An existential threat runs into political realities of US democracy
By Zachary B. Wolf, The devastation from this weekend’s tornadoes was a stark reminder of the future that awaits humans on this planet, when weird weather is increasingly unpredictable and severe. But President Joe Biden — whose climate change initiatives in his social spending package face an uncertain future in the Senate — has more immediate political problems, including that high gas prices and inflation have eaten into his political power. The existential threat of our lifetime is running, again, into the political realities of our democracy. That the clock is ticking to address climate change has been broadcast on repeat, with increasing intensity. But as those alarm bells ring,
New York Attorney General Letitia James ends bid for governor and will instead run for reelection
By Gregory Krieg and Veronica Stracqualursi, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Thursday that she is ending her bid for governor of the state and instead running for reelection. “I have come to the conclusion that I must continue my work as attorney general,” James said in a statement Thursday. “There are a number of important investigations and cases that are underway, and I intend to finish the job.” James entered the race in late October, immediately becoming the leading challenger to moderate Gov. Kathy Hochul, the Democratic lieutenant governor who replaced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo after his resignation this summer in the midst of a sexual
House to advance legislation to combat Islamophobia as pressure mounts to punish Boebert for anti-Muslim comments
By Annie Grayer, The House is planning to advance Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar’s legislation to create a special envoy to combat Islamophobia on Thursday, marking the first step members are taking since Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert’s anti-Muslim comments calling Omar a terrorist. The bill, led by Omar that CNN exclusively reported in July, is scheduled to get voted out of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Thursday, Omar’s office told CNN, and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s office announced the bill will get a floor vote on Tuesday. The bill would still need to pass the Senate before it could go
North Carolina Supreme Court delays primaries over redistricting lawsuits
By Dianne Gallagher and Ethan Cohen, CNN The North Carolina Supreme Court issued an order Wednesday that moves the state’s primary elections from March 2022 to May 2022, due to lawsuits over redistricting maps for congressional and state legislative districts. The preliminary injunction also halts candidate filing, reversing an earlier state Court of Appeals ruling. Any candidate who has already successfully filed will remain valid. According to the State Board of Elections, more than 1,400 candidates had already filed for various offices. The court order will move all of the state’s primary elections, not just the ones affected by the maps at the center
‘No one with power is listening:’ Activists warn redistricting moves in the South threaten Black political power
By Fredreka Schouten, Nicole Love Hendrickson made Georgia history last year, becoming the first Black woman elected chair of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners. But under a bill that a Republican legislator has pledged to advance in the Georgia General Assembly early next year, Hendrickson would be stripped of most of her voting powers and the board reconfigured after Democrats of color occupied all five seats this year in a county that had once been a Republican stronghold. “The optics are just very obvious,” Hendrickson told CNN. “It’s a perception that there’s a loss of control for Republicans, and we
House passes new debt ceiling plan after McConnell cuts deal with Democrats
By Clare Foran, Manu Raju, Ted Barrett and Annie Grayer, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have reached an agreement to create a one-time process that would let Democrats raise the debt ceiling on their votes alone, a deal that underscores the lengths the GOP leader will go to avoid a damaging default without Republican support to increase the national borrowing limit. The House took the first step to implement the plan on Tuesday by voting to pass new legislation that will set up the debt limit process. The final vote was 222-212. GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois
Obama says GOP gerrymandering is ‘not how democracy is supposed to work’
By Paul LeBlanc and Kelly Mena, Former President Barack Obama on Wednesday said “the stakes could not be higher” for democracy as he skewered Republican redistricting efforts and attempts to codify voting restrictions in state laws. Speaking at a virtual fundraiser benefiting the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, Obama lamented Republican-led state legislatures for “passing laws designed to prevent American citizens from exercising their right to vote. And drawing congressional maps that drown out the voice of ordinary people.” Following the 2020 Census, state-level Republicans have sought to draw favorable congressional maps while imposing new restrictions on voting, which could potentially tilt the landscape
10 things you didn’t know are in the Democrats’ Build Back Better bill
By Katie Lobosco and Tami Luhby, A sweeping $1.9 trillion spending plan, known as the Build Back Better bill, is making its way through Congress and could make a key part of President Joe Biden’s economic agenda a reality. A majority of the funding is focused on transforming the nation’s social safety net by reducing the cost of child and health care, as well as combating climate change. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the legislation would increase the deficit by $367 billion over the next 10 years. But the White House has worked to make the case that the bill will be fully paid
House passes bill authorizing $770 billion in Pentagon funding and setting Defense policy
By Ellie Kaufman and Annie Grayer, The National Defense Authorization Act, the annual must-pass legislation that sets the policy agenda and authorizes almost $770 billion in funding for the Department of Defense, passed in the House of Representatives on Tuesday night. The bill now moves to the Senate, where it will likely be voted on later this week, before it can be signed into law by President Joe Biden. The bill passed with strong bipartisan support, with a final vote of 363-70, with 169 Democrats and 194 Republicans voting for the bill, while 51 Democrats and 19 Republicans voted against it. House
What Stacey Abrams’ announcement means for Georgia and America
By Peniel E. Joseph Stacey Abrams’ 2022 campaign for Georgia governor represents a generational opportunity for Black women in American politics. It’s a potential game-changer for parts of the South that continue to rely on voter suppression to retain power. Abrams, who announced on her candidacy Wednesday on Twitter, is easily the highest-profile Black female political leader in the country who does not currently hold elected office. Abrams’ brilliance as a service-oriented leader, former elected official and voting-rights advocate places her in a long unbroken line of Black women organizers and activists who have sought to reimagine American democracy. While she may not