Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidate Mehmet Oz (R) was booed Friday night at a rally in the commonwealth headlined by former President Donald Trump.
DeSantis Fights ‘Bidenflation’ with Biden’s Stimulus
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) just signed several tax breaks into law in Florida, billing it as a way to fight “Bidenflation headwinds,” Insider reports.
But at least one portion of the tax relief package is being paid for by congressional Democrats’ $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief measure, called the American Rescue Plan, that Biden signed into law last year.
New Poll Reveals Warning Signs for GOP on Abortion
A new Yahoo News/YouGov poll found that registered voters initially preferred a generic Democrat over a generic Republican by 5 percentage points when asked how they would vote in their district if the congressional election were being held today, 44% to 39%.
But when voters were asked to choose instead between a “pro-choice Democrat” and a “pro-life Republican,” GOP support fell to 31% while Democratic support held steady — more than doubling the gap between the two candidates, to 13 percentage points.
Musk Denies Claim He Was Encouraged by Trump
“Elon Musk flatly denied a claim by the head of ex-President Donald Trump’s new social media company that Trump had encouraged Musk’s bid to buy Twitter,” CNBC reports.
Said Musk: “This is false.”
Trump’s Lawsuit to Lift Twitter Ban Dismissed
A judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit by former President Donald Trump seeking to lift his ban from Twitter, CNBC reports.
Big Majority Want Roe v. Wade to Stay
A new CNN poll finds 66% of Americans say Roe v. Wade should not be completely struck down, and 59% would support Congress passing legislation to establish a nationwide right to abortion.
Something to watch: “The share of registered voters who say they are extremely or very enthusiastic about voting this fall rose 6 points between the first survey and the second, but that increase is about even across party lines.”
Mooney Opens Wide Lead Over McKinley In West Virginia
A new MetroNews West Virginia Poll finds Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV) has a 15-point lead over Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) among likely voters in West Virginia’s newly-formed 2nd Congressional District, 48% to 33%.
Said pollster Rex Repass: “Donald Trump’s endorsement of Mooney and likely voters in the Eastern Panhandle appear to be delivering the Republican nomination for Mooney.”
Russian Troops Sabotaging Their Own Tanks
“Russian fighters have been sharing tips with one another about how to deliberately damage their own equipment and hamper Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war plans in Ukraine, according to recordings of alleged Russian troops’ phone calls that the Security Service of Ukraine intercepted,” the Daily Beast reports.
Tim Ryan Stays Away from Biden’s Visit to Ohio
President Biden will tout expanded U.S. manufacturing in Ohio on Friday, but U.S. Senate nominee Tim Ryan (D) won’t be joining him, Bloomberg reports.
“His absence suggests Democrats running in the most competitive congressional races regard Biden and his low public approval ratings as a drag on their chances.”
Judge Says Greene Is Eligible to Remain on Ballot
A state administrative judge ruled that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) “should be allowed to run for another term in office despite a push to remove her from the ballot,” the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
The decision “is a blow to Greene’s critics, who sought to block her on grounds she violated a 14th Amendment clause that bars members of Congress from serving if they tried to overthrow the government.”
Sinn Fein Becomes Largest Party In North Ireland
“The Irish nationalist party, Sinn Fein, was on track Friday night to emerge as the largest party in Northern Ireland after legislative elections, a seismic political shift that could kindle hopes for Irish unity but also sow unrest in a territory where delicate power-sharing arrangements have kept the peace for two decades,” the New York Times reports.
“With much of the vote counted on Friday evening, Sinn Fein was on track to win the most seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly, a distinction that will allow it to name the first minister in the territory’s government.”
Judge’s Son Who Stormed Capitol Gets Prison
A New York City judge’s son who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6 wearing a furry “caveman” costume was sentenced to eight months in prison, the AP reports.
Carper Violated Conflicts-of-Interest Law
Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) violated a federal conflicts-of-interest law by improperly disclosing his wife’s sale of stock in a gold mining company, Insider reports.
Peter Thiel Plans to Wind Down Involvement
“Billionaire tech mogul Peter Thiel won big when his longtime friend J.D. Vance succeeded in Tuesday’s Ohio Senate GOP primary, surging to victory in the final days of the race after a last-minute endorsement from former President Donald Trump and a seven-figure boost from Thiel,” CNN reports.
“But as the 2022 midterm cycle heats up, Thiel is winding down.”
Said a person familiar with his plans: “He’s done for the cycle. He’s not putting any more money into any more races or getting involved in new races.”
Feds Seized Items from North Dakota Lawmaker’s Home
Federal agents searched the home of North Dakota state Sen. Ray Holmberg (R) “and seized several items in November, less than three months after he exchanged text messages with a jailed child porn and child sex abuse suspect,” the Fargo Forum reports.
The Power Couple in the White House
“Second gentleman Doug Emhoff has emerged as a go-to fundraiser for the Democratic Party leading into the 2022 midterms,” McClatchy reports.
“Emhoff has racked up more appearances at fundraisers benefiting the Democratic National Committee than any other White House principal besides his wife, Vice President Kamala Harris, and is expected to appear this summer at a number of state party political functions.”
A Wildcard In Pennsylvania’s GOP Senate Race
Join now to continue reading.
Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more.
Top Trump Fundraiser Vacationed with Russian Oligarch
“A top financier for Donald Trump’s re-election campaign and the legal charade to overturn the results of the 2020 U.S. Presidential election spent three days in 2019 on a now-seized superyacht owned by an influential Russian oligarch,” Forensic News reports.
