Florida Law Curbs Voter Registration, Hits Minorities Hard
By Michael Wines LaVon Bracy has been registering Florida voters ever since Lyndon Johnson signed the 1965 Voting Rights Act, because she wanted, she said, to give others the voice she was denied as a Black student in a largely white high school. In an average year, she said, the nonprofit Faith in Florida, where she serves as democracy director, used to add 12,000 new voters to the state’s rolls. That ended last year, when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation that imposed tough new rules on voter registration drives in the name of stopping fraud — and made voter registration groups
Biden Ends Reelection Bid, Leaves Strong Higher Ed Legacy
By Katherine Knott President Biden will not seek re-election, he announced Sunday. The news capped weeks of debate about his ability to defeat former president Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, and spelled the imminent end of a White House tenure that has been filled with ambitious plans to forgive student loans and make higher education work better for students. “It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden wrote in a letter posted on social media. “And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my
PAC Launches $8M Push to Mobilize Black Voters in 2024
By Chayenne M. Daniels One of the leading Black political action committees has announced a seven-figure push to mobilize Black voters ahead of November’s critical election. In a memo shared exclusively with The Hill, Rolling Sea Action Fund and the nonprofit Let It Resound said they are targeting Black voters in House races in Akron, Ohio; Flint, Mich.; Omaha, Neb.; Raleigh, N.C.; Hempstead, N.Y.; Virginia Beach, Va.; and Las Vegas. House races in those areas, the groups said, are key to securing Democratic control of the lower chamber of Congress. “This is a part of a seven-figure push to ensure
Kamala Harris Raises $200M in First Week of 2024 Campaign
By Aamer Madhani Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has raised $200 million since she emerged as the likely Democratic presidential nominee last week, an eyepopping haul in her race against the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump. The campaign, which announced its latest fundraising total on Sunday, said the bulk of the donations — 66% — comes from first-time contributors in the 2024 election cycle and were made after President Joe Biden announced his exit from the race and endorsed Harris. Over 170,000 volunteers have also signed up to help the Harris campaign with phone banking, canvassing and other get-out-the-vote efforts. Election Day is 100
Barack and Michelle Obama Endorse Kamala Harris for 2024
By Swapna Venugopal It took six days, but Barack Obama said yes. A long-awaited endorsement from former President Obama for Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic party’s nominee for president finally arrived on Friday. While Harris had racked up a series of endorsements since President Joe Biden withdrew from his reelection bid after his debacle of a debate performance, Obama was the last prominent Democrat who hadn’t weighed in. In a video endorsement released Friday, Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama are shown calling Harris together to offer their support. “Aw. Hi, you’re both together! Oh, it’s good to hear you both,” says Harris, dressed
Harris’s Higher Ed Vision: Debt Relief, HBCUs, Equity
By Katherine Knott President Biden’s decision Sunday to drop his re-election bid cleared the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place at the top of the ticket. It’s not yet clear how, or how much, a President Harris might differ from Biden on higher education policy. Like most vice presidents, she’s generally been in lockstep with the president and championed their administration’s policies. She’s pushed its efforts to forgive student loans and make payments more affordable for borrowers. As a senator, she signed on to legislation to make community college free (also a Biden proposal) and help colleges
Kamala Harris Secures Delegates for 2024 Democratic Bid
By Zeke Miller Vice President Kamala Harris has secured the support of enough Democratic delegates to become her party’s nominee against Republican Donald Trump, according to an Associated Press survey, as top Democrats rallied to her in the aftermath of President Joe Biden’s decision to drop his bid for reelection. The quick coalescing behind Harris marked an attempt by the party to put weeks of internecine drama over Biden’s political future behind them and to unify behind the task of defeating Trump with just over 100 days until Election Day. Prominent Democratic elected officials, party leaders and political organizations quickly lined up
Black Voters React to Kamala Harris’ 2024 Nomination
By Jeremy Peters President Biden’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him on the Democratic ticket left some Black voters anxiously wondering whether Americans were ready to elect a Black woman to the nation’s highest office. “It’s kind of sad, but I don’t think Harris will do well nationwide,” said Kristy Smith, 42, who is from Atlanta and works in sales. As a Black woman herself, Ms. Smith said she thinks Ms. Harris is entering the race with two strikes against her. “America is just not ready for a woman president — especially not a Black woman president,”
FAMU President Resigns After Fallout Over $237M Donation
Courtesy of Florida A&M University The president of Florida’s only public historically Black university is resigning amid backlash over the school’s apparent failure to properly vet a multi-million dollar donation from a dubious donor. Larry Robinson submitted his resignation last week and will leave Florida A&M University at a time when state officials are scrutinizing programs at the school that they say are underperforming and as increasing political influence reshapes the state’s higher education landscape. During a graduation ceremony in May, Robinson stood on stage in his academic regalia holding a jumbo check for $237 million, a gift that would have been the single largest private
GOP Convention Signals Party Shift Under Trump-Vance
by Adam Wren A new kind of Republican Party is revealing itself at its national convention. All the markers of a MAGA jamboree are on display, from hulking Donald Trump iconography inside the convention hall to rhinestone Trump cowboy hats and red Trump-Vance placards. But look closer and the party is changing — increasingly embracing economic populism at home and isolationism abroad, shifting its decades-long position on abortion and not only leery of, but hostile to, certain business interests. Trump’s newly-announced running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, has said that the GOP is in a “late Republican period,” and the party
