2020 presidential election
State Dems relate their experiences on the front lines of the voting rights struggle
WASHINGTON — State Democratic legislators on Tuesday outlined their efforts to not only protect voting rights, but also expand them in their Republican-controlled state legislatures. During a panel discussion, state lawmakers from Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Texas and Florida discussed how they’ve fought against restrictive elections measures introduced and passed in their legislatures. This year alone, […]
U.S. House backs select committee to probe Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House voted Wednesday to establish a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection, in which a mob of pro-Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol. In a 222-190 vote that was almost entirely party-line, just two Republicans joined Democrats in passing the resolution, which calls for a probe into “one of the […]
Voting rights advocates air worries about onslaught of new state election laws
WASHINGTON — A U.S. House elections panel on Thursday heard from witnesses about the need to craft a new formula that identifies which states or jurisdictions have problematic histories of racial discrimination when it comes to access to the ballot box. The hearing in the House Administration Committee’s elections subcommittee also served as a way […]
Is Ted Cruz calculating his chances in the 2024 Iowa caucuses?
James Joyce, the novelist who wrote the masterpiece “Ulysses,” once observed: “A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery.” The recent actions of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, certainly bring that statement to mind. In terms of sheer intellectual firepower, Cruz, a top graduate of Princeton […]
‘Once you engage in political violence, it becomes easier to do it again’ – an expert on political violence reflects on events at the Capitol
Editor’s note: Ore Koren is a scholar of civil conflict and political violence. Before the November 2020 election, Iowa Capital Dispatch published a story he wrote via The Conversation about the likelihood of election-related violence in the U.S. This interview of Koren by the Conversation focuses on what some are calling an insurrection at the […]
Our home was attacked Wednesday. It may never be the same.
WASHINGTON — Many of us in our working lives have places away from the office that feel like a second home. It could be a back room at a business, a warehouse, a barn, even the front seat of a car. For me, that place for years was the U.S. Capitol. Thousands of people’s lives […]
Congress certifies Biden as president after rioting mob is driven from the Capitol
WASHINTON — After a day of insurrection and deadly violence at the U.S. Capitol, lawmakers early Thursday certified Electoral College votes declaring Joe Biden the winner of the November presidential election. But as they moved toward the certain outcome of victory for Biden, some Republicans backed away from their earlier objections to the certification. That […]
Woman shot during U.S. Capitol violence dies
WASHINGTON — A woman was shot inside the U.S. Capitol Wednesday during a riot provoked by Trump backers and later was pronounced dead at a local hospital, according to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. Officials did not provide details on the woman, her hometown or which hospital she was taken to. U.S. Capitol Police did […]
U.S. Capitol locked down for several hours after pro-Trump rioters storm inside
A violent mob temporarily derailed the typically routine process of Congress certifying the presidential election results on Wednesday, with the House of Representatives and Senate abruptly recessing after President Donald Trump’s supporters clashed with police and forced their way into the U.S. Capitol. Both legislative chambers were evacuated for several hours amid the chaos of […]
Dozens of GOP lawmakers to reject certifying Biden as president
WASHINGTON — The final step in a turmoil-filled 2020 presidential election is set for Wednesday, when Congress will certify election results showing that Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump. But a series of objections from GOP legislators is expected to stretch that routine process into a much lengthier one — and one that is dividing […]
The psychology of fairness: Why some Americans don’t believe the election results
The electoral votes have confirmed Joe Biden won the 2020 United States presidential election. The presidential electors gave Biden 306 electoral votes to President Donald Trump’s 232 votes. Biden also recorded a solid lead of over 7 million in the popular vote.Nonetheless, results from a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist survey found that approximately three-quarters of Republicans […]
U.S. Supreme Court rejects Texas lawsuit that challenged election results
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Friday turned aside a Texas lawsuit that sought to derail the presidential election results in four battleground states, despite pressure on the justices from President Donald Trump. “Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections,” the unsigned court order […]