Latest Stories By Louis Jacobson

Showing 337-348 of 1260 items
Steve Bannon in NYC

Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, and executive privilege over Jan. 6: What does it all mean?

October 22, 2021

In recent days, former President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit against the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon rebuffed a subpoena from the same panel.  At the center of both defiant acts is the concept of executive privilege. We previously delved into executive privilege in 2019, when […]

Fact-checking Joe Biden at CNN’s town hall

October 22, 2021

President Joe Biden used a CNN town hall to sell voters on his efforts to get Congress to pass infrastructure and social spending packages that he says would help average Americans with child care and education.  Despite the long legislative process and disagreements among Senate Democrats over the price tag, Biden expressed optimism that they […]

The Supreme Court’s ‘shadow docket’: What you need to know

October 18, 2021

Some of the most important moves by the Supreme Court in the past few years haven’t followed the traditional process of briefs, oral arguments, and private discussions among the justices to produce lengthy, heavily footnoted opinions. Some procedural actions by the justices have come to be known collectively as the “shadow docket” — and as […]

The looming debt-ceiling showdown: What you need to know

September 22, 2021

For President Joe Biden and congressional leaders, time is running out to increase the nation’s debt ceiling.  Put simply, if the debt ceiling isn’t suspended or raised in the next week or two, the United States won’t be able to cover its bills — not just checks to American seniors, veterans and federal employees but […]

In UN speech, Joe Biden calls for collective action on climate, COVID-19

September 21, 2021

In his first address to the United Nations General Assembly as president, President Joe Biden said the coronavirus pandemic, climate change and other threats present world leaders with a stark choice at “the dawning of what must be a decisive decade for our world.” “We’re challenged by urgent and looming crises, wherein lie enormous opportunities, […]

TSA for vaccine mandates

Amid proposals for travel vaccine mandates, is there a right to unfettered travel in the U.S.?

September 20, 2021

With President Joe Biden moving to tighten vaccine requirements, some Republicans have pushed back, arguing that Biden’s policies unduly constrain personal liberty. During a Sept. 16 interview on the conservative channel Newsmax, Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., focused on the prospect that Biden could make vaccination a requirement for interstate travel, such as on a plane. […]

Joint Chiefs chair Milley at Pentagon briefing

Did Gen. Mark Milley overstep on nuclear launch meeting, call to China?

September 16, 2021

Republicans are calling for the ouster of Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, following an account of Milley’s actions in the wake of the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol building.  According to the Washington Post, the forthcoming book “Peril,” by Post writers Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, tells how […]

Biden vaccine mandates

Will Joe Biden’s vaccination requirements hold up in court?

September 15, 2021

With the national coronavirus vaccination effort stalling amid hesitancy among roughly one-third of Americans, President Joe Biden has announced tougher measures aimed at getting more shots in arms and the delta variant under control.  On Sept. 9, Biden set out three major steps to tighten vaccination requirements: A mandate for federal employees to be vaccinated, […]

The Democrats’ reconciliation bill: What you need to know

September 10, 2021

Congress is considering how much of President Joe Biden’s public investment agenda to implement — but in an unusually confusing fashion. In August, the Senate passed a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure bill backed by Biden, winning the support of all Senate Democrats as well as 19 Republicans. The infrastructure bill now needs to be approved […]

Plane leaving Afghanistan

Joe Biden said not everyone who wants to can leave after a war. Military experts checked his history

September 2, 2021

President Joe Biden’s decision to follow through on a U.S. pledge to withdraw from Afghanistan led to a rush of people seeking to leave the country, including Afghan nationals who had worked with the U.S. military or non-governmental organizations. “We’re going to continue to try to get you out,” Biden said Aug. 26 following the […]

WV vaccine

Fact-checking a claim raised at WVU about a coronavirus study in Israel

September 1, 2021

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — At a special West Virginia University meeting on Sep. 1, faculty members began consideration of a proposal to strengthen the university’s rules on the coronavirus by making vaccines mandatory on campus. Currently, the university “strongly” recommends that students, faculty, and staff get vaccinated, but it does not require them to do so. […]

Afghan refugees arrive in Virginia 8-23-21

How are Afghan refugees being vetted? Here’s what we know

August 25, 2021

U.S. officials are working on one of the largest airlifts in U.S. history ahead of an Aug. 31 deadline to leave Afghanistan. The evacuation effort includes American citizens as well as thousands of refugees and Afghans who helped the U.S. military over two decades of war. Images and footage have shown hectic conditions inside and […]

Showing 337-348 of 1260 items