Republicans

NPR reports: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., took to the House floor Thursday morning to admonish the insults hurled at her by Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., earlier this week. Yoho confronted Ocasio-Cortez on the steps of the Capitol on Monday, calling her “disgusting” for linking poverty to crime rates in New York City. “I was minding my own business walking up …

The Washington Post reports: Senate Republicans have cast aside one of President Trump’s key demands in their emerging coronavirus stimulus package, refusing to include a payroll tax cut in their opening offer to Democrats, which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is aiming to unveil on Thursday. Their proposal also would slash enhanced unemployment benefits for millions of workers — …

CNN reports: Sen. Rand Paul, a long-time critic of Rep. Liz Cheney, joined the conservative pile-on of the Wyoming Republican, saying on Wednesday: “I don’t think she’s good for the country” and accused her of trying to “sabotage” President Donald Trump’s foreign policy. Paul, a libertarian-minded Republican, has long sparred with Cheney, who supports hawkish views on national security. And …

The New York Daily News reports: Florida Man says he’s sorry. Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) apologized Wednesday to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) for calling her a “f—ing b–ch” after a spat on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. The conservative lawmaker took the House of Representatives floor to say sorry “for the abrupt manner of the conversation I had with …

Politico reports: Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz has privately engaged in several spending practices in his nearly four years in office that appear to be in conflict with the House’s ethics rules, a POLITICO investigation has found. Gaetz, a close ally of President Donald Trump from the Florida Panhandle, improperly sent tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to a limited liability …

NBC News reports: Joe Biden’s presidential campaign on Tuesday launched a highly personal broadside at Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, for pushing forward a committee inquiry into the presumptive Democratic nominee’s past dealings with Ukraine while he was vice president. Among other things, the Biden campaign is accusing Johnson of being …

Fox News reports: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer issued a stern condemnation of Rep. Ted Yoho after he reportedly got into a heated exchange in the Capitol with the left-wing freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that allegedly ended with Yoho uttering the words “f—— b—-.” “The comments related to me were despicable,” Hoyer, D-Md., said. “Unacceptable. Mr. Yoho owes not only …

The Washington Post reports: Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) came under fire Tuesday from the far-right flank of the House Republican caucus, who accused her of disloyalty to President Trump and a GOP incumbent, prompting calls for a challenge to her leadership position. Cheney, the chairman of the House Republican Conference, stood her ground and fired back at the conservative agitators, …

ABC News reports: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell revealed Tuesday morning that Senate Republicans plan to support another round of stimulus checks – or “direct payments” – to Americans in their next coronavirus relief proposal. In a Senate floor speech, McConnell gave no details on just who Republicans think should get this next round of checks. Most Republicans wants a …

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports: Federal officials arrested Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four others on Tuesday morning in connection with a $60 million bribery case. U.S. Attorney David DeVillers’ office would not discuss details of the case, but a source involved in the investigation confirmed Householder’s arrest to The Enquirer. Also arrested, according to the source: Neil Clark, founder …

The Dayton Daily News reports: Police activity is being reported at Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder’s farm in Perry County and the U.S. Attorney’s office said it is holding a 2:30 p.m. press conference today related to $60 million in bribes paid to a state official and associates. FBI Special Agent in Charge Chris Hoffman and U.S. Attorney for the …

Politico reports: Donald Trump Jr. has a new book coming out next month, and he’ll have a powerful ally helping him sell it: the Republican National Committee. The RNC is buying copies of the first son’s forthcoming “Liberal Privilege,” which it will offer to donors who contribute at least $75. The committee orchestrated a similar fundraising campaign last year around …

ProPublica reports: Companies owned by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and his family received up to $24 million from one of the federal government’s key coronavirus economic relief programs, according to data made public Monday. At least six companies from Justice’s empire showed up on the list of Paycheck Protection Program aid recipients released by the Small Business Administration. The …

CNN reports: President Donald Trump tweeted an image of himself wearing a face mask and indirectly called the act “patriotic” on Monday — a clear pivot away from his earlier reluctance to wear a facial covering in public. The shift to encouraging mask-wearing was primarily motivated by floundering poll numbers. For months, aides tried to get Trump to wear a …

The New York Times reports: Teachers unions sued Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida on Monday over his administration’s emergency order pushing schools to fully reopen next month even as coronavirus cases in the state are surging. The suit, which appears to be the first of its kind across the country, sets up a confrontation between unions and politicians that could …

“There’s data out there, there’s scientific evidence now of who this affects and who it doesn’t, and kids are the least likely to have a problem with this. “These kids have got to get back to school. They’re at the lowest risk possible, and if they do get COVID-19, which they will — and they will when they go to …

Axios reports: Duval County Sheriff Mike Williams told Politico that security plans put forth for the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville, Florida, next month are “not achievable” under current time constraints. Why it matters: The decision to move most of the RNC’s programming to Jacksonville last month has already come under scrutiny due to a massive surge in coronavirus cases …

Orlando’s ABC News affiliate reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis held a briefing in Orlando to state the importance of convalescent plasma donations for COVID-19 patients. The governor held the press conference from the OneBlood headquarters at 12:15 p.m., but it wasn’t one without interference. DeSantis was interrupted briefly by protesters before they were turned away by police. Florida health officials reported …

The Texas Tribune reports: Allen West, the firebrand former Florida congressman, has defeated Texas GOP Chairman James Dickey to lead the country’s largest state Republican Party. West claimed victory shortly before 3:30 a.m. Monday, while Dickey conceded about an hour later. The developments came during an early-morning round of voting among state Senate district caucuses at the party’s virtual convention. …

The Associated Press reports: Missouri Gov. Mike Parson told a radio host that based on the information he’s received, it’s likely he would pardon a white St. Louis couple if they are charged for brandishing guns during a racial injustice protest outside their mansion. Democratic Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner is investigating Mark and Patricia McCloskey, both in their 60s, for …