Democrats win back disgraced former Rep. George Santos’ seat. A verdict in Donald Trump’s civil fraud case is expected this week. And scientists are worried as Greenland gets greener.
Here’s what to know today.
What we learned from the special election to replace George Santos
New York’s 3rd District has a new leader: former Democratic congressman Tom Suozzi, who defeated Republican Mazi Pilip in a special election yesterday. The race to replace disgraced former Rep. George Santos played out over only a matter of weeks but might indicate what’s to come in Congress and in other elections nationally.
Immigration played a big role in the campaign in its final days. Republicans hammered Suozzi on being a tool of the left-wing “squad.” Suozzi fought back directly against the GOP’s attacks, acknowledging the migrant influx and pointing out that Pilip had rejected a recent bipartisan deal to toughen border and asylum laws while he endorsed it. Suozzi’s willingness to address thorny issues could be an effective strategy for Democrats moving forward.
Suozzi’s victory narrowed Republicans’ majority in the House from 219-212 to 219-213. Had he been in Congress yesterday to vote on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ impeachment (more on that below), the effort would have failed. That illustrates the magnitude of a single vote in the current House of Representatives.
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But it’s worth remembering this election was, well, special. And several factors that contributed to last night’s result might not be so easily replicated. Read the full story for more takeaways.
Plus, see the full results in the New York House special election.
Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas is impeached
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas became the second Cabinet secretary in U.S. history to be impeached after House Republicans succeeded in their second attempt to remove him from his position. The GOP’s first impeachment vote failed last week.
Yesterday’s 214-213 vote saw the same three Republicans — Ken Buck of Colorado, Tom McClintock of California and Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin — vote no for a second time. But with Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise back in Washington after having undergone treatment for blood cancer, Republicans were back in full strength.
The matter now heads to the Democratic-controlled Senate, where Mayorkas will likely be acquitted because two-thirds, or 67 senators, would be needed to convict and remove him. The soonest the Senate could take up the matter would be after Feb. 26.
Palestinians flee Rafah as U.N. warns of a ‘slaughter’
An Israeli assault on Rafah could lead to a “slaughter,” the U.N. warned yesterday as some Palestinians began to flee Gaza’s southernmost city. The organization also said it will not assist in the evacuation if Israel does go ahead with a ground offensive on the city.
The State Department said that it was reviewing reports that Israel has harmed civilians in its Gaza offensive, as part of a set of guidelines ensuring recipients of U.S. arms follow international law. The review comes as President Joe Biden has become increasingly vocal in his frustration with Israel’s conduct during the offensive. Follow live updates.
More on the Israel-Hamas war:
Commercial moon lander launch postponed
A Houston-based company is now planning to launch a spacecraft to the moon very early tomorrow, just after 1 a.m. ET, after it had to postpone a planned launch last night, NASA announced. Intuitive Machines hopes its spacecraft, nicknamed Odysseus, will be the first commercially built probe to land on the lunar surface. If it succeeds, the event would be the first landing on the moon for the United States in more than 50 years. Here’s what else to know about the mission.
Chuck Todd: A referendum or a choice
The 2024 presidential election is shaping up to be a battle between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump — more generally, a referendum on the other guy. However, if there is one thing we should have learned from the past few decades, “it’s that character rarely counts with voters,” NBC News chief political analyst Chuck Todd writes in an analysis. Character-focused campaigns failed against Bill Clinton twice and against Trump in 2016.
Biden wants voters to look past his age, but Todd suggests another way to convince them he’s worthy of re-election. Read the full analysis here.
Why Greenland is getting greener
An estimated 11,000 square miles of Greenland’s ice sheet and glaciers have melted over a 30-year period from the 1980s to the 2010s, according to new research published this week. That’s roughly nine times the size of Rhode Island and about 1.6% of Greenland’s total ice cover. Wetlands almost quadrupled across the country over the study period.
Looking at the map above, the changes to Greenland’s landscape might not seem like much, but one of the study’s authors warns that ice loss will trigger other reactions and, in turn, accelerate Greenland’s “greening.” For a place often considered “ground zero” for the climate crisis, scientists fear far-reaching effects.
Politics in Brief
Trump investigations: New York state Judge Arthur Engoron is expected to issue his verdict by the end of the week in the $370 million civil fraud case against Trump and his company. And tomorrow, Trump is expected to attend a hearing in the hush money case against him in New York.
Foreign aid: The Senate passed critical aid for Ukraine and Israel yesterday morning and the House is now considering what to do next. But before proceeding, Speaker Mike Johnson wants an in-person, one-on-one meeting with Biden, a source said.
NATO spending: Biden rebuked Trump’s remarks that Russia should attack NATO nations that he thought had insufficiently spent on defense, saying the suggestion was “un-American.”
Black History Month: Descendants of some of the most prominent civil rights leaders from the 1950s and ’60s gathered at the White House yesterday, some convening in the same room for the first time.
Menendez scandal: Nadine Menendez told a “false cover story” about gold bars linked to an alleged bribery scheme involving her husband, Sen. Bob Menendez, federal prosecutors said in a new court filing.
Staff Pick: China’s village basketball goes national
The hottest sports ticket in China these days is a grassroots version of the NBA, in which the players are amateurs, the court is outdoors and the stands are packed. Tournaments held in the tiny village of Taipan are viewed online by millions of hoops fans across the country — and have even drawn stars from the NBA. — Jennifer Jett, Asia digital editor
In Case You Missed It
- Ukraine’s military intelligence says it sank the Caesar Kunikov, a large Russian landing ship, using sea drones in the Black Sea.
- A pro rock climber convicted of sexually assaulting a woman used his fame to lure victims to Yosemite, officials said.
- A driver died and five other people, including two children, were injured when a car crashed into a hospital in Austin, Texas.
- Unfinished tower blocks in Los Angeles that have become a destination for vandals, graffiti artists and BASE jumping thrill-seekershave cost 3,000 hours of police time so far, authorities said.
- Selma Blair apologized after making an Islamophobic comment online, writing that she “mistakenly and inadvertently conflated Muslims with Radical Islamists and fundamentalists.”
- A Florida school district is drawing fire for asking parents to consent to having their children participate in a book reading by an African American author.
- For the first time, a woman will be the play-by-play announcer for an MLB team.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it has no plans to ease its five-day isolation rule for people who test positive for Covid, despite reports that officials are considering it.
Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
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