Politics

TEXAS: GOP Gov Demands That Disgraced Former GOP House Rep Pay For Special Election To Replace Him

The Texas Tribune reports: Gov. Greg Abbott is demanding that former U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold “cover all costs” of the special election to fill his seat using the $84,000 the Corpus Christi Republican used to settle a sexual harassment claim years ago. Farenthold, who abruptly resigned earlier this month, had promised to pay back the $84,000 — which came out …

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Madame Tussauds Unveils Wax Melania [VIDEO]

Newsweek reports: A crowd of reporters clamored for a prime spot to watch Sean Spicer unveil a wax figure of Melania Trump at New York City’s Madame Tussauds attraction Wednesday. To the side, a screen displayed the cover of Spicer’s soon-to-be-released book, The Briefing. Behind him was an interactive station called “Give Melania a voice,” a title a bit too …

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Hackers Unveil “Master Key” To Millions Of Hotel Rooms

ZDNet reports: Security researchers have built a master key that exploits a design flaw in a popular and widely used hotel electronic lock system, allowing unfettered access to every room in the building. The electronic lock system, known as Vision by VingCard and built by Swedish lock manufacturer Assa Abloy, is used in more than 42,000 properties in 166 countries, …

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Koch Brothers Push Jim Jordan For House Speaker

Peter Montgomery reports at Right Wing Watch: Rep. Paul Ryan’s announcement that he will not run for re-election this year has started some jockeying among his colleagues over who will replace him as speaker of the House. FreedomWorks, a small-government group that is associated with the Koch brothers’ political networks, launched a petition campaign last week encouraging right-wing Rep. Jim …

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News Orgs Seek Access To Mueller’s Search Warrants

The Washington Post reports: A coalition of news organizations, including The Washington Post, asked a federal court on Tuesday to unseal materials used by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III to obtain search warrants in his investigation of President Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and others indicted in the probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election. The news …

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French President To Congress: Reject Nationalism

Reuters reports: French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday urged the United States to reject nationalism and stay true to global ideals of cooperation in the face of terrorism and other challenges, saying countries can still retain their own identities. “I do not share the fascination for new strong powers, the abandonment of freedom and the illusion of nationalism,” Macron told …

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White House Defends VA Nominee Amid Reports Of Drunkenness At Work, Urges Swift Confirmation Hearing

The Washington Examiner reports: The White House will submit a request to the Senate this week to swiftly reschedule a confirmation hearing for Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, President Trump’s embattled pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. “We’ll be making a request to [Senate Veterans Affairs Committee] Chairman Isakson,” legislative affairs director Marc Short told reporters Wednesday. “We think …

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Ted Cruz Calls For Using Anti-Trust Laws To Break Up Facebook And Google For Censoring Right Wing Views

In an interview published today by Breitbart, Sen. Ted Cruz called for using anti-trust laws to break up Facebook, Google, and other unnamed “technology giants” because right wingers believe they are being censored. “The scope of the power is truly unprecedented. You think back to the heights of yellow journalism, when publisher William Randolph Hearst controlled much of media and …

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TENNESSEE: Dem Takes Slim Lead In US Senate Race

The Tennessean reports: Another poll on the U.S. Senate race between former Gov. Phil Bredesen and U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn has the Nashville Democrat with a narrow lead, according to a survey released Wednesday. The survey, commissioned and released by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, found 46 percent of respondents supported Bredesen, while 43 percent favored Blackburn, a Brentwood Republican. Eleven …

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GOP Senate Candidate Attacks Mitch McConnell Because His Wife’s Father Is A “Wealthy Chinaperson” [VIDEO]

The Hill reports: A Republican running for the U.S. Senate in West Virginia suggested that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) faced conflicts of interests because his wife’s father is a “wealthy Chinaperson.” Don Blankenship during a Monday appearance on a West Virginia radio show pointed to McConnell’s marriage to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. “I have an issue when the …

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NEW YORK: Dem Flips Deep Red Assembly Seat

Vox reports: In a Tuesday night special election race on Long Island, Democrats flipped a long-Republican State Assembly district to mark their 40th Trump-era takeover of a GOP-held seat. The seat had been held by a Republican since 1978. The New York State Assembly is firmly in Democratic hands, and control of the New York state Senate is caught up …

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ARIZONA: Republican Wins Special US House Race

Roll Call reports: Former Republican state Sen. Debbie Lesko won the special election in Arizona’s 8th District on Tuesday night, but her victory margin for a seat that President Donald Trump easily carried in 2016 appeared to be relatively slim. The Associated Press called the race with Lesko leading Democrat Hiral Tipirneni, 53 percent to 47 percent in early ballots, …

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Mick Mulvaney Tells Bankers: In Congress I Wouldn’t Meet With Lobbyists Who Didn’t Give Me Money

The New York Times reports: Mick Mulvaney, the interim director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, told banking industry executives on Tuesday that they should press lawmakers hard to pursue their agenda, and revealed that, as a congressman, he would meet only with lobbyists if they had contributed to his campaign. “We had a hierarchy in my office in Congress,” …

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Federal Court Rules Trump Must Continue DACA

The Washington Post reports: A D.C. federal judge has delivered the toughest blow yet to Trump administration efforts to end deportation protections for undocumented immigrants known as “dreamers,” ordering the government to continue the Obama-era program and — for the first time — to accept new applicants. U.S. District Judge John D. Bates called the government’s decision to end the …

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Trump Gives Cover For VA Pick To Withdraw: I Told Him These Are Vicious People, You Don’t Need This [VIDEO]

The Hill reports: President Trump today repeatedly said the choice to withdraw was Navy Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson’s, but he also questioned why he would want to go forward and take the “abuse” from politicians. “It’s totally his decision, he’ll be making a decision,” Trump said when asked about the nomination of Jackson, who is the White House physician to …

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LIVE VIDEO: Trump Holds Joint Presser With Macron

CBS News reports: French President Emmanuel Macron is back at the White House on Tuesday where he is set to join President Trump for a day of meetings followed by a joint news conference on his second day in Washington for his official state visit. During a brief meeting with Macron after their Oval Office remarks, Mr. Trump called North …

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James Comey Sells 600,000 Books In First Week

The New York Times reports: Former F.B.I. director James Comey’s book, “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership,” has dominated headlines for more than a week, and became an instant blockbuster, selling more than 600,000 copies in all formats during its first week on sale. Mr. Comey’s publisher, Flatiron Books, has ordered multiple reprints to meet demand, and now has …

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Romney Taunts Pro Basketball Player From Courtside

He’s just your average Joe Sixpack, folks! The Hill reports: Mitt Romney (R) was spotted courtside at Monday night’s Utah Jazz playoff game taunting Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook. Romney, who is running for Senate in Utah, was shown on camera calling out to Westbrook after the Oklahoma City star picked up his fourth foul of the game late …

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Questions Arise Over Trump’s Pick To Head VA

Politico reports: Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson’s nomination to be Veterans Affairs secretary may be in trouble, according to senators and aides in both parties. Republicans are considering postponing his confirmation hearing this week as senators pore over potentially new negative information that committee members have received, according to GOP sources familiar with the matter. And Senate Democrats are digging into …

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George H.W. Bush Hospitalized With Sepsis [VIDEO]

Multiple outlets are reporting that former President George H.W. Bush was hospitalized yesterday morning with a potentially life-threatening case of sepsis. Bush is being treated in the intensive care unit of Houston Methodist Hospital. The hospitalization came only hours after the funeral of former First Lady Barbara Bush, to whom he was married for 73 years. The former president is …

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