Congress set to tackle crack, powder cocaine sentencing disparity before year’s end
Lawmakers are making a last-ditch push to pass legislation that seeks to reduce — but not entirely erase — sentencing disparities for crack and powder cocaine offenses before the year is finished. Senate Democrats are expressing optimism about chances to pass legislation aimed at significantly reducing the gap in federal sentencing disparities for the offenses as part of a larger omnibus funding package leaders are hopeful will pass next week. “We're making good progress on the EQUAL Act,” Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) told The Hill on late Thursd
Read MoreTrump tells GOP congressional supporters to cease McCarthy opposition: Breitbart interview
Former President Donald Trump voiced his support for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif) bid for Speaker on Friday, warning the five Republican holdouts that they’re “playing a very dangerous game.” “Look, I think this: Kevin has worked very hard,” Trump said in an interview with Breitbart, adding, “I think he deserves the shot. Hopefully he’s going to be very strong and going to be very good and he’s going to do what everybody wants.” As the vote on McCarthy’s nomination looms just over two weeks away, five Republican congressmen — Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.
Read MoreWhy the issue of crime didn’t deliver for Republicans in the midterms
While crime was ranked as a key issue in exit polls among voters and one that Republicans leaned on heavily during the midterms, the issue didn’t translate into the kind of wins the party expected on election night. Still, members of the party credit Republican messaging on crime with helping the party notch several key House races in New York and making other House, Senate and gubernatorial races closer than expected. At the same time, Republicans say a mix of factors, like the outsized influence of national issues, poor strategy and voter geography, influe
Read MoreThe Memo: Twitter’s turmoil under Musk roils political waters
New Twitter controversies have erupted on an almost hourly basis over the past few days — and the bigger picture is one in which the future of the social media giant is in serious flux under Elon Musk’s ownership. That, in turn, is roiling political debates around the platform which, for better or worse, has become a critical component of public discourse, particularly in the United States. The company claimed to have 238 million monetizable daily active users worldwide in the second quarter of 2022, a few months before Musk took the helm. More than 41 million of t
Read MoreDeSantis tacks further right amid 2024 speculation
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is tacking further to the right as he weighs a 2024 presidential bid, a strategy that could endear him to the GOP’s conservative base and help him outflank rivals — including former President Trump. DeSantis has already carved out a reputation as a conservative firebrand, but in recent days he’s ramped up his rhetoric. This week alone, he called on the state Supreme Court to convene a grand jury to look into “any and all wrongdoing” with respect to the development and promotion of COVID-19 vaccines — getting into a public battle with Anth
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