Democrats

The New York Daily News reports: New York transit riders are allowed to uncover their faces for the first time in more than two years. Gov. Hochul on Wednesday dropped the mask requirement that’s been in effect for the state’s public transportation systems since April 2020, when former Gov. Andrew Cuomo launched a mandate in the early days of the …

The Associated Press reports: It’s been more than a decade since President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, welcomed back George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, for the unveiling of their White House portraits, part of a beloved Washington tradition that for decades managed to transcend partisan politics. President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, are set to revive …

The Detroit News reports: Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s lead over Republican Tudor Dixon has expanded to 13 percentage points with two months remaining before Election Day, according to a new poll from The Detroit News and WDIV-TV (Channel 4). The statewide survey of 600 likely voters in the battleground state found that 48% supported Whitmer, a former state lawmaker from …

Florida Politics reports: A new poll shows Sen. Marco Rubio is under the critical 50% mark with Florida voters. The survey results, conducted for AARP Florida by two top pollsters, reveal the Republican Senator with a slim lead, winning 49% support among likely voters to Democrat Val Demings’ 47%. That puts the race well within the poll’s 4.4% margin of …

CNN reports: When President Joe Biden met with senior members of his administration on Tuesday, the 24 officials sitting around the table were identical to the ones Biden gathered 17 months ago for his first Cabinet meeting. At this point in Trump’s administration, he had already lost three Cabinet officials: his secretaries of Health, State and Veterans Affairs. He had …

CBS News reports: Senior Senate Democrats have been considering linking legislation on marriage equality and the continuing resolution to fund the government, a Hill Democratic source tells CBS News. It’s a move that could complicate both the passage of the bill protecting the right to same-sex marriage, passed with bipartisan support in the House, and government funding. Democrats in particular …

The Hill reports: Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) on Sunday said election officials nationwide are most worried about “violence and disruption” as the midterm elections approach. “Violence and disruption on Election Day, first and foremost, and in the days surrounding the election,” Benson told CBS “Face the Nation” chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett when asked about her biggest …

The Hill reports: Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said on Sunday that President Biden was “right to sound the alarm” about former President Trump and the MAGA wing of the Republican Party. “Two of the hallmarks of a fascist political party are, one, they don’t accept the results of elections that don’t go their way. And two, they embrace political violence,” …

The Guardian reports: Barack Obama is halfway to becoming an EGOT after winning an Emmy award to go with his two Grammys. The former president won the best narrator Emmy on Saturday for his work on the Netflix documentary series Our Great National Parks. The five-part show, which features national parks from around the world, is produced by Barack and …

The Associated Press reports: Democrat Katie Hobbs on Friday declined to agree to a televised debate with Republican Kari Lake as both seek the Arizona governor’s office, instead proposing individual interviews with the moderator. The campaign manager for Hobbs, who is currently secretary of state, pointed to a raucous debate between the four Republicans vying for their party’s nomination in …

Florida Politics reports: Fresh polling shows Gov. Ron DeSantis with only a 3-percentage-point lead over Democratic challenger Charlie Crist. Progress Florida and Florida Watch published polling modeled on a Republican-leaning Midterm electorate and found DeSantis leading with 48% to Crist’s 45%. That closely matches findings for a generic ballot test showing 48% of voters feel inclined to vote Republican in …

The Associated Press reports: President Joe Biden charged in a prime-time address that the “extreme ideology” of Donald Trump and his adherents “threatens the very foundation of our republic,” as he summoned Americans of all stripes to help counter what he sketched as dark forces within the Republican Party trying to subvert democracy. In his speech Thursday at Philadelphia’s Independence …

NPR reports: President Biden has been speaking in increasingly dire terms about threats to American democracy, going so far as to describe some Republicans as “semi-fascist.” On Thursday, he is set to deliver a prime-time address from Independence Park in Philadelphia about the “battle for the soul of the nation,” kicking off a two-month fight Democrats are making to try …

The Hill reports: The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report on Thursday shifted its forecasts for five competitive House races in favor of Democrats. The changes follow a spike in Democratic voter enthusiasm following the Supreme Court’s decision in June that overturned the landmark federal abortion rights protections in Roe v. Wade, Cook Political Report senior editor Dave Wasserman wrote. …

Bloomberg News reports: Democrat Charlie Crist said he is resigning Wednesday from his US House seat as he campaigns to reclaim the Florida governorship from Republican incumbent Ron DeSantis in the November elections. Crist, whose decision shrinks Democrats’ already slim House majority, had previously announced he wouldn’t seek another House term amid his challenge to DeSantis, who is running for …

Florida Politics reports: A new poll shows Florida’s U.S. Senate contest tied within the margin of error and Democrat Val Demings winning independents. Impact Research released polling that showed Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio winning 49% of the vote, while Demings, an Orlando Congresswoman, takes 46% of the vote. That puts the candidates within the poll’s 3.5 percentage point …

Gothamist reports: New York Attorney General Letitia James sent out letters this week to CVS and Walgreens, cautioning the pharmacy giants that it is illegal in the Empire State to deny customers reproductive health products. The warnings come in response to recent news reports that employees at Walgreens stores elsewhere in the country have delayed or refused reproductive services such …

The New York Times reports: In a speech in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Mr. Biden is expected to take a page from his opponents’ playbook and accuse Republicans of no longer being the party of law and order. During a visit to Wilkes-Barre, Mr. Biden will say he has made available billions of dollars to invest in law enforcement agencies, according …

The Hill reports: Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly is leading Republican challenger Blake Masters by 3 points in the state’s Senate race, according to a new poll. A poll from the Atlanta-based Trafalgar Group, a GOP polling firm, found Kelly leading Masters among respondents when they were asked who they would vote for if Arizona’s 2022 midterm elections were held …

Gothamist reports: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is defending the text message to state E-ZPass users that urged them to publicly comment against the MTA’s congestion pricing program proposal. The message, which was sent this weekend and which made the rounds on social media, simply said congestion pricing “will increase cost and congestion for NJ drivers.” The MTA is in …