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![Jennifer Shutt](https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Jennifer-Shutt-300x300.jpeg)
Jennifer covers the nation’s capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Her coverage areas include congressional policy, politics and legal challenges with a focus on health care, unemployment, housing and aid to families.
Ohio Capital Journal is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
FDA greenlights new COVID vaccine after a summer of rising numbers of cases
By: Jennifer Shutt - August 23, 2024
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine intended to address severe symptoms of the virus ahead of the cold and flu season. The new booster shots from Moderna and Pfizer follow a summer of increasing COVID-19 cases and are designed to better address the variants that are […]
Pelosi, U.S. House Dems rally DNC crowd to take back control of the chamber
By: Jennifer Shutt - August 22, 2024
Democratic members of Congress took the stage throughout the third night of the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, urging voters to give the party control of the House during the November elections. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries were among the lawmakers who drew a stark contrast between the types of policies […]
Democrats celebrate with boisterous state-by-state roll call vote for Harris
By: Jennifer Shutt - August 21, 2024
The Democratic National Convention held a ceremonial roll call of the states Tuesday, giving delegates on the floor of the United Center in Chicago a chance to show their support for Kamala Harris complete with corncob hats, DJ’d music, a surprise appearance from Atlanta rapper Lil Jon and enthusiastic cheers. The tradition, which has long […]
Harris unveils plan to curb price gouging, boost child tax credit, tackle rent hikes
By: Jennifer Shutt - August 19, 2024
WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris released her first detailed economic policy proposal Friday, laying out how she’d like to ease rent increases, boost first-time home buyers, end grocery price gouging and bolster the child tax credit. The Harris campaign’s announcement said the proposals, most of which would need approval from Congress, would “address […]
‘I’m entitled to personal attacks’ against Harris, Trump asserts
By: Jennifer Shutt - August 16, 2024
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Thursday he sees no need to switch the tactics or tone of his bid for the White House now that Vice President Kamala Harris is the Democratic nominee instead of President Joe Biden. Speaking during a press conference at his golf club in New Jersey, the former president began […]
Struggle for control of Congress intensifies as presidential contest shifts
By: Jennifer Shutt and Ashley Murray - August 15, 2024
WASHINGTON — The 2024 battle for control of Congress centers on just a handful of Senate races and about two dozen House seats, putting considerable pressure on those candidates to win over voters as party leaders and super PACs funnel millions of dollars into their campaigns. The incumbents representing those states and congressional districts will […]
USDA to take ‘additional step’ in testing beef from former dairy cattle for bird flu
By: Jennifer Shutt - August 14, 2024
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to embark on a year-long study beginning next month that will test samples for evidence of highly pathogenic avian influenza from former dairy cattle moved into meat production. Emilio Esteban, the under secretary for food safety at the USDA, told reporters on a call Tuesday the new […]
More than 1 million veterans receiving benefits via PACT Act ahead of anniversary
By: Jennifer Shutt - August 13, 2024
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Friday celebrated the number of veterans enrolled in VA health care and benefits as part of a law he signed nearly two years ago, though he said more work must be done for troops who were stationed at a base in Uzbekistan in the early 2000s. “Two years ago, […]
Walz’s U.S. House tenure: Bipartisan bills and a focus on vets and farms
By: Jennifer Shutt - August 9, 2024
WASHINGTON — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic nominee for vice president, spent twelve years as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives before winning election to his home state’s highest office. That tenure on Capitol Hill gives him insider knowledge about many of the lawmakers who will be instrumental in advancing or blocking […]
Congress limps toward the end of a disappointing session, with just 78 laws to show
By: Jennifer Shutt - August 8, 2024
WASHINGTON — Congress plans to spend just 35 days between now and the end of the year in the nation’s capital, a fitting end to one of the least productive sessions in decades. The deeply divided 118th Congress so far has placed just 78 public laws on the books, a fraction of the hundreds enacted […]
Kamala Harris officially becomes the Democratic presidential nominee
By: Jennifer Shutt - August 6, 2024
WASHINGTON — The Democratic National Committee announced late Monday that Vice President Kamala Harris had secured the support of 99% of delegates to formally become the party’s presidential nominee, following the conclusion of a five-day virtual vote. The results, which included a state-by-state breakdown, followed the DNC announcing Friday that Harris had surpassed the number of delegates needed […]
Kamala Harris will be the Democratic presidential nominee, DNC announces
By: Jennifer Shutt - August 2, 2024
WASHINGTON — Enough Democratic delegates selected Kamala Harris to make her the party’s presidential nominee by Friday, during an ongoing virtual vote that began less than two weeks after President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign. The vote, which will not officially close until Monday evening, was held in advance of the Democratic National Convention, […]