The SAVE America Act and the last line of defense for voter roll integrity

Two federal courts struck down separate Trump administration voter citizenship verification efforts within the same week this June, and the wins for plaintiffs came with an asterisk neither side has fully reckoned with. Judge Sparkle Sooknanan, sitting on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, vacated the administration’s overhaul of the SAVE database, […]

Anger as report says Trump hijacked US anniversary to serve own agenda – US politics live

Top House Democrat on committee that issued report says president ‘tries to steal the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary and turn it into something that’s all about Trump’Full report: Trump hijacked US’s 250 anniversary to serve ‘political ideology and pet projects’Sign up for the Breaking News US emailMy colleague, Gaya Gupta, notes that the latest jobs numbers make it all the more likely that the US Federal Reserve will continue to focus on inflation at its next meeting in late July.Last month, the Fed’s new chair, Kevin Warsh, emphasized “price stability” in his first press conference since taking office and said the central bank will continue to pursue its longstanding goal of a 2% inflation rate. But this week, he told a conference of central bankers that “inflation risks have come down”. Continue reading...

Vice President JD Vance Says There's a Silver Lining to the Birthright Citizenship Ruling

"Wake up call": House Democrats erupt in panic, anger after another socialist upset

House Democrats were staggered Wednesday by the loss of yet another one of their longtime colleagues to a democratic socialist challenger.Why it matters: Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) was a staunch progressive, not a moderate, these members are privately fuming. So why did she become a target of the left?"One more case in the growing dynamic of performative politics," one House Democrat, speaking on the condition of anonymity to share candid analysis on the results, told Axios."Diana was an excellent representative with seniority — but the style of someone younger and more outspoken has become more attractive to that cohort of motivated urban left voters."A senior House Democrat called the result a "wake-up call" for members of CongressDriving the news: DeGette was defeated decisively by 29-year-old Melat Kiros, an attorney and PhD student who led the incumbent by nearly 10 percentage points as of Wednesday morning.DeGette's loss in the Denver-based district came despite a deluge of outside spending in her favor from groups tied to the Democratic establishment and AIPAC.Progressive groups such as the Justice Democrats spent substantially in favor of Kiros as well, but their expenditures were greatly eclipsed by those of pro-DeGette outside groups.Between the lines: DeGette boosters sought to defend her progressive bona fides, touting her support for Medicare for All, her opposition to ICE and her time as a Trump impeachment manager.Pro-Kiros ads took aim at the 68-year-old incumbent's support from corporate PACs and votes in favor of Israel.DeGette's loss comes after challengers backed by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani unseated Reps. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) and Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) last week, which already had House Democrats on edge.What we're hearing: "Diana is a progressive. Sad to see her loss," a third House Democrat told Axios, adding that there is clearly "an appetite for newer, younger blood in some parts of the country."I told everyone that would listen in 2024, that Trump winning was like manna from heaven to DSA," said a fourth."That DSA is ... winning some safe seat primaries with these young white college educated voters is just no shock. It's literally their entire playbook."Yes, but: Some House Democrats aren't waiting too long to bring Kiros into the fold, with some even exulting in her win. "I'm grateful for all Diana has done ... as our region's dean," Rep. Emily Randall (D-Wash.) told Axios. "I don't know Melat yet, but I sent her a note of congratulations and look forward to welcoming her to the team."Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who backed Kiros, told Axios: "The progressive movement is where the energy of our party is across the nation."What's next: The left isn't done yet. They're pinning their hopes on a slew of progressive candidates to knock off as many as half a dozen more Democratic incumbents this cycle.The candidates include Donavan McKinney in Michigan, Oliver Larkin in Florida, Mai Vang and Angela Gonzalez-Torres in California, Kai Newkirk in Arizona and Elijah Manley in Florida."A week after NYC," a fifth House Democrat told Axios, "there [is] momentum."

Vance argues there is a ‘big silver lining’ in Supreme Court’s ‘preposterous ruling’ in birthright citizenship case 

“It’s just a preposterous ruling, and the absurdity of that outcome suggests why the Supreme Court should have went the other way," Vance charged.

MAGA loyalists angered by Melania Trump's surprise Supreme Court statement

Melania Trump issued a rare statement expressing support for the LGBTQIA+ community on Tuesday, sparking outrage among MAGA followers. The first lady shared her comments on X, following the Supreme Court's ruling in West Virginia and Idaho prohibiting transgender girls from competing in female school sports. The decision was considered a setback for the transgender community, according to The Associated Press.In her statement, Melania cited her self-titled book, "The U.S. Supreme Court has now legally confirmed this opinion: 'Under Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, may schools maintain women’s and girls’ sports for biological females?" She wrote: "The answer is yes.' America, we can support the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community and also protect opportunities for female athletes. Respect everyone and keep girls' sports fair. Both ideals are essential."The post drew swift criticism from loyal MAGA supporters."What is ideal about men claiming they can become women? What in that do you actually support?" User Debbie wrote on X."Respectfully, I don’t want my FLOTUS to support a community of people with a severe mental illness. They need God, and mental help," user JJ wrote on X.Watch the video below. Your browser does not support the video tag.

Alito throws Amy Coney Barrett's own line back at her as right-wing justices clash

Conservative justices Samuel Alito and Amy Coney Barrett clashed on Monday in a Supreme Court ruling involving mail-in voting, which was considered a rejection of the Republican Party's attack on mail-in ballots.Coney Barrett wrote the opinion in the 5-4 ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee that upheld a Mississippi law that allows mail-in ballots to arrive after Election Day. And in a scathing dissent, Alito used her own words to argue against the decision. Fellow conservative justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas joined the dissent."To say that this is not the most likely explanation of States' thought processes would be 'a delicately put understatement,'" Alito wrote.The court ruling was deemed a defeat for Trump and Republicans, who have argued that the method should not be used before the midterm elections in November, according to CNN. Trump has asserted that there is widespread fraud involving mail-in ballots, despite no evidence of these claims.Alito argued that "today’s decision leaves open opportunities for voter fraud that may further undermine Americans’ faith in the integrity of this country’s elections.""It is undeniable that a prohibition on counting late-arriving ballots would provide an additional hurdle for bad actors seeking to stuff ballot boxes when early election results suggest a tight race. The majority incorrectly removes this safeguard from federal law," Alito wrote.

When It Comes to Trump’s Power, SCOTUS’ Red Line Is as Cynical as Possible

Samuel Alito’s an election denialist now, but thankfully Amy Coney Barrett followed the law on mail-in ballots.