Politics

The Associated Press reports: A newly elected state lawmaker in West Virginia is facing at least one felony and is accused of making terroristic threats. Joseph de Soto, 61, was arrested by state police Thursday in Martinsburg following an investigation that found he made “several threatening/intimidating threats against government officials,” according to a statement from Lt. Leslie T. Goldie Jr. …

NewsNation reports: Lawmakers say they are edging closer to a deal to keep the government’s lights on in eight days but are still trying to work out differences over disaster aid and potential add-ons to the bill. There’s some optimism in the Capitol that bill text could arrive as soon as this weekend as the Dec. 20 shutdown deadline quickly …

The Associated Press reports: The premier of Canada’s most populous province said Wednesday he will cut off energy to the United States if President-elect Donald Trump imposes sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products. Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico unless they stem the flow of migrants and drugs. …

Florida Politics reports: The Florida Chamber of Commerce published its latest migration report this week, which analyzes the number of people moving into and out of the state. The analysis of 2023 shows there was a net total pickup of 126,000 people. Chamber officials acknowledged an increase in new residents is always a positive trend because the uptick will lead …

Politico reports: Sen. Bernie Sanders, former presidential candidate and leader of the progressive movement in the United States for decades, said his term starting in January would likely be his last in an interview with POLITICO. Sanders (I-Vt.) won reelection in November and has six more years in the Senate ahead of him. When asked whether his fourth Senate term …

From the Russian state media outlet Tass: US President-elect Donald Trump did not send an invitation to his inauguration in January to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “No, he didn’t send an invitation,” the spokesman said, answering a question. Previously, the CBS News TV channel reported citing its sources that Trump invited Chinese leader Xi …

NBC News reports: Federal officials Wednesday rejected claims the mysterious drones spotted in New Jersey are coming from an Iranian “mothership.” Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., said Wednesday on Fox News that the unidentified flying objects in his state’s skies are coming from an Iranian vessel off the East Coast — a claim the Defense Department flatly denied. Drew, who …

The Raleigh New & Observer reports: With North Carolina Republicans set to lose their veto-proof supermajority come 2025, state lawmakers took their final vote Wednesday on a bill that takes away power from incoming Democrats in the executive branch, overturning a veto with a party-line 72-46 vote. Protesters shouted from the gallery overlooking the state House chamber after the vote. …

The CBC reports: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday that Kamala Harris’s loss in the U.S. presidential election was a setback for women’s progress — and cited several recent incidents that he said suggest women’s rights are under attack by “regressive” and “reactionary” political forces. In an address to an Ottawa gala for Equal Voice, Trudeau said politicians who are …

Washington DC’s Fox affiliate reports: United States Capitol police officers arrested a man Tuesday evening following an alleged assault on U.S. Representative Nancy Mace inside the Rayburn House Office Building. The incident occurred shortly before 6 p.m. when Rep. Mace’s office reported the assault to Capitol Police. Officers from the House Division and agents with the Threat Assessment Section were …

“Almost every single business I know that wants to send a check out won’t use the U.S. Postal Service anymore. I won’t use the U.S. Postal Service anymore. That’s on your watch. The two major decisions I’ve seen you make, which is on the distribution centers and on employee rate hiring, have done nothing to mitigate this in real-time ways. …

The Daily Mail reports: Outgoing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell fell over during a Senate lunch on Tuesday. McConnell, 82, is the outgoing leader of the Senate Republicans and has been battling a string of health issues over the last few years. Medical staff with a wheelchair were reportedly called in to assist after the senator fell during the lunch. …

The Washington Post reports: Even before police identified a person of interest in the hunt for the killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, merchandise proclaiming an apparent message that police found at the scene of the shooting began appearing at craft fairs and online shopping platforms. Pint glasses, wine tumblers, sweatshirts and baseball caps emblazoned with the phrase “Deny, Defend, …

Cedar Rapids’ ABC affiliate reports: Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced a disaster proclamation in Sioux and Palo Alto Counties. This come comes as the USDA has confirmed positive cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in both of these counties. This marks the fifth detection of H5N1 HPAI in poultry within the state of Iowa in 2024. The Iowa Department …

The right wing Daily Caller reports: Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is calling on Daniel Penny to go after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg following Daniel Penny’s Monday acquittal by a New York City jury in his subway chokehold case. “Alvin Bragg is an absolute catastrophe. First, he indicted Donald Trump in a partisan case, and then he indicted Daniel …

The Daily Beast reports: President-elect Donald Trump nominated Harmeet Dhillon as assistant attorney general for civil rights, he announced Monday. In 2017, Dhillon represented UC Berkeley College Republicans when she sued the school after it cancelled a speaking appearance by right-wing commentator Ann Coulter, purportedly over safety concerns. Later that year, Dhillon represented former Google engineer James Damore, who was …

The Wall Street Journal reports: Lara Trump wants to be the next U.S. senator from Florida, and she has a powerful advocate in her corner: her father-in-law. President-elect Donald Trump recently spoke to Gov. Ron DeSantis about Lara Trump, according to people familiar with the discussion, putting in a good word with his former 2024 GOP presidential primary rival. DeSantis …

Haaretz reports: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is testifying in his criminal trial for the first time on Tuesday, eight years after the investigations into him were first opened. He faces charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust across three different corruption cases. Netanyahu’s testimony follows years of investigations, deliberations, legal proceedings, and delays. He becomes the first sitting prime …

Florida Politics reports: Rep. Joel Rudman has filed open carry legislation for consideration by the Florida House. The Navarre Republican put the legislation in the hopper as he runs in a Special Election to succeed former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz in Congress. “Today, we reaffirm Florida’s commitment to the Constitution, and once again, the Third District leads the way,” Rudman …

USA Today reports: Christopher Wilson had a loaded pistol in his waistband when the Maui Police Department in 2017 responded to a complaint that he was trespassing on private property. Wilson did not, though, have a permit to carry that gun. And in a case that put a spotlight on Hawaii’s strict gun regulations, as well as on its low …