Politics Now - USA

One of the defining experiences of the Trump era was watching the steady-then-swift degeneration of The Supporting Cast. In the beginning, you had some reasonably normal people—generals, financial-services executives, Traditional Republican Congressmen—who must have convinced themselves they could Siegfried-and-Roy the vicious clown this country saw fit to make its president for as long as he was in the big chair. By the end, they'd pretty much all given up, leaving a passel of fools and brigands willing to Yes, Sir their way to a contributor contract with Newsmax, or whatever. Paul Ryan escaped with his rich-kid tax cut and left us with Matt Gaetz. Soon enough, we had Marjorie Taylor Greene and Madison Cawthorn and Lauren Boebert. Speaking of Newsmax, and speaking of Gaetz, the Florida congressman was reportedly telling his friends recently that he might jump ship on his congressional career for a gig at the network for people who think Fox News is insufficiently pro-Trump. (What ...

President Joe Biden signing papers in the White House as Vice President Kamala Harris looks on. Photo: Shutterstock President Joe Biden signing papers in the White House as Vice President Kamala Harris looks on. Photo: Shutterstock President Joe Biden issued a proclamation honoring the Transgender Day of Visibility today, a historic first that’s even more remarkable after the previous president relentlessly attacked transgender rights and even refused to issue a proclamation for Pride Month. “Transgender Day of Visibility recognizes the generations of struggle, activism, and courage that have brought our country closer to full equality for transgender and gender non-binary people in the United States and around the world,” Biden’s proclamation states. Related: I created the biggest symbol of trans visibility. Here’s what today means to me. The proclamation says that “in spite of our progress in advancing civil rights for LGBTQ+ Americans, too many transgender people — adults and youth ...

Democratic representative Ted Lieu has called for Republican congressman Matt Gaetz to be taken off the House Judiciary Committee while he is investigated over allegations that he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and paid her to travel with him. On Tuesday afternoon, The New York Times reported that Mr Gaetz, a Florida representative, is under investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) about whether he violated federal sex trafficking laws by allegedly paying for a 17-year-old to travel with him. Following the reports, Mr Lieu, who serves on the committee with the Florida representative, said that Mr Gaetz should be taken off it while the investigation is undertaken by the DOJ. “Rep Matt Gaetz should be taken off the @HouseJudiciary Committee until the @TheJusticeDept investigation is completed,” Mr Lieu tweeted on Tuesday. “He should not be sitting on a Congressional Committee with oversight over the DOJ while the Department is investigating him,” the California cong...

Delta CEO Ed Bastian released a memo criticizing Georgia's new voting law. The new law addresses voter ID, absentee ballots, and other rules. Activists pressured Delta and other companies for stronger condemnations. See more stories on Insider's business page. Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian criticized Georgia's recent voting law in a new memo. "I need to make it crystal clear that the final bill is unacceptable and does not match Delta's values," Bastian wrote in the memo to the Atlanta-based company. The law, SB 202, makes changes to nearly all aspects of voting and elections in the state, Grace Panetta reported for Insider. The most controversial provisions include a ban on volunteers giving water and snacks to voters waiting in line, more stringent voter ID laws for absentee ballots, and a ban on "ballot selfies." "After having time to now fully understand all that is in the bill, coupled with discussions with leaders and employees in the Blac...

82 liberal groups urged Biden to go bigger on tax hikes and hold the wealthy accountable. They cited Biden's campaign proposals of reversing Trump's tax cuts and investing in IRS enforcement. Despite GOP opposition in Congress, the majority of Republican voters support tax increases. See more stories on Insider's business page. President Joe Biden is unveiling the first part of his multitrillion-dollar infrastructure proposal today, which could include up to $3.5 trillion in tax hikes. Some unions and progressive organizations are saying he should go even bigger. On Tuesday, 82 national organizations, led by Americans for Tax Fairness, sent a letter to Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, commending the administration's efforts to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans and encouraging the president to go further. The letter said Biden's tax plans were the "boldest of any major party presidential nominee in modern American history." The tax proposals ha...

There was quite a bit of chatter in political circles yesterday about Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and his political future, but for reasons that would soon change. The scuttlebutt began in the morning with an Axios report about the Florida Republican privately telling confidants that he was considering resigning from Congress and pursing a media job. This was an interesting story in its own right, which generated some compelling commentary about the unfortunate overlap between far-right members of Congress and conservative media outlets. But by early evening, the conversation surrounding Gaetz took a dramatic turn with the publication of this New York Times report. Representative Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida and a close ally of former President Donald J. Trump, is being investigated by the Justice Department over whether he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and paid for her to travel with him, according to three people briefed on the matter. Investigators are examining whe...

FILE - In this March 30, 2021, file photo, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam speaks at a news conference to announce the expansion of commuter rail in Virginia at the Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Alexandria Station, in Alexandria, Va. Adults in Virginia could legally possess and grow small amounts of marijuana beginning in July, about three years sooner than initially envisioned, under changes the governor proposed Wednesday, March 31, to legislation passed earlier this year.(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) FILE - In this March 30, 2021, file photo, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam speaks at a news conference to announce the expansion of commuter rail in Virginia at the Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) Alexandria Station, in Alexandria, Va. Adults in Virginia could legally possess and grow small amounts of marijuana beginning in July, about three years sooner than initially envisioned, under changes the governor proposed Wednesday, March 31, to legislation passed earlier this ...