Latest news with #SENATE
Politico
5 days ago
- Business
- Politico
The case against Katie Porter's inevitability
Presented by THE ONE TO BEAT — Katie Porter moved swiftly after Kamala Harris passed on the governor's race to project a sense of inevitability around her candidacy — and she clearly has the advantage in early polling. But the race is far from settled. And there's a crowded field of Democratic contenders now preparing to test Porter's potential vulnerabilities, including her baggage from a failed Senate bid last year and lukewarm relationship with some powerful party insiders. 'I don't believe this race has a front-runner in it,' said Kyle Layman, consultant to Xavier Becerra, another Democratic candidate and a former Health and Human Services secretary. 'The race really started [last week]. We don't even know where the field is at.' Five key dynamics that could test Porter's initial dominance: SENATE CAMPAIGN HANGOVER: Porter's campaign touts polling from last spring that found her solidly in the lead — with the support of 36 percent of likely Democratic voters — if Harris didn't run. Moreover, in an extra crowded primary, Porter could conceivably land in the top two with a quarter of the vote or less. But critics of Porter point out she finished in third place in last year's Senate primary, behind now-Sen. Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey. They question if her 15 percent share of the vote in that March election could be Porter's ceiling. Porter was hammered by negative ads, and fellow Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, lined up behind Schiff. And don't forget how Porter irked fellow Democrats when she said the outcome was rigged (a comment she later said she regretted). CASH-BURN RATE: Porter came out of the gate with strong fundraising numbers, but she's also spent a lot of money to raise money. Porter led the field with the $3 million she raised between March and June. In that same period, however, she spent at least $530,000 on digital fundraising services, including text and email blasts to small donors. Nathan Click, Porter's spokesperson, called the outreach 'one-time digital fundraising investments that are already paying dividends.' But if those investments don't pay off, and her online donors lag or drop off because they were more inclined to give in a past federal race than a state campaign where a Democrat is almost assuredly going to win, Porter would be in deep trouble. Porter could also face a run for her money, literally. Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis already has about $9 million cash on hand between her two campaign accounts (most of which her campaign said can be transferred). Kounalakis is likely to have deep campaign pockets. She's well connected in wealthy San Francisco circles and is the daughter of prominent developer Angelo Tsakopoulos. Another candidate who's pouring money into the contest is billionaire Stephen Cloobeck, who's put in $13 million of his own wealth. All of which is to say, Porter's fundraising prowess in past congressional runs might not translate in a statewide contest. WHERE IS LABOR? Porter's populist policy ideas have garnered labor support in the past. But she has recently sought to shake the perception that she's as progressive as her mentor, Sen. Elizabeth Warren. And, during a Chamber of Commerce forum in June, she threw cold water on raising the minimum wage to $20 an hour in the next election. California's labor unions were largely sitting on the sidelines, waiting for Harris' decision. Now, there's a mad dash among candidates vying for union muscle. Former state Senate leader Toni Atkins, a Democrat, has the two most significant labor endorsements so far: the carpenters and electrical workers. And if Porter's lead in the polls diminishes over time, that could make unions more willing to cross her for a candidate they view as more in line with their membership. EXPERIENCED OPPONENTS: Porter is known nationally for her whiteboard routine and viral minivan memes — and her Senate run boosted her name ID statewide. But Schiff capitalized last year on her lack of relationships with colleagues, and his allies made her out to be someone who couldn't play nice. Her opponents can do that in the governor's race, too. On top of that, several of her opponents have deep political resumes and personal stories that could force her to compete for the spotlight. Among others, Atkins was the first female and LGBTQ+ leader in the state Senate, and she often speaks about her childhood growing up in poverty in Appalachia ('She grew up with dirt floors in rural Virginia. Nothing was given to her. That means she carries a lot of empathy for people who are struggling,' said Rep. Scott Peters, a fellow San Diego Democrat. 'Not many people have the experience that Toni has.') Becerra was state attorney general during the first Trump administration and touts the 122 lawsuits he filed to challenge Trump's policies. And Antonio Villaraigosa, the former Los Angeles mayor, touts his past as a teachers union organizer and ACLU leader. PELOSI FACTOR: Pelosi, one of the biggest kingmakers in Democratic politics, could play an outsize role in shaping which candidate corners the support of some unions and major donors. She has already said she supports Kounalakis, her longtime ally and fellow San Franciscan. It's unclear if Pelosi will go to the mat for Kounalakis in the way she did for Schiff in the Senate race — a key factor that blunted Porter's early momentum. And it's to be seen whether the party's two other California standard bearers — Harris and Gov. Gavin Newsom — will wade into the contest. GOOD MORNING. Happy Thursday. Thanks for waking up with Playbook. Like what you're reading? Sign up to get California Playbook in your inbox, and forward it to a friend. You can also text us at 916-562-0685 — save it as 'CA Playbook' in your contacts. Or drop us a line at dgardiner@ and bjones@ or on X — @DustinGardiner and @jonesblakej. WHERE'S GAVIN? Announcing a joint effort with tech companies to prepare students and workers for new technology. Stream it here at 1:30 p.m. BIG NEWS: On Wednesday, Aug. 27, POLITICO is hosting its inaugural California policy summit. At The California Agenda, some of the state's most prominent political figures including Sen. Alex Padilla, Katie Porter and Xavier Becerra will share the stage with influential voices in tech, energy, housing and other areas to chart the path forward for a state at the forefront of critical policy debates. The live and streamed event is free, but advanced registration is required. Request an invite here. CAMPAIGN YEAR(S) FIRST IN POLITICO: BUZZ FOR BECERRA — Former Biden chief of staff Ron Klain and other Democrats, including fellow tech industry alum Stephanie Peters, will hold a fundraiser for Becerra next month in Washington, our Christine Mui scooped in California Decoded this morning. Tickets for the Sept. 16 reception range from $250 for family to $2,500 for hosts, according to a copy of the invite, which went out Wednesday. Klain is now Airbnb's chief legal officer and gave $5,000 to Becerra in late July. Peters spent nearly 15 years at Microsoft as senior director of congressional affairs before leaving in February to become a tech policy lawyer for the House Foreign Affairs Committee. She donated $1,000 to Becerra this spring. They're joined by several top Becerra aides from his time as President Joe Biden's health secretary and in the House — Debra Dixon, Krista Atteberry, Grisella Martinez and Anne Reid — on the fundraiser host committee, which is still being formed. Another host, David Thomas, frequently met with interests in Silicon Valley as Rep. Zoe Lofgren's former chief of staff and has lobbied for tech clients. THE SCOOP FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: ICE CREAM ACTIVISM — Some Disneyland tourists got an eye-opening surprise last weekend as they rode the 'It's a Small World' boat ride: among the ride's cheerful animatronic characters was a raggedy, soot-covered doll holding a sign that read 'Remember Hiroshima.' The stunt, a protest to raise awareness about U.S. military spending, including in the Middle East, was orchestrated by Ben Cohen, the activist and co-founder of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Cohen, who exclusively spoke to Playbook about the incident, said he plans to release a video today taking responsibility for the action (a photo of the doll caused a stir online this week). 'We need to tell our government that this is not what we want them doing with our money,' Cohen said. He paid demonstrators who placed the doll on the ride; one was apprehended by security and banned from the park for life, Cohen said. He said the doll was quickly removed, and that the target wasn't Disney, but what he cast as the hypocrisy of America's values. 'The theme of that ride — 'It's a Small World After All' — is that kids all over the world care about each other,' Cohen said. 'The reality is our country is preparing to obliterate them.' CLIMATE AND ENERGY THROWING SHADE — The Trump administration loves to hate renewable energy. This time, it's California's $250 million Solar for All grant program that the feds are canceling. But rather than the White House, solar advocates are focusing much of their ire on the California Public Utilities Commission. Last night's California Climate breaks down why the CPUC is drawing heat as dreams of a sprawling community solar program collapse. ON THE AGENDA GUN TOWN HALL — The California Democratic Party is hosting a town hall in Orange County tonight featuring Chair Rusty Hicks, frontline Rep. Dave Min and former Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona — who resigned from Congress and founded the gun violence prevention group GIFFORDS after she was shot in the head in 2011. The 5 p.m. event will focus on criticizing Republican Rep. Young Kim — whose race is one of California Democrats' top priorities in the House this cycle — for her record on firearm restrictions. TOP TALKERS (NOT) ON GAMES — The 2028 Olympic Games are expected to draw thousands of foreign visitors to Los Angeles, an area where Trump's immigration crackdowns in recent months have taken an especially heavy toll. The New York Times reports the White House said it will allow into the country any athletes or members of an athletic team who are traveling for the World Cup or Olympics, but there will not be exceptions for fans from countries affected by the administration's travel bans as the State Department is encouraging people who want to watch the event to apply for visas as soon as possible. PAYBACK POLITICS — The Trump Justice Department is asking a federal judge to impose 'substantial monetary sanctions' on a California lawyer who briefly halted but ultimately failed to block the deportation of an immigrant from Laos who pleaded guilty to attempted murder in the 1990s. As POLITICO's Josh Gerstein reports, the attorney appears to be the first target of Trump's vow to discipline lawyers who hit the federal government with lawsuits that the administration deems frivolous. RENEWED FEARS — More than half a dozen Border Patrol agents jumped out of the back of a Penske truck at a Home Depot in Westlake and arrested 16 people, reviving fears of immigration crackdowns in the region, the Los Angeles Times reports. U.S. Border Patrol Sector Chief Greg Bovino, who has led operations since they began earlier this summer, described the raid as 'Operation Trojan Horse.' AROUND THE STATE — Stanford University's independent student newspaper and two noncitizen students are suing Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, claiming that federal immigration policies are being used to suppress protected political speech. (East Bay Times) — An audit found several instances of financial mismanagement by San Dieguito Union High School District's school foundations. (The San Diego Union-Tribune) — Southern California Mayor Ricky Estrada, an Air Force Reservist, will be leaving office temporarily due to a 6-month deployment. (KTLA) Compiled by Juliann Ventura PLAYBOOKERS BIRTHDAYS — POLITICO's Nate Robson … Caitlin Legacki … Ron Christie … Wesley Derryberry of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati BELATED B-DAY WISHES — (was Wednesday): Travis Kalanick ... Daniel J. Jaffe WANT A SHOUT-OUT FEATURED? — Send us a birthday, career move or another special occasion to include in POLITICO's California Playbook. You can now submit a shout-out using this Google form.
NBC News
04-08-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Live updates: Georgia Senate race heats up; Texas Democrats face expulsion threat
What to know today GEORGIA SENATE RACE: Former college football coach Derek Dooley is jumping into the Republican Senate primary in Georgia after Gov. Brian Kemp passed on a run for the seat. TEXAS STANDOFF: Democratic legislators from Texas have left the state in an attempt to block a vote on a new congressional map that favors Republicans, prompting the governor to threaten to expel them from the state House of Representatives. CONGRESSIONAL RECESS: Members of Congress have headed home for their summer recess. Several lawmakers are holding town halls tonight, including Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., Rep. Troy Carter, D-Iowa, and Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.
Politico
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Politico
The new master of the Senate
Presented by With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine and Ali Bianco Good morning. I'm Charlie Mahtesian. Get in touch. DRIVING THE DAY MASTER OF THE SENATE: The most eventful week to date in the midterm battle for the Senate just came to a close. The field in one of the marquee races of 2026 finally took shape in North Carolina, the lead architect of Project 2025 launched a primary challenge against South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, Rep. Mike Collins joined the Georgia GOP Senate primary, appointed Florida Sen. Ashley Moody continued on her special election glide path when her most serious Democratic challenger dropped out, and we got a little more insight into Nebraska. But don't lose sight of the larger narrative. Whatever else is happening in these races from week to week, the single most important factor determining the outcome of the 2026 Senate election cycle is President Donald Trump. Nothing else is even close. His approval ratings are part of this equation. Trump is famously rangebound in the polls, with a low ceiling and a high floor, but his popularity next year will matter — midterm history shows there is a correlation between a president's ratings and his party's fate. But Trump's unique ability to unleash the forces of electoral chaos is what really makes him the single most influential character. No one — not Mitch McConnell, not the National Republican Senatorial Committee, not Majority Leader John Thune nor anyone else — has done as much as Trump to directly shape the Senate GOP Conference over the past decade. Since taking office in 2017, he's hounded a handful of members out of office, been the proximate cause of lost Senate seats in Georgia and blown opportunities elsewhere (just Google McConnell and 'candidate quality'). By elevating JD Vance and Marco Rubio from their Senate seats into his administration, Trump created two more new Republican senators. Most recently, Trump upended the landscape in North Carolina. The traditional presidential play would have been to cut GOP Sen. Thom Tillis some slack, recognizing the complexity of the terrain and the party's need to maximize Tillis' chances of holding his seat. Instead, Trump became the catalyst for his retirement, enhancing Democratic chances of flipping the seat in one of the most competitive states in the nation. So far, Trump has been unusually disciplined when it comes to the Senate — by his standards, at least. Surrounded by the most capable political team he's ever assembled — and tempered by the bracing experience of two unsuccessful midterm elections — the president has judiciously dished out endorsements to incumbents and strategically withheld them. He's also largely avoided trashing wayward Senate Republicans. Until now. Whether it's the pressure from the Jeffrey Epstein saga or a reversion to the mean, the cracks are beginning to show. The gravitational pull toward chaos is overtaking his strategic imperatives. In the last week alone, Trump has publicly whacked three Senate Republicans — Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and 91-year-old Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the longest-serving member of the Senate — for largely minor political offenses. (Here's a thought exercise: Try imagining Barack Obama lighting up Robert Byrd for respecting an informal Senate practice, or George W. Bush torching Strom Thurmond.) The missile aimed at Collins, who has consistently vexed the president, was predictable, though not particularly productive. Dragging one of the most vulnerable GOP incumbents doesn't advance the goal of holding a Senate majority. The dig at Grassley — especially after the Senate Judiciary chair and champion of whistle-blowers fell in line on the Emil Bove nomination — was simply gratuitous. The Iowan's GOP bona fides date back to the Eisenhower era; his ticket's been punched in the Iowa Legislature, the House and nearly a half-century in the Senate. To suggest Grassley lacks political courage, or is a RINO, or that the president carried him to reelection in 2022, is to play cat's paw with him. It also served no discernable purpose, other than to remind Grassley and everyone else of Trump's dominion over the Senate, which isn't really in question anymore. Grassley's meek response was revealing: he said he was 'offended' and 'disappointed' by the insult. Welp. Trump can't seem to help himself: He delights in taking down members of the world's most exclusive club. Counting his Truth Social posts aimed at Chuck Schumer and four other Senate Democrats ('SLEAZEBAGS ALL') Trump leveled public attacks on eight different senators in recent days. The equal-opportunity disparagement helps explain his deep connection with the base of an increasingly populist GOP: The grassroots appreciates the fact that, when it comes to Trump, everyone in a position of power — senators, foreign leaders, former presidents, billionaires and Fortune 500 CEOs — is fair game. The GOP begins with a structural advantage on the 2026 Senate map: Nearly all of the Republican seats up for election are in states Trump carried easily last year, while Democrats must defend at least four seats that are more precariously perched. While the midterm political winds typically blow against the party in power, to win back the majority Democrats have to flip four Republican seats, while not losing any they currently control. It's a daunting task, but Trump looms as the great equalizer. It wouldn't take more than a few impulsive, undisciplined moves — such as endorsing slavishly loyal but unelectable candidates in key races, or creating messy primaries by torpedoing shaky GOP incumbents — to create just enough opportunities for Democrats to compete on what is otherwise an unforgiving Senate map. 9 THINGS THAT STUCK WITH US 1. DAMNED LIES AND STATISTICS: President Donald Trump fired Erika McEntarfer, the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on Friday after the monthly jobs report for July came in far weaker than expected and also significantly revised the numbers downward for June and May, POLITICO's Nick Niedzwiadek and Sam Sutton report. What Trump said: 'I have directed my Team to fire this Biden Political Appointee, IMMEDIATELY,' the president wrote on Truth Social. 'She will be replaced with someone much more competent and qualified.' Trump has previously claimed that the BLS inflated employment figures at the close of the Biden administration for political reasons — a claim made without evidence, and which the president reiterated online yesterday. 'In my opinion, today's Jobs Numbers were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad,' he wrote. Despite Trump's claims to the contrary, the government's 'economic statistics have been considered the gold standard for decades,' write WSJ's Justin Lahart, Alex Leary and Matt Grossman. The immediate worry: 'Trump's move throws the quality of America's statistical apparatus into question,' the Journal continues. 'The immediate worry among economists and former officials following Trump's move was that it opened the door for the economic data to be distorted for political reasons. Federal Reserve officials rely on U.S. economic statistics to make timely decisions on setting monetary policy, while investors and businesses depend on them to allocate capital efficiently.' Or, put differently: 'You can't bend economic reality, but you can break the trust of markets,' University of Michigan economist Justin Wolfers put it. 'And biased data yields worse policy.' Reaction on the Hill: While some Republican senators reacted warmly to Trump's announcement, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the move was tantamount to 'shoot[ing] the messenger,' and some Democrats 'likened Trump's demand to actions taken by totalitarian governments,' POLITICO's Aaron Pellish reports. 2. ALL ABOARD THE MINIBUS: The Senate passed its first three spending bills yesterday in a show of bipartisan agreement over the so-called 'minibus' package. In an 87-9 vote, the upper chamber passed a two-bill package that would fund the departments of Veterans Affairs and Agriculture, along with military construction and the Food and Drug Administration, POLITICO's Katherine Tully-McManus and Jordain Carney report. A third bill 'to fund Congress itself' passed, 81-15. What's in it: 'The package would provide almost $154 billion for military construction and veterans programs,' KTM and Jordain report. 'It would send more than $27 billion to the Agriculture department and FDA. Both represent a roughly 2 percent boost over current levels.' Coming soon: Though the minibus passing won't do anything to stop a possible shutdown in September, 'Senate leaders still want to move that package through with the goal of gaining leverage in the broader spending talks with the House and President Donald Trump.' The package is now headed to the House, which will take it up after returning from August recess. 3. REDISTRICTING ROUNDUP: In Austin yesterday, as Texas lawmakers gathered at the state capitol to discuss the GOP's newly proposed congressional maps, state House Republicans didn't shy away from what is animating their proposed redistricting, Playbook's Bethany Irvine writes in from the Lone Star State. 'We have five new districts, and these five new districts are based on political performance,' said State Rep. Todd Hunter, a Corpus Christi Republican and sponsor of the bill. Even so, he defended the mid-decade redraw as 'completely transparent' and 'lawful.' A floor vote on the maps could happen as soon as Tuesday, though state legislative Democrats are considering a mass exodus from the state in a last-ditch effort to delay the vote. From Washington to Austin: During public testimony, Democratic U.S. Reps. Marc Veasey, Lloyd Doggett, Al Green, Greg Casar, Jasmine Crockett and Sylvia Garcia slammed the gerrymander. 'This is not a Texas map, it is a Trump map,' said Doggett. Added Casar: 'I think a five-year-old could draw a more coherent map than what they sent you from Mar-a-Lago.' And beyond the Lone Star State: 'A group of Democratic governors is urging its colleagues to get tough in countering Republican-backed efforts to gerrymander Texas' congressional districts,' POLITICO's Elena Schneider reports. Said Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly at a Democratic Governors Association meeting yesterday: 'I'm not a big believer in unilateral disarmament.' 4. VIEWERS LIKE YOU: 'The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced on Friday that it will wind down its operations due to the successful Republican effort to defund local PBS and NPR stations across the country,' CNN's Liam Reilly and Brian Stelter report. 'The announcement came just over a week after President Donald Trump enacted a rescissions bill clawing back congressionally approved federal funds for public media and foreign aid. Of the $9 billion in canceled funds, $1.1 billion was earmarked for the corporation for the next two years.' The impact: The CPB 'has warned that some stations, particularly in rural areas, will have to shut down without federal support,' Reilly and Stelter write. 'Most larger stations have numerous other funding sources, including viewer and listener donations, to soften the blow dealt by Congress.' What endures: 'PBS, NPR and some of the most popular programs associated with public broadcasting, such as 'Sesame Street' and 'All Things Considered,' will survive without the Corporation for Public Broadcasting,' writes NYT's Benjamin Mullin. 'NPR and PBS get a relatively small portion of their annual budget from the corporation, and children's TV programs like 'Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood' are produced independently of those organizations. Still, the cutbacks could affect the availability of those shows, particularly in pockets of the country without widespread access to broadband internet and mobile data. 5. NEW FUNDING FIGHT: 'Trump Administration Blocks Funding for CDC Health Programs,' by WSJ's Nidhi Subbaraman and Liz Essley Whyte: 'The Trump administration is blocking funding for a swath of public-health programs run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the latest flashpoint in a push by the White House to withhold money already approved by Congress. … A range of programs won't be fully funded under the freeze. These include youth violence prevention programs, research on preventing gun injuries and deaths and efforts targeting diabetes, chronic kidney disease and tobacco use. It couldn't be determined how much the withheld money would amount to, but it could be as high as $200 million, according to one of the people familiar with the matter. Another person familiar estimated the amount to be more than $300 million.' 6. ON THE LINE: 'Appeals Court Allows Trump Order That Ends Union Protections for Federal Workers,' by NYT's Chris Cameron: 'A federal appeals court on Friday allowed President Trump to move forward with an order instructing a broad swath of government agencies to end collective bargaining with federal unions. … Trump had framed his order stripping workers of labor protections as critical to protect national security. But the plaintiffs — a group of affected unions representing over a million federal workers — argued in a lawsuit that the order was a form of retaliation against those unions that have participated in a barrage of lawsuits opposing Mr. Trump's policies. … But a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, a famously liberal jurisdiction, ruled in Mr. Trump's favor, writing that 'the government has shown that the president would have taken the same action even in the absence' of the union lawsuits.' 7. GAZA LATEST: 'U.S. aid money to Gaza trickles in, belying Trump's claims, as officials visit,' by WaPo's Karen DeYoung: 'Despite President Donald Trump's repeated assertion this week that the United States has contributed $60 million for food to Gaza, U.S. pledges have been half of that amount, only a fraction of which has been actually disbursed. A State Department spokesperson said Friday that 'we have approved funding for $30 million' to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the controversial U.S.-Israeli backed food distribution system, adding that 'an initial amount has been disbursed as of this week.'' 8. COMING ATTRACTIONS: 'The Supreme Court just dropped a hint about its next big Voting Rights Act case,' by POLITICO's Zach Montellaro and Josh Gerstein: 'The Supreme Court said Friday that it will weigh the constitutionality of a common form of redistricting used to protect the voting power of Black and Hispanic voters: the drawing of congressional districts where racial minorities make up at least half the population. Experts in election law said the move signals that the court may be poised to further narrow the Voting Rights Act.' 9. VIBE CHECK: 'Businesses got some clarity on Trump's trade deal. They aren't reassured,' by POLITICO's Daniel Desrochers and Victoria Guida: 'A half-dozen leaders from financial firms, corporations and trade groups said in interviews that the series of tariff rates Trump unveiled Thursday night were steeper than they had expected, and they worry that the dizzying kaleidoscope of policies he's applying to different countries will complicate global commerce. The economy is already showing cracks, with the job market slowing and stocks tumbling Friday. … Many business leaders fear that this week's worrying economic numbers are only the beginning of a more sustained downturn.' CLICKER — 'The nation's cartoonists on the week in politics,' edited by Matt Wuerker —16 funnies GREAT WEEKEND READS: — 'Inside the Crisis at the Anti-Defamation League,' by Noah Shachtman for NY Mag: 'The group used to fight for justice for all. Its war against anti-Zionism has changed everything.' — 'Ms. Rachel grew up on Mister Rogers. Now she's carrying on his legacy,' by Caitlin Gibson for WaPo: 'The YouTube star wants her audiences — adults and children alike — to see the humanity of all people.' — 'How NASA Engineered Its Own Decline,' by Franklin Foer for the Atlantic: 'The agency once projected America's loftiest ideals. Then it ceded its ambitions to Elon Musk.' — 'Meet the Fraudster Who Wants to Make California Its Own Country,' by Will McCarthy for POLITICO Magazine: 'The man behind the Calexit movement claims to be a baller. But he's broke.' — 'Tom Homan once spared Phoenix migrants. Now he's Trump's Darth Vader,' by Stephen Lemons for the Phoenix New Times: 'Pre-Trump, colleagues of border czar Tom Homan described him as reasonable. Now, they see a cruel man they don't recognize.' — 'Ada and Her Family Fled El Salvador. She Died Alone in the New Mexico Desert,' by Lillian Perlmutter for Rolling Stone: 'Over the past three years, the skeletons of hundreds of female migrants have been discovered in the Sunland Park Triangle, near a New Mexico suburb.' — 'DOGE-Pilled,' by Susan Berfield, Margi Murphy and Jason Leopold by Bloomberg: 'Luke Farritor could have been an artist, or a builder, or someone dedicated to seeing a great historical mystery through. Instead, he wound up at the Department of Government Efficiency, slashing, dismantling, undoing.' — 'The First Soda in Space: When NASA Got Caught Up in the Cola Wars,' by Joseph Dragovich for NYT: 'In the summer of 1985, NASA, the Reagan White House and seven talented astronauts were wrangled into an orbital battle over soft-drink supremacy.' — ''No Tax on Tips' Is an Industry Plant,' by Eyal Press for the New Yorker: 'Trump's 'populist' policy is backed by the National Restaurant Association — probably because it won't stop establishments from paying servers below the minimum wage.' — 'The U.S. military is investing in this Pacific island. So is China,' by Michael Miller, Lyric Li and An Rong Xu for WaPo: 'New U.S. radar sites are designed to keep China in check. But Chinese developments, some with questionable connections, could create vulnerabilities.' — ''Combat Cocktail': How America Overmedicates Veterans,' by Shalini Ramachandran and Betsy McKay for WSJ: 'To treat PTSD, the Department of Veterans Affairs put hundreds of thousands of patients on multiple streams of powerful drugs that put them at risk of suicide.' TALK OF THE TOWN MEDIA MOVE — Dave Levinthal is now a contributing editor at NOTUS. He is an investigative reporter and Raw Story and Business Insider alum. WEDDING — Sarah Williamson, a correspondent and anchor for Newsmax and Tal Erel, a business transformation consultant at EY, recently married at City Vineyard on Pier 26 in Tribeca. The couple met when Sarah was living in Israel and interviewed Tal before the 2020 Olympics, when he was on the Israeli baseball team that had qualified. Pics by Eric Green ... Another pic SPOTTED: Tom and Deneen Borelli, Christina Thompson, Monica and Daniel Baldwin, and Rita Cosby and Tomaczek Bednarek. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: VP JD Vance … Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) … Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah) … D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser … BAL's Betsy Lawrence … Matthew Rosenberg … Patrick Ruffini of Echelon Insights … Gigi Sohn … Fox News' Rich Edson … Kevin Walling … NewsNation's Kellie Meyer … Peter Mihalick … CBS' Caitlin Huey-Burns … Emily Gershon … Sarah Bittleman … Camille Gallo … Jeff Ballou … Michael Manganiello … Jack H. Jacobs (8-0) … Brynn Barnett … former Reps. Nancy Boyda (D-Kan.) (7-0) and Dan Boren (D-Okla.) … Laura Nasim … former Treasury Secretary John Snow … Brian Montgomery … The New Yorker's Lawrence Wright … Dennis Prager … Nick Ballas … Whit Blount of Rep. María Elvira Salazar's (R-Fla.) office … NBC's Dylan Dreyer … Kolby Lee … Steve Tebbe … Stephen Cox … Geneva Fuentes … Seng Peng THE SHOWS (Full Sunday show listings here): CBS 'Face the Nation': USTR Jamieson Greer … New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham … CMS administrator Mehmet Oz … Brian Moynihan … Canadian Ambassador Kirsten Hillman. FOX 'Fox News Sunday': Kevin Hassett … Johnnie Moore … Tim Lilley … Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.). Panel: Guy Benson, Dan Koh, Susan Page and Tiffany Smiley. NBC 'Meet The Press': Kevin Hassett … Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). Roundtable: Yamiche Alcindor, Susan Glasser, Stephen Hayes and Symone Sanders-Townsend. CNN 'Inside Politics Sunday': Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.). Panel: Jeff Zeleny, Aaron Blake, Tia Mitchell and Olivia Beavers. CNN 'State of the Union': EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin … Colorado Gov. Jared Polis. Panel: Faiz Shakir, Kate Bedingfield, Jonah Goldberg and Brad Todd. ABC 'This Week': Larry Summers … Eric Holder … Avril Benoît. Politics Panel: Chris Christie and Donna Brazile. Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
Fox News
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump pick Emil Bove confirmed as federal judge after furious Democrat walkout, whistleblower complaints
Print Close By Ashley Oliver Published July 29, 2025 The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump's nominee, Emil Bove, as a federal judge Tuesday, handing a controversial leader at the Department of Justice a lifetime role on a powerful appellate court. Bove was narrowly confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit in a 50-49 vote with no support from Democrats. His confirmation followed a contentious weeks-long vetting process that included three whistleblower complaints and impassioned outside figures voicing both support and opposition to his nomination. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said from the Senate floor before the vote that he supported Bove and believed the nominee had been the target of "unfair accusations and abuse." "He has a strong legal background and has served his country honorably. I believe he will be a diligent, capable, and fair jurist," Grassley said. Bove's ascension to the appellate court marks a peak in his legal career. He will leave behind his job as principal associate deputy attorney general at the DOJ. TOP DOJ OFFICIAL FACES TEST IN SENATE OVER NOMINATION TO BECOME FEDERAL JUDGE Bove started out as a high-achieving student, college athlete and Georgetown University law school graduate. He went on to clerk for two federal judges and worked for about a decade as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, leading high-profile terrorism and drug trafficking cases through 2019. Alongside Todd Blanche, now a deputy attorney general, Bove led Trump's personal defense team during the president's criminal prosecutions. Blanche told Fox News Digital in an interview last month that Bove was a "brilliant lawyer" who authored the vast majority of their legal briefs for Trump. In a letter to the Senate, attorney Gene Schaerr called Bove's brief writing "superb." But Democrats and some who crossed paths with Bove during his time in New York and at DOJ headquarters fiercely opposed his nomination and said he was unqualified. KEY TRUMP NOMINEES STALLED BY SENATE DEMS PUT PRESSURE ON GOP LEADERS One whistleblower, Erez Reuveni, had become a successful prosecutor at the DOJ over the last 15 years when he was fired under Bove's watch. Reuveni said he was party to a meeting in March in which Bove floated defying any court orders that would hinder one of Trump's most legally questionable deportation plans, a claim Bove denies. Reuveni also said the culture at the DOJ, particularly during the most intense moments of immigration lawsuits, involved misleading federal judges and was like nothing he had experienced during his tenure, which included Trump's first term. Two other anonymous whistleblowers emerged at the eleventh hour during the confirmation process and vouched for Reuveni's claims. A spokeswoman for Grassley told Fox News Digital the third whistleblower only brought claims to Senate Democrats and did not attempt to engage with Grassley. Grassley's staff eventually met with the whistleblower's lawyers after the chairman's office reached out, the spokeswoman said. Grassley said his staff interviewed more than a dozen people to vet the initial whistleblower claims and could not find evidence that Bove urged staff to defy the courts. "Even if you accept most of the claims as true, there's no scandal," Grassley said. "Government lawyers aggressively litigating and interpreting court orders isn't misconduct—it's what lawyers do." While in New York, Bove also alienated his fair share of colleagues. In 2018, a band of defense lawyers said in emails reported by The Associated Press that Bove could not "be bothered to treat lesser mortals with respect or empathy." Another lawyer who had interactions with Bove in New York told Fox News Digital he was a "bully" who browbeat people. TRUMP CONSIDERS FORMER DEFENSE ATTORNEY EMIL BOVE FOR FEDERAL APPEALS COURT VACANCY A group that opposes Bove's nomination, Justice Connection, published a letter signed by more than 900 former DOJ employees calling for the Senate to reject Bove's nomination. Among their concerns was that Bove led the controversial dismissal of Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams' federal corruption charges. Several DOJ officials resigned in protest over Bove's orders to toss out the charges. In the letter, the former employees said Bove has been "trampling over institutional norms" and that he lacked impartiality. Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats, in an unusual move, staged a walkout at a hearing on Bove before a recent vote to advance his nomination. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called him a "henchman," a description Democrats have widely adopted for him. "He's the extreme of the extreme," Schumer told reporters. "He's not a jurist. He's a Trumpian henchman. That seems to be the qualification for appointees these days." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Bove defended himself against critics during his confirmation hearing. "I am not anybody's henchman. I'm not an enforcer," Bove said. "I'm a lawyer from a small town who never expected to be in an arena like this." Fox News' Alex Miller contributed to this report. Print Close URL
The Hill
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Hill
The Hill's Headlines - July 15, 2025
HOUSE House GOP blocks Democratic maneuver to force the release of Jeffrey Epstein's files SENATE Senate Democrats demand hearing with DOJ whistleblower ahead of judicial nominee Emil Bove's vote ECONOMY The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose in June to 2.7% annual rate, the highest since February BUSINESS Nvidia CEO says the sale of AI chip is back on in China after meeting with President Trump STATE WATCH Floodwater pours through NYC subway station ceiling as a severe storm hit the Big Apple
