Earmarks are back, and they could be key to Biden's infrastructure plans

May 13, 2021
Earmarks — money members of Congress request for projects back home — could make it easier for lawmakers to get on board.
Earmarks benefit lawmakers' constituents and could entice more members of Congress to support infrastructure spending.
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Biden signs $1.9 trillion relief bill before speech to nation

Mar 11, 2021
“There is light at the end of this dark tunnel of the past year. There is real reason for hope," President Joe Biden said.
President Joe Biden signs the American Rescue Plan in the Oval Office. He has drawn broad support for his management of the coronavirus response.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Biden executive actions target LGBTQ discrimination

Jan 20, 2021
The president is strengthening workplace protections and rolling back the military ban on transgender service.
LGBTQ rights supporters rallied outside the Supreme Court in Washington in 2019 as the court held oral arguments in three cases dealing with workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Biden unveiling $1.9T plan to stem virus and steady economy

Jan 14, 2021
Biden's "American Rescue Plan" would deliver another round of aid to stabilize the economy while public health officials try to get the upper hand on the pandemic.
President-elect Joe Biden delivers remarks on Jan. 8 in Wilmington, Delaware.
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How baby bonds could help close the racial wealth gap

Jan 13, 2021
A proposed $1,000 savings account for every baby born in the U.S. could improve future outcomes for an entire generation of families.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley, above, and Sen. Cory Booker are pushing for baby bonds to help close the racial wealth gap.
Tom Williams/AFP via Getty Images

Biden's immigration policy could affect the private prison industry

Jan 12, 2021
As President Trump visits the Texas-Mexico border, we look at the role of private prisons in immigration detention.
The campaign of President-elect Joe Biden promised to end for-profit detention centers.
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Biden climate team sparks optimism among environmentalists

Jan 11, 2021
President-elect Joe Biden has vowed to make the environment a priority in an agenda that would reverse many Trump administration policies.
Gina McCarthy, former head of the Environmental Protection Agency, will be the first national climate adviser.
Joshua Roberts/Getty Images

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The business world hasn't quite grappled with protesters storming the U.S. Capitol

Jan 6, 2021
Sudeep Reddy, managing editor at Politico, joined Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal to discuss the events in Washington and how business leaders are reacting.
Tear gas is deployed against pro-Trump protesters attempting to enter the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. The disruption of government unnerved some business leaders, who value stability.
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Biden plans federal board to surge COVID-19 testing. What might that look like?

Jan 5, 2021
To boost testing, the Biden team has proposed a federal Pandemic Testing Board, modeled after the War Production Board.
President-elect Joe Biden announces key members of his health team in December. Ramping up coronavirus testing will be one of his priorities.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

H-1B visa holders hope Biden administration will reform "unpredictable" process

Dec 28, 2020
The Trump administration increased renewal fees and made the process "more cumbersome," says a reform advocate.
President-elect Joe Biden backs more visas for highly skilled immigrants, but the issue remains politically divisive.
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