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☆ Meet 41-year old Judge Aileen Cannon, the Trump-nominated Floridian who will pick the special master to weed through the documents seized at Mar-a-Lago
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Judge Aileen Cannon recently reversed a big win that she had handed Trump's defense team. Judge Aileen Cannon gave her confirmation testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee over Zoom on July 29, 2020. There, she prosecuted cases involving narcotics, fraud, firearms, and immigration cases, according to her Senate confirmation document. Cannon during her confirmation hearing thanked Rubio as well as fellow Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida for their "continued support." "Judge Cannon is a great judge who I am very proud to have enthusiastically supported," Rubio told Insider through his office when asked about the connection.

☆ Biden chose humanity over geopolitics with Griner release
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

But President Joe Biden’s decision to exchange WNBA star Brittney Griner for Viktor Bout goes beyond the exchange’s bottom line. And it prompted top Republicans to charge that he had prioritized a basketball superstar over an ex-marine who benefited from a vocal political pressure campaign on Biden. This adds another layer of complication for Biden as he seeks to get Whelan free, since it involves another government and would require German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to potentially agree to supersede his country’s own legal system. While Biden is being castigated by some political opponents in Washington for doing a bad deal, administration officials insisted that he got the best one on offer. It was a choice between bringing home one particular American, Brittney Griner, or bringing home none,” a senior administration official told reporters on Thursday.

☆ Former Rep. David Rivera of Florida is arrested in Venezuela probe
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

David Rivera, a Republican who served from 2011 to 2013, was arrested at Atlanta’s airport, said Marlene Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami. To justify the large payments, PDV USA allegedly created “phony contracts” backdated to March 20, 2017 — the day before the consulting agreement took effect. Rivera’s consulting contract had all the hallmarks of a sham, according to PDV USA, which since 2019 has been run by directors appointed by the U.S.-backed opposition. Rivera never met in person with anyone from Citgo or PDV USA while supposedly working on its behalf. “The written record is bereft of any evidence that Interamerican performed any of the contracted services,” PDV USA argues in the new filings.

☆ Biden condemns antisemitism as Ye praises Hitler days after dinner with Trump, white nationalist Fuentes
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

President Joe Biden denounced antisemitism and took a veiled jab at Donald Trump days after the former president dined with rapper Ye, who has made a string of recent antisemitic comments, and white nationalist Nick Fuentes. Trump, the presumptive frontrunner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, had dinner last week with Ye and Fuentes at his Mar-a-Lago club, sparking widespread condemnation. "I love Jewish people, but I also love Nazis," Ye told Jones on the show, also praising what he considered Hitler's contributions to society. Trump has not yet condemned the men he had dinner with at Mar-a-Lago, and he claimed not to know who the white nationalist Fuentes was. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., told Politico he hopes Trump will condemn Fuentes "because I know [Trump's] not an antisemite.

☆ Chinese firm selling surveillance tech to Iran comes under scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Dan De Luce | Dan De Luce Is A Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

Tiandy is one of several Chinese companies at the center of China’s vast domestic surveillance network, experts and human rights advocates say. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, said the embassy could not speak on behalf of Chinese private companies. Last week, the Biden administration effectively banned the sale or import of new equipment from a number of Chinese surveillance firms but Tiandy Technologies was not named. Maya Wang, senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch, said Chinese surveillance technology tends to be less expensive and more attractive for some authoritarian governments. Like other video technology companies in China, Tiandy’s software includes an ethnicity tracking tool that supposedly can digitally identify someone’s race.

WASHINGTON — House lawmakers are poised to pass legislation Wednesday to avert a catastrophic rail strike that President Joe Biden warned could threaten the U.S. economy just weeks before Christmas. “At a time of record profits in the rail industry, it’s unacceptable that rail workers have ZERO guaranteed paid sick days,” Sanders tweeted. “It’s my intention to block consideration of the rail legislation until a roll call vote occurs on guaranteeing 7 paid sick days to rail workers in America.”Other progressives also wouldn’t commit to back the rail proposal. But the House will also vote separately on a bill that would add seven days of paid sick leave to the deal. Biden "is confident that we will not have a rail strike.

WASHINGTON — The Senate is scheduled to vote Tuesday afternoon on legislation to codify federal protections for marriages between same-sex and interracial couples. A lengthy procedural vote was held open by Schumer on Monday as Democrats sought to cut a deal with GOP senators who threatened to drag out the process unless they received votes on amendments. Then the bill would proceed to a final vote later Tuesday, requiring 60 senators to pass. Most Republicans are expected to oppose the legislation, but Monday's procedural vote suggests the bill will have enough GOP support to pass. Proponents want to pass it in the lame-duck session before Republicans take control of the House on Jan. 3.

☆ A GOP congressman says TikTok should be banned in the US and is introducing legislation to do so, calling the app 'digital fentanyl'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In a Fox News appearance, Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher renewed calls for a national ban on TikTok. Gallagher called the social media app "digital fentanyl" that is "addicting our kids." Gallagher and Sen. Marco Rubio introduced legislation to ban the app nationwide earlier this month. Last month, additional reports surfaced of an internal team planning to use location information gathered from US users of the TikTok app for surveillance of American citizens. TikTok has been the most downloaded app in the US since 2021, according to data by TechCrunch.

☆ Chinese-made drones are flying in restricted DC airspace, sparking new spying fears in the nation's capital
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

There are rising concerns in DC about the potential for recreational Chinese-made drones to be used for spying. Congressional lawmakers have received classified briefings from US agencies on these concerns, per a Politico report. Chinese-made drones have repeatedly flown into restricted airspace over Washington, DC, the report said. A spokesperson for DJI told Politico that though the firm makes an effort to ensure customers follow regulations "we can't control the end users' behavior." Insider reached out to the Senate Homeland Security, Commerce, and Intelligence committees for comment but has not yet received a response.

☆ Florida no longer looks like a swing state after DeSantis, Rubio lead big Republican wins
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Once considered the nation's biggest swing state, Florida is looking more and more like a Republican stronghold. The state's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, and Sen. Marco Rubio both glided to victory against their respective Democratic opponents. The number of active registered Republican voters, meanwhile, rose to 5,259,406 in the same period — a gain of more than 150,000. In this month's midterms, older Florida voters came out in droves, while young voters stayed home, NBC's exit polls show. And the GOP extended its gains in the Florida state Legislature, clinching supermajorities in both chambers.

Christopher Gregory/Getty ImagesDonald McGahn, Trump campaign counsel: I was at the top. Trump's 2016 campaign aides said they paid about 50 people, including part-time actors, to appear as supporters for his 2016 campaign announcement. Corey Lewandowski, Trump campaign managerCorey Lewandowski: I called my wife just as we were getting onto the plane. Stuff that would be from Mars on any other campaign was perfectly normal for the Trump campaign. Mark J. Terrill/AP photo Show less Trump at the Republican National Convention while Cruz speaks on July 20, 2016.

☆ Walker's campaign tells Republicans to stop 'deceptive fundraising' in Georgia runoff
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Marc Caputo | Marc Caputo Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Walker’s campaign, which has trailed Warnock’s in fundraising throughout the election, is now asking fellow Republicans to stop their fundraising practices — or at least start sharing more with the candidate. "We need everyone focused on winning the Georgia Senate race, and deceptive fundraising tactics by teams that just won their races are siphoning money away from Georgia,” Walker campaign manager Scott Paradise told NBC News on Monday. After the 90:10 split was highlighted on Twitter, Trump’s committee changed the allocation to a 50:50 split. A Vance spokesman declined to comment, but subsequent fundraising emails for Walker have defaulted to a 50:50 split as well. Those new donors' emails and their money are then shared along with the cash raised in the joint fundraising endeavor.

☆ Lindsey Graham says he doesn't think Trump should announce a 2024 run tonight
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Lindsey Graham said he doesn't think Trump should announce a 2024 bid on Tuesday evening. "I don't think Trump should announce tonight," the South Carolina Republican told reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday, adding that he believes a majority of Republican senators think the former president should hold off. His speech comes as many Republicans nationwide have balked at the prospects of a Trump 2024 run, blaming him for the party's underwhelming performance in the midterm elections. Assuming Trump does announce a presidential bid on Tuesday evening, he may not have many immediate endorsements from within his party. "It's Georgia, Georgia, Georgia," Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming said Tuesday.

☆ Senate same-sex marriage bill says people with 'diverse beliefs about the role of gender in marriage' are 'due proper respect'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A bipartisan group of senators released the text of their amendment to a bill that codifies same-sex marriage. "Diverse beliefs about the role of gender in marriage are held by reasonable and sincere people based on decent and honorable religious or philosophical premises. A Gallup poll from June 2021 found that 71% of Americans — including 55% of Republicans — support same-sex marriage. A handful of Republican senators stated their support for the bill following House passage, though some balked at the necessity of the legislation. If the amended bill passes the Senate, the House will have to vote on the measure again before January.

WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is facing a brewing challenge to his position as the top Republican in the Senate. Going into the midterm elections Tuesday, McConnell appeared to have a firm grasp on the leader's job and Republicans appeared poised to take control of the Senate. Asked in January what his agenda would be if Republicans took control of the Senate, McConnell deflected. Don’t disenfranchise @HerschelWalker.”A Rubio adviser said the senator is concerned McConnell has not laid out a vision for the future. “The Senate Republican Conference must change the way it operates — regardless of the outcome of the still-pending elections," the letter states.

☆ Permanent daylight saving time? Sleep experts vote no—'That idea is terrible for our bodies'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Daylight saving time is when time jumps forward by an hour. And though we "lose" an hour of sleep temporarily, we gain an hour of sunlight until the fall. ET, time went back and we "gained" an hour of sleep, but lost an hour of sunlight. While permanent daylight saving time might sound like the perfect solution, the bill was stalled recently by the House of Representatives — it was unanimously passed by the Senate in March. And the opinions of sleep experts like Shelby Harris, a licensed clinical psychologist and director of sleep health at Sleepopolis, just might have had something to do with the delay.

Share this -Link copiedWisconsin Senate race too close to call Wisconsin's Senate race between GOP Sen. Ron Johnson and Democrat Mandela Barnes is too close to call, NBC News says. Vance wins Ohio Senate race, defeating Democrat Tim Ryan, NBC News projects COLUMBUS, Ohio — J.D. Ohio Republican Senate candidate J.D. Vance is leading The Senate race in Ohio is too early to call, NBC News says, but Republican candidate J.D. Share this -Link copiedGeorgia Senate race too close to call Georgia's Senate race is too close to call about three hours after polls closed at 7 p.m.

☆ Midterm elections live updates: Pennsylvania races, New Hampshire Senate race too early to call
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Brandy Zadrozny | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Sahil-Kapur-Headshot.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +109 min

Share this -Link copiedWisconsin Senate and governor's races too early to call It is too early to call the Senate and gubernatorial races in Wisconsin, according to NBC News. Share this -Link copiedNew Hampshire Senate race too early to call The Senate race in New Hampshire is too early to call, according to NBC News. Share this -Link copiedPennsylvania Senate and governor races are too early to call After polls closed at 8 p.m. While Maricopa County election officials initially categorized the problem as a “hiccup,” it took hours before a solution was identified early Tuesday afternoon. In Columbus County, election officials allegedly were harassed by an “observer following one-stop workers” and photographing or filming the workers, it said.

☆ Sen. Marco Rubio wins re-election in Florida, defeating Democratic Rep. Val Demings, NBC News projects
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Marc Caputo | Marc Caputo Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

MIAMI — Republican Sen. Marco Rubio cruised to victory Tuesday night, securing his third term amid a statewide Democratic collapse, NBC News projects. Rubio is the first Florida Republican to win three terms in the Senate. Rubio’s career and his relationship with Trump tell the story of the Republican Party in Florida. "And that’s where we have really missed an opportunity of highlighting our strong Hispanic voices," Mucarsel-Powell said of her fellow Florida Democrats. The $30 million Demings spent just wasn't enough, he said.

☆ Gov. Ron DeSantis cruises to re-election, solidifying GOP hold on Florida politics
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Marc Caputo | Marc Caputo Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

Ron DeSantis speaks during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit in Tampa, Fla. on July 22, 2022. One survey in the nation’s first primary state, New Hampshire, showed the two statistically tied in a primary, but another survey show Trump with a lead. Some Florida polls have also shown DeSantis leading Trump in a one-on-one primary. The poll also showed DeSantis might win a majority of Hispanic voters in Florida, which no Republican governor has done in 20 years. “In that event, Ron has a different set of issues he has to contend with if he wants to run against Trump.”

While Maricopa County election officials initially categorized the problem as a “hiccup,” it took hours before a solution was identified early Tuesday afternoon. According to the poll, 46% of voters said their family’s financial situation is worse than it was two years ago. Civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP, filed a similar complaint Friday against state election officials. The app and portal had been down for part of the morning and the state's election hotline also briefly experienced issues. In Columbus County, election officials allegedly were harassed by an “observer following one-stop workers” and photographing or filming the workers, it said.

☆ Live Results: Republican Sen. Marco Rubio defeats Democratic Rep. Val Demings
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Rubio defeated Democratic Rep. Val Demings, a former Orlando police chief. Sen. Marco Rubio is projected to have beaten Democratic Rep. Val Demings. 2022 General EmbedsFlorida's Senate race candidatesRubio has been in the US Senate since 2011. Still, Democrats in Florida see Rubio as vulnerable against Demings, and have invested far more into the Demings-Rubio race than into the Florida governor's race. In comparison, Rubio has raised $44.2 million, spent $34.7 million, and has $9.6 million on hand, as of September 30.

☆ 25-year-old Maxwell Frost will be the first Gen Z member of Congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Jennifer Liu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Progressive activist Maxwell Alejandro Frost, 25, will officially become the first Gen Z member of Congress after winning his race to represent Florida's 10th Congressional District. "Central Florida, my name is Maxwell Alejandro Frost, and I'm going to be the first Generation Z member of the United States Congress!" He quit his previous job in order to run for Congress and drove for Uber to pay rent while on the campaign trail. He's passionate about gun reform, often referring to Gen Z as the "school shooter generation." The 2022 midterms were the first time members of Gen Z could run for Congress, which Pew Research Center defines as people born between 1997 and 2012.

In the House, Republicans have 212 members and need to add six to guarantee a majority. Here’s a guide to some of the competitive races in which polls close early, which election forecasters say will carry a larger significance in reading the direction of the political environment. Virginia's three crystal ballsThe fates of three House Democrats first elected in the 2018 blue wave will tell a bigger story when Virginia’s polls close at 7 p.m. And in Florida, where polls close at at 7 p.m. Red wave sirensNew Hampshire is one of the earliest competitive Senate contests where polls close at 8 p.m.

☆ Live Results: Florida votes in congressional and state elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Walt Hickey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Florida, long seen as the definition of a swing state, may this cycle affirm a rightward shift that would remove it from the list of states seen as seriously competitive. The state's growth meant it gained a congressional seat in the most recent redistricting, and all 28 seats are up this year, with five of them — the 7th District, the 13th District, the 15th District and the 27th District — seen as especially competitive. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Marco Rubio, both Republicans, are also facing re-election. Polls close in the state at 7 p.m. local time. Given the state has multiple timezones, the first polls close at 7 p.m. EST and the last polls close at 8 p.m. EST.

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