Featured Stories

Statement by President Joe Biden on Securing the Release of Americans Detained in Russia

(President Biden) Today, three American citizens and one American green-card holder who were unjustly imprisoned in Russia are finally coming home: Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza. The deal that secured their freedom was a feat of diplomacy. All told, we’ve negotiated the release of 16 people from Russia—including five Germans and seven Russian citizens who were political prisoners in their own country. Some of these women and men have been unjustly held for years. All have endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today, their agony is over.

Republicans reel at Trump's "embarrassing" remarks about Harris

(Axios) Former President Trump's comments about Vice President Harris to the National Association of Black Journalists are being treated as radioactive by many Republicans. The tense interview is being met with GOP reactions ranging from qualified concern to outright shock, with some Republicans questioning Trump's ability to adapt to the new Democratic ticket. "It was awful," one House Republican said of the interview, telling Axios it raised concerns about whether Trump can contain his impulses while running against the first woman, Black and Asian American vice president. "That was not a demonstration on how to win over undecided voters," another House Republican said.

Trump Campaign Attempts Damage Control Over Fiasco At Black Journalists' Conference

(Huff Post) Donald Trump’s presidential campaign may not be happy with the former president’s appearance at a convention of Black journalists on Wednesday, based on how it’s spinning the event. During the interview, which was scheduled to last an hour but was cut off early by Trump staffers, the former president drew gasps when he accused Vice President Kamala Harris, his likely Democratic rival for the White House, of hiding her Black identity and when he attacked a female reporter for being rude after she asked him why Black voters should trust him, among other low points. Not surprisingly, “trainwreck” became a trending term on social media after the appearance.

Democrats respond to Trump's racist attack on Harris by raising $23 million

(PoliticusUSA) Not only did Donald Trump implode while speaking to black journalists, but his racist attack on VP Harris caused Democrats to raise $23 million. Democratic pollster and strategist Matt McDermott posted, “The one upside to Trump’s racist tirades: the response from grassroots donors. As of this hour $23,961,076 has been raised through ActBlue today, the largest fundraising day in the past week. Donations began spiking immediately following Trump’s NABJ interview.”

U.S.-Russia prisoner swap frees Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan

Bloomberg: Russia released Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan as part of a major prisoner swap with the US, according to people familiar with the situation. CNN: A large-scale prisoner swap between the US and Russia is under way, according to a source familiar, and it is expected to include Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former US Marine Paul Whelan and a number of Americans.

Thursday carTOONS

Samuel Alito Thinking About Retirement: Report

(Newsweek) Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is considering retirement amid pushback he has received in recent months, according to a new report. Alito has faced criticism for his household flying an upside-down U.S. flag in January 2021, a symbol associated with the "Stop the Steal" campaign aimed at overturning President Joe Biden's 2020 election win. He also saw a notable loss in a ruling on how social media sites should moderate content. The 74-year-old "has reflected in private about retirement," a new CNN report has stated, citing sources "inside and outside the court with knowledge of the deliberations."

Kid-obsessed JD Vance likely to skip vote to expand child tax credit

(Daily Kos) After claiming Democrats are “anti-family” and weirdly railing against “childless cat ladies,” Ohio Sen. JD Vance is likely to be a no-show this week for a vote to expand the child tax credit. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer scheduled a vote on the bipartisan Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, and Donald Trump’s vice presidential nominee might not be able to make it back to the Capitol for the vote on Thursday.

Chuck Schumer rolls out 'No Kings Act' to eliminate presidential immunity

(NBC News) Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday announced a bill that would ensure that presidents do not have criminal immunity. The legislation is a direct response to the Supreme Court's ruling last month that former President Donald Trump has some immunity for aspects of his presidential conduct. However, even if the bill passes the Senate, it would face an uphill climb in the House, which is controlled by Republican allies of Trump.

Election Deniers Are Ramping Up Efforts to Disenfranchise Voters

(Wired) For the last six months, election denial groups across the United States have been laser-focused on efforts to purge voter rolls in support of former President Donald Trump’s reelection bid. Using new apps and online tools, they claim their volunteers have filed hundreds of thousands of voter registration challenges. Though these efforts are based on unreliable data and debunked election fraud conspiracies, they threaten to disenfranchise voters by removing legitimate registrations. And as the deadline to file these voter roll challenges approaches next week, experts warn that these groups are already planning out their next moves to stop Democratic voters in swing states.