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Growing Evidence Against a Republican Wave — Since the fall of Roe v. Wade, it's increasingly hard to see the once-clear signs of a G.O.P. advantage. — At the beginning of this year's midterm campaign, analysts and political operatives had every reason to expect a strong Republican showing this November.
Discussion:
Raw Story, MSNBC, Michael Tracey, Mercury News, Daily Kos, CNN, The Daily Caller, The Guardian and Politico
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Republicans' Other Dobbs Problem — Their coalition contains a lot of voters who aren't that religious and aren't especially keen on abortion bans. And they may not vote this November. — Dear readers, — Democrats had a strong election night on Tuesday, continuing their streak …
Discussion:
HuffPost, New York Times and Slate

GOP prospects narrow in House as Democrats overperform in early contests — Republicans are facing dimming prospects for an overwhelming sweep in the House this fall, according to independent analysts and strategists across parties, as Democrats defy a long-predicted red wave in early contests …


Red Wave Looks More Like a Ripple — That sound you hear is the crash of expectations of big GOP gains in the House this fall. Democrats notched a huge victory in New York's 19th CD last night as Democrat Pat Ryan defeated Republican Marc Molinaro 51% to 49% in a Hudson Valley special election both parties had invested in.
Discussion:
Axios, HotAir and Washington Post


Yes, Special Elections Really Are Signaling A Better-Than-Expected Midterm For Democrats

Notes on the State of Politics: August 24, 2022
Discussion:
PoliticusUSA, The Campaign Dispatch, The Hill, TiffinOhio.net and NBC News

A surprise win for Democrats hints at a big shift for 2022
Discussion:
CNN, CNN, New York Times, Jezebel, Tampa Bay Times, Wall Street Journal, Daily Kos and The American Independent


FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Student Loan Relief for Borrowers Who Need It Most … A three-part plan delivers on President Biden's promise to cancel $10,000 of student debt for low- to middle-income borrowers — President Biden believes that a post-high school education …
Discussion:
U.S. Department of Education, Law & Crime, New Republic, alicublog, The American Independent, Fox Business, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, CBS News, Magnolia State Live, Bloomberg, CNN, NPR, Insider, WHNT-TV, Forbes, KFOR-TV, Fox News, The Daily Dot, ABC News, UpNorthNews, Balloon Juice, The Daily Caller, Fortune, Raw Story, The Guardian, GZERO, Mercury News, Mediaite, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, Sacramento Bee, Al Jazeera, Mississippi Today, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Verge, KRON4, The Western Journal, Alternet.org, The Hill, TheBlaze, NBC Los Angeles, The Atlantic, RedState, USA Today, Just The News and NBC News
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Biden to Cancel $10,000 in Student Loan Debt; Low-Income Students Are Eligible for More — The debt forgiveness comes after months of deliberations in the White House over fairness and fears that the plan could exacerbate inflation before the midterms. — WASHINGTON — President Biden …
Discussion:
ABC News, HotAir, CNBC, Fox News, The Hill, HuffPost, Congressional Progressive …, Committee for a …, The Gateway Pundit, NBC News, Vox, Liberty Unyielding, NPR, VTDigger, Breitbart, The Atlantic, CBS News, Reuters, CNN, Power Line, The Daily Wire, Associated Press, Denver Post, Plain Dealer, Twitchy, FOX 2, Tennessee Lookout, NewsNation, Insider, The Nation, The Daily Caller, Denver Post, Ace of Spades HQ, Talking Points Memo, The Daily Caller, The Lever, Washington Examiner, Associated Press, Big League Politics, Louisiana Illuminator, NBC News, Insider, Washington Post, RedState, WRIC-TV, The Gateway Pundit, NBC 6 South Florida, Twitchy, Fortune, Reason, Mediaite, Axios, Turning Point USA, Kevin Drum, Joanne Jacobs, The Root and The National Interest


Biden's student loan ‘fix’? It's perfect for making the problem worse. — There are so many things wrong with President Biden's newly unveiled policy on student loans that one hardly knows where to begin. So I might as well start with ... the Medicare doc fix.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, WRIC-TV, Washington Free Beacon and Fox News

Almost half of Latino student loan debt is expected to be forgiven under Biden
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit and Fox News


Archives asked for records in 2021 after Trump lawyer agreed they should be returned, email says — About two dozen boxes of presidential records stored in then-president Donald Trump's White House residence were not returned to the National Archives and Records Administration in the final days …
Discussion:
Raw Story, New York Times, Talking Points Memo and PoliticusUSA


Justice Dept. memo to not charge Trump in Russia probe released — A federal appeals panel ordered the release of the memo in response to a lawsuit by a watchdog group — The Justice Department has released the entire text of a secret 2019 memo that laid out the legal rationale for not charging …
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CREW gets secret Barr memo on Trump obstruction — Following a victory in appeals court, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington obtained the secret Department of Justice memo then-Attorney General Bill Barr pointed to in order to undermine the Mueller Report and justify …
Discussion:
UPI and emptywheel


Ex-Interior secretary Zinke lied to investigators in casino case, watchdog finds — The Interior Department's inspector general detailed Zinke and his chief of staff's attempts to mislead federal officials. — Former Interior secretary Ryan Zinke, the leading contender to win …
Discussion:
Office of Inspector General …, CNN, Politico, Raw Story and The Hill
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Judge blocks part of Idaho's abortion law from taking effect — Ruling in Biden administration lawsuit says doctors can't be punished for terminating pregnancies that pose significant health risks — The Biden administration on Wednesday scored its first legal victory since …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, New York Times and CNN
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Judge sides with Biden admin, blocking part of Idaho's abortion ban
Discussion:
NBC News and Financial Times

Statement from President Biden on the Appointment of Kimberly Cheatle to be the Next Director of the United States Secret Service — I am proud to announce that I have selected Kim Cheatle to be the next Director of the United States Secret Service. Kim has had a long and distinguished career …
Discussion:
Associated Press and Politico
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Biden names second woman to head the Secret Service
Discussion:
NBC News, ABC News, CNN, GovExec.com, New York Times and Washington Times


California to Ban the Sale of New Gasoline Cars — The decision, to take effect by 2035, will very likely speed a wider transition to electric vehicles because many other states follow California's standards. — WASHINGTON — California on Thursday is expected to put into effect …


3 U.S. service members injured in Iran-backed rocket attacks in Syria — Three U.S. service members were injured in rocket attacks in Syria carried out Wednesday by suspected Iran-backed militants, according to U.S. Central Command, the latest in a slew of attacks on American personnel …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, CNN, The Hill, MyNorthwest.com and CBS News
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See Hillary Clinton Lose a Legal Knowledge Quiz to Kim Kardashian: ‘It Was Heartbreaking’ — The former secretary of state matched wits with the reality TV star and law apprentice as part of her new documentary series Gutsy with daughter Chelsea — The eight episodes of Hillary …
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Kim Kardashian beats Hilary Clinton in a legal knowledge contest
Discussion:
Townhall


Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo fired over botched response to shooting that killed 19 students and 2 teachers — Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo was fired Wednesday by the Texas city's school board. — The board voted unanimously in favor of the embattled chief's ouster …
Discussion:
Al Jazeera, UPI, Forbes, CNN, The Daily Wire, The Texas Tribune, NewsNation, Newsy and CBS News


Biden administration moves to formalize DACA and shield it from legal challenges — The Biden administration on Wednesday finalized a rule to transform the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration policy for more than 600,000 so-called “Dreamers” into a federal regulation …


Foreign politicians, an indicted election clerk and Vanilla Ice: Inside the revolving door of Trump's Mar-a-Lago — Law enforcement wants to ensure classified documents stayed secure while there. — An aerial view shows former U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home after Trump …


Latest filing sheds more light on Fulton DA's election interference probe … LISTEN: A new court filing in the Fulton county grand jury investigation examining election interference has new details about why Gov. Brian Kemp was subpoenaed. GPB's Stephen Fowler has more.


RNC chief on tape to donors: We need help to win the Senate — Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel rallied major donors Wednesday to get behind the GOP's efforts to flip the Senate — a plea that comes amid rising concerns in the party over its candidates' lagging fundraising totals and its overall prospects.


There Is No National Teacher Shortage — Sign up for Derek's newsletter here. — America's students are going back to school this month. According to many media sources, districts won't have nearly enough teachers to greet them. The Washington Post has warned of a “catastrophic teacher shortage.”
Discussion:
The Hill, National Review and YouGov


Stop improving things right now! Everyone must suffer as I did! — DISGUSTING! AWFUL! I have just received word that life is getting marginally better for some people, and I am white-hot with fury! This is the worst thing that could possibly happen!


EXCLUSIVE: Lights out at South Sudan embassy of NYC diplomat accused of rape... as his government claims it'll act ‘urgently’ to address the scandal - but refuses to say where he is and the State Department dodges questions — Charles Dickens Imene Oliha was arrested on suspicion of rape on Sunday


FBI brass warned agents off Hunter Biden laptop due to 2020 election: whistleblowers — FBI officials told agents not to investigate first son Hunter Biden's infamous laptop for months — vowing that the bureau was “not going to change the outcome of the election again,” …
Discussion:
The Federalist, RADAR, The Gateway Pundit, BizPac Review and Just The News


Ken Paxton bucks legal precedent and secretary of state's advice in letting anyone examine ballots right after elections — Attorney general's opinion invites lawsuits over long-established ballot security and subjects election officials for possible criminal charges.


Peltola gains in Alaska's updated special U.S. House election results — Democrat Mary Peltola has slightly increased her lead in the special U.S. House race. — The Division of Election released an update Tuesday in the three-way contest to see who will serve the remainder of the late Congressman Don Young's term.
Discussion:
Washington Post, Progress Pond and The Daily Wire


Ocasio-Cortez admits to violating congressional financial disclosure rules — EXCLUSIVE — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) openly admitted through her spokeswoman that she is flouting congressional financial disclosure rules. — Ocasio-Cortez was due to report her 2021 finances …
Discussion:
Fox News, IJR, The Liberty Loft, BizPac Review, Townhall and Just The News


Trump White House exerted pressure on FDA for Covid-19 emergency use authorizations, House report finds — The Trump administration pressured the Food and Drug Administration, including former FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, to authorize unproven treatments for Covid-19 and the first Covid-19 vaccines …


For U.S. troops who survived Kabul airport disaster, guilt and grief endure — The U.S. military's treacherous evacuation of Afghanistan continues to haunt those who were there. — From a guard tower overlooking Kabul's airport, two U.S. Marines spotted a man matching the description of a suspected suicide bomber.