President Joe Biden is set to meet with allies from the eastern flank of NATO and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Wednesday to shore up Western support for Ukraine, nearly a year since the Russian invasion.
The Supreme Court continues its turn to thorny issues Wednesday, as the court debates whether Twitter, Google and Facebook can be held liable under a 2016 law for “aiding and abetting” the Islamic State group. The justices will hear arguments in a case stemming from a 2017 terrorist attack at a nightclub in Istanbul, Turkey.
Here’s what else is happening in politics:
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Democrats funnel millions to New York to flip House seats in 2024
The House Majority PAC, a political action committee that focuses on electing Democrats to the House, has launched a $45 million New York Fund program in an effort to regain control of the U.S. House in 2024.
Democrats held off the predicted “red wave” in the 2022 midterms, winning more seats in key districts than anticipated. But candidates in New York didn’t fare as well. Eighteen Republicans – including six in New York – currently represent districts President Joe Biden won in the 2020 presidential election. The committee plans to direct funds to Democratic campaign efforts to flip House seats in New York.
– Rachel Looker
Unexpected outcome:‘Not a repudiation’: Joe Biden holds off red wave, gets unexpected boost from midterm election
Supreme Court skeptical of claim Twitter aided terrorism
The Supreme Court appeared skeptical Wednesday of a lawsuit accusing Twitter, Facebook and Google of aiding terrorism by hosting and recommending content created by the Islamic State group – the second case in as many days dealing with whether Big Tech can be held liable for such content.
The lawsuit was filed by the relatives of Nawras Alassaf, a Jordanian citizen killed in an attack on a nightclub in Istanbul in 2017. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for that attack, in which 39 people were killed.
“Go back to 1997, CNN did an interview of Osama bin Laden — a very famous interview of him…and that interview became famous, (a) tool for recruiting, notoriety. Could, under your theory, CNN have been sued for aiding and abetting the September 11 attacks?” Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh asked the attorney for the family at one point.
The attorney, Eric Schnapper, responded that the “First Amendment would solve that problem.”
– John Fritze
Santos’ speech:‘Sleazy but not criminal’: Some George Santos fabrications likely protected by the First Amendment
Internet provider protections:Supreme Court eager to steer clear of sweeping changes to internet in Section 230 dispute
Supreme Court sides with death row inmate in Arizona
The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that a death row inmate in Arizona should be granted a resentencing because he wasn’t allowed to tell the jury that a life sentence in the state meant he would never be eligible for parole.
The 5-4 opinion, written by Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, means that John Montenegro Cruz should receive a new penalty phase in which he can make clear that he would not walk free if sentenced to life in prison.
The court’s decision could affect other death row inmates in Arizona. Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote a dissent asserting that the Supreme Court should have left the issue to state courts.
Cruz was convicted in 2005 of murdering a Tucson police officer, Patrick Hardesty.
– John Fritze
Read the full story:U.S. Supreme Court hears oral argument of Arizona man on death row
A new record of women will serve in Congress
A historic number of women will serve in the 118th Congress once congresswoman-elect Jennifer McClellan, D-Va., is sworn-into office.
A total of 150 women will serve in Congress, surpassing the previous record set at the swearing-in of the 118th Congress last month, according to Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics. Additionally, 125 women, 92 Democratic women and 28 Black women will serve in the House – new records for each category.
McClellan’s special election victory Tuesday also made her Virginia’s first Black female congress member.
– Mabinty Quarshie
Jennifer McClellan wins:Democrat Jennifer McClellan wins special election; first Black woman from Virginia in Congress
Biden checked in on Ohio train derailment from Poland
Facing criticism for his administration’s handling of a trail derailment in Ohio, President Joe Biden called state and federal officials from Poland Tuesday and “reaffirmed my commitment to making sure they have everything they need.”
Biden tweeted details of how the government has responded. But the mayor of East Palestine, Ohio, has criticized Biden for going to Ukraine and Poland this week instead of to Ohio.
Former President Donald Trump planned to visit East Palestine Wednesday and donate water and cleaning supplies.
– Maureen Groppe
Pence: Social Security, Medicare should ‘be on the table’ long-term
If congressional Republicans don’t want to talk about entitlement reform amid the debt ceiling talks, former Vice President Mike Pence certainly does.
“While I respect the speaker’s commitment to take Social Security and Medicare off the table for the debt ceiling negotiations, we’ve got to put them on the table in the long term,” Pence said Wednesday morning on CNBC.
The White House has been eager to goad GOP lawmakers – namely Sen. Rick Scott – for past comments on changes to entitlements.
Pence, a potential 2024 GOP presidential contender, showcased his CNBC appearance on his Twitter page and was blunt that “fiscal discipline” is a top priority in his travels across the country.
— Phillip M. Bailey
Wisconsin Supreme Court headed for high-stakes general election
Wisconsin voters decided on two judges to advance to a high-stakes general election for the highest state court after a four-way primary on Tuesday.
Janet Protasiewicz and Daniel Kelly won out in what was a nonpartisan-in-name-only primary between two liberal and two conservative judges.
The court currently has a 4-3 conservative majority, but conservative Justice Patience Roggensack announced her retirement. With a Democratic governor and Republican-controlled state legislature, control of the state’s Supreme Court could decide the future of many policies in the battleground state. The general election is set for April 4.
– Ken Tran
Latest on Supreme Court:As Supreme Court takes up Google case, only Clarence Thomas has made his thoughts clear
Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican anti-‘woke’ activist, announces 2024 presidential bid
Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican activist who made a name for himself criticizing “woke” culture in the corporate world, announced he will run for president in 2024 on Tuesday.
“We’ve celebrated our ‘diversity’ so much that we forgot all the ways we’re really the same as Americans, bound by ideals that united a divided, headstrong group of people 250 years ago,” Ramaswamy wrote in a tweet, adding he’s running for the nation’s top office to “revive” those ideals.
Ramaswamy emerged on the national stage after publishing his book “Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam,” which criticizes political correctness and identity politics. He joins the GOP field that includes former President Donald Trump and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley.
– Ella Lee
Nikki Haley campaign:Nikki Haley begins Iowa courtship for 2024, tells those considering Trump to ‘look forward’
House Judiciary Committee will hold hearing on fentanyl crisis
The House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing next month on a surge of illicitly manufactured fentanyl being trafficked into the United States.
The hearing, which says in its title that “inaction is no longer an option,” is set for March 1 at 9 a.m. ET. The committee’s website has not yet added the hearing to its calendar.
In February, National Drug Control Policy Director Rahul Gupta called the surge the “worst drug crisis” the country’s ever faced. More than 56,000 people died from overdoses involving synthetic opioids in 2020, including fentanyl — an increase of more than 56% in overdose death rates from 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
– Ella Lee, Sarah Elbeshbishi
How is fentanyl smuggled in the US?:Lawmakers are asking tough questions to stem the flow
Biden calls Putin’s suspension of nuclear arms treaty a ‘big mistake’
Russia’s suspension of a nuclear arms treaty is a “big mistake,” President Joe Biden said Wednesday.
Biden made the brief comment to reporters as he entered the presidential palace in Warsaw where he is meeting with leaders from nations on the eastern edge of the NATO alliance.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday he is suspending Moscow’s participation in New START, a strategic nuclear arms reduction treaty, the last remaining nuclear arms reduction deal between the U.S. and Russia. It limits each side to 1,550 long-range nuclear warheads.
– Maureen Groppe
Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester to run for reelection
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., will run for reelection in 2024 – a win for Democrats, whose hopes of keeping control of the Senate in 2024 could come down to a few key races.
“It’s official. I’m running for reelection,” Tester tweeted Wednesday. “Montanans need a fighter that will hold our government accountable and demand Washington stand up for veterans and lower costs for families.”
Described to the Daily Beast as the “only Democrat who can win” in Montana, Tester’s commitment to run again next year is a boon to the party’s efforts to stay in power in the upper chamber. Democrats need to defend 23 Senate seats in 2024, compared to 11 for the GOP.
– Ella Lee
Virginia elects first Black woman to Congress in special race
Democrat Jennifer McClellan will become state’s first Black woman in Congress after she coasted to victory in Virginia’s special election Tuesday.
McClellan, a state senator and corporate lawyer, defeated Republican Leon Benjamin, a pastor,. She will succeed Democrat Rep. Donald McEachin, who died last November, and represent a district anchored by Richmond that stretches south to the North Carolina border.
Once McClellan is sworn in, there will be a record 28 Black women in Congress. Her victory does not change the GOP margin in the House as Republicans still will be able to lose four GOP votes on bills and pass legislation.
– Phillip Bailey
Here’s what Black women say they need from Democrats to win elections
More Black women are running for Congress, governor, and higher statewide offices than in the past; and overall, it has made political representation more diverse.
Yet Black women activists, strategists and experts tell USA TODAY they aren’t accepted as the party’s face.
From the continued handwringing about Vice President Kamala Harris’ electability to the electoral losses last year, Black women are demanding Democrats step up their political support – with increased financial backing, endorsements, candidate pipeline building and mentoring – in the coming months or risk deflating its most loyal bloc.
– Phillip Bailey, Mabinty Quarshie
Biden emphasizing NATO alliance on final day of trip to Poland, Ukraine
President Joe Biden ends his three-day trip to Ukraine and Poland Wednesday with a final emphasis on the strength of the NATO alliance, which has stood up to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Biden plans to meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and with allies on NATO’s eastern flank before returning to Washington.
Addressing the world in a speech at Warsaw Royal Palace Tuesday, Biden said the U.S. commitment to the alliance and its mutual defense pact is “rock solid.”
“And every member of NATO knows it. And Russia knows it as well,” Biden said. “It’s a sacred oath, a scared oath to defend every inch of NATO territory.”
– Maureen Groppe
Supreme Court turns next to Twitter, terrorism and student loans
The Supreme Court turns Wednesday to a lawsuit accusing Twitter, Facebook and Google of aiding terrorism by hosting and recommending content created by the Islamic State group – a follow-up to the court’s arguments Tuesday dealing with Section 230.
The lawsuit was filed by the relatives of Nawras Alassaf, a Jordanian citizen killed in an attack on a nightclub in Istanbul in 2017. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for that attack, in which 39 people were killed.
Next week, the high court will hear arguments about President Joe Biden’s $400 billion student loan relief program. Six conservative states and two individuals assert the Biden administration overstepped its authority with that effort.
– John Fritze
More:Fate of Biden’s student loan plan tops packed Supreme Court calendar
Sen. Tim Scott heads to Iowa, amid presidential run speculation
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., heads to Iowa Wednesday as he continues his Faith in America listening tour.
Scott will deliver remarks at an event at Drake University and then at the Republican Party of Polk County Lincoln dinner.
The events come as Scott mulls launching a presidential bid in 2024 and as fellow South Carolinian Nikki Haley headed to Iowa this week. Haley launched her presidential campaign last week, becoming the first major Republican to challenge former President Donald Trump.
– Mabinty Quarshie
More:In 2024 run, Nikki Haley touts role as first woman of color governor. She shares the title.
Jill Biden travels to Africa
First lady Jill Biden will travel to Namibia and Kenya Wednesday through Sunday, part of the Biden administration’s effort to strengthen ties in sub-Saharan Africa and regain trust amid growing influence from China in the region.
The trip will be Biden’s sixth to Africa throughout her time in public service. She will be the first top official to visit sub-Saharan Africa since the start of the Biden administration.
– Maureen Groppe
Putin suspends nuclear arms treaty
President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday that Russia will pull back from a key nuclear treaty, ratcheting up tensions with the United States, as President Joe Biden visited the region with a fresh pledge of support for Ukraine. Putin’s speech came on the heels of a surprise and historic visit by Biden to Kyiv.
In his nearly two-hour speech to both houses of the Russian Parliament, Putin said he was suspending Moscow’s participation in New START – a strategic nuclear arms reduction treaty between the U.S. and Russia.
– Kim Hjelmgaard