Nydia Velázquez is stepping down

The popular New York City progressive cited the need for a changing of the guard. NEW YORK — Rep. Nydia Velázquez, the Brooklyn progressive known to allies as “La Luchadora” for her fighting spirit, announced Thursday that she’s retiring from Congress and will not seek reelection next year. The Democrat’s surprise decision against a 17th … Read more

Rick Scott releases Obamacare subsidy alternative

His approach would create Trump Freedom Accounts for states that choose to get a waiver. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) has issued his alternative to enhanced Obamacare subsidies. His “More Affordable Care Act,” released Thursday, enables Obamacare customers to use a “Trump Health Freedom Account” that resembles a health savings account. Scott said in a statement … Read more

‘Our most important battle’: Obama privately urges freshman Dems to fight cynicism

“I get feeling worn out, tired, and embattled,” the former president said to more than 30 lawmakers. Former President Barack Obama is embracing his role as mentor-in-chief, huddling with nearly three dozen freshman House Democrats at the Capitol Hill home of Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) at a Wednesday night event hosted by former Speaker Nancy … Read more

In culture war backlash, Democrats sweep school boards

The party recruited and invested in school board races to oust Republicans. It worked. In Cypress, Texas, a Houston-area suburb that lures families with its high-quality education, Republicans used their two years of control on the school board to ban textbook chapters on climate change, diversity and vaccines. This month, Democrats took over the majority, … Read more

Cassidy after CDC vaccine website change: ‘Life is lived forward’

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed a claim on its website about vaccines not causing autism. Republican members of Congress pushed back on Thursday — albeit lightly — on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s controversial update to its webpage on vaccines and autism. On Wednesday, the CDC changed its website, walking … Read more

Israel plans to seize historical site in the West Bank as a new settlement appears

An anti-settlement watchdog group said the Sebastia site is Israel’s largest seizure of archeologically important land — about 450 acres. JERUSALEM — Israel plans to seize parts of a major West Bank historic site, according to a government document, and settlers put up a new outpost overnight, even as the country faces pressure to crack … Read more