Democrats

Fox News reports: President Biden’s calls for the Senate to pass aggressive background check bills and a ban on assault weapons face an uphill battle with a key Democrat already voicing disapproval. Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat from West Virginia, said Tuesday he can’t support the pair of Biden-backed background check bills that the House already passed. “No, not …

The Hill reports: More Californians would vote to keep Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) in office than oust him if a recall election likely later this year were held right away, a new poll shows. The survey, conducted by the independent California-based firm Probolsky Research, found 46 percent of all voters and 53 percent of those who say they are likely …

The Washington Post reports: White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that Biden is considering taking executive action on gun control in the wake of the Colorado shootings as well as seeking to work with Congress to strengthen background checks and reenact an assault weapons ban. Speaking to reporter on Air Force One as Biden traveled to Ohio, Psaki …

From a statement issued by Barack Obama: It is long past time for those with the power to fight this epidemic of gun violence to do so. It will take time to root out the disaffection, racism and misogyny that fuels so many of these senseless acts of violence. But we can make it harder for those with hate in …

Bloomberg News reports: New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said the state will pause further rollbacks of pandemic restrictions as its case count surges to the highest in the nation. Capacity at New Jersey’s restaurants, gyms, salons, and other recreational facilities increased to 50% on Friday as Murphy eased rules aimed at stemming the coronavirus outbreak. The number of people allowed …

The Times of Israel reports: Doug Emhoff, husband to US Vice President Kamala Harris, will serve as guest speaker at this year’s National Rainbow Seder. The event, a virtual one, strives to celebrate Passover through an LGBTQ lens. The Seder’s theme is “Renewal and Resistance: a Journey Towards Liberation.” It will include a specially commissioned Haggadah coupling the story of …

The Washington Post reports: The fight is arriving on Capitol Hill: The House Oversight and Reform Committee on Monday will convene a hearing on a statehood bill, and Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) said in an interview he expects that the bill will pass the House before summer. Statehood advocates still face major obstacles: They do not yet have …

Politico reports: After President Joe Biden recently suggested he’d favor a return to a “talking filibuster,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Friday the Senate should weigh changing filibuster rules. “I’m open to changing the way the Senate filibuster rules are used,” Feinstein said in a statement Friday, saying a talking filibuster should be considered, pointing to Biden’s support for it. “I …

Roll Call reports: Ohio’s Secretary of State announced Thursday that the special election to replace former Rep. Marcia L. Fudge will take place on Nov. 2, leaving Speaker Nancy Pelosi with an empty seat for most of the year. Fudge won the district with 80 percent of the vote in 2020 and 82 percent in 2018. It’s too early for …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: People 40 years and older can be vaccinated at the Orange County Convention Center starting Monday, Mayor Jerry Demings said, his latest move in extending the shot to people ahead of state regulations. Demings said the decision was made with confidence the county has ample supply to handle the potential of people from outside of the …

Politico reports: President Joe Biden is expected to nominate former Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida to lead NASA, settling on a longtime booster of the space program to lead the agency’s return to the moon, according to three people familiar with the decision. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday that she had seen the reports, but did not …

CBS News reports: A plodding, months-long review kicks off Wednesday to confirm what appears inevitable: California Gov. Gavin Newsom will face a recall election that could oust the Democrat before his first term ends. The announcement Monday that Newsom was beginning to raise money to defend his seat seemed to confirm that he believes organizers behind the recall have collected …

The New York Times reports: The fight over the Senate filibuster escalated sharply on Tuesday, as President Biden for the first time threw his weight behind changing the rules even as Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, threatened harsh reprisals if Democrats moved to weaken the procedural tactic. In an interview with ABC News, Mr. Biden gave his most direct …

CNN reports: Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the 87-year-old veteran Democrat, insisted on Tuesday that she is committed to serving out her full term in office even after California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he had a list of “multiple” potential replacements and would appoint a Black woman to replace her should she retire. “There’s nothing to it,” Feinstein told CNN on Tuesday …

Just in via press release: Governor Ralph Northam today restored the civil rights of more than 69,000 Virginians using new eligibility criteria that mirror a proposed change to the Constitution of Virginia that would automatically restore voting rights to individuals upon completion of their sentence of incarceration. Governor Northam announced that going forward, any Virginian released from incarceration will qualify …

Politico reports: California Gov. Gavin Newsom committed Monday to nominating a Black woman for the U.S. Senate should Sen. Dianne Feinstein resign from the seat she’s held for more than two decades. Newsom made the comments to MSNBC host Joy Reid in an appearance on her show, saying he has multiple names in mind for the spot. The governor’s surprise …

NPR reports: Deb Haaland, a member of New Mexico’s Laguna Pueblo, has become the first Native American cabinet secretary in U.S. history. The Senate voted 51-40 Monday to confirm the Democratic Congresswoman to lead the Interior Department, an agency that will play a crucial role in the Biden administration’s ambitious efforts to combat climate change and conserve nature. Republican lawmakers …

New York State Of Politics reports: Half of voters in New York do not think embattled Gov. Andrew Cuomo should resign amid a barrage of sexual harassment allegations, while a plurality of voters believe he can continue to do an effective job as governor, a Siena College poll released Monday morning found. The poll comes as Cuomo is fighting to …

Axios reports: Voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams told CNN on Sunday that a slew of bills introduced by Georgia Republicans that generally restrict voter access in the state are “a redux of Jim Crow.” Republicans in the state say the measures aim to curtail voting fraud. The legislation would end no-excuse absentee voting, move ballot drop boxes and limit in-person …

ABC News has the transcript: STEPHANOPOULOS: Let’s start with the COVID relief package. I outlined some of the benefits just now. But there was unanimous opposition on the Republican side. Most said the package was too large, not targeted at COVID relief. And our next guest, Senator John Barrasso, argues that it will overheat the economy and fuel inflation. What’s …