U.S. Supreme Court Sends Back Ohio Redistricting Case

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Ohio’s highest court must reconsider the congressional districting of the state that the Ohio Supreme Court previously ruled unlawful.

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a summary judgment, a decision made without listening to oral arguments, reversing the Ohio Supreme Court’s judgment from last July that the congressional districting process unfairly favored the Republican Party.

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U.S Senator JD Vance Co-Sponsors Bipartisan House Legislation to Keep AM Radio Available in New Vehicles

U.S. Senator JD Vance (R-OH) has joined legislation that aims to prevent the end of AM radios in new vehicles.

The Bipartisan and Bicameral AM for Every Vehicle Act sponsored in the Senate by U.S Senators Edward Markey (D-MA) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), along with U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Vance would order the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to issue a rule requiring automakers to keep AM broadcast radio in their automobiles without a separate or extra payment, tax, or penalty.

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Federal and State Environmental Protection Agency Officials Testify on East Palestine Derailment at U.S. House Hearing

Federal and state Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials were questioned about the East Palestine train derailment at a Tuesday hearing of the U.S. House Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee over a month after a train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio.

Debra Shore, the regional administrator of the U.S. EPA Region 5, and Anne Vogel, the director of the Ohio EPA, both gave testimony and detailed the actions they have taken in reaction to the incident.

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U.S. House Passes Bill Calling for Referendum on Puerto Rico’s Political Status

The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill allowing a referendum in Puerto Rico to decide the future of the territory. 

The referendum would allow Puerto Rican voters to choose between three options: becoming an independent nation, becoming a state, or becoming a sovereignty with a formal U.S. association. The options do not include Puerto Rico’s current status as a territory. 

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U.S. Senate Joins House in Enacting Rail Contracts to Avert Strike

The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed legislation to avert a nationwide railroad workers’ strike, but an Illinois congressman says the government should not be negotiating private sector labor deals.  

The legislation, which was approved by the U.S. House on Wednesday, enacts new contracts providing railroad workers with 24% pay increases over five years, immediate payouts averaging $11,000, and an extra day off.  

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Mitch McConnell Backs Electoral Count Reform Bill Ted Cruz Warns All Republicans to Oppose

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced Tuesday he will back legislation that intends to make it more difficult in the future to object to the results of presidential elections.

The Electoral Count Act and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022, a bill sponsored by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and supported by other liberal-moderate Republicans, was dismissed, nevertheless, by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), who said it is based on Democrats’ belief voter fraud “helps elect more Democrats.”

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Pressure from Lawmakers Grows As IRS Begins New Tax Season with ‘Continued Confusion’

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are pressuring the Internal Revenue Service over ongoing problems and unaddressed issues from last year’s filing season even as this year’s season is in full swing.

A bipartisan group of more than 100 lawmakers from the U.S. House and Senate sent a letter to the IRS raising concerns about “continued confusion” and “numerous problems” with the agency.

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House Passes Two Immigration Bills as Border Crisis Intensifies

The House passed two separate immigration bills Thursday evening, marking the first time the 117th Congress has voted on the issue under President Joe Biden.

The pair of bills are the first immigration proposals to be voted on since a surge of migrants reached the southern border, resulting in heightened scrutiny on the Biden administration over its handling of what Republicans have labeled a serious crisis.

The House first passed H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 (ADPA), with nine Republicans voting with Democrats in favor of the bill. The act would provide a pathway to citizenship for so-called “Dreamers” who were brought to the United States as young children, as well as for Temporary Protected Status recipients and Deferred Enforced Departure beneficiaries. The legislation, sponsored by California Democratic Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, could give over 4.4 million people a path to permanent status, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

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Survey: Majority of Freelance Writers Worry PRO Act Will Harm Their Earning Potential

The PRO Act, which passed the U.S. House Tuesday on a largely partisan vote, could eliminate most forms of independent contracting, gig work and freelancing – potentially impacting as many as 59 million freelance workers who represent 36 percent of the total U.S. workforce.

In 2020, the freelance community accounted for $1.2 trillion in earnings, according to a report published by UpWork.

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Biden to Direct States to Make All U.S. Adults Eligible for COVID Vaccine by May 1

President Joe Biden said Thursday night that he is directing U.S. states to open COVID-19 vaccinations to all American adults by May 1 in an effort to more quickly reopen the country and prop up the staggering U.S. economy.

“To do this we’re going to go from a million shots a day … to 2 million shots a day,” he said.

In most U.S. states currently, only older Americans, front-line workers and those with pre-existing conditions are eligible, though getting scheduled for a first dose has been problematic in many states even for the most at-risk.

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U.S. House Passes Controversial $1.9 Trillion Relief Bill, Sending Measure to Biden

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday ratified changes the Senate made to a massive $1.9 trillion relief package that critics say contains hundreds of billions of dollars in wasteful spending unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the 220-211 vote, almost exclusively along party lines, the measure now goes to President Joe Biden, who said he will sign it. One Democrat – U.S. Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, who also voted against the initial bill – voted against the measure Wednesday. No Republicans voted for it.

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U.S. House Passes ‘Equality Act’ Which Religious Conservatives Say Is ‘Conscience-Crushing’

The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed the “Equality Act” — a piece of legislation that critics say poses a threat to Christian universities.

The Equality Act seeks to “prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation” by providing the “full range of remedies available under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

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Incumbent Democrat Rep. Elaine Luria Defends Seat Against Republican Scott Taylor

Incumbent Elaine Luria (D-VA-02) retained her seat in a battle against Republican candidate Scott Taylor that was similar to 2018. 

In the first hour after polls closed, Taylor started out with a 23 point lead in the 17 percent of votes reported. From there on out, Taylor’s lead dwindled. Two hours after polls closed, Taylor was up by 18 points with 36 percent of the votes reported. An hour later, Taylor dropped to lead Luria by 10 points with 48 percent of votes. By 1 in the morning, Luria made her first gain ahead of Taylor, leading by 3 points with 85 percent of the vote.

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Republican Pete Stauber, Former Law Enforcement Officer, Carries Police Reform Bill in the House

Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN-08), a former law enforcement officer of more than 20 years, announced last week that he will carry police reform legislation in the U.S. House.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) introduced on Wednesday the Just and Unifying Solutions to Invigorate Communities Everywhere (JUSTICE) Act, a Republican-backed police reform bill that was set in motion after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

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Ilhan Omar Faces Backlash for Refusing to Support Bill Recognizing Armenian Genocide

  Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) was one of three U.S. representatives to vote “present” on a bill recognizing the Armenian Genocide and the only member of Minnesota’s congressional delegation to not support the bill. The bill passed Tuesday in a non-binding vote of 405-11 and affirms that it is “the policy of the United States to commemorate the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance.” Those who supported the bill agreed to “reject efforts to enlist, engage, or otherwise associate the United States Government with denial of the Armenian Genocide or any other genocide.” The resolution calls for “education and public understanding of the facts of the Armenian Genocide, including the United States’ role in the humanitarian relief effort, and the relevance of the Armenian Genocide to modern-day crimes against humanity.” Omar was joined by Reps. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-04) and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX-30) in voting “present” on the resolution. “I believe accountability for human rights violations—especially ethnic cleansing and genocide—is paramount. But accountability and recognition of genocide should not be used as a cudgel in a political fight. It should be done based on academic consensus outside the push and pull of geopolitics,” Omar said in statement released Tuesday…

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Trump Says Ilhan Omar ‘Shouldn’t Even Be in Office’

  President Donald Trump weighed in on the ongoing feud between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12) and the so-called “squad,” a far-left faction of the Democratic Party that includes among its members Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05). The Minnesota Sun published an in-depth synopsis Friday of the growing schism among House Democrats. Pelosi has been dismissive of Omar and her allies, while they in turn have responded by suggesting that Pelosi’s being insulting or even racist. Trump weighed in on the Democratic infighting while speaking with reporters Thursday before departing the White House. He mostly discussed Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), the apparent ringleader of the squad, but called out Omar by name. “I think Cortez is being disrespectful to somebody that’s been there a long time. I deal with Nancy Pelosi a lot and we go back and forth, and it’s fine, but I think that a group of people is being very disrespectful to her. You know what? I don’t think Nancy can let that go on,” Trump said. Trump: Pelosi ‘Not a Racist’ https://t.co/Lw5oAMEdBB pic.twitter.com/JtdveohgwE — Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) July 12, 2019 “I’m looking at this Omar from Minnesota and if one half of the things that they’re saying…

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Former Grand Wizard of the KKK David Duke Calls Ilhan Omar the ‘Most Important Member of the U.S. Congress’

Former Grand Wizard of the KKK David Duke called Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) the “most important member of the U.S. Congress” in a Thursday tweet. Duke’s statement comes amid a tumultuous week for the House’s Democratic majority, which struggled to unite around a resolution condemning Omar’s anti-Semitic comments. As The Minnesota Sun reported Wednesday, House Democrats were prepared to vote on a resolution that was drafted in response to Omar’s controversial comments, but the vote ultimately fell apart after Omar’s progressive allies rallied to her defense. Now, Democratic leaders have prepared a new resolution that broadly condemns all forms of hate, which was overwhelmingly passed late Thursday afternoon. Throughout the affair, Duke, a fervid anti-Semite, praised Omar for her criticisms of the Israeli state. “Ilhan Omar is now the most important member of the U.S. Congress,” he wrote on Twitter. “I made this provocative statement cause the worst enemy of the USA, Europeans, and the Middle East and the whole world and true peace are the Zionist tyrants who rule media and politics. Sadly, this 100lb girl has more guts than any white member of Congress.” I made this provocative statement cause the worst enemy of the USA, Europeans and…

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House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows Endorses Jimmy Matlock in 2nd Congressional District Race

Jimmy Matlock, Mark Meadows

Candidate for U.S. House District 2 Jimmy Matlock announced Wednesday that he has earned the endorsement of the current House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows. Matlock is in a heated race for the 2nd Congressional District seat which has been represented by a member of the Duncan family for over 50 years, with John J. Duncan Sr. preceding his son “Jimmy” from 1965 to 1988. The conservative known for his independence announced in August 2017 he would not seek re-election, and Congressman Jimmy Duncan has since thrown his support behind Matlock. While the Federal Election Commission reports a 10-year record of 17 candidates running for the office, since the Civil War the seat has not been held by a Democrat and the race is essentially between the two Republican front runners Jimmy Matlock and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett. Meadows, who has served North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District since January 2013, was one of the original nine founding members of the House Freedom Caucus which originated out of a Hershey, Pennsylvania Republican congressional retreat at the start of Meadows’ second term in January 2015. In 2017, Meadows became the second Chairman of the estimated thirty-plus member Caucus, following the two-year…

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