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Tag: us senate

  • Jasmine Crockett weighs in on Talarico’s comments about Collin Allred

    State Rep. James Talarico, left, and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Democratic primary candidates for U.S. Senate, shake hands prior to a debate at the Texas AFL-CIO COPE Convention in Georgetown, Texas on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026.

    State Rep. James Talarico, left, and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Democratic primary candidates for U.S. Senate, shake hands prior to a debate at the Texas AFL-CIO COPE Convention in Georgetown, Texas on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026.


    Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune via POOL

    U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett weighed in Monday on allegations that state Rep. James Talarico called his former Senate opponent Colin Allred a “mediocre Black man.”

    On Sunday night, a TikTok user posted a video claiming that Talarico made the comment in a one-on-one conversation with her.

    Allred on Monday posted a blistering video responding to the alleged comments.

    “If you want to compliment Black women, just do it, don’t do it while also tearing down a Back man, OK?” Allred said. “We’ve seen that play before. We’re sick and tired of it. We’re tired of folks using praise for Black women to mask criticism for Black men. That’s not good for our community.”

    Talarico called the video a mischaracterization of a private conversation.

    “In my praise of Congresswoman Crockett, I described Congressman Allred’s method of campaigning as mediocre — but his life and service are not. I would never attack him on the basis of race.”

    Talarico said he understood how his “critique of the Congressman’s campaign could be interpreted given this country’s painful legacy of racism, and I care deeply about the impact my words have on others. I have always said that, despite our disagreements, I deeply respect Congressman Allred. We’re all on the same team.”

    Allred, a former congressman, challenged Ted Cruz for Senate in 2024 and dropped out of the 2026 Senate Democratic primary in December, instead opting to run for Congressional District 33 in North Texas.

    Crockett and Talarico are running for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in the March 3 primary.

    Crocket told the Star-Telegram editorial board on Monday that Allred isn’t mediocre.

    “I definitely don’t think there’s anything mediocre about Colin Allred,” Crockett said. “It’s kind of hard to become the Democratic nominee for Senate in the state of Texas, and he had a primary as well, and he went up against a sitting state senator, so he was put through the ringer.”

    Allred previously represented Congressional District 32 in Dallas. He played in the NFL and worked as a civil rights attorney.

    “I’ve known him as a colleague,” Crockett said. “I’ve known him before either one of us was ever elected to office. I know about the fights that he was waging as a civil rights lawyer, that kind of stuff, and frankly I just hope and pray that as we go through this primary, as well as the general, that we can focus on the real concerns and threats right now.”

    Crockett said it was clear from Allred’s video that the comments struck him.

    “As somebody who’s known him for years, I know that he felt like it was his responsibility to speak up for himself and speak up for other Black men,” she said.

    Crockett said that she has never heard Talarico “say anything racial.” She also acknowledged that Talarico was complimentary of her during the conversation described on TikTok.

    Crockett said she couldn’t speak to Allred and Talarico’s relationship on the campaign trail before Allred exited the Senate race.

    “But have I ever experienced Talarico say anything like this? Absolutely not,” Crockett said.

    Earlier in the interview, Crockett said that, generally speaking, the Senate race has been “racially charged.”

    “There’s been some racial overtones as it relates to podcasts, pundits and things like that,” Crockett said. “And frankly, I do believe that one of the reasons that our country is in the position that it is right now is because of divisiveness.”

    Eleanor Dearman

    Fort Worth Star-Telegram

    Eleanor (Elly) Dearman is a Texas politics and government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She’s based in Austin, covering the Legislature and its impact on North Texas. She grew up in Denton and has been a reporter for more than six years.
    Support my work with a digital subscription

    Eleanor Dearman

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  • Does one of NC’s US Senate candidates really live in Florida? Officials probing to find out

    A Republican running for U.S. Senate in North Carolina might not actually live in North Carolina, according to a complaint the State Board of Elections is investigating.

    The elections board said Thursday it would hold a formal hearing this month into an allegation it received that candidate Margot Dupre might actually be a Florida resident.

    She says it’s false. “I do live in North Carolina,” Dupre told WRAL Thursday.

    Candidates for office must be North Carolina residents. Margot Dupre swore she was, under penalty of perjury, when she signed up to run for office during the candidate filing period in December. She’s one of seven Republicans seeking to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, who isn’t seeking reelection.

    When she filed to run for office, she listed her address as 601 S. Kings Drive in Charlotte. That’s the address of a UPS store next to a Tropical Smoothie Cafe in a strip mall just outside Charlotte’s city center.

    While some people receive their mail at post office boxes, it’s state law that people register to vote where they live, not where they pick up their mail. The complaint against Dupre, however, suggests that she might be living in the suburbs of Orlando, Florida.

    The complaint alleges that Florida voter records in Dupre’s name “report the candidate is probably a registered voter in Marion County, Florida” outside of Orlando, and that “she last voted in Florida in the April 1, 2025, primary election.”

    Dupre told WRAL she plans to provide a more detailed, written response to the complaint.

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  • President Trump calls for end of Senate filibuster to break funding stalemate

    President Donald Trump on Thursday urged congressional Republicans to unilaterally end the government shutdown by eliminating the filibuster — an unprecedented step that GOP leaders have opposed taking until now.”It is now time for the Republicans to play their ‘TRUMP CARD,’ and go for what is called the Nuclear Option — Get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.Senate Republicans have so far ruled out changing the Senate rules to eliminate the 60-vote threshold needed for passing legislation, arguing that it would ultimately benefit Democrats the next time they retake power.But Trump, in his post, brushed off that concern, contending that Republicans should take advantage of the opportunity first.”Now I want to do it in order to take advantage of the Democrats,” Trump wrote.

    President Donald Trump on Thursday urged congressional Republicans to unilaterally end the government shutdown by eliminating the filibuster — an unprecedented step that GOP leaders have opposed taking until now.

    “It is now time for the Republicans to play their ‘TRUMP CARD,’ and go for what is called the Nuclear Option — Get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

    Senate Republicans have so far ruled out changing the Senate rules to eliminate the 60-vote threshold needed for passing legislation, arguing that it would ultimately benefit Democrats the next time they retake power.

    But Trump, in his post, brushed off that concern, contending that Republicans should take advantage of the opportunity first.

    “Now I want to do it in order to take advantage of the Democrats,” Trump wrote.

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  • Here’s how long the government shutdown could go on

    WASHINGTON – At 12 a.m. Wednesday morning, the federal government shut down after Congress failed to pass a continuing resolution to keep agencies operating. 

    Republicans have introduced a stopgap bill that would fund the government through Nov. 21, but Democrats have so far blocked it, as the bill does not include what they believe to be adequate health care funding. 

    Democrats want to negotiate with Republicans to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year and reverse cuts that were recently implemented to Medicaid funding as part of President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” 

    About 750,000 federal employees could be furloughed each day of the shutdown, with their total compensation costing roughly $400 million each day, according to the Congressional Budget Office. 

    While it’s true that federal agencies have some discretion in deciding which services to suspend and which to maintain, depending on how long the shutdown lasts, it could have a negative impact on the economy as a whole.

    So, how long could this shutdown last? 

    The soonest things could be resolved 

    Dig deeper:

    It’s rare that federal government shutdowns go on for multiple weeks, but it does happen. For example, the country saw a monthlong government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, during Trump’s first term. 

    This shutdown is expected to last at least three days, as the Senate isn’t likely to hold any votes until at least Oct. 3. This is because lawmakers are observing the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. 

    As of publication, however, Democrats and Republicans appear to be stuck in a blame game of sorts, so the exact timeline of the shutdown is hard to pinpoint. 

    What they’re saying:

    “If Republicans want Democratic participation, then they have to negotiate,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) told The Hill. “This is a core principle of why people elected us to office.” 

    “We’re not going to discuss and negotiate it while they’re holding the hostage of the federal government,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said Tuesday morning on CNBC. “Release the hostage, and we will have that conversation about how we can keep these exchanges up and going.” 

    Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., gestures while speaking with reporters as the government lurches toward a shutdown at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

    Thune added on the Senate floor that negotiations over the ACA subsidies would only occur after the federal government reopens, according to the Hill. 

    “Anything that’s going to be done is going to have to be done with significant reforms,” he said. 

    But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer isn’t buying that. 

    “We think that when they say later, they mean never,” he said on the Senate floor. 

    While it’s true that a dozen more moderate Republicans have signed on to support a bill from Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) that would extend the subsidies for one year, more conservative Republicans appear to be vehemently against doing so. 

    House Speaker Mike Johnson said last month that there was “zero chance” he would consider supporting it, for example. 

    Unclear timeline

    Big picture view:

    Senate Democrats voted again on Wednesday to block the Republican bill that would have funded the government through the third week of November.

    The bill failed in a 55-45 vote—the same as Tuesday’s vote—and 60 votes are needed to advance it.

    Three Democratic caucus members voted with Republicans on the bill: Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), Sen. Angus King (Maine), an independent, and Sen. John Fetterman (Pa.). Republican Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.) voted against the bill. 

    Since the House won’t convene again until Monday, the only real option the Senate has at this point in time is to pass the bill that’s already failed twice. Thune said Wednesday that he plans to keep the upper chamber in session over this weekend to vote again. He says this is the only scenario in which President Trump signs on. 

    “As of this morning, critical federal employees including members of the military, Border Patrol agents and air traffic controllers are working without pay,” Thune said on the Senate floor. “Democrats are well aware of the damage of a government shutdown.”

    The Source: Information above was sourced from The Hill, USA Today, the Congressional Budget Office, POLITICO, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Congress and Senate voting records and previous FOX 5 DC reporting. 

    U.S. SenateU.S. HousePoliticsDonald J. TrumpNews

    Isabel.Soisson@fox.com (Isabel Soisson)

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  • Senate expected to vote Friday on dueling stopgap bills

    WASHINGTON – U.S. senators are expected to vote Friday on competing stopgap bills that both aim to temporarily fund the government past the Sept. 30 deadline, according to POLITICO. 

    This comes on the heels of Democrats releasing their own government funding extension plan on Wednesday in response to a Republican plan that was put forth earlier this week. 

    “The Democrats obviously want to vote on their [continuing resolution]…and we want to vote on the House CR,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said Thursday. He added that Senate leaders are “talking to see if they can get there.”

    Dig deeper:

    Cornyn’s comments represent a shift in the perspective of Senate Republicans, who reportedly met again behind closed doors on Thursday to discuss a path forward. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters just hours earlier that there wasn’t “much sentiment” inside the GOP about giving the Democrats a vote on their alternative proposal. 

    Sen. Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., center, speaks during a news conference after a policy luncheon at the Capitol, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

    Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer floated the idea of voting together on competing funding bills on the Senate floor Thursday morning. 

    “Tomorrow Republicans can choose: either listen to Donald Trump and shut the government down or break this logjam by supporting our bill and keeping the government open,” he said. 

    It’s worth noting that both bills would need to meet the 60-vote threshold to be adopted, and with the current level of partisanship in Congress, that’s unlikely to happen in either case. 

    If the vote does not occur tomorrow, the next vote on the GOP’s stopgap bill would come on the evening of Sept. 29, just one day before the deadline. 

    The problem 

    Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a joint statement earlier this week that their respective chambers would not support the Republican bill unless the two parties could compromise on health care spending. 

    “The House Republican-only spending bill fails to meet the needs of the American people and does nothing to stop the looming health care crisis,” the statement reads. “At a time when families are already being squeezed by higher costs, Republicans refuse to stop Americans from facing double-digit hikes in their health insurance premiums.”

    Schumer and Jeffries specifically suggested that Republicans could add an extension of the Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of 2025 to their bill. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday that there was “zero chance” he would consider adding this to the Republican bill, however. 

    House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., tells reporters that Republicans are jeopardizing health care for Americans with their policies and their strategy to fund the government before the deadline at the end of the month, at the Capitol in Wa

    Many Democrats have also pushed to reverse cuts that were recently implemented to Medicaid funding as part of President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” 

    The alternative bill proposed by Democrats on Thursday would extend the Obamacare subsidies and reverse the cuts to Medicaid. It also includes $90 million and $66.5 million for the House and the Senate sergeant at arms’ security, respectively. 

    Both bills do include, however, $30 million for general lawmaker security. 

    The Democratic bill also includes language that would increase oversight of how the Trump administration distributes funding that Congress authorizes. 

    Big picture view:

    Democrats appear to be taking a more aggressive stance against the Trump administration in rejecting the Republican bill and putting forth their own. 

    Some Democratic senators are even saying that a government shutdown may be the only way to send a “message” to President Trump. 

    “Donald Trump gave us the middle finger. There is no alternative,” one Democratic senator, who requested anonymity to discuss caucus strategy with The Hill, said. 

    “If Trump declares martial law, well, let him be transparent and show the world that’s what he thinks his ultimate goal is,” another lawmaker added. 

    Democrats are also facing increased pressure from their constituents and the more progressive wing of their party to stand up to the Trump administration. 

    Federal workers are pressuring lawmakers in this way, as well. On Thursday, hundreds of them from across 60 agencies and departments sent a letter to Congress urging them to rein in the White House, even though a shutdown would mean that many of them would go without pay. 

    “The continuing resolution (CR) you pass—or fail to pass—can determine whether Congress reasserts its constitutional powers, or allows further erosion of our democracy and harm to the public,” the letter reads. 

    As noted by Axios, this represents “the broadest protest yet to emerge from inside the civil service — a sign of widespread discontent, anger and worry over the Trump administration’s cuts to research, spending and the workforce.” 

    The Source: Information above was sourced from POLITICO, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Hill, NPR, Axios, the Maryland Democratic Party, The United States Committee on Finance, several statements from politicians and federal workers and previous FOX 5 DC reporting. 

    U.S. SenatePoliticsNews

    Isabel.Soisson@fox.com (Isabel Soisson)

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  • Dems to propose alternative to GOP stopgap bill as government shutdown looms

    WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, top Congressional Democrats said they opposed House Republicans’ stopgap spending bill that would fund the government past the Sept. 30 deadline, and said they plan to offer an alternative bill in its place.

    Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a joint statement that their respective chambers would not support the Republican bill unless the two parties could compromise on health care spending. 

    “The House Republican-only spending bill fails to meet the needs of the American people and does nothing to stop the looming health care crisis,” the statement reads. “At a time when families are already being squeezed by higher costs, Republicans refuse to stop Americans from facing double-digit hikes in their health insurance premiums.”

    Democrats angered the more progressive wing of their party earlier this year when senators allowed a similar temporary spending bill to advance. This time, it appears they’re digging their heels in. 

    Dig deeper:

    Earlier in the day, House Republicans unveiled their bill, which would fund the government through Nov. 21—current funding levels for federal agencies would be extended for seven weeks.

    Their bill also includes $58 million to boost security for members of the executive branch and the Supreme Court, and another $30 million for general lawmaker security. Republicans would need at least seven Democrats to advance this bill, and more likely, as some Republican lawmakers have said they will not support it.

    “We need responsible options to keep the government open while all this work continues and Republicans are committed to making that happen,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said Tuesday. 

    Stuck on health care 

    Schumer and Jeffries specifically suggested that Republicans could add an extension of the Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of 2025 to their bill. These enhanced tax credits were passed during the COVID-19 pandemic to help Americans afford coverage.

    Congress has extended these subsidies twice already. And while twelve Republicans and seven Democrats are backing legislation that would extend these subsidies for one year, Johnson said on Tuesday that there was “zero chance” he would consider doing so as part of this temporary spending bill.

    “Predictably and unfortunately, there are some Democrats who are openly pining for a government shutdown,” he said.

    Many Democrats have also pushed to reverse cuts that were recently implemented to Medicaid funding as part of President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., led Senate Democrats last month in introducing legislation that would repeal these changes. 

    Following a policy luncheon on Capitol Hill Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told reporters that Democrats plan to offer a stopgap bill that includes the health care language they’re looking for, as well as restrictions on Trump’s ability to rescind federal funding previously approved by Congressional lawmakers. 

    “We think we’re going to have…an alternative that American people will like a whole lot better,” he said.

    Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said she’s involved in developing this alternative Tuesday. She told reporters that the alternative bill will not only address the expiring health care subsidies, but will address “health care writ large.” This includes federal spending cuts to health agencies. 

    WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 16: House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) appears during a House Rules Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on September 16, 2025 in Washington, DC. An emergency measure, the Continuing Appropr

    DeLauro, along with Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair, issued their own joint statement on Tuesday saying that they’ve been working with their Republican counterparts to draft a bipartisan spending bill. 

    “House Republican Leadership has decided they would rather take us to the brink of a shutdown instead of working with Democrats on a bipartisan continuing resolution to keep the government funded, protect Congress’ power of the purse and improve health care,” they wrote. 

    The lawmakers then called on Speaker Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune to join their fellow Republicans in drafting a new bill. 

    “Speaker Johnson and Leader Thune need to finally come to the table to negotiate with Democratic leadership on health care, lowering the cost of living and other critical issues—something they have outright refused to do for weeks.”

    Schumer: ‘Things have changed’ 

    Big picture view:

    More broadly, the Democrats’ rejection of this Republican stopgap bill appears to be a rejection of Trump’s way of governing. 

    Recently, the president took to social media to urge Congressional Republicans to unite around a so-called “clean” continuing resolution. 

    “In times like these, Republicans have to stick TOGETHER to fight back against the Radical Left Democrat demands, and vote ‘YES!’” the president posted on his platform, Truth Social.

    Sen. Chuck Schumer weathered much of the backlash in March when he voted with Republicans to keep the government open, but this time he says, “things have changed.” 

    In an interview with the Associated Press, Schumer said that a shutdown wouldn’t necessarily worsen a U.S. political environment that already has the president challenging the authority of Congress. 

    “It will get worse with or without it,” he said, “because Trump is lawless.” 

    The Source: Information in this article was sourced from social media, several statements and pieces of legislation, The Medical Economics Journal, The New York Times, The Associated Press, The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, NPR, POLITICO, The Hill, USA Today and The United States Committee on Finance. 

    NewsPoliticsU.S. HouseU.S. SenateDonald J. Trump

    Isabel.Soisson@fox.com (Isabel Soisson)

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  • Senate approves White House economist Stephen Miran to serve on Federal Reserve board

    The Senate has approved one of President Donald Trump’s top economic advisers for a seat on the Federal Reserve’s governing board, giving the White House greater influence over the central bank just two days before it is expected to vote in favor of reducing its key interest rate.The vote to confirm Stephen Miran was largely along party lines, 48-47. He was approved by the Senate Banking Committee last week with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats opposed.Miran’s nomination has sparked concerns about the Fed’s longtime independence from day-to-day politics after he said during a committee hearing earlier this month that he would keep his job as chair of the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers, though would take unpaid leave. Senate Democrats have said such an approach is incompatible with an independent Fed.Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said ahead of the vote that Miran “has no independence” and would be “nothing more than Donald Trump’s mouthpiece at the Fed.”The vote was along party lines, with Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski the only Republican to vote against Miran.Miran is completing an unexpired term that ends in January, after Adriana Kugler unexpectedly stepped down from the board Aug. 1. He said if he is appointed to a longer term he would resign from his White House job. Previous presidents have appointed advisers to the Fed, including former chair Ben Bernanke, who served in president George W. Bush’s administration. But Bernanke and others left their White House jobs when joining the board.Miran said during his Sept. 4 hearing that, if confirmed, “I will act independently, as the Federal Reserve always does, based on my own personal analysis of economic data.”Last year, Miran criticized what he called the “revolving door” of officials between the White House and the Fed, in a paper he co-wrote with Daniel Katz for the conservative Manhattan Institute. Katz is now chief of staff at the Treasury Department.Miran’s approval arrives as Trump’s efforts to shape the Fed have been dealt a setback elsewhere. He has sought to fire Fed governor Lisa Cook, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden to a term that ends in 2038. Cook sued to block the firing and won a first round in federal court, after a judge ruled the Trump administration did not have proper cause to remove her.The administration appealed the ruling, but an appeals court rejected that request late Monday. Members of the Fed’s board vote on all its interest rate decisions, and also oversee the nation’s financial system.The jockeying around the Fed is occurring as the economy is entering an uncertain and difficult period. Inflation remains stubbornly above the central bank’s 2% target, though it hasn’t risen as much as many economists feared when Trump first imposed sweeping tariffs on nearly all imports. The Fed typically would raise borrowing costs, or at least keep them elevated, to combat worsening inflation.At the same time, hiring has weakened considerably and the unemployment rate rose last month to a still-low 4.3%. The central bank often takes the opposite approach when unemployment rises, cutting rates to spur more borrowing, spending and growth.Economists forecast the Fed will reduce its key rate after its two-day meeting ends Wednesday, to about 4.1% from 4.3%. Trump has demanded much deeper cuts.

    WASHINGTON —

    The Senate has approved one of President Donald Trump’s top economic advisers for a seat on the Federal Reserve’s governing board, giving the White House greater influence over the central bank just two days before it is expected to vote in favor of reducing its key interest rate.

    The vote to confirm Stephen Miran was largely along party lines, 48-47. He was approved by the Senate Banking Committee last week with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats opposed.

    Miran’s nomination has sparked concerns about the Fed’s longtime independence from day-to-day politics after he said during a committee hearing earlier this month that he would keep his job as chair of the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers, though would take unpaid leave. Senate Democrats have said such an approach is incompatible with an independent Fed.

    Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said ahead of the vote that Miran “has no independence” and would be “nothing more than Donald Trump’s mouthpiece at the Fed.”

    The vote was along party lines, with Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski the only Republican to vote against Miran.

    Miran is completing an unexpired term that ends in January, after Adriana Kugler unexpectedly stepped down from the board Aug. 1. He said if he is appointed to a longer term he would resign from his White House job. Previous presidents have appointed advisers to the Fed, including former chair Ben Bernanke, who served in president George W. Bush’s administration. But Bernanke and others left their White House jobs when joining the board.

    Miran said during his Sept. 4 hearing that, if confirmed, “I will act independently, as the Federal Reserve always does, based on my own personal analysis of economic data.”

    Last year, Miran criticized what he called the “revolving door” of officials between the White House and the Fed, in a paper he co-wrote with Daniel Katz for the conservative Manhattan Institute. Katz is now chief of staff at the Treasury Department.

    Miran’s approval arrives as Trump’s efforts to shape the Fed have been dealt a setback elsewhere. He has sought to fire Fed governor Lisa Cook, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden to a term that ends in 2038. Cook sued to block the firing and won a first round in federal court, after a judge ruled the Trump administration did not have proper cause to remove her.

    The administration appealed the ruling, but an appeals court rejected that request late Monday.

    Members of the Fed’s board vote on all its interest rate decisions, and also oversee the nation’s financial system.

    The jockeying around the Fed is occurring as the economy is entering an uncertain and difficult period. Inflation remains stubbornly above the central bank’s 2% target, though it hasn’t risen as much as many economists feared when Trump first imposed sweeping tariffs on nearly all imports. The Fed typically would raise borrowing costs, or at least keep them elevated, to combat worsening inflation.

    At the same time, hiring has weakened considerably and the unemployment rate rose last month to a still-low 4.3%. The central bank often takes the opposite approach when unemployment rises, cutting rates to spur more borrowing, spending and growth.

    Economists forecast the Fed will reduce its key rate after its two-day meeting ends Wednesday, to about 4.1% from 4.3%. Trump has demanded much deeper cuts.

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  • Republicans hold edge in effort to retake US Senate – WTOP News

    Republicans hold edge in effort to retake US Senate – WTOP News

    Democrats always knew they faced a difficult political map to retain their narrow majority in the U.S. Senate this election year.

    Visit WTOP’s Election 2024 page for our comprehensive coverage. Listen live to 103.5 FM for the latest. Sign up for WTOP’s Election Desk newsletter for headlines and analysis from now until Inauguration Day.

    Democrats always knew they faced a difficult political map to retain their narrow majority in the U.S. Senate this election year.

    Maryland’s U.S. Senate seat opened up with the retirement of longtime Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin, but it was initially not considered in play, since voters hadn’t elected a Republican senator in more than four decades.

    But that changed when former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan became the GOP nominee in the race against Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.

    Democratic leaders suddenly had to consider how much they were going to spend on a race the party originally felt they could easily win.

    Overall contributions to the candidates have soared to well over $80 million, easily making it the most expensive U.S. Senate race in the state’s history.

    Alsobrooks has sought to blunt the popularity of the former governor by emphasizing the importance of the race in national terms, pointing out that Republicans can retake control of the U.S. Senate, by just flipping a few states.

    Hogan has distanced himself from former President Donald Trump and has pledged not to undermine abortion rights in a state where registered Democrats far outnumber Republicans.

    While political analysts say Hogan has run a solid campaign, he always faced an uphill battle in a state that is very blue.

    The latest polls indicate he trails Alsobrooks, but he’s also forced Democrats to put a lot of resources into her campaign.

    And Democrats have plenty of challenges in other states, as they try to hold onto their 51-49 majority.

    Senate control runs through Big Sky country 

    Democrats were dealt a blow when Sen. Joe Manchin announced he was not going to seek reelection in West Virginia. He also left the Democratic Party to become independent.

    Election 2024 West Virginia Senate
    FILE – West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice checks out the stage with his dog, “Babydog,” before the Republican National Convention, July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

    Republican Gov. Jim Justice is now heavily favored to become West Virginia’s newest senator in a state that is deep red, flipping the seat to the GOP.

    That would mean Democrats could only lose one more seat out of 33 other contests.

    Republicans are feeling increasingly confident that the seat could be the one held by Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana.

    “The Republicans really should be able to flip the Senate this year,” said Kyle Kondik, with Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia.

    While Kondik noted nothing in politics is guaranteed, it does appear Tester is in trouble.

    Montana is also a very red state and Tester has bucked the political odds for many years.

    But Tester is now widely considered one of the most endangered Democrats, as he fights to stay in office against Republican Tim Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL and businessman.

    Polls indicate he trails Sheehy and Sabato’s Crystal Ball has moved the race from “tossup” to “leans Republican.”

    The stakes are so high that more than $240 million has been spent on the race, which comes out to over $300 per registered voter in the state.

    No other state has had more money spent per voter than Montana.

    Other races to watch

    Republicans are hoping to do more than flip two seats and their candidates have closed the polling gap in several other races.

    In Pennsylvania, Democratic Sen. Bob Casey is facing a tough challenge from Republican former hedge fund manager Dave McCormick, who lost the GOP Senate nomination two years ago to Dr. Mehmet Oz.

    Election 2024 Pennsylvania Senate
    This combination of photos taken in Pennsylvania shows Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., left, at a campaign event, Sept. 13, 2024,and David McCormick, the Republican nominee for Senate in Pennsylvania, at a campaign event, April 25, 2024, in Harrisburg. (AP Photo)

    Oz, a celebrity surgeon, was defeated by Democrat John Fetterman.

    McCormick has been gaining in recent polls and Casey recently started running an ad in which he notes he supported former President Trump’s effort to put tariffs on China.

    In another battleground state, Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin has also not shied away from noting in an ad that she worked to get Trump to sign her “Made in America” bill to help the manufacturing industry.

    Baldwin is in a competitive race with Republican Eric Hovde, a banking executive.

    The Senate seat in Michigan is open, with the retirement of longtime Sen. Debbie Stabenow.

    Rep. Elissa Slotkin is trying to keep the seat in the Democratic column, in another race that appears to be close.

    Republican Mike Rogers, a former Michigan congressman who at one time chaired the House Intelligence Committee, is running against Slotkin.

    “There’s some real upside potential for Republicans to get beyond 51 seats,” Kondik said.

    One potential bright spot for Democrats may be in Texas, a state where the party for years has been trying to win back a Senate seat.

    Republican Sen. Ted Cruz is still favored, but Democratic Rep. Collin Allred has been getting closer in recent polls.

    Allread, a former NFL linebacker, has been able to raise a lot of money.

    But Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke also had strong fundraising in 2018 and Cruz narrowly defeated him.

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    Mitchell Miller

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  • Montana’s hot housing market heats up critical Senate race

    Montana’s hot housing market heats up critical Senate race

    MISSOULA, Mont. — In a subdivision near the northern edge of town, a number of condos and duplexes have popped up in the past three years.

    It’s part of a larger effort, including new zoning laws, to help provide affordable housing to Montanans who have found themselves priced out of the market, said DJ Smith, president of the Montana Association of Realtors.

    “For Montanans, it’s been harder and harder to find a home that meets their needs and is affordable,” he said.

    An influx of out-of-state residents relocating to the Big Sky state has sent demand soaring, while a shortage of labor keeps housing supply limited. The result is not only more condos and duplexes, but a hot-button issue in a Senate race that could ultimately decide who controls the chamber.

    While some Democrats are sweating it out in close races across the country, no incumbent has a harder re-election than Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, who will need to win a state that Trump won by 16 percentage points in 2020.

    Political forecaster Cook Political Report recently moved the race from a toss-up to leaning Republican, and the most recent poll from the AARP found Sheehy had an 8-point lead, just within the margin of error.

    Tester has made housing a cornerstone of his campaign — specifically how to help Montanans who have been priced out as more people have moved to the state, driving up housing prices.

    “We’re seeing a lot of folks come into the state, rich folks, who want to try to buy our state, to change it into something it’s not,” Tester said at a June 9 debate hosted by the Montana Broadcasters Association.

    Tim Sheehy, the Republican nominee, is a former Navy SEAL who founded an aerial firefighting company in Montana. He blames high housing costs on inflation, and blames inflation on laws backed by President Joe Biden and voted on by Tester.

    “Our biggest challenge growing our company was convincing folks to come to Montana and absorb these crazy housing costs,” Sheehy said during the debate. “They’re a direct result of the policies coming out of the Biden administration.”

    A new home for sale in Missoula, Montana, where housing prices have jumped in recent years on Sept. 4, 2024.

    CNBC

    Inflation and housing costs are a top concern across the country, but few places are worse than Montana when it comes to affordability. The National Association of Realtors rated Montana the least affordable state for home buyers. Housing prices in the state have increased 66% in the past four years, according to the U.S. Federal Housing Industry Price Index – faster than the 50% increase nationally.  

    Smith said some Montanans are no longer able to afford the communities they grew up in as those moving to the state have sold their homes in more expensive parts of the country and are able to buy in cash.

    The median income for a household in Montana is $67,631, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That means the median home price in Missoula, $568,377, according to the Missoula Organization of Realtors, is high for the average Montanan, but it’s inviting for those looking to leave higher-cost states for Montana’s mountains, national parks and ample space.

    “People in Colorado, California, they would sell their homes for over a million dollars and have a lot of equity to purchase here in Montana,” Smith said. “That’s led to a record number of 30% of our homes last year being bought with cash.”

    Missoula builder Andrew Weigand, owner of Butler Creek Development, said prices are also affected by a labor shortage in the state. Subcontractors, such as plumbers and electricians, are in short supply and costs are higher as a result, he said.

    “If you have a pool of three or four subcontractors to use, and not 30 or 40, you’re going to have not as competitive a market as you do in other areas of the nation,” he said.

    Read more CNBC politics coverage

    Weigand said he is worried the issue will only get worse because many subcontractors are getting older and there are fewer people to replace them.

    “A lot of our trades are aging. They’ve been doing it for 20 [or] 30 years, and they’re looking at retirement,” he said. “There’s not a whole lot of … young professionals or young people that are interested in performing those jobs to fulfill that need.”

    Tester has several proposals targeted at helping Montanans who are struggling to afford a home. Those include grants to expand housing and help with home repairs. He has also proposed a tax credit to incentivize the owners of mobile home parks to sell their property to coalitions of Montana residents rather than to developers who could use the land to build more expensive homes.

    While Sheehy has blamed high housing prices on inflation, during the June 9 debate he called for expanding trade programs in the state to help with the shortage of contractors needed to build homes.

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  • Harris calls for expanded child tax credit of up to $6,000 for families with newborns

    Harris calls for expanded child tax credit of up to $6,000 for families with newborns

    U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at an event with U.S. President Joe Biden (not pictured) in Prince George’s County, Maryland, U.S., August 15, 2024. 

    Elizabeth Frantz | Reuters

    Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday unveiled an economic plan, including an expanded child tax credit worth up to $6,000 in total tax relief for families with newborn children.

    The Democratic presidential nominee’s plan aims to restore the higher child tax credit enacted via the American Rescue Plan in 2021, which provided a maximum credit of up to $3,600 per child, according to a fact sheet from the campaign.

    The 2021 credit was up to $3,000 or $3,600, depending on the child’s age and family’s income. Harris’ proposed tax break would increase for middle- to lower-income families for one year after a child is born.

    “We will provide $6,000 in tax relief to families during the first year of a child’s life,” said Harris during a policy speech in Raleigh, North Carolina.

    More from Personal Finance:
    Vance wants to raise the child tax credit to $5,000. Here’s why that could be difficult
    The expanded child tax credit failed in the Senate. Here’s what it means for families
    Trump and Harris both want no taxes on tips. Why policy experts don’t like the idea

    The plan comes less than one week after Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, former President Donald Trump‘s GOP running mate, floated a $5,000 child tax credit. 

    A Trump campaign official told CNBC: “Trump will consider a significant expansion of the child tax credit that applies to American families.”

    While Harris has followed President Joe Biden’s footsteps with her proposed child tax credit expansion, the $2,400 bonus for newborns is “different and somewhat surprising,” said Kyle Pomerleau, senior fellow and federal tax expert with the American Enterprise Institute. “That, to me, sounds very much like a response to JD Vance.”

    The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

    ‘Bipartisan momentum’ for the child tax credit

    Senate Republicans earlier in August blocked an expanded child tax credit that passed in the House with broad support. However, Republican lawmakers are expected to revisit the measure after the election.

    “There is bipartisan momentum behind expanding the [child tax credit],” said Andrew Lautz, associate director for the Bipartisan Policy Center’s economic policy program.

    There is bipartisan momentum behind expanding the [child tax credit].

    Andrew Lautz

    Associate director for the Bipartisan Policy Center’s economic policy program

    The size of the expansion and future credit design will hinge on which party controls the White House and Congress. But the House-passed bill and Senate negotiations could be a starting point, Lautz said.

    Future child tax credit expiration

    Without action from Congress, the maximum child tax credit will drop from $2,000 to $1,000 once Trump’s 2017 tax cuts expire after 2025.

    The American Rescue Plan temporarily increased the maximum child tax credit from $2,000 to either $3,000 or $3,600, depending on the child’s age. Families received up to half via monthly payments for 2021.

    The child poverty rate fell to a historic low of 5.2% in 2021, largely due to the credit’s expansion, according to a Columbia University analysis.

    If there’s a future child tax credit expansion, Pomerleau doesn’t expect it to be as large as the tax break that Harris or Vance have proposed.

    Amid the federal budget deficit, lawmakers are already wrestling with trillions in expiring tax cuts that are “prohibitively expensive,” he said.

    Expanding the child tax credit to $3,000 or $3,600 could cost an estimated $1.1 trillion over a decade, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Meanwhile, the expansion to $6,000 for newborns could cost $100 billion.

    The Harris campaign’s economic plan fact sheet said she would fulfill her “commitment to fiscal responsibility,” including calls for higher taxes on wealthy Americans and large corporations.

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  • Three senators introduce bill to protect artists and journalists from unauthorized AI use

    Three senators introduce bill to protect artists and journalists from unauthorized AI use

    Three US Senators introduced a bill that aims to rein in the rise and use of AI generated content and deepfakes by protecting the work of artists, songwriters and journalists.

    The Content Original Protection and Integrity from Edited and Deepfaked Media (COPIED) Act was introduced to the Senate Friday morning. The bill is a bipartisan effort authorized by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), according to a press alert issued by Blackburn’s office.

    The COPIED ACT would, if enacted, create transparency standards through the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) to set guidelines for “content provenance information, watermarking, and synthetic content detection,” according to the press release.

    The bill would also prohibit the unauthorized use of creative or journalistic content to train AI models or created AI content. The Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general would also gain the authority to enforce these guidelines and individuals who had their legally created content used by AI to create new content without their consent or proper compensation would also have the right to take those companies or entities to court.

    The bill would even expand the prohibition of tampering or removing content provenance information by internet platforms, search engines and social media companies.

    A slew of content and journalism advocacy groups are already voicing their support for the COPIED Act to become law. They include groups like SAG-AFTRA, the Recording Industry Association of America, the National Association of Broadcasters, the Songwriters Guild of America and the National Newspaper Association.

    This is not the Senate’s first attempt to create guidelines and laws for the rising use of AI content and it certainly won’t be the last. In April, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) submitted a bill called the Generative AI Copyright Disclosure Act that would force AI companies to list their copyrighted sources in their datasets. The bill has not moved out of the House Committee on the Judiciary since its introduction, according to Senate records.

    Danny Gallagher

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  • Hogan needed to make ‘pro-choice’ pledge in US Senate race, political expert says – WTOP News

    Hogan needed to make ‘pro-choice’ pledge in US Senate race, political expert says – WTOP News

    Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican running for U.S. Senate, is leaning into the issue of abortion more than he ever has in his political career.

    Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican running for the open U.S. Senate seat in the state, is leaning into the issue of abortion more than he ever has in his political career.

    In an interview with the New York Times, Hogan described himself as “pro-choice” and said that he supports legislation to codify abortion rights into federal law.

    Hogan also said that he, as a Marylander, would vote to enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution, a measure that will be on the ballot in November.

    “Seeing ballot initiatives regarding abortion do so well, even in red states, it does not surprise me at all,” said Todd Eberly, a political science professor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. “In a blue state like Maryland, that’s just the reality of where that issue is right now.”

    Hogan historically has shied away from talking about abortion. But that has changed in a big way.

    “Hogan, for the most part, has done everything he could to try to avoid the issue,” Eberly said. “He was able to do that when he was running for governor because it was already settled in Maryland law.”

    After securing the Republican nomination in the Senate race Tuesday, Hogan even talked about abortion during his victory speech.

    “Let me, once again, set the record straight,” Hogan said. “To the women of Maryland: You have my word that I will continue to protect your right to make your own reproductive health decisions.”

    That hasn’t stopped Democrats from saying Hogan would vote for federal abortion limits in the Senate. In a post on social media on Thursday, the Maryland Democratic Party called Hogan a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

    “Larry Hogan has been against reproductive freedom his entire life,” the party said in its post.

    Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, Hogan’s Democratic opponent in the race, made a similar statement earlier this week.

    “Larry Hogan has said he’s a lifelong Republican, and if he’s elected, he will give Republicans the majority that they need to pass a national abortion ban,” Alsobrooks said.

    Hogan and Alsobrooks are running to succeed retiring Sen. Ben Cardin.

    If Hogan were to win, he’d be the first Republican in more than 40 years to win a Senate seat in the blue state of Maryland, where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 2:1 ratio statewide.

    “He knows that no matter what, he can’t win without Democratic votes,” Eberly said. “He wasn’t going to secure those votes without making this pledge.”

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    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    Nick Iannelli

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  • Md. US Senate race causing division among Prince George’s Co. leaders – WTOP News

    Md. US Senate race causing division among Prince George’s Co. leaders – WTOP News

    The increasingly negative U.S. Senate primary race in Maryland between David Trone and Angela Alsobrooks is leading to greater division and hard feelings in Prince George’s County.

    The increasingly negative U.S. Senate primary race between David Trone and Angela Alsobrooks is leading to greater division and hard feelings in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

    Most of the elected leaders at the county and state level have endorsed Alsobrooks, but those who haven’t are increasingly vocal about it.

    The latest instance of that came Thursday morning at a union office in Lanham. Surrogates of David Trone held a news conference to tout his campaign and to take more shots at Alsobrooks, though she was rarely mentioned by name.

    Read More Election 2024 News:

    “We need someone who can be effective from day one,” said Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy.

    And there were repeated suggestions from Prince George’s County Council member Krystal Oriadha, an outspoken supporter of Trone’s, that Republicans were “trying to intentionally infiltrate” the race by throwing money at Alsobrooks because she was a weaker candidate than Trone.

    But Oriadha disputed the idea that the race has been “super negative,” in her words.

    “I think there’s some conversation around record, which is fair. There’s conversation about what people support and don’t support,” she said. “That’s fair to do.”

    She denied any of her comments have been personal in nature, though as one of the more liberal members of the council, she’s had frequent clashes with other colleagues as well as the Alsobrooks administration over policy.

    “My colleagues see that. They see the bills I put forward. They see things that I fight for. And they see that the county executive doesn’t align with those things,” Oriadha said. “So it’s not a far stretch that I wouldn’t be able to endorse her for Senate.”

    But those on the council who back Alsobrooks, including chair Jolene Ivey, believe it is personal for Oriadha and Ed Burroughs, whose suggestion that Alsobrooks would need “training wheels” initially appeared in a Trone commercial before later being edited out.

    “There’s only a couple of them who are not supporting Angela,” Ivey said. “But because David Trone has so much money he just puts it on TV all the time and it makes it look like there’s all these people supporting him from Prince George’s, but thank God the polls don’t show that.”

    Several former Democratic state party chairs have started putting out statements criticizing Trone for the tone of his campaign, including Thursday afternoon.

    “David Trone has cast disparaging comments about women, inadvertently uttered racial slurs, and has denigrated public service. He will be challenged in building the statewide unity that is needed to win in November,” said the statement signed by Kathleen Matthews, Susan Turnbull, Ike Leggett, Terry Lierman, Yvette Lewis and Peter Krauser.

    Ivey said the increasing negativity is coming from the Trone side because the race has become so tight in recent weeks. A new Emerson College poll actually put Alsobrooks up by 1 point this week, though the Trone campaign was critical of the methodology behind it. Nonetheless, internal polls conducted by both campaigns are in agreement that the election will likely be super close on Tuesday.

    Both Oriadha and Ivey were confident that the party would mend the disagreements once the primary is over.

    “There will be a healing but it’s going to take a lot of time,” Ivey said.

    “I have friends on either side and they’re still going to be my friends either way,” Oriadha said. “My hope and what we have to do is unify after the primary.”

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    John Domen

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  • Cory Booker Fast Facts | CNN Politics

    Cory Booker Fast Facts | CNN Politics



    CNN
     — 

    Here is a look at the life of Cory Booker, US senator from New Jersey and former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate.

    Birth date: April 27, 1969

    Birth place: Washington, DC

    Birth name: Cory Anthony Booker

    Father: Cary Booker, IBM executive

    Mother: Carolyn Booker, IBM executive

    Education: Stanford University, B.A., 1991; Stanford University, M.A, 1992; University of Oxford, Honors Degree, 1994 (Rhodes Scholar); Yale Law School, J.D., 1997

    Religion: Baptist

    Received a football scholarship to attend Stanford University.

    Became a vegetarian in 1992 and went vegan (no eggs or dairy) in 2014.

    Lived in a public housing complex in Newark called Brick Towers for eight years. The dilapidated building was demolished in 2007, the year after Booker moved out.

    While serving as mayor of Newark, Booker developed a reputation for engaging in personal acts of heroism like rescuing a neighbor from a house fire and chasing down a suspected bank robber. Using social media to connect with constituents, he shoveled snowbound driveways by request and invited nearby city residents to his home when Hurricane Sandy caused widespread power outages.

    Booker was elected mayor as a reformer with a vision to revitalize the struggling city yet high unemployment rates and violent crime continued to plague Newark while he was in office.

    Booker was criticized by the New Jersey state comptroller for failing to conduct oversight on the city’s watershed management program, where corruption was rife.

    1997 – Staff attorney at the Urban Justice Center in New York.

    1998-2002 – Newark city councilman.

    2002-2006 – Partner at the law firm, Booker, Rabinowitz, Trenk, Lubetkin, Tully, DiPasquale & Webster.

    2006-2013 – Mayor of Newark, New Jersey.

    September 24, 2010 – Booker appears with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Mark Zuckerberg on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to announce the Facebook founder’s $100 million donation to Newark schools. The school reform initiative, centered on promoting privately-run charter schools as an option for parents with children in failing public schools, yields mixed results. Researchers at Harvard University conclude that Newark students showed improvement in English but made no significant gains in math.

    December 4, 2012 – Booker begins a week of food rationing to raise awareness of poverty and hunger in America, for the campaign SNAP Challenge.

    October 31, 2013 – Sworn in to the US Senate after winning a special election earlier in the month to replace the late Frank Lautenberg.

    November 4, 2014 – Reelected to the Senate.

    February 16, 2016 – Booker’s memoir, “United: Thoughts on Finding Common Ground and Advancing the Common Good,” is published.

    January 11, 2017 – Booker breaks with Senate precedent to deliver testimony against the appointment of Jeff Sessions as attorney general, becoming the first sitting senator to testify against a fellow sitting senator at a confirmation hearing for a cabinet position.

    August 1, 2017 – Booker introduces a bill to remove marijuana from the federal government’s list of controlled substances. The Marijuana Justice Act would also expunge federal marijuana use and possession offenses from criminal records. The bill is referred to committee.

    August 3, 2017 – Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduces the Special Counsel Independence Protection Act. The measure, cosponsored by Booker, would shield Special Counsel Robert Mueller from actions taken by the executive branch to interfere with the probe of Russian interference during the 2016 election. The bill is sent to committee.

    September 6, 2018 – Republicans accuse Booker of grandstanding after he likens himself to Spartacus, a Roman slave who led a failed revolt, during Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

    December 21, 2018 – President Donald Trump signs a criminal justice reform bill, the First Step Act, into law. Booker endorsed the bipartisan legislation and added an amendment that limits the usage of solitary confinement for juveniles in federal custody.

    February 1, 2019 – Booker releases a video announcing his presidential candidacy. Later, he appears on the ABC talk show, “The View,” participates in multiple radio interviews and holds a press conference in Newark.

    January 13, 2020 – Booker ends his 2020 presidential campaign after failing to qualify for the January 14, 2020, Democratic debate.

    March 9, 2020 – Booker endorses Joe Biden for president.

    November 3, 2020 – Reelected to the Senate.

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  • US senators reveal new stablecoin bill

    US senators reveal new stablecoin bill

    U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Cynthia Lummis introduced a bill to regulate stablecoins.

    According to a press release, the bill was developed jointly with the Federal Reserve and the New York State Department of Financial Services. Stablecoin issuers must have reserves of cash or cash equivalents at a 1:1 ratio to back their tokens.

    In addition, the bill introduces a ban on unbacked algorithmic stablecoins. The bill’s authors argue that neither the issuer nor the users can use stablecoins for illegal or unauthorized purposes, such as money laundering.

    “To meet the growing demand for our ever-evolving financial industry, we need to craft legislation that strikes the careful balance of establishing a clear and workable framework for stablecoins while protecting consumers.”

    Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.)

    The explanatory note states that the bill aims to create a framework that encourages “responsible” innovation. The piece of legislation envisions using stablecoins for faster cross-border transactions, lower fees, and unlocking the potential of the digital asset industry.

    The preparation of an alternative bill on stablecoins became known in early April 2024. It became a response to the bill presented in the spring of 2023. The latter provides for the subordination of issuing companies to the Fed and a temporary ban on algorithmic stablecoins.

    Gillibrand called her bill a reasonable compromise since it puts oversight responsibilities in the hands of state regulators. After publication, the head of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, Sherrod Brown, stated that he was ready to vote for the bill’s passage under certain conditions.


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    Anna Kharton

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  • House to send Alejandro Mayorkas impeachment articles to the Senate, forcing a trial

    House to send Alejandro Mayorkas impeachment articles to the Senate, forcing a trial

    WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson says he is sending impeachment charges against Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate on Tuesday, forcing senators to convene a trial on the allegations that the Homeland Security secretary has “willfully and systematically” refused to enforce existing immigration laws. But the proceedings may not last long.

    While the Senate is obligated to convene a trial under the rules of impeachment once the charges are walked across the Capitol, Democrats are expected to try to dismiss or table the charges before the arguments get underway.

    Majority Democrats have said the GOP case against Mayorkas doesn’t rise to the “high crimes and misdemeanors” laid out as a bar for impeachment in the Constitution, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., likely has enough votes to end the trial immediately if he decides to do so. The proceedings will not begin until Wednesday.

    Opening the Senate for the week, Schumer said he wants to “address this issue as expeditiously as possible.”

    “Impeachment should never be used to settle a policy disagreement,” Schumer said. “That would set a horrible precedent for the Congress.”

    Senators will be sworn in Wednesday as jurors, turning the chamber into the court of impeachment. The Senate will then issue a summons to Mayorkas to inform him of the charges and ask for a written answer. He will not have to appear in the Senate at any point.

    What happens after that is is unclear. Impeachment rules generally allow the Senate to decide how to proceed.

    Republicans have argued there should be a full trial. As Johnson signed the articles Monday in preparation for sending them across the Capitol, he said Schumer should hold a trial to “hold those who engineered this crisis to full account.”

    “Senator Schumer is the only impediment to delivering accountability for the American people,” Johnson said. “Pursuant to the Constitution, the House demands a trial.”

    The House narrowly voted in February to impeach Mayorkas for his handling of the border. House Republicans charged in two articles of impeachment that Mayorkas has not only refused to enforce existing law but also breached the public trust by lying to Congress and saying the border was secure. It was the first time in nearly 150 years a Cabinet secretary was impeached.

    Since then, Johnson has delayed sending the articles to the Senate for weeks while both chambers finished work on government funding legislation and took a two-week recess. Johnson had said he would send them to the Senate last week, but punted again after Senate Republicans said they wanted more time to prepare.

    South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the Senate’s No. 2 Republican, has said the Senate needs to hold a full trial where it can examine the evidence against Mayorkas and come to a final conclusion.

    “This is an absolute debacle at the southern border,” Thune said. “It is a national security crisis. There needs to be accountability,” he said.

    Schumer could call a vote to table the charges and end the trial as soon as Wednesday. Before a vote to dismiss, though, a group of House managers – members who act as prosecutors and are appointed by the speaker – will walk the articles across the Capitol and deliver the impeachment charges to be read on the Senate floor.

    House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, a Tennessee Republican who is one of the impeachment managers, said earlier this month that he believes Democrats “have failed to meet the moment when it comes to ending this crisis and resolving the chaos at our borders.”

    “Conducting an impeachment trial represents a unique opportunity to correct course,” he said.

    Other impeachment managers appointed by Speaker Johnson are Michael McCaul of Texas, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Ben Cline of Virginia, Andrew Garbarino of New York, Michael Guest of Mississippi, Harriet Hageman of Wyoming, Clay Higgins of Louisiana, Laurel Lee of Florida, August Plfuger of Texas and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.

    After the jurors are sworn in, Senate Republicans are likely to try to raise a series of objections if Schumer calls a vote to dismiss or table, an effort to both protest and delay the move. But ultimately they cannot block a dismissal if majority Democrats have the votes.

    While most Republicans oppose quick dismissal, some have hinted they could vote with Democrats.

    Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said last week he wasn’t sure what he would do if there were a move to dismiss the trial. “I think it’s virtually certain that there will not be the conviction of someone when the constitutional test has not been met,” he said.

    At the same time, Romney said he wants to at least express his view that “Mayorkas has done a terrible job, but he’s following the direction of the president and has not met the constitutional test of a high crime or misdemeanor.”

    In any case, Republicans would not be able to win the support of the two-thirds of the Senate that is needed to convict and remove Mayorkas from office. Democrats control the Senate, 51-49, and they appear to be united against the impeachment effort. Not a single House Democrat supported it, either.

    Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat who is facing a tough reelection bid in Ohio, called the impeachment trial a “distraction,” arguing that Republicans should instead support a bipartisan border compromise they scuttled earlier this year.

    “Instead of doing this impeachment – the first one in 100 years – why are we not doing a bipartisan border deal?” he said.

    If Democrats are not able to dismiss or table the articles, they could follow the precedent of several impeachment trials for federal judges over the last century and hold a vote to create a trial committee that would investigate the charges. While there is sufficient precedent for this approach, Democrats may prefer to end the process completely, especially in a presidential election year when immigration and border security are top issues.

    If the Senate were to proceed to an impeachment trial, it would be the third in five years. Democrats impeached former President Donald Trump twice, once over his dealings with Ukraine and a second time in the days after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. The Senate acquitted Trump bothtimes.

    At a trial, senators would be forced to sit in their seats for the duration, maybe weeks, while the House impeachment managers and lawyers representing Mayorkas make their cases. The Senate is allowed to call witnesses, as well, if it so decides, and can ask questions of both sides after the opening arguments are finished.

    Mayorkas told reporters last week he was not focused on the Senate proceedings. In a twist, he’ll be testifying about his budget request Tuesday to the same House committee that led the impeachment effort.

    “It is my hope that my time is not taken away from my work,” Mayorkas said.

    Copyright © 2024 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

    AP

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  • Joseph Lieberman Fast Facts | CNN

    Joseph Lieberman Fast Facts | CNN

    Here’s a look at the life of Joseph Lieberman, former United States senator from Connecticut.

    Birth date: February 24, 1942

    Death date: March 27, 2024

    Birth place: Stamford, Connecticut

    Birth name: Joseph Isadore Lieberman

    Father: Henry Lieberman, package-store owner

    Mother: Marcia (Manger) Lieberman

    Marriages: Hadassah (Freilich) Lieberman (1983-March 27, 2024, his death); Elizabeth Haas (1965-1981, divorced)

    Children: with Hadassah Lieberman: Hani and Ethan (stepson); with Betty Haas: Rebecca and Matthew

    Education: Yale University, B.A., 1964, Yale Law School, L.L.B, 1967

    Religion: Jewish

    Lieberman was Al Gore’s running mate in the 2000 presidential campaign. He was the first Jewish person to be nominated by a major party.

    When Lieberman ran for state senate in 1970, one of the volunteers who worked on his campaign was future President Bill Clinton.

    At Yale, his nickname was “Senator.”

    He has said that he took time off from college in 1963 to spend a few weeks in Mississippi doing civil rights work.

    1967-1969 – Works with the private law firm Wiggin and Dana.

    1968 – Runs the Connecticut presidential campaign of Democrat Robert F. Kennedy.

    1970 – Is elected to the Connecticut Senate, representing New Haven.

    1972-1983 – Partner in the law firm Lieberman, Segaloff and Wolfson.

    1975-1981 – Majority leader of the Connecticut Senate.

    1980 – Runs unsuccessfully for a seat in Congress.

    1983-1988 – Attorney general of Connecticut.

    November 8, 1988 – Becomes the first Orthodox Jew to be elected to the US Senate.

    1989-2013 – US senator from Connecticut.

    1995-2001 – Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council.

    August 8, 2000 – Vice President Gore selects Lieberman as his running mate in the presidential race.

    January 7, 2003 – Publishes the book, “An Amazing Adventure: Joe and Hadassah’s Personal Notes on the 2000 Campaign,” along with his wife Hadassah Lieberman.

    January 13, 2003 – Declares he will run for president in the 2004 election.

    February 3, 2004 – Drops out of the race for president.

    August 8, 2006 – Is defeated in Connecticut’s Democratic Senate primary by Ned Lamont. Lieberman then announces he will run in the election as an Independent.

    November 7, 2006 – Wins reelection as an Independent.

    December 17, 2007 – Endorses Republican Senator John McCain during the primary campaign for the presidential nomination. The endorsement stirs up controversy and after the election, the Senate Democratic Caucus strips him of his spot on the Environment and Public Works Committee. Lieberman is allowed to keep his chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

    January 19, 2011 – Announces that he will not run for reelection.

    January 2013 – Retires from the Senate.

    June 6, 2013 – Joins the law firm Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman LLP.

    January 2, 2014 – Announces he will serve as executive board chairman of Victory Park Capital, a private equity firm.

    January 12, 2015 – After the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris, Lieberman writes an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal and states that a global alliance is necessary to combat terrorists.

    August 10, 2015 – United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), an advocacy group that campaigns for sanctions against Iran, announces that Lieberman is its new chairman.

    May 17, 2017 – White House Spokesman Sean Spicer says that Lieberman is a candidate to replace James Comey as director of the FBI.

    May 25, 2017 – Withdraws his name from consideration for the position of FBI director.

    September 9, 2019 – In an opinion piece for USA Today, Lieberman, representing UANI, writes that the 2020 democratic presidential candidates should support Donald Trump’s Iran policy and not pledge to rejoin the 2015 nuclear agreement.

    October 19, 2021 – Lieberman’s book, The Centrist Solution: How We Made Government Work and Can Make It Work Again, is published.

    December 4, 2023 – Yeshiva University announces the establishment of the Senator Joseph Lieberman Center for Public Service and Advocacy.

    March 27, 2024 – Passes away at the age of 82.

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  • New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy suspends her Senate campaign to replace indicted Sen. Menendez

    New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy suspends her Senate campaign to replace indicted Sen. Menendez

    New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy has suspended her U.S. Senate campaign to replace Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez as he faces federal corruption charges.

    Murphy announced her decision in a video posted to her social media on Sunday.

    “New Jersey’s next senator must focus on the issues of our time and not be mired in tearing others down while dividing the people of our party and state,” she said.

    Her decision to drop out likely clears the way for U.S. Rep. Andy Kim in the Democratic primary on June 4.

    Menendez announced that he would not run in that primary but did not rule out seeking reelection as an independent as he faces federal corruption charges.

    Murphy, a first-time candidate, was running with the backing of influential Democratic figures. Kim, a three-term congressman, has centered his campaign in part on upending the state’s unique ballot design, widely viewed as favoring candidates preferred by county party insiders.

    The stakes are high, with Democrats competing to hold on to their narrow control of the Senate.

    Republicans have their own primary unfolding, featuring businessman Curtis Bashaw, Mendham Borough Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner and former TV news reporter Alex Zdan.

    Menendez vehemently denies allegations that he and his wife accepted bribes of gold bars, cash and a luxury car from three favor-seeking New Jersey businessmen. The couple is scheduled to go on trial in May.

    The Associated Press

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  • AP Projection: Adam Schiff, Steve Garvey advance to November election to fill Feinstein’s seat

    AP Projection: Adam Schiff, Steve Garvey advance to November election to fill Feinstein’s seat

    AP Projection: Adam Schiff, Steve Garvey advance to November election to fill Feinstein’s seat

    CALIFORNIA. AND THANKS FOR JOINING US. AS WE COME INTO OUR FINAL HALF HOUR OF THIS PRIMARY ELECTION NIGHT COVERAGE, WE’RE GOING TO TRY AND WRAP UP AS MUCH AS WE CAN. AS WE KNOW, THE VOTES ARE STILL GOING TO BE COMING IN EVEN AFTER TONIGHT, BUT WE’RE GOING TO TRY AND GIVE YOU A CLEARER PICTURE AS WHERE THINGS STAND RIGHT NOW WITH THE ELECTIONS. LET’S START WITH THE RACE FOR PRESIDENT. AND IT’S BEEN CALLED IN BOTH CATEGORIES, AS IT HAS IN ALL THE OTHERS. SUPER TUESDAY PRIMARY STATES. DEMOCRAT. PRESIDENT. DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT. I SHOULD SAY, UM, GOT A COMMANDING LEAD 90% THERE. CALIFORNIA HAS. 100, 495 DELEGATES AT STAKE. SO THAT IS A QUARTER OF THE NUMBER THAT HE NEEDS IN ORDER TO PICK UP THE NOMINATION ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE. LET’S CHECK IN NOW WITH THE REPUBLICANS. PRESIDENT TRUMP ALSO WITH A STRONG LEAD, 76% TO NIKKI HALEY’S 20%, UH, ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE, 50 PLUS ONE GETS ALL THE DELEGATES. SO THAT’S 169 THAT TRUMP PICKS UP HERE IN CALIFORNIA. AND THE TOP TWO VOTE GETTERS IN THE U.S. SENATE RACE TONIGHT, ADAM SCHIFF AND STEVE GARVEY. THEY WILL MOVE ON TO THE GENERAL ELECTION. KATIE PORTER AND BARBARA LEE, UH, BOTH OF THE PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS IN THIS RACE FALLING SHORT. SO, UH, IT WAS AN INTERESTING NIGHT AS, UH, ADAM SCHIFF DECIDED TO TAKE TO THE STAGE FOR WHAT WAS GOING TO BE A VICTORY SPEECH. YES, A PROTEST RIGHT AT HIS OWN CAMPAIGN PARTY. LET’S CHECK IN WITH ANDREA FLORES, WHO IS AT THAT SITE OF THE PARTY IN LOS ANGELES. AND, YEAH, IT WAS PRETTY CHAOTIC FOR A WHILE. IT WAS VERY CHAOTIC. I FEEL LIKE IT’S IT’S REALLY BEEN A ROLLER COASTER OF EMOTIONS. IF YOU WERE HERE TONIGHT IN HOLLYWOOD AT THE AVALON RIGHT OFF OF THE THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME, IT STARTED OFF WITH SUCH AN UPBEAT MOOD, UPBEAT TONE, AND THEN THINGS QUICKLY TOOK A TURN DURING CONGRESSMAN SCHIFF’S COMMENTS HERE AS HE WAS THANKING HIS SUPPORTERS. OF COURSE, THOSE REMARKS WERE DISRUPTED BY PROTESTERS HERE CALLING FOR A CEASE FIRE IN GAZA, AND THEY WERE VERY OUTSPOKEN AGAINST THE WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS. AND THAT TOOK PLACE REALLY JUST RIGHT HERE. JUST STEPS AWAY FROM WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. IT WAS DOWN IN THE THICK OF WHERE ALL THE SUPPORTERS WERE STANDING. AND REALLY, IT SEEMED LIKE A LOT OF THOSE, UH, PROTESTERS INFILTRATED, UH, SEEMINGLY A GROUP OF SUPPORTERS HERE. AND REALLY TURNED THE NIGHT UPSIDE DOWN. THINGS ARE QUIETING DOWN NOW. OF COURSE, CREWS ARE HERE BREAKING DOWN, AND MOST OF THE SUPPORTERS HAVE SINCE LEFT. BUT I DO WANT TO MENTION, IF WE TAKE A LOOK HERE AT THE BALCONY, UH, SCHIFF DID MAKE A RETURN HERE. THIS WAS AN AREA THAT WAS KIND OF A MORE VIP ALL ACCESS AREA THAT WE DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO, BUT IT DOES LOOK LIKE HE HAD A MOMENT TO THINK. SOME SOME CLOSE SUPPORTERS THERE. SO DID MAKE A QUICK RETURN AND THEN EXITED. WE WERE NOT ABLE TO GET ANY ONE ON ONE SOUND WITH CONGRESSWOMAN SCHIFF TODAY. BUT AGAIN, WE WANT TO SHOW YOU THIS MOMENT WHEN THAT DISRUPTION BROKE OUT. SO YOU HAD A CHANCE. YOU HAD A CHANCE TO MEET MY WONDERFUL WIFE, EVE. AND AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A VIDEO OF WHEN THAT DISRUPTION TOOK PLACE. I THINK TAKING A LOT OF PEOPLE BY SURPRISE. UH, VERY CALM ATMOSPHERE TURNED INTO CHAOS VERY QUICKLY. A LOT OF HEATED EXCHANGE BETWEEN SCHIFF SUPPORTERS AND PROTESTERS HERE. BUT HERE’S WHAT HE HAD TO SAY IN THE REMARKS THAT HE WAS ABLE TO GET OUT. GRASSROOTS TEAM. MY GREAT, GREAT GRATITUDE TO ALL OF MY WONDERFUL SUPPORTERS. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE RIGHT OF OUR PROTESTERS AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL AND ONWARD TO VICTORY IN NOVEMBER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, EVERYBODY. AND AGAIN, WE WANT TO MENTION ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO WAS ON STAGE WITH CONGRESSMAN SCHIFF TONIGHT WAS FORMER L.A. MAYOR ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA HAS BEEN VERY INVOLVED IN THE L.A. COMMUNITY AND IN CALIFORNIA POLITICS AS A WHOLE. AND EVEN AT THE, UH, THE NATIONAL LEVEL. AND WE ASKED WHAT HE THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN BEEN THE PROTESTERS HERE AND THE SUPPORTERS EARLIER TONIGHT, ISSUES OF LIFE AND DEATH. THEY’RE IMPORTANT ISSUES. BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU IF WE WANT PEOPLE TO LISTEN TO US, STOP SCREAMING. SO AGAIN, WORDS FROM FORMER L.A. MAYOR ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA AND, UH, AGAIN, AS AS THINGS START TO WRAP UP HERE, I THINK THE BIGGEST THING AND THE THING THAT WE HEARD FROM VOTERS EARLIER TODAY WHEN WE WERE AT A VOTING CENTER IN GLENDALE, WHICH IS, UH, CONGRESSMAN SCHIFF’S DISTRICT, THE 30TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IS THAT VOTERS ARE REALLY GOING INTO THE ELECTIONS WANTING TO KNOW WHERE CANDIDATES STAND ON ON THE WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS. AND SOME OF THEM SAID THAT WILL DRIVE THEIR DECISION. THAT’S GOING TO DRIVE WHO THEY VOTE FOR. SO IT’LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THE VOTERS TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND THE INFORMATION THAT CANDIDATES ARE PUTTING OUT THEIR STANCE ABOUT THE ONGOING WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS, AND HOW THAT WILL INFLUENCE THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. AND AS WE HEAD INTO NOVEMBER, WE’LL SEND IT BACK TO YOU LIVE FROM HOLLYWOOD. ALL RIGHT, ANDREA, THANK YOU. WE SHOULD POINT OUT BOTH OF THOSE CANDIDATES WERE PRETTY CLEAR ON THE RECORD THAT THEY SUPPORT ISRAEL’S RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF. AND BOTH WERE, YOU KNOW, UH, TOOK STRONG POSITIONS ON THAT. WELL, TO THAT POINT, TALKING ABOUT STEVE GARVEY AND ADAM SCHIFF. AND WE’RE GOING TO GO TO THE STEVE GARVEY HEADQUARTERS RIGHT NOW. WE’RE MICHELLE BANDUR WAS EARLIER TODAY AS STEVE GARVEY, UH, ALSO GAVE HIS VICTORY SPEECH IN PALM DESERT. STEVE GARVEY AND HIS SUPPORTERS HAVE GONE HOME WITH A VICTORY UNDER THEIR BELT, THANKING CALIFORNIA VOTERS FOR BRINGING STEVE GARVEY TO THE NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION AS THE REPUBLICAN IN THIS RACE FOR THE US SENATE SEAT. HE USED A LOT OF BASEBALL JARGON HERE TONIGHT, SAYING HE IS AS EXCITED AS HE WAS IN SEPTEMBER OF 69 WHEN HE FIRST PUT ON THAT DODGERS UNIFORM. UM, GOT UP INTO THE BATTER’S BOX AND LOOKED AROUND SAYING THAT THIS IS WHAT HARD WORK AND DEDICATION LOOKS LIKE. AND HE SAYS THAT’S WHAT HE HAS IN STORE FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, PUTTING HIS HARD WORK AND DEDICATION IN TO WIN THAT SENATE SEAT. WELL, KNOW THIS IT AIN’T OVER TILL IT’S OVER. WE’VE GOT TO THE STARTING LINE. AND THAT QUOTE YOU ALL KNOW IS TRUE IN BASEBALL AND IT’S TRUE IN POLITICS. AND MY OPPONENT HAS BEEN ADVERTISING THAT HE HE WANTS ME AND HE’S MISTAKING KINDNESS FOR WEAKNESS. REMEMBER THAT OLD SAYING BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR. WELL HE’S LIKE THE PITCHER THAT THROWS ME 70 MILE AN HOUR FASTBALLS. AND THEN WATCHES ME RUN AROUND THE BASES. I CAN’T THANK YOU ENOUGH. ALL OF YOU HERE TONIGHT THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA AND THROUGHOUT THIS GREAT COUNTRY. GARVEY SAID HE COULD HAVE EASILY JUST ENJOYED HIS RETIREMENT, ENJOYED HIS LIFE WITH HIS FAMILY. BUT HE SAID ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS AGO, HE WOKE UP AND TURNED ON THE NEWS AND SAID HE WATCHED AN IMPLODING WASHINGTON AND POLITICIANS WHO WERE FAILING THE VOTERS. SO HE SAID HE HAD TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT. REPORTING FROM PALM DESERT MICHELLE BANDUR KCRA 3 NEWS. AND AS WE’RE COVERING THE SENATE ELECTION, WE ALSO WANT TO GO TO LYSEE MITRI, WHO HAS BEEN COVERING THE KATY PORTER CAMPAIGN. THE END OF THAT CONGRESSWOMAN’S CAREER. FOR NOW. THAT PARTY WAS IN LONG BEACH. THINGS CLEARED OUT HERE AT THE BUNGALOW IN LONG BEACH, WHERE CONGRESSWOMAN KATIE PORTER WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THAT ELECTION PARTY. OBVIOUSLY A LITTLE BIT DISAPPOINTING FOR HER TONIGHT. YOU CAN SEE THE STAGE THAT’S BEING DISMANTLED RIGHT NOW WHERE CONGRESSWOMAN PORTER SPOKE. SHE SAID, WE KNOW WE WILL COME UP SHORT. AND SHE REALLY SEEMED TO BE ATTRIBUTING THAT TO THE ADVERTISING AGAINST HER AND THOSE ADS THAT WERE ELEVATING THE REPUBLICAN FRONTRUNNER AGAINST HER. GARVEY. SO SHE SAID, BASICALLY, THE OPPONENT THREW EVERY PLAYBOOK AT US THAT THEY COULD TO TRY TO KNOCK US OFF OUR FEET. BUT SHE SAID, I’M STILL STANDING IN HIGH HEELS. TAKE A LISTEN. SO THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I WANT TO SAY TONIGHT IS THANK YOU, BECAUSE OF YOU, WE HAD THE ESTABLISHMENT RUNNING SCARED WITH STANDING 3 TO 1 IN TV, SPENDING AND AN ONSLAUGHT OF BILLIONAIRES WHO SPENT MILLIONS IONS PEDDLING LIES AND OUR OPPONENTS SPENDING MORE TO BOOST THE REPUBLICAN THAN PROMOTING HIS OWN CAMPAIGN. YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. I WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU REALLY. EACH AND EVERY ONE, ONE OF YOU, FOR THE SUPPORT THAT YOU HAVE SHOWN ME IN THIS CAMPAIGN. AND OVER THE YEARS. AND WE DID TRY TO SPEAK WITH HER AFTER THAT CONCESSION SPEECH, BUT SHE KIND OF MADE HER WAY FROM THE STAGE, TALKED TO HER SUPPORTERS. SHE TOOK PICTURES. SHE GAVE HUGS. WE WERE TOLD SHE WOULD SPEAK TO THOSE SUPPORTERS FIRST, AND THEN SHE WAS QUICKLY USHERED OUT AND WE WERE TOLD SHE WAS DONE FOR THE NIGHT. REPORTING HERE IN LONG BEACH, LYSEE MITRI. KCRA THREE NEWS. YOU KNOW, AS WE’RE LOOKING AT THIS BIG TRANSITION PERIOD WITH CALIFORNIA’S TWO U.S. SENATORS UNTIL RECENTLY, FOR DECADES, WE HAD TWO WOMEN WHO WERE ELECTED WHEN WHAT WAS CALLED THE YEAR OF THE WOMEN, BARBARA BOXER AND DIANNE FEINSTEIN. POWERHOUSE. UM, NOW WE HAVE ALEX PADILLA AND NOW THE SENIOR SENATOR POSITION AND TWO MEN ADVANCING TO NOVEMBER. SO THAT’S A BIG CHANGE FOR OUR STATE. THIS IS A DIFFERENT DYNAMIC. YES. IT IS SORT OF A TREND THAT WE’RE SEEING. IT’S SORT OF THE YEAR OF THE MAN HERE IN CALIFORNIA. I MEAN, NOT ONLY THERE IN CONGRESS, BUT ALSO RIGHT HERE AT HOME. WE HAVE THE GOVERNOR, WHO IS A MAN, THE LEADER OF THE STATE ASSEMBLY, WHO IS NOW A MAN, THE LEADER OF THE STATE SENATE, WHO IS NOW A MAN. SO JUST IT MUST BE THE YEAR OF THE MAN. OKAY. IT’S ABOUT TIME. I GUESS I’M NOT GOING TO SAY ANYTHING. UM, NO, BUT JUST JUST YOUR THOUGHTS ON. I MEAN, JUST SEEING WHAT WE HAVE NOW SET UP FOR THIS SENATE RACE. I MEAN, IT WAS, I THINK THE YOU KNOW, BIGGEST, MOST INTERESTING THING TONIGHT WAS THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A REAL VICTORY MOMENT FOR ADAM SCHIFF. YOU KNOW, HE’S LOOKING AHEAD CRUISING TO NOVEMBER AND WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN THIS VERY SWEET MOMENT FOR HIM WAS OBVIOUSLY KIND OF TRAMPLED ON BY THIS POLITICAL CONTROVERSY. I THINK IT SPEAKS TO HOW IMPASSIONED AND CONTENTIOUS THIS POLITICAL MOMENT IS AROUND THE ISSUE OF THE WAR IN GAZA, AND HE’S GOING TO HAVE TO PROBABLY ADDRESS THAT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL FOR MONTHS TO COME. DEFINITELY. BUT YOU LOOK AT THAT ISSUE FOR THESE TWO PARTICULAR CANDIDATES, AND THAT’S ONE THING THEY ACTUALLY HAVE IN COMMON. OH, YEAH. NO, ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, I THINK THERE’S VERY FEW CANDIDATES OUT THERE RIGHT NOW WHO ARE CALLING FOR CEASEFIRE. AND THAT’S PROBABLY WHY YOU’RE SEEING PROTESTERS GETTING MORE AND MORE AGGRESSIVE ABOUT THEIR TACTICS, TRYING TO CATCH PEOPLE’S ATTENTION, TRYING TO GET THEIR MESSAGE THROUGH. BECAUSE DESPITE MONTHS AND MONTHS OF WAR, PEOPLE LIKE ADAM SCHIFF HAVE NOT REALLY SHIFTED THEIR POSITION AT ALL. OKAY. THANKS, ALEXI. ALL RIGHT. WELL, IN ADDITION TO CALIFORNIA, OF COURSE, MORE THAN A DOZEN STATES HOLDING ELECTIONS TODAY AND WHAT WE NOW CALL SUPER TUESDAY WITH NEARLY A THIRD OF ALL POSSIBLE DELEGATES IS UP FOR GRABS. OF COURSE, A MAJOR NIGHT WHEN IT COMES TO THE WHITE HOUSE. SO LET’S GO TO TY RIGHT NOW. HE’S GOT THE WINS AND LOSSES. YEAH. BOTH PRESIDENT BIDEN AND FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP NOW HAVE MORE THAN HALF THE DELEGATES NEEDED TO WIN THEIR PARTY’S NOMINATION. DONALD TRUMP IS PROJECTED TO WIN CALIFORNIA, AS WELL AS ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, COLORADO, MASSACHUSETTS, MAINE, MINNESOTA, NORTH CAROLINA, OKLAHOMA, TENNESSEE, TEXAS AND VIRGINIA. BUT IT WAS NOT A CLEAN SWEEP. NIKKI HALEY IS PROJECTED TO WIN THE VERMONT PRIMARY, AND SHE WON JUST MORE THAN HALF THE VOTES IN VERMONT, WHICH IS AN OPEN PRIMARY. THAT MEANS INDEPENDENTS AND DEMOCRATS ARE ALLOWED TO VOTE IN THE PRIMARY, ALONG WITH REPUBLICANS. SO. SO HERE’S A LOOK AT THE UPDATED REPUBLICAN DELEGATE COUNT. FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP NOW HAS NEARLY A THOUSAND DELEGATES. HE’S MORE THAN HALFWAY TO WINNING THE PARTY’S NOMINATION. HALEY HAS 92. IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, PRESIDENT BIDEN IS WINNING WITH EVERY STATE HOLDING ELECTIONS TODAY, INCLUDING CALIFORNIA. BUT THE PRESIDENT LOST THE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS IN AMERICAN SAMOA WITH LESS THAN 100 PEOPLE VOTING THERE. BUSINESSMAN JASON PALMER WAS DECLARED THE WINNER, GAINING SIX DELEGATES. SO EVEN WITH THE LOSS, THE PRESIDENT NOW HAS MORE THAN 1500 DELEGATES. JUST A FEW HUNDRED DELEGATES AWAY FROM THAT MAGIC NUMBER. 1968. PRESIDENT BIDEN DID NOT ATTEND ANY POLITICAL EVENTS TONIGHT. INSTEAD, HIS OFFICE SAYS HE WAS PREPARING TO DELIVER HIS THIRD STATE OF THE NATIO

    AP Projection: Adam Schiff, Steve Garvey advance to November election to fill Feinstein’s seat

    One of two U.S. senators representing California could be either a Democrat or Republican as the two frontrunners who emerged are Adam Schiff and Steve Garvey.With the top-two system, the two top vote-getters regardless of political affiliation advance to the November general election.Democrats are expected to easily hold the Senate seat in November, a relief for the party as it seeks to defend a narrow majority. But the campaign still represents a new era in California politics, which was long dominated by Feinstein and a handful of other veteran politicians.Schiff gained national attention as a leading antagonist to former President Donald Trump during his years in the White House. He was a leading voice during Trump’s two impeachments, prompting House Republicans to take the extraordinary step of censuring him after they gained control of the chamber.That only deepened his appeal in the Democratic stronghold of California, helping Schiff become a favorite of the party’s establishment and lifting him to become a fundraising powerhouse in a massively expensive primary campaign.Schiff’s victory speech was interrupted by a fiery crowd of protestors chanting, “Ceasefire now!” and “Free Palestine!”“We want to make sure we keep this kind of democracy,” Schiff said, trying to appeal to the crowd.Meanwhile, Garvey, a former Major League Baseball star player, has voted for Trump twice and has not been open about whether he still supports him to this day. Garvey’s candidacy, buoyed by name recognition among older voters in particular, threw an unexpected twist into the race. The dynamic between Schiff and U.S. Rep. Katie Porter grew increasingly tense in the campaign’s closing weeks as both vied for a general election spot.The first-time candidate Garvey notched his spot on the fall ballot by positioning himself as an outsider running against entrenched Washington insiders who he blamed for rising grocery and gas prices, out-of-reach housing costs and an unchecked homeless crisis in cities.“Let’s celebrate,” Garvey said when he walked out on stage in his victory speech. “Welcome to the California comeback.”In a speech laden with baseball terminology, Garvey highlighted concerns with the border, inflation, homeless crisis, crime and foreign policy. He also appealed to voters tired of career politicians.Ahead of polls closing, candidate Barbara Lee stopped at her campaign headquarters in Oakland and spoke with reporters before she left for Washington D.C.“People understand that I hear them, I see them, that I want to make their lives better,” Lee said. “I’m experienced and have a deep and broad background in foreign policy and international relations. Right now, we need people in the United States Senate who can hit the ground running.”Both she and Katie Porter will not be advancing to November.Track national live updates here.Track statewide live updates here.Find all Californa election results here.-KCRA 3’s Jonathan Ayestas and Lindsay Weber contributed to this reporting.

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

    One of two U.S. senators representing California could be either a Democrat or Republican as the two frontrunners who emerged are Adam Schiff and Steve Garvey.

    With the top-two system, the two top vote-getters regardless of political affiliation advance to the November general election.

    Democrats are expected to easily hold the Senate seat in November, a relief for the party as it seeks to defend a narrow majority. But the campaign still represents a new era in California politics, which was long dominated by Feinstein and a handful of other veteran politicians.

    Schiff gained national attention as a leading antagonist to former President Donald Trump during his years in the White House. He was a leading voice during Trump’s two impeachments, prompting House Republicans to take the extraordinary step of censuring him after they gained control of the chamber.

    That only deepened his appeal in the Democratic stronghold of California, helping Schiff become a favorite of the party’s establishment and lifting him to become a fundraising powerhouse in a massively expensive primary campaign.

    Schiff’s victory speech was interrupted by a fiery crowd of protestors chanting, “Ceasefire now!” and “Free Palestine!”

    “We want to make sure we keep this kind of democracy,” Schiff said, trying to appeal to the crowd.

    Meanwhile, Garvey, a former Major League Baseball star player, has voted for Trump twice and has not been open about whether he still supports him to this day.

    Garvey’s candidacy, buoyed by name recognition among older voters in particular, threw an unexpected twist into the race. The dynamic between Schiff and U.S. Rep. Katie Porter grew increasingly tense in the campaign’s closing weeks as both vied for a general election spot.

    The first-time candidate Garvey notched his spot on the fall ballot by positioning himself as an outsider running against entrenched Washington insiders who he blamed for rising grocery and gas prices, out-of-reach housing costs and an unchecked homeless crisis in cities.

    “Let’s celebrate,” Garvey said when he walked out on stage in his victory speech. “Welcome to the California comeback.”

    In a speech laden with baseball terminology, Garvey highlighted concerns with the border, inflation, homeless crisis, crime and foreign policy. He also appealed to voters tired of career politicians.

    Ahead of polls closing, candidate Barbara Lee stopped at her campaign headquarters in Oakland and spoke with reporters before she left for Washington D.C.

    “People understand that I hear them, I see them, that I want to make their lives better,” Lee said. “I’m experienced and have a deep and broad background in foreign policy and international relations. Right now, we need people in the United States Senate who can hit the ground running.”

    Both she and Katie Porter will not be advancing to November.

    Track national live updates here.

    Track statewide live updates here.

    Find all Californa election results here.

    -KCRA 3’s Jonathan Ayestas and Lindsay Weber contributed to this reporting.

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  • Mitch McConnell Fast Facts | CNN Politics

    Mitch McConnell Fast Facts | CNN Politics



    CNN
     — 

    Here is a look at the life of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky.

    Birth date: February 20, 1942

    Birth place: Colbert County, Alabama

    Birth name: Addison Mitchell McConnell Jr.

    Father: Addison Mitchell McConnell

    Mother: Julia (Shockley) McConnell

    Marriages: Elaine Chao (1993-present); Sherrill Redmon (1968-1980, divorced)

    Children: with Sherrill Redmon: Porter; Claire; Eleanor

    Education: University of Louisville, B.A., 1964; University of Kentucky, J.D., 1967

    Religion: Baptist

    Contracted polio at age 2 and was not allowed to walk for two years while completing physical therapy.

    His wife, Elaine Chao, served as secretary of the Department of Labor under President George W. Bush and deputy secretary of the Department of Transportation under President George H.W. Bush. Chao served as the secretary of the Department of Transportation under President Donald Trump.

    1968-1970 – Chief legislative assistant to Senator Marlow Cook.

    1974-1975 – Deputy Assistant United States Attorney for Legislative Affairs.

    1975 – Acting Assistant Attorney General.

    1978-1985 – Judge-Executive of Jefferson County, Kentucky.

    1984 – Elected to the US Senate to represent Kentucky.

    1990 – Reelected to the US Senate.

    1996 – Reelected to the US Senate.

    2002 – Reelected to the US Senate.

    2003-2007 – Senate Republican Whip.

    November 16, 2006 – Elected Senate Republican leader. McConnell replaces Bill Frist.

    January 4, 2007-January 6, 2015 – Senate Minority Leader.

    2008 – Reelected to the US Senate.

    October 23, 2010 – During an interview with the National Journal, McConnell says, “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President [Barack] Obama to be a one-term president.”

    November 4, 2014 – Reelected to the US Senate.

    November 13, 2014 – McConnell is reelected leader of the Republican party in the Senate. When Congress reconvenes in January 2015, McConnell will take over as Senate majority leader from Harry Reid.

    January 6, 2015–January 20, 2021 – Senate Majority Leader.

    December 12, 2016 – Announces he supports a congressional investigation into findings that Russian hackers attempted to influence the election.

    June 12, 2018 – Becomes the longest-serving Republican leader in the Senate’s history, surpassing former Sen. Robert Dole’s record.

    August 4, 2019 – McConnell fractures his shoulder after falling in his Kentucky home. “This morning, Leader McConnell tripped at home on his outside patio and suffered a fractured shoulder,” David Popp, McConnell’s communications director, says in a statement. “He has been treated, released, and is working from home in Louisville.”

    August 15, 2019 – McConnell undergoes surgery to repair the fracture in his shoulder. “The surgery was performed without incident, and the Leader is grateful to the surgical team for their skill,” Popp says in a statement.

    November 3, 2020 – Wins reelection to the US Senate, defeating Democratic opponent Amy McGrath and her massive fundraising efforts to unseat him.

    November 10, 2020 – McConnell is reelected as a Senate party leader, but the party holding the Senate majority won’t be determined until two runoff elections in Georgia take place in January.

    December 15, 2020 – Six weeks after Election Day McConnell finally acknowledges Joe Biden’s victory and refers to him as president-elect.

    January 2, 2021 – Police report that McConnell’s home has been vandalized. The damage takes place after the Senate stalls on increasing stimulus checks to $2,000. The home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the other highest-ranking member of Congress, was vandalized the previous day.

    January 20, 2021-present – Senate Minority Leader.

    February 13, 2021 – McConnell directly blames former President Trump for instigating last month’s riot at the Capitol but votes to acquit him anyway of inciting an insurrection.

    November 16, 2022 – Wins a secret-ballot leadership election, putting him on pace to become the longest-serving Senate party leader in US history. McConnell defeats Florida Sen. Rick Scott in a 37-10-1 vote, his first challenger in his 15 years atop his conference.

    March 8, 2023 – McConnell is being treated for a concussion and is staying at a hospital for observation after a fall at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Washington, DC.

    July 26, 2023 – McConnell stops speaking in the middle of remarks at his regularly scheduled weekly news conference on Capitol Hill. After a 30-second pause, his colleagues crowded around to see if he was OK and asked him how he felt. He later tells reporters that he’s “fine.”

    August 30, 2023 – Appears to freeze for about 30 seconds while speaking with reporters after a speech in Covington, Kentucky.

    February 28, 2024 – McConnell will step down at GOP leader in November, a source tells CNN.

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