Kamala Harris tops Newsom, Shapiro in early 2028 primary favorites: Poll
Vice President Kamala Harris is the favored choice among Democratic voters to lead the party in the 2028 presidential election, according to a new poll. Despite losing to President-elect Donald Trump earlier this month, Harris outpaces potential contenders like California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro by wide margins.
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Echelon Insights surveyed 1,010 likely voters between Nov. 14 and Nov. 18, 2024, finding that 41% of Democrats would back Harris in a hypothetical 2028 primary.
Newsom received 8% support, Shapiro received 7%, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, both tied at 6%. Other notable names included Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., at 4%, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at 3% and several others trailing below 2%.
Harris lost the 2024 presidential election, securing just 226 Electoral College votes to Trump’s 312. Trump also won the popular vote and swept key battleground states.
In her concession speech at Howard University, Harris emphasized resilience and called on Americans to “respect the results of the outcome.”
On the Republican side, 37% of GOP voters backed Vice President-elect JD Vance for 2028, with Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy tied at 9%. Ramaswamy has since been appointed to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency alongside business magnate Elon Musk.
Harris has not announced her political plans but has indicated she remains committed to public service. Sixteen percent of Democratic voters polled said they were undecided about their 2028 preferences.
John Kerry calls First Amendment ‘major block’ in holding media ‘accountable’
Polls indicate that Americans’ trust in the media is at an all-time low. Those on the Right often refer to much of what the mainstream media reports as “fake news,” while those on the Left characterize much of the reporting from the Right as a “disinformation” problem. However, the approach to resolving these concerns remains partisan.
This issue has come into sharper focus recently following comments by John Kerry, former secretary of state under President Obama, at a World Economic Forum conference. He described the First Amendment as “a major block” to achieving accountability in media reporting on facts.
Kerry’s remarks underscore the delicate balance between protecting free speech and addressing what different political factions consider fake news or disinformation.
“There’s a lot of discussion now on how to curb those entities to guarantee accountability on facts,” Kerry said. “But if people go to one source that has an agenda and puts out disinformation, our First Amendment stands as a major block to just hammer it out of existence.”
Kerry noted that the problem of disinformation is unique to democracies, where no single leader has the authority to define what constitutes factual information. He suggested that the upcoming elections in November could lead to changes, depending on the outcomes for Congress and the White House.
“What we need is to win the ground, win the right to govern, by hopefully winning enough votes that you’re free to implement change,” he said.
“We’re going to have to figure out how we reign in our media environment so you can’t just spew misinformation and disinformation,” she said. “It’s one thing to have differing opinions, but it’s another entirely to just say things that are false. So that’s something we’re looking into.”
The distrust in media and the search for solutions is not a new phenomenon in the United States. In 1949, lawmakers supported what became known as the Fairness Doctrine, motivated by concerns that the three main networks — NBC, ABC, and CBS — could misuse their broadcast licenses to promote a biased public agenda. The Federal Communications Commission enacted the Fairness Doctrine, requiring media outlets to cover controversial public issues and present multiple viewpoints.
The doctrine remained in effect for decades until it was abolished during President Ronald Reagan’s administration in 1987, amid concerns that it violated First Amendment rights.
Government shutdown is 2 weeks away. No deal in sight.
Congress is back to square one on government spending after Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., pulled a dead-on-arrival bill that would have kept the government open for six months, but also included non-spending related measures that Democrats found unacceptable. Without action, the government will shutdown Oct. 1.
“We’re just forgoing our duty, our sworn constitutional duty, really,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said. “It’s the one thing is to pass a budget, and we haven’t done it in 30 years.”
Here are the key disagreements preventing a deal.
Lawmakers have not agreed on how long a continuing resolution should last. A continuing resolution, or CR, temporarily keeps the government open at current levels while lawmakers work on a deal for the full fiscal year.
Johnson wanted a six month extension which would mean the next Congress and next president would handle it. Democrats want a three month extension, which would require the final deal to be approved before the end of this calendar year, during a lame-duck session.
“We are simply asking traditional Republicans to partner with House Democrats in a bipartisan way to find the common ground necessary to avoid a Donald Trump-inspired, extreme MAGA Republican shutdown,” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said.
Jeffries is trying to brand it a MAGA shutdown because Trump called for one on Truth Social if Republicans don’t get their way.
“If Republicans in the House, and Senate, don’t get absolute assurances on Election Security, THEY SHOULD, IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, GO FORWARD WITH A CONTINUING RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET,” Trump posted. “THE DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO “STUFF” VOTER REGISTRATIONS WITH ILLEGAL ALIENS. DON’T LET IT HAPPEN – CLOSE IT DOWN!!!”
Democrats want to keep non-spending related measures out of the bill. Republicans included the Save Act, which would require Americans to provide proof of citizenship to register to vote.
“When you start tacking on brand new bills, brand new pieces of legislation, onto what already exists, of course you’re going to start running into a problem,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said.
“I would say that we should probably do a CR and then reevaluate in probably January time frame,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said. “So I think that that would probably be the best solution, but only with the condition that Save Act is attached. If it’s not, no go.”
Luna thinks an omnibus bill is likely later this year. That’s one giant package that contains all spending, rather than breaking them up by subject or category. To get to that, Congress needs a CR this month.
“The speaker’s probably going to have to do what he did last time and the time before that, and what McCarthy did, which is work with the Democrats, who are the adults in the room, to keep the government open,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., said.
The House has just nine work days left and the Senate has 11 days until government funding expires. On that same day, Congress is scheduled to leave Washington for the entire month of October so members can campaign.
AOC files impeachment articles against Supreme Court justices Thomas, Alito
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has introduced articles of impeachment against conservative Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. The New York congresswoman is accusing them of what she calls “unchecked corruption” for refusing to recuse themselves from certain cases, like the recent decision to grant former President Donald Trump immunity, and improperly failing to disclose gifts from wealthy donors.
The resolutions highlight that both justices allegedly received lavish gifts from benefactors involved in or connected to cases before the Supreme Court. The articles against Thomas include an additional charge of refusing to recuse himself from matters involving his spouse’s financial interests.
The articles of impeachment are co-sponsored by progressive Reps. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y.
Thomas’ attorney previously stated that the justice has “always strived for full transparency and adherence to the law” and has “never accepted a gift from anyone with business before the Court.” Alito’s representatives have also rebutted allegations of financial conflicts of interest.
However, it is unlikely the justices will be impeached. A majority vote of 218 is required for the House to adopt the articles. Currently, Republicans hold 219 seats and Democrats hold 213, making the effort a long-shot.
President Biden to hold press conference as George Clooney, Sen. Welch call for a change
President Joe Biden is set to hold a press conference as George Clooney joins the calls for him to step aside. And the NBA scores big with its latest TV rights deal. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, July 11, 2024.
Biden to hold press conference as Clooney, Welch call for a change
President Joe Biden will hold his first solo press conference of the year Thursday, July 11. It’s also the first since his rocky performance in the June 27 presidential debate, as calls for him to step aside as the Democratic nominee continue to grow.
On Wednesday, July 10, it was Hollywood actor and longtime Democratic donor George Clooney calling for Biden to withdraw from the race. This happened just weeks after Clooney hosted a fundraiser for Biden’s campaign that brought in more than $30 million.
In an op-ed piece for The New York Times, Clooney wrote that the Biden he saw at the fundraiser was not the Biden of 2010 or 2020, saying, “He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.”
“As Democrats, we collectively hold our breath or turn down the volume whenever we see the president, whom we respect, walk off Air Force One or walk back to a mic to answer an unscripted question,” Clooney wrote. “Is it fair to point these things out? It has to be. This is about age. Nothing more. But also, nothing that can be reversed. We are not going to win in November with this president.”
Clooney joined a chorus of Democrats who have recently spoken up for Biden to drop out, including nine House members. And on Wednesday, Peter Welch of Vermont became the first Democratic senator to join the call.
Welch wrote in an op-ed in The Washington Post that Biden should step down for “the good of the country.”
“We need him to put us first, as he has done before. I urge him to do it now,” Welch said.
On Thursday afternoon, Democratic senators will meet with senior advisers from the Biden campaign as they look to express their concerns following the debate. Then the president’s press conference — dubbed by Bloomberg News and cited by the White House as a “big boy press conference” — will take place at 5:30 p.m. ET as the three-day NATO summit winds down in Washington.
NATO calls China “decisive enabler” of Russia’s war in Ukraine
In recent months, the U.S. and European leaders have accused China of bolstering Russia’s defense sector with supplies critical to rebuilding the Russian military. Beijing has denied the accusations.
“China provides dual use equipment, microelectronics, a lot of other tools which are enabling Russia to build the missiles, to build the bombs, to build the aircrafts, to build the weapons they’re using to attack Ukraine,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday, July 11, the second day of the NATO summit in Washington, D.C. “And the fact that this is now clearly stated, agreed by all NATO allies, is an important message to China. And then, of course, we also then state that it cannot continue like this.”
The NATO nations also affirmed the importance of their Indo-Pacific partners, which are not members of the alliance, with leaders from Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia joining the summit.
NATO and the Indo-Pacific partners said they plan to launch four joint projects including supporting Ukraine, bolstering cooperation on cyber defense, countering disinformation and working on artificial intelligence.
China is accusing NATO of overreaching and inciting confrontation in the Indo-Pacific region.
U.S. to resume shipping 500-pound bombs to Israel
The United States is resuming shipping 500-pound bombs to Israel after pausing the shipment of nearly 2,000 of them in mid-May. However, U.S. officials said they’ll continue to hold back on a delivery of much larger 2,000-pound bombs over concerns they could be used in densely populated areas of Gaza.
The U.S. is specifically concerned the large bombs would be used in Israel’s ground invasion of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have taken refuge since the war with Hamas began.
U.S. officials said the smaller 500-pound bombs had been put together in a shipment with the larger bombs, which is why they were delayed. They have since been separated and can now be sent to Israel.
AOC files impeachment articles against Supreme Court justices Thomas, Alito
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has introduced articles of impeachment against conservative Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. Ocasio-Cortez is accusing them of what she calls “unchecked corruption” for refusing to recuse themselves from certain cases, like the recent decision to grant former President Donald Trump immunity and improperly failing to disclose gifts from wealthy donors.
However, it’s unlikely the justices will be impeached. A majority vote of 218 is required for the House to adopt the articles. Currently in the House, Republicans hold 219 seats and Democrats hold 213.
Reports: NBA finalizes 11-year $76B deal with NBC, Amazon, Disney
TNT Sports, which has been airing the NBA since the 1980s, will have a five-day window to match one of the deals once the league shares the finished contracts.
The agreement, which breaks NBA records for length and value, would take effect for the 2025-2026 season.
‘Inside Out 2’ becomes Pixar’s highest-grossing movie of all time
There’s a whole lot of joy over at Pixar studios; its latest movie has made box office history. “Inside Out 2” is officially Pixar’s highest-grossing movie of all time.
So far, the film about a teenager’s emotions has earned $1.25 billion worldwide, passing “Incredibles 2,” which made $1.24 billion in its run. “Inside Out 2” now ranks as the fourth-highest grossing animated movie of all time.
The top spot currently belongs to Disney’s 2019 film “Frozen 2” which grossed $1.45 billion globally during its release.
Democrats call to expand Supreme Court after Trump immunity decision
Democrats are renewing their calls to expand the Supreme Court in the wake of the justices’ decision on presidential immunity. In a 6-3 decision Monday, July 1, the justices ruled presidents are entitled to absolute immunity from prosecution for actions that fall within their constitutional duties and presumptive immunity for official acts. However, the decision stated there is no immunity for unofficial acts.
Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., posted on social media, “The Supreme Court is broken. The remedy is clear. Expand the court.”
Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., called on the House to pass the Judiciary Act which would expand the court to 13 seats. It does not change the presidential nomination process.
It’s not clear exactly what Democrats will try and ultimately accomplish. However, it is clear they are going to make another effort at court reforms.
“House Democrats will engage in aggressive oversight and legislative activity with respect to the Supreme Court to ensure that the extreme, far-right justices in the majority are brought into compliance with the Constitution,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a statement.
“Today’s ultra-conservative Supreme Court majority ruled that not just Donald Trump, but future presidents, may be immune from abusing the levers of government to overturn an election or engage in other misconduct,” Durbin said in a statement.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., announced she intends to file articles of impeachment when the House returns, but she did not specify against whom.
“Today’s ruling represents an assault on American democracy,” Ocasio-Cortez stated. “It is up to Congress to defend our nation from this authoritarian capture.”
Everything Democrats are proposing, whether it be legislative or impeachment, would require a bipartisan vote in both the House and Senate, which is highly unlikely to happen. Democrats have tried each of the legislative proposals already and failed to get them across the finish line.
‘Fake eyelashes,’ ‘butch body’: Insults fly in congressional hearing
A House Oversight Committee hearing on Thursday, May 16, became degenerate when lawmakers resorted to name calling and insults. The hearing was hosted by Republicans as they seek to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress.
The behavior lasted for more than half an hour as lawmakers argued over Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s, R-Ga., comment about another lawmaker’s fake eyelashes.
“I think your fake eyelashes are messing up your reading,” Greene said to Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas.
That caused an strong reaction from Democrats who pointed out that it is against the rules of decorum to attack another member’s personal appearance.
“Oh girl, baby girl, don’t even play,” Ocasio-Cortez said to Greene.
The effort to hold Garland in contempt is in response to his decision not to turn over audio recordings of President Joe Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur.
Hur was the attorney who investigated the president’s handling of classified documents found at his home and personal office.
“That’s beneath even you Miss Greene,” ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said.
“That is absolutely unacceptable. How dare you attack the physical appearance of another person,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said.
“Are your feelings hurt?” Greene responded.
Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., then brought the out-of-control meeting to a halt.
“We’re suspending,” Comer said as he struck the gavel.
Democrats called for Greene’s comments to be removed from the record and she eventually agreed. However, the battle soon resumed.
“I’m not apologizing,” Greene said to Ocasio-Cortez. “Why don’t you debate me?”
“Yeah, you don’t have enough intelligence,” Greene said.
That caused a full yelling match.
When Comer tried to move on, Crockett, the target of the insult that started the conflict, chimed in.
“I’m just curious just to better understand your ruling,” Crockett said, referring to Greene. “If someone on this committee then starts talking about somebody’s bleach blond, bad-built butch body, that would not be engaging in personalities, correct?”
“A what now?” Comer responded.
The ordeal started after Democrats tried to refer Comer to the ethics committee for sending fundraising emails about his efforts to hold Merrick Garland in contempt.
Some watching this hearing may wish they were like Chairman Comer.
UAW to weigh whether Biden calls for Israel-Hamas cease-fire when deciding endorsement
Will the Israel-Hamas war stand in the way of President Biden getting the backing of one of the nation’s most powerful labor unions? Shawn Fain, the president of the United Auto Workers union, indicated the president’s policy on the Israel-Hamas war and whether he calls for a cease-fire will factor into the UAW board’s decision on endorsing him.
“That’s a decision the president has to make,” Fain said when asked if the president had talked to him about a cease-fire. “But our stance from day one of my administration has been that our endorsements will be earned, not freely given anymore.”
Fain made the statement at the U.S. Capitol building, where he appeared with Reps. Cori Bush, D-Mo., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. The group met there to call for a permanent cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.
“Thousands of our members have called with concerns about this issue,” Fain said. “That’s why we discussed this as a board. And it’s why we decided to weigh in on it. Because, you know, we have a lot of members that are concerned that we need a cease-fire and we need peace.”
Fain said there are many factors that play into the union’s endorsements, and he would not say if there is one single issue that will be determinative, even when asked directly.
“We still have a lot to talk about with our endorsements going forward,” Fain told Straight Arrow News. “We don’t have any decisions made yet. And that’ll play out, you know, as as the board meets and as our membership, as we discuss things with them. We’re not ready to even talk on that issue yet as far as what will and won’t determine an endorsement.”
Fain said the decision will be made by the UAW’s 14-member board in consultation with its members.
Israel-Hamas war: Some lawmakers blame Iran, others point at Israel
More than 1,300 people and counting have been killed and thousands more wounded after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel by land, sea and air over the weekend of Oct. 7. The casualties are from both Israel and Gaza.
Members of Congress are condemning the attacks, but there are key differences between statements from Democrats and Republicans.
What Democrats are saying:
Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., was in Tel Aviv with his wife and three children when the attack began and got out safely.
“At a minimum, Congress must replenish — and expand — the Iron Dome as soon as possible. I hope Republicans can get their House in order so we can pass emergency legislation to assist Israel in defending herself,” Goldman posted on X.
There is strong bipartisan support in Congress for Israel’s security and defense, however, the House can’t do anything until it elects a speaker. Based on its current schedule, that will take at least a week to do.
Other Democratic lawmakers put out statements that were, in part, critical of Israel.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., condemned Hamas’ attack and added, “this violence will not solve the ongoing oppression and occupation in the region.”
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., said she supports a path to peace.
“The path to that future must include lifting the blockade, ending the occupation, and dismantling the apartheid system that creates the suffocating, dehumanizing conditions that can lead to resistance,” Tlaib said.
What Republicans are saying:
Republicans are specifically placing blame on Iran, which supports Hamas with weapons, training and funding. Hamas has been on the State Department’s list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations since October 1997.
“I am convinced that this unprecedented and brutal attack by Hamas is not only supported by Iran, it was designed to stop peace efforts between Saudi Arabia and Israel,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said.
Graham is referring to efforts to normalize relations between the Arab and Jewish nations. Saudi Arabia had said on Friday, Oct. 6, it was willing to increase its oil production to help secure a deal in which it would recognize Israel in exchange for a U.S. defense agreement.
Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., called on the Biden administration to take action against Iran.
“This means the president needs to make major changes in personnel and policy. Just last month the administration unfroze $6 billion in Iranian funds, and just last week we learned that the administration is staffed by agents of an Iranian spy ring.”
The Biden administration waived sanctions to unfreeze $6 billion dollars of Iranian money in a deal to free five American prisoners. Smith was also referring to reporting in Iran International that revealed three staff members for the Biden administration’s envoy on Iran were part of an influence network led by the country’s Foreign Ministry.
The Biden administration said it has not seen direct involvement from Iran in these attacks but did state the nation is complicit. The national security team said it will continue to watch the situation closely.
“What I can say without a doubt is that Iran is broadly complicit in these attacks. Iran has been Hamas’ primary backer for decades,” U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer said on CBS mornings.
The president said his administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering. The Pentagon sent an aircraft carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean to assist Israel if necessary.
Calls for Sen. Bob Menendez resignation grow amid bribery charges
Calls for Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to resign have grown since being indicted on federal charges of bribery on Friday, Sept. 22. The indictment accused Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, of participating in a “years-long” bribery scheme with three New Jersey businessmen.
Since the indictment, members from both political parties have called for Menendez to resign, including well-known Democrats like Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Menendez has pushed back on the calls for his resignation.
Senator Menendez should resign.
He’s entitled to the presumption of innocence, but he cannot continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations.
I hope he chooses an honorable exit and focuses on his trial.
“Those who believe in justice believe in innocence until proven guilty,” Menendez said in a statement Friday. “I intend to continue to fight for the people of New Jersey with the same success I’ve had for the past five decades. This is the same record of success these very same leaders have lauded all along.”
The indictment alleges that Menendez and his wife accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from three New Jersey businesses to use his power to “protect and enrich them, and to benefit the Government of Egypt.”
While Menendez has said publicly he will not resign, as of Friday, Sept. 22, he has stepped down as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
In 2017, Menendez was charged in a bribery scheme that ended with a mistrial as a jury could not agree on a verdict. In that case, Menendez was accused of being involved in a bribery scheme with a doctor.
According to Friday’s indictment, during a search of the Menendez home, federal agents found $480,000 in cash, much of it stuffed in envelopes hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe, along with more than $100,000 worth of gold bars and a luxury car paid for by one of the businesses named in the indictment.
All defendants listed in the indictment are set to appear in a federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday, Sept. 27.
