Joey Cpelletti, Author at The Rapid City Post

FILE - Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., speaks at the Center for American Progress, June 26, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File)

Slotkin rejects Justice Department request for interview on Democrats’ video about ‘illegal orders’

February 5, 2026

Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan says she won’t sit for an interview with the Justice Department regarding a probe into a video she organized urging U.S. military members to resist “illegal orders.” The Justice Department’s inquiry came after President Donald Trump accused Slotkin and five other Democratic lawmakers of sedition. The FBI and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro contacted the lawmakers in the video to ask for interviews as they investigated. In letters first obtained by The Associated Press, Slotkin’s lawyer wrote she would not sit for the interviews and requested the investigation be terminated. Slotkin says she’s considering litigation.

FILE - Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks as Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib listens at a campaign office, Oct. 18, 2024, in Hamtramck, Mich. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Trump’s failed bid to elevate an Arab American ally shows cracks in his political coalition

February 1, 2026

Donald Trump credits the mayor of a small Detroit suburb with helping him win over Michigan’s Arab American community during the 2024 presidential campaign. And once in office, Trump nominated Amer Ghalib to be his ambassador to Kuwait. But that nomination has stalled due to Republican opposition. Ghalib says he’s no longer interested in the diplomatic post and is frustrated by the experience. The situation has strained relations between Republicans and Arab Americans, who backed Trump and were unhappy with Democrat Joe Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza. Critics accuse the Trump administration of sidelining Arab American voices and there’s widespread disappointment in that community.

FILE - Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., leaves the Senate chamber after voting on a government funding bill at the Capitol in Washington, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Senators launch a cross-party effort to end stock trading by lawmakers

January 15, 2026

Senators from opposing parties are working together in hopes of finally banning members of Congress from trading stocks. Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Republican Sen. Ashley Moody of Florida on Thursday are introducing a bill that would bar lawmakers and their spouses from trading or owning individual stocks. The push has broad public support and has received renewed interest in the House with bipartisan bills. House GOP leadership has instead backed a bill that advanced in committee on Wednesday that would prohibit members of Congress and their spouses from buying individual stocks but would not require lawmakers to divest from stocks they already own.

Sen. Slotkin is being investigated by the Trump administration for Democrats’ video to troops

January 14, 2026

Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin has been notified that the Trump administration is investigating her after she organized and appeared in a video with other Democrats urging military service members to resist “illegal orders.” A source with knowledge of the situation confirmed the matter to The Associated Press. The source was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Slotkin first posted the video on her X account in November. The inquiry marks another escalation in President Donald Trump’s reaction to a video that he and his aides have labeled as “seditious.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has censured Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, a former Navy pilot and astronaut, for participating.

President Donald Trump gestures as he walks from Marine One after arriving on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

House passes bill codifying Trump order to rinse away showerhead regulations

January 13, 2026

The House gave approval to legislation aimed at loosening water efficiency regulations for showerheads. The bill is light on details but aims at codifying President Donald Trump’s executive order last year calling for an immediate end to water conservation standards that limit the gallons per minute flowing through showerheads and other household appliances, including dishwashers, washing machines and toilets. Democrats criticized Republicans for bringing up the bill, saying there are more important issues. But Republicans have focused on codifying Trump’s executive actions in federal law.

President Donald Trump listens to a question as he speaks at his Mar-a-Lago club, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Judge blocks Trump effort to strip security clearance from attorney who represented whistleblowers

December 24, 2025

A federal judge is halting the enforcement of a March presidential memorandum that revoked the security clearance of a prominent Washington attorney. Mark Zaid was one of 15 individuals singled out by the Trump administration; the Washington attorney has in the past represented a number of prominent government whistleblowers. Zaid had sued the Trump administration in response to the revocation of his security clearance, calling it an act of “improper political retribution” that jeopardized his ability to continue representing clients in sensitive national security cases. U.S. District Judge Amir Ali in Washington granted Zaid’s request for a preliminary injunction on Tuesday.

Trump administration moves to overhaul how H-1B visas are granted, ending lottery system

December 23, 2025

The Department of Homeland Security is replacing its lottery system for H-1B visas with a new approach prioritizing skilled, higher-paid foreign workers. The change follows actions by the Trump administration to reshape the visa program. Critics say it has been a pipeline for overseas workers willing to work for lower pay. A press release Tuesday says the new system will increase the probability that visas go to higher-skilled workers. It will go into effect February 27, 2026. Supporters say the program drives innovation and growth, while critics argue it often fills entry-level positions.

FILE - Attorney George Conway outside the New York City courthouse, April 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

Trump critic George Conway takes steps to run for New York City congressional seat

December 23, 2025

George Conway has filed paperwork to run for a congressional seat in New York City. The seat belonged to longtime Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, who is retiring. Conway was once a supporter of President Donald Trump but became one of his fiercest critics, and helped found the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump group. Conway is the ex-husband of Kellyanne Conway, who was a senior presidential adviser in Trump’s first term in the White House. If Conway enters the race, he will face competition. John F. Kennedy’s grandson Jack Schlossberg announced in November that he was seeking to succeed Nadler.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., meets with reporters as Republicans struggle with a plan to address growing health care costs, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Speaker Johnson was ready to move on from ACA subsidies. But his members had other plans

December 18, 2025

Speaker Mike Johnson has stayed on message that a Republican health care package will help all Americans and not just those on Affordable Care Act plans. But the rest of his party has not. Four Republicans broke with the Republican leadership this week and signed onto a Democratic discharge petition that guarantees that the House will vote on extending the ACA subsidies sometime in January. The Republican revolt was a result of Johnson not allowing a vote on any ACA subsidy extension and for Democrats was vindication of a months-long strategy.

President Donald Trump speaks at Mount Airy Casino Resort, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, in Mount Pocono, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

House votes to nullify Trump order and restore bargaining rights for federal workers

December 11, 2025

The House voted to repeal President Donald Trump’s executive order from earlier this year that aimed to remove collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees. Nearly two dozen Republicans joined all Democrats who voted in backing the bill in a break from the president. The bill reached the floor for a vote through a bipartisan move that bypassed GOP leadership. The executive order, issued in March by Trump, aimed to end collective bargaining with federal labor unions in agencies with national security missions across the federal government. The House vote Thursday was praised by the president of AFL-CIO, the biggest labor federation in the U.S.

FILE - Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., speaks during a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Sept. 20, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

Redistricting forced a California GOP congressman to weigh a Texas move. He tells AP why he’s not

December 5, 2025

Rep. Darrell Issa tells the Associated Press he isn’t moving to Texas to run for Congress. He said he briefly considering it at the urging of Texas colleagues amid a redistricting scramble. Now he is urging fellow California Republicans in tough new districts to stay put. President Donald Trump sparked the nationwide redistricting battle by urging Texas Republicans to redraw lines to try to gain five seats. California Democrats responded with new maps to gain five seats for their party. Other states have since followed, but federal courts have blocked or altered some plans. Issa said that the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee has urged Republicans to stay in their seats because “ incumbency has an advantage.”

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., makes a statement to reporters without taking questions following a vote in the Senate to move forward with a stopgap funding bill to reopen the government through Jan. 30, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Speaker Johnson pleads with Republicans to keep concerns private after tumultuous week

December 4, 2025

Rank-and-file Republicans in the House are increasingly going public with anger towards their leadership. Speaker Mike Johnson has implored his Republican members to come to him privately, saying, “come to me, don’t go to social media.” But cracks within the Republican conference grew this week as a member of his own leadership team accused him of lying. Republican members are also going around leadership to bring their own legislation to the floor after Johnson kept the chamber out for nearly two months during the government shutdown. And now House leadership is struggling to pass their own legislative priorities, including a NCAA-bill to regulate college sports.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., second from right, is joined by from left: House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich., Rep. Zachary Nunn, R-Iowa, and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., during a news conference at the Republican National Committee on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

An NCAA-backed effort to reshape college sport regulations has hit a wall in Congress

December 4, 2025

House Republicans plans to vote on a bill regulating college sports has been scrapped due to divisions within their caucus. There are bipartisan concerns over the influence that the SCORE Act would give the NCAA and its most powerful programs. The bill seemed to be on track for passage this summer but now sees its chances of passage at all in its current form dwindling. Democratic leadership has pushed House members to vote against it and some Republicans have been increasingly vocal. The NCAA and Division I conferences portray the legislation as codifying the rules created by the multibillion-dollar lawsuit settlement that allows college players to be paid, providing clarity that supporters say is long-needed.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, arrives during a "No Kings" protest Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker worries that Trump will go to extremes to distract from Epstein files

November 12, 2025

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he’s worried about how President Donald Trump might respond to the growing controversy over documents tying him to Jeffrey Epstein. He said in an interview with The Associated Press that it was his “great fear” that the Republican president might go to extremes to change the subject. Pritzker is widely seen as among the top potential Democratic presidential contenders in 2028. He also said the decision by seven Democratic senators and one independent to side with Republicans in a Senate vote to end the government shutdown played right into Trump’s hands.

Amer Ghalib appears before a Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing on his pending nomination to be U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait, on Capitol Hill, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

He helped deliver Arab American support for Trump. Now his path to Mideast post faces GOP opposition

October 29, 2025

President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the U.S. ambassador to Kuwait is facing rejection by the Republican-controlled Senate. Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib was picked for the post after the Republican president credited him for helping Trump do better-than-expected in Michigan’s large Arab American community in the 2024 election. But senators in both parties have expressed concerns over past remarks by Ghalib that they say are antisemitic. GOP Sen. Ted Cruz has said publicly that he will oppose Ghalib. Other Republicans are expected to join Cruz. The founder of Arab Americans for Trump says rejecting Ghalib’s nomination would compound anger among Arab Americans over how they’ve been treated since the election.

FILE - Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, speaks on election night, Nov. 5, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel, File)

Crypto spent millions to defeat Sherrod Brown and elect allies. It’s ready for a repeat in 2026

October 11, 2025

The cryptocurrency industry spent millions last year to unseat a longtime critic, Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio, and install its allies in Washington. It’s ready for a repeat in 2026 and may once more target Brown, who’s making a comeback bid. Democrats are hopeful about Brown’s chances to return to the Senate, especially without Donald Trump at the top of the ballot. But crypto interests have even more to spend this time. And the industry has seen the Republican-controlled Congress turn in its favor now that Brown no longer heads the Senate banking committee. But Brown’s approach to crypto sounds different this time.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La. and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill, Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

The GOP says it’s winning the shutdown. Some fear Trump’s cuts may change that

October 3, 2025

President Donald Trump is using the federal shutdown to push deep spending cuts in states that backed Democrat Kamala Harris in 2024. His administration has slashed billions in clean energy and transit funding in places like California and Illinois. Some Republicans now fear the strategy could backfire and cost them their political advantage after Democrats voted against measures to keep the government open. The backlash could bring electoral consequences as soon as next month. In Virginia and New Jersey, Democrats are linking GOP candidates to the fallout ahead of November elections. The cuts have also stalled Senate talks and prolonged the shutdown.

U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, candidate for Senate in 2026, speaks in Columbus, Ohio, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, where he endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy, candidate for Ohio Governor in 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

He planned to run for Ohio governor. Now Jon Husted could be in the US Senate’s toughest 2026 race

September 23, 2025

Jon Husted planned to run for Ohio governor next year. But his political path took an abrupt turn in January, when Gov. Mike DeWine appointed him to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Vice President JD Vance. In just days, the longtime lieutenant governor went from a low-profile state office to one of the most powerful seats in Washington. Now Republicans are counting on Husted to defend the Senate seat in a race with national implications. Democrats recruited former Sen. Sherrod Brown, Ohio’s best-known Democrat, making it a competitive contest. Brown is among the candidates giving Democrats hope about gaining ground in the Senate next year, even as the 2026 map will make retaking the majority difficult.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., right, joined by Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., center left, leads a vigil to honor conservative activist Charlie Kirk who was shot and killed at an event in Utah last week, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Sept. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

House approves resolution honoring Charlie Kirk with dozens of Democrats opposed

September 19, 2025

The House has passed a resolution honoring the late Charlie Kirk over significant Democratic opposition. A resolution praising “the life and legacy” of Kirk passed the Republican-controlled House with 310 votes in favor. While House Democratic leadership supported the measure, 58 voted against it and more voted “present.” It followed a week of heightened tensions in Congress over the assassination of Kirk that included a failed GOP attempt to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar for comments about Kirk. Speaker Mike Johnson criticized Democrats who voted against the resolution. It came just days before Kirk’s funeral in Arizona.

FILE - Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., speaks during the confirmation hearing for Kash Patel, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)

National conservatism asserts its dominance in Trump’s Washington

September 5, 2025

National conservatism is reshaping the Republican Party in President Donald Trump’s second term. This week, its leaders gathered in Washington to celebrate their rise and lay out their next steps. Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt delivered a speech titled “What is an American?” in which he criticized some legal immigration and declared, “America doesn’t belong to them — it belongs to us.” The conference featured top Trump officials, GOP lawmakers and right-wing figures. Panels focused on Christian identity, immigration and reversing same-sex marriage rights. Once seen as fringe, the movement now claims influence at the highest levels and shows no signs of slowing.

FILE - Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill, April 1, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

Rep. Chip Roy, an outspoken fiscal conservative, is running for Texas attorney general

August 21, 2025

A Republican congressman from Texas, Chip Roy, says he’s running for state attorney general. Roy is a prominent member of the House Freedom Caucus, a conservative faction that wields outsize influence in the narrowly divided House. The outspoken fiscal conservative was a central player this summer in the negotiations around President Donald Trump’s big tax bill. But the lawmaker’s relationship with Trump has been complicated at times. Roy enters an increasingly crowded Republican primary field to succeed Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton is challenging Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary next year.

FILE - Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks with former television journalist Gretchen Carlson, not shown, at an event on April 9, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

Michigan Gov. Whitmer makes another White House visit to meet with Trump

August 5, 2025

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer met with President Donald Trump at the White House to discuss the impact tariffs and Medicaid changes are having on her state. The Democrat has met with Trump multiple times in his second term after taking a more diplomatic approach than in his first term. The new approach has netted her multiple wins for the state, including a new fighter jet mission to an air base in the state. Whitmer said that she will “work with anyone to get things done for Michigan.” The friendly relationship between Whitmer and Trump is in contrast towards his public stance towards other Democratic leaders, including other high-profile governors.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., left, a longtime supporter of cryptocurrency, joined at right by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., discusses legislation in the week ahead that could impact the industry, during a news conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, Tuesday, July 15, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Republicans declared it ‘crypto’ week in the House. It’s not going as planned

July 15, 2025

House Republicans are struggling with cryptocurrency legislation that they had expected to pass during what they dubbed “crypto week.” The crypto legislative package stalled Tuesday when 13 Republicans joined Democrats on a key procedural vote. Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that some of the Republicans who blocked the bills wanted them packaged together. Johnson said negotiations are underway between the House, Senate and White House on the path forward. Trump intervened during a late evening meeting with Republicans at the White House, and appeared to put the bills back on track. He posted on social media that he expected votes as soon as Wednesday.

President Donald Trump signs his signature bill of tax breaks and spending cuts at the White House, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Washington, surrounded by members of Congress. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Senate Republicans block attempt to roll back massive tax hike on professional gamblers

July 10, 2025

Senate Republicans are rejecting an attempt to reverse a provision from their new tax law that changes the taxation of gambling winnings. Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada on Thursday sought unanimous passage of a bill that would roll back the gambling provision. But Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana objected, stalling the proposal for now. Under the new tax law, starting in 2026 individuals can only deduct 90% of their gambling losses up to the amount of their winnings. That’s a change from the previous rule, which allowed gamblers to deduct 100% of their losses, up to the amount they won.

Senate Republicans hold hearing on Biden’s mental fitness as Democrats boycott

June 18, 2025

Republican senators are looking into former President Joe Biden’s ability to serve in office. The Senate Judiciary Hearing on Wednesday took place over six months after Biden left office. Republicans say that they aim to “shine a light” on what was occurring during Biden’s presidency. Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin criticized Republicans for “arm chair diagnosing” when he said the committee should be focusing on serious matters. Most Democrats boycotted the hearing. It was the first in what could be several congressional. hearings about Biden in coming months. The House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed several of Biden’s former staff members.

FILE - An advertisement for the cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, is displayed on a building in Hong Kong on Nov. 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

Democrats are drawing closer to the crypto industry despite Trump divisions

June 9, 2025

The crypto industry is seeing growing support from the Democratic Party, though it’s far from unanimous. A number of Democrats are supporting legislation in the Senate that would create a new regulatory structure for stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency typically pegged to the U.S. dollar. But other Democrats are against the bill as they condemn Republican President Donald Trump’s efforts to profit from cryptocurrency while in office. Despite the tensions, the bill is expected to clear the Senate this month. The legislative push follows an election in which the crypto industry ranked among the top campaign spenders, pouring millions of dollars into tight Senate races.

Joey Cpelletti.