Political Headlines
Alabama State University receives Wall Street firm’s historic endowment assistance
Courtesy of Kayleigh Dunn(MONTGOMERY, Ala.) -- Alabama State University is partnering with private equity firm Neuberger Berman to manage the school's $125 million endowment – making it the largest such partnership between a Wall Street firm and a public historically Black college and university (HBCU) ever.The new relationship is a "blessing," according to ASU President Quinton T. Ross, Jr. He called the partnership overwhelmingly impactful for ASU."Through this partnership with Neuberger Berman, not only do we look at the long term stability of the institution, but also the investment in students who will be receiving scholarships for generations to come," Ross said. "Because of monies generated by our endowment, because of this partnership, we ensure that students are able to ... Read More
Democrats look to band together after Maryland’s bruising Senate primary
Marilyn Nieves/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Angela Alsobrooks emerged as the victor in a bruising Democratic Senate primary in Maryland -- and now the state's Democratic Party faces the challenge of reuniting to take on a formidable Republican opponent in the general election.Alsobrooks, a county executive in a Maryland suburb outside the nation's capital, defeated Rep. David Trone and now faces the daunting task of taking on a popular Republican challenger, Larry Hogan, a two-term former GOP governor.While Maryland is a deep blue state, Alsobrooks is not on a glide path to a Senate win. Experts tell ABC News that Democrats, wounded in the Alsobrooks-Trone battle, needs to realign to take on Hogan -- with nothing short of control of the U.S. ... Read More
Trump attends son Barron’s high school graduation on day off from court
FILE, Steven Hirsch-Pool/Getty Images(WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.) -- Former President Donald Trump attended his son Barron's high school graduation at Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach on Friday, after the judge overseeing his hush money trial in New York granted him a day off court to allow him to attend.It was a break from sitting in the courtroom for the former president, who, as a defendant, has been requited to attend his trial most days of the week over the past five weeks, except on Wednesdays when the court is not in session.The trial is usually in session on Fridays but Judge Juan Merchan canceled court this Friday to let Trump attend the graduation ceremony.Before arriving at the ceremony, Trump ... Read More
Biden announces new grants to further desegregate schools on Brown v. Board anniversary
Caroline Purser/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Joe Biden on Friday announced new grants aimed at further desegregating magnet schools, as he marked the 70th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling that desegregated America's public schools."My Department of Education is investing $300 million, including another $20 million announced today to support diversity in our schools," Biden said in remarks at an NAACP event at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.The $20 million in new grants is for school districts in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina and Texas, to create magnet programs geared toward "attracting students from different social, economic, ethnic and racial backgrounds," the White House said.The Education Department earlier this week ... Read More
Johnson disappointed that House committee meeting devolved into chaos over Greene’s ‘fake eyelash’ comments
ABC(WASHINGTON) -- Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday said he is disappointed in the chaos and name-calling that happened during a raucous House Oversight Committee markup on Thursday night when Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez clashed over Greene's comments that Rep. Jasmine Crockett wore "fake eyelashes.""It was not a good look for Congress," the speaker told ABC News. "We all -- I think -- need to control the emotions better and get the job done."Tension flared Thursday night during the committee's markup of a resolution to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over the audio recording of President Biden's interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur. However, the drama had nothing to do ... Read More
Pentagon’s temporary pier off Gaza is ready to begin delivering aid
U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary), U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, and Israel Defense Forces emplace the Trident Pier on the Gaza coast, May 16, 2024. -- U.S. Central Command Public Affairs(WASHINGTON) -- The Pentagon's temporary floating pier system was anchored onto a beach in Gaza on Thursday amid the Israel-Hamas war, and U.S. officials say humanitarian aid will begin flowing "in the coming days."Officials did, however, stress that while the pier -- formally called the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, capability -- will help bring aid to the strip, the real long-term solution in Gaza is to fully open the land routes so more aid can flow in.Pentagon officials said aid ... Read More
Harris accepts CBS News’ VP debate offer for the summer
Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Vice President Kamala Harris has accepted an offer from CBS News to participate in a vice-presidential debate this summer, the Biden campaign said Thursday.Harris accepted CBS News' proposed dates of July 23 or Aug. 13, the campaign said."The Biden-Harris campaign has informed CBS News that we accept the network's invitation to participate in a Vice Presidential debate, in studio, on either of two dates," the campaign said.Trump has not yet made his vice-presidential pick, thought several potential hopefuls appear to be working to get in the former president's good graces through participation in his fundraisers and attending his New York criminal trial.The news of the vice-presidential debate came a day after President Joe Biden ... Read More
Biden asserts executive privilege over audio of interview with special counsel Hur
Thinkstock/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- The Justice Department on Thursday informed House Republicans that President Joe Biden has formally asserted executive privilege over the audio of his interview with special counsel Robert Hur, a move that DOJ says effectively shields Attorney General Merrick Garland from any criminal exposure as the Republican lawmakers move toward trying to hold him in contempt of Congress.Citing what it describes as as "extraordinary" cooperation and "good faith" efforts to provide Republicans will all relevant materials from Hur's investigation into President Biden's handling of classified documents while out of office, the department argued disclosing the audio would set an untenable precedent where high-profile figures under criminal scrutiny would second-guess cooperating with the government in the future."The Attorney General ... Read More
Pentagon report to show significant drop in unwanted sexual contact in military
In this 2011 file photo, female U.S. Marines are shown marching. (Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- Soon to be released Pentagon figures will show a significant almost 19% reduction in the number of service members who say they have experienced some type of unwanted sexual contact over the previous survey conducted two years ago, according to a U.S. official.There was also a drop in the number of sexual assault reports involving service members filed last year, according to the official.Every two years, the U.S. military carries out an anonymous survey that Defense Department officials believe is a better indicator of the prevalence of sexual assault in the military than the annual reports where victims may be reluctant to step forward to ... Read More
After trying week, RFK Jr. brings Nicole Shanahan on campaign trail for rare appearance
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(AUSTIN, Texas) -- Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spent a week dogged by self-damaging rhetoric, leaving him to defend the state of his health and scramble to rework his position on abortion after facing dissent from within his own campaign.But on Monday, he had something to celebrate: the prospect that he had earned a spot on the ballot in Texas, a coup for an independent candidate in a state that forces independents to gather at least 113,000 signatures from registered voters across the state, a much larger haul than required in most states. The campaign delivered boxes of signatures to the Texas Secretary of State's Office, a spokeswoman for whom told ABC News the campaign's petition ... Read More
Senators unveil ‘roadmap’ for government-funded AI research, regulation
Drnadig via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- A bipartisan group of senators, led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, on Wednesday unveiled a "roadmap" for lawmakers aimed at guiding Congress on regulating artificial intelligence.They said the recommendations are a critical step as Congress considers legislation to increase innovation and safeguard against negative uses of the rapidly-evolving technology.The document called for a hefty increase in funding for AI innovation to be worked into Congress' annual funding process -- funding to the tune of $32 billion over several years, an amount recommended by the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence.That money, Schumer said during a news conference will help to "cement America's dominance in AI."Schumer said that separate funding, perhaps additional billions, will likely also ... Read More
Jury sworn in for bribery trial of New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez
Mint Images/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- A jury was selected and sworn in Wednesday for the bribery trial of Sen. Bob Menendez.Federal prosecutors in New York have alleged that the New Jersey Democrat accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in the form of cash, gold bars, mortgage payments and a luxury convertible in exchange for the senator's political clout. Three New Jersey businessmen who were also charged, along with the governments of Egypt and Qatar, were the alleged recipients.Menendez has pleaded not guilty to 16 federal charges including bribery, fraud, acting as a foreign agent and obstruction.The seated jury includes a retired economist, an occupational therapist who likes "hanging out with my dog," an attorney originally from Michigan and ... Read More
Senate considers making Black Wall Street a national monument
Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- More than 100 years after the nation's deadliest race massacre, the Senate is considering a bipartisan bill to grant national monument status to Greenwood, Oklahoma, also known as "Black Wall Street."In 1921, Black Wall Street was burned to ashes by white mobs who attacked the then-thriving and predominantly Black neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The state of Oklahoma originally recorded 36 deaths from the massacre; however, a 2001 state commission reported that the number killed was likely as high as 300 people.The bill has gained bipartisan support and has been introduced by Sens. Cory Booker and James Lankford. Ahead of Wednesday's hearing, Tulsa Race Massacre descendants were on Capitol Hill advocating for ... Read More
House GOP pushes bill to force Biden to continue transfer of weapons to Israel
Photo by Mike Kline (notkalvin)/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- House Republicans are pushing ahead with a bill to condemn President Joe Biden's approach to Israel and force him to send arms shipments, even after the administration notified Congress about a new $1 billion weapons deal to the U.S. ally.The developments come amid continued fallout from Biden's pause of a bomb shipment to Israel and his warning the U.S. won't supply weapons that could be used in an invasion of Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where more than a million civilians have sought shelter.Republicans have seized on the actions to attack Biden, accusing him of betraying Israel due to political pressure. The White House and many Democrats have countered the GOP-led bill ... Read More
How AAPI social media influencers are working to mobilize voters in 2024
Linh Nguyen is the executive director of nonpartisan nonprofit Run AAPI. -- ABC News(NEW YORK) -- As the largest growing group of eligible voters in the United States, the Asian American Pacific Islanders vote will be crucial in the upcoming election. In an effort to harness that vote, several organizations are launching campaigns with influencers who have large AAPI followings to mobilize voters ahead of November.Ameya Okamoto, a New York-based nail artist who specializes in bold, concept-driven sculpture nail art, is one of those influencers."I did nail art, kind of inspiring and calling to the Asian American community to kind of turn up for the midterms, which I think a lot of people don't think enough about," Okamoto said about ... Read More
‘No easy way out’: Biden faces anger from all sides as he navigates Israel-Hamas war
Scott Olson/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Joe Biden is taking heat from all sides as he faces what could be the most fraught moment in the Israel-Hamas war since fighting broke out seven months ago.A dizzying number of recent developments, both at home and abroad, have underscored the politically perilous path Biden finds himself on as he navigates criticism from Republicans and Democrats unhappy with his approach to the conflict.All this mixed up with his reelection campaign in which polls show voters say they trust Donald Trump to do a better job in the same tough situation."I think he's in a very precarious position," Guy Ziv, the associate director of American University's Center for Israel Studies, told ABC News.Aaron David Miller, ... Read More
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