Tag Archives: Kamala Harris

Bernie Moreno Becomes Ohio’s First Latino & First Person of Color in the U.S. Senate

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Bernie Moreno has pulled off an upset and made history in the process.

The 57-year-old Colombian-born American Republican politician and businessman defeated Democrat and three-term incumbent Sherrod Brown, the chair of the Senate Banking Committee, to become Ohio’s first Latino, and first person of color in the U.S. Senate.

Bernie MorenoMoreno, a Cleveland businessman who was endorsed by Donald Trump back during the primaries, \won in the most expensive Senate race this year.

His win was key in the GOP’s retaking of the upper chamber.

Moreno, who built up a successful network of car dealerships in Ohio, had trailed Brown in the polls for much of the race.

He was propelled to victory in part because of Trump’s strong performance at the top of the ticket. Trump easily defeatedVice President Kamala Harris in Ohio.

Moreno cruised to an easy victory in the Republican primary, buoyed by Trump’s endorsement in December.

He ran for the Senate in 2022 but dropped out at Trump’s urging. JD Vance wound up winning the nomination that year, going on to be elected to the Senate and later serving as Trump’s running mate.

An Emerson College Polling survey of 900 likely voters conducted from October 30 to Nov. 2 showed Moreno leading Brown 48 percent to 45 percent.

But other polls showed him trailing for much of the race. The poll-tracking website FiveThirtyEight showed Brown with a steady 2.5- to 3-

Democrats repeatedly hit Moreno on abortion rights, highlighting his comments in 2022 describing himself as “absolutely pro-life, no exceptions.”

He later softened his position by saying he supported “commonsense restrictions” on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, arguing the issue should be “mostly” left to the states.

Moreno also came under intense fire after being captured on video saying that abortion rights shouldn’t be an issue for women older than 50.

“Sadly, by the way, there’s a lot of suburban women, a lot of suburban women that are like, ‘Listen, abortion is it. If I can’t have an abortion in this country whenever I want, I will vote for anybody else.’ OK. It’s a little crazy, by the way, but — especially for women that are like past 50, I’m thinking to myself, ‘I don’t think that’s an issue for you,’” Moreno said in the clip, which quickly became national news.

Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley criticized Moreno, calling his remarks “tone deaf” and asking, “Are you trying to lose the race?”

Moreno later defended himself at a debate with Brown, insisting that he was only joking.

Brown sought to draw a clear contrast by highlighting his support for a state constitutional amendment in 2023 that ensured access to abortion and other reproductive health care. It passed with 57 percent support.

Moreno tried to regain momentum by hammering Brown on inflation, crime and migration across the U.S.-Mexico border during President Biden’s presidency.

The race was the most expensive Senate contest in the country, with both parties spending more than $500 million, according to the tracking firm AdImpact.

Brown was a top target of the cryptocurrency industry, which poured tens of millions of dollars into the race to defeat him.

One crypto-affiliated super PAC, Defend American Jobs, spent more than $40 million against Brown.

Crypto advocates faulted the Banking panel chair for opposing a bill backed by House Financial Services Committee Chair Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) to clarify how federal agencies would regulate cryptocurrencies.

Brown, 71, managed to outrun the top of the ticket by distancing himself from Biden-Harris administration and focusing on his own strong brand.

He criticized Biden for not doing enough to protect American workers from cheap Chinese imports and announced last year he would co-sponsor legislation to extend the emergency COVID-19 health policy known as Title 42, which Trump had used to keep migrants out of the country.

And he skipped the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, along with other vulnerable Democratic incumbents.

Over his 32-year career in the Senate and House, Brown has been a vocal and reliable supporter of the labor movement and often spoke about the “dignity” of work and took shots at corporate “greed” on the Senate floor.

In recent years, he became an outspoken advocate for expanding affordable housing and addressing the spread of fentanyl addiction that ravages parts of his home state.

He scored a big win in April when the Senate passed the FEND OFF Fentanyl Act, which was sponsored by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), as part of a $95 billion foreign military aid package.

National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair Steve Daines (Mont.) predicted months ago that Moreno would surpass Brown as he gained name recognition from campaign appearances and a flood of political ads.

Polling presented to Republican senators at the NRSC headquarters in September showed Brown with a 2-point lead over Moreno. But Daines argued that Trump would propel him to victory.

“We’re seeing Ohio is less prone to ticket-splitting and will be probably more of a red jersey, blue jersey outcome in November. And that bodes well for Bernie Moreno,” he told reporters.

Daines congratulated Moreno on his victory shortly after 11 pm ET.

“Congratulations to Bernie Moreno on his hard-fought victory. Bernie is a true patriot and the living embodiment of the American Dream. As Ohio’s next senator, Bernie will put Ohio first every day and fight to secure our borders, cut taxes, and restore American strength abroad,” he said in a statement.

Ana Navarro to Serve as Celebrity Host During the Democratic National Convention

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Ana Navarro is preparing for a special hosting assignment…

The 52-year-old Nicaraguan-American political strategist, commentator and The View co-host will be one of the celebrity hosts for this week’s Democratic National Convention as organizers take a page from the all-virtual event held in 2020.

Ana Navarro“I can’t tell you how much it means to me,” Navarro said in a video about being a host at the DNC. “I’m a little refugee girl who fled communism, who fled Nicaragua at the age of eight, found freedom, found opportunity, found a home in America, and for me to have the chance to stand on that stage and help my girl, Kamala, make history and become the Democratic nominee, it’s just such a mind-blowing moment.”

Navarro, who will serve as the celebrity host on Tuesday, is among a roster of A-listers that includes Tony Goldwyn (Monday), Mindy Kaling (Wednesday) and Kerry Washington (Thursday,) per a convention official.

Washington was part of the lineup of hosts in 2020, when an in-person event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Stephanie Cutter and Ricky Kirshner, who produced that convention, have returned this year.

The convention also will borrow some elements from the virtual roll call of 2020, as some delegations went viral for their creativity in showcasing their states.

The roll call will take place on Tuesday, and it will be ceremonial, as Kamala Harris already has been confirmed as the Democratic nominee in a virtual delegate vote earlier this month.

Other celebrities expected at various events tied to the convention include John Legend, Octavia Spencer and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

President Joe Biden is scheduled to speak on Monday evening, with an expected appearance by Harris.

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and Barack and Michelle Obama are expected on Tuesday.

Vice presidential nominee Tim Walz will give his acceptance speech on Wednesday.

Also expected to speak are Bill and Hillary Clinton. Harris’ acceptance speech will be the convention’s finale on Thursday.

Martin Sheen Salutes Joe Biden During White House Visit

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Martin Sheen is (west) winging it…

The 84-year-old half-Spanish American actor exchanged salutes with U.S. President Joe Biden on the South Lawn of the White House this week, as the fictional West Wing President Josiah Bartlet paid a visit to the campus.

Martin Sheen, Joe BidenSheen is in Washington, D.C. for an event on Saturday for the release of Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack’s new book What’s Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing, Its Cast And Crew And Its Enduring Legacy Of Service.

Fitzgerald and McCormack, cast members on the show, also were at the White House.

Sheen also told Fox Business that he’d be on the campaign trail with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Biden was on his way to an event in Maryland, where he was making his first public appearance with Harris since he dropped out of the race and endorsed her to take his place atop the Democratic ticket.

The event was geared to the topic of lowering the cost of prescription drugs, part of the Inflation Reduction Act that passed Congress last year.

Aloe Blacc Helps White House Unveil Its National Suicide Prevention Strategy

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Aloe Blacc is helping prevent suicide…

The 45-year-old Panamanian American, who has been touched by the suicide of a loved one, White House on Tuesday (April 23) to help the White House unveil its new national strategy to prevent suicide.

Aloe Blacc, White House, Suicide Prevention“As we all know, suicide affects everyone, it doesn’t matter your age, race, gender or where you live, it impacts all of us and sadly suicide and suicidal thoughts and actions have really increased over the past several years,” said Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, who hosted the event.

Emhoff began his remarks by acknowledging Ashley Judd, whose mother country star Naomi Judd died almost two years ago by suicide and Blacc, whose close friend and collaborator EDM star Tim Bergling (aka Avicii) died by suicide in 2018.

Emhoff noted that 132 people die by suicide every day and that “we’re here today because we know that we can and will change this. Suicide is preventable and the president and vice president have been hard at work taking action, action to mitigate and prevent suicide.”

Among the actions Emhoff said the administration is taking is mobile crisis response teams, more youth suicide prevention activities, as well as increased suicide prevention efforts in schools.

Judd honored her beloved mother and described The Judds singer’s battle with mental illness, which she said was “lying to her and with great terror convinced her that it would never get better” during the discussion moderated by Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy that also featured Shelby Rowe, executive director of the Suicide Prevention Research Center. Judd spoke lovingly of her mother’s sense of humor and discovery of music as a child, but also noted that Naomi, 76, was a survivor of childhood and adult sexual violence who became a nurse and then a Grammy-winning country icon.

“She also lived most of her life with an untreated and undiagnosed mental illness that lied to her and stole from her and it stole from our family and she deserved better,” said Judd, who noted that she suffered from childhood depression and suicidal ideation after being molested when she was seven-years-old. “But I had a different experience because I went to treatment in 2006 for unresolved childhood grief and sexual trauma and I’ve been in good recovery for 18 years and I’ve had a different outcome than my mother.”

What Judd said she carries with her now is a message of hope and recovery.

Blacc said he was on the dais because he has a strong belief in the “tremendous power of music to amplify these important messages” and because he’s learned to stand up for friends who self-harmed and lived as well as those who’ve not survived. “It’s important for all of us to recognize the power that we have,” he said. “So in knowing someone who may be going through a traumatic time and just being a stand for them could make the big difference.”

He encouraged everyone in the room and watching to recognize the positive role we can play in other people’s lives. “The more we can recognize and see and offer our friends and our family members that moment to say, ‘I need your help’ and you know it makes me think about those moments where you get the phone call and a friend of yours has committed self-harm and you think, ‘when was the last time I called? When was the last time I texted?’”

The singer urged everyone to search for a “moment of joy” when they reach out to friends in crisis, including memories that spark laughter or a song, as well as to remind people that they are “the light.” Blacc said, “there’s no such thing as too much love. Let’s give as much as we can,” he added, leading the assembled guests in the chorus from “This Little Light of Mine.”

The administration’s new 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention — accompanied by the first-ever federal action plan — identifies 200 different actions that will be implemented and evaluated over the next three years. Among those actions are: identifying ways to address substance use and suicide risk together in the clinical setting, funding a mobile crisis locator for use by 988 crisis centers, increasing support for survivors of suicide loss and others whose lives have been impacted by suicide, and evaluating promising community-based suicide prevention strategies.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.

Fat Joe Joins Kamala Harris for White House Discussion on Easing Marijuana Penalties

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Fat Joe is fighting to ease marijuana penalties…

The 53-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American rapper joined Vice President Kamala Harris to lead a White House discussion on Friday, March 15, on easing marijuana penalties, with Harris saying it’s “absurd” that the federal government classifies marijuana as more dangerous than fentanyl, the synthetic opioid blamed for tens of thousands of deaths annually the United States.

Fat JoeHarris, a former state prosecutor in California, also criticized the federal classification of cannabis as “patently unfair.” The government currently is reviewing how it classifies marijuana, and Harris urged that the process be wrapped up as quickly as possible. 

Fat Joe, a Grammy-nominated artist and philanthropist whose real name is Joseph Cartagena, moderated a subsequent closed-door discussion that included Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and individuals who received pardons for prior marijuana convictions.

President Joe Biden has issued pardons to thousands of people for federal marijuana possession and commuted long sentences handed down for nonviolent drug offenses. In 2022, he urged governors to pardon state offenses. Beshear then invited people convicted of simple marijuana possession to apply for pardons in Kentucky. Biden launched the process to review how marijuana is classified in 2022.

A full seven in 10 U.S. adults favor legalizing marijuana, according to Gallup polling. Support for legalization is closer to eight in 10 among 18- to 34-year-olds, a demographic whose support for Biden, who is seeking reelection, has softened since he took office.

“I cannot emphasize enough that they need to get to it as quickly as possible and we need to have a resolution based on their findings and their assessment,” Harris said of the Departments of Health and Human Services and Justice, which are handling the review.

“But this issue is stark when one considers the fact that on the schedule currently marijuana is considered as dangerous as heroin,” she said during the public portion of the meeting. “Marijuana is considered as dangerous as heroin and more dangerous than fentanyl, which is absurd. Not to mention patently unfair.”

“So I’m sure DEA is working as quickly as possible and will continue to do so and we look forward to the product of their work,” the vice president said, referring to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid blamed for tens of thousands of deaths annually in America.

U.S. regulators are studying reclassifying marijuana shifting it from a drug that has “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,” known as “Schedule I,” to the less tightly regulated “Schedule III.”

Biden mentioned the marijuana classification review during his State of the Union address earlier this month. He said during a campaign appearance in Milwaukee this week that “no one should be jailed for marijuana.”

“If you’re just using, you should have that wiped off your record,” Biden said.

Cartagena opened the roundtable by saying he’s hot on the issue of price transparency in health care “but, today, when the vice president calls me, I stop everything.”

He got a little ahead of himself when he proceeded to dismiss journalists so the closed-door discussion could begin, prompting Harris to tell him to “hold on” because she had a statement to make, too.

Mariah Carey Makes Special Visit to the White House

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Mariah Carey is in the (White) House…

The 54-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning superstar made a special visit to see the president and vice president of the United States.

Mariah Carey, White HouseAs shared on Instagram this Wednesday (December 20), the vocalist recently swung by the White House in Washington, D.C., to meet with President Joe Biden and his second in command, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Carey’s 12-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe, whom she shares with ex Nick Cannon, also got to visit the Oval Office and chat with the leaders of the nation.

While there, Carey posed for photos with both Biden and Harris, as well as with her kids in front of the White House’s impressive Christmas decorations.

“Last week I had the pleasure of meeting President Biden & Vice President Harris at the White House to ring in the holiday season!” the singer captioned the pictures, which the White House also shared on its official account. “While there, we got to see all the festive decor and spread some cheer! 🎄❄️☃️”

And what does an international superstar wear to greet the POTUS and VP? A sequined tweed suit jacket and dress, complete with pink trimming and matching heels.

Later, Carey and the president jointly posted a video of their first meeting, both of them professing “I’m a fan” to the other while shaking hands.

The hitmaker is fresh off the finale of her Merry Christmas One and All! Tour, which wrapped with a special show at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Jennifer Hudson and Ariana Grande joined Carey onstage to perform “Oh Santa!,” marking the trio’s first time performing the remix live since releasing it in 2020.

Carey also just claimed her 13th week atop the Billboard Hot 100 with her evergreen holiday smash “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

The track also scored a record-breaking 16th week atop the Billboard Global 200 earlier this week.

U.S. Senate Advances Alvaro Bedoya’s Nomination to the Federal Trade Commission

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Alvaro Bedoya is one step closer to being Commission-ed…

The U.S. Senate has narrowly advanced the nomination of the 40-year-old Peruvian attorney and director of the Center on Privacy and Technology at the Georgetown University Law Center to the Federal Trade Commission.

Alvaro Bedoya

Democrats are seeking to end a deadlock on the commission and advance an agenda likely to take a harder line on corporation consolidation and tech giants.

The vote this week was 51-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking a tie. The Senate Commerce Committee split 14-14 earlier this month on the nomination, meaning that Democrats needed to use a more complicated legislative maneuver to move it forward via what is called a discharge petition.

Bedoya now faces additional Senate votes before confirmation, but that can happen if all members of the Democratic caucus stick together.

The FTC under chair Lina Khan did not challenge Amazon’s acquisition of MGM before the two companies closed the transaction, disappointing some union and public interest groups that had urged the agency to take a harder line. But any effort to challenge the merger likely would have been complicated by the lack of a Democratic majority on the FTC given the expectation that two Republican commissioners were expected to vote against a challenge to the transaction.

Still, the Writers Guild of America, Teamsters and other groups have urged the FTC to still challenge the transaction even post-merger.

An FTC spokesperson also did not rule out such a scenario.

“The FTC does not comment on any particular matters. However, we reiterate that the Commission does not approve transactions and may challenge a deal at any time if it determines that it violates the law,” the spokesperson said.

Republicans opposed the Bedoya nomination by arguing that he would be too partisan for the agency, pointing to some of his past social media posts.

Bedoya is the founding director of the Center on Privacy and Technology at Georgetown Law.

The FTC is expected to move to pass a comprehensive set of privacy rules for internet companies. The FTC and the Justice Department’s antitrust division are in the midst of a review of merger guidelines, with the expectation that they will lead to stricter enforcement.

Colman Domingo to Appear at the Democratic National Committee’s Upcoming Pride Celebration Fundraiser

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Colman Domingo is celebrating Pride with the DNC…

The 51-year-old Guatemalan American actor will take part in a special Pride Celebration fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee next week.

Colman Domingo

Vice President Kamala Harris will headline the event, which will include a number of performances and an introduction by Barbra Streisand.

The DNC traditionally hosts a Pride month event, but the fundraiser also speaks to the desire among party activists to have a large war chest heading into next year’s midterms.

The performers on the bill for the virtual event on June 30 include Andra Day, Billy Porter, Kristin Chenoweth and Melissa Etheridge.

In addition to Domingo, other stars making appearances include Andy Cohen, George Takei, Matt Bomer and Whoopi Goldberg.

Tickets to the event start at $50, and rise to $20,000 for a co-host designation and access to a VIP “clutch.” Those who write or raise $40,000 will get a host designation and access to the clutch. The New York Times first reported on the event.

The DNC raised $12.1 million in May, according to reports to the Federal Election Commission, while the Republican National Committee raised about $11.1 million. Those are hefty sums for an off-year period and, according to Bloomberg News, a record amount.

Last year, as the pandemic prevented in-person fundraising, Democrats capitalized on the ease of holding virtual events, both in drawing talent and in bringing in greater numbers of small-dollar donors.

Jennifer Lopez Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Her Former No. 1 Album “J.Lo”

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Jennifer Lopez is celebrating her big love…

The 51-year-old Puerto Rican star celebrated the big 20th anniversary of her sophomore over the weekend. And she marked the big day by recognizing her fans, who’ve helped J.Lo go four-times platinum and top the Billboard 200 since its January 23, 2001, release.

Jennifer Lopez

“As I reflect on the fact that it’s the #JLo20thAnniversary, I just wanted to say thank you to all of you for being with me, loving me and supporting me through all the ups and downs,” she wrote on social media. “Thank you so much for all the love over the past 20 years!! I love you so much!!”

But J.Lo had more than just a thank you to share. The singer also reenacted scenes from her video for “Love Don’t Cost a Thing,” the lead single from the album. In a video posted to both Instagram and Twitter, the star — with her hair styled in the same half-pony — rips off her accessories and chucks them aside as she walks along a beach, and does the same with a long, creamy white coat similar to the one in the video.

“Happy 20th anniversary to my 2nd album J.Lo!!!!” she captioned the video. “Had a little fun at a recent shoot.”

Lopez followed that up by inviting her fans to join in on the fun. “The #LoveDontCostAThingChallenge STARTS NOW !!!!” she tweeted, again sharing the clip in which she reenacts the song’s music video. “Can’t wait to see your renditions.”

https://twitter.com/JLo/status/1353133834485817344

Days before the album’s anniversary, the two-time Grammy nominee performed at President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris‘ swearing-in ceremony. She kicked off her January 20 performance with “This Land Is Your Land,” then transitioned into “America the Beautiful” before working in some of her 2000 hit “Let’s Get Loud.”

Alex Padilla Sworn In by Predecessor Kamala Harris as California’s First Mexican American & Hispanic U.S. Senator

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Alex Padilla is officially representing the Great State of California…

Democrats took control of the U.S. Senate for the first time since 2015, as Vice President Kamala Harris swore in the 47-year-old Mexican American politician as her appointed successor, as well as Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, who won their races against Republican incumbents in Georgia his month.

Alex Padilla

On December 22, 2020, California governor Gavin Newsom appointed Padilla to succeed Harris in the Senate, after Harris was elected as vice president. He’s the first Mexican American and Hispanic senator from California, the first senator from Southern California since 1992, and the first male senator to represent the state since 1993.

“I need to catch my breath, so much is happening,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who now is the new majority leader.

Alex Padilla

The Senate split is 50-50 now, but Democrats will have the edge because Harris has a tie-breaking vote. That might be needed, as Joe Biden tries to usher through a series of legislative priorities, including a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package and immigration reform.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) will be the president pro tem of the Senate, which is third in line for the presidency following the vice president and Speaker of the House.

With Democratic control of Congress and the White House, there is some expectation that legislation will face legal challenges, as Donald Trump was able to appoint more than 200 judges to the federal bench, including three Supreme Court seats.