Politics

Heavy Snow Brings Slow Start To NY Special Election

The New York Times reports: The race has been dominated by an international migrant crisis and attracted $15 million in outside spending. But the special House election to replace George Santos in New York on Tuesday may come down to the most local of problems: an ill-timed Election Day snowstorm. Forecasters were calling for a half foot or more of …

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Senate Approves Ukraine Aid After All-Night Session

The New York Times reports: The Senate passed a long-awaited foreign aid package for Ukraine and Israel early Tuesday morning, delivering a bipartisan endorsement of the legislation after months of negotiations, dire battlefield warnings and political mudslinging. But the measure faced a buzz saw of opposition in the House, where Republican resistance threatened to kill it. The 70-to-29 vote reflected …

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Anti-Trump Republicans To Hold “Anti-CPAC” Summit

The Hill reports: A summit aimed at rivaling the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and featuring prominent Republican critics of former President Trump will take place in Washington later this month. The group Principles First is set to host a summit Feb. 23-25 at the Conrad hotel “focused on advancing a more principled center-right politics in the United States” and …

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Snowstorm Could Help Dem In Race To Replace Santos

Politico reports: The possibility of an Election Day snowstorm in next week’s tight race to replace expelled former Rep. George Santos in Congress is putting pressure on the candidates to turn out their supporters. Any disruption to voting Tuesday could benefit former Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi over Republican nominee Mazi Melesa Pilip, thanks to Democrats’ advantage in early voting so …

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Texas Speaker Censured For AG Impeachment Attempt

Axios reports: The Texas GOP’s executive committee voted to censure House Speaker Dade Phelan (R) on Saturday for his part in the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton and appointing Democrats to chair House committees, among other issues. The censure measure is another instance of the deep infighting that has marked the Texas GOP in the past year, with an …

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GOP Rep. Mike Gallagher Announces Retirement After Blowback For Vote Against Impeaching Sec. Mayorkas

Axios reports: Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.), the chair of the House Select Committee on China, said Saturday he will not seek reelection in November. Gallagher is the fourth Republican committee chair to announce their retirement in 2024 and the second just this week. Gallagher’s announcement comes just days after his controversial vote against impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. His …

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Haley To Troll Trump With Age-Mocking Mobile Video

Politico reports: Nikki Haley is stepping up her attacks on Donald Trump’s age — this time at his own rally in South Carolina. The Haley campaign on Saturday will parade a mobile billboard around the Myrtle Beach area, including by Trump’s rally in Conway, where the former president will appear for the first time this year in the state ahead …

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Romney Defends Biden On Memory Loss Accusations

The Huffington Post reports: Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) defended Joe Biden amid questions about the president’s mental acuity following the release of a special counsel’s report that cast the 81-year-old as an elderly man with “significant” memory problems. “I’ve worked with the president, and I haven’t seen anything that’s abnormal before. It was like President Trump saying Nikki Haley three …

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Louisiana Bill Would Allow Executions By Nitrogen

NBC News reports: A Louisiana lawmaker is proposing a bill that would allow for nitrogen gas to be used in executions in the event lethal injection is unavailable, making it the latest state to consider adopting the practice after Alabama put a man to death last month through the first-of-its-kind method. Rep. Nicholas Muscarello, a Republican who chairs the House’s …

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Meta Platforms To Stop Promoting Political Content

Variety reports: In a blog post Friday, Instagram, the popular photo and video app owned by Meta, said it will no longer “proactively recommend” political content from accounts that users do not already follow. The same policy applies to Threads, the Twitter-copycat app launched last summer under the Instagram brand. “We want Instagram and Threads to be a great experience …

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Florida GOP Bill Would Raise “Stripping Age” To 21

Florida Politics reports: A measure purporting to stop human trafficking by banning people under the age of 21 from working in the adult entertainment sector is slated for another Senate committee stop. The Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice will consider on Tuesday morning Sen. Clay Yarborough’s bill (SB 1690). If the measure advances, it has one stop ahead …

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Politico: Ex-MD Gov. Larry Hogan To Launch Senate Bid

Politico reports: Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is launching a Senate bid, according to a person familiar with the matter. The anti-Trump Republican is expected to file for the open Senate seat on Friday, the last day of the filing deadline. Hogan is popular in Maryland and his entrance in the race is a huge recruiting coup for Republicans, but …

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Florida GOP Moves To Restrict EV Charging Stations

Florida Politics reports: Language in legislation (SB 1084) advanced by the Senate would preempt local governments from requiring a higher number of parking lot spaces to be reserved for electric vehicles. Instead, state regulations would be the only threshold imposed. But during committee discussion, Sen. Jay Collins, a Tampa Republican carrying the bill, made clear the measure would outlaw extra …

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Senate Advances Bill On Aid To Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan

NBC News reports: The Senate voted Thursday afternoon to proceed to a stripped-down bill that would provide aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, one day after Republicans in the chamber rejected a bipartisan border security and foreign aid bill. The vote of 67-32 means the Senate can begin consideration of the $95 billion package, although the next steps are uncertain …

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Brazil Charges Jair Bolsonaro With Inciting Insurrection

The New York Times reports: Former President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil oversaw a broad conspiracy to hold on to power regardless of the results of the 2022 election, including personally editing a proposed order to arrest a Supreme Court justice and call new elections after he lost, according to new accusations by Brazilian federal police unveiled on Thursday. Mr. Bolsonaro …

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Marianne Williamson Drops Out Of White House Race

ABC News reports: Marianne Williamson suspended her campaign for president, she announced on Wednesday night. The author and speaker placed a distant third during Tuesday night’s Nevada primary, earning just 3% of the tallied vote. President Joe Biden received 89%, and the option “none of these candidates” took 6%. Williamson had continued her 2024 White House bid through the Nevada …

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REPORT: Florida Supreme Court Justices Skeptical Of Arguments Against 2024 Abortion Rights Ballot Measure

The Hill reports: Florida’s Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical of the state’s arguments Wednesday that the language on a ballot initiative to protect abortion rights was misleading. Nathan Forrester, who argued on behalf of the state attorney general’s office, urged the court to disqualify the measure. He said voters won’t understand what the amendment will do because the language used …

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Far-Right GOP Rep To Launch Montana US Senate Bid

The New York Times reports: Representative Matt Rosendale of Montana is expected to announce a campaign for Senate as soon as this weekend, torching plans from top Republican officials to avoid a bruising primary battle in a state that many in the party view as their best chance to win back control of the chamber. Mr. Rosendale, an anti-abortion Republican …

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EU Warns Hungary: New “Sovereignty” Law Is Illegal

Reuters reports: Hungary’s new law on “protecting national sovereignty”, which the ruling Fidesz party said was necessary to protect against foreign political interference, violates European Union law, the European Commission said on Wednesday. The Commission said it had sent Hungary a formal notice that it would open an infringement procedure over the law, passed in December, which it said violated …

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Democratic Rep. Al Green Arrived In Wheelchair At Last Minute To Make Decisive Vote In Mayorkas Resolution

The New York Times reports: With the final minutes for the vote dwindling, the House watched intently on Tuesday night to see whether any more Republicans would defect on the resolution to impeach Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary. Then, like a scene out of a political thriller, Representative Al Green, Democrat of Texas, appeared at the last moment …

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