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☆ Georgia elections: GOP lawmakers back broad changes, including one that could benefit third-party presidential contenders
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Fredreka Schouten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

That could benefit third-party or independent presidential candidates in a state that Joe Biden narrowly carried over Donald Trump in 2020. A super PAC backing independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in February that it had gathered enough signatures in Georgia for Kennedy to make the ballot. Currently, independent or third-party candidates must collect at least 7,500 signatures from registered Georgia voters to qualify for the ballot in the state. A separate provision of the election legislation would broaden what constitutes “probable cause” needed to uphold challenges to voter registrations. Voting rights groups have objected to several provisions in the legislation, including the rules regarding voter challenges.

Persons: Brian Kemp’s, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, Nicole Shanahan, Cornel West, Trump, Kemp, Garrison Douglas, John LaHood, CNN’s Aaron Pellish Organizations: CNN — Republican, Georgia Gov, Biden, Georgia, Republicans, Republican, Rep, The Atlanta, Constitution Locations: Georgia, California

ATLANTA (AP) — An attempt to state that Georgia's appointed State Election Board has the legal power to investigate Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's handling of elections blossomed into a constitutional showdown Tuesday, with a lawyer for Raffensperger saying board members can't legally oversee him. “We’re looking to empower the State Election Board so that they can have oversight responsibility and that there’s no confusion about where that oversight responsibility is vested,” said Ethics Committee Chairman Max Burns, a Sylvania Republican. Activists have been pushing the State Election Board to investigate whether Raffensperger mishandled his audit of Fulton County's 2020 results, motivated by unproven claims of fraud. The board deadlocked 2-2 in December on whether it had such authority, and two board members asked lawmakers to clarify the law. Supporters said they can go forward because most of Raffensperger's election responsibilities are outlined in state law, not the Georgia Constitution.

Persons: Brad Raffensperger's, Charlene McGowan, Raffensperger's, Bill, ”, Max Burns, It's, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, Raffensperger, Fulton, it's, “, Steve Gooch, ” McGowan, Lawmakers, Gabriel Sterling, Sterling, John LaHood, LaHood, Jon Burns, let’s, ” Sen Brandon Beach Organizations: ATLANTA, Republican, Raffensperger, Board, Sylvania Republican, Democratic, Georgia, Georgia General Assembly, Governmental, Valdosta Republican Locations: Georgia, Valdosta

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a new twist to the fight over abortion access, congressional Republicans are trying to block a Biden administration spending rule that they say will cut off millions of dollars to anti-abortion counseling centers. The rule would prohibit states from sending federal funds earmarked for needy Americans to so-called “crisis pregnancy centers,” which counsel against abortions. The proposal limiting funds for anti-abortion counseling centers is the Biden administration's latest attempt to introduce federal policies that expand abortion access. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesCongressional Republicans this week introduced legislation that would block the Health and Human Services Agency from restricting the funds from the centers. The plan would restrict how states use the money for college scholarships and child care, for example.

Persons: Darin LaHood, Chelsey Youman, Youman, ” Youman Organizations: WASHINGTON, Biden, Human Services, Conservative, Supreme, Human Services Agency, ” Republican, Associated Press, Democratic, Human Coalition, HHS Locations: U.S, Illinois, Georgia , Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Texas, Louisiana, Indiana, Mississippi

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A man accused of fatally shooting a 15-year-old last year was beaten by members of the teen's family during a courtroom melee in San Antonio, authorities said. Victor Rivas, 18, who is charged with murder in the May 2022 death of Ethan Soto, was in a Bexar County courtroom Friday awaiting a preliminary hearing when he was attacked. Four people — two men and two juveniles — were arrested and will be charged with assault and disrupting court proceedings, the Bexar County sheriff's office said. Political Cartoons View All 1211 ImagesAs deputies responded to the commotion in Houston courtroom on Oct. 17, an inmate who was left unattended in a holding area managed to walk out of the courthouse. The Harris County sheriff's office said Thursday that the inmate had been recaptured.

Persons: Victor Rivas, Ethan Soto, Rivas, Adam LaHood, —, haven't, he'd Organizations: ANTONIO Locations: San Antonio, Bexar, Bexar County, Houston, Harris

☆ How the Shutdown Holdouts Have Antagonized McCarthy Before
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Karen Yourish | Lazaro Gamio | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Notably, Representatives Wesley Hunt of Texas and Ken Buck of Colorado came back to Washington at Mr. McCarthy’s request to vote in his favor for speaker. And Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia aligned herself with Mr. McCarthy during the speaker fight and was ousted from the Freedom Caucus over the summer. With far-right members of his caucus in revolt over suspending the debt ceiling, Mr. McCarthy was forced to negotiate a deal with President Biden, further enraging the already volatile faction. In another blow to Mr. McCarthy, the bipartisan measure passed with more Democrats than Republicans. They did so to punish Mr. McCarthy for making a deal with Mr. Biden to suspend the debt limit.

Persons: Antagonized McCarthy, Biggs Bishop Boebert Buck Burchett, Gosar Greene Hunt Mace Miller Mills Mooney Moore, Kevin McCarthy’s stopgap, McCarthy’s, Biggs, Gosar Miller, Clyde Donalds Good Harris Luna Norman Perry Roy, Wesley Hunt, Ken Buck, Colorado, Marjorie Taylor Greene, McCarthy, Buck Burchett, Hunt Mace Miller Mills Mooney, Alford, Bost Brecheen Buchanan Cammack Carter Cline Clyde Collins DesJarlais Donalds Fallon Finstad Fischbach Fry Fulcher Gonzales Good Gooden Griffith, Hageman Harris Harshbarger Hern Higgins Jackson LaHood Lesko Luna Luttrell Mann Mast McCormick Moran Norman Palmer Perry Posey Rose Roy Santos, Strong Tiffany Timmons Van Drew Van Duyne, Weber, Biden, Greene, Troy Nehls, Lauren Boebert, Rosendale, Norman Roy Scalise, Mr Organizations: Republicans, House Republicans, Caucus, Mr, Freedom Caucus, Hageman Harris Harshbarger Hern Higgins Jackson LaHood Lesko Luna Luttrell Mann Mast McCormick Moran Norman Palmer Perry Posey Rose Roy Santos Sessions, Republican Locations: Rosendale, Wesley Hunt of Texas, Washington, Georgia, United States, Texas, Colorado

☆ US lawmakers call on FIFA to recognize exiled Afghanistan women's soccer team
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Aug 11 (Reuters) - A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers called on FIFA to recognize the exiled Afghanistan women's soccer team, in a letter sent to the sport's international governing body on Friday. The Afghan women's team launched a petition at the end of July, calling on FIFA to recognize them as representatives of their country. The Afghan men's team continues to be recognized by the organization. The letter comes as the FIFA Women's World Cup enters its final weeks, the highest attended in the organization's history. Reporting by Moira Warburton in Washington; additional reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Don Bacon, Darin LaHood, Kathy Castor, Rick Larsen, Moira Warburton, Amy Tennery, Toby Chopra Organizations: FIFA, Afghanistan women's soccer, Taliban, Congressional Soccer Caucus, Republican, Afghan, Thomson Locations: U.S, Afghanistan, Australia, Washington, New York

☆ FBI broke rules in scouring foreign intelligence on Jan. 6 riot, racial justice protests, court says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

FBI officials repeatedly violated their own standards when they searched a vast repository of foreign intelligence for information related to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and racial justice protests in 2020, according to a heavily blacked-out court order released Friday. The violations were detailed in a secret court order issued last year by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which has legal oversight of the U.S. government's spy powers. At issue are improper queries of foreign intelligence information collected under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which enables the government to gather the communications of targeted foreigners outside the U.S. That program expires at the end of the year unless it is renewed. FBI searches must have a foreign intelligence purpose or be aimed at finding evidence of a crime. The order says the FBI had maintained that the queries were likely to return foreign intelligence, though the reasons given for that assessment are mostly redacted.

☆ DeSantis goes to Washington, a place he once despised, looking for support to take on Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hours ahead of his meeting with congressional Republicans, Florida Rep. John Rutherford endorsed Trump, making him the sixth House Republican to back the former president over their home state governor. Rutherford’s announcement comes after NBC reported last week that DeSantis’ political operation was scrambling to convince Florida Republicans not to endorse until after he had formally decided to run. A spokesman for DeSantis’ political operation did not return a call or email. But by plucking support from within DeSantis’ backyard, Trump has created the impression that even Republicans close to DeSantis may be having second thoughts about his performance. Roy was among the first to back DeSantis, calling him “a man of conviction” who “unequivocally has made Florida stronger and freer.”

☆ Former San Antonio officer indicted in shooting of teenager outside McDonald’s
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Phil-Helsel-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Phil Helsel | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A former San Antonio police officer who shot a teenager in a McDonald’s parking lot in October was indicted on assault and attempted murder charges, prosecutors said Thursday. Of the charges, the aggravated assault counts are the most serious and carry up to life in prison if convicted. Brennand allegedly shot Cantu, 17, after he ordered the teenager, who was eating a hamburger, out of a vehicle. Brennand was arrested in October on two counts of aggravated assault by public servant. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the Cantu family, said Thursday’s indictment was a significant step toward justice.

WASHINGTON — House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday easily defeated conservative Rep. Andy Biggs to win the GOP nomination for speaker of the House. The Arizona Republican and former leader of the far-right, Trump-aligned House Freedom Caucus did not announce that he would challenge McCarthy until Monday night. "Minority Leader McCarthy does not have the votes needed to become the next Speaker of the House and his speakership should not be a foregone conclusion," Biggs said in a statement. Former President Donald Trump, who is expected to announce a 2024 presidential bid later Tuesday, has endorsed his longtime ally, McCarthy, for speaker. So has Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a Freedom Caucus member who is enormously popular among grassroots conservatives.

☆ Fights over political lines have fueled the aging of America's government. But that may be changing.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-25 | by ( Grace Panetta | Walt Hickey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Redistricting and fights over political lines have fueled the aging of America's government. Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois outside a January 6 committee hearing on June 13, 2022. Partisan gerrymandering, the redrawing of political district lines to favor one political party over the other, has gotten increasingly tactical. In all, 14 House incumbents lost renomination in 2022, the highest number in a single cycle since 1992. If you're a Democrat in a Republican district, your days are probably numbered."

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