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Sam Sacks

Sam Sacks has 859 articles published.

Education Sec. DeVos Unfazed by Conflict of Interest Charges

A pilot program with the aim of delivering student loans through prepaid bank cards is vulnerable to a conflict of interest, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was warned during a hearing on Tuesday. DeVos, however, dismissed those concerns, and later appeared to know very little at all about the card program. The Education Department’s Office of Student Aid is planning to launch the pilot program this year, dispersing loans to as many as 100,000 students via prepaid cards, similar to debit cards. The initiative would be… Keep Reading

Leahy Rips FCC Chairman for Appearing With Alt-Right “Pizzagate” Conspiracist

The head of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Ajit Pai appeared before a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Thursday, where he was harangued about an attempt he made to produce a viral video with a far-right publication. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) accused the FCC Chairman of showing “contempt” for the public. “You mocked those who disagreed with you in what I think was an ill-advised attempt at what you might think is humor,” Leahy said. Last December, Pai starred in a video produced by the Washington, D.C.-based… Keep Reading

Senate Committee Confirms Haspel, Wyden Alleges “Abuse of Power”

In a secret vote on Wednesday, the Senate Intelligence Committee approved of Gina Haspel to head the Central Intelligence Agency. Ten Senators on the panel supported the nomination, while five were opposed. “No” votes included Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who blasted both Haspel and the committee immediately after the proceedings. “Gina Haspel and the CIA have committed one of the most blatant abuses of power in recent history, aided and abetted by a total failure of Congressional oversight,” Wyden said in a statement. The senator referenced… Keep Reading

SCOTUS Rules 6-3 to Dismantle National Ban on Sports Gambling

The Supreme Court struck down a federal prohibition on sports betting, paving the way for states to legalize the activity. In a 6-3 decision on Monday, the high court found that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was unconstitutional. The court ruled that provisions in the law requiring states to prohibit sports gambling was an unlawful form of commandeering, prohibited by the Tenth Amendment. “The Constitution gives Congress no such power,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the majority. Without PASPA in place, states legislatures… Keep Reading

Sen. Manchin, Whose Daughter Raised the Price of EpiPens by 500-Percent, Asks Why Drug Prices Are so High

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar was asked about rising drug prices in America during a Congressional hearing on Thursday, and both his response to the question and the Senator who posed it were noteworthy. “Why are pharmaceuticals charging so much?” Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) asked Azar, who was testifying before a Senate appropriations subcommittee. Citizens of the US spend vastly more on drugs than their counterparts in the rest of the developed world. It results in nearly 19 million Americans every year purchasing… Keep Reading

Haspel Frustrates Democrats, Refuses to Call Torture “Immoral”

Heading into Wednesday’s confirmation hearing, Gina Haspel knew she’d face probing questions about her involvement in the Central Intelligence Agency post-9/11 torture program. But the nominee to lead the spy service appeared unprepared to answer the most basic question: Was it moral? Haspel resisted several senators’ attempts to pry loose her personal feelings on the agency’s “enhanced interrogation” program. The nominee, a career CIA officer, explicitly said she would not judge the actions of her colleagues at the time, and even implied the methods were… Keep Reading

Trump Instructs U.S. to Violate Iran Nuke Accord

An historic agreement between the United States, Iran, and members of the UN Security Council is in tatters following a decision by President Trump to pull the US out of the agreement. In a speech from the White House on Wednesday, Trump said the US would violate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and reinstitute sanctions on Tehran. “It is clear to me that we cannot prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb under the decaying and rotten structure of the current agreement,” the President claimed.… Keep Reading

NASA’s Project Portfolio is Dogged by Record-Breaking Delays

The nation’s space projects are facing the longest delays ever recorded, according to an audit by a federal watchdog. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) examined NASA’s major projects portfolio, and discovered that the average launch delay was 12 months. “Cost and schedule performance….has deteriorated,” the GAO reported. Delays are not expected to improve moving forward, the oversight agency also found, citing “cost and schedule growth in the future.” “Complex new projects are starting up, and other expensive projects are taking longer to launch than expected,”… Keep Reading

Lawmakers Warn that NLRB Spending Freeze Could Violate Federal Law

A pair of Democratic legislators caught wind of an attempt by the White House to claw back funding for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)—a move that could potentially be illegal. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) wrote a letter to the NLRB’s General Counsel Peter Robb on Wednesday, informing him that any decision to fund the board at levels lower than what Congress appropriated would be “an extreme act of bad faith” in violation of federal budget laws. “We remind you… Keep Reading

France’s Macron Throws Support Behind New Iran Agreement Discussions

President Donald Trump received a lifeline from French President Emmanuel Macron, who on Tuesday said his nation was prepared to begin work on a second nuclear deal with Iran. Macron said he hopes the current agreement—known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—would remain in place as a “pillar” of a new deal, but acknowledged that it is ultimately President Trump’s responsibility. The current pact with Iran is next up for re-certification on May 12, and President Trump has given every indication that he… Keep Reading

Corker at Pompeo Hearing: We Already Endorsed Regime Change in Syria

The leader of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee signaled to President Trump that the panel already approved the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) directed the comments toward Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), during the confirmation hearing for Mike Pompeo, Trump’s pick to serve as next Secretary of State. Kaine had just completed pointed questioning of Pompeo, the current CIA Director, about whether regime change around the world should be an official US foreign policy. Director Pompeo dodged the question, but it did… Keep Reading

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