Trump Administration Declines USMCA Renewal, Opens Talks on New Trade Changes 
JD Vance Says Britain Needs Major Political Change as Leadership Transition Looms 
Khamenei Funeral Draws Thousands as Iran Stages Nationwide Week of Mourning 
US Appeals Court Limits ICE Detention Without Bond Hearings After 90 Days 
Russia Claims Capture of Kostiantynivka as Putin Pushes Donetsk Offensive 
Air Force Investigates Officer After Capitol Protest Calling for Trump, Vance Impeachment 
Trump Administration to Launch Voluntary AI Standards for Frontier Models 
UN Warns of Looming Human Rights Catastrophe in Sudan’s Al-Obeid 
State of emergency in Crimea as Ukraine focuses pressure on ‘jewel in Putin’s crown’ 
Trump Accounts Now Accept Stock Donations as Treasury Launches New Child Investment Program 
Trump Vows U.S. Will Prevent China From Taking Over the Panama Canal 
NRC Proposes Radiation Rule Changes to Boost U.S. Nuclear Power Expansion Under Trump 
South Korea Warns Won Is Undervalued, Boosts FX Coordination With Japan 
EU Chip Industry Faces Growing Risks From China Export Controls and U.S. Technology Dependence: Report 
US-Iran Doha Talks Show Limited Progress as Hormuz Shipping Remains Key Focus 
OpenAI Proposes 5% U.S. Government Stake Amid AI Policy Talks 
Russian Attacks Kill Three in Eastern Ukraine as Civilian Casualties Mount 
The Democratic Party now has a majority of both the House and Senate chambers following Joe Biden’s election victory and the Georgia runoffs. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may likely see her party’s majority grow following the New Mexico special elections.
This week is a special election in New Mexico where Pelosi may see another Democrat added to the majority. The special election in Democratic-leaning Albuquerque’s 1st District is between state Democratic Rep. Melanie Stansbury and state Republican Senator Mark Moores. This was due to Deb Haaland vacating the seat to become President Joe Biden’s Interior Secretary.
Stansbury is highly favored to win the special election over Moores, and her election would give Pelosi a 220th vote in the Democratic caucus, filling in one of five vacated seats. Three of those seats were recently occupied by Democrats. As the district leans towards Democratic along with Stansbury’s fundraising and lack of significant spending by out of state political groups adds to her advantage in the special election.
During the 2020 election, New Mexico’s 1st district voted 60 percent to 37 percent for Biden over Donald Trump. This was despite the Democratic party maintaining an edge down-ballot. Ben Ray Lujan and Haaland having a narrow victory for their election and reelections respectively.
Nevertheless, Stansbury has an edge to overcome any possible underperformance which can happen to the party that controls the White House in special elections.
Meanwhile, Pelosi has ruled out having Biden establish a commission that would look into the events of January 6. This follows the recent Senate vote that led to the failure of the passage of the bipartisan proposal as not enough Republican Senators joined the Democratic lawmakers in voting for the bill. Pelosi cited that having a presidential commission to study the insurrection would be unworkable.
The House Speaker laid out four other options following the Senate vote last week. Six GOP Senators voted in support of the bipartisan proposal, but under filibuster rules, they were not able to make it to the threshold number of votes needed for the proposal to pass. Members of both parties have since continued to do a deep investigation into the insurrection.
