Sunshine State becomes ‘ground zero’ for Democrats amid abortion battle |
Florida, which has become a bastion of conservative politics in recent years, is now on President Biden‘s radar as he seeks a second term, after the Florida Supreme Court paved the way for tighter abortion restrictions.
Abortions will be banned in Florida after six weeks — a point when many women are not yet aware they are pregnant — beginning May 1.
But the court also paved the way for a November ballot measure that would establish the right to an abortion in Florida up to about 24 weeks, effectively overriding the stricter law if voters approve.
Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a memo after the ruling that abortion will be on the ballot.
Democrats see reproductive rights as a winning issue for them after the U.S. Supreme Court upended Roe v. Wade in 2022, leaving abortion restrictions to state lawmakers to decide; several states have since moved to adopt bans. They also are betting that the Florida court ruling, putting the abortion measure on the ballot, will drive turnout in their favor.
Biden chastised the Florida ban in a statement Tuesday, saying it “puts desperately needed medical care even further out of reach for millions of women in Florida and across the South.”
“It is outrageous,” he said.
He doubled down on an effort to pass legislation through Congress that would enshrine abortion rights and take the issue back to the federal level.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting reproductive freedom in Florida and across the nation and will continue to call on Congress to pass a law restoring the protections of Roe v. Wade in every state,” Biden said.
The Biden campaign also released an ad Tuesday over the decision, highlighting former President Trump’s comments taking credit for ending Roe by appointing three conservative Supreme Court justices.
Trump won the Sunshine State in 2020 with more than 51 percent of the vote, to Biden’s 48 percent.
The Biden campaign sees Monday’s ruling an opening to flip the state.
“Make no mistake: Florida is not an easy state to win, but it is a winnable one for President Biden, especially given Trump’s weak, cash-strapped campaign, and serious vulnerabilities within his coalition,” Rodriguez said in her memo.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) agreed that Florida has a new role in the fight over reproductive rights.
“Florida is now ground zero in the fight to protect a woman’s freedom to make her own reproductive health care decisions,” Jeffries said during a House Democratic leadership meeting Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Related coverage: Here’s where abortion measures will be on the ballot in November. |
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Welcome to Evening Report! I’m Liz Crisp, catching you up from the afternoon and what’s coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here. |
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© Allison Robbert / The Hill |
McConnell plans to serve out full term through 2026 |
Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) has again stressed that he isn’t going anywhere and plans to serve out his full term through the end of 2026,
McConnell, 82, has said he will step down from his leadership post in November after serving as party leader for 18 years, the longest tenure in Senate history. The announcement initially prompted some speculation that he could retire from office early. Two high-profile instances of McConnell appearing to freeze up in front of reporters renewed questions about his health and his future.
“I’m not leaving the Senate and I’m particularly involved in actually fighting back against the isolationist movement in my own party and some in the other as well, and the symbol of that lately is, ‘Are we going to help Ukraine or not?’ And I think it’s extremely important that we do that,” he told Louisville, Ky., radio host Terry Meiners in an interview this week. (The Hill)
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Trump fires back after judge expands gag order
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Former President Trump is again lashing out against the New York judge overseeing his hush money criminal trial after the judge broadened a gag order in the case.
“I just was informed that another corrupt New York Judge, Juan Merchan, GAGGED me so that I can not talk about the corruption and conflicts taking place in his courtroom with respect to a case that everyone, including the D.A., felt should never have been brought,” Trump wrote Tuesday in a post on Truth Social. “They can talk about me, but I can’t talk about them???”
“That sounds fair, doesn’t it? This Judge should be recused, and the case should be thrown out,” he added. “There has virtually never been a more conflicted judge than this one. ELECTION INTERFERENCE at its worst!”
The initial gag order was issued to stop Trump from public remarks about jurors, witnesses and family members of counsel and court staffers. Mechan extended the order to the family of District Attorney Alvin Bragg, as well as his own family members, after Trump recently took aim at Loren Mechan, his daughter. Related coverage:
Former RNC chair Michael Steele is counting down how long it takes for Trump to violate the latest gag order. |
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Biden administration ‘outraged’ over deaths of World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza
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The Biden administration is “outraged” after an Israeli air strike killed seven aid workers from chef José Andrés‘s World Central Kitchen in Gaza.
President Biden personally called Andrés to offer his condolences.
“The president felt it was important to recognize the tremendous contribution World Central Kitchen has made to the people in Gaza and people around the world,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday. “The president conveyed he will make clear to Israel that humanitarian aid workers must be protected.”
The charity group, which has been distributing meals to civilians, suspended operations in Gaza. The World Central Kitchen team was traveling in an armored convoy and had coordinated with Israel on its movements. Andrés criticized Israel for its “indiscriminate killing” in Gaza after the deaths.
“The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing. It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon,” Andrés posted on X, formerly Twitter.
John Kirby, a top spokesperson on national security issues, told reporters the administration was “outraged” to learn of deaths.
“More than 200 aid workers have been killed in this conflict, making it one of the worst for aid workers in recent history,” Kirby said. “This incident is emblematic of a larger problem and evidence of why distribution of aid in Gaza has been so challenging.”
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Dangerous spring storms threaten millions in US |
A band of severe storms is putting the upper Midwest and Northeast under a significant threat of tornadoes, flooding and even snow, putting millions of people at risk.
It’s a serial event, so even as weather clears, another round of storms could follow.
The National Weather Service (NWS) declared a level 4 out of 5 risk of severe storms over much of Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee on Tuesday, warning of high winds and the risk of hail and tornadoes.
“The hazards associated with these thunderstorms are frequent lightning, severe thunderstorm wind gusts, hail, and a few tornadoes,” the NWS said Tuesday. “In addition, there is an increased threat of EF2 to EF5 tornados over parts of the Ohio/Tennessee/Lower Mississippi Valleys.” (The Hill) |
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“Top psychologist says Trump likely to fall off mental cliff,” writes Bill Press, host of the “The Bill Press Pod.”
“9/11 makes the case for a Department of Treatment and Recovery,” writes Jim Crotty, adjunct professor at American University’s School of Public Affairs. |
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104 days until the Republican National Convention.
139 days until the Democratic National Convention.
216 days until the 2024 general election. |
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Wednesday: President Biden is set to deliver remarks on health care costs. |
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