Author
Ariana covers the nation's capital for States Newsroom. Her areas of coverage include politics and policy, lobbying, elections and campaign finance.
Nevada Current is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
U.S. House Speaker McCarthy tells committees to launch Biden impeachment probe
By: Ariana Figueroa - September 12, 2023
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday announced that he has directed several House committees to open a formal impeachment inquiry into unproven GOP allegations that President Joe Biden profited from his son’s business dealings when he was vice president in the Obama administration. “These allegations paint a picture, a picture of corruption,” […]
Battles over spending, farm bill, Ukraine and yet more loom over a divided Congress
By: Jennifer Shutt, Jacob Fischler, Ariana Figueroa and Ashley Murray - September 12, 2023
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House and Senate are both back in D.C. on Tuesday following a long summer recess, facing an overwhelming agenda of unfinished work — funding the federal government and reauthorizing major programs set to expire at the end of the month. Congressional leaders and President Joe Biden have only a few weeks […]
35,300 Nevadans enrolled in new student loan repayment program
By: Ariana Figueroa - September 5, 2023
WASHINGTON — More than 35,000 federal student loan borrowers in Nevada are enrolled in the Biden administration’s new repayment program, according to figures released Tuesday by the Department of Education. Nationally, more than 4 million borrowers are enrolled. With the pause of more than three years on federal student loan repayments coming to an end […]
Here’s what to know about new federal policies for repaying student loans
By: Ariana Figueroa - August 23, 2023
WASHINGTON — Following the Supreme Court’s summer ruling against 40 million federal student loan borrowers who would have qualified for debt relief, the Biden administration crafted a year-long delay in repayments. The policy, known as an on-ramp, is set to begin next month. Additionally, hours after the Supreme Court’s decision, the Department of Education unveiled […]
States seek to let teens as young as 14 serve booze in restaurants
By: Ariana Figueroa - August 8, 2023
WASHINGTON — As a former bartender and current tipped worker, Trupti Patel knows that customers tend to get grabby when there is alcohol involved. After working in the food service industry for more than a decade, she is accustomed to dealing with drunk customers who get out of hand, especially if they become belligerent or […]
Court allows Biden rule limiting asylum at the border to be kept in place for now
By: Ariana Figueroa - August 6, 2023
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court on Thursday decided to allow the Biden administration to keep in place a temporary two-year rule that restricts asylum at the U.S. border, while the legal challenges to a lower court’s ruling play out. The decision from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals aids the Biden administration, which […]
Federal judge blocks Biden rule that limits asylum for migrants at the border
By: Ariana Figueroa - July 25, 2023
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Biden administration’s rule that restricts migrants from seeking asylum if they arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border without first seeking protection in another country or applying for an asylum appointment online. Judge Jon S. Tigar, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, wrote in his decision that […]
More than 800,000 student loan borrowers to have debt forgiven, White House announces
By: Ariana Figueroa - July 14, 2023
WASHINGTON — The Department of Education and the White House announced Friday that more than 800,000 federal student loan borrowers will have their remaining debt wiped out. The $39 billion in debt relief will come through fixes to mismanagement of the agency’s income-driven repayment plans. Many long-time borrowers, including those who had been making payments for […]
US Supreme Court rules against Biden administration student loan debt relief plan
By: Ariana Figueroa - June 30, 2023
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the Biden administration does not have the legal authority to enact a one-time student debt relief program, dealing a blow to the 40 million Americans who would have qualified. Last year, the Biden Administration rolled out a debt forgiveness plan for borrowers with federal student […]
US House Dems seek to stiffen penalties for employers violating federal child labor law
By: Ariana Figueroa - June 29, 2023
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee Democrats on Thursday announced the introduction of a bill to increase civil and criminal penalties for employers who knowingly violate child labor laws. The measure would also prevent states from easing federal child labor standards. The bill, The Protecting Children Act, comes as multiple states have passed laws that […]
US Supreme Court strikes down use of affirmative action in college admissions
By: Ariana Figueroa and Ashley Murray - June 29, 2023
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that two prominent universities’ consideration of race in acceptances violated the U.S. Constitution, effectively reshaping the role of affirmative action in the college admissions process throughout higher education. In a 6-3 decision, Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, wrote that the admissions processes at […]
‘We’re just trying to live our lives’: DACA hits 11-year mark still mired in the courts
By: Ariana Figueroa - June 16, 2023
WASHINGTON — Thursday marked the 11th anniversary of a program that was created during the Obama administration to temporarily protect undocumented children from deportation. But congressional inaction and legal challenges have led to more than a decade of limbo for the 600,000 people enrolled, with no end in sight. They are often called “Dreamers,” based […]