Politics
Yahoo NewsObama backs Manchin's voting rights compromise
Former President Barack Obama put his weight behind Sen. Joe Manchin’s voting rights proposal in Congress, urging Republicans to join with Democrats to pass the legislation.
Yahoo NewsSen. Sheldon Whitehouse defends membership in exclusive beach club: 'A long tradition in Rhode Island'
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., one of the most outspoken senators on the issue of systemic racism, was questioned by a local news reporter over the weekend about his family’s longtime membership in a private beach club described as "all white."
Yahoo NewsAmerican bishops seek to deny Biden Communion: 'We've never had a situation like this'
The Roman Catholic bishops of the U.S. voted on Friday to begin drafting new guidance that could deny President Biden and other pro-choice public officials Communion due to their support of abortion rights, placing Biden at the center of a political and religious clash.
Yahoo NewsNYC mayoral race is still up for grabs — and could be a bellwether for Dems
New York Democrats will choose their nominee for mayor on Tuesday in a historic primary that will test a major election reform and speak to how the party wants to address the issues of racial justice and public safety.
ReutersRegulators tell Biden U.S. financial system in good shape-White House
Financial regulators assured President Joe Biden on Monday that the U.S. financial system is in good shape and that financial risks are being mitigated by strong liquidity in the banking system, the White House said. White House officials said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, and acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu, as well as the heads of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, were among those who met Biden.
USA TODAYJoe Biden expected to host Barack Obama for official White House portrait reveal, report says
Former President Donald Trump famously skipped the tradition of presenting a White House predecessor's official portrait.
The GuardianTrump proposed sending Americans with Covid to Guantánamo, book claims
Revelation contained in new book Nightmare ScenarioTrump: ‘We import goods. We are not going to import a virus’US politics – live coverage According to the book, Donald Trump asked aides at a meeting in February last year: ‘Don’t we have an island that we own? What about Guantánamo?’ Photograph: Tom Brenner/Reuters In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, Donald Trump advocated shipping Americans who contracted Covid-19 abroad to Guantánamo Bay. The stunning revelation is contained in a ne
The New York TimesIn Rift With Biden, a Dramatic Show of Force by a Conservative Catholic Movement
Pope Francis and President Joe Biden, both liberals, are the two most high-profile Roman Catholics in the world. But in the United States, neither of these men is determining the direction of the Catholic Church. It is now a conservative movement that decides how the Catholic Church asserts its power in America. That reality was unmistakably declared last week, when the country’s bishops voted overwhelmingly to draft guidelines for the Eucharist, advancing a conservative push to deny Biden Commu
The New York TimesLiz Cheney's Unlikely Journey From GOP Royalty to Republican Outcast
CASPER, Wyo. — Rep. Liz Cheney was holed up in a secure undisclosed location of the Dick Cheney Federal Building, recounting how she got an alarmed phone call from her father on Jan. 6. Cheney, R-Wyo., recalled that she had been preparing to speak on the House floor in support of certifying Joe Biden’s election as president. Dick Cheney, the former vice president and his daughter’s closest political adviser, consulted with her on most days, but this time was calling as a worried parent. He had s
Washington PostTrump and his CFO Allen Weisselberg stay close as prosecutors advance their case
NEW YORK - If Donald Trump was looking for some good news on his 75th birthday last Monday, it arrived at 8:15 a.m. by way of a blue Mercedes slipping into Trump Tower's private garage entrance on West 56th Street. Behind the wheel was Allen Weisselberg, Trump's longtime confidant and Trump Organization chief financial officer, whom the Manhattan District Attorney's Office has pressed to turn on the former president as they investigate Trump's business dealings.Subscribe to The Post Most newslet
ReutersSenate's 'nothing but no' McConnell stands as roadblock to Biden agenda
When the U.S. Senate this week votes on a sweeping election-reform bill, Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will play a role he relishes: Roadblock to the Democratic agenda. McConnell earned the nicknames "Grim Reaper" and "Dr. No" after establishing a long track record for blocking Democratic initiatives stretching back into President Barack Obama's second term. McConnell, who has led his party in the Senate without opposition since 2007, has vowed to use the filibuster https://www.reuters.com/world/us/what-is-us-senate-filibuster-why-is-everyone-talking-about-it-2021-03-10 this week for the third time in a month to prevent debate on a measure intended to enhance voter access to the polls ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
The Daily BeastThe Unique Terror of Being a COVID Scientist After Jan. 6
Alex Wong/GettyBeing a scientist was not exactly fun during the height of the coronavirus pandemic in America. But somehow, even as cases and deaths are way down in the United States, the attacks on us are worse than ever.Take Anthony Fauci, a punching bag for the far right since the earliest days of the outbreak. The “Fire Fauci Act,” a twisted piece of legislation first introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in April, gained additional Republican support this past week, now reaching at leas
The GuardianThe rogue department: how the Trump DoJ trashed legal and political norms
New investigations will examine the scale of wrongdoing – and experts say there could be more revelations of abuse to come Donald Trump with Bill Barr in 2019. In Barr, Trump appeared to find someone almost entirely aligned with the idea of doing his bidding. Photograph: Carlos Barría/Reuters Donald Trump never did much to hide his dangerous belief that the US justice department and the attorneys general who helmed it should serve as his own personal lawyers and follow his political orders, rega
NBC NewsWith tax credit push, White House seeks infrastructure momentum
The administration's latest effort comes as it also works aggressively to pre-empt any GOP arguments that a rebounding economy is coasting on Trump-era policies.
AxiosExclusive: Industry groups line up against tech antitrust bills
Thirteen tech and free-market groups oppose new bipartisan antitrust bills from the House Judiciary committee, the groups write in a letter Monday, exclusively shared with Axios.Why it matters: The pushback shows that the industry is gearing up for a fight against the 5 proposed new laws.Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.What they're saying: "We believe that voters want Congress to fix things that are broken -- not break or ban things that they feel are w
AxiosWhat Iran's election means for the nuclear deal
The election of conservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi as Iran’s next president injects new urgency into the efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, but could preclude the possibility of a “longer and stronger” agreement.Why it matters: President Biden hopes to put Iran’s nuclear program “back in a box” by salvaging the previous deal and then negotiate a follow-on accord to extend the deal’s timelines and cover Iran’s missile program and other issues.Stay on top of the latest market trends and econo
HuffPostDemocrats To Introduce Bill To Combat Election Subversion As Part Of Voting Rights Push
Democrats plan to introduce legislation in the House and Senate on Tuesday to combat new laws in Republican-run states that could lead to the subversion of fair elections by partisan officials. The new bills come in response to measures passed by Republican-majority state legislatures and signed into law by Republican governors that make it easier for partisan legislatures to purge state election boards and local election supervisors and replace them without cause with partisan officials. The anti-election bills will institute a new federal safeguard for local election supervisors or superintendents by forbidding their removal by partisan state election boards or legislatures for any reason other than “for cause.”
NBC NewsSen. Whitehouse defends membership in private beach club that's allegedly all-white
"I’m sorry it hasn't happened yet," the Democrat from Rhode Island initially said when asked if the club had any minority members.
Yahoo NewsEgyptian intelligence chief to face questioning over alleged involvement in Khashoggi killing
A human rights group is calling on members of Congress to interrogate the chief of Egyptian intelligence on Tuesday about a Yahoo News report that a Saudi plane carrying a team of assassins stopped in Cairo in October 2018 to pick up illicit drugs that were used to kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
HuffPost'Arrogant’ Meghan McCain Angers Twitter Users Over Joe Biden Attack
Meghan McCain managed to irk many Twitter users on Monday’s episode of “The View” when she accused old family friend and current President Joe Biden of “doing grave spiritual harm to himself and harm to this country” by supporting abortion rights. McCain was responding to U.S. Catholic bishops’ recent attempts to block Communion for Catholic politicians like Biden who think people should have safe and legal access to the medical procedure. McCain likened the president’s stance to saying “I’m personally opposed to murder, but if you want to murder a little bit, it’s fine because it’s not my problem.”
AxiosModerate group No Labels launching ad buy to urge Biden on infrastructure negotiations
A group of political moderates is buying ads in Delaware to urge President Biden to continue with bipartisan negotiations over an infrastructure deal, Axios has learned.Why it matters: Some progressives previously urged the president to bail on such talks, and ram through his plans using the partisan budget reconciliation process. The moderates cite Biden's history as a bipartisan dealmaker in their counter.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscri
USA TODAYWhite House stands firm against increasing gas tax as Biden, senators prepare to meet on infrastructure
President Biden repeated his opposition to raising the federal gas tax as he and a bipartisan group of senators negotiate on an infrastructure plan.
HuffPostPoor People's Campaign To March On Joe Manchin, Mitch McConnell In Washington
A group of civil rights activists is going to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to protest Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.). “In a democracy, poor and low-wealth people must have two things: the right to vote and living wages,” said Bishop William J. Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign. The protest comes as the Senate takes up the For the People Act, Democrats’ wide-ranging democracy reform legislation that would, among other things, expand voting rights, limit partisan gerrymandering and reduce the influence of money in politics.
AxiosBiden extends sanctions against North Korea
The Biden administration announced Monday that it is extending for another year a more than decade old executive order declaring a national emergency over the nuclear threat from North Korea. Why it matters: In a letter addressed to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Biden noted North Korea's "pursuit of nuclear and missile programs" and its other "provocative, destabilizing" actions continue to pose a threat to U.S. national security.Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. S
Associated PressIn Senate vote, Biden sees 'step forward' for elections bill
The White House said Monday it views the Senate's work on an elections bill overhaul and changes being offered by Sen. Joe Manchin as a “step forward," even though the Democrats' priority legislation is expected to be blocked by a Republican filibuster. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the revisions proposed by Manchin are a compromise, another step as Democrats work to shore up voting access and what President Joe Biden sees as “a fight of his presidency.” The Senate is preparing for a showdown Tuesday, a test vote of the For the People Act, a sweeping elections bill that would be the largest overhaul of U.S. voting procedures in a generation.
“The pandemic has unequivocally proven the public health value of masks. And they should stick around in certain situations.”
“With the steady thrum of anti-mask sentiment in the U.S., it’s highly unlikely that they will continue to be a ubiquitous sight.”
“Wearing masks on airplanes or other modes of transit ... can help keep everyone safe.”
“Just because masks are common in many other nations ... is hardly a reason to emulate the practice.”
“The fact that the flu all but vanished ... is not evidence alone that masks were responsible.”