Lone Star State lawmakers put Texas-sized pressure on Washington Democrats over voting rights
By Dianne Gallagher and Wesley Bruer Nearly two dozen Democratic members of the Texas state Legislature are taking their voting rights fight from Austin to Washington this week. The trip is a “Hail Mary” effort of sorts, to apply some Texas-sized pressure on US lawmakers to support the passage of the For the People Act, a comprehensive federal voting rights bill that would counteract many of the voting restrictions put in place by Republicans at the state level. The cross-country blitz comes just weeks after Texas Democrats, in dramatic fashion, notched a rare victory in killing the Republican-controlled Legislature’s flagship election overhaul bill, Senate
Historic talks between Biden and Putin underway in Geneva
By Kevin Liptak and Phil Mattingly The highest-stakes talks of President Joe Biden’s long career are underway Wednesday in Geneva, where he is joining Russia’s Vladimir Putin for a summit in an encounter set to test his decades of experience on the world stage and lay down an early marker of his diplomatic skills. Biden and Putin arrived at the summit site on the shores of Lake Geneva in their motorcades shortly after 1 p.m. local time on a hot day in this Swiss city that has previously seen major talks between US and Russian leaders. The two presidents stood outside the Villa de la
Georgia’s Fulton County under state investigation for allegedly violating ballot drop box form rules
By Wesley Bruer and Dianne Gallagher Georgia Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has opened an investigation into Fulton County for allegedly violating state rules “requiring absentee ballot drop box transfer forms to be filled out,” his office confirmed to CNN on Monday. A source with knowledge of the investigation cautioned to CNN that the probe “does not have any implications about fraudulent or missing ballots in Fulton any more than it meant that in the other smaller, more conservative counties,” saying: “To be clear, we’re investigating a rule violation” in Fulton County. In confirming the probe, the Georgia secretary of state’s
Senate votes to confirm key Biden judicial nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson
By Clare Foran, Ariane de Vogue and Ted Barrett The Senate voted Monday evening to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Joe Biden’s pick to fill a vacancy on a powerful DC-based appellate court and one of the President’s most closely watched judicial nominees. The vote was 53-44. Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted with Democrats in favor of confirmation. The vote elevates Jackson from the US District Court for the District of Columbia to the influential US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, which is seen as a breeding ground
How Democrats are laying the groundwork now for a potential reconciliation bill
By Lauren Fox As the bipartisan group continues to educate their respective members on their $1.2 trillion infrastructure proposal, Democratic leadership and key chairs will crank up the work on a potential Democratic-only infrastructure bill this week, paving the way for Democrats to go it alone if they choose to do so. This week, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will meet with key members of the Senate Budget Committee including Chairman Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent senator who caucuses with the Democrats, to begin discussions about how to effectively write and pass a budget that can pass a diverse swath of the
Democratic Senate committee to invest $10 million in voter protection ahead of midterms
By Dan Merica The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee plans to invest $10 million in voter protection efforts ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, committee operatives told CNN on Tuesday, highlighting the concern top Democrats have about how restrictive voting laws in Republican-controlled states could impact elections. The new program — named “Defend the Vote” — will be a three-pronged effort that will highlight Republican efforts to suppress the vote, support litigation in key states and fund voter protection organizers on the ground. The investment by the committee builds on earlier investments by other Democratic organizations. Priorities USA, a top Democratic super PAC, invested
School board members in New York wanted to embrace diversity, but hecklers had other plans
By Evan Simko-Bednarski Board members in a New York school district attempted to discuss a diverse curriculum and critical thinking — but it erupted into a debate about critical race theory. At a school board meeting in Commack, Long Island, this week, members of the public heckled board members and students alike in a contentious back and forth regarding school curriculum. After a presentation on the district’s curriculum, Board Trustee Susan Hermer tried to preempt disagreement before public comment on Tuesday night’s curriculum presentation. “I know there’s a lot of talk about critical thinking, and then we have people, once
‘Her instinct is to dig in’: Kamala Harris’ struggles to answer border question seen as part of a pattern
By Jeremy Diamond and Jasmine Wright Several allies and former aides to Vice President Kamala Harris had “flashbacks” last week as they watched her fumble a politically sensitive question during her first foreign trip, seeing the misstep as part of a broader pattern of messaging challenges that have dogged her since her presidential campaign. This time, though, the interview came after Harris participated in a wide-ranging media training session to improve her delivery and presentation in interviews and speeches, the latest of several sessions over the last year, according to multiple sources. A senior Harris aide declined to detail the
Virginia governor signs probation overhaul bill with support of rapper and activist Meek Mill
By Hannah Sarisohn and Devan Cole Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed a probation overhaul bill into law on Thursday, approving the state’s latest progressive criminal justice proposal alongside rapper and activist Meek Mill, who backed the legislation. Northam, a Democrat, was joined by Mill in Richmond as he signed into law HB 2038, which limits the amount of active incarceration a court can impose as a result of a revocation hearing for a probation violation, according to the bill. Mill has been advocating criminal justice revisions since he was sentenced to prison for violating parole on a previous conviction. The
Here’s what we know about the bipartisan infrastructure deal
By Ryan Nobles A bipartisan group of 10 senators announced Thursday they have reached a deal on a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package, the most significant development yet in negotiations over a key priority of the Biden administration, but it still faces serious obstacles from skeptics in both parties. “Our group — comprised of 10 Senators, 5 from each party — has worked in good faith and reached a bipartisan agreement on a realistic, compromise framework to modernize our nation’s infrastructure and energy technologies. This investment would be fully paid for and not include tax increases,” the senators said in a