After Texas state troopers arrested more than 50 people at a University of Texas at Austin protest, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is facing accusations that the state went too far. On Wednesday, police in riot gear broke up an unsanctioned but nonviolent demonstration at the state's flagship university.  Among those arrested was a journalist with local Fox 7 news affiliate, who the news organization said has been charged with criminal trespassing. Demonstrators have scheduled a second day of protest for Thursday. The students had called on UT to divest from arms manufacturers and U.S. an ..read more

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) — Parents of kids who commit crimes in Tennessee will face fines up to $1,000 for each offense after the first one, under a bill that's headed to Gov. Bill Lee's desk. The Parental Accountability Act, sponsored by Memphis-area Republicans Sen. Brent Taylor and Rep. John Gillespie, passed this week in both chambers. After a juvenile's first offense, juvenile court is required to fine their parents for each subsequent crime, according to the bill's language. If parents can't afford the fine, they will be able to work it off through community service. "If I had to pick up ..read more

The political party scene is popping, with more than 25 events poised to be held in honor of this year's White House Correspondents' Association dinner. Here's a running list of all the parties, galas and other gatherings taking place around Washington timed to coincide with Saturday's big night. All events listed are by invitation only.  White House Correspondents' Association Dinner Events 2024 Sunday, April 21 Embassy of Australia and CNN's Kangaroo Cup 1:30 - 5 p.m. 3120 Cleveland Ave., NW Wednesday, April 24 Society for Human Resource Management "A Toast to Civility"  6 - 9 p.m ..read more

Vice President Harris will kick off a multistate tour on Monday touting economic opportunities for Black Americans in an effort to mobilize the critical voting base for Democrats ahead of November's election.  The Economic Opportunity Tour will begin in Atlanta followed by an event in Detroit the following week.  During the tour, Harris will emphasize the Biden administration’s investments in small businesses, job growth, student loan debt forgiveness and affordable housing efforts.  “President Biden and I are committed to creating an economy in which every person has the freedo ..read more

Author and activist Monica Lewinsky on Wednesday got in on the latest viral Taylor Swift meme, using a popular lyric from the global superstar's newest album "The Tortured Poets Department" in a nod to the media firestorm she faced while an intern in the White House. The meme comes from Swift's recent song, "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" in which the singer says, "You wouldn't last an hour in the asylum where they raised me." Putting her own spin on the trend, Lewinsky posted the lyrics with a photo of the White House on X on Wednesday. The post, as of Thursday morning, had 17,000 reposts, 1 ..read more

Fortunately for both Biden and Trump, November won’t be a popularity contest. Biden is the more fortunate of the two, but only slightly so.  According to Real Clear Politics average of national polling, Biden trails Trump 44.2 percent to 44.5 percent in a two-way rematch, while his unfavorable rating is 55.1 percent to Trump’s 53.7 percent. In such adverse circumstances, November will be about getting supporters to the polls: Here Biden’s disadvantage looms larger still.  The current presidential rematch appears close, as neither Biden nor Trump seem to be ab ..read more

Elizabeth Wilkins will join the American Economic Liberties Project as a senior fellow. Wilkins comes from the Federal Trade Commission, where she was chief of staff to the chair and director of the Office of Policy Planning, and she was previously a senior adviser to the chief of staff in the Biden White House. Jessica Monahan has joined Cozen O’Connor as a senior principal. Monahan joins the firm from Arnold & Porter, and she is a McGuireWoods Consulting, National Association of Counties and Squire Patton Boggs alum. The Aerospace Industries Association has tapped Ryan McDermott to be vi ..read more

New York's highest court overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape and sexual assault conviction Thursday, ruling the judge who presided over the case made "egregious errors" in the watershed trial. In a 4-3 decision, the state Court of Appeals said Judge James Burke prejudiced the former movie producer and high-profile Hollywood figure by allowing women to testify on allegations that were not part of the case. “We conclude that the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes,” the court’s ..read more

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán encouraged former President Trump to “fight for his own truth,” during the Conservative Political Action Conference in Hungary.  The European Union's longest-serving leader defended Trump during the third annual CPAC Hungary in Budapest. Dutch party leader Geert Wilders and U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) were also in attendance. “If necessary, they will use government agencies against us — as my American friends say, ‘weaponizing state institutions,’” Orbán said during the event on Thursday, according to The Associated Press (AP). “This happens to us ..read more

Kim Kardashian will join Vice President Harris at the White House on Thursday for a roundtable on criminal justice reform that will highlight President Biden's use of pardon power. A White House official said Kardashian, a reality television star who has become an outspoken advocate for criminal justice reform in recent years, will attend the discussion alongside Harris, pardon recipients and Steve Benjamin, the director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. Kardashian worked closely with the Trump White House on the case of Alice Johnson, a Black woman who had received a life senten ..read more