Author Archives: Jake Johnson

‘You don’t get to lead a government you tried to destroy’: House Dems move to block Trump 2024 run

"The 14th Amendment makes clear that based on his past behavior, Donald Trump is disqualified from ever holding federal office again," said Rep. David Cicilline, the lead sponsor of a new bill raising a constitutional challenge against Trump's bid.

More than 40 House Democrats introduced legislation Thursday aiming to bar former President Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot, citing the 14th Amendment clause prohibiting insurrectionists from holding federal office. Continue reading

Because ‘publishing is not a crime,’ major newspapers push US to drop Assange charges

"This indictment sets a dangerous precedent, and threatens to undermine America's First Amendment and the freedom of the press," The Guardian, The New York Times, and other media outlets warned.

The five major media outlets that collaborated with WikiLeaks in 2010 to publish explosive stories based on confidential diplomatic cables from the U.S. State Department sent a letter Monday calling on the Biden administration to drop all charges against Julian Assange, who has been languishing in a high-security London prison for more than three years in connection with his publication of classified documents. Continue reading

Another election denier loses as Katie Hobbs defeats Kari Lake for Arizona governor

"One of the most dangerous election deniers and conspiracy theorists in the country—Kari Lake—defeated," wrote one observer. "Now, will she concede?"

Katie Hobbs, Arizona’s Democratic Secretary of State, has defeated Republican Kari Lake in the battleground’s closely watched gubernatorial race, scoring the latest victory over a Trump-backed candidate who openly embraced the former president’s lies about the 2020 election. Continue reading

PA Supreme Court ruling could toss thousands of ballots over ‘irrelevant technicality’

Siding with a coalition of Republican groups, Pennsylvania's high court ruled a week before the midterms that mail-in ballots received without a correct date on the outer envelope cannot be counted.

Just a week before the midterms, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that state election officials cannot count ballots submitted without a correct date on the outer envelope, siding with a coalition of Republican groups that sued to block undated mail-in ballots. Continue reading

US unemployment system ‘wholly unprepared’ as Fed risks throwing millions out of work

"If another wave of job losses does indeed hit, the unemployment safety net isn't ready to cushion the blow without significant improvements," warns the co-author of a new study.

With the Federal Reserve poised to induce mass layoffs in its ongoing campaign to curb inflation, a study published Tuesday warns the notoriously fragmented U.S. unemployment system is nowhere near ready to handle another surge in jobless claims, potentially spelling disaster for the millions of people who could be thrown out of work next year. Continue reading

‘Imminent danger’: Millions set to lose Medicaid, food benefits once public health emergency ends

"When the public health emergency ends, many individuals and families will experience the cumulative impact of losing access to both Medicaid and SNAP," advocates warned.

In less than three months, millions of people across the U.S. could be kicked off Medicaid and see their food benefits slashed if the Biden administration declines to further extend the federal public health emergency that was first declared at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Continue reading

‘Republicans keep showing us who they are’: Graham introduces federal abortion ban

"Senate Republicans are showing us exactly what they plan to do if they get power," said the president of Planned Parenthood. "It's dangerous—and the stakes have never been higher."

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham introduced legislation Tuesday that would ban abortion nationwide after 15 weeks of pregnancy, a proposal that reproductive rights defenders warned is a signal of the draconian policy agenda the GOP intends to pursue if it retakes Congress in the upcoming November midterms. Continue reading

‘Corrupt as hell’: Demands for Clarence Thomas to resign follow new details of wife’s election scheming

"If Clarence Thomas had any shame, he would resign immediately," said one advocacy group. "But he doesn't."

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas faced fresh calls to step down Thursday after new reporting revealed that his wife’s involvement in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election was broader than previously known, extending to the battleground state of Wisconsin as well as Arizona. Continue reading

‘A true danger to the public post office’: DeJoy moves to consolidate USPS facilities

"How many post offices will be closed?" asked one union official. "How many clerks and drivers will lose jobs?"

Postal union officials are sounding the alarm about the potentially damaging impacts of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s effort to consolidate post offices across the U.S. as part of his widely condemned 10-year plan to reshape the public mail agency. Continue reading

Biden urged to take steps to finally get rid of DeJoy as he plows ahead with job cuts

"Claims that Biden can't do anything to oust DeJoy are misleading," said one watchdog group.

More than a year and a half into President Joe Biden’s first term, Louis DeJoy—a megadonor to former President Donald Trump and a villain in the eyes of progressives and many Democratic lawmakers—is still running the U.S. Postal Service. Continue reading

Rights groups tell Zuckerberg to stop ‘dangerous censorship’ of abortion content

"Meta's censorship of information on abortion and reproductive health is jeopardizing the safety and human rights of millions across the U.S."

A coalition of civil society organizations on Wednesday demanded that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg put a halt to censorship of abortion rights content on his company’s platforms following reports that Facebook and Instagram have been removing posts aimed at helping pregnant people access reproductive care in U.S. states where it is heavily restricted. Continue reading

Warren opens probe into ‘shocking and horrific’ impacts of GOP abortion bans

"Let's be clear: Republican politicians are risking women's lives and health in pursuit of a dangerous, out-of-touch agenda."

Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday opened an investigation into the devastating health impacts that state-level GOP abortion bans and restrictions have had on pregnant people across the U.S., citing the litany of horror stories published in local and national newspapers in the weeks since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Continue reading

‘Now they’re coming for doctors’: GOP blocks Senate bill to protect abortion providers

"At this very moment, Republican state lawmakers are drafting legislation that would make it a crime to provide abortion care to a resident even in another state where it's legal."

Republican Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana blocked Democrats’ attempt Wednesday to pass legislation that would protect doctors who provide legal abortion care from right-wing threats and attacks. Continue reading

‘Enormous victory’: Kansas voters resoundingly defeat anti-abortion amendment

"This is truly a historic day for Kansas and for America. Freedom has prevailed."

Kansans voted by a decisive margin on Tuesday to reject a proposed amendment that would have removed the right to abortion from the state’s constitution and empowered the Republican legislature to advance a total ban. Continue reading

Progressives slam Senate passage of $76 billion ‘corporate giveaway’

"Rather than give aid to needy American families," said one progressive group, "the Senate decided to rise to the occasion to cut taxes for already-profitable technology companies like Intel."

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed sweeping bipartisan legislation that Sen. Bernie Sanders and progressive advocacy groups decried as a massive giveaway to corporations such as Intel, whose CEO has been lobbying aggressively in support of the bill’s subsidies for the profitable microchip industry. Continue reading

‘We need to fight’: Cori Bush, Tina Smith unveil bill to bolster access to medication abortion

"Abortion care is healthcare and, therefore, a human right—period," said Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.).

Rep. Cori Bush and Sen. Tina Smith introduced bicameral legislation Monday aimed at bolstering access to medication abortion as Republican-led states across the U.S. attempt to restrict distribution of the pills in their drive to ban abortion entirely. Continue reading

Judge blocks Arizona ‘personhood’ law aimed at criminalizing abortion

"Arizona's personhood provision was crafted recklessly by extremist lawmakers in their harmful quest to eradicate abortion access in the state," said the ACLU of Arizona.

A federal judge on Monday barred enforcement of a so-called “personhood” law in Arizona that advocacy groups warned would be used to criminalize abortion across the state. Continue reading

Senate urged to block Biden’s pro-privatization nominee for Social Security Advisory Board

"The Senate can, and must, block this terrible nomination," Social Security Works said of the administration's choice of Andrew Biggs.

Defenders of Social Security on Tuesday urged the U.S. Senate to block President Joe Biden’s little-noticed nomination of Andrew Biggs—an American Enterprise Institute senior fellow with a history of supporting Social Security privatization—to serve on the independent and bipartisan Social Security Advisory Board. Continue reading

‘Impeach Justice Clarence Thomas’ petition nears 1 million signatures

"He has shown he cannot be an impartial justice and is more concerned with covering up his wife's coup attempts than the health of the Supreme Court," reads the petition.

A petition calling on the Democratic-controlled House to launch impeachment proceedings against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is on the verge of reaching one million signatures, an indication of growing public outrage over the right-wing judge’s proximity to efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his role in the ongoing attack on constitutional freedoms. Continue reading

Watching US with horror, European groups push leaders to strengthen abortion rights

"This is an important moment for leaders across Europe who are committed to reproductive rights to lead by example and galvanize action in their own countries," said one campaigner.

Appalled by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe v. Wade and concerned about the dark money-fueled global assault on abortion rights, advocacy groups from 28 European countries demanded Tuesday that their leaders take immediate steps to shield and strengthen access to reproductive care throughout the continent. Continue reading

‘Devastating’: Supreme Court blows massive hole in state gun control efforts

"This goes so, so far beyond concealed carry," wrote one court reporter. "The Supreme Court has effectively rendered gun restrictions presumptively unconstitutional."

In a decision with sweeping and grave implications for gun control laws across the country, the right-wing U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday struck down New York state’s restrictions on the concealed carry of firearms in public. Continue reading

Amid Jan. 6 hearings, watchdogs warn GOP efforts to steal elections are ‘still underway’

As the ongoing January 6 congressional hearings further confirm the threat posed by former President Donald Trump’s coup attempt last year, watchdog groups emphasized following Tuesday’s testimony that the GOP’s election subversion efforts across the United States are continuing—and intensifying—in the present. Continue reading

‘A chilling message to journalists the world over’: UK approves Assange extradition to US

Julian Assange's wife, Stella, slammed the U.K. government for moving to send the WikiLeaks publisher "to the country that plotted his assassination."

The U.K. government on Friday formally approved the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States to face espionage charges, a decision that human rights groups condemned as a dire threat to journalism worldwide. Continue reading

In ‘crisis moment’ for abortion rights, Biden weighs declaring public health emergency

"This is a five-alarm fire," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, "and we cannot wait to respond."

With the right-wing U.S. Supreme Court expected to overturn Roe v. Wade as soon as this month, President Joe Biden is reportedly weighing a number of executive orders to protect abortion rights at the federal level—including declaration of a national public health emergency—as progressive lawmakers and rights groups push him to act. Continue reading

‘Disgusting’: Starbucks threatens trans health benefits as union celebrates 150 wins

"If you're willing to play around with trans-inclusive care as it relates to unionization, not only do you not respect your employees, you don't truly don't recognize the humanity of your trans employees," said former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner.

Starbucks management has reportedly threatened employees with the loss of trans-inclusive health benefits if they vote to unionize their shops, drawing a formal complaint from workers as the union officially reached 150 election victories across the United States on Tuesday. Continue reading

Warren, Murray lead call for Biden to defend abortion rights via executive order

"With an extremist Supreme Court poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, now is the time to act," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

With the U.S. Supreme Court expected to issue a ruling later this month that could overturn Roe v. Wade and imperil abortion rights nationwide, a group of 25 senators on Wednesday urged President Joe Biden to do all he can through executive action to protect reproductive freedoms at the federal level. Continue reading

Dems chant ‘Black votes are under attack’ as Florida GOP rams through DeSantis’ map

Republicans are "drunk on power and bullying anyone in their way into submission," warned Democratic state Rep. Anna Eskamani.

Florida’s Republican-controlled House voted along party lines Thursday to approve a congressional map drawn by the office of right-wing Gov. Ron DeSantis, a move that came after state Democrats staged a sit-in on the chamber’s floor to condemn the redistricting plan as unconstitutional and racist. Continue reading

‘Journalism is not a crime’: Outrage as judge approves Assange extradition to US

"Extraditing Julian Assange to face allegations of espionage for publishing classified information would set a dangerous precedent and leave journalists everywhere looking over their shoulders."

A British judge on Wednesday officially approved the U.S. government’s request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who faces espionage charges for publishing classified material that exposed war crimes by American forces. Continue reading

Jayapal demands vote on bill to expand Social Security by making the rich pay

One group argued passing legislation to boost the program's benefits would "make it clear to voters that Democrats are working to expand Social Security" while "Republicans want to destroy it."

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, urged the House Democratic leadership on Tuesday to hold a vote on legislation that would expand Social Security benefits by making wealthy Americans contribute more to the beloved New Deal-era program. Continue reading

‘We’re suing,’ says ACLU as Kentucky GOP enacts draconian abortion ban

"Make no mistake: the Kentucky Legislature's sole goal with this law is to shut down health centers and completely eliminate abortion access in the state," argued one abortion rights group.

The ACLU and Planned Parenthood announced late Wednesday that they are suing Kentucky after the state’s GOP-dominated Legislature voted to override the Democratic governor’s veto of a sweeping 15-week abortion ban, an extreme measure inspired by the Mississippi law that is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court. Continue reading

Watchdogs say if Clarence Thomas won’t resign, ‘Congress must move to impeach’

Fresh calls for the Supreme Court justice's removal came amid "damning" new evidence of his wife's involvement in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Calls for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to resign—or face impeachment proceedings—mounted late Thursday after text messages revealed that his wife urged former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to aggressively pursue efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Continue reading

International Court of Justice orders Russia to halt attack on Ukraine

"Russia must comply immediately," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "Ignoring the order will isolate Russia even further."

The International Court of Justice on Wednesday ordered the Russian government to immediately halt its invasion of Ukraine, a legally binding decision that Moscow is likely to ignore as it continues bombarding its neighbor. Continue reading