Author

Jacob Fischler

Jacob Fischler

Jacob covers federal policy as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Based in Oregon, he focuses on Western issues. His coverage areas include climate, energy development, public lands and infrastructure.

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 09: Sandra Garza, the long-time partner of Capitol Hill Police Officer Brian Sicknick who died shortly after the January 6 riot, comforts an audience member during a hearing held by the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol on June 09, 2022 in Washington, DC. The bipartisan committee, which has been gathering evidence related to the January 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol for almost a year, will present its findings in a series of televised hearings. On January 6, 2021, supporters of President Donald Trump attacked the U.S. Capitol Building during an attempt to disrupt a congressional vote to confirm the electoral college win for Joe Biden. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Jan. 6 panel says Trump, far-right groups responsible for insurrection
By: - June 9, 2022

A widely anticipated hearing Thursday by the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol alleged two groups supporting then-President Donald Trump planned the riot to stop the transfer of presidential power — while Trump tacitly endorsed the insurrection and was indifferent to calls to hang then-Vice President Mike Pence. […]

KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN - MARCH 22: A soldier in the Afghan National Army (ANA) walks past a burn pit at a command outpost recently handed over to the ANA from the United States Army on March 22, 2013 in Kandahar Province, Zhari District, Afghanistan. The United States military and its allies are in the midst of training and transitioning power to the Afghan National Security Forces in order to withdraw from the country by 2014. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

U.S. Sens. Tester, Moran reach deal on care for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits
By: - May 19, 2022

The two leaders of the U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Montana Democrat Jon Tester and Kansas Republican Jerry Moran, have reached a deal with House leaders to pass a bill to extend health care access to veterans for conditions related to exposure to toxic chemicals during their service, the pair announced Wednesday. The consensus bill […]

BUFFALO, NEW YORK - MAY 17: US President Joe Biden gets a hug from a young boy whose father was killed at the Tops market shooting during an event at the Delavan Grider Community Center on May 17, 2022 in Buffalo, New York. The president and first lady placed flowers at a memorial outside of the Tops market and met with families of victims prior to addressing the guests gathered at the community center. A gunman opened fire at the Tops market on Saturday killing ten people and wounding another three. The attack was believed to be motivated by racial hatred. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Biden condemns racist theory of white supremacy in visit to Buffalo after mass shooting
By: - May 17, 2022

President Joe Biden on Tuesday commemorated the victims of last weekend’s mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, and condemned the ideology that drove the killer to “carry out a murderous, racist rampage” at a grocery store in a predominantly Black neighborhood. In a visit to the Upstate New York city, Biden and other Democrats, including […]

MEYERS, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 31: U.S. Forest Service firefighters prepare to battle the Caldor Fire on August 31, 2021 in Meyers, California. The Caldor Fire has burned over 190,000 acres, destroyed hundreds of structures and is currently 16 percent contained. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

U.S. House vote to expand federal firefighters benefits seen as step toward parity
By: - May 16, 2022

WASHINGTON – Years after firefighters extinguish a blaze, after the smoke has lifted and ashes have cooled, the people who risked their lives to contain the fire face another danger: cancer and cardiovascular disease resulting from exposure to smoke and heat. Government and academic studies have shown firefighters are 9% more likely to develop cancer […]

U.S. Capitol is seen in an undated photo. (Photo by Jane Norman/States Newsroom)

Democrats from the West push update of 150-year-old federal mining law
By: - May 11, 2022

Democrats in Congress are hoping to overhaul the nation’s 150-year-old system for mining the elements needed for battery manufacturing, as high gas prices and Russia’s war in Ukraine underline the need to transition from oil and gas to renewable energy sources. U.S. House Natural Resources Chairman Raúl Grijalva of Arizona and U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich […]

An exterior view of the White House is shown on Sept. 13, 2007 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Biden administration vows to speed up environmental permits needed for infrastructure projects
By: - May 11, 2022

President Joe Biden’s administration will seek to hasten construction of roads, bridges, wind farms and more by tweaking the federal review process for environmental and other permits, administration officials said Tuesday. On a press call, administration officials said they were seeking to make permitting easier without sacrificing environmental standards. The permitting plan is meant to […]

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