Politics
- USLA Times
Cornel West selects L.A. professor and activist Melina Abdullah as presidential running mate
Abdullah, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles, said she and West 'want to disrupt the narrative that you have only two choices,' referring to Biden and Trump.
5 min read - PoliticsNBC News
House Speaker Mike Johnson to deliver remarks with Trump on 'election integrity'
House Speaker Mike Johnson will travel to Mar-a-Lago Friday for remarks on “election integrity” with former President Donald Trump, sources said.
2 min read - PoliticsReuters
Trump loses third bid this week to delay hush money trial
NEW YORK (Reuters) -A New York appeals judge on Wednesday denied Donald Trump's third last-ditch attempt this week to delay his April 15 criminal trial on charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star, paving the way for the first-ever trial of a former U.S. president. During an earlier hearing, Trump lawyer Emil Bove said the trial should be delayed because Justice Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the case, has not yet ruled on their request for him to recuse himself. Bove also said Mer
3 min read - WorldPolitico
Israel and Ukraine dominate Biden’s life. China gets its moment this week.
The irony of Biden’s meetings this week is he gets to show how much Asia work his team has done while highlighting their relative lack of China focus.
6 min read - PoliticsABC News
Mike Johnson, Marjorie Taylor Greene speakership standoff continues after meeting
House Speaker Mike Johnson and fellow Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene met Wednesday amid Greene's looming threat to remove Johnson from his post. It was their first sit-down since Greene introduced a motion to vacate the speaker's chair just before lawmakers left Washington last month for a two-week recess. Greene exited the meeting still frustrated with Johnson's handling of several hot-button issues, including additional aid for Ukraine and the reauthorization of the Foreign Intellige
4 min read - PoliticsABC News
Trump says Arizona abortion ban ruling goes too far, again touts role in ending Roe
Former President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that a new court ruling in Arizona upholding a near-total ban on abortion in the state, based on a 19th-century law, had gone too far and "needs to be straightened out." It was the latest example of how the 2024 candidate is now trying to balance his support for abortion opponents without embracing the broader bans that voters have been rejecting. "It's all about states' rights and it needs to be straightened out," Trump said in Atlanta, reacting
4 min read - USAssociated Press
Biden administration sets first-ever limits on 'forever chemicals' in drinking water
The Biden administration on Wednesday finalized strict limits on certain so-called “forever chemicals” in drinking water that will require utilities to reduce them to the lowest level they can be reliably measured. The rule is the first national drinking water limit on toxic PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are widespread and long lasting in the environment. Health advocates praised the Environmental Protection Agency for not backing away from tough limits the agen
6 min read - PoliticsNBC News
House Republicans are in chaos again as conservatives derail a key surveillance bill
Some House Republicans and Donald Trump are working to kill a bill to renew FISA Section 702 surveillance powers that are set to expire next week.
6 min read - WorldNBC News
Japan gifts 250 new cherry trees to D.C., replacing those to be removed for repairs
Japan is gifting the United States 250 new cherry trees, Prime Minister Kishida and President Biden announced during a state visit at the White House.
2 min read - USAssociated Press
Judge in Trump's election interference case rejects 'hostages' label for jailed Jan. 6 defendants
The judge overseeing former President Donald Trump's election interference case rejected the notion Wednesday that jailed defendants charged with some of the most violent crimes of the U.S. Capitol riot are “hostages” — a label Trump and his allies have frequently used to describe the prisoners. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said the Capitol riot defendants who remain jailed in Washington, D.C., don't deserve to be called hostages or heroes for their actions during the mob's attack on Jan.
3 min read - PoliticsYahoo News
Trump legal news brief: 3rd appeals court judge in 3 days rejects Trump motion to delay hush money trial
An appeals court judge rejects former President Donald Trump’s latest attempt to delay the start of the hush money trial on the grounds that presidential immunity protects him from being prosecuted.
7 min read - WorldReuters
Bipartisan US bill seeks $2.5 billion for Philippines defense
On the eve of a trilateral summit between the United States, Japan and the Philippines, two prominent U.S. senators on Wednesday introduced a bipartisan bill to provide Manila with $2.5 billion to boost its defenses against Chinese pressure. The bill, put forward by Republican Bill Hagerty, a former ambassador to Japan, and Democrat Tim Kaine, authorizes $500 million a year in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) grant assistance to the Philippines over the five fiscal years to 2029. The Philippin
2 min read - USAssociated Press
Tennessee bill to untangle gun and voting rights restoration is killed for the year
Tennessee lawmakers have killed a bipartisan bill for the year that would have let residents convicted of felonies apply to vote again without also restoring their gun rights. Democratic Rep. Antonio Parkinson and Republican Sen. Paul Bailey advanced the bill late in Tennessee's annual legislative session. “We’re not giving people the chance to get back to being a productive citizen, getting back to living life,” Parkinson told The Associated Press after the vote.
4 min read - WorldNBC News
The U.S. and Japan announce a historic upgrade in security ties to counter China
The United States and Japan announce a historic upgrade to their security alliance on Wednesday, as President Joe Biden hosts Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for an official visit that will highlight Japan’s role in countering China in the Asia-Pacific.
6 min read - PoliticsReuters
US Senate votes to reject rule to cut greenhouse gas emissions on highways
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed a resolution that would overturn a federal agency's rule requiring states to measure and set declining targets for greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles using the national highway system. The Federal Highway Administration rules were declared unlawful last month by a federal judge but the decision could be reversed upon appeal. President Joe Biden's administration is eager to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 in an effort to avoid potentially
2 min read - USAssociated Press
Shouts of ‘Shame! Shame!’ erupt in Arizona House as fight over abortion ban engulfs lawmakers
The state Supreme Court cleared the way on Tuesday for enforcement of the pre-statehood law. Arizona abortion providers vowed Wednesday to continue service until they're forced to stop, possibly within weeks. State legislators convened as pressure mounted from Democrats and some Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, for them to intervene.
5 min read - BusinessBusiness Insider
TikTok's owner is raking in cash
TikTok owner ByteDance, a Chinese company, grew its revenue by 60% in 2023, despite the threat of a TikTok ban by the US Congress.
2 min read - USAssociated Press
Consumers would be notified of AI-generated content under Pennsylvania bill
Pennsylvania consumers would be notified when content has been generated by artificial intelligence, and defendants couldn’t argue that child sexual abuse material created by artificial intelligence isn’t illegal, under a bill the House passed Wednesday. The bill's prime sponsor, Rep. Chris Pielli, said it was designed to place guardrails around the use of artificial intelligence to protect consumers. “This bill is simple,” Pielli, a Democrat from Chester County, said in floor remarks.
3 min read - PoliticsBusiness Insider
Letitia James is not done with Donald Trump. Now she wants to know if he withheld evidence in her fraud case.
New York's attorney general now wants to know if Donald Trump withheld evidence in his fraud case.
6 min read - PoliticsNBC News
Trump says Arizona abortion ruling went too far
Former President Donald Trump said Arizona's Supreme Court went too far in ruling the state's 160-year-old near-total abortion ban can be enforced.
3 min read - PoliticsBusiness Insider
Trump can't escape the firestorm over abortion rights — just like Joe Biden hoped
Donald Trump tried to wash his hands politically of the abortion issue. Days later, it's clear he can't escape it.
4 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
New York appeals court rejects Donald Trump’s third request to delay Monday's hush money trial
Donald Trump is now 0 for 3 in last-minute attempts to get a New York appeals court to delay his looming hush money criminal trial. An appeals court judge Wednesday swiftly rejected the latest salvo from the former president’s lawyers, who argued he should be on the campaign trail rather than “in a courtroom defending himself” starting next week. Trump's lawyers had asked the state’s mid-level appeals court to halt the case indefinitely while they fight to remove the trial judge and challenge
5 min read - PoliticsReuters
Arizona ruling puts abortion at center of 2024 presidential election
(Reuters) -Democrats wasted little time capitalizing on Tuesday's ruling from Arizona's high court upholding a 160-year-old abortion ban, organizing press conferences in swing states across the country and blaming former Republican President Donald Trump for eliminating a nationwide right to abortion. The decision from the conservative Arizona Supreme Court sent a shockwave through the battleground state, which is poised to play a pivotal role in November's presidential election while also host
5 min read - USNBC News
U.S. Capitol Police hires prosecutors to investigate threats against lawmakers
The U.S. Capitol Police has hired attorneys to help investigate threats made to lawmakers and assist in prosecuting people who threaten members of Congress.
1 min read - USAssociated Press
FirstEnergy made secret $1 million payment in 2017 to support ‘Husted campaign’ in Ohio
The Akron-based energy company at the center of a $60 million bribery scheme in Ohio gave a secret $1 million contribution to a dark money group backing Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted in his 2018 bid for governor, cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer reported Wednesday. The contribution from FirstEnergy Corp. to Freedom Frontier, a political 501(c)(4) nonprofit, came at the onset of the House Bill 6 scandal, when dark money groups were being created that would ultimately be used to funnel bribe money
2 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
Trump assails Jewish voters who back Biden: 'Should have their head examined'
Donald Trump on Wednesday lashed out at Jewish voters who back President Joe Biden and framed this year's election as a referendum on the strength of Christianity in the U.S., part of his sharp-edged continuing appeal to evangelical conservatives who are a critical element of his political base. Speaking in Atlanta ahead of a fundraiser, the presumptive Republican nominee renewed his running criticism of Biden's reaction to the Israel-Hamas war and the administration's support for the rights of
4 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Biden says he backs Japan's outreach to North Korea and says he's still open to talks with Kim
President Joe Biden said Wednesday that Japan's attempts to set up a leader-to-leader summit with North Korea is “a good thing,” and reiterated his administration's willingness for its own talks without preconditions. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Biden were using the Japanese leader's official visit to Washington to spotlight strengthened defense and intelligence ties to address threats from North Korea and China. The U.S. blessing of the potential talks between Japan and North Korea comes
1 min read - USAssociated Press
Prosecutors recommend delaying the bribery trial of Sen. Bob Menendez from May to a summer date
The May bribery trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez should be postponed until July or August after it was learned that the New Jersey Democrat's wife, a co-defendant, has a serious medical issue, prosecutors said Wednesday. In a letter to the trial judge, prosecutors said delaying the May 6 trial to a date this summer was a better prospect than separate trials requested by Nadine Menendez's lawyers. On Tuesday, her lawyers notified the court that a newly diagnosed and serious medical condition tha
2 min read - USAssociated Press
Challenger to the judge in Trump's 2020 Georgia election interference case is disqualified
One of two people who filed paperwork to run against the judge presiding over former President Donald Trump's 2020 Georgia election interference case has been disqualified but says she plans to appeal that decision. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger issued a final decision Tuesday saying that Tiffani Johnson is not qualified to run for the seat held by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee. The decision by Raffensperger, a Republican, follows an administrative law judge's
4 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
Speaker Johnson to meet with Trump, offers Marjorie Taylor Greene advisory role as own job teeters
His job on the line, House Speaker Mike Johnson is dashing to Florida to meet with Donald Trump this week and has offered far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene a seat on his own “kitchen cabinet” as he draws closer to the MAGA forces that now dominate the GOP. The House Republicans are tearing themselves apart, unable to work together to push party priorities through Congress yet watching their majority fritter away the days without a cohesive agenda or much to show for their 15 months in power
5 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
Conservative revolt in the House blocks effort to reauthorize a key US spy tool
A bill that would reauthorize a crucial national security surveillance program was blocked Wednesday by a conservative revolt, pushing the prospects of final passage into uncertainty amid a looming deadline. The legislative impasse follows an edict earlier in the day from former President Donald Trump to “kill" the measure. The breakdown comes months after a similar process to reform and reauthorize the surveillance program fell apart before it even reached the House floor.
4 min read - PoliticsBusiness Insider
It pays to leave Congress: Democrat who resigned mid-term is getting a $131,000 pay bump to run a performing arts center
Even when they're not taking a cushy lobbying or consulting gig, members of Congress know they can make way more outside the halls of power.
3 min read - USAssociated Press
Ralph Puckett Jr., awarded Medal of Honor for heroism during the Korean War, dies at 97
Ralph Puckett Jr., a retired Army colonel awarded the Medal of Honor seven decades after he was wounded leading a company of outnumbered Army Rangers in battle during the Korean War, has died at age 97. Puckett died peacefully Monday at his home in Columbus, Georgia, according to the Striffler-Hamby Mortuary, which is handling funeral arrangements. President Joe Biden lauded Puckett for his “extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty” while presenting the retired
3 min read - WorldAssociated Press
Japan is giving Washington 250 new cherry trees to replace those to be lost in construction work
Japan is giving the United States 250 new cherry trees to help replace the hundreds that are being ripped out this summer as construction crews work to repair the crumbling seawall around the capital's Tidal Basin. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made the announcement as President Joe Biden welcomed him to the White House on Wednesday for an official visit and state dinner. Biden said the gift is meant to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. in 2026, adding, “Like our friendship, these
3 min read - USAssociated Press
Tennessee Senate OKs a bill that would make it illegal for adults to help minors seeking abortions
Republican lawmakers in Tennessee on Wednesday advanced legislation making it illegal for adults to help minors get an abortion without parental consent, sparking objections from Democrats who counter that doing so could result in young victims needing approval from their parents who may have raped them in order to terminate the pregnancies. “There are people who are in situations and circumstances that we cannot fathom,” said Democratic state Sen. Raumesh Akbari. Ever since the U.S. Supreme C
3 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
Trump says Arizona's abortion ban goes too far while defending the overturning of Roe v. Wade
Donald Trump said Wednesday that an Arizona law that criminalizes nearly all abortions goes too far and called on Arizona lawmakers to change it, while also defending the overturning of Roe v. Wade that cleared states to ban the procedure. Now facing growing political backlash as Democrats notch victories around the nation by campaigning on abortion rights, Trump increasingly has been put on the defensive and urged Republicans to avoid supporting bans that are unpopular with many Americans.
3 min read - PoliticsThe Guardian
Gerald Ford foundation accused of not honoring Liz Cheney over Trump fears
Ford’s White House photographer resigns from board, alleging it refused to honor Republican over fear of retribution
5 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
Ukraine will be outgunned by Russia 10 to 1 in weeks without US help, top Europe general says
The top general for U.S. forces in Europe told Congress Wednesday that Ukraine will be outgunned 10 to one by Russia within a matter of weeks if Congress does not find a way to approve sending more ammunition and weapons to Kyiv soon. The testimony from Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, head of U.S. European Command, and Celeste Wallander, assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, comes as Congress enters pivotal weeks for voting for aid for Ukraine, but there's no guarante
4 min read - WorldThe New York Times
To Counter China’s Rising Power, Biden Looks to Strengthen Ties With Japan
WASHINGTON — The United States and Japan, faced with the challenges posed by an increasingly hostile China, are expected to further integrate their militaries and announce new agreements on technology and defense Wednesday as President Joe Biden hosts Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a state visit to Washington. The talks are part of the Biden administration’s diplomatic outreach to counter China, which includes recent war games with Seoul, South Korea. On Thursday, Biden and Kishida will meet w
6 min read - PoliticsAssociated Press
Trump supporters trying to recall Wisconsin GOP leader failed, elections review concludes
The effort by supporters of former President Donald Trump to recall Wisconsin's top elected Republican did not gather enough signatures to trigger the recall election and therefore should be rejected, state elections officials said Wednesday. Trump backers angry with Assembly Speaker Robin Vos launched the recall effort, citing his refusal to decertify President Joe Biden’s narrow win in the state in 2020. Vos further angered Trump supporters when he did not back a plan to impeach Meagan Wolfe
3 min read - PoliticsPolitico
Nebraska Republicans float special session to revive Trump-backed election rule change
The state currently awards some of its electoral college votes by congressional districts, a key backstop for President Joe Biden.
4 min read - USHuffPost
Tennessee Republican On Volkswagen Union Vote: ‘Let The Workers Decide’
Republican lawmakers have been happy to weigh in on pivotal union elections over the years. But Rep. Chuck Fleischmann says he's staying out of this one.
3 min read - WorldReuters
US, Japan announce partnership to accelerate nuclear fusion
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States and Japan on Wednesday announced a joint partnership to accelerate development and commercialization of nuclear fusion. The partnership was unveiled as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was in Washington for a summit with President Joe Biden. U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk and Japan's minister of education, sports, science and technology, Masahito Moriyama, met in Washington on Tuesday to discuss fusion.
2 min read - USAssociated Press
A bill passed by Kansas lawmakers would make it a crime to coerce someone into an abortion
People who make physical or financial threats against others in Kansas to force them to get an abortion could spend a year in prison and be fined up to $10,000 under one of several proposals pushed through the Republican-controlled Legislature. Abortion opponents in Kansas pursued the measure against abortion “coercion,” increased reporting on abortion and aid to anti-abortion centers providing free counseling, supplies and other services to pregnant women and new mothers because of the state's
4 min read - PoliticsThe Guardian
Florida Democrats bet abortion will motivate swell of voters who feel bans go ‘too far’
Democrats team up with Biden campaign on issue, believing it will bring victory in presidential and Senate races in November
4 min read - USNBC News
Arizona abortion ruling reactions and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute retractions: Morning Rundown
Arizona Republicans distance themselves from a state Supreme Court ruling on a 160-year-old ban. Dana-Farber Institute retracts studies. Biden calls Netanyahu's handing of Gaza 'a mistake'
8 min read - PoliticsReuters
Surveillance bill stumbles again in US House on privacy concerns
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A modest overhaul of a controversial U.S. surveillance program foundered in the House of Representatives on Wednesday after Democratic and Republican critics, including Donald Trump, said it gave the government too much power to spy on its citizens. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who backs the bill, told reporters he would "reformulate another plan" without saying what that might entail. A U.S. court found last year that the FBI improperly searched the FISA database 278,000
3 min read - PoliticsThe New York Times
Trump Allies Have a Plan to Hurt Biden’s Chances: Elevate Outsider Candidates
Allies of former President Donald Trump are discussing ways to elevate third-party candidates in battleground states to divert votes away from President Joe Biden, along with other covert tactics to diminish Democratic votes. They plan to promote independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as a “champion for choice” to give voters for whom abortion is a top issue — and who also don’t like Biden — another option on the ballot, according to one person who is involved in the effort and who, like se
10 min read - USAssociated Press
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in the Alaska and Wyoming Democratic presidential contests
President Joe Biden will face Democratic voters this Saturday in a pair of nominating contests in Alaska and Wyoming that are unlikely to produce any surprises. In Wyoming, Democrats will award 13 delegates using a presidential preference vote held at caucuses in each of the state’s 23 counties. Seven names will appear on the ballot, but Biden is the only major candidate competing for votes.
4 min read - PoliticsNBC News
Biden's strategy to reach tuned-out voters: Content over crowds
President Joe Biden’s recent battleground state campaign tour didn’t draw major crowds. But critically for the Biden campaign, it did produce a lot of content.
7 min read
