Protesters plan to storm Washington, D.C., over Independence Day weekend with protests and demonstrations.Activists in the most high profile of these events plan to protest the Emancipation Memorial in Lincoln Park. The memorial, which leaders of the local collective the Freedom Neighborhood claimed they would topple last week, has become a subject of national interest, with many people making a case both for and against the statue.Glenn Foster, the of the Freedom Neighborhood, has promoted multiple protests against the memorial set for the days surrounding the July 4 weekend. In some of...…Protesters plan to storm Washington, D.C., over Independence Day weekend with protests and demonstrations.Activists in the most high profile of these events plan to protest the Emancipation Memorial in Lincoln Park. The memorial, which leaders of the local collective the Freedom Neighborhood claimed they would topple last week, has become a subject of national interest, with many people making a case both for and against the statue.Glenn Foster, the of the Freedom Neighborhood, has promoted multiple protests against the memorial set for the days surrounding the July 4 weekend. In some of...WW…

Trump supporters clashed with protesters outside the White House on Saturday .The protesters, many of whom carried signs demanding the president respect the legacy of the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, chanted "racist scumbag" to combat the shouts of "four more years" coming from people decked out in Trump paraphernalia.Many of the Trump supporters previously attended the evangelical pastor Franklin Graham's March for Prayer, which also took place in Washington, D.C., earlier Saturday.Competing shouts of “four more years” and “racist scumbag” behind the White House. — Nic Rowan...…Trump supporters clashed with protesters outside the White House on Saturday .The protesters, many of whom carried signs demanding the president respect the legacy of the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, chanted "racist scumbag" to combat the shouts of "four more years" coming from people decked out in Trump paraphernalia.Many of the Trump supporters previously attended the evangelical pastor Franklin Graham's March for Prayer, which also took place in Washington, D.C., earlier Saturday.Competing shouts of “four more years” and “racist scumbag” behind the White House. — Nic Rowan...WW…

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case deciding if a lifetime ban on felons owning guns violates the Second Amendment.The court turned the case away in an unsigned order. It concerned the appeal of Ken Flick, a Georgia man who was convicted of a felony in 1987 for counterfeiting and importing cassette tapes. Under federal law, Flick is not allowed to own any firearms, a ban he disputed earlier this year before the court."While legislatures have wide latitude to define crimes and classify them as felonies, they are not free to cast people out from the Constitution's protection,"...…The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case deciding if a lifetime ban on felons owning guns violates the Second Amendment.The court turned the case away in an unsigned order. It concerned the appeal of Ken Flick, a Georgia man who was convicted of a felony in 1987 for counterfeiting and importing cassette tapes. Under federal law, Flick is not allowed to own any firearms, a ban he disputed earlier this year before the court."While legislatures have wide latitude to define crimes and classify them as felonies, they are not free to cast people out from the Constitution's protection,"...WW…

For nearly a decade, Justice Stephen Breyer has been brushing off calls for his retirement, and there’s no indication that he’ll give in any time soon.Breyer, 82, becomes famously prickly when the subject arises. Last March, he Axios that he doesn’t really think about retiring because “I enjoy what I’m doing.” In December, he the same question from Slate, saying only that he plans to retire “eventually.” More recently, Breyer on Tuesday broadly against attempts to politicize the high court in a speech to a Harvard Law School audience. Notably, he remained silent on the growing calls for him...…For nearly a decade, Justice Stephen Breyer has been brushing off calls for his retirement, and there’s no indication that he’ll give in any time soon.Breyer, 82, becomes famously prickly when the subject arises. Last March, he Axios that he doesn’t really think about retiring because “I enjoy what I’m doing.” In December, he the same question from Slate, saying only that he plans to retire “eventually.” More recently, Breyer on Tuesday broadly against attempts to politicize the high court in a speech to a Harvard Law School audience. Notably, he remained silent on the growing calls for him...WW…

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s strategy to wait out his scandals seems to be working.The embattled New York governor has receded from national headlines after dominating the news for much of March. His two dominant scandals, allegations of and mounting evidence of the coronavirus pandemic, early this month prompted Democratic lawmakers of all stripes to call for his resignation. Cuomo , arguing that he could ride the bad press out — and time may prove him right.Of course, Cuomo still faces a team of state Democrats leading an impeachment investigation against him and a separate investigation from...…Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s strategy to wait out his scandals seems to be working.The embattled New York governor has receded from national headlines after dominating the news for much of March. His two dominant scandals, allegations of and mounting evidence of the coronavirus pandemic, early this month prompted Democratic lawmakers of all stripes to call for his resignation. Cuomo , arguing that he could ride the bad press out — and time may prove him right.Of course, Cuomo still faces a team of state Democrats leading an impeachment investigation against him and a separate investigation from...WW…

ClosePresident Biden’s pick to lead his Health and Human Services Department once downplayed China’s human rights abuses amid a push to expand trade with the communist country.As a California congressman in 1997, Xavier Becerra helped lead a delegation of more than 20 House members on an economic mission to China. The trip came on the heels of a 1996 tour of Cuba where Becerra met with strongman Fidel Castro, a decision that among Cuban-American lawmakers.Becerra, California attorney general since 2017, faces considerable Republican opposition in his bid to be confirmed as HHS secretary.The...…ClosePresident Biden’s pick to lead his Health and Human Services Department once downplayed China’s human rights abuses amid a push to expand trade with the communist country.As a California congressman in 1997, Xavier Becerra helped lead a delegation of more than 20 House members on an economic mission to China. The trip came on the heels of a 1996 tour of Cuba where Becerra met with strongman Fidel Castro, a decision that among Cuban-American lawmakers.Becerra, California attorney general since 2017, faces considerable Republican opposition in his bid to be confirmed as HHS secretary.The...WW…

CloseFormer President Donald Trump consistently pulled rightward the West Coast’s most powerful federal court through his appointments. Now, as President Biden eyes the judiciary, he will have the chance to swing it back to the left.Since the election, a number of aging judges on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals have that they are preparing to take senior status, a state of semi-retirement that frees up the president to pick a replacement. These nine members were all appointed by then-President Bill Clinton, and for years, they gave the court a reliable liberal bent.Trump upended that...…CloseFormer President Donald Trump consistently pulled rightward the West Coast’s most powerful federal court through his appointments. Now, as President Biden eyes the judiciary, he will have the chance to swing it back to the left.Since the election, a number of aging judges on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals have that they are preparing to take senior status, a state of semi-retirement that frees up the president to pick a replacement. These nine members were all appointed by then-President Bill Clinton, and for years, they gave the court a reliable liberal bent.Trump upended that...WW…

CloseThe Supreme Court on Friday listed several high-profile election lawsuits for consideration at its mid-February conference.The cases include challenges to the 2020 election from Trump-aligned lawyers Lin Wood and Sidney Powell, as well as Republican Rep. Mike Kelly's Pennsylvania lawsuit. Nearly every lawsuit takes issue with the expanded use of mail-in ballots by many states.The decision came after the court to fast-track all election-related litigation in early January.In nearly every plea for expedition, lawyers backing former President Donald Trump told the court that if the cases...…CloseThe Supreme Court on Friday listed several high-profile election lawsuits for consideration at its mid-February conference.The cases include challenges to the 2020 election from Trump-aligned lawyers Lin Wood and Sidney Powell, as well as Republican Rep. Mike Kelly's Pennsylvania lawsuit. Nearly every lawsuit takes issue with the expanded use of mail-in ballots by many states.The decision came after the court to fast-track all election-related litigation in early January.In nearly every plea for expedition, lawyers backing former President Donald Trump told the court that if the cases...WW…

Protesters chanting Black Lives Matter slogans on Wednesday clashed with Capitol Hill police outside the fence erected last week to keep Congress safe during President-elect Joe Biden's transition to power.The group, which was attempting to tie a banner with the slogan "EXPEL ALL FASCISTS" to the fence, met strong resistance from the police, which ordered them to leave Capitol Hill because they were protesting without a permit. Protesters resisted and shouted at the police line. Capitol Hill police, as well as a contingent of the National Guard, pushed the group off the Hill before...…Protesters chanting Black Lives Matter slogans on Wednesday clashed with Capitol Hill police outside the fence erected last week to keep Congress safe during President-elect Joe Biden's transition to power.The group, which was attempting to tie a banner with the slogan "EXPEL ALL FASCISTS" to the fence, met strong resistance from the police, which ordered them to leave Capitol Hill because they were protesting without a permit. Protesters resisted and shouted at the police line. Capitol Hill police, as well as a contingent of the National Guard, pushed the group off the Hill before...WW…

The Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared to shun President Trump's Pennsylvania election challenge by setting the date for the state's response to Jan. 22 — two days after President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.Trump, who filed the suit on Monday, requested that the court expedite the case's proceedings and require Pennsylvania to respond by today. In a petition filed to the court, Trump's lawyers wrote that speeding up the timeline is essential "because once candidates have taken office, it will be impossible to repair election results tainted by illegally and belatedly cast or absentee...…The Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared to shun President Trump's Pennsylvania election challenge by setting the date for the state's response to Jan. 22 — two days after President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.Trump, who filed the suit on Monday, requested that the court expedite the case's proceedings and require Pennsylvania to respond by today. In a petition filed to the court, Trump's lawyers wrote that speeding up the timeline is essential "because once candidates have taken office, it will be impossible to repair election results tainted by illegally and belatedly cast or absentee...WW…