Latest news with #Capitol
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Oregon Democratic state Rep. Hòa Nguyễn returns to House following cancer diagnosis
Rep. Hòa Nguyễn, D-Portland, speaks on the House floor on June 20, 2025, her first day back in the Capitol since leaving to undergo cancer treatment in February. (Screengrab from Oregon legislative broadcast) Rep. Hòa Nguyễn, D-Portland on Friday returned to the Oregon House in her first official public appearance since announcing she was undergoing treatment for advanced cancer in February. 'I felt like I have a second chance at life now, by some miracle, whatever, all the prayers and affirmations really help,' she said on the House floor on Friday, surrounded by many of her colleagues and staff wearing face masks. 'I think it's the community, it's all of you here and the support that really, really pushed me through.' The representative comes back to the Legislature at a critical moment for Oregon Democrats, who are working with slim margins in both legislative chambers to pass a transportation package in the face of staunch opposition from Republicans and some Democrats concerned about the tax increases and scope of the proposed measure. In its latest form, the proposal would raise an estimated $14.6 billion over the next 10 years. Any tax increases require 36 votes, and Democrats need Nguyễn if they're not able to sway any Republicans. Nguyễn's seat came under the spotlight in February after she revealed that she was beginning chemotherapy treatments for stage 4 cancer, an explanation for why she had already missed weeks of legislative business. A stage 4 diagnosis is the most intense stage of cancer, when the disease has spread to other parts of the body and is harder to treat. During her remarks, Nguyễn thanked her colleagues for the courtesies they had extended to her aunt, brother and sister when they were recognized on the House floor in May. She called herself 'a fighter' and said she is ready to get back to work at some point, but didn't say for how long she would return or the extent to which she had recovered. Nguyễn was excused for the House's afternoon session on Friday. 'She is taking the session day by day at this point, and we're focused on her health above anything,' said a spokesperson for the House Majority Office in a Friday statement. Nguyễn in a February statement said her staff would provide critical constituent services, vowing to continue her efforts to address chronic absenteeism and improve child care access. She previously served as vice chair of the House Early Childhood and Human Services Committee and a member of the House Education Committee and Ways and Means subcommittee on education, but Speaker Julie Fahey gradually removed her from those rules during her treatment. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Associated Press
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Biden pays respects as former Minnesota House Speaker Hortman, killed in shooting, lies in state
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Former President Joe Biden joined thousands of mourners Friday as former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman lay in state in the Minnesota Capitol rotunda while the man charged with killing her and her husband, and wounding a state senator and his wife, made a brief court appearance in a suicide prevention suit. Hortman, a Democrat, is the first woman and one of fewer than 20 Minnesotans accorded the honor. She lay in state with her husband, Mark, and their golden retriever, Gilbert. Her husband was also killed in the June 14 attack, and Gilbert was seriously wounded and had to be euthanized. It was the first time a couple has lain in state at the Capitol, and the first time for a dog. The scene at the Capitol The Hortmans' caskets and the dog's urn were arranged in the center of the rotunda, under the Capitol dome, with law enforcement officers keeping watch on either side as thousands of people who lined up filed by. Many fought back tears as they left. Among the first to pay their respects were Gov. Tim Walz, who has called Hortman his closest political ally, and his wife, Gwen. Biden, a Catholic, visited later in the afternoon, walking up to the velvet rope in front of the caskets, making the sign of the cross, and spending a few moments by himself in silence. He then took a knee briefly, got up, made the sign of the cross again, and walked off to greet people waiting in the wings of the rotunda. Biden will attend the funeral, a spokesperson said. So will former Vice President Kamala Harris, though neither is expected to speak. Harris expressed her condolences earlier this week to Hortman's adult children, and spoke with Walz, her running mate on the 2024 Democratic presidential ticket, who extended an invitation on behalf of the Hortman family, her office said. Lisa Greene, who lives in Brooklyn Park like Hortman did, but in a different House district, said she came to the Capitol because she had so much respect for the former speaker. 'She was just amazing. Amazing woman. 'And I was just so proud that she represented the city that I lived in,' Greene said in a voice choked with emotion. 'She was such a leader. She could bring people together. She was so accessible. I mean, she was friendly, you could talk to her.' But, she went on to say admiringly, Hortman was also 'a boss. She just knew what she was doing and she could just make things happen.' A hearing takes a twist The man accused of killing the Hortmans and wounding another Democratic lawmaker and his wife made a short court appearance Friday to face charges for what the chief federal prosecutor for Minnesota has called 'a political assassination.' Vance Boelter, 57, of Green Isle, surrendered near his home the night of June 15 after what authorities have called the largest search in Minnesota history. An unshaven Boelter was brought in wearing just a green padded suicide prevention suit and orange slippers. Federal defender Manny Atwal asked Magistrate Judge Douglas Micko to continue the hearing until Thursday. She said Boelter has been sleep deprived while on suicide watch in the Sherburne County Jail, and that it has been difficult to communicate with him as a result. 'Your honor, I haven't really slept in about 12 to 14 days,' Boelter told the judge. And he denied being suicidal. 'I've never been suicidal and I am not suicidal now.' Atwal told the court that Boelter had been in what's known as a 'Gumby suit,' without undergarments, ever since his transfer to the jail after his first court appearance on June 16. She said the lights are on in his area 24 hours a day, doors slam frequently, the inmate in the next cell spreads feces on the walls, and the smell drifts to Boelter's cell. The attorney said transferring him to segregation instead, and giving him a normal jail uniform, would let him get some sleep, restore some dignity, and let him communicate better. The judge agreed. Prosecutors did not object to the delay and said they also had concerns about the jail conditions. The acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota, Joseph Thompson, told reporters afterward that he did not think Boelter had attempted to kill himself. The case continues Boelter did not enter a plea. Prosecutors need to secure a grand jury indictment first, before his arraignment, which is when a plea is normally entered. According to the federal complaint, police video shows Boelter outside the Hortmans' home and captures the sound of gunfire. And it says security video shows Boelter approaching the front doors of two other lawmakers' homes dressed as a police officer. His lawyers have declined to comment on the charges, which could carry the federal death penalty. Thompson said last week that no decision has been made. Minnesota abolished its death penalty in 1911. The Death Penalty Information Center says a federal death penalty case hasn't been prosecuted in Minnesota in the modern era, as best as it can tell. Boelter also faces separate murder and attempted murder charges in state court that could carry life without parole, assuming that county prosecutors get their own indictment for first-degree murder. But federal authorities intend to use their power to try Boelter first. Other victims and alleged targets Authorities say Boelter shot and wounded Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, at their home in Champlin before shooting and killing the Hortmans in their home in the northern Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park, a few miles away.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pam Bondi fires three Jan. 6 prosecutors, sending another chill through DOJ workforce
WASHINGTON — At least three federal prosecutors who worked on cases against Jan. 6 rioters were fired Friday by the Justice Department, according to more than half a dozen current and former officials familiar with the dismissals. A copy of one of the dismissal letters seen by NBC News was signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi, notifying the recipient that they were 'removed from federal service effective immediately.' No reason for the removal was stated in the letter. One of the fired employees had been based overseas. The Justice Department declined to comment Friday night. Follow live politics coverage here. The Trump administration in late January fired probationary federal prosecutors who worked on Jan. 6 cases and prosecutors who worked on former special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into President Donald Trump. The administration also demoted some career prosecutors who worked on the Capitol siege investigation. Probationary workers are either recent hires or have taken new positions. The firings on Friday, though, marked the first time that career prosecutors who had worked Jan. 6 cases and who were past their probationary period of federal employment had been fired. It was also the first time Bondi fired Justice Department lawyers involved in prosecuting Jan. 6 cases. Bondi was confirmed by the Senate in February, after the dismissal of probationary prosecutors. The firings come at a time when the fallout from the Jan. 6 investigation — and Trump's subsequent mass pardon of even the most violent rioters — continues to loom over employees at both the Justice Department and the FBI. Numerous current and former officials have told NBC News that the targeting of people who worked on the largest investigation in FBI history have had a chilling effect on the Justice Department workforce, and would leave career prosecutors and FBI officials hesitant to pursue cases against any Trump allies for fear of being targeted by the administration. One federal law enforcement official called Friday's firings 'horrifying' and noted that both of the prosecutors had been serving in other capacities before the 2024 election. 'To fire them, without explanation, is a slap in the face not only to them, but to all career DOJ prosecutors,' the official said. 'No one is safe from this administration's whims and impulses. And the public certainly is not served by the continued brain drain of DOJ — we are losing the best among us every day.' This article was originally published on
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Pam Bondi knifes January 6 prosecutors in late-night bloodbath
The Trump administration took revenge against at least three federal prosecutors who worked on cases against January 6 rioters by firing them. Attorney General Pam Bondi sacked the prosecutors on Friday, telling them they were 'removed from federal service effective immediately.' In a copy of one of the dismissal letters first reported by NBC News, Bondi did not specify why the prosecutors were out of the job. The firings are the first time that career prosecutors who investigated the riot at the Capitol four years ago had been laid off, but it is far from Trump's first act of retribution over the violent protests since he retook the White House. Soon after his inauguration, Trump fired several probationary federal prosecutors - those who were either recently hired or in new positions - who had worked the January 6 cases. The president also pardoned all his supporters who were arrested during the January 6 riots, sparking backlash from critics as even some convicted of violently assaulting police officers were freed. Trump also fired probationary prosecutors who aided special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into whether the president attempted to unlawfully overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election. The president's use of the Justice Department has come under scrutiny in recent months as he has been accused of using it to carry out personal vendettas and to aid his political supporters. Friday's firings reportedly came at a tense time at the Justice Department as Trump's handling of the January 6 case causes ire among career federal workers. Insiders in the DOJ told NBC News that the apparent targeting of prosecutors who had investigated the president has upended the department. One federal law enforcement official told the outlet that they found the firings 'horrifying', as others said it would make them hesitant to engage in possible investigations into the White House. 'To fire them, without explanation, is a slap in the face not only to them, but to all career DOJ prosecutors,' the official said. 'No one is safe from this administration's whims and impulses. 'And the public certainly is not served by the continued brain drain of DOJ — we are losing the best among us every day.' Bondi's move came the same day that she celebrated a Supreme Court ruling that decided that individual judges lack the power to issue nationwide injunctions - a historic ruling in a case about the right to birthright citizenship. The ruling was seen as a big victory for Trump as it allows his executive order halting birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants to take effect in states and jurisdictions that did not directly challenge his action in court. It could mean citizenship rules vary from state to state, pending ongoing litigation. The court ruled 6-3 in favor of Trump, with all six conservative justices - including the three he appointed - siding with the president. Speaking at the White House, Trump said: 'This was a big one. Amazing decision, one we're very happy about. This really brings back the Constitution. This is what it's all about.' Bondi joined Trump on stage to mark the victory, saying that the ruling meant 'not one district court judge can think they're an emperor over this administration and his executive powers, and why the people of the United States elected him.'
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Pam Bondi knifes January 6 prosecutors in late-night bloodbath
The Trump administration took revenge against at least three federal prosecutors who worked on cases against January 6 rioters by firing them. Attorney General Pam Bondi sacked the prosecutors on Friday, telling them they were 'removed from federal service effective immediately.' In a copy of one of the dismissal letters first reported by NBC News, Bondi did not specify why the prosecutors were out of the job. The firings are the first time that career prosecutors who investigated the riot at the Capitol four years ago had been laid off, but it is far from Trump's first act of retribution over the violent protests since he retook the White House. Soon after his inauguration, Trump fired several probationary federal prosecutors - those who were either recently hired or in new positions - who had worked the January 6 cases. The president also pardoned all his supporters who were arrested during the January 6 riots, sparking backlash from critics as even some convicted of violently assaulting police officers were freed. Trump also fired probationary prosecutors who aided special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into whether the president attempted to unlawfully overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election. The president's use of the Justice Department has come under scrutiny in recent months as he has been accused of using it to carry out personal vendettas and to aid his political supporters. Friday's firings reportedly came at a tense time at the Justice Department as Trump's handling of the January 6 case causes ire among career federal workers. Insiders in the DOJ told NBC News that the apparent targeting of prosecutors who had investigated the president has upended the department. One federal law enforcement official told the outlet that they found the firings 'horrifying', as others said it would make them hesitant to engage in possible investigations into the White House. 'To fire them, without explanation, is a slap in the face not only to them, but to all career DOJ prosecutors,' the official said. 'No one is safe from this administration's whims and impulses. 'And the public certainly is not served by the continued brain drain of DOJ — we are losing the best among us every day.' Bondi's move came the same day that she celebrated a Supreme Court ruling that decided that individual judges lack the power to issue nationwide injunctions - a historic ruling in a case about the right to birthright citizenship. The ruling was seen as a big victory for Trump as it allows his executive order halting birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants to take effect in states and jurisdictions that did not directly challenge his action in court. It could mean citizenship rules vary from state to state, pending ongoing litigation. The court ruled 6-3 in favor of Trump, with all six conservative justices - including the three he appointed - siding with the president. Speaking at the White House, Trump said: 'This was a big one. Amazing decision, one we're very happy about. This really brings back the Constitution. This is what it's all about.' Bondi joined Trump on stage to mark the victory, saying that the ruling meant 'not one district court judge can think they're an emperor over this administration and his executive powers, and why the people of the United States elected him.'
