Republicans

After a video showing Rep. Lauren Boebert and her date groping each other went wildly viral on social media, Boebert last night issued an apology. From her statement: The past few days have been difficult and humbling, and I’m truly sorry for the unwanted attention my Sunday evening in Denver has brought to the community. While none of my actions …

As a reminder, this morning she was busted in this lie: Newly released surveillance video from a Denver theater appears to show Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert vaping during a “Beetlejuice” musical play — the one thing she denied doing while acknowledging earlier this week that she had been kicked out for being disruptive. Boebert and her guest were escorted out …

Gothamist reports: As New York City stared down an unprecedented rise in homelessness last year, its buildings commissioner was allegedly scheming with a deep-pocketed developer to clear fire victims from a Rockaway Park emergency shelter in exchange for a discounted luxury condo nearby, Manhattan prosecutors charged Wednesday. Eric Ulrich, the former commissioner of the Department of Buildings, faces 16 counts …

Tampa’s CBS affiliate reports: Deputies say David Robinson, a 34-year-old youth pastor at Shiloh Baptist Church in Plant City, sent several text messages with sexual content to at least two juveniles between January and June 2023. In addition to his role as a youth pastor, Robinson volunteered at various Christian schools in east Hillsborough County. He is facing nine counts …

The Tallahassee Democrat reports: Florida’s former top public health official criticized Gov. Ron DeSantis’ latest foray into COVID-19 vaccine skepticism, saying the state is wrong to discourage those under age 65 from getting the new booster. Dr. Scott Rivkees, who preceded Dr. Joseph Ladapo as the state’s surgeon general, said the move runs counter to the goals of public health. …

The Huffington Post reports: Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) has signed a bill that bans state and local governments from mandating COVID-19 vaccines for workers after a similar ban expired last month. The legislation also prohibits COVID-19 vaccinations from being required as a condition of education, or for obtaining a service or licensure, permit or certificate of some kind. …

The Texas Tribune reports: The impeachment case against suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton has gone to the jury. Texas Senators will vote on 16 articles of impeachment. He is accused of misusing the powers of the attorney general’s office to help his friend and donor Nate Paul, an Austin real estate investor who was under federal investigation. The House impeachment …

Arizona Central reports: A federal judge dismantled new state laws on Thursday that required voters to prove their citizenship, agreeing in her ruling to allow rights groups to probe legislative leaders’ intentions in creating the laws. Former Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed the two laws, which ban certain people from voting by mail or in state elections, last year after …

Politico reports: In the high-stakes fight that is threatening to shut down the federal government next month — and tear House Republicans apart — Ron DeSantis is taking sides. The Florida governor spent about 30 minutes on the phone Wednesday with conservative Reps. Chip Roy of Texas, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Bob Good of Virginia — leaders of the …

The Meidas Touch reports: According to a new report from the Daily Mail, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and Trump advisor Corey Lewandowski have been having “a years-long clandestine affair.” The Republican governor has been married to her spouse Byron Noem for more than 30 years. Lewandowski has been married to his wife Alison for more than 15 years. Kristi …

The Hill reports: Sen. Mitt Romney’s (R-Utah) decision to not seek reelection is setting off a scramble among Utah Republicans to fill his seat in 2024. Utah GOP Chairman Robert Axson told The Hill that roughly 30 people have expressed interest over the last few months in running for Romney’s seat. Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs has already declared his candidacy, …

The Associated Press reports: Republican David McCormick is expected to announce his second bid for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, according to people familiar with his plans, taking on Democratic Sen. Bob Casey after narrowly losing an expensive and bruising GOP primary last year to a Donald Trump-endorsed rival. McCormick, 58, has strong support from the party establishment. With his deep …

The Daily Beast reports: After Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) was forcibly ejected from a touring production of the Beetlejuice musical in Denver last weekend, a spokesperson confirmed that she was “guilty” of “singing along, laughing and enjoying herself,” but denied—as a number of reports claimed—that she’d been vaping in the theater. But surveillance footage from inside the theater, obtained Thursday …

“I know him well as a friend, as a former boss, I have great love and respect for him personally. But everything that you just said resonates with me as exactly why I simply can’t support him for elected office again. “Why I have chosen to distance is because of that, frankly, malignant narcissistic tendency to simply say that he’s …

Tampa’s CBS affiliate reports: According to a list released by Florida’s Department of Education, school districts across the state issued a combined total of 386 book bans after receiving a total of 1,218 objections in 2022. More than half of the objections were raised by the same two people: Bruce Friedman, the founder of the Florida chapter of the activist …

Axios reports: Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy on Wednesday became the first GOP presidential candidate to join TikTok, a Chinese-owned app he described as “digital fentanyl” as recently as last week. Ramaswamy, 38, said Wednesday that he changed his stance on using TikTok after a conversation with social media star Jake Paul. “Yes, kids under age 16 shouldn’t be using it, but …

The Hill reports: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on Thursday dubbed the House Freedom Caucus the “burn-it-all-down caucus,” a swipe at the conservative group that ousted her from its ranks over the summer. “I’m not a member of the burn-it-all-down caucus anymore,” Greene told reporters. “I’m a greatly, very happily a free agent and I want to do my job …

The Texas Tribune reports: Lt. Gov Dan Patrick told the jury Wednesday afternoon that Laura Olson, the woman with whom suspended attorney general Ken Paxton is alleged to have had an extramarital affair, was present but deemed unavailable to testify. Upon questioning from Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, in the chamber, Patrick said that lawyers from both sides have agreed that …

The Denver Post reports: Rep. Lauren Boebert didn’t care if she ruined the musical “Beetlejuice” playing at the Buell Theatre for anyone else, and she certainly didn’t care if the pregnant woman sitting behind her had to breathe her second-hand smoke from a vape pen. The woman sitting directly behind Boebert shared her story with The Post on the condition …

The Washington Post reports: Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate voted Thursday to fire the swing state’s top nonpartisan elections official, whose allies responded by saying the lawmakers didn’t have the power to oust her. The Democratic governor’s administration plans to continue to pay her salary and make sure she maintains access to her office if she wants to continue in …