Sheldon Whitehouse
U.S. Supreme Court unveils new ethics code, but critics say it doesn’t go far enough
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court released a new ethics code Monday, just days before the Democrat-led U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary again attempts to subpoena two high-profile GOP donors following revelations that justices accepted undisclosed luxury trips and engaged in other potential conflicts of interest. Despite the headlines and the committee’s springtime request […]
RIC cybersecurity institute launch promotes resilience in a world of digital danger
Information in war, wrote the general Carl von Clausewtiz, can be contradictory or wrong. More often, it’s just “doubtful.” Was he predicting the internet, too? Duplicitous sources, fake news and other flavors of the untrue are common infestations online. But it’s the truly substantive forms of cyberattack that constitute warfare from afar. The seismic consequences […]
Reed & Whitehouse urge humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza as crisis deepens
U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse are commending President Joe Biden for pledging $100 million in U.S. humanitarian aid to help Palestinians caught in the Gaza conflict. The pair of senators from Rhode Island are among 34 Democratic senators urging the Biden Administration to lead the international community in contributing to the United Nations’ […]
New strategy for controlling spotted lanternfly enlists canine investigators
LINCOLN – The dogs following their noses around Butterfly Farm, on Great Road represented diverse ages and breeds but all were being asked to do the same job. Sniff out the egg masses of one of Rhode Island’s newest invasive pests. Spotted lanternflies, native to China, threaten apple, grape, stone fruits, walnut and other economically […]
Stalled military nominations under the surface at Newport defense industry conference
NEWPORT — Long-term commitment is one of the hallmarks of innovation, Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the U.S. Navy’s vice chief of naval operations, told defense industry representatives and policymakers at a major conference at the Newport Marriott Tuesday. The theme of obligation lingers just below the surface these days as Franchetti carries on amid a battle […]
Higher taxes on the wealthy would bolster Social Security, U.S. Senate Dems argue
WASHINGTON — U.S. senators debated Wednesday how best to resolve a funding cliff within Social Security that will lead to a quarter reduction in benefits in about a decade, absent action from Congress. Democrats on the Budget Committee, led by Chair Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, called for lawmakers to increase taxes on the country’s […]
Higher taxes on the wealthy would bolster Social Security, U.S. Senate Dems argue
WASHINGTON — U.S. senators debated Wednesday how best to resolve a funding cliff within Social Security that will lead to a quarter reduction in benefits in about a decade, absent action from Congress. Democrats on the Budget Committee, led by Chair Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, called for lawmakers to increase taxes on the county’s […]
Federal health insurance website lags in voter registration assistance, Democrats charge
A group of U.S. Senate Democrats is pressing the Biden administration to make it easier for the millions of Americans who sign up each year for health insurance through a federal website to register to vote. The lawmakers, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., wrote in a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human […]
Block Island Airport awarded $2.6 million for terminal upgrades
Block Island State Airport is getting $2.6 million in federal funding to expand its terminal. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Rep. Seth Magaziner announced Wednesday that the funds will be used to support construction of a 29,100-square-foot terminal apron — area where planes park — adding to the existing 115,809-square-foot apron. Funding comes […]
Tougher ethics rules for U.S. Supreme Court justices advocated in Senate hearing
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats for the third time this year made their case that U.S. Supreme Court justices must follow stronger ethics rules, including recusing themselves from cases where they have a financial stake or other connection to a case. The series of hearings by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and its subcommittees came […]
Effects of climate change on farming, federal spending explored by U.S. Senate panel
WASHINGTON — U.S. senators on the Budget Committee dug into the impacts of climate change on farming during a Wednesday hearing, raising concerns about what the next few decades hold for food production and the way of life. But Republicans and representatives of farm groups pushed back against increased government regulation. Brent Johnson, president of […]
T.F. Green gets $9 million in federal funds toward airport improvements
Rhode Island’s T.F. Green International Airport is getting more than $9 million in federal funding for taxiway upgrades and planning. Funding is through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden in November 2021, according to an announcement Wednesday from Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse. The federal […]