Author

Ashley Murray

Ashley Murray

Ashley Murray covers the nation’s capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Her coverage areas include domestic policy and appropriations.

Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

Republican National Convention launches Monday amid some grumbling over abortion stance

By: and - July 12, 2024

WASHINGTON — Thousands of Republicans will gather in Milwaukee, Wisconsin beginning Monday for the party’s presidential nominating convention — an opportunity for the GOP to showcase its candidates up and down the ballot and unify behind Donald Trump. The RNC released its trimmed-down party platform the week prior to the convention, after foregoing one entirely […]

Biden at NATO press conference rebuts doubters: ‘I’m the best qualified to govern’?

By: and - July 11, 2024

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden dug in on his 2024 reelection bid Thursday at a solo press conference following the NATO summit in Washington, despite a growing list of rank-and-file Democrats and high-profile supporters urging him to abandon his campaign over suspected health concerns. The highly anticipated press conference followed weeks of speculation about Biden’s […]

NATO leaders in D.C. condemn Russia as Zelenskyy thanks Congress for Ukraine aid

By: - July 10, 2024

WASHINGTON — Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited U.S. lawmakers Wednesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, where world leaders are pledging additional support to the Eastern European nation as it battles Russia’s continued assault. Zelenskyy met House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other senators […]

Biden commends NATO strength, pledges more aid for Ukraine against Russia

By: - July 9, 2024

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said NATO “is more powerful than ever” in remarks Tuesday to honor the 75th anniversary of the alliance and reaffirm allied support for Ukraine one day after Russian missile strikes on a children’s hospital killed dozens in Kyiv. Biden spoke at the annual North American Treaty Organization’s summit happening this […]

United by their objections to Trump, congressional Dems largely close ranks behind Biden

By: , , and - July 9, 2024

WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats appeared to quell some inner tumult over supporting President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign, after highly anticipated internal meetings Tuesday showed the president retained considerable support from the Congressional Black Caucus and other lawmakers in public statements. Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, Democrats from both chambers largely declined to detail their […]

Congressional Dems urge a more robust Biden on the campaign trail, but few openly revolt

By: and - July 9, 2024

WASHINGTON — Democrats in Congress called on President Joe Biden to prove to voters that he is up for another four years in the Oval Office, though many in interviews pledged to stick with him as the presumptive nominee as they returned to the Capitol on Monday following the Fourth of July recess. Questions over […]

Trump NY sentencing delayed after U.S. Supreme Court presidential immunity ruling

By: - July 2, 2024

WASHINGTON — A New York judge agreed Tuesday to delay the criminal sentencing of former President Donald Trump in the state hush money case after Trump claimed the U.S. Supreme Court’s presidential immunity decision absolves him. New York Justice Juan Merchan, who oversaw the case, ordered the delay until Sept. 18 so the court could […]

Presidential immunity extends to some official acts, Supreme Court rules in Trump case

By: and - July 1, 2024

WASHINGTON — U.S. presidents enjoy full immunity from criminal charges for their official “core constitutional” acts, but no immunity for unofficial acts, the Supreme Court ruled Monday, sending former President Donald Trump’s election interference case back to the lower courts. The justices left open the question of how far the boundaries of such official acts […]

U.S. Supreme Court ruling on obstruction law helps cases of Jan. 6 defendants

By: - June 28, 2024

WASHINGTON — A former Pennsylvania police officer who joined the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol that delayed the certification of the 2020 presidential election results cannot be charged with obstructing an official proceeding unless a lower court finds otherwise, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday. The ruling throws into question the cases […]

Delayed Supreme Court ruling makes Trump trial on 2020 charges unlikely before election

By: - June 26, 2024

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court has yet to rule on whether presidents enjoy total criminal immunity, delaying one of the most consequential legal decisions in U.S. history and likely closing the door on former President Donald Trump facing his federal election interference trial before November. Trump, the presumed Republican presidential nominee who is entangled […]

Biden to pardon vets discharged for same-sex relationships

By: - June 26, 2024

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will pardon U.S. military veterans who were discharged or convicted under military law for consensual same-sex relations, the administration announced Wednesday. The White House could not provide an exact number of veterans who will be pardoned, but the administration estimates thousands were convicted over several decades and may be eligible. […]

Calm, conservative, confident: What GOP senators want in Trump’s vice presidential pick

By: and - June 25, 2024

WASHINGTON — Republican members of the U.S. Senate striving for a takeover of their chamber in the November elections have a wish list for what they’d like to see in Donald Trump’s running mate. A “little calmer” than Trump. Confident. Conservative. Military experience. Good relationships with senators. Ready to take over as chief executive if […]