Democrats

The New York Post reports: Escándalo! Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani was accused Wednesday of using AI to fake his Spanish-language prowess for a campaign ad — but the Democratic socialist laughed off the claims as totally loco. A Spanish-language ad posted to social media earlier this week showed Mamdani making his campaign pitch to Latino New Yorkers inside and outside …

Politico reports: “It is a tremendous honor to be selected to lead this bipartisan delegation of United States Senators to Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis and pay our respects to his life and legacy,” Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who is leading the senators’ delegation, said in a statement Friday. “It is a tremendous honor to be selected …

Chicago’s NBC affiliate reports: And the race is officially on. One day after longtime Sen. Dick Durbin announced he would retire and not seek reelection, Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, launched her bid for his seat. She is the first contender to enter what Democrats here are expecting to be a jam-packed field for a senatorial seat that hasn’t been …

Politico reports: Democrats may get a second shot at running a party convert for Florida governor in their ongoing effort to claw back the state’s battleground status. Former Republican Rep. David Jolly, who has made a national name for himself as a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump, took a step Thursday toward a possible run for governor of Florida …

The Huffington Post reports: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) is asking his state’s pension funds and procurement agencies to examine any investments or contracts they have with companies in El Salvador, the first step toward a possible boycott of the country for assisting President Donald Trump in defying court orders on the treatment of migrants. “The United States Constitution guarantees …

The New York Times reports: Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Senate Democrat for two decades and a leading liberal voice on Capitol Hill, will not seek re-election next year, closing out a 44-year congressional career focused on immigration, the federal justice system and anti-smoking initiatives. The decision to be announced on Wednesday by Mr. Durbin, 80, …

Politico reports: Rep. Haley Stevens is making her long-awaited Senate bid in Michigan official with a nod to her first car. “I’m running for Senate because just like that day I got these keys to that old Cutlass, we have the power to chart our own path. I’m proud of Michigan and I’ll never get tired of saying it. It …

The New York Times reports: Nadine Menendez was convicted on Monday of participating in a complex bribery conspiracy with her husband, Robert Menendez, a former senator from New Jersey who last year was also found guilty of trading his political influence for gold, cash and a Mercedes-Benz convertible. A Manhattan jury deliberated for roughly seven hours over two days before …

Axios reports: After House Republicans refused to allow Democrats to organize official congressional delegations to El Salvador, four of them are traveling to the Central American nation anyway, Axios has learned. The lawmakers’ offices said they will meet with officials at the U.S. embassy there to advocate for the release of Kilmar Armando Ábrego García and receive classified briefings. Reps. …

CNN reports: Sen. Chris Van Hollen said he met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man wrongfully deported to El Salvador, Thursday night. “I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar. Tonight I had that chance,” the Maryland Democrat said in a post on X, sharing a photo of the two seated together at a …

The Associated Press reports: Tim Myers, a Grammy-nominated former bassist for international hitmakers OneRepublic, announced Thursday he will challenge Rep. Ken Calvert in the battleground 41st District in Riverside County that stretches from the L.A. suburbs to the resort haven of Palm Springs. “Ken Calvert has been in Washington for 30 years,” Myers says in a video announcing his campaign. …

The Hill reports: Democratic contender Nathan Sage, who’s the executive director of the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, is launching a Senate bid to take on Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) next year in Iowa. Sage made that announcement official on Wednesday; in his campaign launch and an interview with The Hill ahead of his announcement, Sage emphasized fighting for the working …

Axios reports: Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) is still in intensive care more than a week after being hospitalized for a gallbladder infection and will have to undergo an “extended recovery,” his doctor said Tuesday. That is rough news for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who hopes to use Republicans’ paper-thin majority to his advantage. Jeffries is already down two …

“Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect. Let’s hope other institutions follow suit.” – Former President Barack Obama, in an X post that …

Politico reports: Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, a prominent supporter of Republican President Donald Trump, has donated $250,000 to a super PAC boosting Andrew Cuomo’s run for New York City mayor, new campaign finance filings show. It’s the latest example of GOP-affiliated players getting behind New York’s Democratic former governor as he vies to replace Mayor Eric Adams. Ackman’s …

Just in via press release: U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has requested a meeting with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele while he is in the United States this week in order to discuss the return of Maryland father Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia. Senator Van Hollen is also announcing his intent to travel to El Salvador this week if Abrego Garcia …

Politico reports: Two powerful labor unions endorsed scandal-scarred Andrew Cuomo’s New York City mayoral bid Monday, providing organizational muscle and solidifying his front-runner status in the Democratic primary. The labor groups 32BJ SEIU and Hotel and Gaming Trades Council — which represent building service workers and hotel and casino employees, respectively — are coveted by most candidates running in highly …

Penn Live reports: Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were evacuated without incident from the Governor’s Residence early Sunday morning after what state police say was an arson fire at the house. Shapiro said he and his family were awakened by “bangs on the door” from state police troopers. “The Harrisburg Bureau of Fire was on the scene and while …

NBC News reports: Sen. Cory Booker said Sunday that Congress should hold hearings and defended Democratic lawmakers’ calls for investigations into any possibility of insider trading after President Donald Trump encouraged people to buy stocks before reversing his tariff policy last week. “There is enough of an offense here, there’s enough smoke here that should demand congressional hearings,” the New …

NBC News reports: Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is running for governor of Colorado next year, according to two sources familiar with his plans. Bennet is expected to announce his campaign as soon as Friday and will look to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Jared Polis in a state that has trended towards his party in recent years. And he is the …