U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday reviewed federal government programs that provide billions of dollars in surplus military weapons and equipment to civilian police departments. The action comes amid growing calls to end the so-called “militarization” of local law-enforcement agencies after last month’s police response to protests in Ferguson, Missouri. Events in Ferguson drew worldwide attention when […]
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Congress is in recess and members are scattered across the country in their home districts. But a number of congressional leaders appeared on Sunday talk shows to voice alarm about the threat posed by the Islamic State militant group in the wake of the brutal murder of American journalist James Foley. The Republican chairman […]
President Barack Obama is asking Congress for $3.7 billion to address an immigration crisis that has seen tens of thousands of unaccompanied children from Central America cross illegally into the United States. In a letter Tuesday to House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, Obama said the funding would support air surveillance and other enhanced border […]
University of Washington political scientist John Wilkerson has matched data visualization with the study of lawmaking to create a new online tool for researchers and students called the Legislative Explorer. Think of it as big data meeting up with How a Bill Becomes a Law. “The goal was to get beyond the ‘Schoolhouse Rock’ narrative and let users […]