Politics

Axios reports: A staffer for House Administration Committee ranking member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) is no longer employed after he was arrested Monday morning on suspicion of bringing ammunition into a U.S. House office building. A Capitol Police spokesperson identified the staffer as 38-year-old Michael Hopkins, Morelle’s communications director. Capitol Police searched Hopkins’ bag after it went through an X-ray machine …

The Raleigh News & Observer reports: The North Carolina Senate voted to override a veto from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper on Monday amid protests, the latest example of Republicans using their supermajority power after election results indicated they will lose it next month. There was no debate. Just before the vote was called, someone shouted from the packed gallery above …

NBC News reports: A former Israeli defense minister has accused his country of committing war crimes and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip, in a rare criticism from Israel’s own security community about military operations in the Palestinian enclave. Moshe Yaalon said the Israeli government was putting the lives of Israel Defense Forces soldiers in danger and exposing them to …

Axios reports: A staffer for House Administration Committee ranking member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) was arrested Monday morning for bringing ammunition into a U.S. House office building. A Capitol Police spokesperson identified the staffer as 38-year-old Michael Hopkins, Morelle’s communications director. Capitol Police searched Hopkins’ bag after it went through an X-ray machine and found 11 rounds of ammunition and four …

The Associated Press reports: California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers returned to the state Capitol on Monday to begin a special session to protect the state’s progressive policies ahead of another Trump presidency. The Democratic governor, a fierce critic of President-elect Donald Trump, is positioning California to once again be the center of a resistance effort against the conservative …

“While as a father I certainly understand President [Joe Biden’s] natural desire to help his son by pardoning him, I am disappointed that he put his family ahead of the country. This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation. When you become President, your role is Pater familias of the …

ABC News reports: Republican Sen. Mike Rounds emphasized his support for current FBI Director Christopher Wray after President-elect Donald Trump announced he intended to nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the department’s top job. “I think the president picked a very good man to be the director of the FBI when he did that in his first term,” Rounds told ABC …

“I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction – mistakes that have been exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport. “Despite all of this, I have maintained my sobriety for more than five years because of my deep faith and the unwavering love and support of …

Politico Europe reports: The Georgian government’s decision to suspend its efforts to join the EU has sparked a political crisis in the South Caucasus country, with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets to demand new elections even as police launched a violent crackdown on protesters. An estimated 100,000 protesters formed barricades around the parliament on Saturday night, …

The CBC reports: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in Palm Beach, Fla., to meet with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump. Trudeau’s plane landed Friday evening at Palm Beach International Airport, which is used by Trump when he travels to his Mar-a-Lago estate. Trump has been meeting with his transition team there in recent weeks. The Prime Minister’s Office has refused to …

The Associated Press reports: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday that if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on this threat to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian products, he would be raising prices for Americans and hurting American businesses. “It is important to understand that Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out. There’s …

Axios reports: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Friday called for “maximum protection” for members of Congress and their families in response to a series of bomb threats around Thanksgiving. Nearly the entire Connecticut congressional delegation faced bomb threats on Thursday. “We have been in close communication with the Sergeant at Arms office and it is imperative that Congress …

The New York Times reports: British lawmakers on Friday voted to allow assisted dying for terminally ill patients in England and Wales under strict conditions, opening the way to one of the most significant changes in the country in decades. After five hours of debate in the House of Commons, they voted by 330 to 275 to support a plan …

The Associated Press reports: Under a Massachusetts law signed in 2018, the age to buy any tobacco product — including cigarettes, cigars and e-cigarettes — was raised to 21. Massachusetts also has banned the sale of all flavored tobacco products in an effort to reduce youth interest in nicotine. The new proposal, which lawmakers plan to file next year, would …

Los Angeles’s ABC affiliate reports: State health officials have issued another warning to Californians not to consume raw milk after the bird flu virus was detected in a second retail sample from Raw Farm LLC. The Fresno-based company has issued a voluntary recall of the affected milk lot code number 20241119, which has a Best By date of 12/07/2024 printed …

The New York Times reports: Australia has passed a law to prevent children under 16 from creating accounts on social media platforms. The bill, which the government calls a “world leading” move to protect young people online, was approved in the Senate on Thursday with support from both of the country’s major parties. The lower house of Parliament had passed …

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is appealing a decision that permanently struck down Ohio’s most restrictive abortion ban and other abortion regulations. In October, Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Christian Jenkins permanently struck down an Ohio law that required doctors to check for cardiac activity before performing an abortion. Those who didn’t follow this protocol …

The Los Angeles Times reports: In a major victory for Democrats, first-time candidate Derek Tran defeated Republican Rep. Michelle Steel in a hotly contested Orange County congressional race that became one of the most expensive in the country. Tran will be the first Vietnamese American to represent a district that is home to Little Saigon and the largest population of …

CNN reports: The Trump-Vance transition team said Wednesday that several of President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks and administration appointees “were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them” Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. “These attacks ranged from bomb threats to ‘swatting.’ In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety …

Courthouse News reports: Lancaster County District Court Judge Susan I. Strong said in an opinion Tuesday that medical marijuana opponents lacked evidence that the number of problematic petition signatures would have affected the outcome of the successful petition drive. Nebraska voters approved medical marijuana on Nov. 5. One of the initiatives, Initiative Measure 437, was approved by 71% of voters. …