Dem-appointed Colorado justice says Trump ballot ban undermines ‘bedrock’ of America in fiery dissent
The Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to ban former President Trump from the state’s primary ballot undermines a “bedrock principle” of American democracy, one of the court’s Democrat-appointed justices wrote in a fiery dissent. Justices Carlos Samour, Maria Berkenkotter and Chief Justice Brian D. Boatright all dissented, but Samour was particularly critical of the 4-3 ruling. Samour and Boatright were each appointed by Democratic former Gov. John Hickenlooper, while Berkenkotter was appointed by current Gov. Jared Polis, also a Democrat. “The decision to bar former President Donald J. Trump — by all accounts the current leading Republican presidential candidate (and reportedly the current leading overall presidential candidate) — from Colorado’s presidential primary ballot flies in the face of the due process doctrine,” Samour wrote. “Even if we are convinced that a candidate committed horrible acts in the past — dare I say, engaged in insurrection — there must be procedural due process before we can declare that individual disqualified from holding public office,” he wrote. POLL SHOWS BIDEN HITTING RECORD LOW APPROVALS, FALLING BEHIND AGAINST TRUMP IN 2024 MATCHUP Samour went on to argue that allowing states to decide individually whether to allow Trump’s candidacy “risked chaos in the country.” The justice conjured visions of state governments divided on the legitimacy of a victorious presidential candidate. “This can’t possibly be the outcome the framers intended,” Samour argued. DEMOCRATS DROP ‘BIDENOMICS’ AS SOME VOTERS COMPLAIN IT’S ‘TONE-DEAF’: REPORT Trump’s campaign has already vowed to “swiftly” appeal the court’s decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, where observers largely believe it will be overturned. Multiple other state supreme courts have dismissed similar efforts to remove Trump from the ballot, including in blue states like Minnesota. “The Colorado Supreme Court issued a completely flawed decision tonight and we will swiftly file an appeal to the United States Supreme Court and a concurrent request for a stay of this deeply undemocratic decision. We have full confidence that the U.S. Supreme Court will quickly rule in our favor and finally put an end to these unAmerican lawsuits,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement to Fox News Digital. Nevertheless, the majority in Colorado’s decision argued they did not “reach these conclusions lightly.” “We are mindful of the magnitude and weight of the questions now before us. We are likewise mindful of our solemn duty to apply the law, without fear or favor, and without being swayed by public reaction to the decisions that the law mandates we reach,” they wrote. “President Trump did not merely incite the insurrection,” the majority opinion continued. “Even when the siege on the Capitol was fully underway, he continued to support it by repeatedly demanding that Vice President Pence refuse to perform his constitutional duty and by calling Senators to persuade them to stop the counting of electoral votes.”
If Trump ballot decision stands, Colorado GOP says it will move from primary to caucus system
The Colorado Republican Party is planning to withdraw from the state’s primary election and move to a caucus system if the ruling against former President Donald Trump stands. A state GOP spokesperson made the remark on social media following a video posted by GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, in which he pledged to withdraw if the Colorado Supreme Court’s Tuesday disqualification of Trump is sustained. “I pledge to withdraw from the Colorado GOP primary ballot until Trump is also allowed to be on the ballot, and I demand that Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, and Nikki Haley do the same immediately — or else they are tacitly endorsing this illegal maneuver which will have disastrous consequences for our country,” Ramaswamy said in the video. The Colorado Republican Party replied to the candidate’s video, assuring him, “You won’t have to because we will withdraw from the Primary as a Party and convert to a pure caucus system if this is allowed to stand.” CRITICS SLAM COLORADO SUPREME COURT FOR REMOVING TRUMP FROM STATE’S 2024 BALLOT: ‘A MOCKERY’ Republicans and other allies of the former president are slamming the Colorado Supreme Court for removing him from the state’s 2024 ballot. The divided court declared that Trump was ineligible for the White House under the U.S. Constitution’s insurrection clause and removed him from the state’s presidential primary ballot, setting up a likely showdown in the nation’s highest court to decide whether the front-runner for the GOP nomination can remain in the race. COLORADO SUPREME COURT DISQUALIFIES TRUMP FROM 2024 BALLOT The decision from a court whose justices were all appointed by Democratic governors marks the first time in history that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment has been used to disqualify a presidential candidate. The court stayed its decision until Jan. 4, or until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the case. Colorado officials said the issue must be settled by Jan. 5, the deadline for the state to print its presidential primary ballots. “We do not reach these conclusions lightly,” wrote the court’s majority. “We are mindful of the magnitude and weight of the questions now before us. We are likewise mindful of our solemn duty to apply the law, without fear or favor, and without being swayed by public reaction to the decisions that the law mandates we reach.” Fox News’ Bradford Betz, Bill Mears, Adam Sabes and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Schumer and McConnell vow to take ‘swift action’ on supplemental package early next year
Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., promised to “take swift action” on the national supplemental security bill early next year, which will unlock billions of dollars of aid to Ukraine, Taiwan, Israel and the southern border. “Challenging issues remain, but we are committed to addressing needs at the southern border and to helping allies and partners confront serious threats in Israel, Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific,” the statement read. “The Senate will not let these national security challenges go unanswered.” Lawmakers in the upper chamber have been negotiating with White House officials since last week on a border security policy that would be included in the supplemental package. Republicans first demanded stronger border security provisions in the package last month, but Democrats were unwavering in their quest to exclude any immigration policy changes from making headway in the bill until negotiations began heating up last week. SEN. CARDIN BREAKS SILENCE AFTER STAFFER ALLEGEDLY FIRED OVER SEX TAPE FILMED IN HEARING ROOM The clock has now run out for any deal to be reached this year, even as Schumer canceled part of the Senate’s holiday recess to continue negotiations this week. “As negotiators work through remaining issues, it is our hope that their efforts will allow the Senate to take swift action on the national security supplemental early in the new year,” the joint statement read. The leaders said that negotiators — Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., Sen. Krysten Sinema, I-Ariz., and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. — and Biden administration officials will “continue to work in good faith” on a framework for border security legislation. Lawmakers have cited in the last few days that “progress” was being made but would not reveal specifics. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection sources on Tuesday, there were more than 12,600 migrants encountered at the southern border in the preceding 24 hours, the highest figure recorded in a single day. MANY SENATORS HAVE ALREADY LEFT TOWN AMID BORDER NEGOTIATIONS AS ILLEGAL CROSSINGS HIT RECORD Talks have been ongoing with senators and Biden administration officials as Republicans have refused to pass some $60 billion in additional aid to Ukraine unless it is tied to strict border security measures, such as immediate screenings for asylum processing, more detention beds and quicker expulsions for illegal entrants. The total amount of supplemental aid the White House first requested in October amounts to roughly $106 billion and includes $14 billion to assist Israel. President Biden has been urging Congress to take action on the package, and Ukraine President Volodymr Zelenskyy made a final plea last week to both chambers in private meetings. The White House has sent more than $100 billion to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in February 2022. Last week, Biden announced the administration would send $200 million in additional military aid to the Eastern European nation. LAWMAKERS UNLIKELY TO ADVANCE BORDER SECURITY, UKRAINE FUNDING LEGISLATION BEFORE CHRISTMAS On the floor Tuesday night, Schumer announced Wednesday’s Senate session at noon would be for “housekeeping business” and that there would be no more votes until January. Senators proceeded to reauthorize temporary funding for the Federal Aviation Administration until March 8 and confirmed by a voice vote the remaining 11 military nominees, who were previously delayed by Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s monthslong blockade over the Pentagon’s abortion policy. Congress will return the week of Jan. 8 and will also have to pass some appropriations bills to keep some government agencies afloat by Jan. 19. Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
‘No more tarikh-pe-tarikh:’ Home Minister Amit Shah ensures speedy justice with new criminal laws
The proposed three laws will help deliver speedier justice to the people and ensure there is no “tarikh pe tarikh”, Home Minister Amit Shah asserted in Lok Sabha.
Trump calls on ‘entire Republican Party to UNITE’ around Bernie Moreno in race for Sen. Sherrod Brown’s seat
Former President Trump, the current GOP front-runner ahead of the 2024 election, on Tuesday endorsed Bernie Moreno for U.S. Senate in Ohio amid a crowded Republican field vying to unseat Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown. “It’s time for the entire Republican Party to UNITE around Bernie’s campaign for Senate, so that we can have a BIG victory in what will be the most important Election in American History,” Trump wrote on TRUTH Social Tuesday afternoon. “Bernie is the Father of wonderful Emily, the wife of outstanding young Ohio Congressman, Max Miller. Bernie is Strong on the Border, Crime, Cutting Taxes, Election Integrity, the Military / Vets, and will always protect our under siege 2nd Amendment. Bernie Moreno will be an outstanding United States Senator, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement—He will never let you down!” In a second post, Trump went on to say, “Bernie Moreno, a highly respected businessman from the GREAT State of Ohio, is exactly the type of MAGA fighter that we need in the United States Senate. Bernie will always stand up to the Fascist ‘nut jobs’ and the spineless RINOS in order to fight the corrupt Deep State that is destroying our Country.” “Remember, we need a successful political outsider like Bernie to defeat Liberal career politician, Sherrod Brown, who has so poorly represented Ohio, and pretends that he’s all for the Policies of your Favorite President, Donald J. Trump, but then gets to the Senate and votes 100% for the horrendous Policies of Crooked Joe Biden, the worst President in the History of our Country,” Trump wrote. OHIO’S BERNIE MORENO ANNOUNCES SECOND STRAIGHT GOP SENATE RUN IN BID TO FLIP BLUE STATE RED “Don’t be fooled by Sherrod Brown. He is a Radical Left Liberal who will always let you down. He does not stand for Ohio Values, and never will. Bernie Moreno, on the other hand, will ALWAYS put America First,” Trump said. Trump’s endorsement could give Moreno an advantage over other Republican primary candidates including Frank LaRose, who serves as Ohio’s secretary of state, and state Sen. Matt Dolan. The winner of next year’s GOP primary will challenge Brown, who’s the only Democrat to win statewide in Ohio in the past decade. Brown will be heavily targeted by Republicans in a state that was once a premiere general election battleground but has shifted red over the past six years. TRUMP ALLY SEN JD VANCE ENDORSES IN OHIO’S 2024 GOP SENATE PRIMARY, BACKING BERNIE MORENO A successful Cleveland-based businessman and luxury auto dealership giant, Moreno launched his second straight bid for U.S. Senate in Ohio in April, touting himself as an outsider and a conservative. Moreno, an immigrant who arrived in the U.S. legally from Colombia with his family as a five-year-old boy, made border security a top issue during his 2022 Senate campaign and visited the U.S.-Mexico border. He shelled out millions of his own money to run TV commercials to try and boost his first Senate bid, but he suspended his campaign in February last year after requesting and holding a private meeting with Trump. The crowded and combustible 2022 GOP Senate nomination in Ohio was eventually won by former hedge fund executive and best-selling author JD Vance, who landed Trump’s endorsement just before last May’s primary. Vance went on to defeat longtime Democrat Rep. Tim Ryan in last November’s general election to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Rob Portman. Dolan — whose family owns Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians — also shelled out millions of dollars of his own money to run ads for his 2022 Senate bid. He surged near the end of the primary race, coming in third, behind Vance and just behind former state Treasurer Josh Mandel. Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Democrats say polling is ‘useless’ as Trump pulls ahead of Biden in surveys
Democrats on Capitol Hill are publicly rejecting recent polls showing former President Donald Trump taking a lead over President Biden in the 2024 presidential election. A Tuesday poll from the New York Times and Sienna College found that Trump had a 46% to 44% lead over the sitting president. Trump’s lead was even more drastic among younger voters, who favored Trump 49% to 43%. That poll’s findings echoed surveys in November as well. Democrats, however, are remaining publicly unphased, according to reports. “I think polling is increasingly useless,” Rep. Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., told Punchbowl News. “If we haven’t taken that away from the last few elections, I don’t know how much more we need to see.” BIDEN INVOKES WARTIME POWERS TO FUND ELECTRIC HEATERS AS HE CRACKS DOWN ON GAS APPLIANCES “What are we, 11 months out from the next election? I mean, that’s a double eternity in politics,” Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Pa., told the outlet. EXPERTS WARN BIDEN ADMIN’S WATER HEATER CRACKDOWN WILL HIKE PRICES, REDUCE CONSUMER CHOICE Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., who is running a symbolic primary campaign challenging Biden, says the polls are starting to twist screws in private. “Everyone’s reading the polls, everybody sees,” Phillips said, adding that Democrats in competitive “Frontline” races “won’t say it publicly, most likely, because that’s cutting off your nose to spite your face. But I think they’re all feeling the same thing.” Polling has increasingly showed that voters have massive reservations when it comes to Biden, particularly with regard to his age. Large majorities of even Democrats have stated that he is too old to effectively serve as president in a second term. MAJOR ‘CLIMATE DECEPTION’ LAWSUIT AGAINST BIG OIL VOLUNTARILY DISMISSED Meanwhile, Trump’s lead in 2024 GOP primary polls only continues to grow.
Year Ender 2023: From Sharad Yadav to Oommen Chandy, famous politicians who died this year
From Sharad Yadav to Oommen Chandy, let’s dive into the lives of the 10 famous politicians who died in the year 2023.
Worried about safety, a small West Texas town challenges planned cross-border pipeline
Critics are calling on federal regulators to increase their scrutiny and oversight of the proposed pipeline, which would send gas from Texas to the Mexican coast for export to other countries.
Struggling to find teachers close to home, some Texas schools are looking overseas for help
Public schools got little help from lawmakers this year to address the state’s chronic teacher shortage, so they’ve turned to other creative solutions — like leaning on cultural exchange programs to recruit international teachers.
Kuwait’s new emir Sheikh Mishal takes oath of office
The new leader, seen as a reformist, pledged to adhere to constitutional principles and fight corruption. Kuwait’s new emir, Sheikh Mishal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, has been formally sworn in before parliament to begin his rule over the wealthy Gulf monarchy. The new emir, who took over after the passing of his half-brother, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, on Saturday, took the oath of office during a special session of the National Assembly on Wednesday morning. In his inaugural address, Sheikh Mishal pledged to safeguard the country and its people, adhere to constitutional principles and fight corruption. “I swear by Almighty Allah to respect the constitution and the laws of the state, to defend the liberties, interests and properties of the people and to safeguard the independence and territorial integrity of the country,” he declared. The 83-year-old Sheikh Mishal is Kuwait’s third ruler in just over three years. He has already been de facto leader since 2021 when the frail Sheikh Nawaf handed over most of his duties. Sheikh Mishal previously served as deputy chief of the National Guard from 2004 to 2020 and head of State Security for 13 years after joining the Ministry of Interior in the 1960s. As he takes the helm of the OPEC oil producer, he is expected to preserve key Kuwaiti foreign policies, including support for Gulf Arab unity and Western alliances. Good relations with Saudi Arabia are seen as one of his top priorities. The new emir may also look to expand ties to China as Beijing seeks a bigger role in the region. Political analyst Hussain Jamal told Al Jazeera that Kuwait’s foreign policy would likely “remain as it is” under the new emir. “Zero enemies and a lot of friends – regionally and internationally.” As leader, Sheikh Mishal will also have to grapple with long-running strains between the ruling family and its critics in the perpetually deadlocked and fractious parliament. Critics complain that the friction has hindered fiscal and economic reform. In 2022, Sheikh Mishal intervened in a protracted dispute between the government and parliament. He dissolved parliament, decreed new elections and replaced the prime minister, but declared no intention to interfere in the vote or the selection of parliament speaker. After being sworn in, Sheikh Mishal castigated authorities for having previously appointed people to positions “that are not consistent with the simplest rules of justice and fairness”. He also stressed “the importance of follow-up, responsible oversight, and objective accountability within the framework of the constitution and the law for negligence, dereliction and tampering with the interests of citizens”. Abdulaziz Mohammed Al-Anjeri, of the Kuwaiti think tank Reconnaissance Research, told Al Jazeera, Sheikh Mishal was likely to rule as a “reformist”. “He is someone who does not allow nepotism or favourtism to impact his decisions,” Al-Anjeri said. Adblock test (Why?)