Closing summary
The center of US politics migrated temporarily to New York City, where Republican House speaker Kevin McCarthy gave a speech reiterating his stance that Democrats need to agree to cut spending before the GOP will vote to raise America’s debt ceiling. That prompted Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of the House Democrats, to accused McCarthy and the Republicans of taking the US economy hostage. Meanwhile, the GOP-led House judiciary committee held a hearing on crime in New York City, in an attempt to tar Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, who called the panel a “political stunt”. Why him? Probably because he indicted Donald Trump.
Here’s what else happened today:
The trial of Dominion Voting Systems’s lawsuit against Fox News was delayed for a day, in what could be an indication the two sides were working on reaching a settlement.
The justice department announced arrests and indictment related to China’s attempts to surveil and harass its diaspora.
Gun control advocates don’t think much of the GOP’s hearing on crime in New York City.
A judge turned down a request from an attorney for Trump, who asked for a delay in the trial of a defamation suit filed by a woman who says the former president raped her.
Even Clarence Thomas’s friends think the conservative supreme court justice should be investigated for failing to declare gifts from and other ties to a Republican megadonor.
George Santos has barely had a moment of peace since he arrived for his new job in the capitol in early January.
The Republican House lawmaker from New York has been followed around by reporters and hounded by his own constituents, who would like him to resign for the many lies he told when he ran for his seat last year. His presence in Congress helped Republicans retake the majority in the House of Representatives, but by a narrow margin. That may explain why the chamber’s leaders, such as Kevin McCarthy haven’t joined in calling for his ejection, though the House speaker did say he’d remove Santos if the House ethics committee determines he broke the law. That investigation is expected to take a while to resolve itself.
He faces peril elsewhere. Authorities in Brazil, for instance, are looking into allegations he used fake names and a stolen checkbook in the country. Perhaps more worrying to Santos is news that federal prosecutors are conducting their own inquiry into his campaign finances, among other issues.
