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☆ Rubio and Demings spar over inflation and abortion in fiery Florida Senate debate
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Zoë Richards | Zoë Richards Is The Evening Politics Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and his Democratic challenger, Rep. Val Demings, dueled over inflation, abortion rights and immigration Tuesday night in what is expected to be their only debate before the election. The hourlong debate held at Palm Beach State College was punctuated by persistent interruptions and insults as the candidates each criticized the other's legislative record on Capitol Hill. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., debates Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., at Duncan Theater on the campus of Palm Beach State College on Tuesday. Thomas Cordy / Pool/The Palm Beach Post via APHeading into the debate, Demings had targeted Rubio on abortion, an issue that Democrats nationwide have highlighted to drive turnout in November. Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., at Tuesday’s debate.

WisconsinDemocrats see Republican Sen. Ron Johnson as a vulnerable incumbent. Barnes has espoused progressive views in office, but his Senate campaign has focused more on pocketbook issues such as inflation and taxes. Vance appears locked in a tight Senate race against Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, despite running in a red-leaning state that Trump won handily in 2020. Incumbent Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan's approval ratings have fallen, including among unaffiliated voters who make up a major chunk of the state's electorate. FloridaFormer Orlando police chief and Democratic Rep. Val Demings aims to unseat incumbent Republican Sen. Marco Rubio.

☆ Ahead of the midterms, Black women voters most concerned about costs of living, poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Donna M. Owens | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Change Research conducted the online survey of 715 adult Black women voters who were recruited via web and text message. The majority of Black women who responded felt they are “under-represented,” or that “more representation” is needed. Black women represent 53% of Black eligible voters, slightly higher than all eligible voters (51%) in the country. Many gave mixed answers, expressing both excitement and optimism about the advances Black women have made and their power, as well as frustration about the state of the country and how Black women are treated. There are currently no Black women in the Senate after former California Sen. Kamala Harris won the vice presidency.

☆ Haiti activists rally at White House seeking end of U.S. support for Henry
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Brian Ellsworth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A woman holds a sign at a rally outside the White House asking the Biden administration to stop supporting Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry, in Washington, U.S. October 9, 2022 in this picture obtained by Reuters. Gordon Whitman/via REUTERSOct 9 (Reuters) - Activists on Sunday rallied at the White House to call on the Biden administration to end support for the government of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, as the Caribbean nation faces a humanitarian crisis due to gangs blocking the distribution of fuel. A broadcast of the rally showed several hundred people gathered outside the White House, holding signs bearing Haiti's flag or with messages including "Let Haitians decide their own future." The Biden administration has not signaled that it plans to change its stance with respect to Henry. U.S. Representative Val Demings last week introduced the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2022, which calls for a new federal investigation into those who support Haitian gangs.

☆ Young Black activists are done waiting their turn for political office. They're taking on the 'John Lewis generation' of elder lawmakers who they say are out of touch.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Elvina Nawaguna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +30 min

Most members of the Congressional Black Caucus are twice as old as the median Black person living in the US. The Congressional Black Caucus, a powerful voice for Black Americans, is significantly older than those it speaks for. Clay had replaced his father, William Lacy Clay Sr., a civil-rights icon and founding Congressional Black Caucus member who had represented the area since 1969. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty ImagesThe Congressional Black Caucus is reckoning with a leftward shift it's struggled to embrace. A spokesperson for the Congressional Black Caucus did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ Tampa tenant facing eviction stays put, fearing landlord won’t let him back in after storm passes
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Deon J. Hampton | Deon J. Hampton Is A National Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Courtesy Kenny Lofton“I’m home packing my belongings,” Lofton told NBC News. But he is also facing eviction Friday because, with rising prices, his government housing assistance is no longer enough to pay the rent. And in cities like Tampa, the demand for affordable housing is high but the supply is limited. And he was told the complex would no longer be accepting Section 8 federal housing vouchers. Lofton said he received multiple extensions from the landlord during which he tried and failed to find another place to rent.

☆ Democratic ex-cop Demings closes in on Republican Rubio in Florida
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Richard Cowan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Graeme Jennings/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. Representative Val Demings enters the final weeks of her campaign to unseat Republican U.S. "This race is about Val Demings versus Marco Rubio," said Christian Slater, communications director for Demings' campaign. Allies of Demings acknowledge that she faces political headwinds in Florida including Biden's low popularity. Demings also served as one of the Democratic House managers in Trump's first Senate impeachment trial in 2020. Jose Parra, an adviser to the Florida Democratic Party, said that for Demings to win, she would need to boost turnout among voters in south Florida, including Rubio's birthplace Miami, and lure independents in a vote-rich corridor traversing central Florida.

☆ Hurricane Ian barrels toward Florida's Gulf Coast, canceling Biden rally and bringing Ron DeSantis his biggest storm test as governor
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ron DeSantis has issued a state of emergency in Florida as the response kicks into high gear. "We know we are going to have some major impacts throughout the state of Florida," said DeSantis, a Republican. DeSantis' emergency declaration also allows Floridians to bypass typical time limits on prescriptions and stock up early. In a press conference Monday afternoon in Largo, Florida, state Attorney General Ashley Moody reminded businesses that Florida law prohibits them from price gouging supplies people will need. "Our entire county is going to feel some type of impact," Cathie Perkins, director of Pinellas County Emergency Management, said at the Largo press conference.

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the Global Fund’s Seventh Replenishment Conference in New York, U.S., September 21, 2022. While former president Donald Trump has long been considered the Republican frontrunner in 2024, recent polls show DeSantis higher in Florida. There’s no way we are going to escape the elephant in the room,” a senior Democratic official said of DeSantis. "I think he's great. I think he's doing a great job.

WASHINGTON — The House on Thursday passed a package of police funding and public safety bills, legislation that will help vulnerable Democrats blunt GOP campaign attacks that they want to “defund the police” and are ignoring rising crime. John Minchillo / AP fileThe passage of four policing and safety bills came after some last-minute, intraparty drama earlier in the day. Had they followed through, it would have derailed the entire package and dealt Democrats an embarrassing blow on a major campaign issue before the midterms. The Gottheimer bill, which easily passed 360-64, would provide grants to local police departments with fewer than 125 sworn officers. While there is Senate support for some of the House-passed bills, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has no plans to bring a policing package to the floor before the Nov. 8 midterm election.

☆ Democratic divide in Florida: DeSantis challenger to rally with Biden, but Senate candidate won't
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Marc Caputo | Natasha Korecki | Marc Caputo Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

MIAMI — President Joe Biden is coming to Florida next week to campaign with Charlie Crist as he tries to unseat Gov. But Democratic Senate candidate Val Demings won’t be there Tuesday to meet the president in her hometown, Orlando. In Florida, Crist has a tougher race on his hands than Demings. A Suffolk University poll, conducted for USA Today and released Wednesday, drove home the differences between the two Florida Democrats. President Biden knows that, which is why he is coming and why I’m proud to welcome him.”NBC News has asked the White House for comment.

WASHINGTON — Moderate and progressive House Democrats struck a deal Wednesday on a long-awaited policing and public safety package, a breakthrough they hope will unify the party on a key issue weeks before the midterm election. The package includes four bills written by moderate Democrats. Another by Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey would provide grants to local police departments with fewer than 125 sworn officers. A third, by Rep. Katie Porter of California, would provide grants for mental health professionals and other resources. Two other policing bills, written by moderate Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and Dean Phillips, D-Minn., that had previously been a part of the negotiations were removed from the package announced Wednesday.

TikTok said Wednesday that it will require the accounts of politicians and political parties to be verified and that it is making it harder for them to use the platform's advertising and fundraising systems. "We do that currently by working to keep harmful misinformation off the platform, prohibiting political advertising, and connecting our community with authoritative information about elections." Chandlee said verification of politicians or government entities will be crucial to building trust with platform followers. "We don’t proactively encourage politicians or political parties to join TikTok, but we welcome those that have chosen to and want to ensure our community knows the source is authentic when watching that content. TikTok, like other social media platforms, has various rules for what users are and are not allowed to post, though enforcement can be an issue.

☆ GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham says abortion 'is not a states' rights issue,' weeks after expressing that 'states should decide the issue of abortion'
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Graham during a Monday "Fox & Friends" interview said abortion was "not a states' rights issue." Last month, he said during a CNN discussion that states "should decide the issue of abortion." "This is not a state's rights issue. This is a human right issue," Graham said on Monday. "I've been consistent — I think states should decide the issue of marriage and states should decide the issue of abortion," he said at the time.

☆ Lindsey Graham's abortion ban bill baffles some Republicans as Democrats sharpen attacks in key midterm races
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Graham's bill has virtually no chance of passing the current Congress, where Democrats hold slim majorities in the House and Senate. Some Republicans, including GOP candidates in pivotal Senate races, have backed Graham's new proposal. But other top Republicans either refused to back Graham's bill or expressed a belief that individual states should set their own abortion laws. "With regard to abortion, Democrats are clearly focused on abortion," he added. As Graham's bill brought a renewed focus to the issue, Democrats pounced.

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