Chris Christie predicts ‘huge surprise’ in Colorado Senate race
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) on Sunday predicted Republican Joe O’Dea will pull off an upset victory on Tuesday and flip Colorado’s Senate seat, which is currently held by Sen. Michael Bennet (D). “The other upset and surprise you’re going to see I think on Tuesday night is Joe O’Dea, the Republican candidate…
news.yahoo.comTrump attack leaves GOP wondering if he cares about Senate majority
Former President Trump’s Monday assault against Joe O’Dea, the GOP’s Senate nominee in Colorado, is angering Republicans while leaving them wondering if he cares about the party winning back the majority in the upper chamber. O’Dea, a pro-abortion rights moderate whom Democrats spent $4 million against in the primary, was already in an uphill fight…
news.yahoo.comBiden goes West on 3-state tour as midterm elections near
Bennet will stand alongside Biden at the announcement, which comes after years of advocacy from the senator and other Democrats in the state. But rising gas prices — California has the highest in the nation at roughly $6.20 a gallon — will be an unwelcome political backdrop for Biden. The president headlined a dozen receptions this year for the Democratic National Committee that have brought in more than $20 million. Democratic officials hope that while in Oregon, Biden can help consolidate the party's support behind Kotek. “That is a huge factor in this race,” David Turner, a spokesman for the Democratic Governor’s Association, said of Johnson's candidacy.
wftv.comCan Colorado's GOP Senate candidate outmaneuver Democrats on abortion?
As polls show Democrats taking a narrow lead on the national congressional ballot, several GOP Senate candidates have gone so far as to scrub their campaign websites of the hard-line anti-abortion stances they took during the primaries. O'Dea is also the only top GOP Senate prospect Trump hasn't endorsed. It's how you vote — and Democrats say O'Dea's abortion position means he wouldn't back legislation to reinstate Roe's protections. Whether O’Dea’s abortion message breaks through — and whether Coloradans even have any appetite for a message like his these days — remains to be seen. Yet since then — since Bennet has started hammering O'Dea on abortion — only one new survey has surfaced.
wftv.comColorado GOP deals blow to election denial movement
So far, four supporters of his election falsehoods have won Republican primaries for secretary of state, including in New Mexico and Nevada. And while Tuesday's primaries are the first to happen in a post-Roe landscape, they offer further insight into the resonance of Trump's election lies among GOP voters. In Oklahoma, one of the nation's most conservative senators, James Lankford, won his primary challenge from evangelical pastor Jackson Lahmeyer, amid conservative anger that Lankford hasn't supported Trump's election claims. Also in Colorado, firebrand Rep. Lauren Boebert easily defeated her primary challenger, moderate state Sen. Don Coram. Other than the governor's race primary, Illinois also features two, rare incumbent vs. incumbent congressional primaries as a result of House districts being redrawn during last year's redistricting.
wftv.comElection 2022: Abortion central in first post-Roe primaries
O'Dea has spoken publicly about his support for abortion rights and faces state Rep. Ron Hanks in the Republican primary on Tuesday, June 28. In Colorado's Republican U.S. Senate primary, voters are choosing between businessman Joe O'Dea and state Rep. Ron Hanks. O'Dea is the rare Republican who supports most abortion rights while Hanks backs a ban on the procedure in all cases. And while Tuesday's primaries are the first to happen in a post-Roe landscape, they will offer further insight into the resonance of Trump's election lies among GOP voters. Also in Colorado, firebrand Rep. Lauren Boebert faces moderate state Sen. Don Coram in the Republican primary in the western part of the state.
wftv.comElection 2022: Abortion central in first post-Roe primaries
O'Dea has spoken publicly about his support for abortion rights and faces state Rep. Ron Hanks in the Republican primary on Tuesday, June 28. In Colorado's Republican U.S. Senate primary, voters are choosing between businessman Joe O'Dea and state Rep. Ron Hanks. O'Dea is the rare Republican who supports most abortion rights while Hanks backs a ban on the procedure in all cases. And while Tuesday's primaries are the first to happen in a post-Roe landscape, they will offer further insight into the resonance of Trump's election lies among GOP voters. Also in Colorado, firebrand Rep. Lauren Boebert faces moderate state Sen. Don Coram in the Republican primary in the western part of the state.
wftv.comColorado Republicans back election denier for Senate primary
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — (AP) — Colorado Republicans on Saturday voted to place on their U.S. Senate primary ballot a state representative who attended the Jan. 6 rally that preceded the attack on the U.S. Capitol and is a supporter of former President Donald Trump's lies about the 2020 presidential election. His only GOP rival in the June 28 Republican Senate primary will be businessman John O'Dea, who chose to circulate petitions to get on the ballot rather than go through the assembly. He and Heidi Ganahl, a member of the University of Colorado Board of Regents, will face off in the June primary. Candidates for statewide office must receive support from at least 30% of the delegates to be placed on the primary ballot, or circulate petitions gathered in each of the state's eight congressional districts. Five other Republican Senate hopefuls split the remaining votes evenly, with none clearing the critical 30% threshold, ending their campaigns.
wftv.comUtah senator blocks internment camp designation, draws ire
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, a Colorado Democrat, says he has the support of 99 of the chamber's 100 senators to pass the Amache National Historic Site Act, which would make the remote southeastern Colorado landmark a national historic site eligible for additional preservation assistance. The Amache site is less than one square mile (2.4 square kilometers), Bennett's office and the Prowers County Assessor said. He supported the Trump administration’s 2017 decision to shrink the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, two national monuments in Utah. Camp Amache is owned by the town of Granada and already listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its current designation qualifies it for preservation funds, but designating it as a National Historic Site would make available additional federal funds through the National Park Service.
wftv.comUtah senator blocks internment camp designation, draws ire
On the eve of the 80th anniversary of the forced internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans at the onset of World War II, Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Lee of Utah is getting backlash for holding up the creation of a national historic site at a former internment camp in rural Colorado. U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, a Colorado Democrat, says he has the support of 99 of the chamber's 100 senators to pass the Amache National Historic Site Act, which would make the remote southeastern Colorado landmark a national historic site eligible for additional preservation assistance.
news.yahoo.comSen. Michael Bennet pushes back against Joe Manchin, saying the US shouldn't be 'punishing workers' by cutting off monthly checks to parents
Manchin wants families to prove they have taxable earnings with a W-2. Some experts say that could shut out independent contractors like Uber drivers.
news.yahoo.comJoe Manchin said no and sided with Republicans to tank Biden's $2 trillion bill. Democrats say they're 'over the initial shock' and overhauling it — with no guarantee of winning his vote.
A top Senate Democrat told Insider he would tweak the child tax credit to try to get Manchin's vote. Democrats are hoping he'll say yes at some point.
news.yahoo.comMitch McConnell says delaying Biden's agenda, including an expanded child tax credit, is 'the best Christmas gift Washington could give working families'
Senate Democrats may push passage of Build Back Better to 2022 to focus on voting rights legislation, angering progressives and cheering McConnell.
news.yahoo.comCOVID-expanded child tax credit benefit nears lapse
But the last checks will go out Wednesday, the expanded child tax credit program expiring unless Congress revives it for 2022. The swift launch, and potentially quick end, to the bolstered child tax credit highlights the risks of enacting sweeping social policy changes in a politically divisive environment, without consensus to make the changes stick. Studies suggest the child tax credit expansions are expected to cut child poverty by 40% — with 9 of 10 American children benefiting. Asked specifically about the expiring tax credit this week, Manchin did not respond to repeated questions about the potential loss. When it became law this year, the expansion of the child tax credit was hailed as a potential philosophical shift in the way that government assistance programs work by emphasizing a direct, no-strings cash support.
wftv.comChild tax credit close to lapsing as December checks go out
But the last checks will go out Wednesday, the expanded child tax credit program expiring unless Congress revives it for 2022. The swift launch, and potentially quick end, to the bolstered child tax credit highlights the risks of enacting sweeping social policy changes in a politically divisive environment, without consensus to make the changes stick. Studies suggest the child tax credit expansions are expected to cut child poverty by 40% — with 9 of 10 American children benefiting. Asked specifically about the expiring tax credit this week, Manchin did not respond to repeated questions about the potential loss. When it became law this year, the expansion of the child tax credit was hailed as a potential philosophical shift in the way that government assistance programs work by emphasizing a direct, no-strings cash support.
wftv.comDemocrats raise alarm on the 'disaster' of child tax credit checks ending as Manchin signals he'll slam the brakes on passing Biden's big bill anytime soon
Joe Manchin is pouring cold water on a vote before Christmas. "It would be a tragedy if the child tax credit lapses," Michael Bennet told Insider.
news.yahoo.comChild tax credit tussle reflects debate over work incentives
Child Tax Credit FILE - Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., holds a news conference to talk about the benefits of the Child Tax Credit, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, July 15, 2021. President Joe Biden and leading Democratic lawmakers have been fighting to make permanent a child tax credit that would give families at least $300 a month per child. The steady evolution of the child tax credit reflects a fundamental split on how lawmakers think about human nature. The convergence ultimately led to the 1997 overhaul of welfare that established a $500 tax credit for children. Researchers at Columbia University have found that the expanded child tax credit payments that began in July had no impact on labor and that models claiming otherwise are overly simplified.
wftv.comChild tax credit tussle reflects debate over work incentives
President Joe Biden and leading Democratic lawmakers, including Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet and Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, have been fighting to make permanent a child tax credit that would give families at least $300 a month per child.
The government is sending up to $300 monthly checks to families with kids starting today. Democrats want to make it permanent as a new form of Social Security.
The Biden stimulus benefit is the US's inaugural version of guaranteed income geared to children. Millions could get direct payments every month.
news.yahoo.comBiden plan would spend $16B to clean up old mines, oil wells
Hundreds of thousands of “orphaned” oil and gas wells and abandoned coal and hardrock mines pose serious safety hazards, while causing ongoing environmental damage. Biden's plan would not only create jobs, but help reduce methane and brine leaks that pollute the air and groundwater. Biden's plan, which needs approval by Congress, would jump-start the well-capping effort and expand it dramatically. About $8 billion has been disbursed to states for mine-reclamation projects in the past four decades, but Biden's plan would ramp up spending sharply. AdEnvironmental groups hailed the announcement, saying unplugged wells and abandoned mines pose a significant environmental threat.
Inspector general reviews Trump relocation of Space Command
(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)DENVER – The Department of Defense's inspector general announced Friday that it was reviewing the Trump administration's last-minute decision to relocate U.S. Space Command from Colorado to Alabama. “Moving Space Command will disrupt the mission while risking our national security and economic vitality,” the senators said in a joint statement. We fully support the investigation.”Among other duties, the Space Command enables satellite-based navigation and troop communication and provides warning of missile launches. The Space Command differs from the U.S. Space Force, launched in December 2019 as the first new military service since the Air Force was created in 1947. The Space Command is not an individual military service but a central command for militarywide space operations.
Senate Democrats push for public option as Biden weighs health-care reform plans
Two Senate Democrats have put forward a bill they hope will kick-start the process of expanding health-care coverage while the party holds unified control of Congress and the White House. The plan would set up a Medicare public option for individuals and small businesses, first in areas with limited access to coverage and then nationwide by 2025. Among the top priorities for Democrats when they gained broad power last month, health-care reform nonetheless faces a murky path ahead. Biden and most Democrats called to expand public health-care choices even before the coronavirus caused millions to lose their jobs and employer-provided coverage in the last year. Where expanding health-care coverage fits into the agenda is unclear.
cnbc.comTrial highlights: Trump grievances, angry outbursts and more
"The Senate cannot ignore the First Amendment," said van der Veen. In a letter signed last week they wrote that “the First Amendment does not apply in impeachment proceedings, so it cannot provide a defense for President Trump." van der Veen bristled and inquired who had asked. Sanders responded, “I did.” van der Veen retorted: “irrelevant.”“No, it isnt!” Sanders angrily shot back from his desk, adding: “You represent the president of the United States!”He scoffed audibly when van der Veen avoided answering the question. “This is not whataboutism," said Michael van der Veen.
Biden hails transportation nominee Buttigieg as 'new voice'
Mayor Pete Buttigieg, President-elect Joe Biden's nominee to be transportation secretary reacts to his nomination as Biden looks on during a news conference at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del., Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. – President-elect Joe Biden has introduced his one-time Democratic primary rival Pete Buttigieg as his nominee for transportation secretary, saying the 38-year-old can be “a new voice" in the fight against economic inequality, institutional racism and climate change. Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, would be the first openly gay person confirmed by the Senate to a Cabinet position. Emanuel was mentioned as a potential candidate for several Biden Cabinet posts but drew strong backlash from progressives. Biden’s selection of Buttigieg for transportation secretary drew praise from LGBTQ rights groups.
Biden calls transportation nominee Buttigieg 'a new voice'
Mayor Pete Buttigieg, President-elect Joe Biden's nominee to be transportation secretary, speaks after Biden announced his nomination during a news conference at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del., Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. – President-elect Joe Biden introduced onetime Democratic primary rival Pete Buttigieg on Wednesday as his nominee for transportation secretary, saying the 38-year-old can be “a new voice" in the fight against economic inequality, institutional racism and climate change. Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, would be the first openly gay person confirmed by the Senate to a Cabinet position. Emanuel was mentioned as a potential candidate for several Biden Cabinet posts but drew strong backlash from progressives. Biden’s selection of Buttigieg for transportation secretary drew praise from LGBTQ rights groups.
Biden's child tax-credit plan is a big clue that his agenda could be more progressive than thought
Joe Biden's anti-poverty plan to expand the child tax credit suggests that his potential presidency would likely mean a White House more focused on progressive economic policies than those seen during the Obama and Clinton years. Aimed at reducing childhood poverty rates, Biden's proposed expansion would be dramatic and open the allowance to families who would otherwise fail to qualify. The prospective tax credit overhaul, included in a broader Biden campaign tax plan released on Sept. 17, comes as millions of Americans struggle to find employment or keep their small businesses afloat due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Progressive proponents of Biden's plan say its most exciting change is extension of the credit to families making less than $2,500 per year. Under current law, households must earn at least $2,500 per year to qualify for the credit since those making less don't have tax liability.
cnbc.comNew political group tries to rescue Hickenlooper in primary
Hickenlooper was supposed to be Democrats' worry-free solution to the Colorado Senate race, but he's stumbled badly in the weeks leading up to the party's June 30 primary. John Hickenlooper's standing in the Colorado Democratic Senate primary, a new political group is spending at least $1 million on a scathing attack ad against Hickenlooper's rival in the race. Romanoff is the underdog in the June 30 primary, running as a populist insurgent against the establishment's choice, Hickenlooper, who has raised significantly more money. Privately, Colorado Democrats have been concerned about how Hickenlooper will perform in the primary. Hours later, the attack ad against Romanoff, which Let's Turn Colorado Blue described as a seven-figure buy, began to circulate.
'A hot mess': Hickenlooper stumbles into Democratic primary
Hickenlooper defied a subpoena from the Colorado Ethics Commission, only testifying after the nonpartisan panel found him in contempt. Then the commission found he'd violated state ethics laws by accepting free travel while governor. This guy they put on a pedestal, he's a hot mess, said Democratic former state Rep. Joe Salazar, who often clashed with Hickenlooper in the statehouse. On Tuesday, both Gardner and the National Republican Senatorial Committee released ads bashing Hickenlooper, an unusual move during a Democratic primary. Then Senate Democrats, alarmed at an unwieldy primary for the party's nomination to challenge Gardner, recruited Hickenlooper to run for the Senate instead.
Trump admin opposes extending enhanced unemployment benefit
The payments are set to expire July 31, and Democrats have pushed a plan that would extend the enhanced benefit through January. Unemployment benefits will still be needed in August and beyond, but the circumstances that originally called for the $600 plus-up will have changed,'' Scalia said. Democrats challenged that view, saying the unemployment rate is likely to remain at historically high levels through the summer at least. Grassley said he hears from Iowans every day who wonder why they are earning less than others they know who are getting unemployment benefits. With the unemployment rate expected to remain in the mid-teens through July, lawmakers will face pressure to compromise on some form of renewed benefits for the jobless.
U.S. senators join calls for Americans to don masks to slow coronavirus spread
FILE PHOTO: A mannequin displays disposable face masks at a safety equipment store in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, U.S., March 26, 2020. We really want to get some traction behind this, Toomey told reporters on a conference call with Bennet. The idea of universal face mask use had been largely rejected earlier in the health crisis. Toomey said he discussed the issue of wider mask use with his fellow Republican Trump by telephone on Tuesday. Researcher Jeremy Howard of the University of San Francisco, has been calling on Americans to wear face masks when outside.
feeds.reuters.comU.S. election: Klobuchar up, three men out
(Reuters) -KLOBUCHARS DARK-HORSE CAMPAIGN GETS FUNDRAISING BOOSTDemocratic presidential hopeful Amy Klobuchar raised $2.5 million in the hours after her third-place finish in the New Hampshire primary, her campaign said on Wednesday, a boost as she tries to beef up her operations for the upcoming contests in Nevada and South Carolina. EIGHT DEMOCRATS STILL IN THE FIGHTWhat was once a field of more than 20 Democratic candidates has been whittled down to eight, after businessman Andrew Yang, U.S. BLOOMBERG ENDORSED BY THREE BLACK LAWMAKERSU.S. presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg won endorsements from three Congressional Black Caucus members, a positive sign for his campaign, which has drawn scrutiny lately over his past support for a controversial policing tactic. ANALYSIS-WHATS NEXT FOR DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATESIf theres one thing Tuesdays New Hampshire primary made clear, its that Democrats are no closer to agreeing on the right candidate to beat Republican President Donald Trump in November. MOST NEW HAMPSHIRE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY VOTERS WILL BACK PARTY NOMINEE REGARDLESS EDISON RESEARCHMost voters taking part in New Hampshires Democratic primary expressed deep dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump and said they would vote for the partys nominee regardless of who it is, according to an Edison Research exit poll.
feeds.reuters.com