Bill proposing death penalty for first child rape offense moves to House floor
'Children who are victimized should never have to worry again that the person who harmed them will escape justice,' Turner said. 'The cowards who commit these heinous acts against our youth deserve the maximum punishment allowed – death.'
Bill proposes criminal charges for violating service animal rules
Turner says, the bill is a sentence modification measure for child rapists. In addition to the death penalty, the bill would allow the punishment of life without parole on the first conviction.
The bill moves to the House floor for consideration.
*This story is developing
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Boston Globe
36 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Democrats hope Republicans just sealed their midterm election fates by voting for Trump's 'beautiful' bill
'We heard from Mark from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,' Jeffries said. 'Mark says, 'I've collected Medicaid and [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] benefits for over a decade now… SNAP and Social Security benefits have been life-saving for me; they literally keep me alive.' Advertisement 'Mark lives in Pennsylvania's First Congressional District,' continued Jeffries. 'I believe that district is represented by our colleague, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up And on and on Jeffries went, until he mentioned virtually every GOP member whom Democrats hope to defeat — an uncommon display of political name-checking by the staid standards of the House chamber. If it were not clear when Jeffries started talking, it was painfully obvious by the time he wrapped up: Democrats are treating President Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' as the foundation of their case to take back majorities in Congress next year. 'This bill is an attack on Americans' financial freedom and Democrats are going to make it a centerpiece of the midterms,' said Representative Jake Auchincloss of Newton, before taking a position behind Jeffries Thursday morning as his speech extended into a sixth hour. Advertisement Some believe the vote could be as catastrophic for Republicans as their move in Trump's first term to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which helped fuel a Democratic wave in the 2018 midterm elections. According to Congress' nonpartisan budget analyst, the GOP bill could result in Representative Don Beyer, a Virginia Democrat, said Jeffries likely made his stand in order to mark the vote as the most decisive of this era, much like the failed vote in 2017 to repeal portions of the Affordable Care Act or even the 2010 vote that created it. 'I'm trying to think if there's been a more consequential vote in my 10 years?' Beyer said. 'I don't think so.' Republicans largely rejected those comparisons, arguing the legislation accomplished what goals voters sent them to Washington to do: cut taxes and drastically increase money spent on immigration enforcement. Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee said the bill would 'absolutely not' harm the GOP's midterm hopes. Referring to its proposed tightening of work requirements for public benefits, he said, 'everybody in America wants somebody able-bodied to get off their butts and get a job if they're able to and get off of welfare, and this provides that incentive.' But there were flashes of candor from GOP lawmakers that they understood the potential political peril presented by the bill — even if they voted for it. Advertisement The majority is 'always at risk in a midterm year,' said GOP Representative Don Bacon, who represents a Nebraska swing district but recently announced his retirement. While the tax cut provisions will be helpful, he admitted 'the other side's going to use Medicaid as an issue' and said the Senate version of the legislation, which makes deeper cuts to the federal program to insure low-income Americans, would make their attacks easier. 'So I think that was a mistake,' he said. (Bacon voted for the legislation.) The bill Already, the electoral environment for House Republicans heading into 2026 leaves little room for error: Democrats need to flip just three seats in the chamber to claim a majority, and the party is targeting three-dozen incumbent Republicans to reach that threshold. The House GOP, meanwhile, In the Senate, Democrats' hopes are dimmer due to the rotation of seats up for election and the GOP's larger 53 to 47 majority. Just two seats held by Republicans are considered competitive: Maine and North Carolina. Democrats will be defending seats in the tough battlegrounds of Georgia, Michigan, and New Hampshire. North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, who was highly critical of the bill and under considerable heat from Trump, announced he would retire just before voting against the legislation. Advertisement It was a different story in the House. All The midterms may seem far off, but the election politicking around the bill began well before Jeffries stepped onto the floor for his marathon speech. As House Democrats prepared Wednesday for the final votes, dozens gathered on the Capitol steps to decry the legislation and lay the blame on vulnerable Republicans. 'Why would anyone vote for this dangerous and extreme bill?' Jeffries asked, before name-checking a freshman Republican. 'Why would Rob Bresnahan vote for this bill? More than 30,000 people would lose access to their health care in his community in Pennsylvania.' Democrats were trying to pressure those Republicans to vote against the bill, but also were laying down markers for their 2026 target list. In addition to Bresnahan, who represents a swing district in northeast Pennsylvania, Jeffries spoke of Representative Scott Perry from a nearby district. The next speaker, Representative Katherine Clark of Revere, called out two California Republicans: David Valadao and Young Kim. Finally Democratic Representative Pete Aguilar of California singled out another endangered Republican from a blue state, Gabe Evans of Colorado. Advertisement 'Today marks the culmination of Donald Trump's betrayal of working people across this country,' Aguilar said, with words that sounded straight from an attack ad. In the long lead-up to Thursday's vote, Democrats' outside political committees began laying the groundwork for the midterm battles ahead. House Majority Forward, the super PAC aligned with Jeffries, was developing TV ads before the vote took place, focusing particularly on Bresnahan and Representatives Tom Barrett of Michigan and Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin. House Majority Forward spokesperson, CJ Warnke, said House Republicans were 'throwing away their spines and throwing their constituents under the bus' with their votes. Republicans, meanwhile, plan to go on offense against vulnerable Democrats who voted against the bill. In a statement, National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Maureen O'Toole accused Representative Jared Golden, who represents a Republican-leaning Maine district, of voting to 'raise taxes, kill jobs, and gut national security. Voters won't forget it, not now, not next November.' (Golden has been outspoken about his opposition to the bill, saying it provides 'huge tax breaks' for the wealthy, 'paid for by cutting health care for the working poor.') An NRCC campaign memo shared with the Globe previewed its campaign messaging around the bill, arguing it prevented a massive tax hike and delivered on promises to secure the border. It also framed the changes to Medicaid as moves to 'crack down on welfare fraud and restore integrity.' Many Republicans emphasized the extension of Trump's first-term tax cuts, which account for trillions of dollars of the cost of the legislation, or smaller-scale new tax breaks, such as one to let taxpayers deduct a limited amount of tipped wages from their taxable income. Advertisement 'The economy is going to do well, and people are going to be happy,' said Representative Jeff Van Drew, a New Jersey Republican. 'They really are.' As Jeffries closed his speech before the ultimately successful vote, however, a new slogan emerged to add a layer of ominousness to GOP plans. 'After Project 2025,' the Democratic leader said, referring to the conservative-backed plan to scale back government under Trump, 'comes Project 2026.' Tal Kopan of Globe staff contributed to this report. Sam Brodey can be reached at
Chicago Tribune
38 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Daywatch: What's in store for the forecast this weekend
Good morning, Chicago. With the Fourth of July and the annual NASCAR Chicago Street Race making for a jam-packed few days ahead, Chicagoans can expect a hot — and potentially stormy — holiday weekend. Should weather predictions hold, forecasts called for temperatures hovering in the mid-90s Friday and Saturday, with a 50% chance of thunderstorms by Sunday afternoon, said Kevin Birk, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. 'The main thing that's going to be consistent through the weekend is just that overall hot summer weather here,' Birk said. Read the full story here. And here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including everything you need to know about this year's NASCAR's Chicago Street Race, the latest on the River North shooting and a look at Michael Madsen's best films. Today's eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History The first two years of NASCAR's Chicago Street Race were accented by rain, but maybe the third edition will be a charm for fans and drivers. The race weekend, which has drawn mixed reaction from locals because of the road closures, returns to downtown Chicago on Saturday and Sunday. The future of the race in the city, however, is murky. Here's everything you need to know about the race — including the course map, road closures and how to watch (or avoid) it all. Late Wednesday night, assailants armed with at least one rifle rolled up outside an album release party for a local drill rapper in River North and opened fire on a crowd gathered on the sidewalk. Within a matter of seconds, police Superintendent Larry Snelling said, the attackers were able to shoot an astonishing 18 people, killing four in a spot close to the center of the city as Chicago is preparing for the holiday weekend and playing host to a high-profile NASCAR road race. The shooting was among the city's worst in recent years and served as a warning that even though violent crime has fallen in recent years, gun violence — especially that fueled by rivalries on Chicago's splintered gang landscape — remains stubbornly persistent. This Independence Day, immigrants are facing how to celebrate a nation deeply divided over President Donald Trump's mass deportation efforts, which have sparked massive protests across the country. Some activists are urging immigrants on social media to sit out celebrations this year as a form of protest; others are urging them to stay home to stay safe. But even amid this volatile backdrop, some immigrants in Chicago said they will be celebrating July Fourth not because of the Trump administration, but in spite of it. Republicans muscled President Donald Trump's tax and spending cut bill through the House yesterday, the final step necessary to get the bill to his desk by the GOP's self-imposed deadline of July 4th. The Chicago Department of Buildings issued a permit yesterday for the demolition of the iconic Damen Silos, a relic of the Southwest Side's once-prominent grain processing industry. A demolition date is expected to be announced next week. Pedro Rodriguez said when he moved to the Forest View Mobile Home in Blue Island 27 years ago, every trailer was filled with neighbors he knew like family. Today, most trailers are abandoned, and about 65 people live on the mobile home property being shut down by the city of Blue Island. 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Others who made the class of 2026 include actors Emily Blunt, Rachel McAdams, Molly Ringwald, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Rami Malek and Noah Wyle; former NBA star turned sports analyst Shaquille O'Neal; and 'Good Morning America' co-anchors Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos, who will have a double ceremony.
Axios
40 minutes ago
- Axios
Trump's crowning moment is ammo for Dems in '26
With B-2 bombers booming above, President Trump will deliver a motherlode of campaign promises for his supporters Friday, decimate his predecessor's priorities and demonstrate his total dominance over the Republican Party. Why it matters: The MAGA mega bill is more than just an indisputable victory for the president and the party he has remade in his image. It's also a stinging defeat for Democrats — but has given them fodder for the 2026 midterms. With the stroke of his signature, Trump will undo the solar, wind and electric vehicles tax cuts that were at the core of President Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act. Trump will sign into law some long-term GOP goals, like making business tax credits permanent, changing how Congress counts tax cuts, pouring billions into border security, and slowing the growth of Medicaid and SNAP spending. The big tax cuts will apply this year. Most of the spending cuts will hit after the midterms. "It's going to make this country into a rocket ship," Trump said. Zoom out: The country will little note, nor long remember how Congress passed this bill: the all-nighters, the nail-biters and the GOP false fighters, who ultimately tapped out for Trump. But Democrats will make it their mission to ensure that voters don't forget what Trump and congressional Republicans did in the bill. The tax cuts, they say, will benefit the already-wealthy the most — and the Medicaid cuts that target the poor could devastate health care options for millions. Democrats will concede they lost on policy, but convinced they'll win — eventually — on the politics. For eight hours and 45 minutes Thursday, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries held up the GOP-led chamber's vote in favor of Trump's big bill, energizing his party (and his donors) by previewing attack lines certain to be distilled to 30-second TV ads for the 2026 campaign. "This is a crime scene," he thundered from the House floor. The intrigue: Democrats will mischievously borrow some Republican lines that were dropped along the way amid GOP anxiety over the bill's impacts. "The Medicaid stuff in here is bad," said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). "Garbage," declared Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) earlier this week. "It's a good bill overall," he said after voting for it. Expect those comments — along with Sen. Joni Ernst's " we are all going to die" shrug when the Iowa Republican was asked about Medicaid cuts — to be featured on local TV stations. By the numbers: In all, the tax cuts total $4.5 trillion over a decade, leading to $3.3 trillion in deficit spending, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Republicans will say the real winners are the 83% of households that would have been hit with a tax increase if Trump's 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act had expired at the end of the year. Democrats will focus on the more than $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, which is projected to put nearly 12 million Americans at risk of losing their health care and threaten rural hospitals across the country. Trump is giving his MAGA faithful $170 billion in border and immigration funds and $150 billion for defense spending. The oil and gas industry got many of its priorities. Also tucked into the bill: a rise in the nation's debt ceiling by $5 trillion. Then there are the Trumpian touches to the bill, such as no taxes on tips, a suggestion he got from a Las Vegas waitress.
