Trump administration live updates: N.J. holds special election; House fails to pass Iran war powers bill
This version of Trump New Jersey Election Congress Fisa Tps Dhs Shutown Live Updates Rcna332091 - Politics and Government | NBC News Clone was adapted by NBC News Clone to help readers digest key facts more efficiently.
Progressive activist Analilia Mejia and Republican Joe Hathaway are facing off today in the special election to succeed New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill in Congress.
What to know today
- RFK JR. TESTIFIES: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. clashed with lawmakers during two Congressional hearings over his public statements regarding vaccinations, measles outbreaks and management of programs under the agency.
- WAR POWERS VOTE: A House effort to end Trump’s war in Iran failed in a 213-214 vote. The vote largely fell along party lines with only one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, voting with Democrats in favor of curbing the operation.
- N.J. ELECTION: Progressive activist Analilia Mejia and Republican Joe Hathaway are facing off today in the special election to succeed New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, in Congress.
- HAITIAN PROTECTIONS: The House is voting today on a measure that would reinstate temporary protections against deportation for Haitians living in the U.S. Six Republicans joined Democrats yesterday to support a vote on the bill, opposing a key component of President Donald Trump’s immigration policy.
Kennedy's second hearing of the day now over
The House Appropriations Committee has wrapped up their hearing with the health and human services secretary.
De Lauro on proposed budget cuts: 'We’re not going to do that'
In her final remarks, De Lauro said she had no intention of approving HHS’ proposed cuts to medical research, energy assistance, mental health services and workforce training programs.
“I think it was very clear, Mr. Secretary — we’re not going to do that,” she said. “We can’t in good conscience do that.”
“This is an agency that has an enormous portfolio, all of it geared toward saving lives,” De Lauro added. “I believe you want to do that. I believe that this budget is contrary to doing that.”
Kennedy and Rep. Josh Harder argue over mercury emissions
In a heated back-and-forth, Kennedy and Rep. Josh Harder, D-Ca., debated whether the secretary should have taken action to fight the Trump administration’s rollback of mercury emissions standards.
“Why have you stayed silent on this?” Harder asked.
“You should call Lee Zeldin here and ask him,” Kennedy said, referring to the EPA administrator.
Harder said Kennedy had “convenient amnesia” and said his unwillingness to comment “shows a significant degree of cowardice.”
Kennedy said he does not comment on energy policy and that his role is to end the chronic disease epidemic.
“I’m shocked that you’d come to this meeting and not have a single question to ask me about my agency,” he said.
Kennedy calls on Senate to approve Means as surgeon general
Kennedy called on lawmakers to support Dr. Casey Means’ nomination for U.S. Surgeon General.
“Democrats and Republicans should support her nomination because she’s going to help our country. And the only thing that would prevent that is the kind of lack of integrity, lack of courage and the tribalism that is polarizing and destroying our country,” Kennedy said.
Means has faced criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for her controversial stances on vaccines, birth control and pesticides. Her nomination has been in limbo since February as the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee decides whether to approve her. There is still no clear timeline for a committee vote.
Kennedy described Means on Thursday as “the most articulate, eloquent and erudite evangelist for the MAHA movement.”
‘They failed at their job’: Kennedy says HHS employees terminated by DOGE didn't protect Americans
Kennedy claimed in his testimony that the HHS employees whose jobs were terminated by DOGE last year were fired because they didn't protect Americans' health.
"It was their job to protect us, and they did not do it. They failed at their job," he said in response to Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., asking how many full-time employees are now at HHS after the cuts.
"If this was private industry, they would have all been fired," Kennedy said. "We did what we had to do to change the culture at these agencies so they’re now doing what they can do to protect that they are what they were hired to do, which is to protect the health of our country and restore us once again, to the healthiest country."
Kennedy said HHS currently has 72,000 employees and they're hiring 12,000 new employees.
"We will have made up all the employees that we lost," he said. "We've replaced them with a better group of people who are actually going to address chronic health."
Kennedy claimed the former staffers "presided over the biggest decline in health in the history of the world, now the sickest generation in history."
"We have the sickest population on the face of the earth," he continued. "That is a failure of government. They weren't looking at chronic disease. They were focused on other things, and they did nothing to prevent food diets, the bad food, all the things that are making us sick."
Kennedy and Rep. Rosa De Lauro spar over raw milk
Rep. Rosa De Lauro, D-Conn., and Kennedy sparred over the secretary's views on raw milk, with De Lauro questioning why Kennedy hasn't publicly told Americans that consuming unpasteurized milk is dangerous.
"You have your own personal views on raw milk that cannot be part of a health protocol," the congresswoman told Kennedy, who has previously said that he drinks raw milk and in 2024 called for the "FDA's war on public health" including "its aggressive suppression of ... raw milk" to end.
Kennedy, who has not promoted raw milk in recent months, told De Lauro that "raw milk is unregulated by the federal government."
"It's regulated by the states, it's not regulated by us," the Health and Human Services secretary added.
De Lauro, raising her voice, told Kennedy in response, "You are the secretary of HHS. Is there not some moral responsibility or compunction to say, 'don't drink raw milk, don't do that because it's unpasteurized and it can cause serious harm to your health?'"
Kennedy didn't answer DeLauro's question directly, but said that even "processed cheese can contain contaminants."
"Every product can contain contaminants. All we do is inform the public and we let people make a choice," the secretary added.
Kennedy avoids question on abortion pill
When asked about his stance on mifepristone, one of the two medications used in most U.S. abortions, Kennedy said he couldn’t discuss the issue due to ongoing litigation in Louisiana.
“I’ve been advised by the Office of General Counsel to not discuss it,” he said.
Kennedy said last year that he had tasked the FDA with conducting a safety review of mifepristone due to an “alarming” new report on serious adverse events released last month. The report in question was neither peer-reviewed nor published in a medical journal. Researchers said it amounted to junk science and exaggerated the risks of the medication.
Kennedy says he believes Trump will announce his nominee for CDC director this week
Kennedy said in his testimony that he expects Trump to announce his nominees for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week.
"I expect that President Trump, I believe that he is going to release the nominations of the new team at CDC, including the new CDC administrator or director, this week — hopefully today or tomorrow," he said.
The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
NBC News reported yesterday that the Department of Health and Human Services recommended Dr. Erica Schwartz, a deputy U.S. surgeon general during Trump’s first term, to lead the CDC, citing two people familiar with the matter. The sources said that the pick, however, was not final.
Kennedy is testifying before second House hearing today
A second House hearing featuring Kennedy today is underway, this time before the House Appropriations Committee.
House bucks Trump, votes to shield Haitian immigrants from potential deportation
WASHINGTON — The House passed legislation that would reinstate temporary protections for Haitian immigrants living in the U.S., breaking with Trump on immigration.
The successful vote occurred after a handful of Republicans defied their own GOP leadership and teamed up with Democrats on a discharge petition to force the vote on the House floor.
It passed 224-204, with 10 Republicans voting yes.
Trump says the pope is allowed to say what he wants but has the 'right to disagree'
Trump said that he has “nothing against” Pope Leo XIV and insisted that he is not fighting with the pontiff.
“If the pope would allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon, you can’t do that,” Trump said.
The pope has previously called on all nations to renounce weapons and has called for a "safer world, free from the nuclear threat."
Trump said the pope is allowed to say what he wants, and that Trump wants him to say what he wants, but said he can disagree.
“I can disagree with the pope. I have a right to disagree with the pope,” Trump said.
Ways and Means hearing ends
Kennedy's Ways and Means committee hearing is over. He'll appear at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing that is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Rep. Steven Horsford and Kennedy clash on EPA coordination
Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., pressed Kennedy as to whether there was HHS coordination with the EPA over reportedly working to roll back protections that the congressman said would ultimately increase exposure to heavy metals like arsenic, lead, chromium and mercury in drinking water.
The two clashed, as Horsford accused Kennedy of not being able to answer the question. He asked Kennedy whether he was telling him that he does not coordinate with the EPA. Kennedy responded, telling the congressman to "calm down."
Kennedy criticized Horsford, accusing him of not giving him the chance to answer the question. Later, Kennedy told Horsford that "people scream when they don't have much to say."
Judge again halts construction of Trump’s White House ballroom, but allows work on underground bunker to proceed
A federal judge issued a new order halting construction of Trump’s much-touted new White House ballroom, finding the administration was using fancy footwork to try to sidestep his previous ruling.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon had previously issued an order halting the $400 million project until the White House got it approved by Congress, with an exception for “actions strictly necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House and its grounds.” That specifically includes an underground bunker and security measures being put in place at the site under the former East Wing structure.
House effort to end Trump’s war with Iran fails by one vote
WASHINGTON — The Republican-controlled House voted to reject a resolution ordering Trump to end the war with Iran.
The vote was 213-214, almost entirely along party lines, as Republicans overwhelmingly stick with Trump, refusing to slap guardrails on his military campaign.
Florida delays redistricting special session
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delayed the state’s planned redistricting special session this week, ordering lawmakers to tackle the map-drawing process on April 28 instead of April 20.
The delay gives the governor and lawmakers an extra week to get their ducks in a row and finalize a map.
Significant infighting between legislative leaders and the governor has dominated the Legislature's work this year, and redistricting is no exception.
One Florida Republican operative told NBC News earlier this week that “it’s clear” that DeSantis is trying to force a redistricting process on Republican state lawmakers who are either opposed to or ambivalent about a redrawn congressional map that wouldn’t directly affect them.
“It’s pretty clear the only one who wants to do this is DeSantis, and he seems less and less prepared to do it,” the person said.
The rescheduling means that Florida lawmakers will tackle their map after Virginia voters decide whether to authorize redrawing theirs to benefit Democrats.
“You have California and Virginia responding to Texas and we’ve been watching all this kind of happen in Florida. Because of what now has been done in Virginia, now Florida needs to respond," Rep. Byron Donalds, a Republican running for governor in Florida, said.
Partisan gerrymandering is illegal in Florida. DeSantis and others have said their redraw is being triggered by population changes, not the redistricting arms race that played out across the country in the last year.
Kennedy hearing breaks for recess
The Kennedy hearing is now in recess for lawmakers to cast votes.
It began shortly after 9 a.m.
Rep. Jimmy Panetta criticizes leadership vacancies at health agencies
Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., said leadership vacancies within federal health agencies could slow response times and prevent real-time guidance during a public health crisis.
“It’s clear that you and the Senate are having a hard time agreeing on people,” Panetta told Kennedy. “These vacancies hurt America’s health and they make Americans less safe.”
The Senate has yet to confirm Dr. Casey Means, a close ally of Kennedy's, as U.S. surgeon general. Means has faced criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for her controversial stances on vaccines, birth control and pesticides.
Panetta also called attention to the lack of a permanent CDC director. The previous director, Susan Monarez, was fired in August after clashing with Kennedy over vaccine policy. NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya is temporarily running the agency until Trump nominates a new candidate. Dr. Erica Schwartz, a deputy U.S. surgeon general during Trump’s first term, is believed to be the favored choice.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection says its border assets are 'parked' amid DHS shutdown
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott told House lawmakers this morning that many of the assets used for border security, like aircraft, patrol boats and patrol vehicles, are not being used amid the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown.
"Today, many of the services or the service providers that we use have not been paid," Scott told the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees funding for the Department of Homeland Security. "In plain terms, that means aircraft, patrol boats, patrol vehicles that need service, they’re being parked. Border surveillance equipment that requires maintenance is offline until funding is appropriated."
Scott said the government is "at risk of losing some of our intelligence tools that help us secure the border as World Cup approaches," adding, "CBP is unable to provide our personnel the advanced training that we had planned for this event."
DHS has been shut down since mid-February as Congress has been deadlocked over funding.
ICE chief says FBI is investigating a detainee's death that occurred at an immigration facility
The senior official performing the duties of the director at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Todd Lyons, testified before lawmakers this morning that the FBI is now investigating the January death of a 55-year-old detainee at an immigration facility.
Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, asked Lyons about the case during the House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Homeland Security funding.
Originally, ICE said the death of Geraldo Lunas Campos at the ICE facility Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas, was an attempted suicide, but then the local coroner concluded it was a homicide.
Lyons said the case has been referred to the FBI, which has launched a probe.
NBC News reported yesterday that the number of ICE detainee deaths is at a record high of 16 in just this calendar year alone.
Rep. Blake Moore says his wife was hurt by Kennedy's autism announcement
Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, whose 10-year-old son is on the autism spectrum, told Kennedy he was “underwhelmed” with the Trump administration’s autism announcement last year.
In September, Trump told pregnant women not to take Tylenol, claiming it may be linked to autism in children, and said his administration was issuing a warning to doctors not to recommend acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol.
“My wife was hurt, and she felt for a split second, until she came to her senses and we talked about this, that there was any way she was responsible,” Moore told Kennedy. “We don’t even know she took Tylenol during her pregnancy, but that was a hurtful moment for her. ”
Robust scientific studies have not identified a link between Tylenol and autism. Doctors say Tylenol is the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women.
Kennedy gives misleading statement on peptides
Kennedy said peptides — short chains of amino acids that have exploded in popularity in the wellness community — are “like supplements” and therefore should not be subject to as much FDA regulation as drugs.
For this reason, Kennedy said, he reclassified 12 peptides as Category 1 substances yesterday, allowing compounding pharmacies to produce them while the FDA evaluates their safety and effectiveness.
The Biden administration had classified the peptides as Category 2 substances, meaning they were flagged as having significant safety risks “pending further evaluation.” Kennedy said that the previous decision was “improper” and that “there was no science that indicated a safety concern.”
Experts push back on the claim that peptides are safe to take without FDA approval. The majority of peptides have not been evaluated outside of animal studies, meaning there’s little data to demonstrate their safety or effectiveness in humans.
Kennedy spars with Rep. Judy Chu over hepatitis B recommendation
Rep. Judy Chu, D-Ca., criticized the decision of a vaccine advisory panel — whose members were appointed by Kennedy — to reverse a decades-long recommendation for all newborns to get vaccinated against hepatitis B within 24 hours of birth.
“Secretary, you’ve done an incredibly harmful thing to our community,” Chu said. “You eliminated the mandatory hepatitis B vaccine for newborns and it disproportionately threatens Asian Americans, because while we make up 7% of the population, we account for 60% of all hepatitis B cases.”
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the change to the hepatitis B recommendation after determining the vaccine advisers were unqualified.
Kennedy said at the hearing that babies have “essentially have zero risk” of getting hepatitis B unless their mother is infected. However, not all pregnant women get tested for the virus, so public health experts say delaying the shots could lead to more infections.
Kennedy also falsely claimed at the hearing that the vaccine was not safety tested. “It had a four-day test with no placebo,” he said. “We don’t know what the risk profile is.”
In reality, the hepatitis B vaccine has undergone numerous placebo-controlled trials, which have found it to be safe regardless of when it’s administered.
House to vote on Iran war powers resolution at 11:30 a.m.
The House will vote during its 11:30 a.m. vote series on a war powers resolution that would direct the president to remove U.S. armed forces “from hostilities with Iran.”
The resolution, led by top Foreign Affairs Democrat Rep. Gregory Meeks, will need a simple majority to pass.
The House previously rejected a similar war powers resolution on March 5, when two Republicans supported it with most Democrats. Four Democrats joined the rest of Republicans in opposing the measure.
Two of those four Democrats have now said they will support the Iran war powers vote: Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and Rep. Greg Landsman of Ohio.
Meeks has been working to encourage more Republicans to support the measure, but it is unclear if it will have enough votes.
The current party breakdown is 217 Republicans, 213 Democrats and one independent (Rep. Kevin Kiley of California, who caucuses with Republicans).
Rep. Terri Sewell presses Kennedy on reported comments about 're-parenting' Black children
Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., pressed Kennedy on his reported comments about Black children being "re-parented," which The Washington Post said he made to the online show "19Keys."
"Every Black kid is now just standard put on Adderall, on SSRIs, benzos, which are known to induce violence, and those kids are going to have a chance to go somewhere and get re-parented, to live in a community where there’ll be no cellphones, no screens," Kennedy reportedly said, according to the Post's report. "You’ll actually have to talk to people."
Kennedy said he doubted he said that, noting he did not know what "re-parent" means.
"Our nation has a long and painful history of separating Black children from their families," Sewell explained, pointing to slavery, Jim Crow laws and discriminatory policing and child welfare systems.
Rep. Linda Sanchez and Kennedy clash on CDC ending a vaccine messaging campaign
Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., clashed with Kennedy over ending a vaccine messaging campaign.
Sanchez repeatedly asked him whether Trump approved Kennedy's decision to end the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's pro-vaccine public messaging campaign.
Kennedy asserted that Sanchez was spreading misinformation, and he pivoted to comparing the measles outbreak in the U.S. to the measles outbreaks in other countries.
"One thing that I find incredible is that you suspended this pro-vaccine messaging campaign, but somehow you’re spending taxpayer dollars to drink milk shirtless in a hot tub with Kid Rock, and somehow you think that’s a better public health message than informing the public about the importance of vaccines," she said.
Sanchez said that the CDC suspended public health messaging on vaccines last February, as well as a flu vaccine campaign.
Last year, the CDC also changed its webpage to replace language that used to state that vaccines to not cause autism. The new messaging said that "studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism." Doctors and vaccine experts say there is no credible research that suggests a link between autism and vaccines.
Kennedy: ‘It’s possible’ measles vaccines could have saved child’s life
Rep. Linda Sánchez, D-Calif., asked Kennedy to clarify his stance on measles vaccines, given his past comments questioning the safety of the shots. Kennedy has falsely suggested that the measles vaccine can be deadly and produces the same symptoms that measles does.
Two unvaccinated children died of measles last year during the Texas outbreak, which also stretched into New Mexico, where an unvaccinated adult died in March.
“Do you agree with the majority of doctors that the measles vaccine could have saved that child’s life in Texas?” Sánchez asked, referring to the first death reported last year.
“It’s possible, certainly,” Kennedy replied.
He later added that the U.S. has “done better” at preventing measles than any other country.
Sánchez continued to push back on Kennedy's response to the outbreak, calling out a video of him exercising with singer Kid Rock: “You’re spending taxpayer dollars to drink milk shirtless in a hot tub with Kid Rock, and somehow you think that’s a better public health message than informing the public about the importance of vaccines.”
Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., expresses concerns over FDA management
Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., expressed concerns about reports of potential mismanagement at the FDA and "chilled investments in life saving, innovative cures, and that China is rapidly becoming the recipient of those investment dollars."
"It seems like a squandered opportunity to maintain America’s position as the premier destination for investment in medicine and modern technology," he added later.
Kennedy responded, touting drug approvals and a push to shorten the time for drug approvals.
Rep. Mike Thompson excoriates Kennedy over measles response
In blistering remarks, Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., criticized Kennedy’s response to the measles outbreak, which led to nearly 2,300 cases and three deaths last year. Though he has called for people to get the measles vaccine, Kennedy has also promoted unproven remedies and falsely claimed that the vaccine hasn’t been “safety tested” and its protection is short-lived.
“Mr. Secretary, kids have died because measles is running rampant under your watch, in large part because President Trump allowed your conspiracy theories to run our public health,” Thompson said.
Thompson criticized Kennedy for overruling doctors and said HHS should be led by professionals who respect science and data.
He concluded: “Mr. Secretary, you shouldn’t be in this office.”
Kennedy says he'll overhaul a critical task force for disease screening
Kennedy said he was reforming the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, a body that makes national screening recommendations for diseases. Insurance companies often follow the task force’s recommendations when determining coverage and reimbursements.
“That committee has been lackadaisical and negligent for 20 years,” Kennedy said. “We’re now bringing new members on who have a clear mission. We’re going to have much more frequent meetings. We’re going to have, for the first time, transparency.”
The medical community has long suspected that Kennedy intended to overhaul the task force, given that the last several meetings were postponed and the group hasn’t convened in more than a year. In a letter to Kennedy last year, the American Medical Association said the task force “played an essential role in making evidence-based recommendations for clinical prevention of disease” and urged him not to fire the current members.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett presses Kennedy on HHS handling of fraud allegations
Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, pressed Kennedy on allegations of Affordable Care Act broker fraud following a December report from the Government Accountability Office.
Doggett said that more than 800 brokers and agents who had been suspended due to suspected ACA fraud had been reinstated, going on to press Kennedy about how his department handled the situation.
Kennedy deflected, pivoting to talking about former President Joe Biden. Ultimately, the secretary said he would be happy to discuss the issue with his staff.
Kennedy highlights accomplishments so far in opening statement
During his opening statements, the health and human services secretary ran through a list of goals his department and the Trump administration have accomplished over the last year, including expanding nutrition education in medical schools, boosting rural health initiatives amid hospital closures and promoting "real food" to Americans.
Near the end of his remarks, Kennedy quoted his uncle, former President John F. Kennedy, telling the committee, "Progress is a nice word but change is its motivator. And change has its enemies."
"We see those forces clearly, entrenched defenders of a failing status quo and institutions that puts profits ahead of the American people," Kennedy added about his mission to "Make America Healthy Again."
He highlighted the "urgency of this moment," where Kennedy said HHS can work to "reverse chronic disease, improve public health and lower costs."
Rep. Richard Neal criticizes Kennedy's vaccine stance in opening remarks
Rep. Richard Neal, the top Democrat on the House Ways and Means committee, targeted Kennedy's vaccine stance in his opening statement.
"Nothing has changed about the science of vaccines," Neal said. "We need people not to be preyed upon by demagoguery, and there should not be a politicization of these very issues."
Neal began his remarks by laying out his support for Kennedy's politician family members, before turning to criticizing this administration's health care policies.
Kennedy has tried to change the childhood vaccine schedule, but was blocked by a judge. Last year, he fired all members of a key vaccine panel.
Congressional hearing kicks off
Kennedy's 9 a.m. congressional hearing has begun, kicking off with opening remarks from the committee's chairman, Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo.
Kennedy to testify before Congress
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will testify today before the House Ways and Means Committee.
Lawmakers will be able to press Kennedy on a variety of topics, such as his vaccine stances, health guidelines and the stalled nomination of Trump's surgeon general pick, Casey Means.
The hearing is set to kick off at 9 a.m.
French government seeking release of 86-year-old French widow detained by ICE
NEW ORLEANS — The French government is pressing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to release the 86-year-old French widow of a military veteran from immigration custody after she was detained earlier this month.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained Marie-Therese Ross in Alabama on April 1 after she overstayed her 90-day visa, according to DHS. Ross is now being held at a federal immigration detention facility in Louisiana.
Ross is among the thousands of people targeted by the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda that has detained the spouses of U.S. soldiers and military veterans who previously received greater leniency under scrapped policies.
Rodolphe Sambou, consul general of France in New Orleans, told the AP that the French government has “fully mobilized” to push for her release. He said he has visited her in detention twice so far.
“Given her age, we really want her to get out of this situation as soon as possible,” Sambou said. “We want to get her out of jail.”
Sambou said that he has been communicating frequently with Ross’ family and French officials in Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Paris to try and coordinate her release and ensure she has access to sufficient food and health care. He said the French government has also contacted DHS.
He declined to comment on her legal status or other details of her case.
Ross married Alabama resident William Ross in April last year, Calhoun County marriage records show. Ross died in January, according to an obituary from his family, which says he was a former captain in the U.S. Army.
A lawyer who is representing Ross in a separate legal matter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Ross’ family did not respond to requests for comment.
Former Trump attorney John Eastman disbarred in California over 2020 election interference efforts
John Eastman, a former Trump attorney who helped engineer a last-ditch strategy to overturn the 2020 presidential election results, was disbarred in California yesterday over his efforts more than five years ago.
The California Supreme Court said in a filing that Eastman could no longer practice law in the state, upholding a State Bar Court recommendation, and ordered him to pay $5,000 in sanctions.
House advances bill to shield Haitian immigrants in defiance of Trump
The House voted yesterday to advance a measure that would reinstate temporary protections for Haitians living in the U.S., with six Republicans voting alongside Democrats to oppose a key component of Trump’s immigration policy.
The measure, brought forward through a parliamentary move known as a discharge petition by Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., co-chair of the House Haiti Caucus, won a key procedural vote to advance to a final vote set for today. The legislation seeks to grant Temporary Protected Status to eligible Haitian immigrants for three years.
New Jersey voters head to the polls for a special election to fill Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s House seat
Progressive activist Analilia Mejia and Republican Joe Hathaway are facing off today in the special election to succeed New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill in Congress.
Mejia advanced from a crowded primary in February in New Jersey’s 11th District that featured veteran Democrats, including former Rep. Tom Malinowski, former Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way and Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill. Hathaway, a Randolph Township councilman, was unopposed for the Republican nomination.
