Biden is on track to appoint more federal judges of color than any other president
By Char Adams As President Joe Biden makes a final push to confirm judicial nominees before his term in office ends, he is on track to have appointed more federal judges of color than any president before him. On Monday, the Senate confirmed Biden’s judicial nominee for the Northern District of Georgia, Tiffany Johnson, making her the 40th Black woman he has appointed to lifetime federal judgeships — more than any president in a single term. Overall, about 60% of Biden’s 233 appointees are people of color, according to figures the White House shared with NBC News. Benjamin Cheeks and Serena
Tennessee State Interim President Resigns Under Pressure
By Sara Weissman The interim president of Tennessee State University, Ronald Johnson, abruptly announced plans to resign on Wednesday after leading the historically Black land-grant institution for less than six months, as The Tennessean first reported. Dakasha Winton, chair of the university’s Board of Trustees, implied in a statement that the board pressured Johnson to leave. The board’s “job is to ensure the future strength of the school through thoughtful and decisive governance,” she wrote. “In service of this commitment, and as board chair, I spoke with interim president Dr. Johnson on Tuesday about separating from the university. He has chosen
Biden shrinks from view ahead of Trump’s return to Washington
By Adam Cancryn Joe Biden is president of the United States for 42 more days. But within the Democratic Party, on Capitol Hill — and even within his own administration — it feels like he left the Oval Office weeks ago. Biden has effectively disappeared from the radar in the wake of Democrats’ bruising electoral loss. Since Nov. 5, he’s largely stuck to prepared remarks, avoided unscripted public appearances or press questions and opted to sit out the raging debate over Donald Trump’s victory, policy conversations in Congress and the Democratic Party’s future. “He’s been so cavalier and selfish about
Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove Elected as Whip of the Congressional Black Caucus
By Ashley Brown In a significant development for the 119th Congress, Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, has been elected to serve as the Whip of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). This prestigious position places her at the forefront of the CBS. Expressing her gratitude for the appointment, Kamlager-Dove remarked, “I am deeply honored to be chosen to serve as Whip of the Congressional Black Caucus for the 119th Congress. Known as the ‘conscience of the Congress,’ the CBC is grounded in our pursuit of justice, equity, and opportunity for Black Americans. With unprecedented
Trump return to DC looms over Kennedy Center Honors
By Judy Kurtz In a night filled with political moments — including multiple nods to President Biden, a Grateful Dead tribute from former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and accolades for performers-turned-activists — there was scant mention at the Kennedy Center Honors of President-elect Trump’s return to office and what it could mean for the annual awards gala. The 47th-annual Honors ceremony recognized four artists and an organization with its lifetime achievement award on Sunday in Washington, D.C.: singer Bonnie Raitt, trumpet player Arturo Sandoval, director Francis Ford Coppola, Harlem’s Apollo Theater and the Grateful Dead. The ceremony, attended by President Biden, kicked off by honoring the
With the Voting Rights Act facing more threats, advocates renew a push for state laws
By Hansi Lo Wang With Republicans set to control Congress and the White House starting next year, some voting rights advocates are renewing their focus on protections against racial discrimination in elections that don’t rely on the federal government. Several states have enacted state-level voting rights acts over the past two decades, and Democratic-led Michigan may be next. This week a state House committee voted to refer a set of state Senate-approved bills to the House floor. Supporters of this emerging type of law see it as a bulwark at a time when Democratic-led efforts to bolster the federal Voting Rights Act are likely to remain
DeSantis’ political future widens as Trump dangles Defense chief job
By Gary Fineout Nearly a year ago, the political future of Ron DeSantis appeared to be buried in the snow alongside the highways of Iowa he had spent weeks criss-crossing, ahead of a second-place thumping at the hands of Donald Trump in that state’s crucial caucuses. Now, Trump’s trip back to the White House is helping revitalize DeSantis’ fortune, giving him an opportunity to further cement his legacy in Florida — or even hand the governor a prestigious spot in his administration running the Pentagon. Either path could put him in a place for another run for president in 2028,
House Republicans Aim to Pass Higher Ed Overhaul
By Jessica Blake House Republicans are making a final attempt to pass sweeping legislation in this Congress that aims to lower the cost of college and hold institutions accountable. The House has considered few bills related to higher education in the last two years, so a floor vote on the College Cost Reduction Act would mark a significant achievement for its sponsor, Representative Virginia Foxx, a North Carolina Republican and chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee. Foxx has long sought to pass comprehensive legislation to overhaul higher education, and she’s worked for the last two years on a piecemeal
Rev. Jesse Jackson asks president to pardon his son
By Craig Dellimore As President Joe Biden was pardoning his son Hunter, the Rev. Jesse Jackson wrote to him, seeking a pardon for his son, former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. In a two-page letter to President Biden, Rev. Jesse Jackson wrote he wants to see both the president’s son and his own son to have full and absolute pardons. Former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. pleaded guilty in 2013 to using campaign money for personal expenses. He spent 30 months in prison for wire and mail fraud and tax evasion. The letter, first reported by Politico, mentions Hunter Biden more than
Baltimore Mayor M. Brandon Scott sworn in for a second term
By Tashi McQueen Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott (D) was sworn in by Xavier A. Conaway, clerk of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, on Dec. 3 for his second term. The well-attended ceremony included numerous current and past Maryland leaders such as Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.-07) and former Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake (D). Scott won his bid for re-election on Nov. 5 during the general election with 82.15 percent of the vote, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections. During the Democratic primary, he beat out former Mayor Sheila A.