Democrats see Senate as silver lining in dismal election year
Democrats are banking on a roster of strong Senate candidates to help them retain the upper chamber amid a dismal political environment that increasingly favors Republicans. In Senate races across the country, Democratic candidates have raked in eye-popping amounts of cash and in some cases have pulled ahead in the polls against their Republican rivals despite GOP confidence that the national mood will help the party flip control of the entire Congress. Meanwhile, Republican candidates in some high-stakes races have opened themselves up to easy attacks, further adding to
Read MoreGOP sees chance to steal Hispanic voters from Democrats
Republicans are actively courting Hispanic voters in key competitive House districts, hoping to peel away voters from Democrats repeating their historical pattern of investing little and late in reaching out to Latinos. The GOP’s approach is a danger to Democrats as Hispanic voters are likely to play a key role in at least a dozen districts in 2022. “It couldn't be a starker contrast between Republicans and Democrats as we engage and do outreach to minority voters, and specifically the Hispanic community,” said Danielle Alvarez, communications direc
Read MoreGunshot detection system expanding rapidly in US despite criticism
Local officials are increasingly turning to a gunshot detection technology to help address gun violence, despite serious concerns over its accuracy and potential side effects. More than 130 cities and towns across the country have now installed the ShotSpotter systems, according to a report released Thursday from the group Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP). That's up from about 85 cities in 2018. That expansion has been aided by federal fun
Read MoreAdditional action needed to meet Biden’s climate goals: analysis
A new analysis has found that the U.S. is currently not on track to meet President Biden’s climate goals unless it takes additional policy actions to mitigate global warming. The report, from research firm Rhodium Group, found that by 2030, the U.S. will have cut its emissions by between 24 and 35 percent compared to where they were at in 2005. That’s a significantly smaller cut than the 50 to 52 percent that President Biden has called for. But, the projection does not include emissions cuts
Read MoreHouse Democrats adopt amendment giving DC mayor authority over city's national guard
The House adopted an amendment to the annual defense spending bill on Wednesday that would give the mayor of Washington, D.C. authority over the capital city’s national guard. The measure — sponsored by Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), Anthony Brown (D-Md.) and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), who represents the District of Columbia — was approved in a mainly party-line vote of 218-209 to be added to the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Democrat
Read More