Congress gears up for Bharat Nyay Yatra, Lok Sabha polls; top leaders to discuss strategy today
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has convened the meeting of party general secretaries, state in-charges, state unit chiefs, and Congress Legislature Party leaders at the party headquarters here.
Cameron tapped as CEO of ‘anti-woke’ 1792 Exchange after Kentucky gubernatorial loss
Former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron has been hired to help lead a group pushing back against what it sees as “woke ideology” in the corporate sector, marking the Republican’s next chapter since losing his bid for governor in one of the nation’s most closely watched elections in 2023. Cameron accepted the job as CEO of 1792 Exchange, a role that will include trying to thwart investing that considers environmental, social and governance factors. It was an issue Cameron dealt with as attorney general and frequently talked about during his unsuccessful attempt to unseat Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who notched a convincing victory for a second term last November. Cameron, 38, who was pegged as a rising Republican star with ties to U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and former President Donald Trump, didn’t rule out another run for elected office but said he’s looking forward to delving into his new role in the meantime. RUBY-RED KENTUCKY BEGINS NEW LEGISLATIVE SESSION WITH BUDGET TALKS, POLICY CLASHES ON HORIZON “We will shine a bright light on those whose ideological agendas seek to dismantle American freedom and prosperity,” Cameron said in a news release. “We will stop investment management firms, elected officials and corporate interests from using other people’s money to advance their radical political agendas.” The 1792 Exchange says its mission is to steer public companies to a neutral stance on divisive, ideological issues. In announcing Cameron’s hiring, its founder, Nathan Estruth, said: “I simply cannot imagine a more capable and qualified chief executive to help us safeguard free exercise, free speech and free enterprise.” Cameron’s four-year term as Kentucky’s attorney general ended Monday when his successor, former federal prosecutor Russell Coleman, also a Republican, was sworn in. Cameron broke barriers as Kentucky’s first Black attorney general and the state’s first major-party Black nominee for governor. Cameron, a staunch conservative, is a former legal counsel to McConnell and won Trump’s endorsement early in the crowded GOP primary for governor, navigating the feud between the GOP heavyweights. DEMOCRAT ANDY BESHEAR WINS GOVERNOR RACE IN DEEP-RED KENTUCKY, A MAJOR BLOW TO REPUBLICAN HOPES AHEAD OF 2024 Cameron said Wednesday that his family will continue living in Kentucky. He and his wife, Makenze, are expecting their second child in the spring. They have a 2-year-old son. He pointedly didn’t rule out another run for elected office at some point in the future. “We’ll continue to be engaged and continue to work to make sure that this commonwealth and our country are the best possible version of themselves,” Cameron said in a phone interview. Cameron’s term as attorney general was marked by a series of legal challenges against state and national Democratic policies. Known for his disciplined style, he didn’t offer any post-mortems Wednesday on his unsuccessful campaign for governor. “We worked really hard and met a lot of people and had a lot of rewarding experiences, and certainly grateful to have served as the AG and then to have been the Republican nominee for governor in Kentucky,” he said in a phone interview. “Never in my wildest dreams growing up did I think that would occur in terms of a sequence of events in my life.”
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson visits border, demands that Biden administration crack down on illegal immigration
Johnson and 60 GOP House members went to Eagle Pass and said they won’t support financial aid for Ukraine or Israel unless the president backs their proposals to secure the border.
U.S. Justice Department sues Texas to halt new state law targeting illegal immigration
Senate Bill 4 allows Texas police to arrest immigrants who cross the border between ports of entry. The federal government says the law is unconstitutional.
2 Georgia Democrats retire after districts redrawn
Two Georgia House Democrats say they won’t seek reelection in 2024 after they were drawn into districts with fellow Democratic incumbents. State Reps. Doug Stoner of Smyrna and Gregg Kennard of Lawrenceville made their announcements Tuesday. Stoner was been placed into a district with Rep. Teri Anulewicz of Smyrna, while Kennard was put into the same district as House Democratic Whip Sam Park of Lawrenceville. GEORGIA CONSERVATIVE GROUP CLEARED OF VOTING RIGHTS ACT VIOLATION ACCUSATIONS Their decisions came after a federal judge accepted new congressional and legislative maps. The judge had ordered lawmakers to draw more districts with Black majorities. Republicans, seeking to limit losses to their party, paired three sets of Democratic House incumbents while creating the new districts. The third Democratic pairing is of Reps. Saira Draper and Becky Evans of Atlanta. Both have said they will still seek reelection, meaning primary voters will decide. There’s also one set of House Republicans drawn into the same district — state Reps. Beth Camp of Concord and David Knight of Griffin. That could create another primary battle. Democrats are likely to gain two seats in the state House overall as a result of the court-ordered redistricting, because lawmakers were ordered to create two Black-majority districts around Macon where Republican incumbents are likely to lose out. The three Democratic pairings in metro Atlanta would prevent Republican losses from three other likely Democratic districts that were created. Republicans currently have a 102-78 majority in the House. Stoner, who served in the state Senate from 2005 to 2013, lost a reelection bid in 2012 after Republicans redrew that district to favor their party. He initially served in the House from 2003 to 2005, and rejoined the chamber in 2023. He said Anulewicz was a friend since they had served together on the Smyrna City Council and that he didn’t want to run against her. “She will serve my former constituents in the new House District 42 well,” Stoner said in a statement. “I look forward to finding other opportunities to serve my community.” Kennard, who is in his third term in the House, similarly said he didn’t want to run against Park, who he said had mentored him when he ran for office and joined the General Assembly. “He’s a really important voice down at the Capitol, so my heart would not be in a race opposing him,” Kennard told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Activists troll disgraced former Harvard president with ‘moving day’ sign, U-Haul trucks outside campus home
A group of activists targeted disgraced former Harvard University President Claudine Gay outside her official campus residence Wednesday, trolling her with a “moving day” billboard and U-Haul trucks just one day after her resignation. “It’s moving day Claudine Gay!” the digital mobile billboard read before changing to another screen that said, “Sponsored by the TENS OF THOUSANDS of Accuracy in Media activists who demanded your RESIGNATION.” The billboard was accompanied by two U-Haul moving trucks, although it was not immediately clear if she had yet moved from the residence that serves as the official home of Harvard’s president. CRITICS CHEER RESIGNATION OF ‘ANTISEMITIC PLAGIARIST’ HARVARD PRESIDENT CLAUDINE GAY: ‘BYE FELICIA’ Accuracy in Media, the group responsible for the billboards, displayed messages for days outside Gay’s residence prior to her resignation on Tuesday. According to the organization, its mission is to use “citizen activism and investigative journalism to expose media bias, corruption, and public policy failings.” Gay announced her resignation in a letter to members of the Harvard community, stating she was stepping down as president but would return to the Harvard faculty despite widespread plagiarism allegations against her, as well as the sharp backlash to her response concerning antisemitism on the university’s campus. LIBERAL COLLEGE PROFESSORS RALLY AROUND HARVARD’S CLAUDINE GAY AFTER RESIGNATION: ‘FASCIST MOUTH-BREATHERS’ Gay, as well as the presidents of MIT and the University of Pennsylvania, faced a line of questioning at a House Education and the Workforce hearing last month over whether calls for intifada, or the genocide of Jews, on campus violated their institutions’ codes of conduct or policies against bullying and harassment. All three faced harsh backlash for failing to clarify and insisted more context was needed. UPenn’s president also later stepped down from her position. According to the Ivy League school’s newspaper, the Harvard Crimson, Gay’s resignation brought an end to the shortest Harvard presidency in the university’s history. Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
Virginia drops last remaining charge against DC-area elections official
Prosecutors have dropped the last remaining charge against a northern Virginia elections official who had been accused of misconduct related to the 2020 elections. A judge on Monday formally dismissed a misdemeanor charge of willful neglect of duty against Michele White, the former registrar in Prince William County, a suburb outside the nation’s capital, after prosecutors requested the dismissal. The most serious charges against White had already been dismissed. The Virginia Attorney General’s Office said it was forced to drop felony charges of corrupt conduct and making a false statement because a key witness had revised their testimony. JUDGE DROPS FELONY CHARGES AGAINST VIRGINIA ELECTIONS OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF 2020 MISCONDUCT White was indicted back in 2022, and the office of Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares never spelled out publicly or in court papers exactly what it alleged White did wrong. Court records indicated only generally that the allegations had to do with 2020 election results, and county officials said back when White was indicted only that the alleged discrepancies in vote totals would not have affected the outcome of any race. Assistant Attorney General James Herring declined comment on the case after Monday’s hearing. White’s attorney, Zachary Stafford, said after the dismissal that the government’s case amounted to a hodgepodge of complaints “and the underlying theme was that Ms. White was bad at her job.” He said the allegations ranged from trivial — that she moved her office to a different building — to a serious allegation that she reported incorrect results in the presidential race from the county’s central absentee precinct. Stafford said that allegation “was subsequently disproven by a Commonwealth witness.” “(T)he evidence is clear that Ms. White did not commit any crimes during her tenure as Registrar in Prince William County, and the Attorney General’s office wisely dropped the charges,” Stafford said in a written statement. “This process has been traumatic for Ms. White, and today’s dismissal is just the first step towards recovering from that trauma. Ms. White was a dedicated public servant, and the evidence shows that she conducted an accurate election in 2020.” The case against White is the only criminal prosecution brought thus far by a special Election Integrity Unit Miyares formed in 2022, with as many as 20 lawyers assigned to the unit. DEMOCRAT CHARGED IN VOTER FRAUD SCHEME OVER DOZENS OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS “I pledged during the 2021 campaign to work to increase transparency and strengthen confidence in our state elections. It should be easy to vote, and hard to cheat. The Election Integrity Unit will work to help to restore confidence in our democratic process in the Commonwealth,” Miyares said when the unit was formed. In White’s case, prosecutors insinuated that the case fell apart because a witness in the county’s elections office “conveniently” changed their testimony to the detriment of the government’s case. At Monday’s hearing, Judge Carroll Weimer asked if the government was implying that there were “shenanigans” that caused the government’s case to collapse. Herring maintained that he considered some of the witnesses’ revisions to their testimony “convenient” but said that he had no reason to believe that White was responsible for those revisions. White’s attorney disputes that the witness’ testimony was inconsistent.
Johnson calls migrant crisis ‘truly unconscionable’ during visit to besieged southern border
House Speaker Mike Johnson, leading a GOP delegation to the southern border on Wednesday, slammed what he said is a “truly unconscionable” migrant crisis at the southern border and blamed it on President Biden’s policies – as encounter numbers hit record levels and talks over supplemental funding have so far failed to produce an agreement. Johnson led more than 60 Republicans to the southern border to assess the ongoing crisis, where migrant encounters hit a record 302,000 last month. “One thing is absolutely clear: America is at breaking point with record levels of illegal immigration,” he said in a press conference. BIDEN ADMIN EYES MORE DEPORTATION FLIGHTS TO VENEZUELA AS MIGRANT NUMBERS SHATTER RECORDS “The situation here and across the country is truly unconscionable. We would describe it as both heartbreaking and infuriating,” he said. Republicans were clear that they blamed the crisis on the policies of the administration, pointing to the rollback of Trump-era policies like the Remain-in-Mexico policy and a greater number of releases of migrants into the interior, both under Notices to Appear and through the “expanded lawful pathways” set up by the administration. “Rather than incentivizing people to come, the president needs to deter people from coming. Rather than discussing amnesty with Mexico…this administration should reinstate the Remain-in-Mexico policy,” he said. “This is an unmitigated disaster, a catastrophe and what’s more tragic is it’s a disaster of the president’s own design,” he said, accusing the president of putting out a “welcome mat” for illegal immigrants. The border trip comes not only amid high numbers but amid ongoing negotiations in Washington over the White House’s border supplemental request. The administration has requested $14 billion for border funding as part of the $100 billion+ package which includes money for Ukraine and Israel. HOUSE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE SETS FIRST MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT HEARING Republicans in both chambers have said the package does not include enough limits on asylum and the use of humanitarian parole, and negotiators in the Senate have been trying to find a way to come to an agreement with the administration. But Republicans in the House have gone a step further and want the entirety of the House Republican border bill, passed last year, to be included. That includes money for more Border Patrol agents, the restarting of wall construction and significant limits on the release of migrants into the interior. Johnson said the bill, H.R. 2, is the “necessary ingredient.” “Because it has provisions that fix each of these problems and these things work together,” he said. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT POPULATION SOARS UNDER BIDEN: GOVERNMENT DATA However, Democrats in the Senate have ruled out H.R. 2 and similar proposals as a non-starter. Even some reported concessions by the Biden administration, including the establishment of a Title 42-style removal authority, have been met with anger from some liberal Democrats. The Biden administration, meanwhile, sought to pin some of the blame on Republicans for failing to agree to the funding request as it is. “We have House Republicans that are literally blocking the president’s effort to do something. That’s what they’re doing. They’re playing political games. They’re doing political stunts,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday. LIBERAL MAYORS PUSH BIDEN FOR EMERGENCY DECLARATION, ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO DEAL WITH MIGRANT CRISIS “Speaker Johnson is continuing to block President Biden’s proposed funding to hire thousands of new Border Patrol agents, hire more asylum officers and immigration judges, provide local communities hosting migrants additional grant funding, and invest in cutting edge technology that is critical to stopping deadly fentanyl from entering our country,” spokesperson Andrew Bates said earlier Wednesday. The Biden administration has said it is pursuing a policy of expanding lawful pathways for migration while increasing “consequences” for illegal entry — pointing to what it says are over 460,000 returns of illegal immigrants since Title 42 ended in May, more removals than in all of FY 19. But it says it needs comprehensive immigration reform to fix what it says is a broken system. The administration unveiled a bill in January 2021, but it has been rejected by Republicans due to its inclusion of a pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S. While the two approaches appear to clash, the administration said Tuesday evening that there has been progress in talks. “Our negotiations with the Senate continued over the holidays, and we continue to be encouraged by the progress being made. And while we are not there yet, we believe we are moving in the right direction,” a senior administration official told reporters. On Wednesday, however, Johnson said that after the trip Republicans were more resolved to “stand for sanity.” “If President Biden wants a supplemental spending bill focused on national security, it’d better begin by focusing on America’s national security,” he said.
Vermont Legislature reconvenes for new session
Recovery from the catastrophic flooding that hit Vermont this summer, climate resiliency, improving public safety, tackling opioid addiction, and creating more affordable housing are among the top priorities of the legislative session that kicked off Wednesday, legislative leaders said. The legislative off-session was not a normal one, said Senate President Pro Tempore Philip Baruth, and a range of critical issues need lawmaker’s attention this year. “We had emergencies of various kinds around the state,” the Democrat-Progressive told colleagues. “So our range of choices are going to be little narrower this year than they were last year. And yet we’re going to have to think bigger about how to avoid and mitigate climate change and flooding, we’re going to have dig deeper and we’re going to have to balance the budget, which we always do.” RUBY-RED KENTUCKY BEGINS NEW LEGISLATIVE SESSION WITH BUDGET TALKS, POLICY CLASHES ON HORIZON Multiple bills are being introduced with different strategies to tackle flood recovery and improve climate residency, said House Speaker Jill Krowinski. “There’s not one magic bill that’s going to solve all of our problems when it comes to the flood recovery and so it’s going to be a combination of things,” she said in an interview. “It’s support for families and small businesses that have been impacted, looking at ways to help deal with the water that comes through, through our rivers and dams, and looking at different policies around that.” The session opens as federal COVID-19 relief funding has ended, which means spending is returning to pre-pandemic levels. Most of the federal money has been committed and there’s still a bit that needs to be designated and get out the door, Baruth said. “For the first time in the last three or four years, we are going to have to make tougher choices about where to put our money,” he said. The one-time federal pandemic funds, Krowinski noted, were used for one-time policies and projects. Concurrently, the state is grappling with rising opioid overdose deaths each year. The number jumped from 111 in 2019 to 237 in 2022. As of September 2023, there were 180 opioid overdose deaths in the state, with three months remaining to tally, according to the latest data from the Vermont Health Department. MINNESOTA PROJECTS SHORT-TERM BUDGET SURPLUS, LONG-TERM DEFICIT AS HEALTH, EDUCATION SPENDING HIKES KICK IN Communities experiencing opioid misuse have had problems with needles discarded in public places like parks and greenbelts, said Baruth. “We have to act on that.” Legislators will look at a harm reduction bill that will include programs to gather in more needles. They will also consider starting a pilot program — in communities that are receptive to it — for overdose prevention centers, which include safe injection sites — places where people can use heroin and other narcotics under the supervision of trained staff and be revived if they take too much. Republican Gov. Phil Scott has opposed the idea. Baruth said that like many people, he was skeptical in the past about safe injection sites. However, he said the current rise in overdose deaths and the use of drugs in public needs to be managed and supervised. “If they’re going to use let’s control where they use, let’s help them keep the needles safe — and let’s get them services, wraparound services, while they visit with that site,” Baruth said.
Giant offshore wind project axed in blow to Biden’s green goals
Global energy developers Equinor and BP announced Wednesday they are canceling the contract for a massive wind project slated for construction off the coast of New York. The two companies said they had reached an agreement with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to terminate the offshore wind renewable energy certificate for their Empire Wind 2 project. Equinor and BP explained that commercial conditions, namely inflation, interest rates and supply chain disruptions, prevented its contract for the project from remaining viable. “Commercial viability is fundamental for ambitious projects of this size and scale. The Empire Wind 2 decision provides the opportunity to reset and develop a stronger and more robust project going forward,” Molly Morris, president of Equinor Renewables Americas, said in a statement. “We will continue to closely engage our many community partners across the state.” “BP is supportive of NYSERDA’s leadership and commitment to offshore wind, which we believe is a critical part of New York State’s and America’s clean energy future,” added Joshua Weinstein, BP’s president of offshore wind Americas. “Offshore wind can deliver reliable renewable power as well as economic benefits to the state and its communities.” DC GREEN-LIGHTS AGGRESSIVE ELECTRIC VEHICLE MANDATE DESPITE CRITICS SOUNDING ALARM ON HIGH CONSUMER COSTS The cancelation of Empire Wind 2 comes weeks after the Biden administration formally approved it and its counterpart, Empire Wind 1, in November. The Department of the Interior (DOI) and Energy Department have both endorsed the project, while the White House has referred to it as a success story of “Bidenomics.” It also comes shortly after energy developer Orsted canceled its Ocean Wind 1 and Ocean Wind 2 twin projects which were also approved and hailed by the Biden administration. Orsted also blamed negative economic conditions. Together, Empire Wind 1 and 2 were projected to have a total capacity of 2,076 megawatts, enough to power 700,000 homes per year. Empire Wind 2 was expected to account for the majority of that output and have a capacity of 1,260 megawatts. TOP OFFICIALS WARNED BIDEN ADMIN ABOUT DANGERS WIND ENERGY PROJECTS POSE TO FISHING INDUSTRY, LETTER SHOWS “Under President Biden’s leadership, the American offshore wind industry is continuing to expand rapidly — creating good-paying union jobs across the manufacturing, shipbuilding and construction sectors,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said on Nov. 21 after green-lighting Empire Wind 2. “Today’s approval of the sixth offshore wind project adds to the significant progress towards our Administration’s clean energy goals.” DOI added that “Bidenomics and the President’s Investing in America agenda are growing the American economy from the middle out and bottom up.” The agency also said the Empire Wind projects would support President Biden’s lofty green energy goals. In 2021, Biden outlined goals to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, the most ambitious goal of its kind worldwide. That same year, his administration approved the Vineyard Wind and Southfork Wind project, the first two large-scale offshore wind projects approved in U.S. history. The November approval of the Empire Wind project marked the sixth such approval. Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm announced the finalization of contracts between NYSERDA and Empire Wind’s developers in January 2022.