Latest Stories By Louis Jacobson

What happened at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 has been described variously as an insurrection, a coup and domestic terrorism — but whatever you call it, it was a significant historical event. And as the nation nears their six-month anniversary, there is little agreement on a roadmap for how to investigate events that threatened […]

After the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of Black resident George Floyd, Chauvin’s attorney asked the judge for a more lenient sentence than the official guidelines would suggest. In a motion filed June 2, attorney Eric Nelson sought to have Judge Peter Cahill sentence Chauvin to probation plus the […]

To say that federal guidance on mask-wearing has been confusing would be an understatement. Back in 2020, during the earliest days of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., mask-wearing was discouraged. Then officials changed this guidance, citing clearer findings that the virus could be transmitted by people who showed no symptoms. The advice to wear […]

Since Jan. 6, calls for an independent commission to investigate Capitol insurrection have been growing. Recently, all House Democrats and 35 Republicans voted in favor of a bill that sets up a commission similar to the one that investigated 9/11. After House passage, the measure moved to the Senate, where Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., […]

Inflation — a phenomenon that most Americans haven’t had to think about much for a decade or two — has reemerged as a concern as the economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic. On May 12, the government announced that the consumer price index was 4.2% higher in April 2021 than a year earlier, the fastest […]

In recent weeks, Democrats have repeatedly warned that Republican-backed election bills like the one enacted in Georgia amount to a resurgence of Jim Crow, the legal structures in the pre-1960s South that kept Blacks segregated and politically powerless. The system included both segregationist laws and social norms that relegated Blacks to second-class status. Significant elements […]

U.S Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said President Joe Biden is dividing Americans and has failed to deliver on his promise of unity. “I want to have an honest conversation,” Scott said. “About common sense and common ground. About this feeling that our nation is sliding off its shared foundation and how we move forward together.” […]

In his first speech before Congress, President Joe Biden argued it was time to turn the coronavirus pandemic into a historic opportunity to expand government for the benefit of a wider range of Americans, urging investments in jobs, climate change, child care, infrastructure and more.  Biden said that taxes should be increased on corporations and […]

On Jan. 6, supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol to stop the official counting of the Electoral College vote. What did then-President Trump know, and when did he know it? And how did Trump view the actions of his supporters who overran the Capitol Police? The answer: It’s still murky.  Trump’s role […]

In the first 100 days, new presidents try to turn campaign promises into quick legislative victories, defuse lingering crises, set themselves apart from their predecessor, and set a leadership tone for the next four years — all while avoiding blunders that could destroy their momentum.  So how is President Joe Biden doing as he approaches […]

The latest political battle over the Supreme Court is not about filling an open seat, but about how many seats there should be.  Several Democratic lawmakers in Congress have introduced legislation to expand the court to 13 justices, up from its current nine. One of the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y., told PolitiFact that […]

Confused by what people are saying about H.R. 1, the hotly contested voting and elections bill? We can’t blame you. The 791-page Democratic-backed bill — which passed the U.S. House of Representatives on a mostly party-line vote and awaits action in the Senate — is complex and wide-ranging. It combines proposals for voter registration, absentee […]