republican nominees in the general elections. And while those efforts appear to be paying off in some states, they’ve also stirred concern among some Democrats that these tactics run the risk of helping elect far-right candidates to high-level public offices, especially in a political environment that is largely working against Democrats. Here’s a look at some
Read MoreA looming recession threatens Americans’ already precarious mental health
Story at a glance When the economy takes a turn for the worse, deaths of despair — or overdoses, suicides, and substance abuse-related deaths — tend to rise. As the nation struggles to meet increased demand for mental health care resulting from the pandemic, a potential recession could exacerbate these challenges. But improving commun
Read MoreAtlanta-area DA represents significant legal threat to Trump
The Atlanta-area prosecutor’s investigation into Donald Trump’s effort to overturn his 2020 electoral defeat in Georgia poses the most significant legal threat to the former president, legal experts said, with the probe intensifying as Trump eyes a 2024 bid for the White House. The former president’s team is keeping close watch of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis's investigation, even as it remains unclear whether Trump himself would face charges, according to one source, who noted that recent subpoenas issued to close Trump advisers Rudy Giuliani and Sen. Lindsey Graha
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