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☆ Florida legislator who sponsored ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law resigns amid Covid-relief fraud charges
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The Florida state representative who sponsored legislation opponents dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill resigned Thursday, a day after he was accused of fraudulently obtaining tens of thousands of dollars from a federal Covid-relief program. State Rep. Joseph Harding, a Republican, said his resignation would be "effective immediately." He has been indicted on a slew of charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, making false statements and other crimes. He sponsored a bill this year prohibiting “classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity” in the state’s primary schools. The bill, which was criticized as an attack on Florida’s LGBTQ community, was signed into law in March by Republican Gov.

"Grateful for the long-overdue release of Brittney Griner today from Russian custody. "Thank you to every single person that kept Brittney Griner’s name alive #WEAREBG," tweeted one of her Phoenix Mercury teammates, Brianna Turner. The Biden administration wasn't able to secure Whelan's release because the Russian government is treating his case differently than Griner's, Biden said. “While we celebrate Brittney’s release, Paul Whelan and his family continue to suffer needlessly,” Blinken said. Share this -Link copiedWho is Viktor Bout, Russian arms dealer that the U.S. exchanged for Brittney Griner?

☆ WNBA star Brittney Griner released from Russian custody in a high-profile prisoner swap between the U.S. and Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | Andrea Mitchell | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

WASHINGTON — WNBA star Brittney Griner is free Thursday after the Biden administration negotiated her release from a Russian penal colony in exchange for an arms dealer, according to a senior administration official. People familiar with the negotiations for his release say the Russians refused to release Whelan without getting a Russian spy in return. The entrance to the Russian penal colony IK-2 on Nov. 19, 2022, where Griner began serving her sentence. The Biden administration has faced tremendous pressure to help bring home the 6-foot-9 Houston native. Alexander Zemlianichenko / AP fileGriner’s release is the second publicly known U.S. prisoner swap with Russia since the war in Ukraine started.

☆ Brittney Griner live updates: WNBA star released from Russia in a prisoner swap for Viktor Bout
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Tom_Winter_Nbc_News.Jpg | Zoë Richards | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Biden criticized Russia for “treating Paul’s case differently” than Griner’s and said that negotiations are ongoing. Biden’s administration had sought the release of both Griner and Paul Whelan. Griner’s release also marks a stunning turn of events from last month, when she began serving a nine-year sentence at a Russian penal colony more than 200 miles east of Moscow. The Whalen family has publicly criticized the Biden administration for not doing more to secure his release. People familiar with the negotiations for his release say the Russians refused to release Whelan without getting a Russian spy in return.

Put another way, more Black children in metro Phoenix will go through a child maltreatment investigation than won’t. Almost all described a system so omnipresent among Black families that it has created a kind of communitywide dread: of that next knock on the door, of that next warrantless search of their home. Many Black families first moved there as a result of redlining and racial covenants that blocked them from renting or owning property elsewhere. In Maricopa County, Black children experienced child welfare investigations at one of the highest rates among large counties nationally, and nearly three times the rate of their white peers, from 2015 to 2019. But throughout the country, investigations were more pervasive among Black families.

☆ American and British Airways just opened brand new joint luxury lounges at New York's biggest airport as they grow their partnership — see inside
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

But, to better streamline their operation, British Airways has moved into Terminal 8, and the pair are now officially "roommates," as American CEO Robert Isom put it at a press conference in November. (L-R): Iberia CEO Javier Sánchez-Prieto, British Airways CEO Sean Doyle, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom, Port Authority Executive Director Richard Cotton, Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY), and Queen Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. cut the ribbon to the new Terminal 8 at JFK on Tuesday, November 29. Taylor Rains/Insider

☆ Saudi Arabia reports its first budget surplus in nearly 10 years on higher oil prices
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Saudi Arabia reported its first budget surplus in nearly 10 years, thanks to its revenue being ramped up by elevated oil prices. The 2022 surplus came to 102 billion riyals ($27 billion), constituting 2.6% of Saudi gross domestic product, according to the kingdom's finance ministry, releasing what it said were preliminary estimates. Total revenue for this year was estimated at 1.234 trillion riyals, while spending amounted to 1.132 trillion riyals. The government of the hydrocarbon-rich country approved a 1.114 trillion riyal budget for 2023 and expects to still see a surplus of 16 billion riyals. Economists estimate Saudi Arabia needs the price of oil to be between $75 and $80 a barrel in order to balance its budget.

US WNBA basketball superstar Brittney Griner arrives to a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside Moscow on June 27, 2022. Kirill Kudryavtsev | AFP | Getty ImagesWNBA star Brittney Griner is free Thursday after the Biden administration negotiated her release from a Russian penal colony in exchange for an arms dealer, according to a senior administration official. Maxim Shemetov | ReutersGriner will be flown to a medical facility in San Antonio where she will receive care, a senior administration official said. Cherelle Griner, will meet her there, according to a senior administration official. People familiar with the negotiations for his release say the Russians refused to release Whelan without getting a Russian spy in return.

☆ Fauci criticizes 'extreme' ideological divide that has led to disproportionate Covid deaths
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Anthony Fauci, the federal government's top infectious disease expert and a chief proponent of Covid vaccines, sharply criticized the "extreme" ideological divide that he said has led to a disproportionate amount of coronavirus deaths among Republicans compared to Democrats. In an interview with NBC News' Lester Holt scheduled to air Wednesday night, Fauci said he thought political viewpoints had a measurable effect on the number of people who could have been saved by the coronavirus vaccine. It’s part of our democracy, part of what makes our country great. But when they get so extreme that it prevents you from doing something that’s life saving, that is really awful," he said. Watch the full interview on “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt” tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT.Several studies have found that Covid deaths are unevenly distributed among Republicans and Democrats.

☆ Ethics panel directs Madison Cawthorn to donate $15K for improperly promoting Let's Go Brandon cryptocurrency
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The House Ethics Committee directed GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina to pay nearly $15,000 to a charity Tuesday after finding "substantial evidence" that he improperly promoted a cryptocurrency while in Congress. The committee said in its 81-page report that it did not find evidence of improprieties between Cawthorn and the staffer. However, the subcommittee that conducted the probe said Cawthorn violated rules against conflicts of interest surrounding the cryptocurrency and directed him to pay $14,237.49 to an appropriate charitable organization by Dec. 31. It also found that Cawthorn, 27, failed to file timely reports to the House "disclosing his transactions relating to the cryptocurrency." In its complaint, the PAC also accused Cawthorn of having a relationship with one of his aides.

But first: The results from five counties will help tell us if Democrat Raphael Warnock is on track to win tonight’s Senate runoff in Georgia. Warnock got 56.9% of the vote in Cobb when he won the Jan. 2021 runoff, and he got just under that last November (56.8%). And in Gwinnett, Warnock got 60.6% of the vote in the 2021 runoff, compared with 58.9% last month against Walker. In rural Chattooga — one of NBC News’ “County to County” counties — Warnock got just 20.5% when he won the 2021 runoff, and he got less than that in the November general election (19.8%). Data Download: The number of the day is … $7.79 billionThat’s how much money was spent on political television, radio and digital ads this entire cycle (starting the day after the 2021 Georgia Senate runoff through today’s runoff), per AdImpact.

Senate Republicans who weighed in on Trump's remarks on Truth Social from Saturday focused more on the importance of upholding the Constitution. “A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution,” Trump wrote. Romney added that he doesn't think Trump's comments will affect his chances of winning the GOP nomination in 2024. Sen. Mike Rounds, meanwhile, tied Trump's remarks to his 2024 ambitions. Some GOP senators, including Rick Scott of Florida and Josh Hawley of Missouri, said the electorate should determine if Trump's remarks were disqualifying.

“Spoiler Alert” opened in U.S. theaters Dec. 2. “Women Talking” opened in select U.S. theaters Dec. 2. “The Whale” opens in U.S. theaters Dec. 9. “Babylon” opens in U.S. theaters Dec. 23. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” opens in U.S. theaters Dec. 23.

☆ Arizona county that balked at certifying election results finalizes tally after court order
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A Republican-led county in Arizona that flouted a statutory deadline for election certification ended up certifying its results Thursday shortly after a judge ordered officials there to take action. Officials in Cochise County voted 2-0 to accept the results of the Nov. 8 election, enabling statewide certification to move forward Monday. Ann English, the sole Democrat on the three-member Board of Supervisors, and Vice Chair Peggy Judd, a Republican, voted to approve the election results. Hobbs lauded Pima County Superior Court Judge Casey McGinley's order compelling the county to canvass its results. Voters in Cochise County largely favored Lake, a prominent election denier who has refused to concede.

☆ In major setback for Trump, appeals court ends special master's review of seized Mar-a-Lago records
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Zoë Richards | Daniel Barnes | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A federal appeals court Thursday ruled that a judge’s order appointing a special master to review documents seized from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort should be dismissed. "Accordingly, we agree with the government that the district court improperly exercised equitable jurisdiction, and that dismissal of the entire proceeding is required." In a separate order, the panel said its order will take effect in seven days, barring any intervention by the Supreme Court. Trump could appeal Thursday's ruling and request that the appeals court order be put on hold. Two of the three judges on the appeals court panel -- Britt Grant and Andrew Brasher -- were appointed by Trump.

☆ GOP senators threaten to delay major military bill over Covid vaccine mandate
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Julie-Tsirkin-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Julie Tsirkin | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON — Several Republicans are warning they will drag out Senate consideration of a massive military policy bill unless they get a vote on ending a Covid vaccination mandate for service members. The senators’ threat could delay final passage of the annual bill, which Congress has consistently passed, but it would not prevent the Senate from eventually voting on the legislation. It is insane.”The other GOP senators calling for a vaccination vote are Rick Scott of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah and Mike Braun of Indiana. The Biden administration has had a mixed record on Covid vaccination mandates in court. The proposal put forth by the seven GOP senators is unlikely to get a vote without the support of Senate Republican leaders.

Trump tried to convince Vos that the ruling should apply retroactively, which Vos informed him was not possible. The speaker's refusal to attempt to throw out the election results led Trump to campaign against his re-election. Vos was previously criticized by Wisconsin Democrats for appropriating close to $700,000 to investigate the state’s 2020 election results. The House committee has held a series of interviews with former Trump officials in recent weeks. The panel is not expected to continue beyond January, when Republicans take control of the House.

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs sued a Republican-controlled county Monday after it refused to certify its election results by the state's statutory deadline. The lawsuit, filed in Arizona Superior Court, aims to compel the Cochise County Board of Supervisors to certify the county's results from the Nov. 8 election. Officials in Cochise, one of 15 counties in the state, voted earlier in the day against certifying its election results. Under state law, Arizona is supposed to certify its results by Dec. 8 — with or without certification from all of the counties. Cochise County is the only county in the state that refused to certify its results.

☆ Biden urges Congress to pass legislation to avert nationwide rail strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

President Joe Biden on Monday called on lawmakers to quickly approve a labor deal that would avert what he called a “potentially crippling national rail shutdown” as early as Dec. 9. The tentative agreement, which Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House would vote on this week, aims to prevent a freight strike just two weeks before Christmas, but it has divided workers at two of the country’s biggest rail unions. Shortly after Biden’s statement, Pelosi said the House would soon consider the tentative agreement. The deal would provide a 24% pay raise for rail workers over five years and bump the average pay up to $110,000 by 2024, the Association of American Railroads says. Four out of a dozen unions representing rail workers have rejected the tentative agreement, but just one union’s decision to strike would require all 12 to honor it, bringing the system to a halt.

☆ Supreme Court to resume public tours
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

The Supreme Court announced Monday that it will reopen to the public this week in another step toward resuming its practices before the Covid pandemic led to strict limits on who could enter the building. In October, the court began allowing visitors to attend arguments, but the building was otherwise closed to the public. Before March 2020, visitors could tour the court, view exhibits and visit the cafeteria and the gift shop. The recent steps to reopen come amid heightened concerns about how the public views the court after it struck down the constitutional right to an abortion, as well as concerns about the safety of justices. The fencing around the Supreme Court was removed in August.

☆ The secrets behind these Christmas movie classics
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Aj Willingham | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ was supposed to be a flop"A Charlie Brown Christmas" is a beloved special, but those involved in its production worried that they'd created a dud. Classic songs were reused, rewritten and dubbed for ‘White Christmas’"White Christmas" is a movie that has a lot of behind-the-scenes lore. Paramount/Kobal/ShutterstockThe 1954 film “White Christmas” is brimming with behind-the-scenes lore, especially when it comes to the music. The animators behind 1993’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” used about 400 different hand-sculpted heads to bring Jack Skellington to life. Michael Caine did a literal balancing act during ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’The Ghost of Christmas Present, left, and Michael Caine, right, in 1992's "The Muppet Christmas Carol."

☆ NBA roundup: Kyrie Irving returns, helps Nets top Grizzlies
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Dillon Brooks led all scorers with 31 points but shot 13 of 30 as the Grizzlies saw their seven-game winning streak over Brooklyn halted. John Konchar added 16 while Steven Adams contributed 15 and 10 rebounds as the Grizzlies shot 43.4 percent. Bruce Brown scored 12 points and DeAndre Jordan had 17 rebounds for the short-handed Nuggets. Six Cavs scored at least 11 points with Lamar Stevens posting 11 and Evan Mobley recording a double-double of 15 and 10 rebounds. KJ Martin scored 12 points off the bench.

LOS ANGELES — Actor Denise Richards was unharmed after shots were fired in a road rage incident Monday, a representative said. The incident was first reported by TMZ. TMZ reported that police were called after someone at the studio spotted gunshot damage on the Ford Shelby F-150 truck. The Los Angeles Police Department, which has jurisdiction in the area of the studio, said that it had no record of such a report and that no investigation was underway. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, whose deputies crisscross the area because they patrol nearby jurisdictions, including public transportation rail and bus lines, said the same.

☆ Jan. 6 committee to 'evaluate next steps' after Trump blows off subpoena
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The House committee investigating the Capitol insurrection said it is weighing its options after former President Donald Trump failed to comply with a subpoena calling on him to appear for a closed-door deposition on Monday. In a statement, the committee's chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and vice chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said Trump was "hiding" days after he filed a lawsuit asking a federal court to deem the subpoena for his testimony invalid. “Donald Trump orchestrated a scheme to overturn a presidential election and block the transfer of power. He is obligated to provide answers to the American people," Thompson and Cheney said in their joint statement. The panel earlier this month gave Trump extra time to provide documents after saying it hadn't received the requested records from him.

BALI, Indonesia — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she expects inflation will recede to normal levels over the next two years, down from near-four-decade highs. Consumer price increases eased to 7.7% last month, in what could be an early sign that inflation is subsiding. On a monthly basis, inflation rose by 0.4%, the same as in September. President Joe Biden at the time lauded the report as “progress” in the effort to wrangle price growth. “It will take time to get inflation back to normal levels — and we could see setbacks along the way — but we will keep at it and help families with the cost of living,” he said.

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