Category: Latest News

Whitehouse bolsters push to shine light on ‘dark money’ at Supreme Court

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Rhode Island Democrat says campaigns have the ‘tradecraft of a covert op’

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse has told and retold the story of what he calls “the scheme” for years. The Rhode Island Democrat has written reports and essays, introduced bills, filed briefs, gone on cable TV and made presentations at high-profile Supreme Court confirmation hearings.

But Whitehouse hasn’t been as convincing as he’d hoped in his campaign to curb conservative anonymous donors and their influence on the Supreme Court — even as that “dark money” now floods in to support the judicial nomination process his party controls.

“In terms of Democrats, we’ve fallen short on taking this seriously and communicating to the public what a hazard the dark money operation is,” Whitehouse told CQ Roll Call this month. Continue reading.

The rising cost of being in the National Guard: Reservists and guardsmen are twice as likely to be hungry as other American groups

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Civil unrest and pandemic deployments have led to extreme food insecurity among National Guard and Reserves

National Guard and reserve soldiers are having trouble feeding their families due to a year of record deployments.

Hunger among Guard members and reservists is more than double the national rate, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from mid-April through early June.

They report more food insecurity than nearly any other group, regardless of household income, education, age or race. Nearly one in five Guard members report sometimes or often not having enough to eat. And a third of those with a spouse serving in the National Guard or reserves report not having enough to eat. The numbers are even more troubling for National Guard and reserve families with children. Continue reading.

Trump’s quest for revenge on Republicans who opposed him could soon come back to haunt the GOP: report

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History suggests that Republicans have decent odds of capturing the House, the Senate, or both in next year’s midterm elections. In every modern midterm election except 1998 and 2002, the party out of the White House has gained seats in at least one chamber, and Democrats have only four seats to spare in the House and none in the Senate to preserve their majorities.

But as POLITICO’s Huddle noted on Tuesday, one wildcard could complicate the GOP’s efforts to make gains in 2022: former President Donald Trump’s quest for “revenge” on GOP lawmakers who haven’t shown sufficient loyalty to him.

“Donald Trump is increasingly inserting himself in the primary races of his political enemies as a form of revenge against Republicans who voted to impeach the former president after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol — despite warnings from congressional allies that he should be careful about wading into primary races,” reported Olivia Beavers.’ Continue reading.

Military brass resists big changes to prosecution decisions

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‘The chain of command has always fought to protect the status quo, just as they are doing here,’ Gillibrand responded

The Pentagon’s top civilian and the entire Joint Chiefs of Staff expressed resistance Tuesday to legislation that would alter how commanders decide which allegations of major crimes to prosecute, putting the military brass directly in the middle of a political fight that transcends party lines.

First, America’s military service chiefs, in separate letters made public Tuesday, indirectly but unmistakably criticized a bill by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., that has attracted an almost unheard-of 66 Senate co-sponsors, including unlikely allies such as Texas Republican Ted Cruz and Vermont independent Bernie Sanders.

Then, in a statement hours later on Tuesday evening, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III effectively did the same. Continue reading.

‘Blatant projection’: Mitch McConnell blasted for calling voting rights a ‘craven political calculation’

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday accused Democrats of “craven political calculation” because they are trying to pass S.1, a Senate bill that would fortify voting rights.

During a speech on the Senate floor, McConnell mischaracterized the intent of the legislation.

“It would let Democrats take a red pen to election law in each of the 50 states neutering popular components like voter ID while legalizing shady practices like ballot harvesting,” McConnell said. “It’s a recipe for undermining confidence in our elections, for remaking our entire system government to suit the preferences of one far end of the political spectrum.” Continue reading.

How the GOP managed to pack the court for decades

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Republican lawmakers may be accusing Democrats of wanting to pack the courts but the truth of the matter is that they have been court-packing federal judges for years — decades to be exact. 

A new piece published by TIME magazine highlights how Republicans have strategically structured the federal bench to ensure their party has a controlling voice in the judicial system.

It’s no secret Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has placed an emphasis on confirming more conservative judges. While the Republican Party has lost control of the White House, Senate, and House, their impact on the court system still gives them some form of power to fall back on — a power-balancing tactic McConnell is quite familiar with. Continue reading.

Biden-bashing doctor resigns after his rant about the ‘Black race’ ignites a backlash

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A Texas doctor is resigning from his position as a county official after receiving backlash from a Facebook post many see as racist, 12News reports.

Dr. George Zuzukin still has not admitted that he’s the one behind the Facebook posts, which attack the Black community and local city officials. Zuzukin oversaw the Jefferson County Employee Health Clinic, which was a position where his salary was paid by taxpayers. 

Screenshots of his rant were posted to Twitter, showing his suggesting that Beaumont City Councilman Audwin Samuel was only getting votes because he is Black. He also shared a meme that disparaged the Black community. Continue reading.

Housing Omnibus Bill Approved by Minnesota House

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SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the Minnesota House approved the Housing Finance and Policy budget on a vote of 72-59. The measure funds a variety of programs aimed at helping create more affordable housing, and provisions to ensure Minnesotans are safely and stably housed.

“Nothing goes right in life without a safe place to call home. The housing need is great throughout the state and this measure helps address this persistent problem in every community,” said Rep. Alice Hausman (DFL-Saint Paul), chair of the Minnesota House Housing Finance and Policy Committee. “The housing budget invests in closing the home ownership racial disparity and results in more stability for renters and landlords. It doesn’t solve all the vexing issues associated with housing insecurity, but as we emerge from COVID-19, this bill will help many Minnesotans recover.”

A notable inclusion in the budget bill is the orderly off-ramp to the current eviction moratorium. Championed by DFLers, the bill provides renters and landlords with the time to take advantage of federal housing assistance funds, with the off-ramp concluding 105 days after enactment. Landlords will be required to send a notice to renters with outstanding rent 15 days prior to eviction. In addition, renters with an outstanding rental assistance claim cannot be evicted and will have that protection until June 1, 2022.

Continue reading “Housing Omnibus Bill Approved by Minnesota House”

In Oklahoma, the 1995 bombing offers lessons — and warnings — for today’s fight against extremism

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OKLAHOMA CITY — Most years, the flashbacks start in April, images of blood and brick that return Fran Ferrari to the morning when she was nearly killed in the Oklahoma City bombing.

 This year, however, Ferrari’s memories arrived early when she heard glass shatter during news coverage of the Jan. 6 mob attack on the U.S. Capitol. The noise instantly took her back to the rubble of her downtown office in 1995. The rioters yelling on TV sounded to Ferrari like an alarm bell, a warning that the deadly extremism that upended her life had resurged.

 “All those faces. All I think is that it’s a bunch of Timothy McVeighs and his buddies,” said Ferrari, 66. “Maybe people’s definition of domestic terrorism is after it happens, but I define it when you see the seeds.” Continue reading.

Trump Pays Legal Fees Of Two Counties In ‘Meritless’ Georgia Election Lawsuit

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ATLANTA — Former President Donald Trump has paid the attorneys’ fees of two metro Atlanta counties in a lawsuit that sought to overturn the presidential election results in Georgia.

Election officials in Cobb and DeKalb counties sought the fees in a Trump lawsuit Cobb called “meritless and legally deficient.” A hearing on those requests was set for this Friday.

But last week Trump paid the Cobb County Board of Elections $15,554 to cover its legal costs through June 1, the county’s attorney confirmed. Trump’s attorney confirmed the former president also has paid fees to DeKalb County, though the amount was not immediately available. DeKalb sought $6,105 in fees in a motion filed in February. Continue reading.