Politics

CBS News reports: Legislation to expand Social Security benefits to millions of Americans passed the U.S. Senate early Saturday and is now headed to the desk of President Biden, who is expected to sign the measure into law. Senators voted 76-20 for the Social Security Fairness Act, which would eliminate two federal policies that prevent nearly 3 million people, including …

Politico reports: Senate Democrats wrapped up their extensive investigation of Supreme Court justices’ ethics practices Saturday, issuing a report blasting two conservative justices for accepting expensive gifts from wealthy benefactors and slamming Chief Justice John Roberts for a lackadaisical response to ethical lapses by his colleagues. “Now more than ever before, as a result of information gathered by subpoenas, we …

The Associated Press reports: Facing a government shutdown deadline, the Senate rushed through final passage early Saturday of a bipartisan plan that would temporarily fund federal operations and disaster aid, dropping Trump’s demands for a debt limit increase into the new year. The House approved Johnson’s new bill overwhelmingly, 366-34. The Senate worked into the night to pass it, 85-11, …

ABC News reports: With a government shutdown deadline just hours away, Republican congressional leaders on Friday scrambled to come up with a third spending proposal. An initial bipartisan deal was tanked earlier this week by President-elect Donald Trump and his ally Elon Musk. Then on Thursday night, the House failed to pass a revamped plan that included Trump’s explosive demand …

Fox News reports: House lawmakers are set to soon vote on a bill to avert a partial government shutdown after a similar measure backed by President-elect Trump failed on Thursday. Congress is scrambling for a path forward as the clock ticks closer to the federal funding deadline, with a partial shutdown expected just after midnight Saturday if no action is …

Reuters reports: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday looked set to lose power early next year after a key ally said he would move to bring down the minority Liberal government and trigger an election. New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh, who has been helping keep Trudeau in office, said he would present a formal motion of no-confidence after …

From Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s exit interview with Semafor: In only a single term, Sinema has played an unusually integral role in bipartisan deals both big and small, on everything from infrastructure to gun safety to run-of-the-mill Senate floor operations. It’s a record that got clouded by her repeated breaks with her former party. She voted just last week to block …

“Let’s clarify one thing: there does appear to be one president. It’s Elon Musk, who has his own very self-interested view of everything, including the fact that he wanted to remove restrictions on investing– U.S. companies investing in China. I wonder why. “So, he has his own interests related solely to his own federal contracts, his own business interests. He …

Axios reports: House Democrats on Thursday coalesced around an operative phrase to describe their fervent opposition to Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) revised spending proposal: “Hell no.” It’s a term House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) used in a closed-door meeting of his caucus to describe his position. Jeffries initially termed the bill “laughable” when walking into the meeting. Johnson plans …

“President Musk this morning made it clear – with all his vast government experience, which is basically, he became rich on the federal government – that he doesn’t want Republicans to pass this. And seemingly, Vice President Trump kind of backed him up at that point. And what it says about the politics is this is going to be a …

The Associated Press reports: The top Democrat in the House is blaming Republicans for a government shutdown if one happens. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Wednesday evening in remarks from the U.S. Capitol that “House Republicans will now own any harm that is visited on the American people that results from a government shutdown, or worse.” “An agreement is …

Florida Politics reports: Disney World is temporarily closing the Hall of Presidents on Jan. 20 for a refurbishment, which is the same day as President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. Disney posted on its website that it expects to reopen the classic Magic Kingdom attraction sometime later in 2025. Trump during his first presidential term was honored in the Hall of Presidents, …

The Hill reports: Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is looking at a plan B to fund the government ahead of Friday’s shutdown deadline as Republicans inside and outside the Capitol, including those from Trump world, slam his spending package. The back-up option Johnson is examining is a “clean” continuing resolution, two sources familiar with the matter told The Hill. That would …

Punchbowl News reports: Two provisions that directly impact lawmakers were quietly added to the CR: a pay raise and an Obamacare opt-out. It’s complicated, but Congress has proactively blocked lawmakers from getting a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) since 2009. This was done by including language in spending bills specifically preventing such pay increases, although other federal employees get them. However, the …

CBS News reports: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will take up a challenge to a new law that could lead to a ban on TikTok in the U.S, setting up a showdown over access to a widely popular app used by tens of millions of Americans. Arguments will be heard by the high court on Jan. 10, an …

The Guardian reports: America’s political divide is likely to get even wider thanks to a new real-estate platform that lets potential buyers see the political affiliations of their future neighbors, as well as other social data and local demographics. Oyssey, a tech startup launching this month in south Florida and New York City, allows buyers access neighborhood political affiliations based …

The Washington Post reports: A man convicted of killing his brother and three other men in 1997 was executed in Indiana early Wednesday — the state’s first execution in 15 years. A statement from the Indiana Department of Correction said Joseph Corcoran was pronounced dead at 12:44 a.m. at a state prison in Michigan City, Ind. His wife, Tahina Corcoran, …

CBS News reports: Leaders in Congress on Tuesday unveiled a lengthy stopgap measure to keep the government funded into the spring, with just days to go to prevent a government shutdown. Congress has until Friday night to stave off a funding lapse, since lawmakers approved a continuing resolution in September to keep the government funded through Dec. 20. The new …

The New York Post reports: House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Michael McCaul said Tuesday that he believes that some unidentified drones spotted above New Jersey and New York are “spy drones” from China — after Biden administration officials insisted many of the aircraft are innocent commercial aircraft. “We want answers but the response I’m getting is we don’t know whose …

The Wall Street Journal reports: Amid collapsing public confidence in U.S. courts, a federal judge has been found culpable of misconduct. The offense? Questioning the ethics of a Supreme Court justice. U.S. District Judge Michael Ponsor published an essay in the New York Times arguing that the display of flags associated with President-elect Donald Trump’s MAGA movement at Justice Samuel …