This seems to be a result that many in Iowa expected but far fewer outside of Iowa. Michael Franken appears to be trouncing Abby Finkenauer in the primary battle to challenge Chuck Grassley. Currently 60% to 37% with an estimated 44% of the vote counted. Grassley is an institution in Iowa. It’s a GOP trending state in a GOP year. But an 88-year-old senator is always vulnerable to the charge that it’s time to retire. So always a chance.
Coming Down the Pike
Don’t miss Matt’s article about the “independent state legislature” theory. We’ve discussed it in passing before. It’s a borderline absurd reading of the federal constitution which corrupt judges like the ones who now dominate the Supreme Court want to use to basically rig the electoral process in the United States.
Bannon Subpoenas Pelosi And Jan. 6 Panel In Attempt To Hit Back At Contempt Charges
Former Trump White House chief strategist Steve Bannon has reportedly subpoenaed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and members of the committee in an attempt to push back at the contempt charges he faces, according to CNN. Bannon is scheduled to go on trial next month in the contempt charges the Justice Department brought against him last year for failing to cooperate with the Jan. 6 Select Committee’s investigation.
Continue reading “Bannon Subpoenas Pelosi And Jan. 6 Panel In Attempt To Hit Back At Contempt Charges”Where Things Stand: Dems Compare Fox To Russian TV For Not Airing Jan 6 Hearings Live
Fox News couldn’t possibly cut off its star attraction.
Tucker Carlson’s show airs from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET. The Jan. 6 committee hearing’s debut on Thursday begins at 8 as well. It’s hardly a surprise that the network announced yesterday that it won’t air at least the first hearing live — Tucker has amassed a cult following, coming out on top consistently with the highest ratings of any show on cable news networks.
Continue reading “Where Things Stand: Dems Compare Fox To Russian TV For Not Airing Jan 6 Hearings Live”One Potential Supreme Court Case Could Transform US Election Law
The voting rights legal community is holding its breath these days for the moment when the U.S. Supreme Court formally announces whether it will take a case that could fundamentally transform the way election laws work.
Continue reading “One Potential Supreme Court Case Could Transform US Election Law”What Triggers The State ‘Trigger Laws’ That Could Ban Abortions?
This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis. It was originally published at The Conversation.
The Supreme Court’s leaked draft opinion on abortion rights dramatically declares that “the authority to regulate abortion must be returned to the people and their elected representatives.”
A number of states have already made their choice in case that happens, either protecting the right to abortion or significantly restricting abortion under most circumstances. Some states never removed bans they had in place before 1973. That’s the year of the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade declaring that the Constitution protects the right to obtain an abortion.
In addition, there are 13 states with so-called “trigger” laws, abortion-restricting laws designed to take effect once abortion is no longer protected by the U.S. Constitution. I’m a legal scholar who studies gender and reproductive rights and wanted to see just what those triggers are that will put the laws into force. It turns out that the 13 states are almost evenly split between two distinct approaches with one thing in common: They both end up significantly limiting people’s right to get an abortion.
Continue reading “What Triggers The State ‘Trigger Laws’ That Could Ban Abortions?”Trump Pushed Secret Service To Let Him Join March To The Capitol Weeks Before Jan. 6
In the weeks leading up to Jan. 6, former President Trump reportedly attempted to pressure the Secret Service to devise a plan for him to join his supporters on a march to the Capitol, two people briefed on witnesses’ accounts to congressional investigators told the Washington Post.
Continue reading “Trump Pushed Secret Service To Let Him Join March To The Capitol Weeks Before Jan. 6”So Where Are We Here?
Updated at 8:47 PM eastern
As always, it’s fascinating to hear from you about what you hear from your senators on a Roe protecting bill and the filibuster. I wanted to give you a quick summary of what we’ve heard so far.
So far we have these Senators who have either publicly stated support for a Roe bill and changed filibuster rules or their offices told constituents that they did.
Continue reading “So Where Are We Here?”What We Know About The Focus Of The Jan. 6 Committee Public Hearings
With just two days to go before the debut of the Jan. 6 Select Committee’s public hearings, new details have emerged on potential witnesses and the focus of the first hearing.
Continue reading “What We Know About The Focus Of The Jan. 6 Committee Public Hearings”Trump Would Muse About Insurrection Act, Former Official Says
Former President Trump “mused” about using the Insurrection Act during his presidency, a former Trump official said on Monday.
Continue reading “Trump Would Muse About Insurrection Act, Former Official Says”