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GOP Rallies Solidly against Democrats’ Virus Relief Package

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans are rallying solidly against Democrats’ proposed $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. But even as they do, lawmakers are awaiting a decision by the Senate’s parliamentarian that could bolster or potentially kill a pivotal provision hiking the federal minimum wage. Democrats plan to push the sweeping package through the House on Friday.…

Judge bans enforcement of Biden’s 100-day deportation pause

HOUSTON (AP) — A federal judge has indefinitely banned President Joe Biden’s administration from enforcing a 100-day moratorium on most deportations. U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton late Tuesday issued a preliminary injunction sought by Texas, which argued the moratorium violated federal law and risked imposing additional costs on the state. Biden proposed the 100-day pause…

Biden Mourns 500,000 Dead, Balancing Nation’s Grief and Hope

WASHINGTON (AP) — With sunset remarks and a national moment of silence, President Joe Biden has offered a head-on acknowledgement of the country’s once-unimaginable loss — half a million Americans in the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden addressed what he called a “grim, heartbreaking milestone” directly and publicly, speaking from a lectern in the White House Cross…