Democratic Senator Joe Manchin is calling for a “strategic pause” on the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill, citing concerns about the price tag and inflation, as the White House and other Democrats push for its passage.  Manchin’s hesitation matters because the bill needs all 50 Senate Democrats to vote in …

Washington — The Senate passed a budget resolution early Wednesday that lays the groundwork for Democrats’ massive $3.5 trillion spending package, capping a flurry of activity just hours after senators approved a separate $1 trillion infrastructure bill.  The Senate passed the resolution on a party line vote of 50-49. The …

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, a political survivor who weathered calls for his resignation two years ago, is one of the few Democrats who is not weighing in on whether embattled fellow Governor Andrew Cuomo should step down, after investigators appointed by the New York Attorney General Letitia James concluded that …

Washington — While the Senate awaits final legislative text for the roughly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a key Democrat involved in negotiations over the proposal, said Sunday that the Senate wants to approve the plan to improve the nation’s roads, bridges and rails …

Ken Bennett, the former Arizona GOP secretary of state serving as the Arizona Senate Republicans’ liaison to an ongoing audit of ballots, raised concerns about the audit contractors’ lack of transparency in two radio interviews on Monday. Bennett has been one of the public faces of the Arizona Senate GOP’s …

Americans would be freer to repair their broken cellphones, computers and videogame consoles themselves, or to use independent repair shops, under changes being eyed by federal regulators. The regulators maintain that restrictions have steered consumers into manufacturers’ and sellers’ repair networks or led them to replace pricey electronics and other …

Amy Cousino had moved to New Orleans to be a chef — but when the COVID-19 pandemic struck last March, her job vanished. Underlying health issues cut her off further from the outside world. On unemployment for the first time in her life, she had to pick and choose which …

President Biden fired Trump-era Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul Friday morning, for undermining and politicizing Social Security benefits, according to a White House official. The president asked for Saul’s and Deputy Commissioner David Black’s resignation, the official said. Black agreed to resign, but Saul refused, so he was notified that …

The National Music Publishers’ Association has sued the popular gaming platform Roblox for copyright infringement on behalf of several music publishers in a lawsuit seeking $200 million in damages. The Association alleges that Roblox “actively encourages” its players to utilize music from artists like Imagine Dragons, Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande …

The NBA has fined Miami Heat player Meyers Leonard $50,000 and suspended him from all team activities for a week after he used an anti-Semitic slur that was heard on a video game livestream, the league announced Thursday. Leonard will also be required to participate in a cultural diversity program. In …