Speaker Johnson says restroom use in Capitol must line up with biological sex
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is enforcing a new policy requiring public bathroom use on the House side of the Capitol to line up with biological sex and not gender identity. The new rule comes as the first openly transgender person elected to Congress, Delaware Democratic Representative-elect Sarah McBride, prepares to be sworn in on Jan. 3.
During the week of Nov. 17, South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace introduced a resolution to bar transgender women from using female bathrooms and other gender-specific places in the Capitol, such as locker rooms.
“I want to make sure that no men are in women’s private spaces and it doesn’t end here… this shouldn’t be going on, on any federal property,” Mace said. “If you’re a school or an institution that gets government funding this kind of thing should be banned. I think it’s sick, it’s twisted.”
Mace said the bill is intended to “absolutely” target McBride.
“A man is a man and a woman is a woman, and a man cannot become a woman,” Johnson said.
Johnson also noted every House member’s office has its own private bathroom and that unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol.
Under House rules, the speaker has general control of facilities in the chamber, giving Johnson the authority to issue the policy surrounding bathrooms.
Rep. McBride responded in a statement that said in part, “I’m not here to fight about bathrooms. I’m here to fight for Delawareans and to bring down costs facing families. Like all members, I will follow the rules outlined by Speaker Johnson even if I disagree with them.”
I’m not here to fight about bathrooms. I’m here to fight for Delawareans and to bring down costs facing families. pic.twitter.com/bCuv7pIZBY
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., accused Republicans of bullying McBride.
“This is what we’re doing? This is the lesson that you’ve drawn from the election in November?” Jeffries said. “This is your priority, that you want to bully a member of Congress, as opposed to welcoming her to join this body so all of us can work together.”
It’s not clear now exactly how the policy will be enforced.
Dem super PAC plans GOP resistance event, Google hosting afterparty
Priorities USA, a top Democratic super PAC, is gathering digital activists in Washington, D.C., to evaluate its campaign efforts and strategize ways to oppose the Republican agenda. The meeting will conclude with a happy hour co-hosted by Google, sparking fresh debate over Big Tech’s political involvement.
The event, dubbed the 2024 Digital Retrospective, aims to analyze the organization’s digital mobilization efforts following Vice President Kamala Harris’ election loss.
According to an invitation obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, the summit will discuss lessons learned from the campaign and prepare for deeper planning sessions in the coming months.
Priorities USA’s major donors include billionaire financier George Soros and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The group spent $75 million on digital mobilization during the 2024 election cycle.
In the invitation, the super PAC quoted Harris’s concession speech.
“This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves,” the invitation said.
Google confirmed its role in hosting the post-meeting happy hour but distanced itself from the political discussions. A Google spokesperson said its political sales team regularly hosts events for advertisers on both sides of the aisle.
The involvement of Big Tech in political events has drawn attention amid growing scrutiny. President-elect Donald Trump has long accused Google of bias, claiming it manipulates search results to disadvantage him.
On the campaign trail, Trump pledged to address these concerns but ruled out breaking up the company, citing its importance in countering China.
Adding to the tension, Trump nominated former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to become his attorney general. Gaetz is a vocal supporter of antitrust legislation targeting Big Tech. He previously praised the Biden administration’s efforts to hold Google accountable.
The event highlights the intersection of corporate influence and political strategy as tech companies face mounting criticism from both sides of the aisle.
House Ethics Committee cancels meeting on Matt Gaetz investigation
The Republican-led House Ethics Committee canceled its meeting Friday, Nov. 15, over the investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, according to multiple outlets citing sources. Gaetz resigned from Congress earlier this week after President-elect Trump announced he’s nominating Gaetz for attorney general.
The meeting, which was scheduled for Friday morning, before Gaetz resigned from Congress. Among other topics, the meeting was to focus on the investigation into multiple allegations against Gaetz, including sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, accepting improper gifts, and obstruction.
The committee was set to vote on whether to release a report of the investigation. Now, there are calls from both sides of the aisle to make the results of the investigation public anyhow, especially from senators who will be tasked with whether to approve Gaetz’s nomination.
Ethics Committee Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) said earlier this week their investigation would end now once Gaetz was no longer a member of Congress.
More than one week after Election Day, we still don’t know who has control in the U.S. House of Representatives. However, Republicans are very confident they’ll be in the majority once all the races are called.
As of Wednesday, Nov. 13, The Associated Press projected Republicans winning 216 seats, while Democrats only have 207.
Twelve races have not officially been called yet. The GOP would only need two of those uncalled races to keep control of the House.
California has the largest number of uncalled House races with six. This is due to California requiring mail-in ballots be postmarked by Election Day, or Nov. 5. County elections offices can receive them up to seven days after the election.
Other states where a congressional seat is up in the air include Ohio, Maine, Arizona, Iowa, Oregon and Alaska.
Decision Desk HQ has Republicans with 219 seats to Democrats 211, with five seats undecided. That tally would give the GOP the majority in the House.
As the counting continues, Republicans in D.C. are proceeding as if they’ve won.
Republicans, Democrats push vastly different platforms in battle for the House
While the presidential election is getting most of the national attention, there is a fierce battle this election cycle for control of the House of Representatives. Republicans are trying to hold on to their slim majority.
Republicans currently occupy 220 seats. Democrats have 213 representatives. There are also two vacancies. Democratic leaders are pushing the idea that they only need to flip four seats to take back control of the House.
This week, at a speech at the New York Stock Exchange, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., laid out five main policy points, saying, “the survival of the American dream depends on our victory.”
The five priorities for the GOP are:
Enhanced tax breaks including the need for a child tax credit.
Confronting China.
Rolling back environmental regulations.
Education such as school choice.
Cutting the national debt by reducing the size of the federal government.
Democrats recently outlined their key platforms at the national convention. Restoring abortion rights and advancing green energy initiatives, in order to create jobs while slowing climate change, are on the list.
Other priorities include, capping child care costs for low-income families and urging Congress to approve a pathway to citizenship for immigrants who have been in the United States long term, but are here illegally.
All 435 seats in the House are up for election in November.
Long COVID Research Moonshot Act would allocate $10B toward illness
The COVID-19 pandemic may be over. However, for millions of Americans still suffering from the lingering health effects of COVID-19 infections, the fight to recover continues.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is hoping to help those Americans who have been diagnosed with a condition known as long COVID, which can follow COVID-19 cases. She is reportedly introducing a bill on Friday, Sept. 27, dedicating $10 billion to help treat the disease and fund research to discover a cure.
Omar’s Long COVID Research Moonshot Act is a companion bill to that of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who introduced his bill to the U.S. Senate in August. Omar said that funding and research are much needed.
“Long COVID is a silent health crisis impacting over twenty-three million Americans, including one million children,” Omar wrote in a statement.
The bill would establish a research program within the National Institutes of Health to better understand the illness by compiling a database, establishing an advisory board, and developing a grant process to speed up clinical trials related to long COVID research.
The legislation would also send money toward public education and care clinics for long COVID, particularly focusing on communities of color and the disabled, who are reportedly disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
Additionally, new treatments developed through the act would need to be more easily accessible and affordable for patients.
Advocates for long COVID patients called on U.S. Congress to pass this bill in the hopes that it will fund vital research.
However, it’s not the first attempt by members of Congress to get long COVID legislation passed. In 2022, the Treat Long COVID Act failed to make it out of committee despite 41 cosponsors, which Omar unsuccessfully reintroduced in 2023. The bill would have prioritized grants to clinics focusing on long COVID and related conditions.
Long COVID is often associated with debilitating fatigue, and it’s been linked to other infectious diseases, according to researchers.
Lawmaker, FCC commissioner clash over Trump call to strip ABC’s license
A House Democrat and senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission went head to head Thursday, Sept 19. Their argument was over former President Donald Trump’s call to strip ABC’s broadcast license following his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Since the debate on Sept. 10, Trump said ABC was dishonest for how the moderators handled the debate. Trump appeared on Fox News Channel’s “Gutfeld!” Wednesday, Sept. 18.
“I think my only regret is that I wanted to be elegant, and I didn’t want to go after the anchors,” Trump said. “I wish I did, in a way.”
Representative Ro Khanna, D-Calif., questioned Republican Commissioner Brendan Carr about the comments Trump made after the debate. Khanna and Carr continued to talk over each other, while going back and forth.
“Let me try one last time, based on the debate, did you think that the questions were unfair or rigged in a way that calls for ABC’s license to be revoked the way President Trump has been very clear,” Khanna said. “I respect he’s very clear on his view. Do you agree or disagree with his view? It’s a yes or no.”
“I think my position has been very clear going back to 2017,” Carr responded. “I maintained a very consistent position, but if your concern is weaponization, we should talk about that. When President Biden stood at the White House podium and said Elon Musk is worth being looked at and then all of a sudden the FCC abruptly reversed is a 2020 decision to get him $885 million to bring broadband to 640,000 people. I think that’s concerning. When Democrats in Congress write letters to cable companies, ask him to drop Fox News because of the decisions. I think that’s concerning.”
“I think you’ve seen from my record a consistent pattern of always basing my decisions at the FCC based on the law, the facts and the First Amendment,” Carr continued. “That’s what I’ve done. That’s what I’ll always do.”
ABC has not responded to Trump’s comments. This week, the network released viewership numbers, reporting that “World News Tonight with Daivd Muir” grew by 9% compared to the same time last year.
Iranian hackers sent stolen Trump campaign info to Biden campaign staffers: FBI
Both parties are responding after the FBI said Iranian hackers sent stolen information from the Trump campaign to members of President Biden’s campaign. And a second round of explosions in Lebanon — this time involving walkie-talkies — leaves at least 20 dead. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024.
FBI: Iranian hackers sent stolen Trump campaign info to Biden campaign staffers
Iranian hackers stole information from former President Donald Trump’s campaign over the summer and sent it to people affiliated with then-Democratic candidate President Joe Biden’s campaign. That’s according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, FBI, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
The statement said there is no indication Biden’s campaign ever replied to the emails.
A spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign said a few individuals were targeted on their personal emails but were not aware of any material being sent directly to the campaign. Her campaign also said it condemns any effort by foreign actors to interfere in U.S. elections.
During a rally in Uniondale, New York Wednesday night, Sept. 18, former President Trump addressed the hack.
“Iran hacked into my campaign,” he told his supporters. “I don’t know what the hell they found. I’d like to find out, couldn’t have been too exciting, but they gave it to the Biden campaign. I can’t believe it. Oh yes, I can. But this is really foreign election interference. This is real election interference.”
U.S. officials said this was just one of several attempts by Iran to “undermine the confidence of our electoral process.” Earlier this year, it was reported that Iranian-backed hackers stole Trump campaign documents and shared them with news agencies including Politico, The New York Times, and the Washington Post.
The Iranian government has denied the allegations of meddling in the U.S. elections.
It’s not only Iran as Microsoft said this week that Russia has targeted Vice President Harris’ campaign by spreading conspiracy theories online.
Executives from tech companies including Meta, Microsoft, and Alphabet testified in a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Wednesday on foreign threats to U.S. elections.
Microsoft President Brad Smith said while the presidential race is between Trump and Harris, it has become an election of “Iran versus Trump and Russia versus Harris.”
Second wave of explosions hit Lebanon; Israel declares ‘new era’ of war
Like the pager explosions on Tuesday, Sept. 17, that left a dozen people dead and thousands hurt, the walkie-talkie explosions are believed to have been orchestrated by Israel, according to the United States and other countries briefed on the incident.
Israel has not commented but the country’s military leader did say a “new era” of war is beginning and said its “center of gravity is moving north,” potentially a reference to Israel’s border with Lebanon.
The attacks, which are believed to have been targeting Hezbollah, have left dozens of fighters and civilians dead.
Israel, a key ally to the U.S., did warn Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday it was going to carry out an operation in Lebanon, but multiple sources familiar with the matter said details were not given.
Teamsters union not endorsing a 2024 presidential candidate
The Teamsters have opted not to endorse former President Trump or Vice President Harris in the 2024 presidential election. It’s the first time in decades the union has chosen not to endorse any candidate.
The decision came just two days after union leaders met with Harris and months after meeting with Trump.
While opting not to endorse anyone, the Teamsters did release data from internal surveys showing most of its members support Trump (59%) over Harris (34%).
House GOP fails to pass Johnson’s stopgap funding bill
Three Democrats crossed the aisle to vote in favor of the stopgap bill, but 14 Republicans voted against it, ultimately causing it to fail. Johnson said afterward he’d draft a new bill to keep the government funded past Oct. 1.
Body found during search for Kentucky highway shooter
Authorities had been searching for 32-year-old Joseph Couch since Sept. 7, when police say Couch shot and injured five people on Interstate 75.
On Wednesday afternoon, the remains were found by two state troopers alongside two civilians who said they were trying to help find the suspect. The troopers were drawn to the site after noticing vultures circling above and a strong odor in the search area.
Authorities said a weapon was discovered alongside the body believed to be Couch. The remains have been sent to the coroner’s office for positive identification.
Lionsgate announces deal with AI company Runway to ‘augment’ films
Artificial intelligence is coming to a theater near you. Lionsgate — the studio behind film franchises like “John Wick” and “The Hunger Games” has announced a deal with AI research company Runway, whose backers include Google and chipmaker NVIDIA.
The deal involves Runway’s creation and training of a new AI model that Lionsgate’s filmmakers can use to “augment their work.” Lionsgate said it expects to save “millions and millions of dollars” using Runway’s technology.
Lionsgate Vice Chair Michael Burns said AI is seen as a great tool for “enhancing and supplementing” the studio’s current operations. Burns told The Wall Street Journal, “We do a lot of action movies, so we blow a lot of things up and that is one of the things Runway does.”
Hezbollah blames Israel for deadly pager explosions
Hezbollah is blaming Israel after pagers used by the militant group exploded killing at least nine people and injuring thousands. And former President Donald Trump holds his first campaign event since the second apparent assassination attempt on his life. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024.
Hezbollah blames Israel for deadly pager explosions
Multiple explosions in Lebanon have killed at least nine people and left nearly 3,000 injured. Explosives inside pagers used by the militant group Hezbollah were set off Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 17.
The Iran-backed group blames Israel for the attack. Hezbollah said an 8-year-old was among those killed and Iran’s envoy to Beirut was among the injured.
Sources told Reuters Israel’s Mossad spy agency had planted the explosives inside 5,000 pagers. An American source and other officials confirmed to the New York Times that Israel was behind the operation.
The pagers appeared to be from Taiwan-based Gold Apollo. In a statement released Wednesday, Sept. 18, Gold Apollo said they were manufactured by another company based in Budapest that was authorized to use Gold Appollo’s brand.
Hezbollah fighters have been using pagers to bypass Israeli location-tracking following a warning by group leaders earlier this year saying cell phones were more dangerous than Israeli spies.
Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate against Israel.
Hezbollah and Israel began exchanging strikes shortly after Hamas’ deadly terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Tuesday’s blasts add to the growing concern over a larger war in the Middle East.
Secretary of State of Antony Blinken will be in Egypt Wednesday to work on securing a cease-fire agreement to put an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas and see the release of the hostages who remain in Gaza.
Trump, Harris both use assassination attempt to highlight policy proposals
Former President Donald Trump was back on the campaign trail Tuesday, holding his first event since the second apparent attempt on his life over the weekend. During a town hall in Flint, Michigan Trump told Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders the assassination attempts are proof his policy proposals are powerful.
“It’s a dangerous business however, being president,” Trump said. “It’s a little bit dangerous. It’s, you know, they think racecar driving is dangerous. No. They think bull-riding, that’s pretty scary, right? No, this is a dangerous business and we have to keep it safe.”
He later added, “You know, only consequential presidents get shot at.”
Trump also said both President Joe Biden and, his opponent in the 2024 presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris called him after the assassination attempt, saying it was “very nice” and he appreciated it.
“Not everybody has Secret Service,” Harris said, “and there are far too many people in our country right now who are not feeling safe. I mean, I look at Project 2025 and I look at the ‘don’t say gay laws’ coming out of Florida. Members of the LGBTQ community don’t feel safe right now. Immigrants or people with an immigrant background don’t feel safe right now. Women don’t feel safe right now.”
Both candidates are focusing on swing areas that could decide the election, which is expected to be a close one.
Trump is set to campaign in New York, Washington, D.C., and North Carolina this week. Harris will also stop in Washington as well as Michigan and Wisconsin in the coming days.
Speaker Johnson to bring spending bill up for vote
House Speaker Mike Johnson is expected to put his short-term spending plan up for a vote Wednesday, though there are signs it will not get the GOP support needed to pass.
Johnson previously pulled a stopgap bill that was coupled with the SAVE Act — which would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections — after it became clear it was unlikely to get enough Republican approval to pass. House Democrats also opposed the plan, though it would keep the government funded through most of March.
Congress has until the end of September to pass at least a temporary measure keeping the government open, otherwise a shutdown looms Oct. 1.
Federal Reserve expected to cut interest rates for first time since 2020
The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates for the first time since 2020. However, it’s not yet known by how much.
Straight Arrow News Business Correspondent Simone Del Rosario has a closer look here.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs denied bail in racketeering, sex trafficking case
Sean “Diddy” Combs has been denied bail and will remain in custody as he faces serious charges, including sex trafficking, racketeering, conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Authorities say Combs will be held by himself at a “special housing unit” in a detention center in Brooklyn.
In a federal courtroom in New York City on Tuesday, Combs pleaded not guilty to the charges he’s facing. Prosecutors allege that Combs used his business empire to force women into engaging in sexual acts with professional sex workers and himself.
Prosecutors allege that in late 2023, following public accusations of these crimes, Combs and his associates attempted to pressure victims into silence through bribery.
If convicted on all charges, Combs faces decades in prison.
Billie Jean King to make history as Congressional Gold Medal recipient
Tennis hall of famer Billie Jean King is being recognized with a prestigious Congressional Gold Medal for her efforts on and off the tennis court.
The measure had already passed the Senate and on Tuesday night, it passed the House, making Billie Jean King the first individual female athlete to ever receive the congressional honor.
🚨 History made! 🚨 The House just passed my bipartisan, bicameral bill to award my friend, @BillieJeanKing, legendary athlete, and ardent advocate, the Congressional Gold Medal, making her the first female athlete to ever receive this honor—yet another iconic trailblazing moment… pic.twitter.com/kbkkym0aVN
“Mister speaker, it is now time to enshrine Billie Jean King’s legacy as not only a champion of tennis, but a champion of equality whose impact will continue to inspire women and girls and people across America and across the world,” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) said before the measure was passed.
After receiving the news that she would receive the Congressional Gold Medal, King took to X to say, “Thank you. I am deeply humbled and honored.”
Democrats propose strict rules on sports betting, including limits on deposits
Sports betting exploded into an $11 billion a year industry since the Supreme Court effectively legalized it in 2018. Two lawmakers on Capitol Hill say sports betting has gone too far without proper safeguards, and they want to treat it like an addictive product that is no different from alcohol or tobacco.
Rep. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., introduced the Safe Bet Act, which creates federal safety standards for states that allow sports betting.
They call it a comprehensive public health law.
“Every single solitary moment of every sporting event across the globe has become a betting opportunity,” Rep. Tonko said. “This relationship between the gambling industry and sports has reached intolerably dangerous levels, and it’s well past time for Congress to just to step up and make a difference.”
The Safe Bet Act covers three main categories: affordability, artificial intelligence and advertising.
The bill would require operators to conduct affordability checks, limit deposits to five times in 24 hours and prohibit deposits by credit card. It puts the responsibility on the sports books to not serve customers who are chasing losses.
In addition, the bill prohibits sports books from collecting data on customers and offering custom promos and deals based on their habits. It also bans micro bets and prop bets.
The bill also requires that advertisements be played only in times and spaces when children are unlikely to be in the audience. It limits the ads to brand awareness rather than inducement. In other words they cannot show audiences how to gamble.
“Just like you don’t see people drinking in alcohol ads, we shouldn’t see celebrities teaching you their favorite parlay in sports book advertising,” Tonko said.
The bill also creates a general nationwide prohibition against sports betting unless states get an application approved by the Department of Justice.
The lawmakers tried to get ahead of likely claims that the bill goes too far. They said they are not telling states what to do, they are just setting a floor of minimum standards.
“We’re not banning gambling,” Blumenthal said. “We’re banning practices that exploit and abuse people who legitimately want to gamble.”
Gordon Douglas shared his son Andrew’s story in support of the bill.
Andrew Douglas was 28 when he became addicted to sports betting. It started as a way to relieve stress but he got hooked on the feeling and would do anything to get the money he needed to place bets.
“It destroyed our relationship, because, like any addiction, he needed more and more to fuel it,” Gordon Douglas said. “He became a different person that would say anything to get money to gamble.”
