Democratic

Legislators in the nation's third-most populated state on Thursday approved a bill to allow people to carry concealed firearms without a permit or proof of training - dubbed "constitutional carry" by its supporters. The 27-13 vote on the House bill fell largely along party lines, with Republicans pushing the bill with support from Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and law enforcement groups. DeSantis must still sign the bill for it to become law. Democrats say this law will worsen an epidemic of gun violence. Florida had a firearm injury death rate of nearly 14 per 100,000 people in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, putting it roughly in the middle of state rankings for firearm deaths. Florida is set to become the 26th state to approve permitless carrying of firearms. The measure allows people to carry a concealed firearm anywhere license holders are currently allowed to carry - meaning it will still be illegal to carry a gun in courthouses, polling places … [Read more...] about Florida lawmakers approve carrying concealed gun without permit, training

Texas Republicans were quick to react as news surfaced Thursday of a Manhattan grand jury's indictment of former President Donald Trump on charges reportedly stemming from hush money payments made during his 2016 campaign to cover up an extramarital affair. Spoiler alert: They were not happy. Among the swiftest to tear into the indictment was Sen. Ted Cruz , who tweeted: "The Democrat Party's hatred for Donald Trump knows no bounds. The 'substance' of this political persecution is utter garbage. This is completely unprecedented and is a catastrophic escalation in the weaponization of the justice system." Cruz later called Thursday a "tragic day for our country." Today is an absolute outrage and tragic day for our country. — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 31, 2023 Gov. Greg Abbott also spoke out on Twitter, calling the decision an "abhorrent abuse of power." He added: "The George Soros-supported NYC DA is only furthering the radical liberal agenda to have elections … [Read more...] about Texas Republicans swiftly condemn Donald Trump indictment: ‘Utter garbage’

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The indictment of former President Donald Trump will likely have little impact on the high stakes Wisconsin Supreme Court race to be decided next week, as Democrats try to flip majority control of the court with the fate of abortion access in the state on the line, those closely watching the contest said Friday. Trump has not been directly involved in the race, did not endorse anyone, and the Republican-backed candidate has tried to distance his connections with the former president and the GOP. Additionally, Trump's support among Republicans appears to be waning in the battleground state that he barely won in 2016 and then lost by a similar margin in 2020. “While this (indictment) may get the juice flowing with some of his supporters, some may have a head shake and shoulder shrug," said longtime Republican strategist and former state GOP party leader … [Read more...] about Trump indictment not expected to affect Wisconsin court race

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 6 WASHINGTON (AP) — The indictment against former President Donald Trump involving a 2016 hush money payment is raising concerns that it could undermine public confidence in what democracy experts view as far more important investigations. Trump is facing multiple investigations related to his refusal to accept his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. That includes whether he pressured election officials to overturn the results, encouraged fake electors from battleground states and his role in the events that led to the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. Jeffrey Engel, founding director of the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University, called the indictment this week from a New York grand jury “the appetizer to their main course still to come." “That main course, literally, is democracy at stake and who we are as a nation,” he said. … [Read more...] about Worries grow that Trump indictment will eclipse other probes

Former president Donald Trump plans to fly to New York on Monday and stay overnight before appearing in a specially secured Manhattan courthouse to be arraigned on still-unspecified criminal charges, people briefed on the arrangements said. An advance team of Secret Service agents - mostly comprised of New York field office agents - conducted a site tour of the courthouse on Friday to map Trump's path in and out of the building, according to a law enforcement official involved in the planning. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the arrangements, said "dozens and dozens of agents" will be required to secure the former president's travel between Mar-A- Lago, his Florida home and private club, and New York. No other former president has ever been charged with a crime. Trump's indictment comes as he is running for another term in the White House - a quest that he is permitted by U.S. law to continue even if he is convicted. The indictment announced … [Read more...] about Secret Service tours N.Y. courthouse to prepare for Trump arraignment

"What changed?" - House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), in a tweet with a video of clips of then-Vice President Joe Biden, March 29 - - - House Republicans keep pressing the White House to agree to significant spending cuts before they will agree to raise the debt ceiling. A deadline for a deal is fast approaching. Most estimates suggest the U.S. Treasury will run out of maneuvering room to meet its obligations in the summer or early fall - and the United States would default. White House officials have insisted they will not negotiate over raising the debt ceiling, though they are willing to discuss possible spending reductions as a separate matter. Many are veterans of the Obama administration, which faced its own debt ceiling showdown with Republicans in 2011. Ultimately, after lengthy negotiations, a bipartisan budget deal, known as the Budget Control Act, was negotiated by House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and President Barack Obama, along with other top … [Read more...] about How Kevin McCarthy manipulated Biden’s words on debt talks

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said Thursday he will run for a third term in 2024, highlighting his decade-long work to curb gun violence and vowing to not accept any corporate donations during his campaign. Murphy was first elected to the Senate in 2012, weeks before the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting happened in the congressional district he had been serving in the U.S. House at that time. He has said that tragedy motivated him to prioritize passing gun reforms, which have stalled in Congress for years. After months of bipartisan negotiations, he helped champion the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden last June. It was the first time Congress had passed gun safety legislation in nearly three decades, though it left out many of Murphy’s and Democrats’ priorities, like a federal assault weapons ban and universal background checks. The bill strengthened background checks for those buying firearms under age 21 and … [Read more...] about Sen. Chris Murphy to run for third term, pledges not to accept corporate donations

Some Texas Republicans quickly criticized Donald Trump’s criminal indictment Thursday as a politically motivated catastrophe after it was announced that the former president would face criminal charges. “The Democrat Party’s hatred for Donald Trump knows no bounds. The ‘substance’ of this political persecution is utter garbage,” tweeted U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz . “This is completely unprecedented and is a catastrophic escalation in the weaponization of the justice system.” Republicans, including Trump, have cast the indictment as a political “witch hunt” to discredit the former president ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Recent polls currently favor Trump over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has not yet announced his candidacy. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, is also expected to run again. On his podcast earlier in March, Cruz predicted that arresting Trump would only boost the former president’s appeal among supporters. “This is Political Persecution and Election … [Read more...] about Texas Republicans quickly blast Donald Trump indictment, calling it “catastrophic” and politically motivated

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 12 DALLAS (AP) — The story was a blockbuster: A former Texas voting official was on the record detailing how nearly three decades earlier, votes were falsified to give then-congressman Lyndon B. Johnson a win that propelled the future president into the U.S. Senate. The audio recordings from Associated Press reporter James W. Mangan's interviews for the 1977 story were posted this week on the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum's archival website, Discover LBJ. After Mangan's death in 2015 at the age of 87, his family found the labeled cassette tapes at his San Antonio home and donated them last summer to the library on the campus of the University at Texas at Austin. Luis Salas, the former South Texas election judge, told Mangan for the story: “Johnson did not win that election; It was stolen for him. And I know exactly how … [Read more...] about ‘Window into history’: Tapes detail LBJ’s stolen election