Politics

Punchbowl News reports: Speaker Mike Johnson signaled to an audience at his high-dollar donor retreat that he’d support kicking members off their committees if they oppose party-line procedural votes. Republicans voting against the rule has been a huge problem for Johnson and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy this Congress. With the GOP’s razor-thin margin of control, Republicans can only afford a …

Axios reports: The titanic Biden-Trump election likely will be decided by roughly 6% of voters in just six states, top strategists in both parties tell us. Each side will spend billions to reach those voters over the next six months. Roughly 244 million Americans will be eligible to vote. But 99.5% of us won’t be deciders: We won’t vote. Or …

The Associated Press reports: Brad Parscale was the digital guru behind Donald Trump’s surprise victory in the 2016 election and was promoted to manage the 2020 campaign. But he didn’t last long on that job: His personal life unraveled in public and he later texted a friend that he felt “guilty” for helping Trump win after the riot at the …

The Hill reports: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) emphasized the stakes of the 2024 election in a “60 Minutes” interview on Sunday, warning that much more than abortion rights are at risk if former President Trump gets a second term. “And the extreme MAGA Republicans have set in motion the erosion of reproductive freedom,” he said. “We’re gonna fight …

Politico reports: Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) aired concerns over Arizona Senate hopeful Kari Lake’s call to voters last month to “strap on a Glock” saying Lake’s remarks could get someone injured — or worse. “It’s dangerous,” Kelly told NBC’s Kristen Welker during an interview on “Meet the Press.” “What Kari Lake said could result in people getting hurt or killed.” …

The Washington Post reports: A motorist died after crashing a speeding car into an outer gate on the White House complex late Saturday, the Secret Service said. The crash occurred shortly before 10:30 p.m., the Secret Service said. Unspecified “security protocols were implemented” and the vehicle was cleared by Secret Service officers who tried to render aid. The driver, identified …

The New York Times reports: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said on Sunday that his cabinet had voted to shut down the Israeli operations of Al Jazeera, a Qatar-based network that is one of the most widely viewed sources of television news in the Arab world. The decision, which had been expected, could complicate Israel’s relationship with Qatar, which …

Reuters reports: Manipulated videos are taking centre stage as campaigning heats up in India’s election, with fake clips involving two top aides of Prime Minister Narendra Modi triggering police investigations and the arrest of some workers of his rival Congress party. In what has been dubbed as India’s first AI election, Modi said last week fake voices were being used …

The Daily Beast reports: It turns out that SNL was saving its Noem material for young cast member Marcello Hernández, who showed up on “Update” in an adorable dog costume and a seemingly pleasant, excited attitude. “My name is actually Cricket the Seventh,” he quickly explained. “Yeah, the first six were bad dogs, Colin. But you know what they say, …

NBC News reports: A county Republican group in Colorado said that it was cancelling a fundraiser featuring South Dakota governor and potential Republican vice presidential contender Kristi Noem after she reportedly described killing her young dog in her forthcoming book. Jefferson County Republican Party Chair Nancy Pallozzi said in a statement Friday that the group’s fundraising dinner, which was set …

The Washington Examiner reports: Gov. Jeff Landry (R-LA) hit back at Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger after the rock star threw a jab at him. At a Thursday night concert, Jagger, 80, made a quip that Landry wanted to return the world to the Stone Age. After his band finished performing their hit song “You Can’t Always Get What You …

The New Hampshire Bulletin reports: The New Hampshire House passed a bill Thursday raising the legal age of marriage to 18, sending the legislation to Gov. Chris Sununu’s desk after years of advocacy. Senate Bill 359, which passed 192-174, states that “no person below the age of 18 years shall be capable of contracting a valid marriage, and all marriages …

The Washington Post reports: As soon as Collin Davis found out his ex-partner was planning to travel to Colorado to have an abortion in late February, the Texas man retained a high-powered antiabortion attorney — who court records show immediately issued a legal threat. Now, Davis has disclosed his former partner’s abortion to a state district court in Texas, asking …

NBC News reports: Sen. Lindsey Graham said Wednesday that the FBI was in possession of his phone after he received a message from someone impersonating Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. “I get a message, I think, from Schumer,” Graham, R-S.C., said during a panel discussion about artificial intelligence regulations at The Hill and Valley Forum. “It ain’t from Schumer. And …

Mediaite reports: A key political operative on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign was charged with assault after allegedly choking and punching a woman in New York early Saturday morning. Trent Pool, who serves as a paid consultant on the long-shot independent campaign and has been leading the effort to get Kennedy on the ballot in all 50 states, was …

The Hill reports: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is poised to join Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) in inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to deliver an address to Congress, despite tensions between the Israeli leader and many Democrats over the ongoing war in the Middle East. “I sent a letter draft, because it’s a bicameral invitation letter, it’s been …

The Arizona Republic reports: Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs on Thursday signed into law a repeal of the state’s 160-year-old abortion ban, rescinding one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion laws after weeks of hard-fought political negotiation at the state capitol. “Today we are doing what 23 governors and 55 legislatures refused to do, and I am so proud to be …

The Hill reports: Arizona congressional candidate Blake Masters took a swipe at his Republican primary opponent Abe Hamadeh for not being married or having kids, claiming it shows his opponent does not have “skin in the game.” In a campaign video published Tuesday, Masters laid out his policy goals and what his campaign called the “differences” between him and Hamadeh. …

Fox News reports: Democratic lawmakers in Arizona’s state legislature hosted a “Drag Story Hour” in partnership with Planned Parenthood on Tuesday, sparking backlash from their Republican colleagues who said the event was “deceptively” planned. “Democrat Rep. Lorena Austin deliberately misled House leadership to reserve a conference room to host a drag story hour with Planned Parenthood,” House Speaker Ben Toma …

The Texas Tribune reports: A recent “deepfaked” ad targeting House Speaker Dade Phelan [photo] could inspire further legislation to crack down on doctored imagery in political ads. That mailer, paid for by the Jeff Yass-bankrolled Club for Growth Action PAC, depicted Phelan in an intimate hug with former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, apparently a remake of Pelosi hugging new …