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Jan. 6 panel votes to refer ex-DOJ official Jeffrey Clark for contempt of Congress

Following the 2020 presidential election, then-Department of Justice official Jeffrey Clark promised to pursue baseless election fraud claims for then-President Donald Trump. Yuri Gripas/AP hide caption

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Yuri Gripas/AP

Jan. 6 panel votes to refer ex-DOJ official Jeffrey Clark for contempt of Congress

The committee said Clark, who had promised to pursue former President Donald Trump's baseless election fraud claims, failed to answer questions during a deposition.

Democracy is declining in the U.S. but it's not all bad news, a report finds

The Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol raised alarm bells for a think tank studying democracy. Samuel Corum/Getty Images hide caption

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Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Democracy is declining in the U.S. but it's not all bad news, a report finds

The United States has joined the list of countries where democracy is backsliding, according to a new report by the think tank International IDEA.

Democracy is declining in the U.S. but it's not all bad news, a report finds

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Center-left group claims Democrats' spending package would save families thousands

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., talks to reporters ahead of House passage of Democrats' Build Back Better Act, which now faces changes in the Senate. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Center-left group claims Democrats' spending package would save families thousands

A new report from the think tank Third Way found that a two-parent family of four would save up to $7,400 due to provisions of the Democrats' Build Back Better legislation.

Supreme Court considers whether to reverse Roe v. Wade

The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments Wednesday in a case from Mississippi that could reverse the court's nearly half-century-old Roe v. Wade decision. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption

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J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Law

Supreme Court considers whether to reverse Roe v. Wade

At issue is whether to reverse the court's nearly half-century-old decision, Roe v. Wade, and subsequent decisions declaring that women have a constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy.

Supreme Court considers whether to reverse Roe v. Wade

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There's a GOP push in Wisconsin to take over the state's election system

Some Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin want to take away a bipartisan elections agency's control over voting and give it to the Republican-controlled Legislature. The Wisconsin state Capitol in Madison is shown in 2017. Scott Bauer/AP hide caption

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Scott Bauer/AP

There's a GOP push in Wisconsin to take over the state's election system

Wisconsin Public Radio

Some GOP lawmakers in Wisconsin want to strip the state's bipartisan elections agency of its power and give it to the Republican-controlled Legislature. The idea is backed by GOP Sen. Ron Johnson.

There's a GOP push in Wisconsin to take over the state's election system

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Ex-Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows will appear before the Jan. 6 panel

Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows at the U.S. Capitol in February. Meadows has agreed to provide documents and appear for a deposition before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images hide caption

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Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

Ex-Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows will appear before the Jan. 6 panel

The House committee investigating the Capitol attack had threatened Meadows with a criminal contempt referral because he had previously refused to cooperate.

Ex-Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows will appear before the Jan. 6 panel

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Senate effort to reform military justice system, now under threat, faces final hurdle

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., (right), speaks to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, following an April 29 news conference on the Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act. Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images hide caption

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Senate effort to reform military justice system, now under threat, faces final hurdle

As Congress works to pass the annual defense policy bill, lawmakers work to ensure efforts to reform the military justice system remain.

TV's Dr. Oz enters Pennsylvania's crucial Senate race on the GOP side

Dr. Mehmet Oz, seen here in a December 2019 file photo, joins the Republican field of possible candidates aiming to capture Pennsylvania's open U.S. Senate seat in next year's election. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP hide caption

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Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

TV's Dr. Oz enters Pennsylvania's crucial Senate race on the GOP side

The celebrity surgeon, who has promoted questionable health advice to national television audiences, has thrown his hat into the ring to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate.

The omicron variant is cause for concern — but not panic, Biden says

Anthony Fauci (right), director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to the president, speaks alongside President Biden following a meeting of the COVID-19 response team at the White House on Monday. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption

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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The Coronavirus Crisis

The omicron variant is cause for concern — but not panic, Biden says

President Biden said that while restrictions imposed on travelers from several nations in southern Africa would slow the variant's entry, the U.S. will eventually see cases.

Congress returns to try to avoid a partial government shutdown. Here's its to-do list

The U.S. Capitol dome is seen as traffic fills North Capitol St. on Nov. 23, 2021. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption

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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Congress returns to try to avoid a partial government shutdown. Here's its to-do list

Lawmakers return from the Thanksgiving break to a pileup of critical legislation — to fund the government and avoid a default on the nation's credit limit, plus a $2 trillion spending bill.

Congress returns to try to avoid a partial government shutdown. Here's its to-do list

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Democrats go on the offense with Biden's agenda to avoid a repeat of Obamacare battle

Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., leader of a group of centrist Democrats, backed the domestic spending bill that the House approved last week but says internal fights complicated the effort to get the message out on the measure's components. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Democrats go on the offense with Biden's agenda to avoid a repeat of Obamacare battle

The Build Back Better agenda is the largest expansion of the social safety net in decades. Democrats say they learned from the debate over the Affordable Care Act and are selling their bills sooner.

Democrats go on the offense with Biden's agenda to avoid a repeat of Obamacare battle

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As the Supreme Court considers Roe v. Wade, a look at how abortion became legal

The future of abortion, always a contentious issue, is up at the Supreme Court on Dec. 1. Arguments are planned challenging Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the court's major decisions over the last half-century that guarantee a woman's right to an abortion nationwide. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption

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J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Law

As the Supreme Court considers Roe v. Wade, a look at how abortion became legal

Abortion did not become illegal in most states until the mid to late 1800s. But by the 1960s, abortion, like childbirth, had become a safe procedure when performed by a doctor.

As the Supreme Court considers Roe v. Wade, a look at how abortion became legal

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Omicron variant spreads to North America, Australia and more of Europe

President Biden speaks to media as he arrives on Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., on Sunday after returning from Nantucket, Mass., after spending the Thanksgiving holiday there. Carolyn Kaster/AP hide caption

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Carolyn Kaster/AP

Coronavirus Updates

Omicron variant spreads to North America, Australia and more of Europe

President Biden received a briefing from his medical task force, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, who said that "inevitably" the omicron variant will turn up in the U.S.

Trump, tough issues and personal rivalries test the GOP's reputation for unity

Republicans often present a united front, but loyalty to former President Donald Trump, seen here with House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy, and views about his future in the party are showing some divisions. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption

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Alex Brandon/AP

Trump, tough issues and personal rivalries test the GOP's reputation for unity

Tensions are driven by the still-divisive personality of former President Trump, by issues such as vaccines and mandates and by the prospect of big Republican gains in the elections of 2022 and 2024.

Biden nominates 2 women of color to lead the OMB

Shalanda Young testifies during a hearing in March to examine her nomination to be deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. She has been serving as acting director for the past eight months and will stay on as director if the Senate confirms her nomination. Patrick Semansky/AP hide caption

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Patrick Semansky/AP

Biden nominates 2 women of color to lead the OMB

If confirmed, Shalanda Young will be the first Black female director of the White House Office of Management and Budget. Nani Coloretti would serve as its deputy director.

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