Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said he will "wait and see" if former President Trump decides to run before making his own decision about running for president in 2024.
The big picture: GOP presidential hopefuls aren't opening up about their 2024 plans so far given that Trump has yet to announce his plans.
Trevor Reed, an American citizen recently freed from a Russian prison, told CNN that WNBA star Brittney Griner will experience "serious threats" to her health if she is sent to a labor camp.
Driving the news: "Anyone who is in a forced labor camp in Russia is obviously, you know, facing serious threats to their health because of malnutrition," he told CNN in an interview. "There's little to no medical attention there whatsoever. "
It took Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans decades to become crucial voting blocs in the U.S., and they did so as strong Democrats for over half a century.
The big picture: Several missteps by Republicans and a groundbreaking campaign by John F. Kennedy in 1960 put the majority of Latino voters in the Democratic column for generations. But that history is fading.
Four conservative Latina candidates are raising Republicans' hopes after winningcongressional primaries in Texas and Virginia.
Driving the news: Now-Rep. Mayra Flores (R-Texas) flipped a Democrat-held seat in South Texas earlier this summer. She — along with fellow Texans Cassy Garcia and Monica De La Cruz, and Yesli Vega in Virginia — are part of a larger trend of Republican Latinas stepping up to run for office this cycle.
The big picture: Majorities still support Democratic policies on both issues as well as climate change. But the national survey shows the greatest friction points — with significant differences by age and backgrounds.
There's no single reason or issue behind conservative Latinos' growing political clout. Their interests and ideology vary depending on where they live and what country they or their family came from.
The big picture: Whether it's the desire to protect oil industry and law enforcement jobs in South Texas, or being receptive to anti-socialism messaging in Florida and economic opportunity concerns in Arizona, conservative Latinos are becoming more open to Republican Party appeals in critical states.
The Latino exodus from Catholicism and toward more politically conservative evangelical faiths is one important reason for the rightward shift that could shape the future of the electorate.
The big picture: The percentage of Latinos who identify as Protestant — meaning evangelical and other Christian faiths — is expected to grow from about 25% now to 50% by 2030, researchers say.
Big divides over issues like inflation and crime — along with religious and cultural dissonance with progressives — are eroding Latinos' decades-long loyalty to the Democratic Party, injecting a major wildcard into the 2022 midterms and beyond.
Why it matters: Democrats once viewed projected U.S. Latino population growth as their party's ticket to long-term political dominance. But recent elections and midterm polls show the perils in that thinking.
Good afternoon, and welcome to our deep dive on the political power of conservative Latino voters and what it could mean for the 2022 elections and beyond.
Alex Jones’ lawyer may face professional or legal consequences after accidentally sending his client's phone records to the opposing counsel, Reuters reports.
Driving the news: Frederico Reynal, who represented the Infowars host in a civil trial that concluded this week, sent a trove of Jones' previously undisclosed phone data to the legal team representing two Sandy Hook Elementary School families who sued the conspiracy theorist for defamation.
Democrats’ plans for lowering prescription drug prices took a hit Saturday as they prepared to move their massive reconciliation bill through the chamber.
Driving the news: The Senate parliamentarian said provisions had to be struck from the plan that would have forced pharmaceutical companies to give rebates if prices for their products sold to private insurers exceeded inflation, the Associated Press reports.
President Biden has tested negative for COVID-19 after seven straight days of testing positive from a "rebound" case, the White House said Saturday.
The big picture: Biden originally tested positive for COVID-19 on July 21. The president then tested negative after a five-day treatment with the antiviral Paxlovid. He has had a "rebound" COVID case since last Saturday.
A North Carolina school district said Friday it plans to put AR-15 guns in every school in the event of a future mass shooting.
Why it matters: The topic of arming teachers and school staff members has become an ongoing discussion in the United States in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting, with some schools now training teachers to carry weapons.
Only 41% of people in America feel safe at polling places, with Black and Hispanic people experiencing a lower sense of security compared to white people, according to a new poll conducted by Edge Research.
Why it matters: Divisions in U.S. society have worsened significantly in recent months. The rise in extremism, the recurrence of gun violence and the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection have also left Americans feeling increasingly vulnerable ahead of the midterm elections.
Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), one of the ten House Republicans who voted for former President Trump’s impeachment, on Friday beat back a challenge by a Trump-endorsed Republican challenger and will advance to the general election, according to the Associated Press.
Why it matters: The result is a blow to Trump, who has made it his mission this year to oust critics within the GOP – particularly those who voted for impeachment – and replace them with loyalists.
