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In one, generic mifepristone maker GenBioPro is asking a federal judge to block West Virginia, which has a near-total abortion ban, from prohibiting sales of the pills. The state is one of 16 that allow abortion under some circumstances, but impose additional restrictions on mifepristone that make it harder to access. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE TEXAS PLAINTIFFS WIN? IS A WIN BY TEXAS PLAINTIFFS LIKELY? The West Virginia lawsuit makes a more novel legal argument, since West Virginia's abortion ban applies to all abortions and does not specifically regulate mifepristone.

"It's judge shopping on steroids," said Sarah Lipton-Lubet, executive director of the progressive legal advocacy group Take Back the Court. The Biden administration has called the lawsuit "unprecedented" and urged Kacsmaryk to not deprive women of a long-approved safe and effective drug. At least eight have led to rulings blocking Biden policies, with several more pending. The chief judges of Texas federal courts have the authority to reallocate cases to other judges, but have largely not done so, he said. Absent a change, litigants have every right to take advantage of that structure to seek a favorable judge, he said.

☆ Romney tells embattled Republican George Santos he 'shouldn't be in Congress'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) speaks with reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 6, 2022. Senator Mitt Romney told embattled fellow Republican Representative George Santos on Tuesday that should not be in Congress and shouldn't have taken a central seat at President Joe Biden's State of the Union address. "He shouldn't be in Congress and they're going to go through the process and hopefully get him out," Romney told reporters after the speech. "But he shouldn't be there and if he had any shame at all he wouldn't be there." Romney said he had told Santos as much.

☆ Perfect Storm for Some Companies: Fewer Interest Deductions, Rising Rates
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Mark Maurer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +9 min

For some firms, the move shrank the amount of taxable income that can be offset by interest expenses. Higher interest rates generally lead to higher interest expenses tied to companies’ variable-rate debt, new borrowings and refinancings. The cap can hit companies’ cash flows immediately, though not necessarily their financial statements, due to timing differences in claiming the deductions. Aluminum maker and recycler Novelis plans to allocate less cash toward its venture-capital arm due to the higher interest expenses. Leveraged loans have variable rates that typically reset every one to three months, based on short-term interest rates.

☆ Betsy DeVos and former GOP lawmakers who helped construct versions of the legislation Biden is using to cancel student debt just told the Supreme Court his plan 'obviously violates' the law
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Both briefs criticized the legal path Biden used to cancel student debt, saying relief requires Congressional approval. The Supreme Court is hearing the two lawsuits challenging Biden's relief on February 28. After two conservative-backed lawsuits late last year paused the implementation of Biden's debt relief, the Supreme Court agreed to take up both of the cases on February 28. Per the brief, McKeon was the original author of the HEROES Act of 2001 in response to 9/11, and Kline authored the HEROES Act of 2003. So did former Rep. George Miller, a top Democratic lawmaker on the House education committee who helped construct the HEROES Act of 2003.

Feb 4 (Reuters) - A federal law prohibiting marijuana users from possessing firearms is unconstitutional, a federal judge in Oklahoma has concluded, citing last year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling that significantly expanded gun rights. "The mere use of marijuana carries none of the characteristics that the Nation's history and tradition of firearms regulation supports," Wyrick wrote. She called marijuana the most commonly used drug illegal at the federal level. Circuit Court of Appeals cited that decision in declaring unconstitutional a federal law barring people under domestic violence restraining orders from owning firearms. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Conservative groups are flooding the Supreme Court with calls to block Biden's student-loan forgiveness, arguing that borrowers are 'contractually bound to repay their loans'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Nine conservative groups this week filed amicus briefs to the Supreme Court opposing Biden's student-debt relief. It comes after advocates and scholars filed over a dozen briefs supporting Biden's plan. Conservative groups are making sure the court hears their opinion: that student-loan forgiveness is illegal and should be blocked. Since October, Biden's debt relief plan has been paused due to two conservative-backed lawsuits seeking to permanently block the plan, and the Supreme Court will be taking on both cases on February 28. Still, the fate of student-loan forgiveness rests with the Supreme Court, and it remains to be seen how these briefs will influence its final decision on the legality of canceling student debt.

☆ Biden cooperating with federal search for classified documents at Delaware beach house -statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinWASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department is conducting a planned search of Joe Biden's Delaware beach house with the president's cooperation, his lawyer said on Wednesday. "We agreed to cooperate," Biden's personal lawyer, Bob Bauer, said in a statement, saying more information would be released after the search was concluded. Classified documents have also been found in the homes of former Republican President Donald Trump and his former vice president, Mike Pence. Biden has vowed to cooperate with the searches and Pence had said he takes responsibility for the found documents. It is unlawful to knowingly or willfully remove or retain classified material, although no current or former president or vice president has been charged with wrongdoing.

☆ Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is cleaning up her image and cozying up with GOP leadership to gain power. It's working.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is cozying up with GOP leadership after two years of being an outsider. Two years later, under Republican leadership, she's angling herself into positions of power. It's clear she's learned valuable lessons from two of her GOP colleagues, Rep. Lauren Boebert and former Rep. Madison Cawthorn. In spite of this, Gingrich ultimately gained prominence among the GOP, becoming the Republican whip and later speaker of the House. Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia takes a selfie with Kevin McCarthy after his election as speaker of the House.

☆ A former GOP congressman says many MAGA Republicans are secretly hoping for Trump's 'mortal demise'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Many MAGA Republicans are wishing for Trump's "mortal demise," a former GOP Rep. says. Peter Meijer told The Atlantic he has heard MAGA Republicans say: "I can't wait until this guy dies." Other Republicans told The Atlantic they think Trump's diet and age might hasten his death. Meijer did not say which Republicans told him they wished Trump was dead. "I thought it was kind of a morbid, dark joke at first," Coppins told CNN.

☆ 78% of voters in Republican Rep. George Santos' district want him to resign: poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An overwhelming number of Rep. George Santos' own constituents want the Republican to resign. According to a new poll, 78% of voters in Santos' district want him to step down. According to a newly released Newsday/Siena College Poll, 78% of voters in Santos' district who responded to the survey want him to step down. The view was broadly supported by 71% of Republican respondents, 72% of independents, and 89% of Democrats. The poll comes after fellow New York House Republicans and some influential conservatives in the state previously called on Santos to resign.

☆ Veterans of 2011 U.S. debt-ceiling fight see tougher battle ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Andy Sullivan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

As in 2011, Republicans aim to pair this year's debt-ceiling hike with sharp spending cuts to narrow annual budget deficits that have ballooned in recent years due to tax cuts and COVID-19 relief. 2 House Republican spent hours with Biden trying to find a solution, said the president's no-negotiations stance may prove unsustainable. Any agreement that emerges from that chamber will need bipartisan support, which could prove difficult for a Republican House majority to accept. Some House Republicans protested when McConnell in December 2021 cut a deal to raise the debt ceiling and avoid default. "That's what things like the debt ceiling are built for - they're forcing mechanisms that create an artificial deadline," he said.

In 2016, New Hampshire Republicans lifted Donald Trump’s candidacy after he lost in Iowa, becoming the first state to embrace the future president. Chris SununuWhile Trump is considered the early favorite, the doubters, naysayers and haters in the New Hampshire Republican Party could steer him off course. “Just fill in the blanks.”Sununu argued that New Hampshire Republicans are tired of drama and are ready for a new face. New Hampshire Republicans are reeling from the losses in November. I do not think it’s a foregone conclusion,” said New Hampshire Republican Mike Dennehy, a onetime adviser to the late presidential candidate Sen. John McCain.

WASHINGTON — Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego announced Monday he will run for the Arizona U.S. Senate seat currently held by centrist Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who left the Democratic Party in December to become an independent. In his statement Monday, Gallego said: “The problem isn’t that Senator Sinema abandoned the Democratic Party — it’s that she’s abandoned Arizona. Karrin Taylor Robson, who narrowly lost to Lake in the 2022 primary after spending $20 million of her family’s money, is seriously considering a Senate run, a source close to her said. And Mark Lamb, the Pinal County sheriff, is also considering a Senate run in 2024, said an Arizona Republican source. A Gallego adviser said he's prepared for a two-way race if Sinema steps aside or a three-way race if she chooses to run.

☆ Pete Ricketts is sworn in as Nebraska's next senator
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

US VideosPete Ricketts is sworn in as Nebraska's next senatorPostedNebraska's former Republican Governor Pete Ricketts was sworn in on Monday (January 23) as the state's next U.S. senator by Vice President Kamala Harris, after being appointed to fill the seat left vacant by former Senator Ben Sasse.

☆ Most Abortion Bans Include Exceptions. In Practice, Few Are Granted.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Amy Schoenfeld Walker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +19 min

But abortion-rights advocates say legal exceptions do nothing but make abortion bans appear more reasonable than they really are. One shows states with abortion bans with exceptions for rape or incest and the other shows states without those exceptions. One shows states with abortion bans with exceptions for fatal birth defects and the other shows states without those exceptions. One shows states with abortion bans with exceptions for patients with severe health risks and the other shows states without those exceptions. One shows states with abortion bans with exceptions for the life of the patient and the other shows states without those exceptions.

☆ Trump is asking advisers what they 'have' on Ron DeSantis so he can eliminate him as competition for 2024: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Trump's team is looking for dirt on Ron DeSantis, per a new Rolling Stone report. Rolling Stone spoke to sources who say Trump has been asking aides what they "have" on DeSantis. Ron DeSantis, per a new report from Rolling Stone. The way Trump went after Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush, I do not believe that's going to work against Ron DeSantis." Rolling Stone's report on the Trump camp's DeSantis strategy comes after Trump sounded a warning to his prospective rival.

☆ An Alabama 'election denier' is leading efforts in the state to withdraw from a national organization that combats voter fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Alabama's top elections official is withdrawing the state from a nonprofit known as ERIC. Founded in 2012, ERIC began as a collaboration by election officials in seven states, four of them Republican. A powerful outlierOfficials, including Republicans, have credited the organization with helping clean up their voter lists and prevent fraudulent votes. A former state legislator, Allen was dubbed an "election denier" by the States United Democracy Center, a bipartisan group that promotes election integrity, over his support for overturning the results of the 2020 election. With or without Alabama, he said, ERIC will continue to focus on "improving the accuracy of America's voter rolls and increasing access to voter registration for all eligible citizens."

☆ Biden's approval at 40%, near lowest of his presidency - Reuters/Ipsos poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Jason Lange | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's public approval rating was close to the lowest level of his presidency this week amid criticism from Republicans over classified documents found in his home in recent months, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. The three-day national poll, which closed on Sunday, showed 40% of Americans approved of Biden's performance as president, versus 39% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll a month earlier. The Justice Department has appointed special counsels, meant to be independent of political influence, to probe both Trump's and Biden's handling of documents. The Reuters/Ipsos poll also showed general dissatisfaction with Washington's leadership. The Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted throughout the United States, gathered responses from 1,035 adults, using a nationally representative sample.

Jan 18 (Reuters) - A University of Kansas professor avoided prison on Wednesday for making a false statement related to work he was doing in China in the latest setback for a Trump-era U.S. Department of Justice crackdown on Chinese influence within American academia. Prosecutors had asked U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson in Kansas City, Kansas, to sentence Feng "Franklin" Tao to 2-1/2 years in prison, even after the judge in September threw out most of his trial conviction for concealing work he did in China. Robinson instead sentenced the chemical engineering professor to time served with no fine or restitution. The Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Premarket stocks: The Federal Reserve is testing how climate change could hurt big banks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —The largest six banks in the United States have been given until July to show the Federal Reserve what effects disastrous climate change scenarios could have on their bottom lines. The Federal Reserve first announced the pilot program in September, noting that Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo would participate. In its announcement the Federal Reserve stressed that the exercise “is exploratory in nature and does not have capital consequences.” It also said that it would not publish individual banks’ results. San Francisco Federal Reserve President Mary Daly told CNN in October Thursday that this was a learning and exploratory exercise for the Federal Reserve. The other side: Critics of the pilot program have argued that the Federal Reserve was overstepping its boundaries and that they might soon begin to enforce financial penalties.

☆ Failed GOP Candidate Provided Guns, Cash in Attacks on New Mexico Democratic Officials, Police Say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Joseph De Avila | Dan Frosch | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Investigators said a confidential witness implicated a former Republican candidate for the New Mexico state legislature in a series of drive-by shootings targeting Democratic officials, according to details of the arrest warrant. Solomon Peña , 39, who lost his race for state representative to his Democratic opponent in November, was arrested Monday, Albuquerque, N.M., police said. Before the shootings, Mr. Peña showed up uninvited at the homes of some of the Democratic lawmakers, claiming to have evidence of election fraud, they said.

☆ Losing New Mexico Candidate Arrested Over Shootings at Democrats’ Homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Dan Frosch | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A former Republican candidate for the New Mexico state legislature was arrested Monday for his suspected involvement in a string of recent drive-by shootings at the homes of several Democratic elected officials. Solomon Peña , 39, who lost his race for state representative to his Democratic opponent in November, helped orchestrate the shootings and participated in at least one of them, Albuquerque police said. The homes of two county officials and two state legislators, including the New Mexico House speaker, were hit in the drive-by shootings, according to police. Nobody was hurt in the incidents, which took place over the past several weeks, though the homes sustained damage.

☆ Rep. George Santos says he 'embellished' his resume―others say he lied. Don't do either, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Santos admitted to doing so in an interview with the New York Post later that month, saying, "My sins here are embellishing my resume. And fully 55% of Americans say they've lied on their resumes at least once, according to an October 2022 StandOutCV survey of 1,785 U.S. adults. Career experts do draw a distinction between lying and embellishing — but, they say, you shouldn't do either. Either way, nowadays, lying or embellishing is a bad idea, in part because it's so easy to get caught. A colleague could peruse a LinkedIn page and say, "Wait a minute, that's not what we did there," says Bauke.

☆ Former N.Y. election official pleads guilty to 2021 ballot fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

ALBANY, N.Y. — A former Republican county elections commissioner in upstate New York pleaded guilty Wednesday to applying for absentee ballots in the names of other registered voters. Jason Schofield, who is from Troy, resigned last month from the Rensselaer County Board of Elections. He admitted that in 2021 he unlawfully used the names and birthdates of voters in connection with 12 absentee ballot applications he submitted electronically to the New York State Voter Absentee Ballot Application Request Portal, according to federal prosecutors. Schofield, 43, admitted he falsely certified that he was the voter requesting each of the absentee ballots. A box of absentee ballots at the Albany County Board of Elections in Albany, N.Y., on June 30, 2020.

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