Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) pushed the bogus claim that he has not spoken to President Biden since his inauguration in January during an interview on Fox News Wednesday. Continue reading “McConnell Peddles Bogus Claim That Biden’s Unwilling To Work With GOP”
Most Of SD’s Prosecutors Endorse Hit-And-Run AG’s Potential Rival
Fifty-nine of South Dakota’s 66 state’s attorneys have endorsed Marty Jackley, the candidate gunning for South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg’s seat as the official faces criminal charges for allegedly killing a pedestrian with his vehicle.
Continue reading “Most Of SD’s Prosecutors Endorse Hit-And-Run AG’s Potential Rival”
Nathan Bedford Forrest Day Still Observed In TN After Leg Stands Up For Slave Trader Again
Tennessee will continue observing Nathan Bedford Forrest Day every year on the slave trader, Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan grand wizard’s birthday, after yet another unsuccessful attempt to eliminate the day of observation once and for all.
Simmering Voting Rights Fight Comes To A Head In Senate Hearing
As Republican state legislatures across the country take up restrictive voting bills after the extremely high-turnout 2020 election cycle, Democrats are seeing the need to codify voting rights in law as absolutely critical.
Currently, that Democratic push centers on H.R. 1/S 1, the For The People Act, an 800-page bill meant to expand and standardize voting rights. The Senate Rules Committee is meeting Wednesday to discuss and debate the legislation with a whole battery of experts, advocates and state officials.
The bill faces an uphill climb in the Senate, as, under current rules, it would require 10 Republican supporters to get past the filibuster. That has prompted speculation — aided by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) cryptic promises that “everything is on the table” when it comes to passing this bill — that this legislation may become the catalyst for filibuster reform.
Schumer will deliver remarks at Wednesday’s hearing, a sign of the importance he is placing on the legislation.
How A Federal Agency Excluded Thousands Of Viable Businesses From Pandemic Relief
This article was originally published in ProPublica, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
Like every other storefront in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska, the Coffee House — a cavernous student hangout slinging espresso and decadent pastries since 1987 — saw its revenue dry up almost overnight last spring when the coronavirus pandemic made dining indoors a deadly risk. Unlike most, however, the business wouldn’t have access to the massive loan fund that Congress made available for small enterprises in late March. Continue reading “How A Federal Agency Excluded Thousands Of Viable Businesses From Pandemic Relief”
AZ Dem Party Organizers Urge Sinema To Back Reform On ‘Arcane’ Filibuster
A group of organizers for the Arizona Democratic Party are publicly challenging Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s (D-AZ) continued support of the filibuster, amid growing calls from progressive members of her caucus to reform or abolish it.
Continue reading “AZ Dem Party Organizers Urge Sinema To Back Reform On ‘Arcane’ Filibuster”
Georgia Legislature Mulls Power Grab Targeting Local Election Officials
As Georgia’s Republican lawmakers consider measures that would make it more difficult to vote, they’re also eying ways to let the legislature have more influence over local election administration.
The proposals come after local and state election officials stood up to President Trump’s false claims of mass fraud in the presidential race. Now, if the proposed measure becomes law, not only will election officials be on the hook for implementing more restrictive regimes — the legislature is also looking to make it easier to fully dismantle local election boards, if state legislators or other county officials aren’t happy with the job they’re doing.
Continue reading “Georgia Legislature Mulls Power Grab Targeting Local Election Officials”
Where Things Stand: Gun Lobby Suit Successfully Blocked Assault Weapon Ban In Boulder Earlier This Month
And 10 days later: A mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado.
In the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglass massacre in 2018, the city of Boulder passed landmark legislation banning the possession of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines within the municipality. The city law was challenged with aggressive legal action from gun-rights activists, including the Colorado State Shooting Association and the local chapter of the National Rifle Association.
Oath Keepers Member Suggested Coordination With Other Militia Groups Before Capitol Attack
A member of the Oath Keepers militia gave substantial hints that he coordinated with other militia groups, such as the Proud Boys, ahead of then-President Trump’s incitement of the mob behind the deadly Capitol insurrection earlier this year, according to a new DOJ filing.
Report: Fulton County Prosecutors Mull ‘False Statement’ Charges Against Giuliani
Fulton County prosecutors are considering whether they can pin “false statement” charges against former President Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani and other Trump allies for their efforts to interfere and spread lies about Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results, the Daily Beast reported early Wednesday.
Continue reading “Report: Fulton County Prosecutors Mull ‘False Statement’ Charges Against Giuliani”