Politics
USA TODAYBiden to promote new COVID plan that includes free at-home tests and new travel rules
President Biden is expected to promote a plan for combatting COVID as the omicron variant is found in the U.S. and a poll shows rising frustration.
The New York TimesRoberts Searches for Middle Ground in Abortion Case
WASHINGTON — Much of the discussion of a Mississippi law that would ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy has suggested that the Supreme Court faces a binary choice: it could strike down the law and fully reaffirm Roe v. Wade, as the law’s challengers want, or it could gut the idea that the Constitution protects abortion rights at all, as Mississippi has urged. But during the Supreme Court’s oral arguments Wednesday in a lawsuit challenging the law, Chief Justice John Roberts appeared to be
NBC NewsIf Roe is gutted, Democrats are unlikely to make it law. But they'll run on it.
The party plans to argue to voters next year that Republican victories could fuel restrictions on or outlaw abortions.
The New York TimesA Pollster's Warning to Democrats: 'We Have a Problem'
Brian Stryker, a Democratic pollster, didn’t work for Terry McAuliffe’s campaign in the Virginia governor’s race. But McAuliffe’s narrow defeat in a liberal-leaning state alarmed him and most every Democratic political professional. That defeat also prompted a centrist group, Third Way, to have Stryker convene focus groups to examine why Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin won in a state that President Joe Biden had carried by 10 points last year. Stryker drafted and posted a bluntly worded memo with his
AxiosSome Republicans fear abortion win could come back to bite them
Republicans are on the brink of achieving a decades-long conservative project — overturning abortion rights — but some strategists worry that the party isn’t ready for the political dangers of this monumental victory.Why it matters: The GOP has the best political environment in a decade leading into the midterms — and the last thing top party operatives want is for the Democratic base to become energized if the Supreme Court narrows or overturns Roe v. Wade. Get market news worthy of your time w
CBS NewsInvestigator in Wisconsin 2020 election review tried to overturn Biden win
Ron Heuer, one of the investigators in the election review ordered by the GOP-led Wisconsin Assembly, was involved in two failed lawsuits to overturn Biden's 2020 victory.
AxiosGOP fights itself on shutting down government over vaccine mandates
GOP leaders on Capitol Hill are scrambling to reach a deal with a bloc of 15 Senate Republicans threatening a government shutdown to force a fight over the Biden administration's vaccine mandates.Why it matters: The push to defund the mandates — by holding the short-term government funding bill hostage — is largely symbolic, and highly controversial within the Republican Party. A shutdown as early as midnight Friday could trigger everything from national park closures to delays in receiving Soci
AxiosSymone Sanders leaving Vice President Kamala Harris' office
Symone Sanders, senior advisor and chief spokesperson to Vice President Kamala Harris, is leaving the VP’s office by the end of this year, three White House officials told Axios on Wednesday.Why it matters: The VP has faced an onslaught of criticism in her first year centered on her leadership and staff, adding to the suggestion she’s not the Democratic Party’s preferred nominee for 2024. Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeAshley E
Associated PressGOP risks government shutdown to fight Biden vaccine mandate
The federal government could be heading for a temporary shutdown, with Republicans poised to stall a must-pass funding bill in their effort to force a debate in Congress on rolling back the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccine mandates for some workers. Conservative Republicans in the House and Senate who are opposed to Biden’s vaccine rules want Congress to take a hardline stand against the mandated shots, even if it means shutting down federal offices over the weekend.
Associated PressTrump tested COVID-positive pre-debate, ex-aide says in book
Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19 three days before his first presidential debate in September 2020 with Joe Biden, according to a new book by Trump's former chief of staff. In “The Chief's Chief,” obtained by The Guardian before its Dec. 7 release, Mark Meadows writes that the then-president received a negative test shortly after the positive test and resumed his usual activities, including attending the debate against his Democratic challenger. Trump on Wednesday called the story “Fake News.”
ReutersColorado Secretary of State warns of 'slow motion' Jan. 6 happening now
Americans face unprecedented barriers to having their voices heard in the upcoming 2022 and 2024 elections, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said on Wednesday. In a panel at the Reuters Next conference, Griswold warned of multiple dangers to democracy in the United States, including bills designed to suppress voting https://www.reuters.com/world/us/un-expert-decries-gerrymandering-parts-us-that-denies-minority-voting-rights-2021-11-22, death threats against election officials and mistruths perpetuated by politicians both nationally and on a state level. Democrats and Republicans are battling for control of the U.S. Congress next year and the presidency in 2024.
USA TODAYStacey Abrams launches 2nd campaign for Georgia governor
The potential Kemp-Abrams rematch happens in a new political climate. Kemp faces some GOP opposition in a state that turned blue in voting for Biden.
CBS NewsAmericans with private health insurance to be reimbursed for at-home tests
International travelers will now be required to undergo stricter COVID-19 testing, President Biden is announcing Thursday.
AxiosA new case for banning payment for order flow
SEC chair Gary Gensler is looking at the controversial practice of payment for order flow, or PFOF, to determine whether it should be banned. Fresh data from retail brokerage Public, shared first with Axios, adds weight to the case that it should be stopped.Why it matters: PFOF, a formerly obscure market-structure backwater, got a bad reputation during the meme-stock craziness earlier this year, causing a lot of pointed questions to be asked of the SEC by members of Congress. Now the regulator i
ReutersFactbox-COVID-19 and the U.S. courts: challenges to Biden vaccine rules
Courts have recently blocked some of the Biden administration's rules and regulations aimed at increasing U.S. vaccination against COVID-19, which has killed more than 750,000 Americans and weighs on economic growth. The vaccine requirements have been challenged by Republican state attorneys general, businesses and religious groups that alleged the administration exceeded its authority. Separately, courts have upheld vaccine requirements imposed by private employers, universities and state and local governments.
Business InsiderMark Meadows called reports on his book 'fake news' after Trump said it was fake news
Meadows' book said Trump tested positive, then negative, before debating Biden in person. Trump said the claim that he had COVID-19 was fake news.
AxiosBiden extends mask mandates for travelers into 2022
President Biden will announce new testing protocols for international travelers on Thursday and extend masking requirements through March as the U.S. prepares to fight the Omicron variant this winter, according to senior administration officials.Driving the news: The U.S. will tighten pre-departure testing protocols starting early next week by requiring all inbound international travelers to take COVID-19 tests within one day of their departure rather than three.Get market news worthy of your ti
ReutersU.S. to require private health insurance companies cover at-home COVID-19 tests
The U.S. government will require private health insurance companies to reimburse customers for the cost of over-the-counter at-home COVID-19 tests under new measures to combat the pandemic that President Joe Biden will unveil on Thursday, administration officials said. The rule on reimbursement will benefit some 150 million Americans who have private health insurance, a senior administration official told reporters ahead of Biden's announcement. Government agencies including the Health and Human Services Department, Labor Department and Treasury Department will issue guidance on the issue by January 15, the White House said.
USA TODAYAs omicron fears grow, COVID-19 once again spoils Biden's plan to push his legislative agenda
Fears over the omicron variant are overshadowing Biden's plans for December, which includes passing a key social and climate spending package
AxiosBiden administration moves to make insurance cover at-home COVID tests
The federal government will issue guidance to allow people with private health insurance seek reimbursement for the cost of at-home COVID tests, President Biden will announce Thursday. Why it matters: The move — which comes amid growing concern about the Omicron variant and as part of the administration's larger strategy to mitigate the spread of COVID this winter — will expand access to at-home testing for over 150 million people.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights wit
The GuardianJoe Biden to announce nationwide coronavirus battle plan
Plans include a drive to encourage vaccine boosters, expansion of at-home tests and tighter restrictions on international travel Iker Santiago-Sias, 10, gets his Covid vaccine from medical worker Joanna Muniz at Zavala elementary school in Odessa, Texas. Photograph: Jacob Ford/AP Joe Biden is set to announce new actions to combat the coronavirus, including a nationwide campaign encouraging vaccine boosters, an expansion of at-home tests and tighter restrictions on international travel. Buffeted
AxiosFederal government, Big Business struggle to fill cybersecurity jobs
The Biden administration is accelerating efforts to fill nearly 600,000 vacant cybersecurity positions in the public and private sectors bogging down efforts to protect digital infrastructure.Why it matters: Following a deluge of ransomware attacks targeting critical government and corporate infrastructure this year, clogs in the talent pipeline are leaving federal, cash-strapped local governments and Big Business even more susceptible to hacking.Stay on top of the latest market trends and econo
The Daily BeastSteve Bannon’s Jan. 6 Legal Strategy: ‘Blowing Up the Whole System’
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/GettySteve Bannon—the right-wing media personality turned adviser to Donald Trump turned right-wing media personality again—became the first person in nearly 40 years to be indicted on a charge of criminal contempt of Congress last month after he refused to cooperate with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. Now, Bannon appears to be using his criminal case to go after the committee that went after him.Bannon is attempti
The Daily BeastGlenn Youngkin Joins the GOP’s Crew of Kinder, Gentler Killers
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/GettyBased on his early moves to sideline hot-button issues like abortion and gun rights, Virginia Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin is joining the ranks of popular GOP middle-of-the-road governors like Larry Hogan in Maryland (68 percent approval), Charlie Baker in Massachusetts (69 percent approval) and Chris Sununu in New Hampshire (54 percent approval).You could call them the party’s kinder, gentler political killers, to borrow a line from Ge
PoliticoOpinion | In the Russia-Ukraine Conflict, Standing Up to Putin Is Our Only Credible Option
A recent op-ed suggested that President Biden should push Ukraine to make a key concession to Russia. Here's why that would be a huge mistake.
“I know it doesn’t feel like it, but inflation is both a feature and a bug of a normalizing economy.”
“What is not going to work, and hasn’t worked, is trying to talk people out of the lived reality of higher prices.”
“When inflation expectations rise, actual inflation tends to follow.”
“The Fed must acknowledge that its monetary policy has been a source of inflation, and that it will need to raise interest rates.”
“The supply chain logjams are the core of the problem right now, and that should work itself out over time.”