South Carolina Republicans pushing to block HBCU project funding after controversy
South Carolina State University is now part of state budget negotiations as the fallout continues from the Pamela Evette commencement controversy as some republicans eye the state’s only public HBCU. The latest development centers on $5 million in proposed funding for a convocation center at SC State. According to WIS, several Republicans in the General Assembly have urged members of the budget conference committee to block that money after the university removed Evette as its commencement speaker. Evette, South Carolina’s lieutenant governor, had been scheduled to speak at SC State’s May 8 commencement. The university later changed course following days of student protests and cited security
Democrats reluctantly accept Platner as GOP wields his candidacy against them
By Dan Merica and Theodoric Meyer When Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) put out a joint statement on Democrat Graham Platner’s win in Maine on Tuesday night, it was 80 words into the 89-word message before they mentioned the controversial Senate candidate by name. The statement, issued by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, offered no words of praise for Platner, only a prediction that Maine voters “will elect Graham Platner” over Sen. Susan Collins (R), helping Democrats to retake the Senate majority. The tone of the statement highlights how national Democratic leaders,
Judge warns DOJ not to ‘play possum’ with ‘anti-weaponization’ fund it says is dead
By Ryan J. Reilly WASHINGTON — A federal judge denied a request to temporarily halt the Trump administration’s proposed “anti-weaponization” fund but warned the Justice Department not to misrepresent the status of the $1.8 billion fund, which acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress is not moving forward. “Don’t play possum with this court,” U.S. District Judge Richard Leon warned a Justice Department attorney in court Wednesday afternoon after he rejected the temporary restraining order request from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, one of several groups seeking to block the fund. In addition to Blanche’s remarks to lawmakers about the status of the fund,
Democrats await ranked choice vote in Maine to decide key House nominee
By Ben Kamisar Republican former Gov. Paul LePage is moving on to the general election in Maine’s 2nd District, NBC News projects, as the crowded Democratic field in one of the country’s most important battleground districts remains unresolved ahead of a ranked choice voting tabulation. The seat is being vacated by Jared Golden, one of the most conservative Democrats in the House and a candidate who has held on to it repeatedly, even as Donald Trump carried the district in 2020 and 2024. His decision to retire jeopardizes Democrats’ ability to hold the seat, and Republicans are optimistic they can finally
Nithya Raman leaps past Spencer Pratt in tight race to make L.A. mayoral runoff
By Scott Bland Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman, a Democrat, has taken a narrow lead for second place over former reality TV star Spencer Pratt, a registered Republican, in the race to take on Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in a runoff this fall. NBC News projected Bass’ advancing to the runoff last week, but the outstanding question, as the city and the state continue counting ballots, is whom she will face and what kind of matchup that will be. NBC News hasn’t projected the winner of the other spot in the runoff. The picture as it looked on election night
Some Republicans cast votes against Trump priorities as Senate takes up ICE and Border Patrol bill
By Sahil Kapur and Frank Thorp V WASHINGTON — The Senate began voting Thursday on a $70 billion bill to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol through the end of President Donald Trump’s term. Republicans plan to pass the bill without any Democratic support. But first, they’ll have to endure a “vote-a-rama” during which senators from either party can offer amendments, which Democrats will use to make Republicans take painful votes. There were some early signs of trouble as the first Democratic amendment was held open by GOP leaders for three hours, followed by multiple votes in which various factions of Republican
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz faces backlash for running in a district long represented by Black Democrats
By Matt Dixon and Scott Wong WASHINGTON — Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz faces significant pushback from Black Democrats after she decided to run in a newly redrawn district in South Florida that has a plurality of Black voters and a crowded primary field. The Florida political landscape was scrambled after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation last month creating new congressional maps. Instead of running in the 22nd Congressional District, where she lives, Wasserman Schultz opted to run in the more Democratic-leaning 20th District, which has long been represented by a Black Democrat. The move has angered Black leaders and candidates in the district, especially
Rep. Adams Returns Landmark IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act to Capitol Hill
Representative Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (S- NC-12) and Representative French Hill (R-AR-02) reintroduced the Institutional Grants for New Infrastructure, Technology, and Education for Historically Black College and University Excellence Act, also known as the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act, H.R. 8791. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and Senator Tim Scott(R-SC) introduced a companion package in the Senate. “For generations, HBCUs have educated students who went on to lead in every corner of our country, often while operating with far fewer resources than their peer institutions,”saidCongresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D., Founder and Co-Chair of the Bipartisan HBCU Caucus and a senior member of the Congressional Black Caucus.“The IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act is about making
California’s race for governor and other key primaries remain unsettled as vote count continues
By Adam Edelman and Ben Kamisar California’s crowded, protracted gubernatorial primary is going to take a little more time to settle. The race remained too early to call Wednesday morning with less than 60% of the expected vote counted, according to NBC News’ Decision Desk. Three main candidates — former Fox News host Steve Hilton, a Republican, and two Democrats, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and billionaire activist Tom Steyer — are competing for two spots in the general election, with the candidate in fourth place, Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, running well behind. Hilton had 28% support in the all-party primary,
House votes to rebuke Trump over war with Iran
By Scott Wong and Kyle Stewart WASHINGTON — The House offered a rare rebuke to President Donald Trump on Wednesday, passing a Democratic-led measure to end his war with Iran over objections from Republican leadership. It was one of two Democratic-led measures opposed by the White House that advanced in the GOP-led House. Lawmakers later passed a motion that would unlock a vote on sending aid to Ukraine. The Iran war powers resolution, offered by Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, had been heading for a vote before the House left for its Memorial Day recess May 21. But
