Politics

The Guardian reports: Scottish nationalists picked Humza Yousaf to be the country’s next leader on Monday after a bitterly fought contest that exposed deep divisions in his party over policy and a stalled independence campaign. The 37-year-old practising Muslim succeeds Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the governing Scottish National Party (SNP) and will take over as head of the semi-autonomous …

Florida Politics reports: A fresh Siena College Research Institute survey released Monday, takes the temperature of Empire State GOP voters well ahead of New York’s Presidential Preference Primary, to be held April 30, 2024. Former President Donald Trump commands majority support in the poll, taken March 19-23. With 52% support, he nearly doubles support for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who …

Politico reports: Elizabeth Warren is running for reelection. The state’s senior senator made her third-term bid official in a two-plus-minute video posted to social media this morning. In it, Warren touts her accomplishments — a corporate minimum tax, over-the-counter hearing aids and canceling student loan debt (which remains stalled in court) among them. And she sets the tone for a …

The Wall Street Journal reports: Patriotism, religious faith, having children and other priorities that helped define the national character for generations are receding in importance to Americans, a new Wall Street Journal-NORC poll finds. Some 38% of respondents said patriotism was very important to them, and 39% said religion was very important. That was down sharply from when the Journal …

CNN reports: Israel has been brought to a standstill by a “historic” general strike, as anger and unrest at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to weaken the judiciary. The action was called by Histadrut, Israel’s largest trade union federation, and has been joined or supported by workers in multiple sectors. “Stop this judicial process before it is too late,” the …

Politico reports: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell left inpatient physical therapy on Saturday after suffering a concussion, though it’s still not clear exactly when the GOP leader will return to the Senate. Because a two-week recess is approaching after next week’s Senate session, the Kentucky Republican will work from home for the next few days, a McConnell aide said. The …

The Associated Press reports: Republican Gov. Brad Little signed a bill allowing execution by firing squad, making Idaho the latest state to turn to older methods of capital punishment amid a nationwide shortage of lethal-injection drugs. The Legislature passed the measure March 20 with a veto-proof majority. Under it, firing squads will be used only if the state cannot obtain …

The Hill reports: Former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), once the chairman of the powerful House Intelligence Committee, is eyeing a possible White House bid, saying in an interview this week that if he ran, he’d focus on running in a “more civil, more solutions-oriented lane.” “What we’re doing is calling for really unique, creative solutions to all the problems everybody’s …

Politico reports: Elated Senate Republicans believe they are on the cusp of landing their highest-profile recruit of the 2024 campaign: West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice. Justice, a Democrat-turned-Republican with sky-high approval ratings, is increasingly expected to launch a bid for Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) seat after consulting with top party officials in Washington this month, according to a half-dozen GOP …

The Associated Press reports: Kentucky’s Democratic governor issued an election-year veto Friday of a Republican bill aimed at regulating the lives of transgender youths that includes banning access to gender-affirming health care and restricting the bathrooms they can use. The bill also bans discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools and allows teachers to refuse to refer to …

Politico reports: The Senate Ethics Committee has formally admonished Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) over his solicitation of campaign contributions for Herschel Walker as he was headed to a runoff election for Senate in Georgia. In a letter released on Thursday, the Ethics panel declared that the “committee finds that you did solicit federal campaign contributions and otherwise impermissibly conducted …

The Intercept reports: Jeff Thomas, a model and social media influencer who was recently in a long-term relationship with billionaire Peter Thiel, said he spent much of his time with the tech mogul working to persuade him away from his increasingly aggressive pursuit of a culture war — a war that Thomas warned was blowing back on their community. “I …

The Daily Beast reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has yet to formally announce whether he will run for president in 2024, said he would decline to serve as Donald Trump’s running mate if he were asked. When asked the question by Newsmax host Eric Bolling, Desantis said he believes he is “probably more of an executive guy.” He added: …

Gothamist reports: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is proposing steep fines for stores selling weed without a license. The move comes as pressure builds to crack down on unlicensed cannabis shops – something other city and state officials have struggled to do effectively. The governor introduced legislation in Albany Wednesday that would clarify and expand the authority of the state …

Newsweek reports: Steven Seagal continues to show his support for Russia, this time cutting a ceremonial ribbon to open a new martial arts center in Moscow. The American actor and martial artist recently received the prestigious Order of Friendship from Putin. Once a star of American movies, Seagal says he is now “1 million percent Russian.” Tass said that the …

NBC News reports: Manuel Oliver, the father of a 17-year-old Parkland shooting victim, was arrested Thursday on Capitol Hill after he appeared to shout at a Republican lawmaker who was speaking during a hearing on gun regulations. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, D-Fla., a 26-year-old freshman who is also a survivor of gun violence, tweeted a video of officers detaining a …

Politico reports: As she races to stockpile campaign money and post an impressive, statement-making first-quarter fundraising number, Sinema has used a series of Republican-dominated receptions and retreats this year to belittle her Democratic colleagues, shower her GOP allies with praise and, in one case, quite literally give the middle finger to President Biden’s White House. “Those lunches were ridiculous,” she …

The Casper Star-Tribune reports: Abortion is legal again in Wyoming after a Teton County judge Wednesday temporarily blocked a new ban on the procedure while a new legal challenge winds through the courts. The Life is a Human Right Act took effect on midnight Saturday after Gov. Mark Gordon [photo] allowed it to become law without his signature. The legislation, …

The Hill reports: Former Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday called for “common sense” reforms to federal entitlement programs, namely Social Security and Medicare, weighing in on what is set to be a wedge issue in the 2024 presidential campaign. “If we act in this moment with the support of this generation, we can introduce common sense reforms that will …

Politico reports: Sen. Tim Scott’s preparations for a presidential run are well underway, putting the South Carolina Republican on track to be the next candidate to formally mount a White House bid. The Palmetto State senator is hosting a donor summit in Charleston next month, the same week he plans to travel to two early nominating states to hold events. …