United States Senator from Illinois
Leonard Leo Rejects Senate Judiciary Subpoena on SCOTUS Gifts: He claims the Senate committee’s inquiry into undisclosed gifts to justices is “politically ...
thedailybeast.com/leonard-leo-rejects-senate-judiciary-subpoena-on-scotus-gifts
Quick Glance: Investigation into Gifts to Supreme Court Justices: Leo Refuses Senate Subpoena
- As part of a months-long inquiry into undisclosed gifts to Supreme Court justices, the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a subpoena to conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo on Thursday, which he promptly rejected as “politically motivated.”
- Following reports that Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. accepted free luxury travel and gifts from Crow, Leo, and conservative donor Robin Arkley II without disclosure, the committee voted to authorize subpoenas for Leo and Texas billionaire Harlan Crow along party lines.
- Democrats on the committee initiated an investigation into the justices' relationships with private benefactors after ProPublica's April report last year revealed Thomas' failure to disclose free luxury vacations and private jet travel from Crow over many years, and Leo's arrangement of a luxury fishing trip for Alito in 2008.
- With Leo's rejection, Democrats would need to hold a Senate vote to seek court enforcement of the subpoena - a nearly impossible task in a narrowly divided chamber requiring 60 votes to break a filibuster.
Privacy Defenders Decry 'Spy Draft' in Section 702 Renewal Advanced by Senate: "It's not about who RISAA allows the government to spy on ...
commondreams.org/news/fisa-section-702-renewal
Legislation would ban most uses of toxic forever chemicals within a decade: U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin wants to begin shutting off the tap by outlawing per- and ...
chicagotribune.com/2024/04/18/pfas-ban-bill/
April Perry nominated for federal judge, nixing bid to be Chicago’s first female U.S. attorney
chicagotribune.com/2024/04/24/april-perry-nominated-for-federal-judge-nixing-bid-to-be-chicagos-first-female-u-s-attorney/
Senators show confidence in Johnson’s O’Hare rebuild plan: Johnson wants to change the sequencing of construction on the long-awaited Global Terminal and two new ...
chicagotribune.com/2024/04/22/senators-show-confidence-johnsons-ohare/
Chicago and Illinois to receive $19M from feds to help with migrant crisis: The Department of Homeland Security released the first installment of $300 million in ...
chicagotribune.com/2024/04/12/chicago-and-illinois-to-receive-19-million-from-feds-to-help-with-migrant-crisis/
Groups urge US Senate panel's chair to conduct oversight of 'judge shopping': A coalition of progressive advocacy groups and civil rights organizations on ...
reuters.com/legal/government/groups-urge-us-senate-panels-chair-conduct-oversight-judge-shopping-2024-04-02/
Democratic senators urge Biden to protect migrant children, spouses who might be deported under Trump
trib.al/9DrLTev
Airline, credit card CEOs refuse to testify at US Senate hearing: The CEOs of American Airlines, United Airlines, Visa and Mastercard will not testify at an ...
reuters.com/legal/airline-credit-card-ceos-refuse-testify-us-senate-hearing-2024-03-21/
Sinking Section 702 Wiretap Program Offered One Last Lifeboat: For months, US lawmakers have examined every side of a historic surveillance debate ...
wired.com/story/section-702-safe-act-compromise/
Judicial nominee's chances take a hit as Senate Dem announces opposition: Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin said he’s getting questions about Adeel ...
politico.com/live-updates/2024/03/19/congress/fight-over-judicial-nominee-senate-democrats-mangi-00147901
No. 2 Senate Democrat says ‘killing has to stop’ in Gaza: Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, said Sunday that the killing of ...
cnn.com/2024/03/03/politics/dick-durbin-says-gaza-killing-must-stop/
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Durbin says Supreme Court’s decision to take up Trump’s immunity ‘disappointment’ for delaying case
thehill.com/homenews/senate/4504820-durbin-says-supreme-courts-decision-to-take-up-trumps-immunity-disappointment-for-delaying-case/
AOC Leads Charge Against AI-Generated Pornographic Deepfakes: "The proliferation of nonconsensual, sexually explicit 'deepfake' images has exploded ...
commondreams.org/news/deepfakes
Democrats Step Up Calls for Biden to Rein In Israel’s War: Democratic senators called on President Joe Biden to press Israel for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip ...
bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-03-03/senate-democrats-step-up-calls-for-biden-to-rein-in-israel-s-war
Why Haven’t Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo Been Subpoenaed?: More than two months after authorizing subpoenas for two key figures in the Supreme Court’s ethics ...
propublica.org/article/why-hasnt-senate-judiciary-subpoenaed-harlan-crow-leonard-leo-scotus
Visa, Mastercard's Swipe Fee Settlement Might Save You Money, For Now: The limited-time agreement directly benefits merchants, which can potentially pass savings ...
kiplinger.com/personal-finance/visa-mastercards-swipe-fee-settlement-might-save-you-money
Durbin calls for Thomas recusal in SCOTUS case on Trump ballot eligibility: "Justice Thomas should recuse himself so there’s no question of bias ...
politico.com/live-updates/2024/02/07/congress/durbin-thomas-scotus-trump-2024-ballot-eligibility-00140147
US Senate chair wants airline, credit card CEOs to testify on fees: The chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday asked the CEOs of American Airlines ...
reuters.com/world/us/us-senator-wants-airline-credit-card-ceos-testify-fees-2024-02-12/
A year after Lausch’s departure, Chicago’s next U.S. attorney still in limbo: One year after Chicago U.S. Attorney John Lausch stepped down, the caustic ...
chicagotribune.com/2024/03/11/a-year-after-lauschs-departure-chicagos-next-u-s-attorney-still-in-limbo/
Sen. Dick Durbin: This decision-making moment will determine O’Hare’s future: If we don’t meet the moment by modernizing and expanding O'Hare — a scale that ...
chicagotribune.com/2024/03/04/opinion-ohare-airport-expansion-chicago/
Democratic politicians urge Biden to press Israel for ceasefire: Parachuting in aid is 'not going to solve the problem' and killing of innocent people 'has to ...
thenationalnews.com/world/us-news/2024/03/03/democratic-politicians-urge-biden-to-press-israel-for-ceasefire/
Why Banks and Airlines Love Rewards Cards More Than You Do: No matter how many business-class upgrades are granted, the house wins.
bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-02-05/why-banks-and-airlines-love-rewards-cards-more-than-you-do
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Deepfake bill would open door for victims to sue creators: A bipartisan group of three senators is looking to give victims of sexually explicit deepfake images a ...
nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/deepfake-bill-open-door-victims-sue-creators-rcna136434
Durbin compares Zuckerberg to tobacco execs after ‘outrageous’ statement: Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Thursday compared Meta CEO ...
thehill.com/homenews/senate/4443138-durbin-compares-zuckerberg-tobacco-execs-after-outrageous-statement/
At heated Senate hearing on social media, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg apologizes to families - UPI.com
upi.com/Top_News/US/2024/01/31/social-media-executives-senate-judiciary-committee-hearing-child-safety/4251706707368/
Quick Glance: Tech CEOs Testify on Online Child Exploitation at US Senate
- Tech CEOs sworn in at Senate hearing
- Fiery and rapid - today's hearing put tech CEOs in the spotlight
- First time many tech executives testified before Congress
- Zuckerberg apologizes to families affected by social media
Child safety hearing puts key internet law back in Congress’s crosshairs: Lawmakers from both parties revive push to change Section 230, the liability shield ...
washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/02/01/csam-hearing-section-230-reform/
GAO Will Open Investigation Into FDA Oversight of Medical Device Recalls: Sens. Dick Durbin and Richard Blumenthal asked the Government Accountability Office to ...
propublica.org/article/gao-will-open-investigation-into-fda-oversight-of-medical-device-recalls
Democrats urge DOJ to get tougher on white-collar criminals: A Senate hearing and proposed legislation focus on the government’s approach to corporate crime that ...
washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/01/05/democrats-doj-white-collar-crime/
Marsha Blackburn Calls Out Dick Durbin As She Battles For Jeffrey Epstein Flight Logs
forbes.com/sites/brittanylewis/2024/01/09/marsha-blackburn-calls-out-dick-durbin-as-she-battles-for-jeffrey-epstein-flight-logs/
Senators Ask GAO to Probe FDA Medical Device Oversight: Sens. Dick Durbin and Richard Blumenthal sent a letter noting how the agency missed opportunities to ...
propublica.org/article/senators-ask-gao-to-probe-fda-device-oversight-citing-cpap-recall
Harassment of Yunus must end: Twelve US Senators have written a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urging her to end what they said is the persistent ...
thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/harassment-yunus-must-end-3526726
Senate Democrats authorize subpoenas in Supreme Court ethics probe as Republicans stage walkout
pbs.org/newshour/politics/senate-democrats-authorize-subpoenas-in-supreme-court-ethics-probe-as-republicans-stage-walkout
Quick Glance: Democrats Vote to Subpoena Supreme Court Conservative Allies
- Senate Democrats vote to subpoena conservative allies of Supreme Court justices to learn about undisclosed gifts.
- Republicans push back against demanding information from Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo.
- Democrats argue for more information from Crow and Leo, stating that the court's code of conduct is insufficient.
- Republicans resist, claiming the effort aims to delegitimize the conservative court majority.
Lawmakers push for federal prison oversight after reports of inadequate medical care
npr.org/2023/12/12/1218627629/lawmakers-push-for-federal-prison-oversight-after-reports-of-inadequate-medical-
Democrats Turn Tables on GOP in Judge Nominations: Senate Judiciary Committee Dick Durbin refused Republican senators from speaking about judicial nominees ...
newsweek.com/senate-vote-judges-dick-durbin-gop-debate-nominees-1848702
Senate tensions erupt ahead of hotly disputed vote to subpoena prominent conservatives
axios.com/2023/11/30/senate-tensions-erupt-ahead-of-hotly-disputed-subpoena-vote
Sen. Durbin discusses deadlock in Congress over Ukraine, Israel aid and border security
pbs.org/newshour/show/sen-durbin-discusses-deadlock-in-congress-over-ukraine-israel-aid-and-border-security
The Supreme Court says it is adopting a code of ethics, but it has no means of enforcement
apnews.com/article/supreme-court-ethics-code-conflicts-clarence-thomas-64d393ceb6f05402d762dca06f0f4187
Quick Glance: Supreme Court Implements Ethical Guidelines Without Enforcement
- Implementation of first ethical guidelines without enforcement by the Supreme Court.
- No significant new requirements; Compliance left entirely to each justice.
- Justices emphasize long-standing adherence to ethics standards and dismiss ethics criticism as misunderstanding.
- Recent support for ethical guidelines from three justices: Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh, and Kagan.
Tech CEOs subpoenaed for Senate hearing on child online safety: The Senate Judiciary Committee announced an upcoming Senate hearing in which several subpoenaed ...
thehill.com/policy/technology/4334301-tech-ceos-subpoenaed-senate-hearing-child-online-safety/
Dwayne Johnson visits Capitol Hill: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson took a trip Wednesday to Capitol Hill, where he was spotted among senators and U.S. Capitol Police ...
thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/4311672-dwayne-johnson-visits-capitol-hill/
Groups to Senate Dems: Subpoena Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo Now: "We must learn the full scope of these hidden efforts to improperly influence the Supreme ...
commondreams.org/news/democrats-subpoena-crow-leo
Durbin urges Biden to grant temporary legal status to Palestinians in US: Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is spearheading an effort urging President Biden to grant ...
thehill.com/homenews/senate/4300780-durbin-urges-biden-grant-temporary-legal-status-us-palestinians/
Big Tech CEOs subpoenaed to testify before Senate about efforts to protect kids online
thehill.com/policy/technology/4319317-big-tech-ceos-subpoenaed-senate-kids-online-safety/
Dick Durbin, AIPAC’s First Successful Recruit, Becomes First Senator to Call for Gaza Ceasefire
theintercept.com/2023/11/02/dick-durbin-gaza-ceasefire-aipac/
Durbin calls for Israel-Hamas cease-fire tied to hostage release: Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the second-highest ranking Democrat in the Senate ...
thehill.com/homenews/senate/4289462-durbin-israel-hamas-ceasefire-hostage-release/
Dick Durbin thinks “there’s a lot more” that Judiciary subpoenas could reveal on SCOTUS connections to GOP activists and donors
politico.com/live-updates/2023/10/31/congress/subpoenas-senate-scotus-judiciary-durbin-00124514
US Senate Democrats scrub vote on Supreme Court ethics subpoenas: The Democratic-led Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday postponed a planned vote on ...
reuters.com/world/us/us-senate-democrats-vote-supreme-court-ethics-probe-subpoenas-2023-11-09/
How the White House got involved in the border talks on Capitol Hill — with Ukraine aid at stake
orlandosentinel.com/2023/12/18/how-the-white-house-got-involved-in-the-border-talks-on-capitol-hill-with-ukraine-aid-at-stake/
McConnell tells Senate Democrats to back off on Supreme Court: Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) warned Senate Democrats on Tuesday about issuing ...
thehill.com/homenews/senate/4285911-mcconnell-tells-senate-democrats-to-back-off-on-supreme-court/
Quick Glance: Democrats to Subpoena Wealthy Supporters of Supreme Court Justices
- Senate Judiciary Committee leaders will vote on subpoenas for information from Texas billionaire Harlan Crow, a close friend and supporter of Justice Clarence Thomas, and from Leonard Leo, the conservative judicial activist.
- Senate Democrats do not need Republican support to authorize the subpoenas.
- Judiciary Committee Chairman Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said, "By accepting these lavish, undisclosed gifts, the justices have enabled their wealthy supporters and others with business before the Court to gain private access to the justices while preventing public scrutiny of this conduct."
- In May, committee leaders requested an itemized list of gifts worth more than $415 from Crow to Thomas, which exceeds the maximum value allowed for undisclosed gifts to federal judges, including justices.
Congress, don’t bail out big box retailers by saddling consumers with the bill | Opinion
miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article282163438.html
'Important First Step': Durbin Moves to Subpoena Rich Benefactors of Alito, Thomas
commondreams.org/news/senate-subpoena-alito-thomas
House Approves $14.3 Billion Military Aid Package for Israel : The House of Representatives has approved a $14.3 billion military aid package for Israel ...
democracynow.org/2023/11/3/headlines/house_approves_143_billion_military_aid_package_for_israel
Sen. Dick Durbin Appeals for Israel-Hamas Cease-Fire Following Hostage Release: He is the first U.S. senator to support a ceasefire before progressives like ...
thedailybeast.com/sen-dick-durbin-appeals-for-israel-hamas-cease-fire-following-hostage-release
Senate Democrats vow to subpoena key Thomas and Alito allies over Supreme Court ethics lapses
usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/10/30/durbin-supreme-court-ethics-subpoenas/71387933007/
Why the Supreme Court’s wasted time on ethics may cost it: Supreme Court justices, who have infinite power over American lives, have continually resisted calls ...
cnn.com/2023/11/01/politics/supreme-court-ethics/
Senators question airline frequent flyer programs, citing reports of 'unfair' practices
abcnews.go.com/Politics/senators-question-airline-frequent-flyer-programs-citing-reports/story
We asked every US Senator for their Gaza ceasefire position. Here’s what they said
the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/us-senate-israel-gaza-ceasefire-list-b2444835.html
Democrats to Subpoena Harlan Crow, Leonard Leo in Supreme Court Probe: Senate Democrats seeking to hold the Supreme Court accountable for ethical lapses are ...
bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-11-09/democrats-to-subpoena-harlan-crow-leonard-leo-in-supreme-court-probe
Paid articlePaidQuick Glance: Democrats Summon Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo to Court
- Democrats seek to hold Supreme Court accountable for ethical lapses
- Senate Judiciary Committee plans to subpoena Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo
- Both in spotlight for ties to Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito
- New tactical move to hold wealthy supporters of conservative justices accountable
Banking group says Durbin is trying to 'silence and intimidate' critics: The Electronic Payments Coalition said that Sens. Dick Durbin and Roger Marshall are ...
americanbanker.com/news/banking-group-says-durbin-is-trying-to-silence-and-intimidate-critics
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