New Acting Speaker Patrick McHenry Evicts Pelosi from Private Suite

Jacob Bruns
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New Acting Speaker Patrick McHenry Evicts Pelosi from Private Suite

(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C.—the interim House Speaker following Tuesday’s ouster of Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.—has used his newfound authority to evict former Democrat Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D.-Calif., from her private office suite, Politico reported.

After Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and several other Republicans voted with Democrats to vacate the speakership, McHenry took over as the temporary leader at the request of McCarthy.

In one of his first moves, the new speaker evicted Pelosi from a private suite that she had kept, despite having handed over the gavel nine months ago.

“Please vacate the space tomorrow, the room will be re-keyed,” a Republican aide wrote to Pelosi’s staff. According to the note, the room was to be reassigned “for speaker office use.”

Presumably, it will go to the most recent ex-speaker.

Per the Politico report, there are only enough private offices for a few important members of the House to have one, due to sheer numbers in the deliberative body. Thus it makes perfect sense that the divisive, 83-year-old Democrat, who no longer holds a leadership role within her own party, should relinquish hers.

According to Pelosi, McHenry’s move is just another instance of the lack of civility and proper respect for tradition on the part of Republicans.

She called the move “a sharp departure from tradition,” adding that she had given former Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., “a significantly larger suite of offices for as long as he wished” when she was first elected House speaker in 2007.

Her second ascension to the speakership, in 2019, coincided with the retirement of her predecessor, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc.

Pelosi left it to her staff to vacate the office after having missed the vote Tuesday to remove McCarthy from the speakership in order to attend the funeral of recently-deceased Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

“Sadly, because I am in California to mourn the loss of and pay tribute to my dear friend Dianne Feinstein, I am unable to retrieve my belongings at this time,” she said.

Trump Team Urges RNC to Cancel Debates, ‘Refocus Its Manpower’

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Trump Team Urges RNC to Cancel Debates, ‘Refocus Its Manpower’

(Headline USA) Donald Trump’s campaign is calling on the Republican National Committee to cancel the November debate in Miami and all remaining presidential primary debates, saying the RNC must instead “refocus its manpower” on defeating Joe Biden next year.

In a statement late Monday, top Trump advisers warned that Democrats were working yet again to steal the 2024 election for at least the third election cycle in a row.

“Anything less, along with other reasons not to cancel, are an admission to the grassroots that their concerns about voter integrity are not taken seriously and national Republicans are more concerned about helping Joe Biden than ensuring a safe and secure election,” said senior campaign advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita.

It remains unclear if such efforts were in place prior to the 2020 election, when many blue states used the pandemic as a pretense to shift to widespread mail-in voting while lowering their signature and other verification standards.

While evidence has revealed several instances of fraudulent activity, it has proven difficult to litigate them due to legal technicalities such as laches (the timing of when the case may be presented) and standing (who is allowed to bring a case).

Compounding the issue has been the fact that leftist prosecutors and officials have waged an active lawfare counteroffensive to punish any who dare challenge the outcomes. As a result, Republicans face considerable hurdles going into the election year and will need all hand on deck to rally behind the eventual nominee.

Trump remains the frontrunner by a longshot, although wealthy billionaire donors have floated a last-ditch effort to entice Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to enter the race in hopes that he might pose a challenge where others—most notably Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis—have fallen short.

Trump has skipped the first two debates—as several of his rivals attacked him for not attending—and said he wouldn’t participate in the future.

He is in court this week in New York for a civil fraud trial accusing him of inflating the value of his businesses, a case that he has argued is politically motivated.

The RNC did not respond to requests for comment Monday or Tuesday.

A spokesman for DeSantis rejected the Trump campaign statement about canceling debates, saying the country “needs a president who will fight for them anywhere, in any forum.” DeSantis in the second debate accused Trump of not wanting to defend his record on the national debt.

“Donald Trump should defend his record to the American people and debate Ron DeSantis on their vision and specific plans to stop American decline and restore our country,” said Bryan Griffin, the spokesman. “But Trump knows he can’t defend his record, and he isn’t the fighter he was in 2016.”

RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel declined to answer a question last week about Trump’s call to end the debates during a call with reporters on the launch of the committee’s “Bank Your Vote” initiative in New York.

The program, which the GOP is implementing in states across the U.S., encourages Republicans to participate in early and mail-in voting—a practice that Democrats have embraced but some Republicans, including Trump, have criticized.

McDaniel also brushed off Trump’s continued skepticism of early voting, even after he recorded a video to promote the “Bank Your Vote” initiative.

“I think we have to take those fights on, but also understand that once it gets to game day, the rules that are on the field are what we need to play by and President Trump is all in on that,” she said.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

North Dakota Sen. Killed in Plane Crash Recently Earned Commercial Pilot’s License

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North Dakota Sen. Killed in Plane Crash Recently Earned Commercial Pilot’s License

(Headline USA) A North Dakota lawmaker who died in a plane crash along with his wife and two young sons had recently received his commercial pilot’s license with hopes of one day working for a major airline, a Senate colleague said.

State Sen. Doug Larsen, his wife Amy and the two children died Sunday in a plane crash near Moab, Utah.

The plane crashed shortly after taking off from Canyonlands Airfield near the desert recreation town, according to the Grand County Sheriff’s Office. The senator was the pilot, according to the sheriff’s office.

Peggy Steimel, Larsen’s sister, identified the sons as 11-year-old Christian and 8-year-old Everett.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, with a preliminary report expected in two weeks.

FAA records show that Larsen’s single-engine Piper PA-28-140, popularly known as a “Cherokee,” was built in 1966. Its airworthiness certificate was renewed this past June through 2030, indicating it had passed a safety inspection. The Piper Cherokee family is one of the most widely produced planes in general aviation, with a reputation for reliability.

The weather at the time of the crash was mild, with scattered light showers, wide visibility and gentle winds in the area around the airport, according to the National Weather Service.

Aerial video posted by KSL-TV of Salt Lake City, Utah, showed the plane went down in a desert area, devoid of vegetation, and sustained extensive damage to the nose area and right wing. It came to rest upright.

Larsen flew Black Hawk helicopters as part of his 29 years of military service with the North Dakota Army National Guard, according to Republican state Sens. Jim Roers, a longtime licensed pilot, and Mike Wobbema, a retired military aviator.

A Guard spokesman said Larsen had logged about 1,776 total military flight hours.

Roers said Larsen had recently earned his commercial pilot’s license, and had received at least one job offer from commuter airlines, with a goal of flying for a major airline due to his passion for flying. An FAA record shows a pilot with the same name and similar flight experience as Larsen had obtained a commercial pilot certificate on Sept. 15.

Roers said he and Larsen connected over “our love of aviation,” and discussed earlier this year “the potential for him to become a commercial pilot, and he absolutely embraced the idea.” Roers said he introduced Larsen to a veteran United pilot and trainer and gave him advice.

Larsen worked through steps toward the license, according to Roers, who called Larsen “very proficient” and “a very detailed, confident” person from his military training.

“I knew that his path to becoming a commercial pilot was going to be a short journey because of all of the previous experience that he had and the love for aviation that he had,” Roers said.

In the North Dakota statehouse, Rep. Paul Thomas and Sen. Cole Conley offered tributes to Larsen on Tuesday before a routine meeting of an interim study committee of the Legislature. The room observed a moment of silence for the Larsen family.

Thomas and Conley both entered the Legislature in 2020 with Larsen, a fellow Republican, and recounted their early days at the Capitol with him.

Thomas commended Larsen’s service to others, including his family and friends and his North Dakota National Guard career.

“Sen. Larsen was what we all here aspired to be as servants to our members and our district as well as our friends and family,” Thomas told about 20 lawmakers gathered for the meeting.

Conley said Larsen loved to host events, inviting colleagues to his home in Mandan, and cooking tacos, chili and other meals for Senate caucus meetings. Larsen also once offered to find Conley a car when his broke down.

Republican Senate Majority Leader David Hogue in an email to fellow senators on Monday that said the Larsens were returning home from visiting family in Scottsdale, Arizona, and had stopped to refuel in Utah.

Larsen represented a district encompassing Mandan, which neighbors Bismarck to the west across the Missouri River. He chaired a Senate panel that handled industry- and business-related legislation.

Larsen mobilized twice, to Iraq from 2009-10 and to Washington, D.C., from 2013-14, according to the governor’s office. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, Bronze Service Star and Army Aviator Badge among other honors.

He and his wife owned businesses that included a hotel and a home-building company.

District Republicans will appoint a successor to fill out the remainder of Larsen’s term, through November 2024. Party Chair Sandi Sanford said an appointment will probably come after funeral services, “out of respect.” Larsen’s Senate seat is on the ballot next year.

Gov. Doug Burgum and legislative leaders are preparing to convene the Legislature in Bismarck after the state Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a major budget bill of the state government, calling it unconstitutional in containing multiple, unrelated items in violation of the state Constitution’s single-subject requirement.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

‘Zombiepocalypse’ to Begin at 2:20 p.m. Eastern Sharp?

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‘Zombiepocalypse’ to Begin at 2:20 p.m. Eastern Sharp?

(Headline USA) “THIS IS A TEST”: If you have a cellphone or are watching television Wednesday, that message will flash across your screen as the federal government tests its emergency alert system used to tell people about emergencies.

The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System sends out messages via the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts.

The Emergency Alert System is a national public warning system that’s designed to allow the president to speak to the American people within 10 minutes during a national emergency via specific outlets such as radio and television. And Wireless Emergency Alerts are short messages—360 characters or less — that go to mobile phones to alert their owner to important information.

While these types of alerts are frequently used in targeted areas to alert people in the area to thing like tornadoes, Wednesday’s test is being done across the country.

The test is slated to start at 2:20 p.m. Eastern Time Wednesday. Wireless phone customers in the United States whose phones are on will get a message saying: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.” The incoming message will also make a noise and the phone should vibrate.

Customers whose phones are set to the Spanish language will get the message in Spanish.

The test will be conducted over a 30-minute window started at 2:20 p.m., although mobile phone owners would only get the message once. If their phones are turned off at 2:20 p.m. and then turned on in the next 30 minutes, they’ll get the message when they turn their phones back on. If they turn their phones on after the 30 minutes have expired they will not get the message.

People watching broadcast or cable television or listening to the radio will hear and see a message lasting one minute that says: “This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.”

Federal law requires the systems be tested at least once every three years. The last nationwide test was Aug. 11, 2021.

The test has spurred purported falsehoods on social media that it’s part of a plot to send a signal to cellphones nationwide in order to activate nanoparticles such as graphene oxide that have been introduced into people’s bodies.

Experts and FEMA officials have naturally dismissed those claims, but some social media say they’ll shut off their cellphones Wednesday.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Ilhan Omar Mocked after Viral Matt Gaetz Video

Luis Cornelio
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Ilhan Omar Mocked after Viral Matt Gaetz Video

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., faced widespread mockery for her apparent sexual demeanor while Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., delivered a speech on the successful expulsion of Kevin McCarthy as the House speaker. 

During part of Gaetz’s speech, video footage captured Omar seemingly freezing and staring at the Florida lawmaker, even licking her lips.

The video did not go unnoticed by conservative viewers, and quickly went viral on social media. Joey Mannarino, a conservative commentator, mocked the Minnesota lawmaker by bringing up the allegations that Omar had married one of her siblings.

“You’re looking at @MattGaetz like he’s your brother or something,” he said. “Licking your lips and all. Good God! Your husband is going to be big mad.” 

Kingsley Cortes, a digital media aide at the Center for Renewing America, chimed in, saying, “He’s not your brother, Ilhan!” Similarly, political commentator Tim Young also joined the discussion, asking, “Why’s it look like Ilhan Omar is getting all hot and bothered by Matt Gaetz?” 

Omar’s infamous reaction came during Gaetz addressed the successful motion to vacate McCarthy from the position of House speaker, which marked a significant defeat for the GOP establishment. 

“The office of speaker of the House of the United States House of Representatives is hereby declared vacant,” Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., who presided over the motion, declared. 

Following the humiliating loss, McCarthy announced that he would not seek the office of speaker again. Notably, McCarthy’s initial bid to become speaker in January 2023 took an unprecedented 15 ballots. 

In a speech, McCarthy blamed Democrats for not running cover for him, claiming, “My fear is the institution fell today.”

Currently, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., is serving as the Speaker pro tempore. He announced that House Republicans will not select a new Speaker until next week. Gaetz, however, was vocal in his stance, urging House GOP members to elect a new leader soon. 

“The fight is not over,” Gaetz said on Twitter. “Now we must elect a Speaker.”

NYC Green Activist Fatally Stabbed Following Killing of Philly Leftist Reporter

Luis Cornelio
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NYC Green Activist Fatally Stabbed Following Killing of Philly Leftist Reporter

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A left-wing activist in New York City met a gruesome end when he was violently stabbed to death on the streets of Brooklyn. This shocking incident unfolded just days after a gay reporter in Philadelphia was fatally shot. 

The victim, environmentalist Ryan Carson, was captured in disturbing video footage that showed him sitting at a bus stop with his girlfriend before an unhinged man randomly targeted the couple.

According to the New York Post, Carson and his girlfriend had just returned from a wedding when the aggressor confronted them, demanding, “What the f-ck are you looking at?” 

In bid to de-escalate the situation, Carson calmly replied that he wasn’t looking at the aggressor. However, this only seemed to provoke the violent assailant, who began shouting threats, including, “I’ll kill you!” 

Despite Carson’s pleas for the man to “chill”, the assailant took a knife out and began brutally stabbing the activist, who had tripped over a bench during the attack.  

After the savage assault, the attacker heartlessly walked away but returned momentarily to spit on Carson’s girlfriend before fleeing the scene.

Carson was a well-respected campaign manager at the New York Public Interest Research Group, where he focused his efforts on sustainability and environmental policies, as reported by the Post.

Despite video footage, law enforcement has yet to make any arrests in connection with the brutal attack.

This horrifying incident followed closely on the heels of another tragic event that took place in Philadelphia less than 24 hours earlier. 

According to law enforcement officials, Josh Kruger, a known LGBT activist, tragically died after died after an unnamed individua allegedly broke into his home and opened fire on him.

“Either the door was open, or the offender knew how to get the door open,” a detective said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “We just don’t know yet.”

Before his harrowing death, Kruger had taken to Twitter to dismiss concerns about crime plaguing Philadelphia. 

In one post, dated July 20, Kruger sarcastically celebrated what he perceived as a decrease in crime. “Looks, it’s that lawless of liberals in Philly where shootings are…dropping to levels not seen in years.” 

In another tweet, Kruger dismissed claims that the city was in a state of ruin. “Bro speak for your block mine isn’t ‘ruined,’ the city isn’t ‘ruined,’’ he continued. “Like the rest of the country we are dealing with upticks in crime.”

Sam Bankman-Fried Wanted to Pay Trump $5B to Not Run as President Again

Dmytro "Henry" Aleksandrov
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Sam Bankman-Fried Wanted to Pay Trump $5B to Not Run as President Again

(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) Sam Bankman-Fried, the indicted founder of bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, allegedly wanted to give Donald Trump a $5 billion bribe so that the latter would not run for president again.

However, it’s unclear whether Bankman-Fried — a prolific donor to the Democratic Party before his company imploded last fall — ever actually offered the bribe, the New York Post reported.

His biographer, Michael Lewis, also said that he wasn’t sure if Bankman-Fried actually corresponded with either Trump or his team.

Before Bankman-Fried’s empire imploded, Lewis, best known for authoring The Big Short, was able to get to know him while he was conducting his research for his book, Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon, which was released on Tuesday.

During a Sunday interview with 60 Minutes, Lewis said that “the number that was kicking around when I was talking to Sam about this was $5 billion,” adding that “Sam wasn’t sure that number came directly from Trump.”

Due to that, it wasn’t clear whether Trump was even willing to negotiate with Bankman-Fried in the first place.

Bankman-Fried also mulled whether paying a politician to drop out of a race was legal, Lewis added.

“They were still having these conversations when FTX blew up,” Lewis said, even though Bankman-Fried ultimately didn’t follow through with the offer because federal prosecutors dropped a multi-count indictment on him one month after FTX collapsed in November 2022.

Lewis also added that in the end, a transaction was never completed because Bankman-Fried “didn’t have $5 billion anymore.”

“That only shocks you if you don’t know Sam,” he said.

The court document indicated that Bankman-Fried made more than 300 illegal political donations in the name of FTX staffers.

Before his empire’s demise, Bankman-Fried had been the second-largest donor to Democratic candidates and causes ahead of the November 2022 midterm elections, trailing only behind a globalist billionaire George Soros.

According to the prosecutors, he used $100 million in stolen FTX deposits to fund those donations, which he hoped would result in the passage of crypto-friendly legislation.

Hunter Biden Returns to Court for ‘Not Guilty’ Plea Looking Gray and Worn

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Hunter Biden Returns to Court for ‘Not Guilty’ Plea Looking Gray and Worn

(Headline USA) Looking gray and wrinkled after his years of living outside the law finally caught up with him, Hunter Biden, 53, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to three federal firearms charges filed after his earlier sweetheart plea deal imploded, setting the case on a track toward a possible trial in 2024.

That could potentially be while his father is campaigning for reelection, although many speculate that with impeachment bearing down on President Joe Biden and members of his own party beginning to turn against the president, whose poll numbers are deep underwater, Biden could resign on the condition that his successor (presumably Vice President Kamala Harris) be willing to pardon his only surviving son, and potentially himself.

Hunter Biden has been charged with lying about his drug use in October 2018 on a form to buy a gun that he kept for about 11 days. He could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted. When asked by Magistrate Judge Christopher Burke if he understood the charges against him, he said, “Yes, Your Honor.”

His lawyer Abbe Lowell said in court he plans to file a motion to dismiss the charges, challenging their constitutionality.

“Mr. Biden pleads not guilty to the three counts that have been brought against him,” Lowell said to the judge.

Hunter Biden has acknowledged struggling with an addiction to crack cocaine during that period in 2018, but his lawyers have said he didn’t break the law—despite possession of crack cocaine itself being a felony.

Evidence of several other felonies, including sex-trafficking and child pornography was made public after the release of his abandoned laptop in the month prior to the 2020 election. It also shows Hunter in possession of a different illegal firearm than the one he was charged for, while having sex with a woman believed to be a prostitute.

On Tuesday, the judge noted Hunter Biden had been repeatedly tested for drugs and is negative.

Hunter Biden’s attorneys claim thatthe charges were the result of political pressure.

“President Trump and his MAGA allies” have forced “the Justice Department to ignore the law and deviate from its policies in cases like this one,” Lowell said in a statement after the brief hearing.

However, others contend that the Justice Department spent years slow-walking the charges and failed to charge him for a litany of other crimes due to political pressure.

Special counsel David Weiss, who spent years investigating the case as the U.S. Attorney for Delaware, was excoriated by Republicans for allowing the statute of limitations to expire on several felonies right before filing charges that included the earlier plea deal.

Some suggested he would not have filed any charges but for congressional whistleblowers who testified that his office was neglecting its duties.

Hunter Biden left the courthouse shortly after the hearing, getting into a black SUV and pulling away. The deadline for pretrial motions in the case is Nov 3. The pretrial release conditions include no alcohol or drugs; drug testing or substance abuse counseling if needed; and continuing or seeking employment.

Earlier this summer, Hunter Biden agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax charges and would have also avoided prosecution on the gun charges had he stayed out of trouble for two years.

It was the culmination of a yearslong investigation by federal prosecutors into the business dealings of the president’s son, and the agreement would have dispensed with criminal proceedings and spared the Bidens weeks of headlines as the election loomed.

The deal broke down after the judge who was supposed to sign off on the agreement instead raised a series of questions about the deal.

Now, Weiss has been appointed to handle the case, and there appears no easy end in sight. Hunter was indicted on the three gun charges, and no new tax charges have yet been filed—but the special counsel has indicated those charges could come in Washington or in California, where Hunter lives.

Defense attorneys have argued that he remains protected by an immunity provision that was part of the scuttled agreement, but prosecutors overseen by Weiss disagree.

Lowell on Tuesday said he planned to file “a number of motions,” including a push to dismiss the case based on an immunity agreement in the now-scuttled plea deal and the constitutionality of the law against drug users having guns.

Lowell also said the defense plans to ask for an evidentiary hearing.

Meanwhile, Hunter’s legal team has taken a more aggressive legal stance in recent weeks, filing a series of lawsuits over the dissemination of personal information from his laptop and his tax data by whistleblower IRS agents who testified before Congress as part of the GOP probe.

Hunter, who lives in the Los Angeles area, had asked for Tuesday’s hearing to be conducted remotely over video feed, but Burke sided with prosecutors, saying there would be no “special treatment.”

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Sick: 11 Illegal Aliens Jailed, One Charged after Child Tied and Abused

Luis Cornelio
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Sick: 11 Illegal Aliens Jailed, One Charged after Child Tied and Abused

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A 22-year-old man, Oscar Ernesto Luna, has been charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct, while 11 others, all illegal aliens, were apprehended by ICE at a residence where an 11-year-old girl endured a horrifying ordeal. 

The gruesome incident took place last month at a residence in Bemidji, Minnesota, where Luna allegedly sexually assaulted the young victim while she was tied up, according to the charges. The victim had been brought to the house by a 24-year-old female relative, the Bemidji Pioneer reported on Sept. 29.

Bemidji Police Captain David LaZella revealed in a press release that the authorities were alerted after the girl was rushed to an emergency room, where she described to doctors the harrowing experience. 

According to the victim, her relative forced her into a car with several men who subsequently placed a bag over her head, pushed her down a flight of stairs and forced her to consume alcohol, all while she remained tied.

Law enforcement swiftly launched an investigation based on the victim’s account. The young girl mentioned a man referred to as “Panda,” whom investigators identified as Luna. 

“Through the investigation, officers and detectives identified 1821 America Court NW, Bemidji, as the location of the sexual assault and a search warrant was executed at this residence,” the Bemidji Police Department announced last week.  

“During the execution of the search warrant a 22-year-old male identified as Oscar Ernesto Luna, age 22 was arrested on an [sic] warrant from Hennepin County and also charged with 1st degree criminal sexual conduct in Beltrami County.” 

The victim displayed clear signs of physical trauma, with visible cuts on her body and informed medical professionals that she was in pain, according to ABC75. 

Luna was apprehended on two active warrants related to alleged DWI charges. The police department did not offer further details, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. 

Butler Makes History as 1st Black, Gay Calif. Senator to Not Live in State

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Butler Makes History as 1st Black, Gay Calif. Senator to Not Live in State

(Headline USA) Laphonza Butler—the Senate’s official token gay, black female and “placeholder” for white male Rep. Adam Schiff until next year’s election—was sworn in Tuesday, replacing California Sen. Dianne Feinstein after her death.

Butler, a resident of Maryland, was appointed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday, just two days after Feinstein died at her home in Washington, fulfilling Newsom’s pledge to appoint someone based on demographic check-boxes instead of qualifications.

In picking her, however, he deftly avoided falling into the trap of appointing Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., who is one of several members of Congress—along with Schiff—who has already declared their intent to run for the open seat in next year’s election. Feinstein had planned to retire, although it was unclear whether she was herself aware of having announced her intention to do so.

Butler is a longtime fundraiser and strategist in Democratic circles and was the head of Emily’s List, an abortion activist group.

The new senator was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris, who served as the second black female senator until she resigned in 2021 to join President Joe Biden in the White House. The first was Democratic Sen. Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois, who served one term in the 1990s.

With dozens of supporters and family members looking down from the gallery, Butler smiled broadly as she walked down the center aisle of the Senate alongside Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.,.

After Harris administered the oath of office, members of the Senate from both parties crowded around her to shake her hand.

Schumer said that “today, the Senate takes another step towards fully reflecting our vibrant democracy.”

He said Butler has “dedicated her entire career to fighting for others—fighting for women, fighting for working families and fighting for the cause of justice.”

After she was sworn in, Biden called her to congratulate her, the White House said.

The Congressional Black Caucus also held a ceremonial swearing-in for Butler. “Her background and years of experience will bring a much-needed perspective to the Senate, which currently does not have any Black women,” CBC Chairman Steven Horsford, D-Nev., said in a statement after she was appointed.

Butler is also the first openly LGBT senator from California.

Though she has never held elective office, Newsom praised her “deep knowledge” of the legislative process and said she was the kind of candidate he would build “if I had to literally design from my imagination.”

“She’s the only choice,” Newsom added.

Butler’s credentials include working for nearly two years with a consulting firm tied closely to Newsom and founded by his top political lieutenants. She also served as a senior adviser to Harris’s 2020 presidential campaign.

It is unclear if Butler will run to hold the seat when Feinstein’s term ends next year with the competitive race already underway among three prominent House Democrats: Schiff, Lee  Rep. Katie Porter. The governor has said he didn’t want to tip the scales in the 2024 race by choosing among those candidates.

Newsom said he told Butler to “do what you think is best for you and the state of California, and you make that judgment completely independent of any expectations from me.”

After Butler was sworn in, Schumer said that Feinstein “is looking down at this moment with pride now that her seat is in good hands.”

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

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