Matt Brown, Author at The Rapid City Post

FILE - Marc Morial, center, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Urban League, talks with reporters outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, July 8, 2021, following a meeting with President Joe Biden and leadership of top civil rights organizations. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

Urban League declares a ‘state of emergency’ for civil rights in the US in response to Trump

July 16, 2025

The National Urban League has declared a “state of emergency” over civil rights policies in response to the Trump administration. In its annual State of Black America report that’s being released Thursday the group accuses the administration of undermining decades of progress in civil rights. The report highlights efforts to weaken federal agencies, reverse diversity policies, and promote a hard-right agenda. Urban League President Marc Morial warns of white nationalist politics becoming mainstream. The report calls for a “new resistance” to counter these changes, urging civil rights advocates to rally and protect multiracial democracy. The Trump administration argues that policies that seek to address disparities between different demographics are themselves discriminatory.

FILE - First lady Jill Biden talks with senior adviser Anthony Bernal before her speech at the Carondelet Palace in Quito, Ecuador, May 19, 2022. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool, File)

Jill Biden aide invokes Fifth to decline testimony in Republican investigation

July 16, 2025

A former senior aide to first lady Jill Biden has declined to answer questions as part of a House Republican probe into former President Joe Biden’s mental state. Anthony Bernal invoked his Fifth Amendment right Wednesday before the House Oversight Committee. Chair James Comer vowed to continue the Republican probe and did not rule out requesting interviews with Jill Biden or former Vice President Kamala Harris. Republicans question whether actions Biden took in office may have been invalid. Biden has denied claims that he was not aware of decisions made during his term. Democrats have dismissed the investigation as political theater.

FILE - Congresswoman Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., exits the grounds at Delaney Hall, an ICE detention facility, May 9, 2025, in Newark, N.J, (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis, File)

Democrats wrestle with how to conduct oversight as Trump officials crack down

June 28, 2025

Congressional Democrats are grappling with how to conduct oversight of the Trump administration after some colleagues were arrested and face charges for attempting to observe the administration’s conduct. Lawmakers have increasingly reached out to researchers, local activists, lawmakers and business leaders to gain insights into the administration’s actions. But Democrats concede that they have little ability to compel information from the Trump administration without gaining more power in Congress. Congressional Republicans have largely dismissed Democrats’ behavior as inflammatory and inappropriate.

FILE - Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., speaks at the California Democratic Party's 2025 State Convention at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif., May, 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

Rep. Robert Garcia elected top Democrat on Oversight panel, setting new path for party’s opposition

June 24, 2025

There’s a new top Democrat on the influential House Oversight Committee. Rep. Robert Garcia of California won the job in a closed-door vote Tuesday, defeating Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts. Garcia will be in the spotlight as Republicans conduct several high-profile investigations on the committee, including one into Democratic President Joe Biden’s health in office. Garcia’s victory also marks a moment of generational change for the party after previous ranking member Rep. Gerry Connelly of Virginia died following treatment for esophageal cancer. Many Democratic lawmakers were swayed by Garcia’s experience as a former mayor and his promise to focus on helping Democrats win in next year’s elections.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., leaves the chamber as Republican senators meet to find a way to help President Donald Trump cancel $9.4 billion in spending already approved by Congress, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

House passes bill to to combat fentanyl trafficking, sending it to Trump’s desk

June 12, 2025

The House has passed bipartisan legislation aimed at cracking down on fentanyl. The bill approved Thursday permanently reclassifies analogs of the synthetic opioid fentanyl as Schedule I drugs, making it easier to prosecute drug traffickers for their possession. The bill now heads to President Donald Trump for his signature. Proponents of the legislation argue that the bill will make it easier to stop drug traffickers by making the federal emergency rules permanent. Opponents says it does little to stem the epidemic and warn the bill will worsen longstanding problems in the criminal justice system.

FILE - Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., speaks during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on gun violence on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool, File)

Democrats look for reinvention and a new playbook against Trump in key committee race

June 11, 2025

House Democrats are searching for a new leader on the powerful House Oversight Committee after the untimely passing of their previous ranking member. The race has brought in four lawmakers on the panel who each bring different skill sets and visions for how to best use the high-profile position. The ranking member will immediately have a long to-do list. Republicans have positioned the committee to be a political battleground this summer with hearings and investigations over issues like immigration, abortion, LGBTQ rights and President Joe Biden’s mental condition. Lawmakers in both the progressive and moderate wings of the Democratic caucus are most interested in who can best lead the party back to power and counter President Donald Trump’s agenda.

Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, gives his opening remarks during a Senate Committee on the Judiciary joint subcommittee hearing to examine District Judges v. Trump, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Senate Republicans revise ban on state AI regulations in bid to preserve controversial provision

June 6, 2025

Senate Republicans have made changes to their party’s sweeping tax bill in hopes of preserving a new policy that would prevent states from regulating artificial intelligence. Republicans are proposing to block states from receiving federal funding for broadband if they regulate AI. That’s a change from a provision in the House’s bill that simply banned any current or future AI regulations by the states. Senators unveiled the revised language Thursday night. The proposed ban has angered state lawmakers in Democratic and Republican-led states and alarmed some digital safety advocates. But leading AI executives warn a “patchwork” of state AI regulations would cripple innovation.

Matt Brown.

Urban League declares a ‘state of emergency’ for civil rights in the US in response to Trump

Jill Biden aide invokes Fifth to decline testimony in Republican investigation

Democrats wrestle with how to conduct oversight as Trump officials crack down

Rep. Robert Garcia elected top Democrat on Oversight panel, setting new path for party’s opposition

House passes bill to to combat fentanyl trafficking, sending it to Trump’s desk

Democrats look for reinvention and a new playbook against Trump in key committee race

Senate Republicans revise ban on state AI regulations in bid to preserve controversial provision

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