The Latest Breaking News from McClatchy Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers have renewed their interest in the past week in banning members of Congress from buying and selling stock.

WASHINGTON — A defiant President Joe Biden defended his record on Wednesday, arguing he had not overpromised what he could accomplish in the White House, even as his first year in office came to a close with his party having made little progress on many of his key priorities.

A website through which people in the United States can request free COVID-19 tests from the government launched Tuesday, Jan. 18. But some people have reported technical issues with ordering the tests.

Some U.S. colleges are taking advantage of the convenience of vending machines – supplying them with COVID-19 tests instead of snacks as the infectious omicron variant continues to spread.

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration and the U.S. intelligence community are increasingly concerned that Haiti is approaching a dangerous flashpoint in February, when they believe that the term of assassinated President Jovenel Moïse will officially end, deepening the country’s political crisis during a simmering power struggle in Port-au-Prince.

WASHINGTON — Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall sent a letter to Dr. Anthony Fauci Thursday demanding his unredacted financial disclosure form, a continuation of this week’s terse exchange that went viral when Fauci called Marshall a “moron.”

WASHINGTON — Rural counties across America have some of the lowest vaccination rates in the country among residents aged 65 and older – and that is where the omicron variant is heading next.

WASHINGTON — Florida’s congressional Democrats Thursday asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to launch a review into whether there is a pattern of voter suppression in the state based largely on a proposal floated by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis late last year.

WASHINGTON — El gobierno de Biden respondió el jueves a las amenazas de funcionarios rusos de que Moscú podría comenzar despliegues militares en Cuba y Venezuela si las tensiones continúan aumentando con Estados Unidos, prometiendo una respuesta “decisiva” si ve alguna evidencia de que la amenaza es real.

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration responded Thursday to threats from Russian officials that Moscow could begin military deployments in Cuba and Venezuela if tensions continue to rise with the United States, vowing a “decisive” response if it sees any evidence that the threat is real.

WASHINGTON — Rural counties across America have some of the lowest vaccination rates in the country among residents aged 65 and older — and that is where the omicron variant is heading next.