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☆ Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro says his office made a criminal referral in East Palestine train derailment
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Rebecca Shabad | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Drone footage shows the freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, U.S., February 6, 2023 in this screengrab obtained from a handout video released by the NTSB. Josh Shapiro on Tuesday said that his office has made a criminal referral in response to the recent train derailment over the border in East Palestine, Ohio, and the aftereffects on the environment and nearby communities. Shapiro shared the information during a press conference in East Palestine with Ohio Gov. Meanwhile, consumer advocate Erin Brockovich is planning a town hall in East Palestine for Friday. In an interview Tuesday on MSNBC, she reacted to footage of Regan and DeWine drinking an East Palestine resident's tap water.

President Joe Biden jogs across the South Lawn of the White House to speak with visitors before boarding Marine One, Friday, March 18, 2022, in Washington. President Joe Biden remains "fit" to conduct his duties as president, according to a medical memo released by the White House following a routine physical exam on Thursday. "President Biden remains a healthy, vigorous 80-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency," White House physician Kevin O'Connor said in a five-page memo. Biden was expected to have his exam in January, but it was postponed due to schedule conflicts, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said earlier this month. In 2021, Biden's exam included a colonoscopy, which required sedation.

☆ DOJ charges 3 men in murder-for-hire plot against journalist critical of Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Soon after the charges were announced, Masih Alinejad revealed that she was the target of the assassination plot. “Fortunately, their plot failed because we didn’t,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said at a press conference announcing the indictment. Amirov, a citizen of Azerbaijan and Russia who was living in Iran during the plot, was taken into custody in New York on Thursday. Omarov then directed Mehdiyev to carry out the plot against Alinejad and Amirov and Omarov arranged to pay Mehdiyev $30,000 in cash. Before he could carry out the plot, however, Mehdiyev was arrested near Alinejad's home in July with the assault rifle in his possession.

☆ Democratic Govs. Newsom, Pritzker push back on DeSantis after Florida blocks AP African American studies course
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Ron DeSantis after his administration blocked the teaching of an Advanced Placement course on African American studies. J.B. Pritzker is urging the College Board not to appease DeSantis, a likely 2024 Republican presidential candidate, and alter the course curriculum. DeSantis’ administration rejected the AP African American studies program in a letter this month to the College Board, which oversees AP classes. Pritzker meanwhile said that Illinois expects any AP course focused on African American studies "to include a factual accounting of history, including the role played by black queer Americans." The College Board said Tuesday it would release a new framework for the AP course, which it said has been under development since March.

☆ Sen. Josh Hawley says he'll introduce legislation to ban TikTok nationwide
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has announced he plans to introduce legislation Wednesday that would ban the popular social media app TikTok in the United States. Now I will introduce legislation to ban it nationwide." "But listen, I welcome all efforts to ban TikTok, of whatever form it takes." Under that measure, the president could impose sanctions on TikTok and other social media companies to prevent commercial operation in the U.S. Several states have also taken steps to prohibit the use of TikTok on government devices.

☆ Ben Crump plans to sue DeSantis over rejection of AP African American studies course
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — Civil rights lawyer Benjamin Crump is expected to announce Wednesday that he intends to sue Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over his administration's decision to block a new Advanced Placement course on African American studies from being taught in high schools. DeSantis' administration rejected the AP's African American studies program in a letter this month to the College Board, which oversees AP classes. On Tuesday, The College Board said it would release a new framework for the AP course, which it said has been under development since March. “We are glad the College Board has recognized that the originally submitted course curriculum is problematic, and we are encouraged to see the College Board express a willingness to amend,” Alex Lanfranconi, a spokesperson for the agency, said in a statement.

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris is planning to travel to her home state of California following a spate of mass shootings there that have left at least 19 people dead in the last several days. "Then on top of that, we see what’s happened in California, and what’s happened to the Asian American community has been devastating," he said. "The vice president is going to be going out," Biden said, without providing any details about her trip. Biden said he's been speaking with a number of California Democrats, including Gov. The president also mentioned that on Monday, a group of Senate Democrats, including California's Dianne Feinstein, reintroduced legislation to ban assault weapons.

☆ White House tells House Republicans probing Biden documents that it will cooperate with 'legitimate oversight'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — The White House Counsel's Office said it is reviewing recent requests from a GOP committee chair related to Biden's handling of classified documents and signaled they plan to cooperate to an extent. Delery, however, suggested that there will be a limit to what the White House is willing to share with Congress. To that end, White House staff will reach out to Committee staff to arrange a time to discuss this matter." Delery acknowledged that the FBI conducted a "thorough, consensual search" of Biden's Wilmington residence on Friday after the president's lawyers offered to provide access to his home. Comer's probe is one of two major House Republican investigations into the Biden documents.

☆ Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego expected to announce a bid for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's seat in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Haley Talbot | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., is expected to announce Monday that he's running for Senate in Arizona in 2024, according to a source familiar with his planned rollout. Gallego, a progressive Democrat, is running for the seat held by Sinema, who decided in December to leave the Democratic Party and become an independent. If she does, and Gallego wins the Democratic nomination, they'd face each other in the general election. In December, after Sinema announced she was changing her party affiliation, Gallego signaled to NBC News he was likely to launch a Senate bid. Gallego went on to say he believes if Sinema runs, “it will almost ensure the fact that the Senate seat will stay in Democratic hands” because of the GOP’s struggles to hold its coalition together.

☆ Nikki Haley teases a 2024 presidential run: 'We need to go in a new direction'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — Republican Nikki Haley strongly hinted in an interview that aired Thursday that she might run for president, though stopped short of declaring a bid. "Yes, we need to go in a new direction," Haley said. "I don’t think you need to be 80 years old to go be a leader in D.C. I think we need a young generation to come in, step up and really start fixing things," she said. Before serving in federal government, Haley was the governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017.

☆ March for Life anti-abortion rally set to take place for the first time since Roe was overturned
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Organizers of the annual rally and march say they need to continue holding the event despite the high court's decision last year to reverse the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. The activists say they will continue to march every January "until a culture of life is restored in the United States of America." The Supreme Court overturned Roe in a 5-4 decision on June 24 — nearly 50 years after the landmark ruling — in a case about Mississippi’s abortion ban, which it upheld in a 6-3 ruling. And as conservatives implement restrictions across the country, Democrats are expanding access to abortion in states where they control the legislatures. The Biden administration has also sought to protect abortion rights despite the end of Roe.

☆ Union membership fell to record low in 2022, Bureau of Labor Statistics says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Rebecca Shabad | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Amazon Labor Union interim president Chris Smalls celebrates the first union election win at an Amazon warehouse on April 1, 2022, in New York. Union membership in the U.S. dropped to the lowest since the federal government began collecting such data in 1983, according to a report released Thursday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The agency found that the union membership rate fell to 10.1% in 2022, down from 10.3% in 2021. he Bureau of Labor Statistics began measuring the union membership rate in 1983, when it was 20.1% and there were 17.7 million workers. According to the 2022 data, the highest union membership rate was among people who worked in protective service, in education, training and libraries.

☆ George Santos says his mom was in the World Trade Center on 9/11. Records show she wasn't in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., has claimed that his mother was at her office inside the World Trade Center during the 9/11 terror attacks, but records obtained by NBC News on Wednesday show she was living in Brazil at the time. She later applied for re-entry and was re-admitted into the U.S. in 2003, the records show. In 2021, when he was running for Congress, Santos claimed in a reply to an account on Twitter that 9/11 claimed his mother’s life. Calzareth, who’s originally from Nassau County but not Santos’ congressional district, submitted the FOIA requests about Santos’ mother in late December 2022. But House Republicans awarded him slots on two committees after pressure to prevent him from being seated on congressional panels.

☆ Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar receive committee assignments after Democrats kicked them off
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — House Republicans have assigned Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., to serve on committees again after Democrats stripped them of that privilege in 2021, according to a member of the GOP Steering Committee, which doles out the appointments. Greene has been assigned to the House Committee on Homeland Security, which Republicans will use to focus on border security and investigate Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Gosar, meanwhile, has been assigned to the House Committee on Natural Resources, where he had served just before his removal, the member said. The Democratic majority chose to pursue a proposal to remove Greene from her committees after House Republican leaders opted not to take action against Greene. As part of the measure, Gosar was censured, which is considered the harshest punishment against a member in the House, after expulsion.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will deliver his second State of the Union address before Congress on Feb. 7. Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., invited Biden to deliver the address on that date in a letter Friday. Biden has accepted the invitation to deliver his speech on that date, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. Last year, Biden delivered his State of the Union speech in March and his first one, which was an address to a joint session of Congress, was in late April 2021. This also marks the first address Biden is making as president to a Republican-controlled House.

☆ Who is Robert Hur? Special Counsel looking into Biden’s classified documents
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON — Robert Hur, named Thursday by Attorney General Merrick Garland to oversee the investigation into President Joe Biden's handling of classified documents, is a former federal prosecutor who has worked with many Republicans throughout his law enforcement career. Garland appointed Hur as special counsel on Thursday after the White House acknowledged that Obama administration documents with classified markings were found in one of Biden’s Delaware homes. On Monday, the White House said that similar documents had been found in a Washington office. Hur has served as a partner at the law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher since April 2021 where he has focused on enforcement, investigations and litigation. In between his jobs at the Justice Department, Hur worked at another private law firm, King & Spalding.

☆ Trump discussed using a nuclear weapon on North Korea in 2017 and blaming it on someone else, book says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Later that month, Trump continued to goad North Korea through his tweets. But the argument about how many people could be killed had "no impact on Trump," Schmidt writes. Then, Trump "would turn back to the possibility of war, including at one point raising to Kelly the possibility of launching a preemptive military attack against North Korea," Schmidt said. Kelly warned that Trump would need congressional approval for a pre-emptive strike, which "baffled and annoyed" Trump, according to the afterword. Schmidt also writes that it was well-known among senior U.S. officials for several decades that North Korea sought to spy on U.S. decision-makers.

WASHINGTON — Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., told members of the Congressional Black Caucus on Wednesday that she plans to run for Senate in 2024, adding her name to the list of contenders who want to fill the seat held by Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Asked about her remarks, Lee told reporters: "What I said was that I’m very sensitive and honoring Senator Feinstein. Lee, 76, has served in the House since 1998 and previously served in both California's state Senate and state Assembly. A spokesperson for Feinstein told the Los Angeles Times last month that she "has no plans to step down and will announce her plans for 2024 at the appropriate time." Schiff is also reportedly interested in the Senate seat, though he has not disclosed his plans yet.

☆ Senate Intel chair calls for a briefing on classified docs found in Biden office
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner, D-Va., is calling for his committee to receive a briefing on the classified documents discovered in an office used by President Joe Biden. Warner has voiced frustration that a briefing for congressional leaders about the classified documents found in Trump’s possession at Mar-a-Lago never materialized. He told NBC News in December, "it’s a bit embarrassing" that a group of eight top congressional leaders was never looped in on the scope of the classified material found at the resort. "Unlike former President Donald Trump, who allegedly obstructed efforts to recover hundreds of classified documents, the handful of classified documents reportedly found at the Biden Center were immediately sent to the National Archives and President Biden is allowing the Justice Department to operate free of political interference," Durbin said. This comes as Jack Smith, a special counsel appointed by the Department of Justice, is investigating Trump for his possession of classified material.

WASHINGTON — George Santos, the 34-year-old New York Republican who's confessed to lying about part of his background, was sworn into the House early Saturday amid several investigations into his campaign and calls for him to resign. Santos officially took office when the new Congress was convened after Republicans finally elected Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as House speaker. And despite presenting himself as Jewish during his congressional campaigns, Santos told the Post, "I never claimed to be Jewish." Several House Democrats have criticized Santos, but none more than Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York, who's taken to trolling Santos on social media. Former Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, who recently retired from Congress, said Sunday that Santos should consider resigning.

Share this -Link copiedMcCarthy elected speaker in 15th round McCarthy was elected House speaker Saturday shortly after midnight on the 15th ballot. Share this -Link copiedHouse reconvenes to hold 14th round of speaker votes The House has reconvened to begin the 14th round of speaker votes. Read the rest of the story, The House speaker election, in three charts. Share this -Link copiedHouse begins 13th round The House is beginning the 13th round of speaker votes. At least 14 House GOP flip to support McCarthy in twelfth speaker vote Jan. 6, 2023 01:52 Share this -Link copied

“I’m not telling you we have an agreement,” McCarthy said at one point, according to two people. Share this -Link copiedReporters appear to be live tweeting the GOP conference call Members of the Capitol press corps were live-tweeting what was being said on the House GOP Conference call Friday morning. Share this -Link copied‘I’m not even a congressman’: House lawmakers and staffers can’t function while speaker fight drags on WASHINGTON — There is no speaker of the House. And because of the GOP’s new razor-thin majority, McCarthy can only afford four GOP defections on any speaker vote. If members are not present for votes, it would lower the threshold McCarthy, of California, needs to win a majority and become House speaker.

WASHINGTON — Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., announced Thursday that she won't seek re-election in 2024, setting the stage for a competitive Senate race in a key battleground state during a presidential election year. Garlin Gilchrist, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Attorney General Dana Nessel and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who gained a national following last year after going viral with her pushback against anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. Stabenow has served in the Senate since 2001 and previously served in the House from 1997 until her career began in the upper chamber. She holds several Democratic leadership roles including Senate Democratic Policy Committee chair and chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee. She has served alongside Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., since he came to Congress in 2015.

☆ Biden says he intends to visit the U.S.-Mexico border for first time since taking office
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Rebecca-Shabad-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Rebecca Shabad | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he intends to visit the U.S.-Mexico border for the first time since taking office, after nearly two years of Republicans criticizing his administration over the migrant crisis. Biden revealed the potential trip while speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One in Kentucky. Asked if he'll be going to the border, Biden said, "That’s my intention, we’re working out the details now." Republicans have repeatedly ridiculed Biden for not visiting the southern border while also saying the issue of migrants is not a priority for his presidency. A trip to the border would come as House Republicans are poised to ramp up oversight of the Biden administration, with a particular focus on the border.

WASHINGTON — Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., on Tuesday became the first female Senate president pro tempore, the second-highest-ranking position in the chamber. The president pro tempore ranks second under the president of the Senate — the vice president — and presides over the floor in the vice president's absence. Since the mid-20th century, the president pro tempore has been the senior member of the majority party out of tradition. "Making history today: Senator Patty Murray is now the Senate President Pro Tempore, the first woman in the history of the U.S. Senate to hold this title!" Murray succeeds Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., 82, as president pro tempore, who retired from Congress at the end of the year after serving in the Senate since 1975.

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