Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) on Monday said the Senate will likely vote on a short-term funding bill to stave off a government shutdown and buy time for spending talks, The Hill reports.
Manchin Has ‘No Intention’ of Switching Parties
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) “left the door open to one day becoming an independent, three days after Arizona colleague Kyrsten Sinema announced that she was leaving the Democratic Party to become an independent herself,” ABC News reports.
Said Manchin: “I don’t know how you get more independent than I am. I look at all of these things, I’ve always looked at all of these things. But I have no intention of doing anything right now. Whether I do something later, I can’t tell you what the future is going to bring.”
For members: Is Joe Manchin Next to Leave the Democrats?
Justices to Resume Issuing Opinions in the Courtroom
“The Supreme Court is restoring another pre-pandemic tradition, announcing decisions in a public session in the courtroom,” the AP reports.
“Beginning in January, or whenever the first opinions of the term are ready, the justices will read summaries of their majority opinions from the bench.”
Richmond’s Last Confederate Statue Is Removed
“The last Confederate statue in Richmond was removed on Monday, and the remains beneath it of Ambrose P. Hill, the Confederate lieutenant general who was memorialized, were set to be transferred to a cemetery,” the New York Times reports.
A Plot to Overturn the Election
TPM obtained a new trove of Mark Meadows text messages which provide a real-time record of the plot to overturn the 2020 election.
“They show the senior-most official in the Trump White House communicating with members of Congress, state-level politicians, and far-right activists as they work feverishly to overturn Trump’s loss in the 2020 election. The Meadows texts illustrate in moment-to-moment detail an authoritarian effort to undermine the will of the people and upend the American democratic system as we know it.”
Trump to Publish a Book of His Letters
“Donald Trump is planning to release a book next year showcasing his private correspondence with past and present celebrities and international icons,” CNN reports.
“Sources familiar with the matter said the project will mirror Trump’s first post-White House book, a collection of 300-plus photographs from Trump’s time in office that were accompanied by captions he wrote himself. His newest book will contain reproductions of letters written to, or by, Trump over the last few decades, providing readers with a more intimate view into his private life and past social circles.”
Congress Struggles to Reach Funding Deal
“Congressional leaders and the White House are struggling to reach a deal on a massive government funding package, warning that they almost certainly will need to pass a short-term measure to avert a shutdown at the end of the week,” NBC News reports.
“Lawmakers had hoped to wrap up their work in the lame duck session by Friday but are now making plans to stay around right up until the Christmas weekend. Some say they may have to return to Washington the week after that as well, putting at risk family vacations and official congressional delegation trips abroad.”
“The fate of the bill is also linked to an election overhaul measure to avoid another Jan. 6, which Senate leaders hope to attach to it. Congress must fund the government before Saturday to avoid a shutdown.”
Ruben Gallego Moves Closer to a Senate Bid
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) has signed up the Democratic polling firm GBAO Strategies for a “leadership role” for a potential Senate bid, Politico reports.
How Kari Lake’s Campaign Unraveled
Washington Post: “Interviews, internal documents and voting data point to the reasons behind her defeat: The candidate, so focused on parroting Trump and settling personal scores, failed to execute on a plan to court the independents and centrist Republicans who decide elections in Arizona, once a red state that now gleams purple.”
“As advisers urged her to consolidate GOP support after the primary, Lake remained fixated on a grudge match against people loyal to the legacy of the late Sen. John McCain.”
Special Counsel Subpoenas Brad Raffensperger
“Special counsel Jack Smith has sent a grand jury subpoena to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, bringing to five the number of 2020 battleground states where state or local election officials are known to have received such requests for any and all communications with Trump, his campaign, and a long list of aides and allies,” the Washington Post reports.
“State and local officials in Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have received similar subpoenas — all of them, like Georgia, central to President Donald Trump’s failed plan to stay in power after the 2020 election.”
Ex-Mayoral Candidate Sues for Defamation
“Nearly 20 months after allegations of unwanted sexual advances derailed his campaign for New York City mayor, Scott Stringer sued one of his accusers for defamation on Monday, arguing that she smeared his reputation with falsehoods and misrepresentations,” the New York Times reports.
FTX Donations at Risk of Being Clawed Back
Bloomberg: “While there’s precedent for forcing political entities to return contributions in cases of fraud, recovery prospects are unclear in FTX’s case.”
“Recouping campaign funds as part of the bankruptcy proceedings is a complicated and lengthy process, and the scope of the total funds eligible for clawback depends on myriad federal and state laws.”
Washington Faltered as Fentanyl Gripped the Country
Washington Post: “During the past seven years, as soaring quantities of fentanyl flooded into the United States, strategic blunders and cascading mistakes by successive U.S. administrations allowed the most lethal drug crisis in American history to become significantly worse.”
“Presidents from both parties failed to take effective action in the face of one of the most urgent threats to the nation’s security, one that claims more lives each year than car accidents, suicides or gun violence. Fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 49.”
Second Oath Keepers Trial Gets Underway
“After securing seditious conspiracy convictions against two leaders of the Oath Keepers, the Justice Department will begin Monday to try to make its Capitol riot case against four others affiliated with the far-right extremist group,” the AP reports.
Biden Is Bringing Africa’s Leaders to Washington
New York Times: “White House officials say the three-day gathering will include top-level meetings, new initiatives and business deals, and a gala dinner at the White House.”
“But African leaders have grown accustomed to being courted by foreign suitors, and Washington is one stop on what has become a global circuit of Africa summits held by China, Russia, Turkey, France, Japan and the European Union.”
Greene Says Her Comments on January 6 Were Sarcasm
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) on Monday said her recent comment that the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack would have been armed and successful if she planned it was “sarcasm,” after she drew rebukes from the White House and Democratic leaders, The Hill reports.
Said Greene: “The White House needs to learn how sarcasm works. My comments were making fun of Joe Biden and the Democrats, who have continuously made me a political target since January 6.”
How Did the Housing Market Get So Unaffordable?
A new Pew Research survey “showed a 10-percentage-point increase since 2018 in the share of Americans — now one in two — who see the availability of affordable housing in their area as a serious problem.”
Hopes Fade for Year-End Tax Deal
Wall Street Journal: “Barring a last-minute breakthrough, many businesses will face higher taxes because of changes to how they can deduct research costs and interest expenses. For families, the child tax credit would remain at its current levels, without reinstating temporary expansions that Democrats implemented in 2021. Those changes expired at the end of last year.”
