All posts tagged: Democratic

DOJ expected to announce indictment of Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar, sources say

DOJ expected to announce indictment of Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar, sources say

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is expected to announce the indictment of longtime Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, on Friday, two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News. Cuellar’s home and campaign office in Laredo, Texas, were raided in January 2022 as part of a federal investigation into Azerbaijan and a group of U.S. businessmen who have ties to the country, law enforcement said at the time. His office had pledged to cooperate with the investigation. In April, Cuellar’s lawyer, Joshua Berman, told some news outlets that federal authorities informed him he was not the target of the investigation. Cuellar is a one-time co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus. It wasn’t immediately clear if the indictment was related to the 2022 raid. The Justice Department declined to comment. Cuellar’s staff were calling other member offices Friday seeking advice on how to handle the situation, one source with knowledge of those calls told NBC News. In a statement Friday, Cuellar denied any wrongdoing, saying that he had “proactively sought legal advice” from the House Ethics Committee, which had issued “more than one …

In Arizona, Democratic leaders secure votes to repeal 1864 abortion ban

In Arizona, Democratic leaders secure votes to repeal 1864 abortion ban

Clinic escorts wait to greet and help arrivals at Camelback Family Planning, an abortion clinic in Phoenix, Arizona on April 18, 2024. FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP Democrats secured enough votes in the Arizona Senate on Wednesday, May 1, to repeal a Civil War-era ban on abortions that the state’s highest court recently allowed to take effect. Voting wasn’t complete but the Senate had the 16 votes it needed to advance the bill. Read more Arizona lower House votes to repeal Civil War-era abortion ban Fourteen Democrats in the Senate were joined by two Republican votes in favor of repealing the bill, which narrowly cleared the Arizona House last week and is expected to be signed by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. The near-total ban, which predates Arizona’s statehood, permits abortions only to save the patient’s life – and provides no exceptions for survivors of rape or incest. In a ruling last month, the Arizona Supreme Court suggested doctors could be prosecuted under the 1864 law, which says that anyone who assists in an abortion can …

House Democratic leaders say they would help save Speaker Johnson’s job

House Democratic leaders say they would help save Speaker Johnson’s job

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson are seen here attending a congressional tribute in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol for retired Army Col. Ralph Puckett Jr. on April 29. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson are seen here attending a congressional tribute in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol for retired Army Col. Ralph Puckett Jr. on April 29. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images House Democratic leaders say they’ll help House Speaker Mike Johnson keep his job if members of his own party make a move to oust him. “From the very beginning of this Congress, House Democrats have put people over politics and found bipartisan common ground with traditional Republicans in order to deliver real results. At the same time, House Democrats have aggressively pushed back against MAGA extremism,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Minority Whip Katherine Clark said in a joint statement. “We will vote to table …

Former Democratic Unionist Party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson to appear in court charged with rape | UK News

Former Democratic Unionist Party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson to appear in court charged with rape | UK News

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, will appear in court this morning charged with rape and other historical sex offences. The 61-year-old, who is Northern Ireland’s longest-serving MP, was suspended by the party following his arrest last month. In a statement at the time, the DUP said: “The Party Chairman has received a letter from Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP confirming that he has been charged with allegations of an historical nature and indicating that he is stepping down as Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party with immediate effect. “In accordance with the Party Rules, the Party Officers have suspended Mr Donaldson from membership, pending the outcome of a judicial process.” In his resignation letter, he said he would be strenuously contesting the charges. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson had been arrested at his home in County Down the previous morning and taken to Antrim Police Station for questioning. In a short statement, the Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed that a 61-year-old man had been charged with “non-recent sexual offences” and that …

Democratic candidate called police after mistaking horror film promo as threat from angry constituent

Democratic candidate called police after mistaking horror film promo as threat from angry constituent

Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Amanda Taylor, a film blogger and Democratic candidate running for Missouri’s House of Representatives, called the police after she mistook promotional material for the new horror movie The First Omen as pro-life propaganda. Last month, Taylor received an anonymous letter in the mail that included a single child-like drawing of what appeared to be four dark figures surrounding a young girl in mid-air suspension. “Right away, I was thinking, ‘Ah, this has something to do with abortion,’” Taylor told Business Insider. “The day before I had received something from a pro-life organisation so I was like, ‘Okay, I’m starting to receive all the propaganda stuff.’” Taylor said that she then sent the mysterious letter to her campaign advisor, who immediately called the police out of fear that it had come from an unhappy, pro-life constituent. “She called me, and she was like, ‘Put that into a plastic bag, wash your …

Dining across the divide: ‘I couldn’t get on board with her equating the Taliban and the democratic government of Ukraine’ | Life and style

Dining across the divide: ‘I couldn’t get on board with her equating the Taliban and the democratic government of Ukraine’ | Life and style

Anna, 50, Canterbury Occupation Teacher of English as a foreign language Voting record Labour, despite coming from “a Maggie Thatcher-adoring family” Amuse bouche Anna once met an unnamed celebrity backstage at Reading festival. “And we had a bit of a snog but he left half his dinner in my mouth” Phil, 38, Brighton Occupation Marketing for an education union Voting record Labour, but has also voted LibDem: “I tend to vote tactically against the Conservatives” Amuse bouche Phil used to be a personal trainer and once appeared on Channel 4, training sports presenter Rishi Persad for a charity horse race For starters Anna I was early. I was expecting an EDL supporter with tattoos. Phil wasn’t like that. He’s a very amenable man, with really beautiful skin. Phil Anna was incredibly friendly, incredibly talkative. We started with non-alcoholic cocktails but about halfway through, because it was going well, we both had a negroni. It was a tasting menu including a sort of mushroom broth that was delicious, monkfish in a chilli sauce, and for dessert what looked like an egg, but was a …

The Great Democratic Success Story That Wasn’t

The Great Democratic Success Story That Wasn’t

The Obama administration seemed to take special pride in its policy toward Myanmar. American statecraft had coaxed the country’s reclusive military dictatorship onto a path of democratic transformation, Kurt Campbell, who served as an assistant secretary of state at the time, wrote in his 2016 book, Pivot: “One of the world’s most isolated, tragic, and magical lands had finally opened to the world because of intrepid American diplomacy, perhaps fundamentally changing the trajectory of Asia.” Then, in February 2021, Myanmar’s government fell to a military coup. The country had known little peace for decades, but now it was spiraling into untold violence: Protesters poured into the streets, the junta cracked down, and new armed groups joined those that had already been fighting the military. Campbell, serving in the White House under President Joe Biden as Asia czar, had precious little to say about Myanmar then, nor did lawmakers ask him about Myanmar during his recent confirmation as deputy secretary of state. Myanmar was once the buzziest of foreign-policy causes. It commanded immense bipartisan support; lawmakers …

Ro Khanna Wants to Be the Future of the Democratic Party

Ro Khanna Wants to Be the Future of the Democratic Party

In January, as the 2024 primary season got under way, Representative Ro Khanna stood in the middle of a spacious New Hampshire living room and marveled at the dozens of Democrats who had crammed in. “What enthusiasm for President Biden!” Khanna said as the crowd cheered. The California progressive wasn’t in the land of would-be presidents to promote himself—at least not directly. He came here to boost his party’s flagging 81-year-old incumbent. Khanna represents Silicon Valley, but he’s lost count of how many times he’s been to New Hampshire; a local Democrat introduced him to the room as “the fifth member of our congressional delegation.” He told me he initially felt “sheepish” about coming back after he stumped here for Bernie Sanders four years ago, worried that people would assume he wanted to run for president. He’s gotten over that. I spent a day driving across the state with Khanna as he made the case for Joe Biden as a write-in candidate. Before voters and the cameras, Khanna was a loyal surrogate, hailing Biden as …

In Germany, the Social Democratic Party is under attack for its weakness towards Moscow

In Germany, the Social Democratic Party is under attack for its weakness towards Moscow

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his cabinet before their weekly meeting in Berlin on March 27, 2024. JOHN MACDOUGALL / AFP Within his coalition, Olaf Scholz is used to being criticized by his ecologist and liberal partners for not doing enough to help Ukraine fight Russia. Now, the German Chancellor is also being criticized by intellectuals from within his political family. “As academics and members of the Social Democratic Party [SPD], we are observing the SPD’s position on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine with growing concern,” wrote five historians to the party leadership in a letter that was made public on Wednesday, March 27. Co-signed by the highly respected Heinrich August Winkler, an eminent specialist in contemporary Germany and himself a member of the SPD since 1962, the two-page letter is a harsh indictment of Scholz and his party’s leaders, who are accused of lacking “clarity” in their support for Ukraine. According to the letter’s authors, the chancellor’s recent refusal to deliver long-range Taurus-type missiles to Kyiv’s forces was justified with “arbitrary, meandering and …

Biden wins the North Dakota Democratic primary

Biden wins the North Dakota Democratic primary

President Joe Biden speaks at an event in Raleigh, N.C., March. 26, 2024. MATT KELLEY / AP President Joe Biden has won North Dakota’s Democratic presidential primary. The state party on Saturday, March 30, announced the results of the mostly mail-in primary. The party began circulating ballots in February to voters who asked for them. Biden’s victory was virtually assured, though seven other candidates were on the primary ballot. Former President Donald Trump won the North Dakota Republican Party’s March 4 presidential caucuses, taking all 29 delegates. Biden and Trump have already secured enough delegates for their parties’ nominations, lining up the first presidential rematch election since 1956. Senator Bernie Sanders won the North Dakota Democratic caucuses in 2016 and 2020. Le Monde with AP Source link