Politics

The Texas Tribune reports: A sweeping new Texas law aimed at undermining the ability of the state’s bluer urban areas to enact progressive policies is unconstitutional, a Travis County judge ruled Wednesday. State District Judge Maya Guerra Gamble halted the law — House Bill 2127, which opponents nicknamed the “Death Star” bill — just days before it was slated to …

The Huffington Post reports: The group of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ former clerks who signed on to a letter this week defending the justice from “attacks on his integrity, his character [and] his ethics” included one individual whose integrity has been drawn into serious question: John C. Eastman. Eastman is accused of undermining the core of American democracy — …

Huntsville’s CBS affiliate reports: Madison-area State Representative David Cole was arrested Tuesday afternoon and charged with voter fraud, according to Madison County jail records. Cole, a Republican, won 52% of the vote in the House District 10 race in November 2022. But Elijah Boyd, the Libertarian candidate who finished third in the race filed a lawsuit on Nov. 22 alleging …

The Associated Press reports: Some Republicans in Washington and Georgia began attacking Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis immediately after she announced the Aug. 14 indictment of former President Donald Trump for conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. But others, including Gov. Brian Kemp, have been conspicuous in their unwillingness to pile on. Kemp,declined to comment on the …

Politico reports: A major Republican donor and one-time financial backer of former President Donald Trump is now a leader in the Florida chapter of No Labels’ third-party presidential bid. Allan Keen, a Florida-based real estate developer and investor who gave more than $137,000 to Trump-related election entities last cycle, has joined the centrist political group in a leadership role with …

The Hill reports: Congress is racing the clock to fund the government ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline as the threat of a shutdown looms — but to some House conservatives, a shutdown isn’t much of a threat at all. A handful of hard-line Republicans are brushing off — or even embracing — the possibility of a shutdown, arguing that …

Florida Politics reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed Monday that he wanted to do more to reform Florida’s troubled property insurance market than the Legislature sought to do. But on Tuesday in Tallahassee, DeSantis deferred explaining what exactly the House and Senate wouldn’t do that he desired. “We can talk about the policy stuff,” DeSantis said. “I think, right now, we’re …

The Miami Herald reports: After laying low for a week, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said on Tuesday that he has suspended his presidential campaign. Suarez, an attorney and private equity executive, announced his decision on social media. Suarez, who was the only Hispanic candidate seeking the GOP nomination, launched his campaign on June 14 after teasing a run for months. …

Via press release from House Majority Leader Steve Scalise: After a few days of not feeling like myself this past week, I had some blood work done. The results uncovered some irregularities and after undergoing additional tests, I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a very treatable blood cancer. I have now begun treatment, which will continue for the next several …

Politico reports: Republicans have waged a decades-long battle to blow up the campaign-finance laws that rein in big-money spending. Now, they are making a play that could end in their biggest victory since the Citizens United ruling in 2010. The GOP is growing increasingly optimistic about their prospects in a little-noticed lawsuit that would allow official party committees and candidates …

Axios reports: GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign on Monday dismissed former President Trump’s suggestion that he had plans to drop out of the 2024 race. “Clearly, Donald Trump and his army of consultants are panicked about Ron DeSantis’ winning debate performance and the strong momentum that has followed,” Bryan Griffin, a press secretary for DeSantis’ campaign, said in a …

TMZ reports: Eminem is not a fan of Vivek Ramaswamy rapping one of his biggest hits on the campaign trail — he wants the Republican presidential candidate to lose his music. The “Lose Yourself” rapper made his feelings known to music licenser BMI after Vivek went viral for rapping some of Em’s Oscar-winning track on stage at the Iowa State …

CNN reports: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and top Republicans have begun to strategize about how to move forward with an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden this fall – the latest sign that the House GOP is seriously laying the groundwork to initiate rare proceedings against the current president. In recent weeks, McCarthy has privately told Republicans he plans to …

The Hill reports: Former Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Sunday that the political organization No Labels is scheduled to hold its nominating convention in Dallas next April. Lieberman, the founding chairman of No Labels, told host Shannon Bream on “Fox News Sunday” that the organization will only pursue its bipartisan ticket if the third party had a shot at winning …

Breitbart reports: Joe Wurzelbacher, whom Americans would remember as “Joe the Plumber” from the 2008 presidential election, died on Sunday at the age of 49 from pancreatic cancer. Wurzelbacher became a household name during the 2008 presidential election when the media dubbed him “Joe the Plumber” after he questioned then-presidential candidate Barack Obama about his tax policy. The John McCain …

Rolling Stone reports: Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy has some dubious choices for who he wants to advise him should he win the 2024 election: Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur, has repeatedly said that Trump is the “best president” of the 21st century, earning praise from the former president, and during a Sunday appearance on Meet …

Mediaite reports: CNN’s Dana Bash had a fiery battle with Vivek Ramaswamy — pressing the Republican presidential candidate for calling Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) one of the “modern grand wizards of the modern KKK.” “What I said is the grand wizards of the KKK would be proud of what they would hear her say,” Ramaswamy answered, “because there’s nothing more …

Florida Politics reports: During an event in Iowa, Ron DeSantis reiterated his opposition to legalized cannabis Saturday. The Governor worries that young children would be able to access the herb, and that it possibly could be adulterated with fentanyl. “Yeah, I would not legalize,” DeSantis said. “I think what’s happened is this stuff is very potent now. “I think it’s …

The Miami Herald reports: At Wednesday’s Republican candidates debate, during a discussion of late-term abortion, Gov. Ron DeSantis told a horrific but puzzling story. “I know a lady in Florida named Penny,” the GOP presidential candidate said. “She survived multiple abortion attempts. She was left discarded in a pan. Fortunately, her grandmother saved her and brought her to another hospital.” …

The New York Times reports: Representative Andrew Clyde has been in Congress only since 2021, but he has quickly emerged as a vocal opponent of gun control, handing out dozens of AR-15 pins to exemplify his wide-ranging push to roll back federal firearms regulation. At a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing in April, Mr. Clyde, Republican of Georgia, grilled the director …