Bidenโs long quest on the assault weapons ban
Biden has long pressed for an assault weapons ban, successfully negotiating a 10-year ban as a senator in 1994. Nearly three decades later, he is confronting the realities of a Congress that operates much differently and a landscape that makes the goal almost impossible to achieve.
washingtonpost.comTexas massacre casts shadow over hearing for ATF pick
Less than a day after a gunman massacred 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Texas, a Wednesday Senate hearing for President Joe Bidenโs pick to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reflected the deep political divisions over guns.
Biden: SCOTUS draft 'about a lot more than abortion'
President Joe Biden warns if the Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade and the right to abortion nationwide, it would likely only be the beginning of the stripping away of constitutional rights and protections that Americans currently enjoy. (May 4)
news.yahoo.comRichard Blum, husband of California Sen. Feinstein, dies
Richard Blum, husband of California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, died Sunday after a long battle with cancer. Feinstein announced her husband's death in a statement Monday morning that said her โheart is broken today.โ โMy husband was my partner and best friend for more than 40 years," Feinstein said in the statement.
news.yahoo.comStill bullish on bipartisanship and filibuster, Biden sees infrastructure bill moving ahead on Monday
With much of his voting rights agenda stalled in Congress, the coronavirus pandemic entering a dangerous, politicized new phase and the fate of a much-needed plan to address the nationโs crumbling infrastructure still in doubt, President Biden on Wednesday stood by his support of the Senate filibuster.
news.yahoo.comSan Francisco school board's latest crisis: Racist tweets
FILE - In this June 1, 2020, file photo, San Francisco Mayor London Breed speaks outside City Hall in San Francisco. Breed joined a chorus of officials who have denounced the tweets by the vice president of San Francisco's school board, Alison Collins, as racist and anti-Asian. The posts resurfaced last week amid a surge of violence and harassment against Asian Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area and around the country. They are the latest embarrassment for San Franciscoโs school board, which has prided itself on putting racial equity at the top of its agenda. Under a plan recently negotiated with its labor unions, San Francisco plans to phase-in the reopening of elementary school classrooms in mid-April.
Judge blocked Boulder assault weapon ban 10 days before supermarket shooting
"The Court finds that the need for statewide uniformity favors the state's interest in regulating assault weapons and LCMs," Hartman wrote. Attorneys for Boulder argued that the city ordinance was necessary because state law does not address assault weapons and large-capacity magazines. The National Rifle Association issued a celebratory press release after Boulder's assault weapon ban was struck down. Many states have since passed their own assault weapons laws, some more stringent than the federal ban. The president urged support for a ban on assault weapons on Tuesday, and called on the Senate to immediately pass House legislation to close background check loopholes.
cbsnews.comNewsom defends Feinstein, says he's not expecting retirement
Gavin Newsom says he'll appoint a Black woman to the U.S. Senate if Feinstein retires before her term ends in 2024. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday he expects and hopes Sen. Dianne Feinstein will serve her full term after suggesting the day before he's been thinking about her replacement. Newsom followed up Tuesday with extended and effusive praise for Feinstein, calling her a friend and mentor and praising her work in Washington. Feinstein and Newsom hail from San Francisco, a political power center where each served as mayor, though decades apart. Warschaw said she did not speak to Newsom but expects he heard from upset Feinstein supporters.
Gavin Newsom vows to name Black woman to Senate if Dianne Feinstein steps down
Washington โ California Governor Gavin Newsom pledged to replace Senator Dianne Feinstein with a Black woman should the longtime Democratic senator resign her seat before the end of her term, he said in an interview Monday. "I have multiple names in mind," Newsom said of possible candidates to succeed the senator. Newsom, meanwhile, is under pressure to appoint a Black woman to fill California's next open Senate seat after failing to do so when Kamala Harris was elected vice president. Harris was the only Black woman in the upper chamber. The governor instead selected Alex Padilla, California's secretary of state, to replace Harris, and he became the first Latino to represent the state in the Senate.
cbsnews.comNewsom will appoint Black woman if Feinstein retires early
Gavin Newsom says he'll appoint a Black woman to the U.S. Senate if Feinstein retires before her term ends in 2024. Gavin Newsom said Monday he'd appoint a Black woman to replace U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein if she retires before her term is up in 2024. โWe have multiple names in mind and the answer is yes," he said during a interview on MSNBC's โThe ReidOut" when asked if he would name a Black woman to the seat if given the chance. Newsom recently held that power after then-California Sen. Kamala Harris was elected vice president. He faced competing pressure to name a Latino and a Black woman and eventually chose Alex Padilla, making him California's first Latino U.S. senator.
Tax forms help reveal extent of unemployment fraud in US
Some Americans are receiving tax forms saying they owe money on unemployment benefits they never received. Unemployment benefits are taxable, so government agencies must send a tax form to people who received them. AdBernie Irwin, 86, said her daughter-in-law and a friend also received the tax forms. Now, overwhelmed unemployment agencies could face another onslaught โ this time from people requesting corrected tax forms. He put a freeze on his credit and filed a fraud report with the state unemployment department but so far hasn't heard anything back.
San Francisco to remove Washington, Lincoln and Feinstein from school names
Changing the name of Dianne Feinstein Elementary school, named for the Democratic senator and former mayor of San Francisco, has raised eyebrows. For some San Francisco parents, the brush stroke was too broad. It's almost like a parody of leftist activism," said Gerald Kanapathy, a father of two young children, including a kindergartener at a San Francisco school not on the list. A pedestrian walks below a sign for Dianne Feinstein Elementary School in San Francisco on December 17, 2020. Holzer disagrees with the renaming of Abraham Lincoln High School, which the San Francisco committee said was due to the treatment of Native Americans during his administration.
cbsnews.comSan Francisco to strip Washington, Lincoln from school names
FILE - In this March 12, 2020, file photo, George Washington High School stands in San Francisco. The San Francisco school board has voted to remove the names of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln from public schools after officials deemed them and other prominent figures, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein unworthy of the honor. After months of controversy, the board voted 6-1 Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in favor of renaming 44 San Francisco school sites with new names with no connection to slavery, oppression, racism or similar criteria, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The decision by the San Francisco Board of Education in a 6-1 vote Tuesday night affects one-third of the city's schools and came nearly three years after the board started considering the idea. Itโs almost like a parody of leftist activism,โ said Gerald Kanapathy, a father of two young children, including a kindergartener at a San Francisco school not on the list.
Trump pardons in California extend to former congressman
The disgraced former San Diego congressman received one of the pardons issued Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, by President Donald Trump in the final hours of his term. The disgraced former San Diego congressman received one of the pardons issued Wednesday by President Donald Trump in the final hours of his term, which included several others with California connections. Trump granted him a conditional pardon, saying Cunningham tutored inmates while in prison and now volunteers for a local fire department. ELLIOTT BROIDYTrump granted a full pardon to Broidy, of Beverly Hills, a major Trump fundraiser and former Republican National Committee deputy finance chairman. Those supporting the pardon included California Republican Reps. Devin Nunes and Ken Calvert.
Trump vetoes Calif. fishing bill over seafood trade deficit
WASHINGTON โ President Donald Trump vetoed a bill Friday that would have gradually ended the use of large-mesh drift gillnets deployed exclusively in federal waters off the coast of California, saying such legislation would increase reliance on imported seafood and worsen a multibillion-dollar seafood trade deficit. Trump also said in his veto message to the Senate that the legislation sponsored by Sens. But they said at least 60 other marine species โ including whales, dolphins and sea lions โ can also become entangled in the nets, where they are injured or die. In 2018, California passed a four-year phaseout of large-mesh drift gillnets in state waters to protect marine life. He said Americans will import more swordfish and other species from foreign sources without this fishery.
Gov. Newsom challenged to address Senate's lack of diversity
Gavin Newsom speaks at a COVID-19 testing facility in Valencia, Calif. As California Gov. Gavin Newsom's shoulders as he considers his pick to serve out the rest of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' Senate term through 2022. The South saw its highest number of Black Senate candidates ever this year, but none won races outright. Labor icon Dolores Huerta and California Latinas for Reproductive Justice want Newsom to appoint a Black woman. De Leon won the endorsement of the California Democratic Party and prominent labor unions, in part because of his support for immigrant rights and aggressive policies to curb climate change.
California governor taps new senior staff amid tough stretch
Myers, a former press secretary to President Bill Clinton, became a senior adviser to California Gov. She joins Jim DeBoo, a California consultant well-versed in the quirks of the state capital and statewide political campaigns, as a senior adviser to the governor. Beyond Myers, Newsom's new additions include DeBoo as senior adviser, making official on Jan. 1 a role he has informally held. Observers say adding him to Newsom's staff signals a desire for sharper political thinking and better connections with the state Legislature, but it could raise questions about special interests' access to the governor. Angie Wei, a Newsom adviser and former chief of staff for the California Labor Federation, is his new legislative affairs secretary.
KSAT Kids: Today in History, Dec. 4
Today is Friday, Dec. 4, the 339th day of 2020. On Dec. 4, 1783, Gen. George Washington bade farewell to his Continental Army officers at Fraunces Tavern in New York. In 1965, the United States launched Gemini 7 with Air Force Lt. Col. Frank Borman and Navy Cmdr. In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson left Washington on a trip to France to attend the Versailles Peace Conference. In 1992, President George H.W.
After criticism, Feinstein to step down as top Judiciary Dem
WASHINGTON โ California Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Monday she will step down from her role as the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, giving up the powerful spot after public criticism of her bipartisan outreach and her handling of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation hearings. Feinstein, 87, said in a statement that she would not seek the position in the next Congress. 2 Democrat, said he will seek to replace Feinstein as the committee's top Democrat. He led daily news conferences during breaks in the hearings with the other Democrats on the panel while Feinstein usually did not appear. โItโs time for Sen. Feinstein to step down from her leadership position on the Senate Judiciary Committee,โ said Brian Fallon, the executive director of Demand Justice, which opposes conservative nominees to the courts.
California Senate sweepstakes: Who gets Kamala Harris' job?
Election Day is over but California already is consumed with its next high-profile political contest the competition to fill Kamala Harris' soon-to-be-vacant U.S. Senate seat. Padilla is one of a group of people being considered as one of the candidates for the Senate pick. A group of Black California lawmakers have organized a lobbying drive behind U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, who represents parts of Los Angeles and its suburbs. And they could wait: Californiaโs other Senate seat is held by 87-year-old Dianne Feinstein, the chamberโs oldest member. Does Newsom run the risk of angering groups who lose out on the Senate pick and who might make his re-election bid more difficult?
Senate Judiciary Committee approves Amy Coney Barrett's nomination
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Judge Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court on Thursday, clearing the way for a full Senate vote in the week before the election. All 12 Republicans on the committee voted to advance the nomination, while all 10 Democrats boycotted the vote. Reid and Senate Democrats invoked the 2013 rule change to circumvent Republican filibusters of Democratic nominees. Senate Democrats appeared at a press conference outside the Capitol on Thursday slamming the decision to push through with Barrett's nomination ahead of the election. Now that Barrett's nomination has been advanced by the committee, the final Senate confirmation vote is expected to occur the week of October 26, days before the election.
cbsnews.comSenate Judiciary Committee advances Barrett nomination over Democratic boycott
Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday overcame a boycott by Democrats to approve Judge Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court, sending President Trumpโs third pick for the high court to the full Senate for confirmation as early as next week. Barrettโs nomination is expected to move to the full Senate floor Friday. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in particular has been under intense scrutiny by fellow Democrats after praising Grahamโs handling of the nomination, undercutting Democratsโ message. AdvertisementโDemocratic members of the Judiciary Committee did not have the votes to defeat Judge Barrett in committee,โ Feinstein said. On the Senate floor, Schumer asked the Senate to block the nomination because the quorum requirement was violated.
latimes.comWith a hug, Feinstein draws liberal critics at court hearing
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., shakes hands with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., at the close of the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. โThis has been one of the best set of hearings that Iโve participated in,โ Feinstein said at the Senate Judiciary Committee. โItโs time for Sen. Feinstein to step down from her leadership position on the Senate Judiciary Committee,โ said Brian Fallon, the executive director of Demand Justice, which opposes conservative nominees to the courts. Trump has been able to install more than 200 judges on the federal bench and is now poised to seat his third justice on the Supreme Court. โJudiciary Committee Democrats had one goal this week: to show whatโs at stake under a 6-3 conservative Supreme Court โ and we did that,โ Feinstein said.
GOP pushes Barrettโs nomination ahead, Dems decry โshamโ
A former Notre Dame Law School professor, Barrett would be the only one of her Supreme Court colleagues not groomed in the Ivy League. But Barrett is the most open opponent of abortion nominated to the Supreme Court in decades. She refused to say whether the 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade ruling on abortion rights was correctly decided, though she has signed two ads against it. Others testifying Thursday included Laura Wolk, the first blind woman to be a law clerk for the Supreme Court, who told senators that Barrettโs encouragement and support were life-changing. โHer brilliance is matched only by her compassion,โ said Wolk, who also spent a year as a law clerk for Barrett.
Here are the top moments from Day 3 of Amy Coney Barrett's Senate confirmation hearings
Judge Amy Coney Barrett defended her independence and avoided answering direct inquiries on Wednesday during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that appeared unlikely to slow down her path to a Supreme Court confirmation ahead of the Nov. 3 presidential election. The third day of Barrett's hearings featured a second round of questioning from each of the committee's 22 senators. Republicans projected confidence that Barrett will have the votes needed to be approved by the committee and the full Senate, and embraced what one called Barrett's "unashamedly pro-life" personal views. On Thursday, the committee will hear from experts for and against Barrett's confirmation, and a committee vote is expected Oct. 22. Liberal senators continued to target an upcoming case on the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, which the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Nov. 10.
cnbc.comBarrett back on Capitol Hill on Wednesday for senators' final questions
WASHINGTON โ Over and over, Amy Coney Barrett said sheโd be her own judge if confirmed to the Supreme Court. She called the Voting Rights Act a โtriumph in the civil rights movement,โ without discussing the specifics of the earlier challenge to it. It would be applying laws that are designed to protect the election and protect the right to vote,โ Barrett said. The health care debate has been central to the weekโs hearings, as Americans struggle during the pandemic, leading to a sharp exchange among senators at one point. Durbin retorted that health risks left many senators monitoring from their offices rather than convening as a group.
Takeaways: Barrett is reticent as Dems focus on health care
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett listens during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Barrett also said she could not answer whether Trump has the power to delay the general election, an idea the president floated earlier this year. Democrats say they have no interest in revisiting that issue during this confirmation process. This time, Democrats have focused on the effects on โreal peopleโ if the Affordable Care Act is overturned by the high court. AN โEXCRUCIATINGโ PROCESSBarrett said she accepted Trumpโs nomination because she is โcommitted to the rule of lawโ and the role of the Supreme Court.
Here are the top moments and highlights from Day 2 of Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation hearings
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett speaks during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, October 13, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Susan Walsh | AFP | Getty ImagesJudge Amy Coney Barrett got her first shot to address questions live from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, the second day of the Trump appointee's Supreme Court confirmation hearings. The doctrine generally means that Supreme Court justices try not to overturn previous cases without good reasons. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) speaks during the confirmation hearing for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 13, 2020. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) speaks during U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 13, 2020.
cnbc.comHealth care law on line at court, but is it likely to fall?
Yes, the Trump administration is asking the high court to throw out the Obama-era healthcare law, and if she is confirmed quickly Barrett could be on the Supreme Court when the court hears the case. Democrats also repeatedly brought up words Barrett wrote in 2017, when she was a law professor, criticizing Chief Justice John Roberts' 2012 opinion saving the Affordable Care Act. Barrett wrote that Roberts had "pushed the Affordable Care Act beyond its plausible meaning to save the statute." But the court could simply โseverโ the mandate from the law and leave the rest of the law alone. One other key observer of the case suggested the Affordable Care Act would likely stand.
Barrett faces senators on health care, legal precedent
โI think Amyโs doing incredibly well,โ he said at the White House departing for a campaign rally. Allowing Trump to fill the seat with Barrett โposes a threat to safe and legal abortion in our country," Harris said. Democrats warn that she would be a vote to undo the law and strip health coverage from millions of Americans. "I'm not hostile to the ACA,โ Barrett told the senators. โYou would not be getting Justice Scalia, you would be getting Justice Barrett,โ she declared.
Health care law on line at court, but is it likely to fall?
Yes, the Trump administration is asking the high court to throw out the Obama-era healthcare law, and if she is confirmed quickly Barrett could be on the Supreme Court when the court hears the case. Democrats also repeatedly brought up words Barrett wrote in 2017, when she was a law professor, criticizing Chief Justice John Roberts' 2012 opinion saving the Affordable Care Act. Barrett wrote that Roberts had "pushed the Affordable Care Act beyond its plausible meaning to save the statute." But the court could simply โseverโ the mandate from the law and leave the rest of the law alone. One other key observer of the case suggested the Affordable Care Act would likely stand.
Amy Coney Barrett confirmation hearings open with focus on health care
A sharply divided Senate Judiciary Committee opened Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett on Monday, with little doubt about the eventual outcome and both sides looking to score political points as Election Day nears. Republicans, led by Committee Chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., defended holding the hearings despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and touted Barrett's qualifications. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the committee, quickly sought to turn the focus of the hearings to health care. Barrett has criticized Chief Justice John Roberts' legal reasoning upholding the law in a 2012 case. "If they succeed, it will result in millions of people losing access to health care at the worst possible time -- in the middle of the pandemic," she said.
cnbc.comThe Latest: Senate panel schedules 1st Barrett vote Thursday
(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool)WASHINGTON โ The Latest on the Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett (all times local):5:50 p.m. The Senate Judiciary Committee has wrapped up the first of four days of planned Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett. She warned itโs not just health care that is at risk if Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed. Sen. Michael Lee was present for the start of Senate Judiciary Committee hearings Monday for Barrett. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham opened the hearing by defending holding the hearing so close to the presidential election.
What is the Democratsโ strategy for Barrettโs confirmation hearing and how will the GOP respond?
The Senate Judiciary Committee this week is considering the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. The hearing will last a total of four days, and is expected to follow the same format as for other recent Supreme Court nominees. Circuit Court of Appeals and Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court. She was previously vetted for the vacant Supreme Court seat in 2018 that was filled instead by Brett M. Kavanaugh. Both Democrats and Republicans acknowledge she is qualified to serve on the Supreme Court.
latimes.comBarrett vows to interpret laws โas they are writtenโ
Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut was among several Democrats demanding that Barrett pledge not to take part in any election case. โHealth care coverage for millions of Americans is at stake with this nomination,โ said Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the committeeโs senior Democrat. Among Republicans, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, dismissed warnings Barrett will undo the law as โoutrageous.โTrump himself seemed to be watching, tweeting several times about the hearing. In one message, he tweeted that heโd have a โFAR BETTERโ health care plan, with lower costs and protections for preexisting conditions. But he has not, as yet, discussed an actual health care plan.
Race for Los Angeles district attorney increasingly bitter
FILE - In this June 2, 2020, file photo, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti arrives to appeal to Black Lives Matter protesters in downtown Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel,File)LOS ANGELES โ After a scrappy debate that Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey believed lifted her campaign and was a โdisasterโ for her opponent, she got a text message from the LA mayor with unwelcome news: He was switching his endorsement to her challenger. A little more than half is for Gascon, the vast majority from a handful of well-heeled backers supporting justice reforms. Gascon has gained support from protests over the death of George Floyd at the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer. Lacey said Gascon is pandering to supporters and that when he was San Francisco DA he never prosecuted a police killing case.
Graham, Harris share spotlight as Barrett hearings begin
Hearings before the Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee will begin Monday, Oct. 12, for President Donald Trumps Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett. SEN. KAMALA HARRIS, D-CALIF.Harris, Joe Biden's running mate in the presidential election, will again be in the spotlight as Democrats question a Trump nominee for the Supreme Court. Harris and other key Democrats said the hearings should not move forward without plans to test people attending, including senators, for coronavirus. In a sign of the heightened scrutiny, Vice President Mike Pence tried to get Harris to reveal whether she and Biden support expanding the Supreme Court, as many liberals advocate. In just three years on the 7th Circuit, Barrett has twice argued for approval of abortion restrictions that violated Supreme Court precedent, Hirono said.
No 'dogma': Democrats walk tightrope on Barrett's faith
Democrats are treading carefully on religious faith as they prepare to question President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee. โI donโt intend to question her about her personal views or private religious faith or views,โ Coons, a key Biden ally, said this past week. Fearful of losing the high court for a generation, the left is demanding that Democrats resist Barrett's nomination with everything they have. Republicans have preemptively declared any discussion of Barrettโs faith out of bounds. But specifics about Barrettโs faith, such as broaching People of Praise, would have โa bad odor,โ Franke said.
Five things to know about court nominee Amy Coney Barrett
In this Oct. 1, 2020, photo, Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett, meets with Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., at the Capitol in Washington. Confirmation hearings begin Monday for President Donald Trumps Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett. If confirmed, the 48-year-old appeals court judge would fill the seat of liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died last month. (Graeme Jennings/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON โ Confirmation hearings begin Monday for President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett. If confirmed, the 48-year-old appeals court judge would fill the seat of liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died last month.
Democrats ask if more material omitted from Barrett response
FILE - Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Donald Trumps nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, meets with Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via AP, Pool)WASHINGTON โ Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee are calling on the Justice Department to provide any missing materials from a questionnaire completed by Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. The letter was signed by California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Judiciary panel, and nine other Democrats. โAs Judge Barrett said on the day she was nominated, โA judge must apply the law as written. He said the group is prepared to โdo whatever it takes to push Judge Barrettโs nomination over the finish line by the end of October.โ___Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.
Trump chose Barrett days after Ginsburg's death, papers show
Barrett tells the Senate Judiciary Committee that the White House initially contacted her Sept. 19, the day after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, creating the court vacancy. Trump made the offer when she visited the White House on Monday, Sept. 21, โand I accepted,โ she wrote. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was โeven more convincedโ of Barrett after their brief meeting. The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to hold hearings Oct. 12. At the Capitol, Vice President Mike Pence said Barrett โrepresents the best of America.โ The White House formally submitted the nomination Tuesday.
DOJ still investigating coronavirus stock sales by Sen. Burr, but drops probes of Loeffler, Inhofe, Feinstein
Federal prosecutors are still investigating stock sales by Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina in advance of a coronavirus-fueled share price plunge, but are dropping investigations of such sales connected to three other senators: Kelly Loeffler, Jim Inhofe and Dianne Feinstein. Aides for Loeffler, R-Ga., Inhofe, D-Okla., and Feinstein, a California Democrat, confirmed to NBC News that the Department of Justice is no longer probing stock sales related to them. The FBI earlier this month seized Burr's cellphone at his home in Washington, D.C., as part of an ongoing criminal investigation. Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) leaves the U.S. Capitol after voting in Washington, U.S., May 14, 2020. Burr on Feb. 13 sold stocks valued at between $630,000 and $1.7 million in 33 separate trades.
cnbc.comFeinstein cleared by Justice Department in husbands stock trades
The Justice Department is dropping its inquiry into Sen. Dianne Feinstein over stock trades made as the novel coronavirus struck the U.S. and roiled the economy, a person familiar with the matter said. Loeffler sold stocks valued at $1.25 million to $3.1 million in late February and early March in companies whose value later dropped significantly. In January, Inhofe sold stocks worth as much as $750,000. The Justice Departments decision came a week after federal agents dramatically escalated an investigation into another senators trades before the stock market tanked in response to public health lockdowns that snarled the economy. The STOCK Act requires lawmakers to disclose their stock market activity but allows them to own stock, even in industries they might oversee.
latimes.comUS closes probes into 3 senators over their stock trades
Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., listens during a virtual Senate Committee for Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing, Tuesday, May 12, 2020 on Capitol Hill in Washington. Dianne Feinstein of California, Kelly Loeffler of Georgia and Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, according to people familiar with notifications sent to the senators. The developments indicate that federal law enforcement officials are narrowing their focus in the stock investigation to Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C, the former Senate Intelligence Committee chairman. Like Loeffler, both Inhofe and Feinstein denied any wrongdoing or involvement in the trades. From the outset, Senator Burr has been focused on an appropriate and thorough review of the facts in this matter, which will establish that his actions were appropriate, Fisher said in a statement.
Sen. Graham plans vote to subpoena Russia probe officials
The list also includes some current officials who have dealt with the probe, including Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray. The June vote would not be to subpoena the officials but to authorize Graham to do so. Aware that the top Democrat, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, would oppose the move, Graham said he would hold a vote instead. The Russia investigation began within the FBI during the 2016 election and was taken over by special counsel Robert Mueller a year later. Among the names is Trumps Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, who was vice president when the Russia probe began.
Sen. Burr steps aside as Intelligence Committee chair after FBI warrant in stock inquiry
Burr has previously denied any wrongdoing, saying he made the trades based solely on public information. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) was questioned last month by law enforcement about stock transactions by her husband, Richard Blum, shortly before stocks tumbled. The Intelligence Committee has also long praised the intelligence community, which Trump has questioned. Sean Davis, co-founder of the conservative online magazine the Federalist, tied the FBI raid to the panels Russia investigation, echoing the anger among some conservative Trump backers about the lengthy Senate investigation. AdvertisementAs chairman of Senate Intel, Richard Burr ran interference for the corrupt intelligence and law enforcement bureaucracy behind the attempted coup against Trump.
latimes.comBiden surged without much cash but now its pouring in
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders also eclipsed Biden in resources across the electoral map, having raised $167 million in small donations through February, roughly twice what Biden collected. Money is also gushing into the super PAC supporting Biden, Unite the Country. This is where we have been at in every cycle since super PACs were born, he said. The super PAC affiliated with the National Nurses United union spent heavily on his behalf in 2016 and may do so again. Yet analysts generally agree that the flip-flop of her position on super PACs did not hurt her bid.
latimes.comMnuchin seeks to delay proposed Secret Service report on Trump family travel costs until after the 2020 election
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is pushing to delay a proposed disclosure of Secret Service spending on presidential travel until after the 2020 election, a spokesperson for Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said Thursday. A Treasury Department spokesperson said in a statement that Mnuchin and Secret Service Director James Murray have been working over "the past several months" to return the Secret Service to the Treasury Department. "Conversations about the return of the Secret Service to the Treasury Department are ongoing, and we decline to comment on individual aspects of those conversations," the spokesperson said. "Secretary Mnuchin came to me last year with a proposal to move the Secret Service to the Treasury Department," Feinstein said in a statement provided to the Post. "As part of that effort, I proposed that the cost of presidential travel be included for greater transparency, accountability and oversight associated with protection during travel of presidents and their families."
cnbc.comBoat safety law proposed after California fire killed 34
A group of California congressional members have proposed tighter safety standards for small boats after a diving charter vessel burned and sank in September, killing 34 people. However, a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board said passengers who were asleep in bunks were trapped by flames that kept them from escaping or crew members on deck from reaching them. "The Conception boat fire was a tragedy that could have been prevented had stronger safety measures been in place," Feinstein said in a statement. After the blaze, the U.S. Coast Guard issued a safety bulletin that suggested boaters limit charging of such batteries. Authorities also have indicated that all crew members on the boat were asleep when the pre-dawn blaze erupted.
chicagotribune.comU.S. Senator Feinstein seeks probe into EPA actions against California
I am concerned that California is being unfairly targeted, Feinstein, a Democrat who represents the state, said in her letter to Charles Sheehan, deputy inspector general of the EPA. Feinstein disputed that backlogged state implementation plans were due to California inaction. Feinstein said by withholding highway funds, the EPA would deprive California one of its biggest tools to improve air quality. California had imposed strict state limits on vehicle emissions in defiance of Trumps attempts to roll back federal clean car regulations. On Thursday, EPAs Wheeler accused California of violating clean water laws by allowing human waste from homeless residents to enter waterways.
feeds.reuters.comSenator calls for probe into EPA actions against California
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein on Friday called for a probe into whether a Trump administration threat earlier this week to withhold transportation funding from California over claims of poor air quality was politically driven. California had imposed strict state limits on vehicle emissions in defiance of Trumps attempts to roll back federal clean car regulations. Those tailpipe emissions are regulated separately from ambient air pollutants, but California argues the vehicle rules are essential to meeting those goals. And on Thursday, EPAs Wheeler accused California of violating clean water laws by allowing human waste from homeless residents to enter waterways. Feinstein said by withholding highway funds, the EPA would deprive California one of its biggest tools to improve its air quality.
feeds.reuters.comSchumer to Trump on whistleblower: We need the complaint
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), flanked by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) (not pictured) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) (not pictured) holds a news conference following the weekly Senate party caucus luncheons at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 10, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top Democrat in the U.S. Senate, Chuck Schumer, on Tuesday said that President Donald Trumps recent promise to release the transcript of a phone call believed to be at the heart of a whistleblower complaint about Trump was not enough. We need the complaint, Schumer said. Simply to release the transcript is not going to come close.
feeds.reuters.comSenate Democratic leader calls on Republicans to subpoena Trump whistleblower complaint
REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday called on Senate Republicans to issue a subpoena for a whistleblower complaint from an unidentified U.S. government official and demand a transcript of President Donald Trumps July 25 call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. It is the Senates duty - duty - to take this national security matter seriously and investigate now. Senate Republicans have the sole power and the overwhelming responsibility to see that it does, Schumer said in remarks on the Senate floor. He also said the Republican-controlled Senate should determine which administration officials directed security assistance for Ukraine to be delayed. Schumer said he made his request for a Senate investigation in a letter to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.
feeds.reuters.comBipartisan bill will boost wildfire protection, senators say
In 2017, a flash drought led to a record 2,200 square miles (5,665 square kilometers) being burned in Montana. It will also seek to slow or stop lawsuits that block logging projects on federal land. Daines spokeswoman Katie Schoettler did not provide details but said the bill would address a past 9th U.S. Daines and other Montana leaders say those groups have abused the legal system by filing frivolous lawsuits to stop logging projects in national forests. The groups contend the logging projects have the potential to harm the habitat of threatened and endangered species, such as the Canada lynx.
chicagotribune.comTop Senate Dem on terrorist investigations: "It isn't a gun control issue"
Top Senate Democrat on the Select Committee on Intelligence, Dianne Feinstein, D-California, supports new legislation that stalls gun purchases for any individual who has been on a terror watch list. Less than 1% of names on the terror watch list are American-born, like the Orlando shooter.
cbsnews.com6/19: Feinstein, Lynch, LaPierre
CBS' "Face the Nation" brings you the latest debate and analysis following the tragedy in Orlando with Attorney General Loretta Lynch, NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre, and Senator Dianne Feinstein. Presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump weighs in from the campaign trail.
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