Georgia Rep. Nikema Williams of Atlanta speaks along with other members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus outside the U.S. Capitol about negotiations on the debt limit, on May 25, 2023. Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom WASHINGTON — U.S. House members walked down the steps of the Capitol building Thursday morning to head back to their districts for a Memorial Day recess that began exactly one week before the country could default on the debt. House Democrats took

The definition of what constitutes Waters of the United States has shifted several times in recent years as the past three presidential administrations have all sought to impose different interpretations. Courtesy Dade County The U.S. Supreme Court in a major environmental decision on  Thursday overturned the Environmental Protection Agency’s definition of wetlands that fall under the agency’s jurisdiction, siding with an Idaho couple who’d said they should not be required to obtain federal permits to

Deaths attributed to opioids, including synthetic opioids like fentanyl and its many analogs, have been steadily on the rise, with a staggering jump in recent years. Drew Angerer/Getty Images WASHINGTON — Lawmakers in the U.S. House passed bipartisan legislation Thursday in an effort to curb staggering overdose deaths from illegal fentanyl substances that are illicitly produced and up to 50 times stronger than heroin. The HALT Fentanyl Act, passed on a 289-133 vote with 74 Democratic votes and