Republicans

NC House Votes To Strip Power From Dem Gov And AG

Raleigh’s NBC affiliate reports: The Republican-led North Carolina House advanced a bill Tuesday to earmark an additional $227 million in relief aid for victims of Hurricane Helene — a measure stuffed with unrelated provisions aimed at stripping power from the governor, attorney general and other incoming Democratic leaders. The effort comes on the heels of victories in this month’s elections …

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Anti-LGBTQ Florida State Rep Files To Replace Gaetz

Florida Politics reports: State Rep. Joel Rudman will run for Congress in former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz’s open seat. The Navarre Republican counts himself as a close ally of Gaetz, who has represented Florida’s 1st Congressional District since his election in 2016. Rudman first ran for office when his positions on COVID prompted people to challenge his medical license. In …

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Dem Rep: Gaetz Made “Shocking Statements” To Me

“He made some statements to me when he was a freshman that I found just kind of amazing and shocking, and I just had to look forward when we were in the committee room. I guess he thought he was a young guy and he was getting started, and I sponsored decriminalization of marijuana laws, and he came up to …

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NY Post Implores Trump: Dump Gaetz And Gabbard

From the New York Post editorial board: While most of the cabinet picks have been excellent, and some of them risky but promising, Gaetz and Gabbard are dreadful. We plead that he rethink them. They’re distracting chaos agents who won’t accomplish what Trump wants them to, and will most likely backfire on his agenda. Gabbard backed the Iran deal, and …

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Axios: Sen. Bill Hagerty Considered For Treasury Sec

Axios reports: President-elect Trump is looking more seriously at Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) for Treasury secretary — giving Trump three serious options for one of the few roles where he’s taking his time, transition sources tell me. Hagerty, a former private-equity investor who was Trump’s ambassador to Japan, is one of three apparent finalists, along with former Fed governor Kevin …

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Tuberville: Trump Won’t Nominate Any “Criminals”

“First of all, no matter who President Trump picks, the media will hammer them every day. You know, we have all been around pretty long, Larry, it doesn’t make any difference. If you are a Republican, you have to fight your way through all this. “If you remember Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh, we are going to look at facts, …

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ABC: Gaetz Sent Over $10K To Two Ethics Witnesses

ABC News reports: The House Ethics Committee obtained records, including a check and records of Venmo payments, that appear to show that then-Rep. Matt Gaetz paid more than $10,000 to two women who were later witnesses in sexual misconduct probes conducted by both the House and the Justice Department, according to documents obtained by ABC News. The Venmo records show …

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Lawyer: Gaetz Paid Women To Fly To NYC For Paid Sex, To Watch Him On Fox, To See “Pretty Woman” Musical

ABC News reports: Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, allegedly paid for two women in 2019 to travel to New York to have sex, watch his appearance on Fox News, and attend the Broadway show “Pretty Woman,” an attorney for the women told ABC News. In an interview with ABC News’ Juju Chang, Florida attorney Joel …

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Trump Names Mehmet Oz To Lead Medicare, Medicaid

The Independent reports: President-elect Donald Trump tapped Dr Mehmet Oz to serve as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator. The physician, TV personality, and failed Pennsylvania Senate candidate is the latest addition to Trump’s list of controversial cabinet picks. “I am very pleased to nominate Dr Mehmet Oz to serve as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services …

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Vance: Bannon Crony Is A “Mouth-Breathing Imbecile”

“Grace Chong is a mouth breathing imbecile who attacks those of us in the fight rather than make herself useful. “If I had shown up to the vote in question, the nominee would have succeeded 49-46 rather than 49-45. If every Republican had showed up, Fetterman would have come in and the Democrats still would have gotten their nominee across. …

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Texas Board Approves Bible Lessons In Public Schools

The New York Times reports: Texas education officials approved in an initial vote on Tuesday a new elementary school curriculum that infuses material drawn from the Bible into reading and language arts lessons, a contentious move that would test the limits of religion’s presence in public education. The curriculum has already drawn protests in Texas, which has emerged as a …

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Grassley Calls For Releasing Gaetz’s Ethics Report

CNN reports: Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, who will become the Senate Judiciary chairman next Congress, told CNN that his panel would move quicker on the nomination of former Rep. Matt Gaetz to be attorney general if the House Ethics Committee were to release it’s report. Grassley noted that there are a number of Republicans who want to see the report, …

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NYT: Hacker Accessed Transcripts Of Gaetz Testimony

The New York Times reports: An unidentified hacker has gained access to a computer file shared in a secure link among lawyers whose clients have given damaging testimony related to Matt Gaetz. The file of 24 exhibits is said to include sworn testimony by a woman who said that she had sex with Mr. Gaetz in 2017 when she was …

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GOP Senators Want Nominees To Get FBI Reviews

The Hill reports: Senate Republicans are rejecting a proposal floated by some advisers to President-elect Trump to take the job of conducting background checks for high-level nominees away from the FBI and give it to private investigators. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, argued that the FBI has access to information gathered by law …

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Texas Board To Vote On Bible Lessons In Public Schools

Austin’s CBS affiliate reports: The State Board of Education heard more than 8 hours of public testimony on Monday on whether to approve a new statewide curriculum. The “Bluebonnet Learning” curriculum would incorporate Bible lessons in kindergarten through fifth grade in public schools. Testimony is expected to resume Tuesday morning. A months-long debate over the new curriculum culminated in tense …

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Lawyer: Gaetz Used His “Son’s” PayPal To Pay For Sex

The Daily Beast reports: The lawyer for two women who testified to the House Ethics Committee that former Rep. Matt Gaetz paid them for “sexual favors” said Monday that one of the forms in which they were paid was the PayPal of Nestor Galban, whom Gaetz calls his “adopted son.” Florida attorney Joel Leppard embarked on a media tour Monday, …

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Anti-LGBTQ “Re-Education” Texts Mention Trump

The New York Times reports: The F.B.I. said in a statement on Friday that some recipients of the latest messages were told they had been selected for deportation. Others were instructed to report to a “re-education camp” for L.G.B.T.Q. people, the agency said, an apparent reference to conversion therapy or other coercive practices aimed at altering a person’s sexual orientation …

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Anti-LGBTQ Ex-Rep Who Voted To Repeal Obamacare Has Raised $680K In Medical Donations After Paralysis

The Staten Island Advance reports: Over 5,200 people have donated to a GoFundMe dedicated to former GOP Rep. Michael Grimm who was paralyzed after a horse-riding accident. “As we approach the holiday season, we are appealing to anyone and everyone for help to ensure Mike has the resources he needs to be able to walk again. Staten Islanders and all …

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Ethics Chair: Johnson Has No Say On Gaetz Report

Politico reports: House Ethics Chair Michael Guest said Monday that his panel will make its own decision about releasing the report into Matt Gaetz, regardless of Speaker Mike Johnson’s opinion that it should be kept under wraps. Guest (R-Miss.) told POLITICO in a brief interview that he and Johnson had spoken over the weekend. He added that all Ethics Committee …

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GOP Megadonor Is “Very Anxious” About Trump’s Tariffs

Bloomberg News reports: Hedge-fund titan Ken Griffin said he’s anxious about Donald Trump’s potential tariff policies, but that the US economy is going back to “the business of business” now that he’s returning to the White House. Speaking at the Oxford Union in the UK on Monday, the Citadel founder called tariffs — a central tenet of Trump’s economic agenda …

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