.By Mary Clare Jalonick and Eric Tucker
Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., stepped aside as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday after the FBI served a search warrant for his phone as part of an ongoing insider-trading investigation tied to the coronavirus pandemic.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced the move, saying he and Burr had agreed it was in the Senate's best interests.
FBI officials showed up at Burr's home with the warrant on Wednesday, marking a significant escalation into the Justice Department's investigation into whether Burr broke the law with a well-timed sale of stocks before the coronavirus caused markets to plummet,
The Justice Department declined to comment. His attorney did not respond to phone and email messages, but said last month that the law is clear that any senator can participate in stock market trading based on public information "as Sen. Burr did."
The number of Americans applying for unemployment aid rose last week to 861,000, evidence that layoffs remain painfully high despite a steady drop in the number of confirmed viral infections.
Anger over Texas' power grid failing in the face of a record winter freeze is mounting. Nearly 3 million customers in the energy capital of the U.S. woke up Wednesday still without power.
Cheddar Climate is highlighting the automotive industry and the steps its leaders are taking to reduce carbon emissions.
A winter storm that left millions without power in record-breaking cold weather has claimed more lives.
The Senate has acquitted Donald Trump in his impeachment trial. The rare Saturday session comes barely one month since the deadly Jan. 6 siege at the U.S. Capitol.
While Congress negotiates another stimulus package with a price tag of up to $1.9 trillion, some economists are raising concerns that inflationary pressures will return to the economy.
Heather Boushey, a member of the Biden administration's Council of Economic Advisers, spoke with Cheddar about the need to mitigate COVID-19 in order to return Americans to full employment.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y. 12th District) has introduced a legislative package containing five bills aimed at improving gun safety in the U.S.
Canopy Growth CEO David Klein talked to Cheddar about the confidence he has that the Canadian cannabis company will soon be entering the U.S. market.
The new organization, U.S. Cannabis Council (USCC), will lobby and organize on the state and federal levels to push lawmakers toward ending cannabis prohibition through industry-friendly reforms that promote equity and inclusion.
