Politics

New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered a blistering speech in defense of fellow Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, who was voted off of the House Foreign Affairs Committee by the Republican majority. She called out the hypocrisy and racism from the Republicans, noting that Paul Gosar and Marjorie Taylor Greene were rewarded with committee assignments despite their behavior.

In a video that was released on Tuesday, former President Donald Trump is seen appearing before New York Attorney Letitia James and her legal team for a deposition related to a civil fraud case against his organization. Trump would go on to invoke his Fifth Amendment right over 400 times, claiming "Anyone in my position not taking the Fifth Amendment would be a fool."

A financial disclosure submitted by the 2020 committee for the presidential campaign of Ye aka Kanye West showed that it paid close to $15,000 to white supremacist Nick Fuentes. When contacted by the press, Fuentes confirmed that it was for travel expenses. The filing with the Federal Election Committee also showed that the campaign paid out money to far-right activist Milo Yiannopoulous.

Arizona Democratic representative Ruben Gallego has officially announced a run for the Senate in 2024, directly challenging incumbent Senator Kyrsten Sinema for her seat. Sinema, currently an independent, left the Democratic Party last December amid criticisms (including Gallego's) of her centrist policies.

A former GOP candidate in New Mexico was arrested on Monday for his role in four targeted shootings at the homes of Democratic lawmakers. Solomon Peña was identified by Albuquerque police as the individual who hired four men to conduct the shootings, and is alleged to have taken part in one of them himself. Peña was a controversial figure who lost his election last November, but refused to accept the results.

New York Republican congressman George Santos is under fire for flashing a white nationalist hand symbol while on the floor of the House of Representatives last Thursday. The embattled congressman was observed doing so while voting for Rep. Kevin McCarthy to become speaker of the House.

Democrat Robert Garcia plans to use a vintage Superman #1 comic book when he's sworn-in to 118th United States Congress.

GOP Representative Kevin McCarthy went through a trying day yesterday in his attempt to become Speaker of the House of Representatives, losing the vote three times. He faces opposition within his own party from a group of 19 extremist members including Matt Gaetz and Lauren Boebert. McCarthy is determined and got some support from former President Donald Trump on social media.

U.S. Attorney Merrick Garland and the Department of Justice issued a memo last Friday directing federal prosecutors to revise rules and practices in pursuing convictions in drug cases. This move addresses the racial disparities that have targeted Black and Latinx defendants for years, leading to them receiving heavier sentences for possession of crack cocaine as opposed to those who possessed nearly twenty times that amount in powdered cocaine.

Representative Hakeem Jeffries was officially named the House Democratic Leader on Wednesday, making him the first Black person to lead a political party in either chamber of the Congress. He replaces Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, who had served in that role over for over 20 years.

Former president Donald Trump blasted "loser for our nation" Senator Mitch McConnell after the congressman stated that antisemitism & white supremacy had no place in the Republican Party on Tuesday. The comments came in an interview he had with Fox News later that day, in which he also again denied knowing who Fuentes was.

Former president Donald Trump held a dinner for Ye aka Kanye West and far-right activist and white supremacist Nick Fuentes last Tuesday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The pre-Thanksgiving event has caused a massive backlash, leading Trump to blame Ye for the meeting. Ye also claimed Trump insulted his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian at the dinner.