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Calista241

Calista241's Journal
Calista241's Journal
April 14, 2022

First look: Sinema raises $1.6 million during Q1

Source: Axios

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) raised $1.6 million during the first quarter of 2022, and nearly 75% of her contributions totaled less than $100, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: It's a lot of money for a senator who isn't up for reelection until 2024, and isn't a member of leadership or a committee chair. The numbers also give Sinema, a key holdout alongside Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) in the 50-50 Senate, something to point to amid their controversial record of bucking the party.

The fact that 3/4 of her contributions were less than $100, and more than 97% of contributions came from individuals, shows her support from small-dollar donors.

That's a coveted demographic among both parties.

What they're saying: A Sinema campaign spokesperson attributed the numbers, in part, to Sinema's work on the bipartisan infrastructure bill and reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/sinema-16-million-fundraising-c18645d0-7fc4-4c71-9baa-ee12b24c5951.html

April 14, 2022

Mortgage rates hit 5%, highest in more than a decade

Source: Axios

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage hit 5% this week for the first time since 2011, according to widely cited data from Freddie Mac.

Why it matters: It's becoming increasingly expensive to buy a house — if you can even find one. Over the past three months, mortgage rates have surged at a pace last seen in 1987.

At the same time, the home-buying frenzy driven by the pandemic has reduced the available supply of single-family houses. The number of home listings was at a record low last month, according to realtor.com data.

Open houses around the country with a line of folks waiting out the door are not uncommon.

Bottom line: It's going to be hard for first-time buyers to afford a house, but it'll likely be a while before the real estate madness moderates.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/mortgage-rates-highest-since-2011-430fc8ba-68ac-4e06-8ca6-2ba65c6ee3f8.html



This, along with the explosion of rent prices, are going to be the largest headwinds against us in November.
April 3, 2022

Biden rebuffed as US relations with Saudi Arabia and UAE hit new low

Posted here b/c it's analysis:

As Joe Biden moved to open US strategic oil reserves, his two biggest oil-producing allies have kept their tanks firmly shut. The UAE and Saudi Arabia continue to rebuff the US president as he attempts to counter soaring oil prices prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. And both countries have been unusually frank about their refusal to step in.

The five-week-old war is bringing tensions to a head in several parts of the world, but perhaps nowhere is a regional order more under strain than the Middle East, where two of America’s biggest allies are now seriously questioning the foundations of their relationship.

The Saudi and Emirati refusal to bail Biden out – or even to take his calls – has pushed relations between the Gulf states and Washington to an unprecedented low. The extraordinary flow of Russian wealth to Dubai, just as the US and Europe try to strangle Putin’s economy, has inflamed things further.

Add to that the still-sputtering talks between Washington and Tehran, which could see sanctions reprieves in return for Iran returning to the Obama-era nuclear deal, and there are clear signs of a faltering friendship – with the potential to rewrite the geopolitics of the region.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/03/us-relations-saudi-arabia-uae-oil-crisis

March 25, 2022

Scoop: Manchin outlines BBB deal requirements

Source: Axios

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) told a group of climate activists and energy executives he's open to supporting revised Build Back Better legislation narrowly addressing three issues: climate change, prescription drug prices and deficit reduction.

Why it matters: Manchin’s private comments during a closed-door dinner Monday are a clear indication he’s serious about returning to the negotiating table, but for a much smaller version of President Biden's initial $3.5 trillion proposal, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.

His comments at the closed-door dinner, hosted by the American Clean Power Association, the trade association for the renewable energy industry, are consistent with conversations Manchin has had with Senate colleagues.

In those informal talks, he's outlined a deal that includes roughly $500 billion for climate and $1 trillion in new revenue.

...

The bottom line: Any skinnier Build Back Better legislation still faces numerous hurdles.

They include agreement from Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) on the revenue side, and acceptance from progressives that $550 billion on energy and climate is the only deal they'll get.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/manchin-outlines-bbb-deal-requirements-723696b5-c602-42ef-907c-fcf08bab96f6.html

March 17, 2022

Judge orders Justice Dept to hand over certain internal legal records to ex-Trump adviser Bannon

Source: Reuters

A U.S. judge on Wednesday ordered the Justice Department to provide former President Donald Trump's adviser Steve Bannon access to certain sensitive internal legal opinions or other related records that could potentially help bolster his defense against criminal contempt of Congress charges.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols told prosecutors they must produce "statements or writings reflecting official DOJ policy," including nonpublic opinions, that relate to "the department's policy on prosecuting or not prosecuting government or former government officials raising executive privilege claims or defenses of immunity."

Bannon, a prominent adviser to Trump, is facing criminal charges for defying a subpoena issued by a congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. His trial is tentatively set to begin on July 18.

He has refused to provide testimony or documents, citing Trump's insistence that the material is protected under a legal doctrine called executive privilege.

As part of his defense, his attorneys hope to argue that Bannon relied on legal advice from his lawyer Robert Costello.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/judge-orders-justice-dept-hand-over-certain-internal-legal-records-ex-trump-2022-03-16/

March 17, 2022

Appeals Court Springs Jussie Smollett from Jail Because His Appeal Will Take Longer Than His Sentenc

Source: Law & Crime

An Illinois appeals court has ordered that actor Jussie Smollett be released from jail pending an appeal.

Two justices signed the requisite Wednesday document; one dissented. The order was a response to a motion by Smollett’s attorneys to stay the actor’s sentence while the appellate justices considered a broader appeal on the merits and technicalities of the case.

The court agreed Smollett should remain free for the time being because he was “convicted on non-violent offenses” and because the appellate justices would “be unable to dispose” of the matter “before the defendant would have served his entire sentence of incarceration.”

“The defendant, Jussie Smollett, shall be released from the custody of the Cook County Sheriff upon the posting of a personal recognizance bond . . . in the amount of $150,000,” the document reads.

Justices Joy Cunningham and Thomas E. Hoffman signed the order in agreement. Justice Maureen E. Connors disagreed via a signature in the dissent column of the one-page order; she said simply that she “would deny the defendant’s motion.”

Read more: https://lawandcrime.com/live-trials/live-trials-current/jussie-smollett/appeals-court-springs-jussie-smollett-from-jail-because-his-appeal-will-take-longer-than-his-sentence/

March 11, 2022

Rents Rise Most in 30 Years, Signaling More Pain for Americans

Source: Bloomberg

A measure of rents in the U.S. posted the largest monthly increase in three decades, underscoring an increasingly high cost of living that’s poised to contribute even more to inflation this year.

The index for rent of primary residence increased 0.6% in February from the prior month, the most since 1987, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Thursday. It was part of an acceleration across the broader shelter category, which accounted for more than 40% of the monthly increase in an index of consumer prices excluding food and energy.

Rents, which have been in rising in the U.S. for the past year, are reported with a lag in the CPI report. That means they’ll contribute even more to inflation going forward, which already stood at a 40-year high in February. Prices are set to climb further as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupts supply chains and availability of key commodities including oil.

“There’s still further strength to be seen,” Sarah House, senior economist at Wells Fargo & Co., said of rent prices. “We don’t expect that to peak until maybe the third quarter of this year.”

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-10/rents-rise-most-in-30-years-signaling-more-pain-for-americans

March 10, 2022

Prosecutor seeks incarceration, restitution for Smollett

Source: AP

The special prosecutor who brought the criminal case against Jussie Smollett that led to a guilty verdict against the actor asked a judge Thursday to include “an appropriate amount of prison time” when sentencing Smollett for his conviction of lying to police in a staged hate crime.

Dan Webb said during the sentencing hearing that he would not ask for a specific amount of time, leaving that to Cook County Judge James Linn’s discretion. He also asked that Smollett be ordered to pay $130,000 in restitution to the city of Chicago.

Smollett’s defense attorney Nenye Uche asked Linn to limit the sentence to community service. He said Smollett “has lost nearly everything” in his career and finances and asked that Linn give him time to make restitution if that is part of the sentence.

“Why are we jumping up and down as if this is a murder case?” Uche said. “It’s not.”

Witnesses for both the state and Smollett testified at Smollett’s sentencing at the Cook County Courthouse. Chicago Police Supt. David Brown, who was called by the state, submitted a statement that was read aloud by Samuel Mendenhall, a member of the special prosecution team.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/jussie-smollett-sentencing-live-updates-dca736b72447363711dbda548f13d79d

March 5, 2022

Putin: No-fly zone would be seen as "participation in the armed conflict"

Source: Axios

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that Moscow will consider a declaration of Ukraine as a no-fly zone by any third-party as "participation in the armed conflict."

Driving the news: Russia would view "any move in this direction" as an intervention that "will pose a threat to our service members," Putin said Saturday, speaking at a meeting with female pilots, AP reports.

"That very second, we will view them as participants of the military conflict, and it would not matter what members they are," Putin said.

The big picture: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Western leaders to impose a "no-fly zone" over Ukraine, but the U.S. and other major powers have ruled out doing so as it could trigger a widespread war with nuclear power Russia.

"It would require, essentially, the U.S. military shooting down Russian planes and causing ... a potential direct war with Russia — something we want to avoid," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday in ruling out creating a NFZ.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/russia-putin-no-fly-zone-declaration-of-war-f7979ba5-1925-4b49-86d2-70089a6c7e2f.html

March 4, 2022

DeSantis announces Florida first lady is cancer-free

Source: The Hill

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced on Thursday that his wife, first lady Casey DeSantis, is cancer-free.

DeSantis revealed in October that the first lady had been diagnosed with breast cancer. In January, the governor said she completed her chemotherapy treatment.

“I have a positive update about my wife, Casey DeSantis. After going through both treatment and surgery for breast cancer, she is now considered cancer-free,” the governor said in a video posted to Twitter.

The governor said the first lady “still has more to do,” but he said he is “confident she’s gonna make a full recovery.”

In a retweet of the governor’s video, Casey DeSantis said “There are no words to express how truly blessed, grateful and humbled I am to hear the words cancer free.”

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/596781-desantis-announces-that-florida-first-lady-is-cancer-free

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Hometown: Atlanta
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Member since: Sat Jun 1, 2013, 12:19 AM
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