Sunrise Movement Endorses Jennifer Carroll Foy for Governor
By Rachel Janfaza, CNN Sunrise Movement, the progressive youth-led climate activist group, on Monday announced it is endorsing Jennifer Carroll Foy in the Virginia gubernatorial race. If elected, Carroll Foy would be the first Black female governor in the United States. In a statement, Sunrise said it believes that Carroll Foy, a former Virginia delegate, will be a leader “committed to investing in green energy production, bringing diverse, high paying jobs to every corner of the Commonwealth and passing a Virginia Green New Deal.” But with less than three months until the Democratic gubernatorial primary, Carroll Foy is one of
Martin Luther King III Calls to End Filibuster for Voting Rights
Opinion by Martin Luther King III Over the past several months, we have seen state legislatures around the country move swiftly to try to limit the rights of Americans — and particularly Black Americans — at the ballot box. In doing so, Republicans in these legislatures are pushing a modern-day Jim Crow agenda. Congress must now move to stop them quickly, decisively and by any legislative means necessary. Unfortunately, America has a long, troubled history when it comes to voter suppression. After Reconstruction, Southern states disenfranchised African Americans from voting with poll taxes and unanswerable questions on “literacy tests.” These
Biden Weighs $3 Trillion Jobs and Infrastructure Proposal
By Phil Mattingly, CNN White House advisers are expected to present a two-part, $3 trillion jobs and infrastructure proposal to President Joe Biden as soon as this week, according to two people familiar with the plan. The proposal, which Biden’s top advisers have been deliberating over for weeks, would be segmented into two separate parts — one focused on infrastructure and clean energy, and a second focused on what’s being termed the “care economy” with a focus zeroed in on key domestic economic issues. In full, it would mark a sweeping move toward enacting the key elements of the “jobs”
Sen. Raphael Warnock Pushes Voting Rights Amid Filibuster Fight
By Manu Raju, Ali Zaslav and Ted Barrett, CNN Freshman Sen. Raphael Warnock, whose surprise victory in Georgia helped give Democrats the narrowest of majorities, now finds himself squarely in the center of an intensifying battle over tightening election laws and protecting the Senate’s filibuster — a debate that could directly affect his own chances of keeping his seat next year. Republicans in Georgia are moving quickly to pare back many of the rules that eased access for voters in the 2020 election, with GOP lawmakers in the state pushing to finalize new restrictions before week’s end to ensure they
Sen. Raphael Warnock Slams Georgia GOP Over Voting Bill
By Daniella Diaz, CNN Georgia US Sen. Raphael Warnock, in his first Sunday show interview since being elected to Congress in January, slammed the Republican-controlled Georgia Legislature for a massive voting bill that would restrict voter access. “I think it’s unfortunate that some politicians have looked at the results and, rather than changing their message, they’re busy trying to change the rules,” the Democrat said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Warnock was referring to a key committee in the Georgia Legislature, which began work this week on a massive new voting bill that would give the state broad powers over
Biden Moves to Strengthen Obamacare and Expand Coverage
By Tami Luhby, CNN President Joe Biden is wasting no time establishing his vision for the Affordable Care Act and reversing many Trump-era measures aimed at weakening it. In his first two months in office, Biden has taken several steps to bolster the landmark health reform law, which marks its 11th anniversary on Tuesday, and to embed it even more firmly in the nation’s health care system. Former President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak Monday about how the Affordable Care Act has benefited Americans and how the Democrats’ $1.9 trillion relief package, which Biden signed into law earlier this
Julia Letlow Wins Louisiana 5th District Special Election
By Adam Levy and Ethan Cohen, CNN Republican Julia Letlow won the special election in Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District Saturday night, becoming the first Republican woman elected to Congress from the state. Letlow will take the seat that her late husband Luke, who won last year’s election but died in December after being diagnosed with Covid-19, was never able to hold. The first-time candidate avoided a runoff by securing a majority of the vote among the 12-person field, which means she’ll soon bolster the already record-breaking 30 Republican women in the House this year. A number of prominent Republicans had
Biden Eyes Tax Hikes on Wealthy to Fund Next Agenda
By Tami Luhby and Katie Lobosco, CNN Now that he’s signed the Democrats’ $1.9 trillion Covid relief package, President Joe Biden is turning to the next items on his legislative agenda — and laying the groundwork for raising taxes on wealthier Americans to pay for them. Biden doubled down on vows he made as a candidate in an ABC News interview Wednesday, saying that those earning more than $400,000 “will see a small to significant tax increase.” However, he pledged that those under that threshold “won’t see one single penny in additional federal tax” — and he is already working
Biden, Harris Visit Georgia to Promote Relief and Unity
By Jeff Zeleny, Chief National Affairs Correspondent Democratic voters in Georgia may have helped deliver Joe Biden‘s long quest to win the White House, but they take even prouder ownership of their critical role in cementing an early chapter of his legacy through the passage of the American Rescue Plan. “You still just feel the relief in the air,” said Mariama Davis, who logged countless hours volunteering for the President and Vice President Kamala Harris. “We actually are about to head back to somewhat of a normal situation that we were used to before. So, honestly, I’m satisfied.” Davis is
Karen Carter Peterson Seeks Historic Win in Louisiana Race
By Jasmine Wright and Annie Grayer, CNN Karen Carter Peterson wants to make history. The longtime Louisiana state senator is vying for the open seat once held by Cedric Richmond — one that would propel her to become the first Black woman to represent the state in Congress. “When women are not at the table and seated, we are typically on the menu,” Peterson, 51, told CNN in an interview. “I don’t like that we’ve never had an African American woman serve from Louisiana in our congressional delegation. That needs to end.” Peterson is one of 15 candidates running to
