US politics

US politics

In a move that was totally expected, Trump's Justice Department has joined the lawsuit to block the enactment of the California redistricting measure Prop 50 that would likely hand Democrats five more US House seats. The lawsuit was already filed last week by the California Republican Party, and now the Trump administation is joining in, claiming that the new state district map unfairly favors Hispanic voters. [NBC Bay Area]

When high-powered Democratic attorney Kathryn Ruemmler - now the top lawyer at Goldman Sachs - needed to vent about Donald Trump's rise in politics, she turned to their mutual acquaintance, Jeffrey Epstein. "Trump is living proof of the adage that it is better to be lucky than smart," she told Epstein in an email in August 2015, while planning a visit to his Manhattan mansion.

Within hours, there were reports about Epstein's correspondence with Steve Bannon, Larry Summers, and Michael Wolff. One Epstein e-mail suggested, but offered no proof, that Trump "knew about the girls," many of whom were later found by investigators to have been underage. Another missive from Epstein implied, mysteriously, that he had spent the first Thanksgiving of Trump's Presidency in Palm Beach, in close proximity to him, years after the two had supposedly broken off all contact. Several other e-mails also hinted at ongoing ties.

United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has formally announced the launch of a US military operation to target so-called narco-terrorists as Washington's large-scale build-up of troops, warships and fighter jets continues in Latin America. Today, I'm announcing Operation SOUTHERN SPEAR. Led by Joint Task Force Southern Spear and @SOUTHCOM, this mission defends our Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people, Hegseth said in a post on X.

"Everybody has been trying to say to her, 'Why today?' We have really focused, important work to do today,' one House Democrat who was on the floor at the time told Axios. Clark, the lawmaker explained, 'was trying to ... say [to Gluesenkamp Perez], 'You don't need to do this right now.'"

The deal Congress reached to re-open the federal government requires the Trump administration to reinstate federal workers who were fired in October, including those charged with overseeing the nation's special education laws. But it's not clear how long they'll be back. As NPR has reported, the Office for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) inside the U.S. Department of Education is the central nervous system for programs that support students with disabilities.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently issued a notice of proposed rulemaking proposing a regulatory rule to change the process by which cap-subject H-1B status applicants are selected by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for eligibility to file H-1B petitions in its annual lottery. This substantive change is part of the department's ongoing efforts to overhaul the H-1B system, including a $100,000 application fee.

If you appreciate the Mercury's interesting and useful news & culture reporting, consider making a small monthly contribution to support our editorial team. Your donation is tax-deductible. You can also subscribe and have our papers delivered! Good Morning, Portland: Here comes the rain again, falling on my head like a memory, falling on my head like a new emotion. We're looking at rain for the foreseeable future, folks. Let's hit the news!

Researchers are examining gun-control policies in the wake of a church shooting in Minnesota. They found evidence that some legislation, like assault-style weapon bans and high-capacity magazine limits, can reduce certain types of firearm deaths. For example, states with stricter laws tend to see fewer gun fatalities, and red-flag laws and child-access safe-storage laws are associated with reductions in suicides and accidental shootings. At the same time, because laws vary significantly by state, researchers struggle to isolate the independent impact

The legislation would "establish penalties for reckless or negligent operation of a vehicle and hindering the movement of other vehicles." Under the bill, anyone who blocks access to public arteries and businesses in a "reckless and negligent manner" with a group of more than two vehicles could face up to 2.5 years in jail and a fine of up to $2,000.

Former Partner Accused Of Calling Dominatrix On Company Time: And that's just the tip of the iceberg! Judge Panel Lets LSU "Investigate" Law Professor Who Said A Curse Word: Are they just virtue signaling to the President? Academics Compare Biden And Trump Judges To "Get The Conversation Going": Shame that the conversation is about poking holes in their methodology.

"Government intervention in the economy in the name of national security is most clearly warranted in cases of market failure," a new report from a bipartisan task force organized by the Council on Foreign Relations says. "Today, the market failures that loom largest for U.S. national security are shortfalls of private capital in strategically important areas and over-concentration of critical supply chains in unfriendly countries," the report adds.

Health insurance has once again become a battleground in US politics. With costs rising and government subsidies under pressure, Republicans and Democrats remain sharply divided over how much the government should pay for health insurance and how much should be left to market forces. Supporters of public investment say broader coverage strengthens the economy and protects families. Critics say it drives up costs and weakens competition.