Trump administration live updates: Georgians go to the polls to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene
A majority of voters say the risks of AI outweigh the benefits, and a plurality don't trust either party to handle the technology, a new NBC News survey found.
The Republicans in the Georgia special election are all lined up behind President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” ideals. Saul Loeb / AFP - Getty Images
What to know today...
- GEORGIA AND MISSISSIPPI ELECTIONS: The Georgia district that sent Marjorie Taylor Greene, once a fierce defender of Donald Trump, to Congress is now deciding how to replace her — and whether to let the president make the pick. Mississippi voters also head to the polls today for the state's primary contests, where longtime Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson is facing a challenge from ex-Senate aide Evan Turnage.
- AI POLLS POORLY: Voters are worried about AI and don’t trust either political party to handle the rapidly evolving technology, according to a new national NBC News survey.
- GOP DIVIDED ON SAVE AMERICA ACT: The prospects for Trump’s SAVE America Act grew murkier yesterday as divisions deepened among Senate Republicans about how to pass it and whether it’s possible to overcome Democratic opposition.
- TRUMP QUESTIONS DHS AD: Trump has peppered aides in recent days about whether longtime adviser Corey Lewandowski profited personally from a $220 million federal advertising campaign featuring Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was fired last week, according to three people familiar with his conversations.
Travelers stuck in TSA lines amid partial government shutdown
Passengers are continuing to face long lines and hours-long wait times at airports across the United States. It comes after the TSA’s funding expired three weeks ago when lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on ICE protocols, triggering a partial Homeland Security shutdown. NBC’s Tom Costello reports for "Today."
Federal judge in Oregon restricts use of tear gas on ICE protesters
A federal judge in Oregon yesterday restricted federal officers from using tear gas at protests at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland, in response to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Oregon on behalf of protesters and freelance journalists.
U.S. District Judge Michael Simon issued the preliminary injunction after a three-day hearing in which the plaintiffs — including a demonstrator known for wearing a chicken costume, a married couple in their 80s and two freelance journalists — testified about having chemical or projectile munitions used against them.
Protesters confront law enforcement outside an ICE facility in Portland, Ore., in June. Jan Sonnenmair / Getty Images file
Poll work or jury duty? A bill advancing in Idaho would give people a choice
Idahoans may soon have the opportunity to trade jury duty for election work.
An Idaho Senate committee advanced a bill yesterday that would allow prospective jurors to volunteer as poll workers for elections instead.
If passed by the state Senate and signed into law, the bill would provide county clerks to make up for shortages of election workers with people who seek exemptions from jury duty.
Longtime Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson faces primary challenge from millennial ex-Senate aide
Longtime Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, 78, is facing a primary challenge today from a much younger candidate, Evan Turnage, in Mississippi.
Turnage, 34, is an antitrust lawyer who was an aide to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
The race between Thompson and Turnage in the deep-blue 2nd Congressional District, which includes Jackson, is another generational battle for Democrats, who have seen a number of longtime members announce their retirements ahead of the fall midterms.
Thompson has outspent his opponent in the race, and Turnage has focused on the incumbent's age and has taken to the airwaves to accuse him of being ineffective.
Thompson has served in the House since 1993 and is the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee. He previously chaired the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Trump has endorsed all three House Republicans running for re-election in the state.
In the race for Senate, incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., also backed by Trump, faces physician Sarah Adlakha in the primary as she seeks a second full term. Some Democrats have said District Attorney Scott Colom could be a strong candidate, though he faces a steep uphill climb in the traditionally Republican state.
Supreme Court Justices Jackson and Kavanaugh clash over handling of Trump cases
Internal Supreme Court divisions over how the high court has frequently ruled in favor of the Trump administration in emergency situations spilled out into public yesterday evening, with liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh locking horns.
The court’s conservative majority has on a regular basis blocked lower court rulings that have stymied Trump’s agenda, sparking criticism from within and outside the judiciary.
Jackson, often a vocal dissenter in those cases, forcefully aired her critique of the court’s actions in a rare public appearance with Kavanaugh at an event for lawyers and judges held at the federal courthouse in Washington.
Senate Republicans splinter over SAVE America Act’s path as Trump calls for more revisions
The prospects for Trump’s SAVE America Act grew murkier yesterday as divisions deepened among Senate Republicans about how to pass it and whether it’s possible to overcome Democratic opposition.
Some say they’re convinced a “talking filibuster” under current rules could lead to passage of the sweeping election overhaul bill, even though it hasn’t worked before. Another GOP senator proposed a different path with less support. And the Senate’s top Republican emphasized that the path is “unclear” as the 60-vote rule may be too difficult to overcome.
Former news anchor jumps into race against Republican congresswoman in Miami district
A recently retired Miami news anchor announced this morning that he will run as a Democrat against Rep. Maria Elvira Salazár, R-Fla.
Eliott Rodriguez, 69, retired from the local CBS station, WFOR, in December, where he worked for 25 years, giving him considerable name recognition. Salazár is also a former journalist.
Rodriguez's newly launched campaign will focus on lowering the cost of living, restoring accountability in Washington and “bringing people together,” according to a news release.
Florida’s 27th Congressional District, located in Miami-Dade County, is heavily Latino, and residents have been affected by Trump’s immigration policies, with dramatic cases of detentions and deportations.
Following his retirement, Rodriguez appeared in a video criticizing the Trump administration’s immigration policies and calling for more pushback from Salazár and Florida Republican Reps. Carlos Gímenez and Mario Díaz-Balart.
Salazár has criticized Trump’s deportation policies, saying they go beyond just targeting criminals.
Former Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen held the seat for 30 years. After her retiremen0,t Democrat Donna Shalala held the seat for one term before she was defeated by Salazár.
Poll: Majority of voters say risks of AI outweigh the benefits
Voters are worried about AI and don’t trust either political party to handle the rapidly evolving technology, according to a new national NBC News survey.
A majority of registered voters, 57%, said they believe the risks of artificial intelligence outweigh its benefits, compared with 34% who said the opposite. What’s more, a plurality of voters view AI negatively and don’t believe either Democrats or Republicans are doing a good job handling policy related to the rapidly advancing technology.
Just 26% of voters say they have positive feelings about AI, compared with 46% who hold negative views. In fact, the only topics that were less popular than AI in the NBC News survey were the Democratic Party and Iran.
Voters head to the polls for special election in Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Georgia district
The Georgia district that sent Marjorie Taylor Greene, once a fierce defender of Trump, to Congress is now deciding how to replace her — and whether to let the president make the pick.
Voters are heading to the polls for a special election today in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District where all candidates appear on the same ballot regardless of party. Of the 17 Republicans in the race, five unofficially withdrew after the deadline and will still appear on the ballot along with three Democrats. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, the top two vote-getters head to a April 7 runoff.
