AYANNA PRESSLEY

I can empathize with Will Smith's gut reaction to protect and defend his wife. Trust me, I've wanted to slap more than my fair share of wiseguys, too.

African refugees say the recent decision to grant refugee status and other humanitarian protections to Ukrainians fleeing war underscores the racial bias inherent in American immigration policy.

Actress Jada Pinkett Smith's hair loss is at the root of the most talked-about moment at Sunday’s Oscars ceremony.

Pinkett Smith said her diagnosis was "terrifying" and that she discovered handfuls of her hair were falling out in the shower.

Three Democrats are hoping to provide a legislative lifeline to tenants facing eviction. But the bill faces some steep hurdles in Congress.

It's been 8 months since the Education Dept. prepared a memo on Biden's legal ability to cancel student debt. Democrats say it's time to release it.

Affleck said he ultimately never ran because he didn't want to be "glad-handing, begging for money, and being beholden to people."

The House Oversight Committee is demanding the Justice Department provide answers about whether Biden administration officials plan to procure the drug used in federal executions despite an ongoing moratorium on capital punishment.

A group of House lawmakers are proposing legislation that would take the clemency process out of the Justice Department and create an independent clemency board.

Requiring student loan borrowers to restart their payments will strip $85 billion from 18 million American families over the next year, an analysis shows.

Progressive Democrats are ratcheting up pressure on Speaker Nancy Pelosi to punish firebrand conservative Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado for her recent comments likening a Muslim member of Congress to a bomb-carrying terrorist.

Massachusetts congresswoman Ayanna Pressley is upset that her beloved Mariah Carey Christmas album has gone missing.

AOC and House progressives like Rep. Ayanna Pressley argue that borrowers are facing "a disastrous financial cliff" when loan payments resume in February.

Minnesota's Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar is calling on House leaders to take “appropriate action" against Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert for using anti-Muslim language in describing a recent encounter with Omar.

Michelle Wu has been sworn in as Boston’s first woman and first person of color elected mayor in the city’s history.

Six progressive Democrats - all members who make up the "The Squad" - rejected the legislation, an action that they had warned about for months.

From the moment Kyle Rittenhouse shot three people on the streets of Kenosha during protests over the police shooting of a Black man, he’s been the personification of America’s polarization.

Progressive Democrats are digging in on the sequencing of Biden's two spending packages, fearing that social spending will be gutted if they waver.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, and the other members of her progressive "Squad" spent close to $100,000 on private security in the third quarter while championing the defund the police movement, according to Federal Election Commission records.

In a letter Friday, Democrats demanded that the Education Dept. determine in 2 weeks the legality of cancelling $50,000 or more in debt per borrower.

In a House hearing Thursday, the Missouri congresswoman shared for the first time publicly her personal story of her sexual assault and subsequent abortion as a teenager.

At a virtual summit on student debt, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer renewed his call for President Joe Biden to cancel debt through executive action.

Democrat Michelle Wu has emerged the top vote-getter in a runoff election for the next mayor of Boston, but the race to decide her opponent in November is too early to call.

The city is about to elect its first mayor of color, a milestone many residents are ready to celebrate.

They say he hasn't done enough to address the effects of climate change on the financial system and has weakened regulations.

Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) are calling on President Biden to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell with someone more focused on "eliminating climate risk and advancing racial and economic justice," according to a joint statement reported by Politico.Driving the news: Powell's term will end in early 2022, though some economists have said Biden will likely reappoint him.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic in

Tenant advocates and court officials were gearing up Friday for what some fear will be a wave of evictions but others predict will be a gradual trickle after a late-night U.S. Supreme Court action that allows the lockouts to resume.

Biden just extended the student-loan payment freeze through January. Warren, Schumer, and Ayanna Pressley said that relief "doesn't go far enough."

The Biden administration has announced that federal student loan payments will remain suspended through January 2022, extending a pause that was scheduled to expire next month.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday said President Joe Biden doesn't have authority to forgive student debt. "That's not even a discussion," Pelosi said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), joined by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), on Tuesday called on President Biden to extend the moratorium on student loan payments and cancel $50,000 per borrower. Why it matters: Americans owe about $1.6 trillion in student loans and the current pause on payments will end on Sept. 30, leaving more than 3o million people to begin making student loan repayments in October even as the pandemic continues.Get market new

Democrats are pushing President Joe Biden to extend a moratorium on federal student loan payments and forgive up to $50,000 in debt.

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with the Illinois Democrat about the Support Through Loss Act, which would require employers to offer three days of paid leave to workers who've experienced pregnancy loss.

Marijuana is already legal in many states, and a growing number of GOP Congressmen are ready to make it the law of the land — but there's a debate over revenue.

With one week to go before the nationwide ban on evictions expires, the White House is acknowledging that the emergency pandemic protection will have to end at some point.

Student-loan borrowers will have to start paying again in October, and Democrats warn that "could create a significant drag on our economic recovery."

Around 7 million people are still behind on their rent, according to data compiled by the Census Bureau.

The Squad, a group of four US representatives that are women of color, are deeply unpopular among conservatives, so the attacks could help raise funds.

Omar, one of the first two Muslim women in Congress, has repeatedly had her comments on foreign affairs taken out of context by other lawmakers.

The Roosevelt Institute found loan forgiveness is actually regressive, despite a popular argument that cancelling student debt would benefit the rich.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey says she opposes the current plan by Purdue Pharma to settle thousands of lawsuits over the opioid epidemic in part because it would help preserve wealth for members of the Sackler family who own the company.

House progressives say a provision ending qualified immunity must be included in any final police reform legislation.

The House narrowly approved $1.9 billion to bolster security at the Capitol, but may face opposition in the Senate.

Three people wanted on murder charges in the death of a Georgia taxi driver last month have been arrested in Mexico and brought back to the U.S., authorities said Monday. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said 30-year-old Megan Alyssa Colone of Stone Mountain; 26-year-old Oscar Manuel Garcia of Austell and 25-year-old Juan Antonio Vega were arrested in Mexico on Saturday and are now being held at detention facilities in Texas.

The controversial Georgia Republican followed Ocasio-Cortez, shouting accusations that the Democrat supports terrorists and was a “radial socialist.”

President Joe Biden says the conviction of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd “can be a giant step forward” for the nation in the fight against systemic racism.

President Joe Biden says the conviction of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd “can be a giant step forward” for the nation in the fight against systemic racism.

Former Boston City Council President Kim Janey, 55, speaks after being sworn in as Boston's new mayor at City Hall, Wednesday, March 24, 2021, in Boston. She was the City Council president and will serve as acting mayor until a mayoral election in the fall. She also pledged to work to ensure that police in the city serve all residents fairly. Pressley described Janey as “a proud fourth-generation daughter of Roxbury," the heart of the city’s Black community. Her father was one of only eight Black students to graduate from the city’s prestigious Boston Latin School in 1964.

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser, testifies at the House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing, on D.C. statehood, Monday, March 22, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. “We dare to believe that D.C. statehood is on the horizon,” said the District's long-serving, nonvoting delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton, who wrote the bill and said it has overwhelming support in the House. AdBowser spent much of Monday's four-hour hearing by the House oversight committee in a series of sometimes pointed exchanges with Republican committee members. AdBowser at the time quickly pointed out the ironies of Washington residents risking their lives to defend a Congress where they didn’t have a vote. “There's not a single Republican in Congress, in the House or the Senate, that supports this bill.”

President Joe Biden shot down his fellow Democrats' push to forgive up to $50,000 in federal student debt per borrower. The comments will disappoint student loan holders waiting to see whether Biden eases their financial strain and congressional Democrats who have urged him to take action. Lawmakers led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., earlier this month pushed Biden to cancel $50,000 in debt and argued he had the power to do so without Congress. On Tuesday, Biden said, "I don't think I have the authority" to forgive such a large debt burden through executive action. Biden has said he would sign legislation forgiving up to $10,000 in student loans if Congress passes it.

Action to stop scheduling new executions could take immediate pressure off Biden from opponents of the death penalty. But they want him to go much further, from bulldozing the federal death chamber in Terre Haute, Indiana, to striking the death penalty from U.S. statutes entirely. In the 22 states that have struck the death penalty from their statutes, none succeeded in passing the required laws without bipartisan support. Q: WILL BIDEN GET PUSHBACK IF HE SEEKS TO END THE FEDERAL DEATH PENALTY? Biden may also feel an obligation to do something big on the death penalty, given his past support for it.

“The President continues to support the cancelling of student debt to bring relief to students and families,” Psaki tweeted. AdBiden previously had said he supports erasing up to $10,000 in student debt through legislation, but he had not shown interest in pursuing executive action. “The last thing people should be worried about is their student debt,” she said. Calls for debt forgiveness have been mounting following years of college tuition increases that have contributed to ballooning national student debt. Forgiving $50,000 in student debt would cost an estimated $650 billion, Warren said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, speaks during a news conference on student loan debt in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. Democrats in Congress are increasing their pressure on the Biden administration to cancel up to $50,000 in debt for federal student loan borrowers. "The student debt crisis has always been a racial and economic justice issue," Pressley told reporters Thursday. President Joe Biden, who as a candidate said he would cancel up to $10,000 in federal student debt, has said he wants Congress to approve the policy. The Democrats championing forgiveness are pushing him to take executive action, as they could face challenges getting debt cancelation through Congress.

The numbersCanceling $50,000 for all borrowers would shrink the country's outstanding student loan debt balance to $700 billion from $1.7 trillion. The plan would forgive all of the debt for 80% of federal student loan borrowers, or 36 million people, according to higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz. Now around 90% of federal student loan borrowers have accepted the government's offer to put their monthly payments on pause during the pandemic. White women student loan borrowers owe an average of $31,300, compared with $29,900 for White male borrowers. Meanwhile, Black women borrowers owe an average of $37,600, versus $35,700 for Black male borrowers.

FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2020, file photo, people line up for the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine at a pop-up COVID-19 vaccination site outside St. Luke's Episcopal Church in the Bronx borough of New York. Data from some states has shown hard-hit nonwhite Americans who are eligible to get the vaccine are not receiving it in proportion to their share of the population. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey, all of Massachusetts, say the agency must work with states, municipalities and private labs to collect and publish demographic data about vaccine recipients. Without that information, policymakers and health workers cannot efficiently identify vaccine disparities in the hardest-hit communities, the lawmakers say. Dr. Paul Offit of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a vaccine adviser to the U.S. government, on the slow and steady process of scaling up vaccine production.

Along with Hispanic and Native American people, Black Americans are dying from COVID-19 at nearly three times the rate of white Americans. AdPressley, who made early calls for racial case data last year, said communities of color cannot afford to wait longer for vaccine demographic data to become available. During a White House briefing on Wednesday, Nunez-Smith said federal officials were calling for states to “get better, more consistent data” on the already administered vaccinations. Nationwide, health officials in 18 states included ways to measure equity in their vaccine distribution plans last fall. But as issues in the vaccine supply chain emerged, some states have had to slow or rework distribution plans.

___5:40 p.m.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer vows there will be an impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, even if it’s after he leaves office and Democrat Joe Biden is inaugurated. ___1:05 p.m.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is suggesting that President Donald Trump should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for promoting Arab-Israeli peace. ___12:45 p.m.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says President Donald Trump represents a “clear and present danger” to the nation and must be impeached. The debate is heated almost from the start as the House sets up a vote to impeach President Donald Trump. ___8:15 a.m.Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger is predicting more Republicans will join him in voting to impeach President Donald Trump.

A tweet by the Girl Scouts congratulating new Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett drew such outrage from Barrett’s critics that the youth organization swiftly deleted it – only to draw a new backlash from Barrett’s supporters. As the online criticism mounted, the Girl Scouts deleted their original tweet and posted a new statement. Girl Scouts of the USA is a nonpolitical, nonpartisan organization. There was no immediate reply from the Girl Scouts' media spokeswoman to an Associated Press request for additional comment and for any details on whether Barrett had been in the Girl Scouts. The Girl Scouts, along with the Boy Scouts of America and other youth organizations, have experienced membership declines in recent years, for reasons ranging from busy family schedules to the lure of online games and social media.

But some challengers lost, and their overall wins were a modest number compared with the 535 House and Senate members. Kessler wasn't impressed with the three progressive challengers who defeated Democratic incumbents, either. Other high-profile progressive hopefuls lost Senate Democratic primaries in Colorado, Maine and Texas, and House contests in states including Georgia, New York and Ohio. Jamaal Bowman, a Black educator raised by a single mom, defeated House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel of the Bronx and Westchester, New York. They're an effective and well-funded operation now," said Sean McElwee, who does polling and research for progressive Democrats.

The loss marks the first time a member of the political dynasty has come up short in a race for Congress in Massachusetts. The Kennedy legacy hung over the race, especially in the closing weeks, when Kennedy more explicitly invoked his pedigree including JFK; former U.S. Kennedy helped raise millions of dollars for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the House Democrats campaign arm, during the 2018 midterm elections. Massachusetts voters may have rejected him, but few remaining House Democrats carry the same national fundraising appeal as Kennedy. In 1986, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend lost a U.S. House race in Maryland, and in 2002, Mark Kennedy Shriver also lost a congressional primary in Maryland.

Sanders and the others spoke to activists from five Midwestern states during a virtual meeting coinciding with the third day of the Democratic National Convention. Democrats from South Dakota and North Dakota also participated on the call, which attracted around 250 viewers at any given time. Hes hiding from Wisconsin, Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Andrew Hitt said of Biden on Tuesday. Cory Booker, of New Jersey, and Michael Bennett, of Colorado, along with the state Democratic Party chairs from Michigan and Minnesota. Tlaib, who was elected to Congress in 2018 representing parts of Detroit, said the Midwest would deliver the White House for Biden.

In this image from video, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., delivers a nominating speech during the second night of the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. (Democratic National Convention via AP)WASHINGTON For nearly three minutes at this week's Democratic National Convention, Cindy McCain recounted Joe Biden's friendship with her late husband, John McCain, the Arizona senator and former Republican presidential candidate. Meanwhile, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most dynamic young stars of the Democratic Party, spoke for just 60 seconds. California Rep. Ro Khanna, head of the California delegation to the convention, said people need to be inspired to vote. Among those who have addressed the convention is Ady Barkin, a progressive activist who after being diagnosed with A.L.S.

Now the Michigan Democrat is the squad's most vulnerable member, as she faces Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones in the Aug. 4 primary. Now Tlaib is the squads most vulnerable member, as she and Jones are set to square off again in Michigan's Aug. 4 primary. In 2018, Jones finished a close second to Tlaib in a six-person primary for the seat long held by Democratic Rep. John Conyers, who stepped down amid sexual harassment allegations. Folks are wanting someone to make their case in their own words, said Conyers, who also ran in the 2018 primary. Black, white, Hispanic, Martian, I dont care who is in power, just do what you say youre going to do, he said.

FILE - In this May 31, 2020, file photo, demonstrators kneel in a moment of silence outside the Long Beach Police Department in Long Beach during a protest over the death of George Floyd. Proposed federal legislation that would radically transform the nation's criminal justice system through such changes as eliminating agencies like the Drug Enforcement Administration and the use of federal surveillance technology is set to be unveiled Tuesday, July 7, by the Movement for Black Lives. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)

(AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)DETROIT – Proposed federal legislation that would radically transform the nation's criminal justice system through such changes as eliminating agencies like the Drug Enforcement Administration and the use of surveillance technology was unveiled Tuesday by the Movement for Black Lives. Dubbed the BREATHE Act, the legislation is the culmination of a project led by the policy table of the Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of more than 150 organizations. University of Michigan professor and criminal justice expert Heather Ann Thompson acknowledged the uphill battle, but noted that the legislation is being introduced at a highly opportune time. The polling found that the majority of Americans say the criminal justice system needs major changes, including many saying it needs a complete overhaul. “We are a generation that wants to make sure that the needs of all Black people are met,” Cullors said.

A growing number of elected officials, including 68 members of Congress, are calling for independent investigations into Glynn County police and the Brunswick and Waycross district attorneys. Brunswick District Attorney Jackie Johnson last told News4Jax she welcomed the full transparency an investigation will bring. Georgias attorney general has already requested a federal investigation into the actions of the first two prosecutors who touched the case. You should not give your opinion ... publicly or privately.The conflict Barnhill cited was his son, who, according to him, worked alongside Greg McMichael in the Brunswick District Attorneys Office. Barnhill said that once the case is closed all the information will be available for public review.

Peebles is one of roughly 40 million black Americans deciding minute by minute whether to put their faith in the government and medicine during the coronavirus pandemic. Ive just been conditioned not to trust, Peebles said. Black people already suffer disproportionately from chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease and are far more likely to be uninsured. Cities with large black populations like New York, Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee and New Orleans have emerged as hot spots for the coronavirus. A 2016 paper found the fallout included mistrust of medicine among black men, along with fewer interactions with doctors and higher mortality rates.

WASHINGTON At least eight Democratic House members plan to boycott President Donald Trump's annual State of the Union address Tuesday night to protest Trump's presidency. They include two outspoken freshmen, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley, who both attended Trump's speech last year. All of them boycotted Trump's State of the Union last year. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the boycotts. The State of the Union address is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. EST on Tuesday, and will be broadcast live by the major networks.

Representative Ayanna Pressley opened up about her struggle with alopecia in a video interview published Thursday with the website The Root. As the year continued, so did her hair loss and "the last little bit" of her hair fell out on the eve of President Trump's impeachment. "I felt naked, exposed, vulnerable, I felt embarrassed, I felt ashamed, I felt betrayed," she explained. The lawmaker tweeted the video interview on Thursday afternoon: "As a Black woman, the personal is political. As a Black woman, the personal is political.

FILE PHOTO: Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren appears on stage at a First in the West Event at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., November 17, 2019. Representative Deb Haaland from New Mexico is one of the first two Native American women to serve in the U.S. Congress. They all previously endorsed Warren and some have already attended campaign events, including Pressley this week in Atlanta. Reuters/Ipsos polling in October and November showed Biden with the support of 32% of Democratic, independent and unaffiliated black voters. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont had 16% support and Warren had 9% support from the same group.

Speaking at the White House, Trump said people he described as critical of the United States should leave the country. Asked if he was concerned that some viewed his remarks as racist and that white supremacists found common cause with him, Trump said he was not. Texas Representative Will Hurd, the only African-American Republican in the House, called the attacks racist on CNN. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said the four lawmakers belonged in the United States, but did not criticize Trump. The bottom line here is this is a diverse country, he said, adding that he had spoken to Trump.

Omar came under the harshest criticism as Trump played to voters' grievances, drawing a chant from the crowd of "Send her back! As for Omar, Trump unfurled a whole list of complaints, including a false accusation that she voiced pride in al-Qaida. If they don't want to love our country, if they don't want to fight for our country, they can," Trump said. Vice President Mike Pence was first up after spending the day in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and visiting troops at Fort Bragg. "North Carolina and America needs four more years," Pence said.

"How do you take somebody from my district who is underbanked or unbanked and educate them if there's no financial literacy?" She expressed concern about the lack of financial education for the unbanked and underbanked, who might not understand how Libra works. "Financial literacy, absolutely, should be a part of it," he said. The Libra Association, the Geneva, Switzerland-based group of companies that will govern the Libra blockchain and reserve, should provide financial literacy and education so customers know how to bank appropriately, Ross said. Joshua Roberts | ReutersThe issues around financial literacy reach beyond U.S. borders.

The four Democratic congresswomen at the center of the uproar over President Trump's racist tweets sat down for an exclusive interview with "CBS This Morning" co-host Gayle King. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan who are known as "the Squad" called the president's rhetoric "a distraction." Portions of their interview with Gayle King aired on "CBS This Morning" Wednesday. How to watch Gayle King's full interview with "the Squad"What: Gayle King interviews "the Squad" Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida TlaibDate: July 17, 2019Time: 8:30 p.m. ETLive stream: On CBSN watch online at cbsnews.com/live.

In an extraordinary rebuke, the House voted to condemn President Trump's attacks against four congresswomen of color as "racist." I'm trying to represent my district, a very diverse district with 20 different ethnicities. And I'm trying to fight on their behalf, trying to make sure that they have a voice here. KING: You know, when you say things like, the Speaker of the House is being disrespectful to women of color. But I think the question should be--KING: Alexandria, are you interested in having a conversation face-to-face--OCASIO-CORTEZ: Oh, absolutely--KING: With speaker, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi--OCASIO-CORTEZ: Absolutely.

The four congresswomen, colloquially known as "the Squad," sat down with King on Tuesday for their first interview since the president's tweets. In the interview with King, Ocasio-Cortez said Republicans had not done enough to denounce the comments. In Tuesday's interview, Ocasio-Cortez and Tlaib said they were willing to meet face to face with Pelosi to try to resolve their differences. Ocasio-Cortez said she would "absolutely" meet with Pelosi and said her staff has been in touch with Pelosi's office. He noted Pelosi's chief of staff had recently met with the chiefs of staff of the four members.

The House voted Tuesday night to condemn as racist President Donald Trump's recent tweets telling a group of progressive Democratic congresswomen to "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. " The resolution, which passed 240-187 in the Democrat-led House just before 7 p.m. in New York, says, "Trump's racist comments have legitimized fear and hatred of new Americans and people of color." Later on the House floor, Pelosi called Trump's tweets "racist" prompting Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., to move to strike the speaker's words from the record, citing House rules about disparaging the president. You file a resolution condemning the president for racist comments directed at Members of Congress. WATCH: Democratic Reps. respond to Trump's comments

President Donald Trump will host the third annual "Made in America Product Showcase" on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday. Trump established the annual product showcase to feature goods made by American businesses. The president is scheduled to have lunch with Vice President Mike Pence following the event. The event comes a day after Trump stoked outrage and accusations of xenophobia by attacking four progressive Democratic congresswomen. Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib, and Pressley were born in the U.S. Omar was born in Somalia, but became a U.S. citizen as a teenager.