The committee is eliminating the donor threshold, which had functionally barred Bloomberg from the stage.Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg. | Sue Ogrocki, File/AP PhotoThe Democratic National Committee is drastically revising its criteria to participate in primary debates after New Hampshire, doubling the polling threshold and eliminating the individual donor requirement, which could pave the way for former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg to make the stage beginning in mid-February.Candidates will need to earn at least 10 percent in four polls released from Jan. 15 to Feb....…The committee is eliminating the donor threshold, which had functionally barred Bloomberg from the stage.Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg. | Sue Ogrocki, File/AP PhotoThe Democratic National Committee is drastically revising its criteria to participate in primary debates after New Hampshire, doubling the polling threshold and eliminating the individual donor requirement, which could pave the way for former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg to make the stage beginning in mid-February.Candidates will need to earn at least 10 percent in four polls released from Jan. 15 to Feb....WW…

Secretaries of state will be on the ballot in five of the 10 closest presidential battlegrounds next year.Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger speaks during a news conference on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, in Atlanta. | Brynn Anderson/APDonald Trump transformed these once-obscure officials into either the enemies — or the saviors, as most would have it — of American democracy. Now, campaigns for secretary of state are becoming the next major arena of nationwide political combat.Sitting secretaries and political groups are preparing for a flood of candidates, money and attention into...…Secretaries of state will be on the ballot in five of the 10 closest presidential battlegrounds next year.Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger speaks during a news conference on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, in Atlanta. | Brynn Anderson/APDonald Trump transformed these once-obscure officials into either the enemies — or the saviors, as most would have it — of American democracy. Now, campaigns for secretary of state are becoming the next major arena of nationwide political combat.Sitting secretaries and political groups are preparing for a flood of candidates, money and attention into...WW…

In audio from a Saturday phone call, the president is heard urging the officials to reverse his loss.President Donald Trump was heard saying: "There’s nothing wrong with saying that, you know, um, that you’ve recalculated.” | Tasos Katopodis/Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump’s effort to pressure Georgia officials to “find” enough votes to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory could run afoul of federal and state criminal statutes, according to legal experts and lawmakers, who expressed alarm at Trump’s effort to subvert democracy with less than three weeks left in his term.“We have...…In audio from a Saturday phone call, the president is heard urging the officials to reverse his loss.President Donald Trump was heard saying: "There’s nothing wrong with saying that, you know, um, that you’ve recalculated.” | Tasos Katopodis/Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump’s effort to pressure Georgia officials to “find” enough votes to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory could run afoul of federal and state criminal statutes, according to legal experts and lawmakers, who expressed alarm at Trump’s effort to subvert democracy with less than three weeks left in his term.“We have...WW…

Georgia is at the center of the effort, with state Republicans discussing voter ID changes and other new policies after Biden won the state.Voters wait in line to cast their ballots in Georgia's Senate runoff elections at a senior center Jan. 5 in Acworth, Ga. | Branden Camp/APRepublican legislators across the country are preparing a slew of new voting restrictions in the wake of former President Donald Trump’s defeat.Georgia will be the focal point of the GOP push to change state election laws, after Democrats narrowly took both Senate seats there and President Joe Biden carried the state...…Georgia is at the center of the effort, with state Republicans discussing voter ID changes and other new policies after Biden won the state.Voters wait in line to cast their ballots in Georgia's Senate runoff elections at a senior center Jan. 5 in Acworth, Ga. | Branden Camp/APRepublican legislators across the country are preparing a slew of new voting restrictions in the wake of former President Donald Trump’s defeat.Georgia will be the focal point of the GOP push to change state election laws, after Democrats narrowly took both Senate seats there and President Joe Biden carried the state...WW…

The Census Bureau said in a statement on Saturday it has agreed not to release data used to apportion congressional seats until after "the change of [a]dministration" on Jan. 20.The U.S. Census logo appears on census materials received in the mail. | Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesOutgoing President Donald Trump’s plan to exclude undocumented immigrants from the census totals used to apportion congressional seats is officially dead.The Census Bureau announced Saturday that data on apportionment — and a related calculation of the number of undocumented immigrants Trump has specifically...…The Census Bureau said in a statement on Saturday it has agreed not to release data used to apportion congressional seats until after "the change of [a]dministration" on Jan. 20.The U.S. Census logo appears on census materials received in the mail. | Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesOutgoing President Donald Trump’s plan to exclude undocumented immigrants from the census totals used to apportion congressional seats is officially dead.The Census Bureau announced Saturday that data on apportionment — and a related calculation of the number of undocumented immigrants Trump has specifically...WW…

In a statement to POLITICO, Jerome Marcus condemned the rioting on Wednesday.A supporter of President Trump watches a message asking violent protesters to go home on Jan. 6, 2021 in Salem, Oregon. | Nathan Howard/Getty ImagesAn attorney representing President Donald Trump’s campaign in a Pennsylvania-based lawsuit asked the court that he be allowed to withdraw from the case, calling the president’s actions “repugnant” and criminal.Jerome Marcus, a Merion Station, Pa.-based attorney, filed a motion to withdraw from the case on Thursday morning.Marcus requested the court let him withdraw,...…In a statement to POLITICO, Jerome Marcus condemned the rioting on Wednesday.A supporter of President Trump watches a message asking violent protesters to go home on Jan. 6, 2021 in Salem, Oregon. | Nathan Howard/Getty ImagesAn attorney representing President Donald Trump’s campaign in a Pennsylvania-based lawsuit asked the court that he be allowed to withdraw from the case, calling the president’s actions “repugnant” and criminal.Jerome Marcus, a Merion Station, Pa.-based attorney, filed a motion to withdraw from the case on Thursday morning.Marcus requested the court let him withdraw,...WW…

Save America, Trump's new political group, launched in the aftermath of Trump's 2020 election loss.Save America, a leadership PAC created in the aftermath of the 2020 election, is set to play a key role in former President Donald Trump’s plans to keep a strong hand in party politics. | Pete Marovich - Pool/Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump amassed $31.2 million in his new political operation by the end of 2020, giving him a powerful tool to keep the Republican Party in his grip as he left office.Save America, a leadership PAC created in the aftermath of the 2020 election, is set to...…Save America, Trump's new political group, launched in the aftermath of Trump's 2020 election loss.Save America, a leadership PAC created in the aftermath of the 2020 election, is set to play a key role in former President Donald Trump’s plans to keep a strong hand in party politics. | Pete Marovich - Pool/Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump amassed $31.2 million in his new political operation by the end of 2020, giving him a powerful tool to keep the Republican Party in his grip as he left office.Save America, a leadership PAC created in the aftermath of the 2020 election, is set to...WW…

Weary election workers are preparing for the races on strained resources, two months after Joe Biden's narrow Georgia win.Fulton County elections staffers work with voters during early voting in the states runoff election Dec. 16 at Chastain Park Gymnasium in Atlanta. | Alyssa Pointer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via APGeorgia’s election administrators are fighting bizarre conspiracy theories, ballooning costs and coronavirus-related staffing problems as they prepare for the state’s contentious, nationally watched Senate runoffs next week.In interviews, eight Georgia election officials —...…Weary election workers are preparing for the races on strained resources, two months after Joe Biden's narrow Georgia win.Fulton County elections staffers work with voters during early voting in the states runoff election Dec. 16 at Chastain Park Gymnasium in Atlanta. | Alyssa Pointer/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via APGeorgia’s election administrators are fighting bizarre conspiracy theories, ballooning costs and coronavirus-related staffing problems as they prepare for the state’s contentious, nationally watched Senate runoffs next week.In interviews, eight Georgia election officials —...WW…

The four candidates combined to raise more than $340 million.The massive fundraising for, from left, Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff was driven largely by small-dollar donations. | Brynn Anderson/AP PhotoDemocrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock shattered fundraising records by hauling in more than $100 million each in the past two months, significantly outraising GOP Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in the final stretch of the two Georgia Senate races that will decide control of the chamber next month.The massive fundraising for the two Democrats was driven largely by...…The four candidates combined to raise more than $340 million.The massive fundraising for, from left, Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff was driven largely by small-dollar donations. | Brynn Anderson/AP PhotoDemocrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock shattered fundraising records by hauling in more than $100 million each in the past two months, significantly outraising GOP Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in the final stretch of the two Georgia Senate races that will decide control of the chamber next month.The massive fundraising for the two Democrats was driven largely by...WW…

Advocates are telling senators they can enact civil rights laws or keep the filibuster, but not both.Rev. Al Sharpton has been trying to put pressure on Democratic senators unwilling to end the filibuster. | Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty ImagesBlack civil rights leaders, voting rights advocates and elected officials are ramping up their lobbying of Senate Democrats to nix the filibuster, arguing that they can keep the rule in place or pass voting rights legislation, but not both.In a half-dozen interviews, top officials framed the choice as existential for a party that depends on Black and...…Advocates are telling senators they can enact civil rights laws or keep the filibuster, but not both.Rev. Al Sharpton has been trying to put pressure on Democratic senators unwilling to end the filibuster. | Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty ImagesBlack civil rights leaders, voting rights advocates and elected officials are ramping up their lobbying of Senate Democrats to nix the filibuster, arguing that they can keep the rule in place or pass voting rights legislation, but not both.In a half-dozen interviews, top officials framed the choice as existential for a party that depends on Black and...WW…