Source: ABC 15

PHOENIX — The press secretary for Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has resigned after a controversial social media post earlier this week.

Josselyn Berry reportedly sent a tweet with an image Monday that appeared to suggest violence toward “transphobes” following Monday’s deadly school shooting. Police said the shooter, who waskilled during the incident, was transgender.

Berry’s account, which the tweet was reportedly sent from, has since been switched to a private account but does publicly show Berry’s connection to the governor’s office.

The office's communications director confirmed to ABC15 that Berry resigned from her position Tuesday night.

Read more: https://www.abc15.com/news/state/gov-hobbs-secretary-resigns-after-apparent-controversial-tweet-about-transphobes

Source: NBC News

WASHINGTON — Federal authorities Tuesday arrested a man they say firebombed an anti-abortion group after the FBI used DNA it pulled from a partly eaten burrito to connect him to the Mason jar used in the attack.

Hridindu Sankar Roychowdhury was arrested Tuesday in Boston and charged in connection with the firebombing of the office of Wisconsin Family Action in Madison on May 8.

“If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either," someone had written on the wall of the building in graffiti during the attack, which took place just days after Politico broke the news that the Supreme Court had the votes to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Authorities were able to pull DNA off of a Mason jar they found inside, as well as from the window glass and on a lighter found at the scene, a Dane County deputy who serves on a FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force wrote in an affidavit.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/feds-arrest-man-firebombing-anti-abortion-group-using-dna-partially-ea-rcna77087

Source: Politico

The Biden administration is fighting a Democratic-led effort to make abortion pills more accessible even as it simultaneously opposes a GOP-led effort to ban the drugs nationwide.

Lawyers representing the FDA are expected in court on Tuesday to defend the agency’s authority to place certain restrictions on mifepristone, which is typically used to end a pregnancy during the first 10 weeks. The case before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington was brought by more than a dozen Democratic state attorneys general who say the requirements around the drug, including a certification process for anyone prescribing it, place an undue burden on patients and providers.

“I’m just not going to put up with an FDA that places unreasonable and illegal limitations on this important medication,” Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who is leading the coalition, said in an interview. “I understand I’m filing a lawsuit against an administration that I respect and a president who I admire, but that’s beside the point. They have restrictions in place that are real, that have an impact and that need to be eliminated.”

Should the judge rule in their favor, the case could eliminate restrictions in those states — broadening access to the drug for tens of millions of people. But the oral arguments also come as a federal judge in Texas is set to rule on whether to ban the pills entirely, and the potential for clashing federal court decisions could push the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court, which overturned Roe v. Wade in June.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/28/attorneys-general-biden-abortion-pills-00089089

Source: BBC News

The US and Canada have reached a deal to reject asylum seekers at unofficial border crossings, officials say.

Large numbers of migrants have been making unsanctioned crossings on Roxham Road at the US-Canada border.

The move closes a loophole created by a 2004 asylum agreement with the US on where migrants have to make their asylum claims.

It allowed Canada to turn migrants away at official points of entry but not at unofficial crossing points.

Read more: https://www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65047438.amp?amp_gsa=1&_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQGsAEggAID#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16796647140645&csi=1&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fworld-us-canada-65047438

Source: CNBC

Digital World Acquisition Corp., the publicly traded blank check company that planned to merge with former president Donald Trump's social media company, fired its CEO earlier this week, according to a Wednesday filing.

The former CEO, Patrick Orlando, will remain as a director for the company. He and his other company ARC Global Investments each own 10% of DWAC. The DWAC board appointed Eric Swider, another director, to serve as interim chief executive while the board works on executing a final succession plan. Orlando and a DWAC representative didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

In a Wednesday announcement, DWAC cited "unprecedented headwinds" that necessitated a leadership change in order for the company to enter a "new phase."

The company has been under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as by federal prosecutors in New York City. Amid those legal obstacles, Digital World has also faced financial struggles.

Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/03/22/trump-linked-digital-world-acquisition-corp-fires-ceo.html

Source: The Hill

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Wednesday announced he will vote against Daniel Werfel, President Biden’s choice to head the Internal Revenue Service, because he is unhappy with how the Biden administration is implementing the Inflation Reduction Act, which provided nearly $80 billion in new funding for the tax enforcement agency.

Manchin is fuming mad over the administration’s implementation of the generous electric vehicle tax credits that were also included in the sweeping climate and tax reform bill passed last year.

At every turn, this administration has ignored congressional intent when implementing the Inflation Reduction Act,” he said in statement, criticizing the administration’s decision to delay guidelines about who receives the EV tax credits.

“While Daniel Werfel is supremely qualified to serve as the IRS Commissioner, I have zero faith he will be given the autonomy to perform the job in accordance with the law and for that reason, I cannot support his nomination,” he said.

The Senate is scheduled to vote on Werfel’s nomination late Wednesday afternoon and Democrats say he has enough support to win confirmation.

Read more: https://thehill-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/thehill.com/business/3889765-manchin-will-vote-against-bidens-pick-to-head-irs/amp/?amp_gsa=1&_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQGsAEggAID#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16782999395189&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fbusiness%2F3889765-manchin-will-vote-against-bidens-pick-to-head-irs%2F

Source: The Hill

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said Tuesday he will not support Gigi Sohn’s nomination to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), complicating the chances of President Biden’s nominee getting confirmed.

Sohn’s confirmation has been held up for more than two years amid partisan gridlock on the Senate Commerce Committee, leaving the FCC with a four-member board split down party lines.

“Especially now, the FCC must remain above the toxic partisanship that Americans are sick and tired of, and Ms. Sohn has clearly shown she is not the person to do that. For those reasons, I cannot support her nomination to the FCC, and I urge the Biden Administration to put forth a nominee who can bring us together, not drive us apart,” Manchin said in a statement.

Republicans have pushed back on Sohn’s nomination, and with the slim Democratic majority in the Senate Manchin’s opposition complicates Sohn’s potential to be confirmed but doesn’t outright squander her chances. If all other Democrats vote in favor of Sohn she can still be confirmed if the vice president breaks a potential tied Senate vote.

Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/thehill.com/policy/technology/3888048-manchin-to-vote-against-bidens-nominee-for-fcc/amp/

Source: MSNBC

WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden told Senate Democrats at a closed-door lunch meeting on Thursday that he won't veto a measure designed to undo changes to D.C. crime law, four sources with direct knowledge told NBC News.

The House voted last month to pass a resolution that would block revisions to the D.C. criminal code recently approved by the D.C. Council. It is expected to also pass the Senate as early as next week, setting up a question for Biden on whether to sign or veto it.

The measure to overrule the D.C. Council has the support of Republicans and some Democrats. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has indicated he would support the measure. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said he would "probably support" it as well, making it more likely to pass.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer confirmed Thursday after Biden's lunch with Senate Democrats that the president told members he would not veto the bill if it passes.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna73082

Source: The Hill

Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mt.) will join Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) in voting for a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to block a Labor Department rule allowing the consideration of environmental factors in money managers’ decisions.

In a statement Wednesday, Tester said he will vote for the resolution, which concerns use of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in investment in some retirement accounts. While Manchin has backed the resolution from the beginning, Tester had been noncommittal before Wednesday.

“At a time when working families are dealing with higher costs, from health care to housing, we need to be focused on ensuring Montanans’ retirement savings are on the strongest footing possible,” Tester said. “I’m opposing this Biden administration rule because I believe it undermines retirement accounts for working Montanans and is wrong for my state.”

Manchin has long been vocally against the rule, co-sponsoring the CRA resolution in February.

Read more: https://thehill-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/3879388-tester-to-join-manchin-republicans-in-blocking-dol-green-investment-rule/amp/?amp_gsa=1&_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQIKAGwASCAAgM%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16776959501783&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fpolicy%2Fenergy-environment%2F3879388-tester-to-join-manchin-republicans-in-blocking-dol-green-investment-rule%2F