Senate 2024: Here are the candidates who have announced already

The countdown to the 2024 election is on with candidates beginning to announce their intentions to run for Senate seats – or give them up.

Democrats currently have a narrow majority in the upper chamber, but that will be tested next year. Thirty-four seats in the Senate will be up for grabs in the upcoming election, with Democrats (including independents who caucus with Democrats) currently occupying a majority – 23 – of those seats.

The majority party will seek to defend their incumbents in key races again Republican rivals as they look to maintain their slim majority in a presidential election year where President Joe Biden will likely be seeking his second term.

Some members of the House are throwing their names on the ballot for a seat in the upper chamber while a handful of senators have launched campaigns for reelection. Others have announced they would not be seeking another term like California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the longest serving senator in the state, who announced in February she will be retiring.

Michigan Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow has also said she would not be running in 2024. The third-ranking Democrat's departure leaves the GOP with a pickup opportunity in a swing state.

OnPolitics: What the 2022 midterms will mean for the 2024 election

Stay in the conversation on politics: Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter

Here are the candidates who have announced their Senate plans for 2024:

Candidates running for Senate include Gallego (AZ), Banks (IN) and Porter (CA):

More:Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego announces Senate bid, set to challenge Sen. Kyrsten Sinema

OnPolitics: Trump's GOP support craters, poll shows. Here's who is on the rise for 2024.

Senators seeking reelection include Kaine (VA), Brown (OH) and Gillibrand (NY):

Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. Brown is up for reelection in 2024. He told Spectrum News he will be running to keep his seat in a race that already includes Republican challenger Matt Dolan. Brown has served in Congress since 2006.

Brown is up for reelection in 2024. He told Spectrum News he will be running to keep his seat in a race that already includes Republican challenger Matt Dolan. Brown has served in Congress since 2006. Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine. Kaine announced he will be running for reelection in 2024. “I’m a servant. I love Virginia. I’m proud of what I’ve done," he said during his announcement. The former vice presidential candidate was first elected to the Senate in 2013.

Kaine announced he will be running for reelection in 2024. “I’m a servant. I love Virginia. I’m proud of what I’ve done," he said during his announcement. The former vice presidential candidate was first elected to the Senate in 2013. New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. Gillibrand announced her reelection bid to serve a third term in the Senate. She has served in Congress since 2009, winning the last New York Senate race by wide margins.

Gillibrand announced her reelection bid to serve a third term in the Senate. She has served in Congress since 2009, winning the last New York Senate race by wide margins. Nevada Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen. Rosen publicly confirmed she is running for reelection in 2024, telling POLITICO in October, "I am all in. I’m definitely running." She previously served in the House before winning a Senate seat in 2018 after defeating the Republican incumbent.

Rosen publicly confirmed she is running for reelection in 2024, telling POLITICO in October, "I am all in. I’m definitely running." She previously served in the House before winning a Senate seat in 2018 after defeating the Republican incumbent. Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott. Scott is running for reelection to keep his Senate seat after rumors circulated that he may launch a 2024 presidential bid. "I ran to fight for Floridians and that is exactly what I am going to keep doing. I’ve never lost a race and I don’t intend to now," he posted on Twitter.

USA TODAY Poll:Democratic support for Biden in 2024 surges after midterms as Trump takes a hit

More:In search of the perfect president: What Americans say they want, from age to gender

Senators not seeking reelection including Feinstein (CA), Stabenow (MI) and Braun (IN):

California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Feinstein is the Senate's longest serving female senator and announced in February she will not be seeking reelection. The 89-year-old was first elected to office in 1992. Democratic Reps. Katie Porter, Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee will be vying for her seat. "The time has come," Feinstein told reporters of her decision to not run for reelection.

Feinstein is the Senate's longest serving female senator and announced in February she will not be seeking reelection. The 89-year-old was first elected to office in 1992. Democratic Reps. Katie Porter, Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee will be vying for her seat. "The time has come," Feinstein told reporters of her decision to not run for reelection. Michigan Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow. Stabenow announced at the beginning of the year she will not be running to keep her Senate seat in 2024. “Inspired by a new generation of leaders, I have decided to pass the torch in the U.S. Senate," she said, adding, "When my term ends, I intend to begin a new chapter in my life that includes continuing to serve our state outside of elected office while spending precious time with my amazing 96-year-old mom and my wonderful family."

Stabenow announced at the beginning of the year she will not be running to keep her Senate seat in 2024. “Inspired by a new generation of leaders, I have decided to pass the torch in the U.S. Senate," she said, adding, "When my term ends, I intend to begin a new chapter in my life that includes continuing to serve our state outside of elected office while spending precious time with my amazing 96-year-old mom and my wonderful family." Indiana Republican Sen. Mike Braun. Braun has his sights set for a different public office: the governor's mansion. The first-term senator announced he would run for governor in 2024 just one month after November's midterm elections, leaving his Senate seat open for a GOP newcomer in the solidly red state.

Other lawmakers not running for office:

Feinstein won't seek reelection; Haley announces White House run ...

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the longest serving woman senator, has announced she won't seek reelection in 2024, opening up a competitive and expensive seat in deep blue California.

The former San Francisco mayor who turns 90 in June has served since 1992. Her decision not to seek reelection Tuesday comes amid questions from colleagues about her ability to serve and as a younger generation – including Democratic Reps. Katie Porter and Adam Schiff — have already announced their candidacies for the seat.

“Even with a divided Congress, we can still pass bills that will improve lives. Each of us was sent here to solve problems. That’s what I’ve done for the last 30 years, and that’s what I plan to do for the next two years," she said in her announcement. "My thanks to the people of California for allowing me to serve them.”

Senators are slated to receive a classified briefing Tuesday on the three unidentified flying objects shot down by the U.S. military in recent days.

Also, Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley launched the presidential bid she has teased for weeks, tweeting out a video Tuesday saying that, yes, she is indeed running for president.

Here's what else is happening in politics:

President Joe Biden renewed his call to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines after a shooting Monday on the campus of at Michigan State University killed three and injured five others.

and high-capacity magazines after a shooting Monday on the campus of at Michigan State University killed three and injured five others. Flying objects could be research, commercial activity: The U.S. intelligence community is considering as a “leading explanation” that three unidentified flying objects shot down from North American airspace were balloons used by research or commercial entities, White House spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday.

The U.S. intelligence community is considering as a “leading explanation” that three unidentified flying objects shot down from North American airspace were balloons used by research or commercial entities, White House spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday. Mike Pence to challenge subpoena: The former vice president is planning to challenge a subpoena from a Justice Department special counsel investigating Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election, two people familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

The former vice president is planning to challenge a subpoena from a Justice Department special counsel investigating Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election, two people familiar with the matter said Tuesday. Parkland shooting: Tuesday marks five years since a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, killing 17 people. On the eve of the anniversary, a gunman opened fire at Michigan State University, killing three people and wounding five more, before fatally shooting himself.

Smart analysis delivered to your inbox: Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter

What we know:Questions mount after flying objects shot down

Sen. Casey undergoes prostate cancer surgery

Sen. Bob CaseyD-Penn., underwent successful prostate cancer surgery Tuesday afternoon, a little over a month since he first revealed the diagnosis.

“His doctor reports that, as expected, the procedure went well and he confirmed that the senator should not require further treatment,” Mairéad Lynn, Casey’s spokesperson said in a statement.

Casey, serving his third term, is up for re-election in 2024.

– Ledyard King

Feinstein will not run again in 2024

Democrat Dianne Feinstein, California’s longest serving senator, is forgoing reelection.

“I announcing today I will not run for reelection in 2024, but intend to accomplish as much for California as I can through the end of next year when my term ends,” Feinstein said in a statement Tuesday.

The decision shakes up the 2024 Senate map as multiple Democrats — including Reps. Katie Porter and Adam Schiff — have either announced or are reportedly considering their bids to succeed the longtime senator, who had been dogged by questions about her ability to serve.

– Phillip M. Bailey

Biden renews calls to ban assault weapons after Michigan State shooting

President Joe Biden renewed his call to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines after a shooting Monday on the campus of at Michigan State University killed three and injured five others.

“I’m going to say something that’s always controversial,” Biden said Tuesday in remarks addressing the National Association of Counties in Washington. "There is no rationale for assault weapons and magazines that hold 50, 70 bullets.”

Biden’s push to reenact a ban on assault weapons, which expired in 2004, is unlikely to pass a Republican-led House and even faces an uphill climb in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

- Joey Garrison

More:'Americans deserve to be safe': House passes gun ban that has little chance in Senate

Court to reconsider case on Conn. school policy allowing trans athletes to participate in sports

A federal appeals court agreed to reconsider a lawsuit that challenged a Connecticut policy that allowed transgender student athletes to compete in high school sports on late Monday.

In December, a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court decision that backed the policy, but the case, Soule v. Connecticut Association of Schools, will now be presented before the full court.

“We’re pleased the 2nd Circuit has decided to rehear this important case, and we urge the court to protect women’s athletic opportunities,” said Christiana Kiefer, senior counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group representing the plaintiffs and who are also at the forefront of nationwide efforts to ban transgender athletes from high school sports, in a statement.

John Holt, a spokesperson for the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, who have implemented the policy, declined to comment

- Ken Tran

Trump ordered to pay $110K for contempt in fraud probe: NY appellate court

A New York appellate court on Tuesday upheld a contempt order against former President Donald Trump for failing to provide documents as part of a fraud investigation into the family’s business dealings.

The contempt order, handed down in April, directs Trump to pay a fine of $110,000 to the state’s attorney general’s office. New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement that the court’s ruling affirmed that Trump is “not above the law.”

“For years, he tried to stall and thwart our lawful investigation into his financial dealings, but today’s decision sends a clear message that there are consequences for abusing the legal system,” James said. “We will not be bullied or dissuaded from pursuing justice.”

The New York civil fraud probe revolves around whether the Trump Organization deliberately misstated the valuations of its real estate holdings in official documents for unlawful gain. A spokesperson for Trump did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.

- Ella Lee

Trump penalty:Donald Trump ordered to pay $110,000 for contempt in New York AG civil fraud investigation

Biden: MSU shooting one more argument for 'commonsense' gun legislation

President Joe Biden expressed grief over the shooting at Michigan State University Monday evening, saying the tragedy was further motivation for Congress to pass limits on guns.

In a statement the White House released Tuesday, Biden called for measures requiring background checks on all gun sales, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, closing background check loopholes, requiring safe storage of guns, and eliminating immunity for gun manufacturers "who knowingly put weapons of war on our streets."

The statement also acknowledged that Tuesday marks the five-year anniversary of the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas school shooting in Parkland, Florida which killed seventeen people and injured seventeen others. “As I said in my State of the Union address last week, Congress must do something and enact commonsense gun law reforms” it reads.

There have been over sixty mass shootings in 2023, totaling out to more than one mass shooting per day.-

- Anna Kaufman

Biden milestone: 100 federal judges confirmed by Senate

President Joe Biden hit a milestone Tuesday that could have implications for the remainder of his term: The Senate confirmed his 100th federal judge.

Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, received praise from the right for quickly moving nominees – reshaping some federal courts in a more conservative direction. But Biden narrowly surpassed Trump's total by the end of his second year, 96 confirmations compared to Trump's 83.

The Senate voted 54-45 Tuesday to confirm Gina Méndez-Miró to be a district court judge in Puerto Rico.

"President Biden has one of the most important judicial legacies of any modern president,” said Christopher Kang, chief counsel at the progressive group Demand Justice. “He has begun to restore balance to the courts with 100 judges already confirmed, and while doing so he has written a whole new playbook for what types of lawyers Democrats consider when selecting federal judges.”

– John Fritze

'Sleazy but not criminal':Some George Santos fabrications likely protected by the First Amendment

Trump-allied super PAC: Nikki Haley ‘just another career politician’

A spokesperson for Make America Great Again Inc., a super PAC aligned with former President Donald Trump, called 2024 presidential hopeful Nikki Haley “just another career politician” in a statement following Haley’s candidacy announcement.

“She started out as a Never Trumper before resigning to serve in the Trump admin. She then resigned early to go rake in money on corporate boards. Now, she’s telling us she represents a 'new generation,'” Taylor Budowich, head of MAGA Inc., said in a statement. “Sure just looks like more of the same, a career politician whose only fulfilled commitment is to herself."

MAGA Inc. was created in September and started 2023 with more than $54 million to spend, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. Super PACs can raise unlimited money and spend it freely but are barred from coordinating directly with campaigns.

Haley is the only big name Republican to announce a bid to run against the former president in 2024 so far.

– Ella Lee, Associated Press

Who is Nikki Haley?:Former S.C. GOP governor announces run for president in 2024

Nikole Hannah-Jones: 1619 Project a ‘political prop’ in Nikki Haley presidential candidacy announcement

Nikole Hannah-Jones, author of the 1619 Project, criticized 2024 presidential hopeful Nikki Haley for using the project as a “political prop” in the video Haley shared Tuesday to announce her candidacy.

“Uses #1619Project as political prop in a video that opens with growing up where railroad tracks (not white people) divided the town by race. Talking about being the child of immigrants without acknowledging that the rights she had in SC were won by Black resistance,” Hannah-Jones wrote in a tweet. “Just peak.”

The 1619 Project, produced by The New York Times, examines America’s history through the lens of slavery beginning in 1619, which is when the African slave trade began.

– Ella Lee

Haley running for president:Nikki Haley announces 2024 presidential bid in first major GOP challenge to Donald Trump

White House: Unidentified flying objects could turn out to be harmless research, commercial balloons

The U.S. intelligence community is considering as a “leading explanation” that three unidentified flying objects shot down from North American airspace were balloons used by research or commercial entities, White House spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday.

“Given what we've been able to ascertain thus far, the intelligence community is considering as a leading explanation that these could just be balloons tied to some commercial or benign purpose,” Kirby said.

Kirby said the U.S. hasn’t seen any indication that points directly to the objects being part of China’s spy balloon program, even though they were shot down about a week after the U.S. shot down a Chinese spy balloon in the Atlantic Ocean. He said the Pentagon has ruled out the possibility that the objects were from the U.S. government.

Complicating the search for more details, the U.S. has not yet retrieved debris from the objects shot down over Alaska, the Yukon Territory and Lake Huron because each is in remote areas with difficult conditions and two are in bodies of water.

– Joey Garrison

How many spy balloons have been spotted?:Questions mount after flying objects shot down

George Santos doubles down: ‘I’m not leaving’

Embattled freshman Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., made clear on Tuesday he won’t heed calls to resign from his House seat amid a flurry of scandals.

“Let me be very clear, I’m not leaving, I’m not hiding and I am NOT backing down,” he said in a tweet Tuesday. “I will continue to work for #NY03 and no amount of Twitter trolling will stop me.”

Calls for Santos to step down have come from all sides, from Democrats to his GOP colleagues to his own constituents.

– Ella Lee

Santos cosponsoring bills. Which ones?:Gun rights, TikTok ban and China: George Santos is cosponsoring these bills in Congress

Michigan lawmakers mourn, call for action after Michigan State University shooting

Michigan lawmakers took to social media Tuesday to mourn and make calls for action after a mass shooting at Michigan State University that left three students dead and five critically injured.

“It’s hard to describe the agony we’re feeling in East Lansing tonight,” said Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who represents the congressional district that contains the university.

Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib called for the implementation of universal background checks, red flag laws and an assault weapon ban in the state and nationwide, while Republican Rep. Lisa McClain offered prayers for the MSU community that experienced “an act of senseless and horrific violence.”

And Sens. Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow thanked first responders who “rushed to the scene” and “put their own lives on the line to keep people safe.”

– Ella Lee

Shooting at Michigan State:Three dead, five wounded in shooting at Michigan State University, suspect found dead

Former VP Mike Pence expected to challenge DOJ special counsel subpoena

Former Vice President Mike Pence is planning to challenge a subpoena from a Justice Department special counsel investigating Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election, two people familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

Pence's legal team is expected to argue that the former vice president's dual role as president of the Senate and member of the legislative branch at the time would protect him from the special counsel summons.

The Pence subpoena marks the most aggressive known step taken by special counsel Jack Smith since his appointment in November to oversee both the election interference inquiry and a separate examination of former President Trump's handling of classified documents.

- David Jackson, Kevin Johnson

Read the full story:Former Vice President Mike Pence expected to challenge DOJ special counsel subpoena

Adam Frisch, Colorado Dem who almost unseated Rep. Lauren Boebert, to run again

Colorado Democrat Adam Frisch, who was just a few hundred votes short of ousting Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert in the 2022 midterm elections, will run again in 2024, he announced Tuesday.

“We lost by a mere 546 votes in '22 — the closest race in the country — and know we can make that up in '24,” Frisch said in a tweet.

Boebert was heavily favored to win reelection in her Republican-leaning district in 2022, but what was once believed to be a long shot bid for Frisch became among the most closely watched races in the nation.

-Ella Lee

Could Adam Frisch have defeated Boebert?:Lauren Boebert won. But did Democrats miss a chance to flip her Colorado district?

DNC: Nikki Haley embraced ‘most extreme elements’ of Trump agenda

Former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley embraced the “most extreme elements of the MAGA agenda” while serving in former President Donald Trump’s administration, the Democratic National Committee alleged in a statement responding to her presidential candidacy announcement.

“(Haley) couldn’t even identify a single policy difference between herself and Trump,” the committee said.

Haley, who also served as governor of South Carolina, announced her intention to run for president in 2024 on Twitter Tuesday and will make her formal announcement speech Wednesday in Charleston, S.C.

-Ella Lee

Who is Nikki Haley?:Former S.C. GOP governor announces run for president in 2024

Biden names Fed’s Lael Brainard as top economic adviser

Lael Brainard, vice chair of the Federal Reserve, has been tapped to serve as President Joe Biden’s top economic adviser.

Brainard’s appointment comes as the Biden administration prepares for a potentially fraught battle with House Republicans over the nation’s debt ceiling and amid ongoing efforts to curb inflation. She will replace Brian Deese, who is expected to step down next month.

An announcement promoting Brainard to director of the National Economic Council cameTuesday.

– Ella Lee

Who is Nikki Haley? Former S.C. governor announces run for president

Just in case anyone had any doubt, Nikki Haley tweeted out a video Tuesday saying that, yes, she is indeed running for president.

Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and U.N. ambassador, sketches out her biography and attacks President Joe Biden and the Democrats - but says nothing about Donald Trump.

At the end of the video, Haley does say that she doesn’t like bullies and won’t be afraid to fight back - perhaps a warning to the volatile Trump.

In sending a potential message to Trump, Haley also referenced that she may be the only woman in the Republican field: “You should know this about me, I don’t put up with bullies. And when you kick back, it hurts them more if you’re wearing heels.”

Haley makes her formal announcement speech Wednesday in Charleston, S.C.

– David Jackson, Mabinty Quarshie

'It's always on my mind': Five years after Parkland massacre

David Hogg fine-tunes his kick-flip between classes at Harvard and his work building consensus around gun violence prevention. Cameron Kasky immerses himself in comedy and writing in Los Angeles, frustrated with a broken American political system. Sari Kaufman flies to protests of the gun industry across the country while managing her political science coursework at Yale.

Nearly five years since a gunman killed 17 of their classmates and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine's Day, three survivors at the forefront of the March For Our Lives movement in 2018 spoke with USA TODAY about their lives now – and what they want Americans to know as the nation reflects on the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida.

"I'm still feeling the impacts of the shooting every day," Kaufman said.

– Grace Hauck

White House rules out aliens, still can't say who's behind unidentified objects

The White House said Monday there are “no indications of aliens or extraterrestrial activity” from a series of unidentified objects the U.S. shot down from North American airspace.

"I don't think the American people need to worry about aliens with respect to these crafts. Period," White House spokesman John Kirby said at a press briefing.

Kirby said the U.S. hasn’t determined the origins of the objects that were shot down over Alaska, Canada and Lake Huron one week after the U.S. shot down a Chinese spy balloon in the Atlantic Ocean. The Pentagon has also not identified the purpose of the objects, which Kirby said appeared to be moving by prevailing winds, not self-propulsion, about 40,000 feet high or lower.

Complicating the search for more details, the U.S. has not made it to the debris sites of the objects, which fell in remote areas and, in two cases, frozen waters. Kirby said the U.S. has spotted “no active tracks” of additional high-altitude objects Monday.

– Joey Garrison

More:White House rules out aliens, but still can't say who is behind unidentified flying objects

Portions of Trump grand jury report to be released Thursday

A Georgia judge Monday ordered a partial public release of a grand jury's investigative report on former President Donald Trump's attempts to interfere in the 2020 election.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney said three portions of the panel's report will be released Thursday, including a section expressing concerns that some witnesses may have lied under oath.

McBurney also said the grand jury's conclusions would be made public, in a ruling that represented a partial concession to District Attorney Fani Willis who argued last month that full disclosure of the panel's findings would damage an ongoing investigation.

“In this case, the state understands... the world’s interest, but we have to be mindful of protecting future defendants' rights," Willis told McBurney during a January hearing in Atlanta.

– Kevin Johnson

Trump Georgia investigation:Judge orders partial release of Trump grand jury report Thursday

This week in politics: Nikki Haley suggests US leaders are too old as ...

The week saw former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley enter the 2024 presidential contest with a generational salvo against America's aging leadership.

This comes as President Joe Biden continues to face questions about whether he is too old – read: unfit – to seek a second term, as polling show a majority of Democrats don't want him to run again.

Dianne Feinstein, California's longest serving senator, won't seek ...

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the state's longest serving senator has decided to bow out of a reelection bid.

"The time has come," she told Capitol Hill reporters. "It's not till the end of next year. So don't hold your breath. (But) there are times for all things under the sun and I think that will be the right time."

Feinstein's decision came after much speculation on whether she would decide to run for another term, given her age and questions about her fitness for office. She was first elected in 1992.

Feinstein expects to endorse a candidate later this year

Feinstein's seat is solidly Democratic in deep blue California. While highly unlikely a Republican will be able to win a statewide election in the Golden State, the seat has attracted the interest of several Democrats.

The former San Francisco mayor told Capitol Hill reporters Tuesday she expects to endorse a successor within the next two months but "I don't have anybody in mind right now."

Stay in the conversation on politics:Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter

Who is in the running so far?

Although Feinstein only announced her decision Tuesday, two Democrats have already launched their own Senate campaigns prior to her statement.

Democratic Rep. Katie Porter announced her bid for the seat in early January, calling for "new leadership" in a video shared on her social media accounts.

"California needs a warrior in Washington. That's exactly why I'm announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate in 2024," said Porter in the video.

In late January, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff also announced his candidacy for the seat, tweeting that "We're in the fight of our lives – a fight I’m ready to lead as California’s next U.S. Senator."

Schiff earned the endorsement of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in February – an endorsement predicated on Feinstein's exit.

Related:Why retiring from politics is more complicated for women

"If (Feinstein) decides not to run, I will be supporting House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff, who knows well the nexus between a strong Democracy and a strong economy,” Pelosi said in a statement shared by Schiff's Senate campaign.

Other California Democratic representatives such as Rep. Barbara Lee and Rep. Ro Khanna are also reportedly considering running for the seat, setting up a potentially brutal primary fight in 2024.

What is Feinstein known for?

Feinstein will leave behind a sweeping legacy, notably for her authorship of the 1994 assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004.

She was also chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee from 2009-2015, where she put a spotlight on the CIA's interrogation practices and later pushed through anti-torture legislation that was eventually signed into law by then-President Barack Obama.

“Dianne Feinstein is a titan in the United States Senate, with a record that stands among the finest in history," Pelosi said in a statement on Feinstein's retirement.

Feinstein is also one of Congress' early defenders of same-sex marriage and LGBTQ rights, being one of 14 senators to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, which banned same-sex marriage until it was ultimately repealed last December when President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act.

Rep. Katie Porter is running for Sen. Dianne Feinstein's seat in ...

Democratic Rep. Katie Porter kicked off the 2024 campaign season early on Tuesday when she declared herself a candidate for the Senate in California.

The announcement comes despite no statement from longtime Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, whose up for reelection in 2024, that she is retiring.

Porter, first elected in 2018, released a video across her social media accounts stressing the need for "new leadership" as she showcased her progressive credentials as a lawmaker who "doesn't do Congress" like others.

"I use whatever power I have to speak hard truths to the powers that be – to not just challenge the status quo but call it out," she said.

Politics: What we know about President Joe Biden's classified documents

In the video, the congresswoman pledges to fight against Wall Street, the "big banks" and pharmaceutical companies. She added how she won't accept lobbyist or corporate PAC money, and favors prohibiting lawmakers in Congress from stock trading.

"Especially in times like these, California needs a warrior in Washington," Porter said.

More: House approves new rules, first big test for Republican-led chamber

Feinstein is the oldest senator currently in Congress and has been dogged by questions about her age and cognitive abilities.

In January 2021, she filed paperwork to seek reelection, saying last year how she hadn't heard about those concerns.

"I put in the hours. … And so I’m rather puzzled by this,” Feinstein told the San Francisco Chronicle’s editorial board.

But the 89-year-old Democrat has taken a step back from her Senate duties, such as leaving her leadership role on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Feinstein furthered speculation when she turned down being president pro tempore of the Senate, which historically goes to the most senior senator of the majority party and is third in line to the presidency.

Podcast pick of the week: Hear 'Presidential' ahead of Election Day

Carly Mallenbaum

USA TODAY

Looking for something new to listen to while you drive to work/go for a walk/wash the dishes? We're here for you. In our weekly series, we highlight a podcast, audio personality or specific story worth hearing.

This week's pick: Presidential

As we prepare to elect a new president, it's a good time to look back: Who has America already elected? What were they like? How have they shaped our country? Why does our presidential pick matter? Those are all questions that The Washington Post's Leadership editor, Lillian Cunningham, aims to answer on her podcast, Presidential. As of this weekend, she has published podcasts on all 43 presidents. (Yep, even William Henry Harrison, who only spent 32 days in the office before he died.) After the Barack Obama episode, Cunningham has one more show. Publishing the morning after Election Day, the finale will cover the new president elect.

Why it's ripe for listening

Cunningham talks to guests who know a thing or two about the presidents, from prolific presidential biographer Doris Kearns Goodwin to Barack Obama's chief strategist David Axelrod. And she asks them both the typical "What was his legacy?" questions, about "cherry tree"-type myths and the more nuanced, "What would he be like on a blind date?" queries. Hail to the Chief music and sounds from presidents' speeches score the show that offers insight like how more than one man in the Oval Office was a child of a dysfunctional family with alcoholic parents, and how that kind of upbringing shapes someone's leadership style.

Memorable line

Julie Miller from the Library of Congress talks about George Washington in Presidential's first episode:

"If you were going on a blind date with him, say it's like 1757, first of all you'd be really impressed, because he was really good looking, he had just finished a leadership role in the French and Indian War, you would've found that he was extremely charming...a really good dancer... but one thing you would need to be aware of is he was not a particularly rich person... and he would definitely be interested in your money."

'Boy Meets World' star Ben Savage to run for Congress in California

Actor Ben Savage appears to be considering a run for Congress, filing with the Federal Election Commission to potentially replace U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.

The forms, filed Wednesday, say Savage, a Democrat, would run for California’s 30th District in the House of Representatives in a 2024 election.

The seat is currently held by Schiff, who is expected to run for Senate to replace U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Feinstein has not publicly confirmed if she will seek reelection.

Representatives for Savage told multiple outlets that "he is focused on his upcoming wedding. Ben is still making decisions and always looking for opportunities to give back and serve the community."

Savage is engaged to Tessa Angermeier.

Live politics updates:Biden: 'I have no regrets' about classified documents; U.S. hits debt ceiling

'Shocking ':Rep. George Santos pushes back on 'insane' claim he stole funds for veteran's dying dog

This isn’t the first time the “Boy Meets World” star has run for office.

In a 2022 race, Savage ran unsuccessfully to be on the West Hollywood City Council. His priorities outlined on his campaign website included community safety, supporting and promoting local businesses and fighting “to protect the rights of renters” and bringing down the cost of new housing.

Savage studied political science at Stanford University. While he was a student, he interned for former U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter.

California’s 30th district includes West Hollywood and Burbank. The general election for the district will be Nov. 5, 2024.

More politics coverage from USA TODAY

Nancy Pelosi announces she won't run for leadership post, marking ...

CNN —

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on Thursday that she will relinquish her leadership post after leading House Democrats for two decades, building a legacy as one of the most powerful and polarizing figures in American politics.

Pelosi, the first and only woman to serve as speaker, said that she would continue to serve in the House, giving the next generation the opportunity to lead the House Democrats, who will be in the minority next year despite a better-than-expected midterm election performance.

“I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress,” said Pelosi in the House chamber. “For me, the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect, and I’m grateful that so many are ready and willing to shoulder this awesome responsibility.”

Pelosi, 82, rose to the top of the House Democratic caucus in 2002, after leading many in her party against a resolution authorizing the use of force in Iraq. She then guided Democrats as they rode the waves of popular opinion, seeing their power swell to a 257-seat majority after the 2008 elections, ultimately crash to a 188-seat minority, and then rise once again.

Her political career was marked by an extraordinary ability to understand and overcome those political shifts, keeping conflicting factions of her party united in passing major legislation. She earned the Speaker’s gavel twice – after the 2006 and 2018 elections – and lost it after the 2010 elections.

Of late, she has conducted a string of accomplishments with one of the slimmest party splits in history, passing a $1.9 trillion pandemic aid package last year and a $750 billion health care, energy and climate bill in August.

Her legislative victories in the Biden era cemented her reputation as one of the most successful party leaders in Congress. During the Obama administration, Pelosi was instrumental to the passage of the massive economic stimulus bill and the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which provides over 35 million Americans health care coverage.

Over the past 20 years, the California liberal has been relentlessly attacked by Republicans, who portray her as the personification of a party for the coastal elite. “We have fired Nancy Pelosi,” said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Fox News on Wednesday, after Republicans won back the chamber.

In recent years, the anger directed toward her has turned menacing. During the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, pro-Trump rioters searched for her — and last month, a male assailant attacked Paul Pelosi, the speaker’s husband, with a hammer at the couple’s home in San Francisco, while she was in Washington.

Pelosi told CNN’s Anderson Cooper this month that her decision to retire would be influenced by the politically motivated attack. Paul Pelosi was released from the hospital two weeks ago after surgery to repair a skull fracture and injuries to his arm and hands.

After thanking her colleagues for their well-wishes for Paul, the House chamber broke out into a standing ovation.

Democrats now look to finally choose Pelosi’s successor

Pelosi’s long reign became a source of tension within her own party. She won the gavel after the 2018 elections by promising her own party that she would leave her leadership post by 2022.

Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, who previously tried to oust Pelosi, told CNN it’s time for a new chapter.

“She’s a historic speaker who’s accomplished an incredible amount, but I also think there are a lot of Democrats ready for a new chapter,” said Moulton.

But some Democrats praised Pelosi and said they wished she would remain leader. Asked about her decision, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer clutched his chest and said he had pleaded with her to stay.

“I told her when she called me and told me this and all that, I said ‘please change your mind. We need you here,’” Schumer said.

House Democrats appear likely to choose New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, 52, to succeed Pelosi as leader, though Democrats won’t vote until November 30.

After her speech, Pelosi wouldn’t tell reporters who’d she support. But House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn announced they would also step down from their leadership posts, and endorsed Jeffries to succeed Pelosi. Hoyer said Jeffries “will make history for the institution of the House and for our country.” Clyburn added that he hoped Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark and California Rep. Pete Aguilar would join Jeffries in House Democratic leadership.

Before Pelosi’s announcement, Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, told CNN that she expects her caucus to throw their support behind Jeffries, and help him become the first Black House Democratic leader.

“If she steps aside, I’m very clear that Hakeem Jeffries is the person that I will be voting for and leading the Congressional Black Caucus to vote for,” said Beatty.”I don’t always speak for everybody, but I’m very comfortable saying I believe that every member of the Congressional Black Caucus would vote for Hakeem Jeffries.”

Retiring North Carolina Rep. G.K. Butterfield, a former CBC chairman, told CNN that Jeffries “is prepared for the moment” if Pelosi steps aside. Butterfield said he thought Jeffries would run.

The longtime Democratic leader told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” on Sunday that members of her caucus had asked her to “consider” running in the party’s leadership elections at the end of the month, adding: “But, again, let’s just get through the election.”

Any decision to run again, Pelosi said, “is about family, and also my colleagues and what we want to do is go forward in a very unified way, as we go forward to prepare for the Congress at hand.”

“Nonetheless, a great deal is at stake because we’ll be in a presidential election. So my decision will again be rooted in the wishes of my family and the wishes of my caucus,” she continued. “But none of it will be very much considered until we see what the outcome of all of this is. And there are all kinds of ways to exert influence.”

Pelosi is a towering figure in American politics with a history-making legacy of shattering glass ceilings as the first and so far only woman to be speaker of the US House of Representatives.

Pelosi was first elected to the House in 1987, when she won a special election to fill a seat representing California’s 5th Congressional District.

When she was first elected speaker, Pelosi reflected on the significance of the event and what it meant for women in the United States.

“This is an historic moment,” she said in a speech after accepting the speaker’s gavel. “It’s an historic moment for the Congress. It’s an historic moment for the women of America.”

This story has been updated with additional developments Thursday.

Alex Rogers Annie Grayer Manu Raju
Alex Rogers
Annie Grayer
Manu Raju

Gay voters for Trump share reasons for support this election

Kate Sosin

The 19th

This story was published in partnership with The 19th, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy.

His first bullies arrived by bike, middle-schoolers.

They called him a fairy, and other slurs. They smashed eggs on his head.

The taunts came day after day as he walked to and from school. His mother, fearing for her son, put him in a new school. He entered seventh grade with new classmates, but it didn’t get easier. This was Utah in the ‘90s.

From the time he was little, he loved Barbies and Disney princesses. In kindergarten, he chose dresses when playing dress-up.

“When I was like 8, and nobody was home, I would go in the closet and get the poofy part of my sister’s prom dress and just twirl around by myself and in the mirror,” he recalls. “And I definitely identified with what a culture calls female. And the great injustice for me, as someone who identifies with the feminine, is that this world says, a dress and makeup and sparkles are only for women.”

Mormon-raised in a house that did not support homosexuality, he desperately tried to suppress his attraction to boys. He went to Brigham Young University and served on a mission for two years in France. Still struggling after college, he put himself through anti-gay conversion therapy where he was promised a “normal” life. He started dating a best friend, a girl.

“Her father actually left her family because he’s gay,” he said. “And I watched that devastation. And I was like, I’m not doing that, … She deserves a man who loves her, sexually and emotionally and physically and romantically, and I can’t do that.”

He took his chances. At age 22, he came out.

More than a decade later, Lady Maga USA makes her entrance into a throng clad in red T-shirts and hats.

“Trump is making America great again, whether you’re Black, White, Latino or a drag queen!” she says to the crowd in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The drag queen bit is not a joke. That’s actually Miss Maga herself. It’s been years since that closeted young Mormon from Utah broke up with his girlfriend and came out. Today, he’s a mini-celebrity among die-hard Trump supporters.

Miss Maga is wearing a “Make America Great Again” shirt and hat, looking out across a crowd of thousands chanting “USA! USA!” She wears white a “Lady Maga USA” sash across her chest. Her lips, like her shirt, are bright red. Her curls are perfectly curled and blonde.

This outfit, like all of her outfits, is strictly G-rated. When she first appeared as Lady Maga USA (always add the USA, lest Lady Gaga’s people get litigious), it was in an American flag bikini. Now, she aims to be a family-friendly drag queen, typically sporting jeans or a ball gown.

Miss Maga, who chooses to go by her stage name – she said she and her mother have received death threats because she supports Trump – used to be a Democrat. In the early 2000s, she met Al and Tipper Gore at a Human Rights Campaign dinner.

Back then, Republicans just weren’t accepting, she said. Even still, she voted for George W. Bush in 2004. She felt like the left was growing intolerable and unforgiving, unwilling to engage in difficult conversations.

For three years, her drag persona had been Ryanna Woods, a nod to the character Elle Woods from the film “Legally Blonde.” In 2019, she debuted Lady Maga USA. Friends she had for years through Utah’s drag bars stopped talking to her.

“As soon as I came out as a Trump supporter, for them it erased all the good qualities that I have, and they only focused on that, assuming that I’m some sort of monster,” she said. “I lost everything. I lost my performances. I lost my friends. I lost my sense of community.”

Her new community is made up of thousands of other LGBTQ people who back president Trump, she says. She almost always appears at rallies as Lady Maga USA, and this October she was fully booked. Her schedule had no less than eight Trump events – all unpaid – leading up to Election Day.

Miss Maga has drained her own finances on costumes, travel and hotels to show her support for the president.

Miss Maga’s top issues are not LGBTQ rights. She is a strong advocate for the Second Amendment and for free speech. She thinks that people have a right to say offensive things, even if they are hateful.

“I think that the LGBT mainstream community is pushing further and further trying to eliminate all discussion or questioning of their agenda,” she said. “And I think that’s dangerous because we could be next. Anyone can be next, and I believe that free speech is absolute.”

At the Albuquerque Trump rally, she gives hugs to fellow supporters. She speaks in Spanish and English. She stops for photos.

“God bless you,” a man says to her.

This is not the response she expected the first time she went to a Trump rally in drag last year.

“I was terrified to go to the Trump rally, because I thought I may be rejected, I may be yelled at, I may be kicked out for all I know,” Miss Maga told The 19th. “But the moment I arrived, the first thing that happened was a lady comes running up to me and asked for a picture and told me I was fabulous. And then I walked in my full drag into the rally past the line and people were just cheering and screaming and welcoming me.”

Embraced by conservatives

Miss Maga is among a rarely discussed voting bloc: LGBTQ Republicans. According to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, just 15% of LGBTQ people are Republicans, compared with 35% of the general population. It’s unclear what percentage of those Republicans will vote for Trump in this election. Before taking office, Trump vowed to be a friend to LGBTQ people. Many say he broke that promise.

LGBTQ media organization GLAAD has tallied at least 175 incidents of the Trump administration attacking the community, from substantial policy rollbacks to the transgender military ban to fighting against landmark LGBTQ workplace protections won at the Supreme Court in June. Jennifer Pritzker, transgender billionaire, backed Trump four years ago. This time around, she has funneled more than $100,000 into defeating him.

Conservative values have often been painted as antithetical to LGBTQ rights. But the people who encapsulate both of those groups present a different picture.

Chad Felix Greene describes a similar experience of being embraced by conservatives as an openly gay person. Greene grew up in West Virginia and Ohio, with no openly gay peers in school.

As he entered his teenage years, he wished desperately he could be a girl. He tried wearing women’s clothing, but none of it looked right on him.

“I felt a sense of despair that there did not seem to be an option for me,” he said.

In 1998, the same year as the Columbine High School shooting in Colorado, Greene’s principal outed him to his parents in front of school counselors, he said. His father, who had only seen depictions of gay people because of the AIDS epidemic, was traumatized by the event, Greene said. He was the first person in his high school to come out, and it made him a target of bullying. Adults in his life worried that like the Columbine shooters, Greene was an outcast.

“I had to go to a therapist and had to have a written statement that I was mentally fit, and I wasn’t dangerous to anybody,” he recalled.

He remembers sitting in high school science class one day next to a friend he’d had since kindergarten. Her eyes, crystal blue, reminded him so much of Ellen Degeneres’, which he’d seen on the cover of a book. He told her she had Ellen’s eyes.

“And (I) remember that she instantaneously said, ‘Don’t ever compare me to that woman,’” Greene recalled.

The experience struck him so much that he drew into himself. Comparing anyone to a gay person was unforgivable – he was unforgivable. “I almost didn’t graduate,” he said. “I ended up graduating, I think second to last in my class. I just barely got by because I didn’t care any longer.”

In college, he took sociology and psychology classes, and the world started to open up. He became what he called an “aggressive liberal activist,” making pamphlets about gay rights that he left on cars and at churches.

But Greene found his liberal peers dismissive and unforgiving, he said. His first girlfriend in middle school, whom he always idealized, had been Black. He remembers sharing with a college class that when he had a kid, he wanted to adopt a Black child.

“Several of the Black girls in the class told me that was the same as slavery,” he said. “They thought that I was purchasing a Black woman to be a symbol of pride for myself and that it was racism, and it was so startling to me to be called a racist.”

It was one of several incidents that pushed Greene away from progressive circles and toward conservative politics, he said. But it wasn’t until 2018 that he voted Republican, or voted at all. The confirmation process for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh pushed him over the edge. Greene did not believe allegations of sexual assault against Kavanaugh or concerns from LGBTQ advocacy groups that he posed a threat to equal rights.

“I thought he was brutally targeted by an intentional campaign to smear him as aggressively as possible with false allegations to try and thwart his nomination,” Greene said. “I’m a survivor of rape. What they did hurt me very personally.”

Today, Greene’s a prominent LGBTQ conservative voice. He has more than 45,000 Twitter followers and a new book out, “Without Context: Evaluating the Anti-LGBT Claims Against the Trump Administration.” He early voted in Ohio this year, his first presidential election.

Ideas over identity

Like Greene, Wyatt Torosian takes issue with identity politics. Torosian, a bisexual and mixed-raced conservative, says he cares less about a person’s race or gender and more about their ideas.

“There has been an overemphasis on personal background and people’s identifiers as determining what their beliefs could be,” he said.

Torosian lives in Hollywood, a beacon of LGBTQ acceptance. His best friend is a “cis Jewish liberal socialist female,” he says. He grew up in what he describes as an apolitical family in Fresno, California. He came out as conservative in high school, long before he came out as bisexual, which was just four years ago. It’s hard to say which was more difficult, he said.

Torosian believes in limited government and strong national defense. Social issues are low on his list. He concedes that it might be a privilege to look at this election and not see the outcome as life or death for him or the people that he loves, but he also thinks that people overstate that worry to bully people into voting with them.

“If you’re on dialysis, and your health care coverage protects that, and then the next occupant [of the White House] might alter that health care coverage that could be a life or death situation, that is the person I want to hear from,” he said.

LGBTQ conservatives interviewed tend to value the same things as as other conservatives: They believe in small government, have an “America-first” mindset, and are anti-abortion. They see Trump’s rollback of LGBTQ rights as part of a larger deregulation campaign to limit the powers of the federal government, not as a targeted attack on gay and transgender rights.

Straight Republicans have welcomed LGBTQ people, they say. New data from the Human Rights Campaign suggests that Trump voters in swing states largely support LGBTQ equality. In Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, Iowa, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas, Trump voters were more likely than not to support marriage equality, adoption rights and transgender military service. At least 60% in each state said trans people should be able to live freely and openly, and 87% or more backed trans access to medical care.

However, this doesn’t translate to support for transgender rights across the board. In fact, many gay, lesbian and bisexual conservatives openly question the validity of transgender people. Miss Maga and Greene believe transgender people will forever be “biologically” the gender they were assigned at birth.

“I’m not going to tell a person who is transgender that they are not who they feel they are,” Greene said. “But I also don’t think that I’m obligated to believe them, or agree with them based on just what they tell me, either.”

Greene cites his own teenage desires to be a girl as proof that it’s possible for people to outgrow gender dysphoria. He desperately wanted to be female, but he’s perfectly happy presenting as male now – though his gender is complicated, he says.

“I feel like it’s similar to somebody who believes they’re psychic,” he said. “From an objective point of view, I can’t say that they aren’t, but I also can’t believe that they are. I feel the same way that if you are biologically male, you’re a physical male, and you say ‘I feel like I am female,’ what you’re doing is you are imagining what that must be like based on what you know, a female is.”

Miss Maga, too, always longed to put on dresses and sparkle, like a Disney princess. But she’s very clear that when the dress comes off, so does the lady. She wants people to use male pronouns when she’s out of drag.

Torosian differs here. While he says there is a difference between gender identity and sexual orientation, he sees trans issues as inherently connected to lesbian, gay and bisexual issues.

“I don’t get into the conversation where people want to get into the semantics of what trans is and everything like that,” he said. “I think that it’s a personal experience for each individual.”

Like many conservatives, Torosian, Greene and Miss Maga oppose gender-affirming health care for transgender children.

Transgender children who experience gender dysphoria can be prescribed puberty blockers, temporary injections that pause puberty until a young person is old enough to make an informed decision about whether or not they want to medically transition.

The American Medical Association states that the importance of puberty blockers “cannot be overstated,” adding that once kids start development of the “ ‘wrong’ sex,” their psychological well being substantially deteriorates and they are at risk for suicide. A Harvard Medical School study this year found that puberty blockers lowered suicide risk in transgender children by 15 percent.

But many LGBTQ conservatives think that kids are too young to socially transition, and they discount consensus among major medical organizations that state puberty blockers are reversible, safe and necessary, favoring controversial, often debunked studies.

But for Miss Maga, the argument is simple. She feels like she grew up a lot like Elsa, heroine of Disney’s “Frozen,” who is forced to wear gloves because she can’t control her ability to turn everything into ice with a wave of her hand.

“That’s how I felt as an Eagle Scout,” Miss Maga said. Playing into masculinity felt like keeping gloves on, keeping some magical power hidden, she said.

When “Frozen” came out in 2013, Miss Maga realized that boys could be sparkly and beautiful. Boys could wear dresses and heels. A person doesn’t need to transition to do that, she feels. To her that feels like gender essentialism. Lost in this discussion is the difference between gender identity, who you are at the core, and gender expression — some of us wear pants and some of us wear skirts.

“What makes me different, is actually beautiful,” she said. “It’s actually amazing, and I have something to offer the world. Watch me build a castle. Watch me sparkle.”

And now, thousands of people do. At Trump rallies.

Biden says GOP 'threatening to destroy' economy; Elon Musk meets ...

Members of the Republican National Committee are gathering in Southern California as the party wrestles with how to position itself for the 2024 election in the aftermath of lackluster midterm results.

Divisions about the path forward are on display ahead of a vote Friday for RNC chair.

Here's what else is happening in politics:

The National Archives has sent a letter to representatives of former presidents and vice presidents asking them to examine whether they have classified information.

a letter to representatives of former presidents and vice presidents asking them to examine whether they have classified information. California state bar seeks to revoke the law license of Donald Trump lawyer John Eastman.

the law license of Donald Trump lawyer John Eastman. Biden at Virginia union hall accuses Republicans of "threatening to destroy" the economy with its positions on the debt limit and proposed cuts to domestic programs.

accuses Republicans of "threatening to destroy" the economy with its positions on the debt limit and proposed cuts to domestic programs. Former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao responded to Trump's repeated racist remarks about her.

responded to Trump's repeated racist remarks about her. Schiff announces Senate bid: Rep. Adam Schiff, who this week was blocked from serving again on the House Intelligence Committee, plans to run for Senate in California. No word on whether the current occupant of that seat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, is running again.

Rep. Adam Schiff, who this week was blocked from serving again on the House Intelligence Committee, plans to run for Senate in California. No word on whether the current occupant of that seat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, is running again. Senators look to 2024. Several senators have already launched 2024 reelection campaigns and primary challengers in some races are starting to emerge.

Several senators have already launched 2024 reelection campaigns and primary challengers in some races are starting to emerge. Video of the attack on Pelosi's husband to be released: A judge in California ruled late Wednesday that video footage of Paul Pelosi's attack could be released.

Stay up-to-date on everything politics:Sign up for the On Politics newsletter

Elon Musk meets with McCarthy and Jeffries

After a closed-door meeting, Speaker Kevin McCarthy quipped to reporters about a rare 58th birthday gift: a visit from Elon Musk.

It appears it was actually a business meeting with Musk and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

The tech magnate was spotted going into the speaker’s office late Thursday afternoon, as the House considered more than 20 amendments to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Act.

After the meeting, the Twitter CEO used his social media site to explain his appearance on Capitol Hill. “Just met with @SpeakerMcCarthy & @RepJeffries to discuss ensuring that this platform is fair to both parties,” Musk said in a tweet.

His visit comes two weeks before the House Oversight Committee is expected to hold hearings on what Republicans describe as collusion between Twitter and the federal government. They claim the social media site suppressed information about Hunter Biden’s laptop and censored GOP views on the platform. Twitter employees have been invited to testify.

— Candy Woodall

In case you missed it:McCarthy plans to block Democrats Swalwell, Schiff from House Intelligence Committee

Biden calls for ‘peaceful protests’ before release of body camera footage in Tyre Nichols case

President Joe Biden said the family of Tyre Nichols deserves a “swift, full and fair investigation” into his death and called for “peaceful protests” after five former Memphis police officers were charged Thursday with second-degree murder.

“Outrage is understandable, but violence is never acceptable,” Biden said in his first statement on the Nichols case. “Violence is destructive and against the law. It has no place in peaceful protests seeking justice.”

Nichols, 29, died Jan. 7 after a police traffic stop that resulted in “two confrontations with police,” according to Memphis police. Nichols "complained of a shortness of breath,” police said. Video from police-worn body cameras of the interaction is scheduled for release Friday evening. Nichols was black. The five officers charged in the case are also Black.

“We cannot ignore the fact that fatal encounters with law enforcement have disparately impacted Black and Brown people,” Biden said, renewing his call for policing reform legislation that stalled in Congress last year.

- Joey Garrison

Memphis police incident:'This was criminal': Former Memphis police officers arrested, face murder charges in Tyre Nichols' death

California will seek to disbar Trump lawyer John Eastman

California’s state bar is seeking to revoke the law license of John Eastman, the lawyer who spearheaded an effort to use slates of fake electors in battleground states to overturn the 2020 election in favor of former President Donald Trump.

The state bar alleges that Eastman violated his duty to uphold the U.S. and California state constitutions in an attempt to “usurp the will of the American people and overturn election results for the highest office in the land.”

“There is nothing more sacrosanct to our American democracy than free and fair elections and the peaceful transfer of power,” George Cardona, chief trial counsel to California’s state bar, said in a statement. “...(Eastman) must be held accountable.”

Eastman holds law licenses in both Washington, D.C. and California.

– Ella Lee

Trump allies:State election officials tell Jan. 6 committee of pressure, threats from Trump and allies

Biden: Republicans are ‘threatening to destroy’ economy over debt ceiling

President Joe Biden accused Republicans Thursday of "threatening to destroy" the economy over brinkmanship on the debt limit and proposed GOP cuts to domestic programs.

“They seem determined to be the party of chaos and catastrophe,” Biden, speaking from a steamfitters union hall in Springfield, Virginia, said after the release of a new report on the gross domestic product that showed better-than-expected growth in the fourth quarter of last year.

House Republicans have not released a unified economic plan. The Republican Study Committee, which includes about 160 Republicans, last year endorsed raising the retirement age to 70 to qualify for Social Security benefits. Still, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has insisted Republicans have no plans to cut Social Security and Medicare, even as Biden warns the two programs could be slashed if Republicans get their way.

Financial markets are on edge that a failure to raise the debt limit would lead to the nation's first-ever default, a scenario that economists fear could plunge the economy into a recession. Biden has said he won't negotiate with Republicans seeking to use the debt ceiling to achieve unspecified spending cuts.

– Joey Garrison

Elaine Chao addresses Donald Trump's racist comments about her

Former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao chided her one-time boss – former President Donald Trump – this week, speaking out about him repeatedly making racist comments about her.

Trump on Truth Social on Monday targeted Chao with a racial charged nickname and her husband, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as he attempting to link them to the classified documents found in a Washington, D.C. office that has been used by President Joe Biden. Chao responded by slamming the former president for the slurs he has repeatedly used against her.

“When I was young, some people deliberately misspelled or mispronounced my name,” Chao, an Asian-American who served as transportation secretary in Trump’s administration, said in a statement to USA TODAY. “Asian Americans have worked hard to change that experience for the next generation. He doesn’t seem to understand that, which says a whole lot more about him than it will ever say about Asian Americans.”

- Marina Pitofsky

More:'Says a whole lot more about him': Elaine Chao speaks out about Donald Trump's racist comments on her

National Archives asks former presidents, VPs to recheck their offices for classified material

The National Archives has sent a letter to representatives of former presidents and vice presidents dating back to the Reagan administration asking them to examine whether they have classified information in their possession, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The request was apparently prompted by investigations involving former President Donald Trump, current President Joe Biden, and former vice president Mike Pence and their handling of classified material.

Other recipients of the National Archives request include the offices of former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan, and former vice presidents Dick Cheney, Al Gore, and Dan Quayle.

An official with one of the recipient offices confirmed the letter, but would not discuss it. The offices of Obama, Bush, and Clinton have said they have no classified material in their possession.

CNN, which first reported the letter, said former presidents and vice-presidents are being asked to "re-check their personal records for any classified documents or other presidential records in the wake of classified documents discovered in the homes of" Trump, Pence, and Biden.

– David Jackson

National Archives letter to ex-presidents:National Archives asks ex-presidents and vice presidents to look for classified documents

Records request:After Trump, Biden, Pence, are other former presidents holding classified documents? We asked.

'Rules there for a reason': FBI's Wray urges compliance with classified document rules

FBI Director Christopher Wray Thursday briefly addressed growing questions about officials’ handling of classified documents, saying “rules are there for a reason.”

While not specifically commenting on the pending special counsel investigations involving former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, in addition to new disclosures about the recovery of documents at former Vice President Mike Pence’s Indiana home, Wray said such inquiries are a “regular part” of the bureau’s Counterintelligence Division’s work.

“And people need to be conscious of the rules regarding classified information,” Wray said at an unrelated Justice Department briefing. “Those rules are there for a reason.”

- Kevin Johnson

House to vote on Strategic Production Response Act. What is it?

The House is voting on legislation Thursday that would limit President Joe Biden's authority to withdraw oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve after Republicans claim he misused the power for political gains.

The bill, labeled the Strategic Petroleum Response Act (H.R. 21), would prevent an administration from withdrawing oil from the reserves unless there is an increase in the percentage of federal lands that produce oil and gas to match the percentage withdrawn.

The bill is unlikely to become law; it does not have the votes to pass in the Democratic-controlled Senate, and the Biden administration has said it would veto it in any case. It comes after Biden ordered the largest withdrawal in U.S. history last year, a move that plummeted the reserves' levels to their lowest since 1984.

– Rachel Looker

More on this bill:In House vote on Strategic Production Response Act, GOP aims to limit oil reserve withdrawal

FBI dismantles website of notorious ransomware gang Hive

Federal authorities dismantled a website operated by a notorious ransomware gang, known to extort millions of dollars from victims as part of a global cybercrime operation.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said the FBI late Wednesday seized a cache of computer servers in Los Angeles supporting the group known as Hive, while foreign law enforcement partners took control of a similar network in Europe to take down the operation which had targeted 1,500 victims in 80 countries.

Since June 2021, federal authorities said, Hive had reaped more than $100 million in ransom payments from schools, hospitals and a range of private companies.

– Kevin Johnson

Read more on the FBI operation:FBI dismantles ransomware gang Hive's website. $130 million in ransom payments averted.

Adam Schiff announces bid for California Senate seat

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., announced Thursday he is launching a campaign to run for Senate.

Schiff, who has served in the House since 2001, was a member of the House Intelligence Committee in the last Congress and was a key figure during the Jan. 6 hearings to investigate the attack on the Capitol. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy blocked Schiff this week from serving on the Intelligence Committee in the 118th Congress.

Schiff will be the second candidate vying for the Senate seat currently held by Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who has not announced whether she will seek reelection or retire. California Democratic Rep. Katie Porter announced earlier this month she is also vying for the seat.

- Rachel Looker

Paul Pelosi attack video to be released

Over the objections of prosecutors, a judge has ruled that the footage of the attack on Nancy Pelosi's husband can be released. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Stephen M. Murphy ruled there was no reason to keep the footage secret, especially after prosecutors played it in open court during a preliminary hearing last month.

Paul Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi's husband, was asleep at the couple's San Francisco home on Oct. 28 when someone broke in and beat him with a hammer. Prosecutors have charged 42-year-old David DePape in connection with the attack.

DePape pleaded not guilty last month to six charges, including attempted murder. Police have said DePape told them there was "evil in Washington" and he wanted to harm Nancy Pelosi because she was second in line to the presidency. His case is pending.

- The Associated Press

How the Paul Pelosi attack unfolded:A break-in, a conversation, a 911 call, then violence

The battle to lead the RNC

All three contenders to lead the Republican National Committee are supporters of former President Donald Trump but are arguing about candidate recruitment and get-out-the-vote efforts.

RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, seeking a fourth term, faces opposition from California attorney Harmeet Dhillon and MyPillow founder Mike Lindell. McDaniel is favored to win, but opponents are roaming the halls of a beach resort in Dana Point, Calif., seeking support.

"We will decide if we're serious about winning in 2024," Dhillon tweeted this week. Republican delegates are also discussing party rules and procedures, including plans for debates among the GOP presidential candidates in 2024.

RNC:Republicans are preparing for their national convention in Milwaukee. First, they have to decide who will lead the RNC

Biden to highlight the economy in Virginia amid fight over debt ceiling

President Joe Biden will travel Thursday to Springfield, Virginia where he is expected to discuss what the administration says is progress bolstering the economy.

Biden is visiting the Steamfitters Local 602 union hall. His afternoon remarks will follow the release of fourth-quarter 2022 gross domestic product figures. The White House has warned of catastrophe if House Republicans refuse to raise the debt ceiling.

Failure to act would lead to the nation's first-ever default on its debt. Biden has said that would lead to a “calamity that exceeds anything that’s ever never happened in the history of the United States.”

- Joey Garrison

Meta to lift bans on Trump Facebook, Instagram accounts

Meta Platforms, Facebook's parent company, will reinstate former President Donald Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts in the upcoming weeks as Trump prepares another presidential run, ending the two-year suspension.

The company indefinitely banned Trump's accounts following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack to reduce the risk of violence as Mark Zuckerberg, the company's CEO, accused Trump of trying "to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power to his elected successor, Joe Biden."

Trump responded to the ban being lifted on Truth Social: "Such a thing should never again happen to a sitting President, or anybody else who is not deserving of retribution!"

– Sarah Elbeshbishi

Countdown to 2024: Porter, Gallego launch bids for Senate seats

Democrats currently have a narrow majority in the upper chamber but that will be tested next year. Thirty-four seats in the Senate will be up for grabs in the upcoming election with Democrats (including independents who caucus with Democrats) currently occupying a majority – 23 – of those seats.

Here are the candidates who have announced their Senate plans for 2024:

Indiana Republican Rep. Jim Banks.

Arizona Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego.

West Virginia Republican Rep. Alex Mooney

California Democratic Rep. Katie Porter

Ohio Republican state Senator Matt Dolan

- Rachel Looker

GOP committee picks:Far-right Reps. Boebert, Gosar and Greene are on committees probing Biden. What does that mean?