Author

Jennifer Shutt

Jennifer Shutt

Jennifer covers the nation’s capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Her coverage areas include congressional policy, politics and legal challenges with a focus on health care, unemployment, housing and aid to families.

Biden to impose sanctions on pro-Russian separatist region of Ukraine

By: - February 21, 2022

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden issued an executive order Monday imposing sanctions on the two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin declared independent earlier in the day. The order bars new investment, trading and finance in the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki […]

Biden says there’s ‘reason to believe’ Russia plans to invade Ukraine within days

By: - February 18, 2022

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Friday that he expects Russian forces to invade Ukraine within days, attacking the nation’s capital city of Kyiv and its 2.8 million residents. “We have reason to believe Russian forces are planning and intend to attack Ukraine in the coming week, the coming days. We believe they will target […]

U.S. Senate clears short-term funding bill after sidestepping ‘crack pipe’ concerns

By: - February 17, 2022

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Thursday sent the president a three-week government funding bill that gives negotiators more time to reach agreement on a full-year spending package — avoiding a potential shutdown just one day away. Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, told States Newsroom that negotiators can wrap up […]

CDC to update federal masking guidance in coming weeks

By: - February 16, 2022

WASHINGTON — The federal government will likely update its guidance on masking and other COVID-19 mitigation efforts in the coming weeks as the omicron surge continues to wane, U.S. public health officials indicated Wednesday. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said at a White House briefing that the agency will continue looking […]

Jan. 6 panel subpoenas six people tied to pro-Trump fake electors plan

By: - February 16, 2022

WASHINGTON — The select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol issued subpoenas Tuesday for six people — including prominent Republicans in Arizona, Michigan and Pennsylvania — involved in planning slates of fake electors for former President Donald Trump. Chairman Bennie G. Thompson said in a statement the panel is “seeking records […]

U.S. House panel debates record number of guns found at airport checkpoints

By: - February 15, 2022

WASHINGTON — U.S. House members wrestled Tuesday with how to address a spike in travelers trying to bring firearms through airport screening points in carry-on bags. During 2021, Transportation Security Administration officers detected 5,972 firearms at checkpoints, 86 percent of which were loaded. That number was up from the previous record of 4,432 discovered in 2019. The […]

Schumer, Booker, Wyden ask U.S. Senate colleagues for help on marijuana reform

By: - February 12, 2022

WASHINGTON — A small but influential group of Democratic senators is asking their colleagues for input on how best to overhaul the federal government’s cannabis laws. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden and New Jersey’s Cory Booker released a letter Thursday asking senators whose states have legalized marijuana and those who sit on committees […]

COVID vaccine for kids under 5 delayed until at least April

By: - February 11, 2022

WASHINGTON — A COVID-19 vaccine for young children will be delayed by at least two months as Pfizer and BioNTech gather more information on a three-dose regimen. The disappointing news for many parents came after the Biden administration earlier had announced it was preparing to get the vaccines out to states as soon as it […]

Short-term federal spending patch held up by Tennessee senator over crack pipe controversy

By: - February 10, 2022

WASHINGTON — Federal government funding runs out in just a week, Congress hasn’t cleared a short-term measure to avoid a shutdown, despite broad bipartisan support — and the latest holdup is over claims the Biden administration wants to pay for crack pipes as part of  “safe smoking” kits. The stopgap spending bill passed the U.S. […]

CDC preps guidance for governors on relaxing COVID rules, but states forge ahead

By: - February 9, 2022

WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is preparing guidance for governors about when to relax masking and other measures meant to slow the spread of COVID-19, but doesn’t want to release those instructions just yet. Director Rochelle Walensky said Wednesday that it’s too soon to begin rolling back masking and other public […]

U.S. House passes three-week patch to keep the federal government operating

By: - February 8, 2022

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House passed a bill Tuesday night that would keep the U.S. government up and running through March 11. The short-term funding bill, the third one of this fiscal year, is designed to give negotiators more time to reach a bipartisan agreement on full-year spending bills — a task they’ve so far been unable […]

McConnell rebukes RNC for saying Jan. 6 attack was ‘legitimate political discourse’

By: - February 8, 2022

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday the Republican National Committee erred in censuring two House GOP lawmakers for joining the select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The Kentucky Republican rebuked the RNC for referring to the riot as “legitimate political discourse” in the censure resolution. McConnell said […]