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☆ Appeals court declines to block end of Trump-era rule known as Title 42 that expelled migrants at U.S. border
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Julia-Ainsley-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Julia Ainsley | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday declined to block a lower court order lifting Covid restrictions for asylum seekers at the southern border by Wednesday. Attorneys general from 19 Republican-led states had asked the appeals court to temporarily prevent the end of restrictions known as Title 42. Since Title 42 was enacted in March 2020 by the Trump administration, migrants have been sent back to Mexico 2.4 million times. “Title 42 must end because it it is a public health law, not a border management tool,” said Lee Gelernt, the lead attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union suing to lift Title 42, in a statement. “The states seeking to keep Title 42 are acting hypocritically, to say the least, since they have opposed every COVID restriction except the one targeting vulnerable asylum seekers.”

☆ Federal judge temporarily blocks Biden from ending Trump-era 'Remain in Mexico' policy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the Biden administration from ending a Trump-era policy designed to restrict immigration at the southern border. The Supreme Court said in a 5-4 ruling in June that the Biden administration had acted properly in seeking to end the policy, reversing a federal appeals court ruling that rejected a fresh attempt to end the policy in October 2021. The administration was previously forced to reinstate the policy after Texas and Missouri sued. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who filed suit to block the policy from being lifted, praised the judge's order on Twitter. Immigrant rights groups and opponents of "Remain in Mexico," which is separate from another Trump-era border policy known as Title 42, say it denies people the right to seek protection in the U.S. and forces them to face potentially dangerous circumstances as they await asylum.

☆ GOP-controlled Ohio Legislature passes election bill to require photo ID at the polls
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Mike DeWine a GOP-backed bill Thursday that would require voters to show photo ID at the polls and allow fewer days to request absentee ballots or vote early in person. The measure, which would replace a state law that lets voters present other documents on Election Day, such as utility bills or bank statements, was passed by the House in a 55-32 vote. The bill would also eliminate in-person early voting on the eve of Election Day and trim the amount of time voters can request and submit absentee ballots. State Rep. Richard Brown, a Democrat, said the bill headed to DeWine's desk had “many troublesome provisions,” taking particular issue with the removal of early-in person voting on the day before Election Day. Months later, Texas adopted a sweeping election law that added a new ID requirement for absentee voters and banned drive-thru and overnight early voting.

☆ Senate sends Biden military bill that would lift Covid vaccine mandate for troops and authorize more Ukraine funding
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

The Senate passed a massive military policy bill Thursday that would direct the Defense Department to lift a Covid vaccination mandate for service members and authorize $858 billion in defense spending. The National Defense Authorization Act, the annual bill that authorizes Pentagon spending and policies, cleared the Senate in an 83-11 vote. The bipartisan bill would authorize funding for Taiwan and Ukraine and a 4.6% pay increase for troops. It also would do away with the military vaccination mandate, a Republican priority. A GOP-backed amendment that pushed for scrapping the vaccination mandate immediately instead of waiting several weeks failed to meet the 60-vote threshold needed for adoption in the Senate.

☆ Alleged Pelosi attacker also planned to go after Hunter Biden, Tom Hanks and Gavin Newsom, police say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Zoë Richards | Bryan Lavietes | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The man charged with attacking the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also had plans to target Hunter Biden, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and actor Tom Hanks, according to a police officer who interviewed the alleged assailant. Hanks, meanwhile, has lent his star power to support Joe Biden, appearing alongside him at a grassroots fundraiser in 2020. In January, Hanks narrated a video released by the Biden Inaugural Committee highlighting the president’s accomplishments in his first year in office. DePape will be arraigned Dec. 28 on the state charges.

☆ Congress approves removing statue of Supreme Court chief justice who wrote Dred Scott decision
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The House passed a bill Wednesday that would remove from public display at the U.S. Capitol a statue of Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Taney, who wrote the 1857 Dred Scott decision that defended slavery and denied the citizenship of Black Americans. Roger B. Taney (1777-1864), former chief justice of the Supreme Court. The House overwhelmingly passed the measure a few months later in a 305-113 vote, but it did not advance in the Senate. A statue of Taney, who lived in Maryland, was removed from Maryland's State House grounds in 2017. Congress in recent years has taken similar actions to remove other statues from the Civil War era.

☆ Congressional negotiators reach bipartisan agreement on framework for funding deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Congressional leaders reached a bipartisan deal Tuesday on the framework for a massive government funding package they hope to pass before the holidays. "The pain of inflation is real, and it is being felt across the federal government and by American families right now. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., is the vice chair of the Senate Appropriation Committee. “If all goes well, we should be able to finish an omnibus appropriations package by December 23rd," Shelby said. Funding is set to expire Friday, but senators had been eyeing a one-week stopgap bill to push the deadline back to Dec. 23 to give negotiators more time to pursue a full-year funding agreement.

☆ Oregon Gov. Kate Brown commutes sentences of 17 people on death row
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Kate Brown announced plans Tuesday to commute the sentences of the 17 people on death row to life in prison without the possibility of parole, most likely using her executive clemency powers for the last time as governor. “Unlike previous commutations I’ve granted to individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary growth and rehabilitation, this commutation is not based on any rehabilitative efforts by the individuals on death row. Instead, it reflects the recognition that the death penalty is immoral." Brown said the commutations were consistent with a moratorium on the death penalty Gov. The death penalty was first legalized in Oregon in the 19th century, but it has been abolished and reinstated three times since then.

☆ Republican Kari Lake files lawsuit in bid to overturn Arizona election
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Kari Lake, the GOP candidate who lost Arizona's governor race in November, filed a lawsuit Friday challenging certification of the state's election results and seeking a court order that declares her the winner. The 70-page lawsuit from Lake, a prominent election denier and Trump ally, contains numerous inaccuracies about the election won by Democratic Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs, Arizona's secretary of state. “Lake received the greatest number of votes and is entitled to be named the winner,” the lawsuit states. “Kari Lake needs attention like a fish needs water — and independent experts and local election officials of both parities have made clear that this was a sage, secure, and fair election,” Hobbs’ campaign manager said. “Arizonans made their voices heart and elected Katie Hobbs as their governor.

☆ 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.

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.

☆ 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.

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