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For more on the effort to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson from his job and the fight over Ukraine aid, watch “Inside Politics Sunday with Manu Raju” at 8 a.m. “”The speaker wants to put wins on the board for House Republicans, and we better start doing that. But whether or not Johnson keeps his speaker’s gavel may hinge on how he handles the next divisive policy issue coming down the pike: funding for Ukraine in its war against Russia. Over the two-week Easter recess, Johnson has been quietly working with key lieutenants to chart a course on his Ukraine strategy. “It was a terrible deal.”Democrats are signaling that they will save Johnson if he moves a Ukraine bill they can support.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Manu Raju ”, Mike Johnson strategized, Matt Gaetz, Gaetz, “, we’ve, ” Gaetz, … I’m, Johnson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Johnson don’t, Greene, Kevin McCarthy, —, Mike, ”, Chip Roy, Texas, Roy, Anna Moneymaker, Thomas Massie of, ” Massie, Bob Good, McCarthy, She’s grandstanding, ” Good, Good, Ralph Norman of, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Drew Angerer, Hakeem Jeffries, there’s, Haley Talbot, Sheden Tesfaldet Organizations: CNN, House Republicans, Ukraine, Russia, GOP, won’t, Republican, Republicans, U.S, Capitol, Caucus, ” Locations: Ukraine, Florida, Johnson’s, Georgia, Washington , DC, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Virginia, America, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Washington ,

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Friday that the apparent death of Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny brings new urgency to the need for Congress to approve tens of billions of dollars for Ukraine to stave off Moscow's invasion. Speaking at the White House, Biden said that no matter the cause, he holds Russian President Vladimir Putin responsible for Navalny's death. He added, “I hope to God it helps” push U.S. lawmakers to send more aid to Ukraine. Photos You Should See View All 33 ImagesThe president sharply criticized House Republicans for letting the chamber enter a two-week recess without moving on the Ukraine funding. “President Biden pledged ‘devastating’ consequences should Navalny die in prison; now he must follow through.

Persons: Joe Biden, Alexei Navalny, Biden, Vladimir Putin, hasn't, ” Biden, ”, Mike Johnson, “, Putin, ” Johnson, Donald Trump, Johnson, Hakeem Jeffries, ” Jeffries, Vladimir Putin’s, Republican Sen, Tom Cotton of, Trump’s Putin, Illinois Sen, Dick Durbin, Carolina Sen, Thom Tillis, Navalny, ” Tillis, eyeing, Harry Truman Organizations: WASHINGTON, White, Republicans, Ukraine, GOP House, Democratic, Senate, Republican, America, ” Lawmakers, Trump, NATO Locations: Russian, Ukraine, U.S, United States, Baltic, Russia, Israel, Taiwan, Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Illinois, ., Carolina, America

PinnedThe House of Representatives began a reinvigorated debate on Thursday on whether to expel Representative George Santos of New York, setting the stage for a vote that seems somewhat tilted against him. Whether Mr. Santos, 35, will be expelled is unclear, though he said on Thursday that he expected the vote would succeed. Mr. Santos held a news conference on Thursday morning in which he warned such a precedent would “haunt” lawmakers in the future. The committee’s Republican chairman introduced a motion to expel Mr. Santos, and a number of lawmakers who opposed previous attempts to remove him said that the committee’s report had swayed them to change their minds. Mr. Santos said on Thursday that the committee’s report was “littered with hyperbole” but again declined to address its specific findings.

Persons: George Santos, Santos, fabulist, Mike Johnson, ”, Mr Organizations: Representatives, Republicans, Republican Locations: George Santos of New York

☆ Biden to Limit Chinese Role in U.S. EV Market
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Andrew Duehren | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

How the government defines battery materials from a ‘foreign entity of concern’ could have sales implications for Ford Motor and other makers of electric vehicles. Photo: jeff kowalsky/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesThe Biden administration is expected to release tax-credit rules on Friday that could shape the American market for electric vehicles, people familiar with the matter said. The U.S. last year revamped a $7,500 tax subsidy for people who buy new EVs. One of the changes says consumers won’t be able to claim the credit if they purchase cars containing battery materials from a “foreign entity of concern.” Lawmakers included the rule in the Inflation Reduction Act to push automakers to rely less on dominant Chinese suppliers.

Persons: jeff kowalsky, Biden, won’t, ” Organizations: Ford Motor, Agence France, U.S, ” Lawmakers

Johnson of Louisiana, a lower-ranked member of the House GOP leadership team, becomes the fourth Republican nominee in what has become an almost absurd cycle of political infighting since Kevin McCarthy's ouster as GOP factions jockey for power. “I made my decision based on my relationship with the conference,” he said, referring to the GOP majority. House Republicans returned behind closed doors, where they spend much of their time, desperately searching for a leader who can unite the factions, reopen the House and get the U.S. Congress working again. In the end, Johnson won 128 votes on the evening ballot, more than any other candidate. With Republicans controlling the House 221-212 over Democrats, any GOP nominee can afford just a few detractors to win the gavel.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Donald Trump . Johnson of, Kevin McCarthy's, Johnson, Mike, won’t, don’t, ”, Steve Womack, we’ll, Tom Emmer briskly, “, Emmer, “ We'll, ” Trump, wasn’t MAGA, Trump, Steve Scalise, Johnson's, Byron Donalds of, McCarthy, ” Johnson, Scalise, “ We're, Jim Jordan, Victoria Spartz, Steve Bannon, Jordan, Scott Perry, Ralph Norman, Joe Biden, —, Biden, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia, Patrick McHenry, Republicans —, McHenry, Jill Colvin Organizations: WASHINGTON, — Republicans, GOP, Republican, selfies, Republicans, Capitol, House Republicans, U.S, Congress, NBC News, Trump, Caucus, Federal, Financial Services, Associated Press Locations: Donald Trump . Johnson of Louisiana, New York, Byron Donalds of Florida, Israel, Ukraine, U.S, Mexico, R

“This feels like a really precarious spot.”In Pennsylvania, officials estimate 40 of the state’s 67 county election offices have new directors or deputy directors since 2020. In North Carolina, where the Republican Legislature recently moved to gain more control of state and local election boards, roughly a third of 100 county election directors have left since the 2020 election. Of the local election office, Fitzgerald said he knows they are trying to improve: “But they are not coming through when you need them the most,” he said. Local election officials were in a tough position trying to explain what happened given the active investigation, Sanguedolce said. She recalls angry voters showing up at the election office, contentious public meetings and law enforcement officials warning her about threats.

Persons: Emily Cook, “, ”, Cook, Jennifer Morrell, Al Schmidt, Schmidt, ” Schmidt, “ We’ve, ‘, ’ ”, Walter Griffith Jr, you’re, Griffith, “ They’re, Denise Williams, I’ve, ” Cook, we’ve, Theodore “ T.J, ” Fitzgerald, Al Gore, John Kerry, Barack Obama, Fitzgerald, Sam Sanguedolce, Sanguedolce, Bryan Steil, Romilda Crocamo, ” Crocamo, I’m Organizations: Republicans, Republican Legislature, Republican, ” Lawmakers, Justice Department, Democrat, Trump, U.S . Rep, Cook, Associated Press, AP Locations: BARRE, Pa, Pennsylvania, Luzerne County, Utah, Colorado, ”, In Nevada, Arizona, North Carolina, Philadelphia, Illinois, Luzerne County’s

☆ Justice Department charges Washington state man who allegedly threatened members of Congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —The Justice Department has brought federal charges against a Washington state man who allegedly made multiple threats against members of Congress, using antisemitic slurs and saying he would “murder” lawmakers. In announcing the charges, the department said Mark Leonetti, 48, left “more than 400 voicemails for members of Congress, several of which used slurs and were threatening” over the past two years despite warnings from law enforcement. Leonetti faces seven charges for interstate threats he allegedly made against multiple senators and representatives over the past several months. On Wednesday, the Justice Department announced charges against an Ohio man who allegedly threatened to kill an Arizona state election official during the 2022 midterm election season. Long and rambling voicemail transcripts, filled with violent and racist imagery, are included in the complaint filed this week.

☆ South Korea's LGBTQ community confronts crushing headwinds in fight for equality
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Michael Mitsanas | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

NBC News spoke with South Korean lawmakers, human rights organizations and dozens of LGBTQ South Koreans in three of the country’s largest cities: Seoul, Daegu and Busan. Most say a bill that would outlaw discrimination against all minority groups — including the LGBTQ community — is the critical first step toward legal equality. The documentary filmmaker turned progressive lawmaker calls herself an advocate for this country’s LGBTQ community. This, he added, “includes South Korea.”While support for a comprehensive nondiscrimination bill is strong in South Korea, Jang concedes that the odds of one passing, at least in the near future, are slim. The country’s conservative president and People Power Party oppose a comprehensive nondiscrimination bill, while the left-leaning Democratic Party has expressed lukewarm support.

☆ The Black vote in Louisiana elections has been diluted by the GOP redefining Blackness
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Max Burns | Max Burns Is A Democratic Strategist | Founder Of Third Degree Strategies. Find Him On Twitter | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Louisiana Republicans are trying to minimize the number of Black voters who count as, well, Black. To overcome this remaining hurdle, Louisiana Republicans are trying to minimize the number of Black voters who count as, well, Black. They claim that those who identify as multiracial — say, Black and Latino or Black and Asian — were wrongly used to bolster the calculations for Black minority opportunity zones. “This is Jim Crow-era stuff — a state with a Black population of over 30% has a single Black member of Congress. “Southern states with large Black populations want to control where the Black voters are represented and how.

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