A federal judge on Friday announced she will block a North Carolina photo ID law set to take effect in 2020 until it has been adjudicated in court, CBS reports.
Why it matters: The decision means voters will not have to show certain types of photo identification at the state's primary election in March. The NAACP, which filed the lawsuit, has argued that the law would deter black and Hispanic voters.
Elizabeth Warren's campaign sounded an alarm on Friday to its supporters, saying in an email that it has only raised $17 million so far in the fourth quarter, per CNBC.
Why it matters: With just days left before the quarter's end on Dec. 31, that number is — at the moment — down 30% from the $24.6 million Warren brought in during the third quarter.
Rahm Emanuel — former Chicago mayor, and President Obama's first White House chief of staff — argues in a WashPost op-ed that the paradoxical split-screen of impeachment and USMCA compromise with President Trump earlier this month "presents Democrats with an opportunity" for 2020.
Why it matters: He believes Americans "are in search of someone who will provide a more accurate picture of how much we agree on, someone who will shine a light on how we can rise above the conflicts that divide us."
As Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) continues to be a top campaign surrogate for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), there is increasing speculation that she may be positioned as the successor to his progressive political base for the 2024 and 2028 presidential cycles, Politico reports.
Why it matters: AOC has showcased her ability to draw huge crowds of voters in many early-voting and delegate-rich states while campaigning for Sanders — as their dual events have drawn the largest crowds for any presidential candidate in 2019.
Why it matters: The interviews, given by members of the platoon members that served under Gallagher, break the SEALs' unwritten code of silence and describe their leader as violent, "evil" and "toxic" — in contrast with Trump's portrayal of him as a hero.
President Trump is working to strengthen his following among evangelical voters after Christianity Today, a magazine founded by the late Rev. Billy Graham, published an editorial earlier this month calling for his removal in the wake of his impeachment.
Why it matters: About 81% of evangelical Christians — a group that makes up 25% of the electorate — voted for Trump in 2016, according to Pew Research Center.
Sen. Bernie Sanders has shown remarkable consistency in polls for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination — especially in Iowa, where many of his supporters say their votes are locked in just weeks ahead of the state's first-in-the-nation caucuses.
Where it stands: A Des Moines Register poll showed that 57% of Iowans who view Sanders as their first choice say their mind is made up. No other candidate received more than 30% commitment from their current supporters. The Iowa caucuses are on Feb. 3, 2020.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told ABC affiliate KTUU on Tuesday that she was "disturbed" upon hearing Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's assurance of "total coordination" between himself and White House lawyers in the impeachment trial of President Trump.
Why it matters: A simple majority vote is needed for the Senate to call new witnesses, which McConnell opposes. Democrats view Murkowski as one possible Republican defection, along with other moderates like Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah.)
The S&P 500 has had a return of over 50% during President Trump's first three years in office, more than doubling the average return of 23% at the same point in a presidential term since 1928, CNBC reports.
The big picture: The market, which hit record highs across the three major indices, got a sustained lift in 2019 after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell lowered interest rates three times, the first such moves since the end of the financial crisis.
Mexicans account for more than half of the estimated 21,000 asylum seekers waiting along the U.S.-Mexico border, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Why it matters: The increase in Mexican asylum seekers poses a particular challenge to the Trump administration and its "Remain in Mexico" policy, which requires Central American refugee seekers to remain in Mexico while they await their hearings. It can't apply to Mexicans since international law bans sending people back to the country where they may face persecution.
