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By J.B. Smith U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell headlined the dedication of the Waco Mammoth National Monument on Monday, marveling at the local partnership that developed it and persevered to win the site national park status. “What a treasure the Waco Mammoth Site is,” Jewell told an invited crowd of about 200. “The Waco Mammoth National Monument has a lovely ring to it. I don’t think in the history of the National Park Service has someone delivered us a national park in a box with a... Read more

By: J.B. Smith The federal government announced stricter standards on ozone smog Thursday, raising ire among business groups and Republicans but relieving anxiety among Waco-area leaders. The Environmental Protection Agency will require urban areas to keep their peak ozone levels under 70 parts per billion, down from 75 ppb now. The EPA said the new standard would protect people from dangerous ozone pollution, which can damage lungs and trigger asthma. Environmental groups and the American Lung ... Read more

By Stephanie Butts Disabled veterans living in private nursing home facilities could be forced to move if their centers choose not to renew their contracts with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, unless a federal bill that reclassifies nursing-home or adult-care facility contracts is approved. President Barack Obama signed an executive order in 2014 that mandated any companies with new or renewed federal contracts signed after January 2015 pay their employees at least $10.10 per hour. With... Read more

By Manu Raju Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell believes it's an "exercise in futility" to try and defund Planned Parenthood this month. Not all of his Senate Republican colleagues agree. In interviews with CNN, a number of Republicans want to at least put up a fight in the Senate to show their conservative base that they are trying to strip funding for the organization, which performs abortions and other health-care services to millions of women. "I have lost many votes in my time," said Se... Read more

By: Rebecca Shabad The conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC) on Tuesday unveiled a government funding package for the next fiscal year that takes direct aim at Planned Parenthood, President Obama’s immigration proposals and the Iranian nuclear deal. The package includes all 12 appropriations bills that House Republicans approved in committee — six of which passed the House. According to a summary of the plan, the bill would prohibit funding for all abortion providers, including Planned P... Read more

By: Timothy Cama A House subcommittee voted Thursday to lift the 40-year-old restriction on exporting crude oil, moving the legislation a significant step toward passage. Before approving the measure by voice vote, Republicans on the Energy and Commerce subcommittee on energy and power said the bill would bring wide-ranging benefits to United States consumers and workers while benefitting the country’s allies abroad. Democrats objected to the bill, but most signaled a willingness to negotiate on... Read more

By: Alan K. Ota House Ways and Means Chairman Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., will face competition from conservative rivals as he tries to develop a plan to fund highways with revenue from repatriating $2.1 trillion in corporate earnings held offshore at lower rates than envisioned in the administration's fiscal 2016 budget. Key conservatives like Roger Williams, R-Texas, are trying to revive plans that would allow corporations to voluntarily repatriate offshore cash at a reduced effective rate while que... Read more

By: J.B. Smith Local transportation officials are looking at sacrificing most of their state funding for two years to get the Interstate 35 Waco expansion started — still far short of the project’s $400 million price tag. The Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization last week discussed whether to devote up to $75.8 million in discretionary funds in 2018 and 2019 to help expedite the widening and reconstruction of nine miles of I-35 within Loop 340. The bulk of that money would come from Propositi... Read more

By Tribune Staff Riley Gardell, a 2015 graduate of Midway High School, received the U.S. Congressional Award. The award was established by the U.S. Congress in 1979 to recognize outstanding initiative, service and achievement in young people. He is the son of Randy and Barbara Gardell, of Waco. The Congressional Award has four categories that each require a specific amount of hours: volunteer service, expedition/exploration, personal development and physical fitness. Within those categories, the... Read more

By Juri Luik On 8 August ICDS director, Mr Jüri Luik, met with the Congressional Delegation representing the House Armed Services Committee. As Mr Jüri Luik is the former Estonian Ambassador to Russia, the conversation focused on recent developments in bilateral relations between Estonia and Russia, Russian society and politics. The delegation was interested in learning about the motivations and fears of Russian leadership. The delegation was led by the Chairman of the House Armed Services Read... Read more