Democrats

The Today Show reports: President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden provided an important White House pet update during an exclusive interview with Craig Melvin that aired Friday on TODAY. The couple said a new cat will soon be joining their German shepherds, Major and Champ, as four-legged members of the first family. Asked by Craig about the cat …

CBS News reports: Most viewers who tuned in to watch President Biden’s speech liked what they heard and came away feeling optimistic about America. Speech viewers described the president as “Presidential, “Caring,” “Inspiring” and “Bold.” And history was made tonight with two women seated behind the president during an address to Congress, and a big majority of those who watched …

Axios reports: Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on MSNBC Thursday that New York City plans to “fully reopen” on July 1, with no restrictions on restaurants, retail, or any other business. Why it matters: It will be a major milestone for America’s most populous city, which was once the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. What they’re saying: While cautioning …

Politico reports: President Joe Biden’s address to a joint session Congress was the most ambitious ideological statement made by any Democratic president in decades—couched in language that made it sound as if he wasn’t making an ideological argument at all. Make no mistake that he was. He called for trillions in new spending in a robust expansion of government’s role …

CNN reports: A highly engaged writer, President Biden has spent hours debating the language and themes of his speech with his team, according to people familiar with his preparation. He has also consulted with members of his family. He has reviewed drafts and sent back handwritten revisions in the margins, along with dictating portions of his speech during writing sessions …

Gothamist reports: A woman who worked as an unpaid intern for Scott Stringer two decades ago plans to publicly accuse the city comptroller and mayoral candidate of sexual abuse and harassment, including repeated acts of unwanted kissing and touching, according to a statement provided by her attorney. The woman, Jean Kim, who has worked in city politics as a lobbyist, …

The New York Times reports: Taking a page from congressional Republicans who in 2017 made liberal use of a once-obscure law to roll back Obama-era regulations, Democrats will invoke the law to turn back a Trump methane rule enacted late last summer. That rule had eliminated Obama-era controls on leaks of methane, which seeps from oil and gas wells. The …

The Washington Post reports: Biden’s speech, to be delivered on the eve of his 100th day in office, will look very different from past presidential speeches, with no guests, no designated survivor and fewer than half of lawmakers allowed to attend in person. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the first lady will attend but will not be surrounded …

Bloomberg News reports: Census Bureau figures released Monday found New York missed a threshold for keeping all its 27 seats in the House of Representatives starting in 2022. In news release, Cuomo said he would ask Attorney General Letitia James to explore avenues of legal relief. At the press briefing, Cuomo shifted blame onto former President Donald Trump’s administration, which …

NY1 reports: The state legislature is moving to repeal a requirement that forces bar and restaurant customers to order food with their drink orders. The rule was imposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo at the height of the pandemic last year, and quickly got attacked by critics as arbitrary and not based in science. Some restaurants and bars began asking customers …

Gothamist reports: The governor said the move was prompted by the increase in vaccinations and the downward trend in the rate of positive COVID-19 tests statewide, citing the lowest mark since Thanksgiving. Starting on May 15th, offices will be allowed to function at 75% capacity, up from 50%. Casinos will be able to get half full instead of operating at …

Los Angeles’s ABC News affiliate reports: Organizers of the recall effort against California Gov. Gavin Newsom collected enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. The California secretary of state’s office announced Monday that more than 1.6 million signatures had been verified, about 100,000 more than needed to force a vote on the first-term Democrat. An election is likely in …

Axios reports: Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) announced Monday that he’s officially running for U.S. Senate in Ohio, becoming the first Democrat to join the race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Rob Portman. Ryan, a former 2020 presidential candidate, will bring strong name recognition and blue-collar roots to a high-profile race in Ohio, a state that has been trending Republican in …

“I’m not a roadblock at all. The best politics is good government. I can’t believe that people believe that if you just do it my way, that will give us the momentum to get through the next election.” “We won’t give this system a chance to work. I am not going to be part of blowing up this senate of …

The Washington Post reports: Overall, 52 percent of adults say they approve of the job Biden is doing, compared with 42 percent who disapprove. At this point in his presidency four years ago, Trump’s rating was nearly the reverse, with approval at 42 percent and disapproval at 53 percent. Overall, 34 percent of Americans say they strongly approve of Biden’s …

NBC News reports: Democrat Troy Carter won Saturday’s special election for Louisiana’s vacant U.S. House seat, defeating his state Senate colleague and ending an acrimonious, intraparty clash. Carter easily defeated Karen Carter Peterson in the race for Louisiana’s only Democrat-held seat in Congress, handing a victory to the more moderate side of the party after Peterson planted herself firmly in …

Gothamist reports: Nearly one week before the state’s eviction moratorium is set to expire, two state lawmakers have introduced a bill to extend the deadline to August 31st, aiming to provide further relief to New Yorkers who continue struggling to pay rent. “This will keep people from being thrown out onto the streets,” Assemblymember Jeff Dinowitz, a sponsor of the …

The Hill reports: President Biden has formally declared that the massacre of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire more than a century ago was “genocide,” a move that is likely to exacerbate tensions with Turkey. In doing so, Biden is fulfilling a campaign promise and becoming the first sitting president since Ronald Reagan to use the term …

Via email from California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office: Earlier this morning, Caitlyn Jenner announced she was running for Governor of California as part of this Republican recall attempt. What’s more, she is working closely with Donald Trump’s former presidential campaign manager and the person behind his small-dollar fundraising success. We’re going to need help keeping up with Caitlyn’s personal wealth …

Politico reports: Florida Rep. Val Demings said she’s “seriously considering” a statewide bid against Sen. Marco Rubio or Gov. Ron DeSantis, boosting Democratic hopes in a battleground state that’s growing increasingly red. “I’ve received so many calls and texts and emails, and have been stopped when I’m out and about by people who are asking me that very same question. …