Politics

Courthouse News reports: The North Carolina Senate Wednesday passed a bill rolling back protections for mask-wearers despite concerns that it would criminalize wearing masks, even for health reasons, in public. The bill, House Bill 237, eliminates a provision passed after the start of the Covid pandemic that explicitly allowed the public to wear masks for health reasons. Various exceptions exist, …

“We just had this extraordinary pandemic, and yet our economy is strong, low levels of unemployment, it’s extraordinary, and it’s not because the president is pulling all the levers in the right way. No, it’s not. It’s because the American people are fulfilling their dreams. “Yes, the economy is strong. There’s no question. The economy is doing well and that’s …

Florida Politics reports: The Florida Democratic Party (FDP) is urging members to confirm they are still election-ready after a U.S. House candidate revealed he was recently deactivated from the state’s voter rolls. Former Key Biscayne Mayor Mike Davey, a Democrat running for Florida’s 27th Congressional District in Miami-Dade, shared this past weekend that the state had removed him in October …

NBC News reports: Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, argued that President Joe Biden should have pardoned Donald Trump after the Justice Department brought indictments against the former president and pressured New York prosecutors not to pursue Trump’s ongoing hush money trial. The Utah Republican argued that Biden should have pardoned Trump when the Justice Department announced charges against him and that …

Reuters reports: Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was in a life-threatening condition after he was shot in a “politically motivated” assassination attempt when leaving a government meeting on Wednesday, the interior minister said. The gunman shot Fico, 59, five times, leaving the prime minister in critical condition and still undergoing surgery hours later on Wednesday evening, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj …

Axios reports: A day after President Biden warned Israel that a major attack on Rafah would cross a “red line” for U.S. support, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went on a rant during a meeting with his security cabinet. “We are not a vassal state of the United States!” he declared, according to three people with knowledge of his remarks, …

The Washington Examiner reports: Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) will have a chance to stay on Capitol Hill after winning Nebraska’s special primary election on Tuesday to finish out former Republican Sen. Ben Sasse’s term until 2026. Ricketts succeeded Sasse, who left Congress to become the next president of the University of Florida, on Jan. 12, 2023, by an appointment from …

USA Today reports: Former President Donald Trump cruised to victory in Nebraska’s Republican presidential primary Tuesday night, as projected by the Associated Press. Despite Trump’s dominance in the 2024 primary cycle, a number of “Never Trumper” Republicans have stayed loyal to the more moderate former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. Trump has already surpassed the threshold of delegates required to …

The Hill reports: West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has won the Republican nod in the Mountain State’s gubernatorial race, according to a projection from Decision Desk HQ. Morrisey emerged the winner of a crowded GOP primary field of conservatives, including businessman Chris Miller and Moore Capito, a former West Virginia state lawmaker. Transgender issues had emerged as a major …

Maryland Matters reports: Buttressed by a stunning $4.4 million in spending from a super PAC affiliated with a pro-Israel organization, state Sen. Sarah K. Elfreth (D-Anne Arundel) won a hard-fought congressional primary in the 3rd District Tuesday, topping former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn by a wider margin than expected. AIPAC’s decision to play heavily in the 3rd District …

West Virginia Metro News reports: Two-term Gov. Jim Justice has won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, a race that was called shortly after voting concluded. Justice’s most prominent competitor was Congressman Alex Mooney. Polling consistently showed Justice with a big lead over Mooney for months. MetroNews and other outlets called the race early on. The Associated Press called the …

The New York Times reports: Former Vice President Mike Pence sought public financing for his failed presidential primary campaign, a highly unusual move that if successful would make him the first Republican in more than a decade to receive such funds, according to Federal Election Commission documents that have not previously been disclosed. Starting in the post-Watergate era, the federal …

Florida Politics reports: Smart & Safe Florida is going statewide with four ads over TV, streaming, radio and digital sites, worth more than $5 million to support Amendment 3. “A smart and safe Florida means a regulated marijuana market where Floridians no longer need to turn to illicit cartel-trafficked products on the streets,” Smart & Safe Florida spokesperson Morgan Hill …

Florida Politics reports: Florida’s Governor is speaking out about the First Lady potentially running to succeed him, downplaying Casey DeSantis’ interest in the job. Ron DeSantis said that if he “had to characterize her interest in getting into the political thicket as a candidate,” he would “characterize it as zero.” “But, you know, I think it’s because she’s had a …

The New York Times reports: Representative Ruben Gallego, running unopposed in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Arizona, placed a reservation on Monday for $19 million in television advertisements for the general election this fall, according to his campaign — the largest any Senate candidate in the country has made so far. Come fall, Mr. Gallego is likely to …

The New York Times reports: On Tuesday, Jim Justice is heavily favored to win the Republican Senate primary and cruise to victory in the general election, especially after the departure of the Democratic incumbent, Joe Manchin III. But now, as he wraps up his second term as governor and campaigns for a seat in the U.S. Senate, things are looking …

The Associated Press reports: South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is now banned from entering nearly 20% of her state after two more tribes banished her this week over comments she made earlier this year about tribal leaders benefiting from drug cartels. The Yankton Sioux Tribe voted Friday to ban Noem from their land in southeastern South Dakota just a few …

The Hill reports: A major Democratic super PAC on Monday launched its first wave of ads as part of a $140 million campaign to target voters in key battleground states, using testimonials from voters to warn of the risks of a second Trump presidency. American Bridge 21st Century will air three ads in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, as well as …

The Associated Press reports: Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday delivered some of the Biden administration’s strongest public criticism yet of Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza, saying Israeli tactics have meant “a horrible loss of life of innocent civilians” but failed to neutralize Hamas leaders and fighters and could drive a lasting insurgency. In a pair of …

The Washington Post reports: After facing harsh questions about his judicial decisions and accepting lavish gifts from a billionaire, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas forcefully pushed back on his critics Friday — saying he and his wife, Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, have endured “nastiness” and “lies.” “What you are going to find, especially in Washington, is that people are going to …