Apr 20, 2017

Ted Cruz trails Democrat in 2018 senate poll

Darron Cummings / AP

A new poll shows Ted Cruz trailing by four points in a potential matchup with Rep. Joaquin Castro in the 2018 Senate race. Texas Lyceum has the Democrat — who is considering a run — at 35 percent to Cruz's 31. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who has already entered the race, polls evenly with Cruz.

What's going on here? Texas has long been floated as a state that could turn from red to blue, in large part due to demographic trends. While Cruz has a big national profile, he's fairly unpopular at home and could be in for a fight in 2018.

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Jacob Knutson

4 mins ago - Politics & Policy

NYPD commissioner: "I'm extremely proud" of officers' response to protests

New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea in February. Photo: Yana Paskova/Getty Images

New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said in a public statement Sunday that he is "extremely proud" of the New York City Police Department's response to protests over the death of George Floyd Saturday night, writing: "What we saw in New York City last night and the night before was not about peaceful protest of any kind."

Why it matters: New York City residents captured several instances of police officers using excessive force against demonstrators. In one video, two NYPD SUVs are seen ramming into protesters who were blocking a road and throwing traffic cones at the vehicles.

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Miriam Kramer

15 mins ago - Science

SpaceX capsule carrying astronauts docks with space station

The Crew Dragon just before docking on Sunday. Photo: NASA TV

SpaceX's Crew Dragon safely delivered two NASA astronauts — Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken — to the International Space Station on Sunday after the company's historic launch Saturday.

Why it matters: This marks the first time a private company has delivered people to the space station and it signals the beginning of the end of NASA's reliance on Russia's Soyuz spacecraft for flights to orbit.

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Jacob Knutson

29 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Minnesota AG: Prosecution of officer in George Floyd case shouldn't be rushed

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison cautioned in an interview on "Fox News Sunday" that the case against Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer involved in the death of George Floyd, is "very early in the process" and that charges could be amended or added.

Why it matters: Chauvin was arrested last week and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter, which implies that he did not intend to kill Floyd. Some protestors have demanded more severe charges and Floyd's family has asked Ellison to serve as a special prosecutor in the case.

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