Politics

By Brian Ellsworth

MIAMI (Reuters) – Opening arguments are set to begin on Monday in the penalty phase of the trial of the man who killed 17 people at a Florida high school on Valentine’s Day in 2018, one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.

Nikolas Cruz pleaded guilty in October to the premeditated murder of 14 students and three staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, about 30 miles north of Fort Lauderdale.

A jury will now determine whether he should be sentenced to life in prison or receive the death penalty. A decision could take several months.

Cruz, a 19-year-old expelled student with a history of mental health and behavioral problems at the time of the shooting, said in his guilty plea he was “very sorry” and asked to be given a chance to help others.

Prosecutors at the Broward State’s Attorney Office in arguing for the death penalty have noted in court documents that the shooting involving an AR-15 rifle was “cold, calculated and premeditated.”

The jury must be unanimous to recommend that Cruz be executed. If any of the 12 jurors objects, Cruz will be sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Broward County Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer is presiding over the proceedings, which are being held in Fort Lauderdale.

U.S. gun violence has gotten renewed attention following a spate of mass shootings including one at an Independence Day parade outside Chicago, Illinois, that killed seven people, and another in May at a school in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 children and two teachers dead.

U.S. President Joe Biden in June signed the first major federal gun reform in three decades, which he has celebrated as a rare bipartisan agreement.

At a White House event last week to herald the law’s passage, Biden was interrupted by Manuel Oliver, whose son Joaquin was murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas.

Oliver shouted “we’ve already gone through this for years and years” and said more needs to be done.

Some teenagers who survived the deadly rampage formed “March for Our Lives,” an organization calling for gun control legislation such as a ban on assault-style rifles.

Cruz was 18 when he legally purchased the rifle from a licensed gun dealer.

(Reporting by Brian Ellsworth; Editing by Richard Chang)

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(Reuters) – Dr Anthony Fauci, an infectious disease expert who is the chief medical adviser to U.S. President Joe Biden, will retire by the end of Biden’s term, he told Politico in an interview on Monday.

Fauci, 81, has been the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) since 1984 and became the face of the U.S. government’s efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

He served on the White House coronavirus task force under former President Donald Trump.

NIAID did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

(Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Aditya Soni)

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Jury selection begins on Monday in the criminal trial of Steve Bannon, a former presidential aide to Donald Trump, who faces charges that he defied a congressional subpoena from the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump’s supporters.

Bannon, 68, is facing two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress after he declined to provide testimony or documents to the House of Representatives committee.

Bannon has unsuccessfully tried to persuade U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols to delay his trial, arguing that the committee’s high-profile televised hearings could make it harder for him to have a fair and impartial jury.

The committee presented evidence in a televised hearing last week that Bannon spoke with Trump at least twice on Jan. 5, the day before the Capitol attack.

The committee also played a clip of Bannon saying “all hell is going to break loose tomorrow” on a right-wing talk show that day. He made those comments after his first call with Trump, the committee said.

Another hearing could be held this week, while the trial continues.

After Bannon was first charged in the case, he claimed he was unable to comply with the committee’s request because the materials were covered by a legal doctrine known as executive privilege that keeps presidential communications confidential.

Nichols has ruled that Bannon cannot use executive privilege as a defense in his case, and he also cannot claim he relied on his attorney’s advice when he declined to testify or provide records.

Trump told Bannon earlier this month he was waiving any executive privilege claim, and Bannon has since offered to testify before the committee.

Last week, Nichols left open the possibility that Bannon could potentially present evidence of his recent offer to cooperate with the panel to the jury as a defense.

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; editing by Andy Sullivan and Jonathan Oatis)

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Top Democrats running for the chance to take on U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson in Wisconsin largely kept their focus on the Republican opponent during the first and only televised debate Sunday, while the only female candidate faulted the men for not doing more to advocate for abortion rights.

The debate bringing together five candidates came just over three weeks before the Aug. 9 primary. The winner will advance to face Johnson, who is seeking a third term, in what is expected to be one of the most costly and hotly contested races in the country with majority control of the Senate at play.

Polls show Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry are leading the crowded field. Both Barnes and Lasry focused on Johnson, and not one another, in the debate as they advocated for getting rid of the Senate filibuster to pass a bill protecting abortion rights, passing gun safety laws, protecting the environment and tax changes to benefit the middle class.

Barnes pointed to his win as Gov. Tony Evers’ running mate in 2018 over then-Gov. Scott Walker as evidence that he knows how to beat a Republican statewide. Lasry noted his union support to make the case for him to take on Johnson.

State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski, the only woman in the race, took aim at her male opponents on abortion, asking why they had not made it more of a priority before the U.S. Supreme Court last month overturned the Roe v. Wade decision, which put an 1849 state law banning abortion in Wisconsin back into effect.

Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson, who has trailed in the polls, attacked Godlewski for not voting in the 2016 election won by Donald Trump. He narrowly carried Wisconsin that year before losing the state by nearly an identical margin in 2020.

Godlewski worked for Democrat Hillary Clinton’s campaign in Wisconsin in 2016 but records show she did not vote.

“As the only woman on this stage, I don’t need to be lectured by any men about how important the 2016 election was,” Godlewski said, highlighting her work for Clinton as director of outreached to women voters. “I was the only one talking about reproductive rights because for me, this is not an afterthought.”

Barnes, who last week launched a television ad featuring his mother talking about having to end a pregnancy, said he supported exploring “every option to make sure women get the health care they need and deserve.”

Lasry, who noted that his wife works for Planned Parenthood, said defeating Johnson and doing away with the filibuster is the key to passing a law protecting abortion rights.

“We need to make sure that we’re doing anything we can to make sure women can make their own health care decisions the way men can make their own health care decisions,” Lasry said.

A fifth candidate, Steven Olikara, noted his experience leading a group called the Millennial Action Project that worked to empower younger people to bridge the partisan divide. He said he was running to change the system and reduce the influence of big money in politics.

Campaign finance reports filed last week showed that Johnson raised about $7 million over the past three months, more than the top four Democratic candidates combined. Lasry, whose father co-owns the Milwaukee Bucks, loaned his campaign $6.5 million of his own money.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinal reports that the latest campaign finance reports showed Johnson had about $2 million on hand after spending about $6.5 million on ads during the second quarter.

Lasry actually outspent Johnson at $6.7 million thanks to the personal loan although his campaign brought in only $520,000 in outside donations.

Barnes collected $2.1 million in donations, Godlewski raised $900,000 and loaned her campaign $600,000 and Nelson collected $230,000.

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Jeddah conference produced no strong public front on Iran, no regional security pact, nor any announcement on steps toward normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia

US President Joe Biden left Jeddah, Saudi Arabia aboard Air Force One on Saturday, ending his first Middle East visit since taking office after four days in the region without major announcements.

The lukewarm reception and lack of enthusiasm were evident when the governor of the Mecca Region, Khalid Al-Faisal, was sent to the airport to receive President Biden upon his arrival in the city of Jeddah, in striking contrast to the extravagant reception that was given to then-President Donald Trump when he visited Riyadh in 2017, making the kingdom his first destination on his first trip abroad as president.

The way President Biden greeted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with a fist bump rather than a handshake, and the serious expressions they maintained as they barely moved their lips, left no doubt about how they felt toward each other.

Three major topics topped the agenda of President Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia: security, energy, and technology.

The Jeddah summit brought together the heads of government of the states producing about 50% of the world’s oil and was a chance for many of the United States’ Middle Eastern allies, who strongly believe the US has shifted its focus from their region to Asia, to reset relations with Washington.

“The United States is invested in building a positive future of the region, in partnership with all of you − and the United States is not going anywhere,” the president told Arab leaders in a speech during the summit, attended by the six Gulf Cooperation Council states − Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates − as well as Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq.

In the end, the summit communiqué didn’t live up to the hype that preceded the highly anticipated event, as it failed to produce a strong public front on Iran or establish a security pact or announce any steps on normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, told reporters after the US-Arab summit that Riyadh’s decision to open its airspace to all air carriers had nothing to do with establishing diplomatic relations with Israel and was not a prelude to further steps.

Retired Iraqi Maj. Gen. Majid al-Qubaisi told The Media Line that the US president was greeted by “a different Middle East that Biden did not read correctly.”

The Iraqi position was clear through a statement by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who refused to let Baghdad be part of any military or security axis directed at Iran.

“Iraq’s policy is to be at an equal distance from all parties. Iraq’s political and security situation does not allow it to play a role in this region by entering into alliances against anyone,” the statement reads.

Qubaisi says Baghdad plays a positive role in the convergence of views between Tehran and Riyadh, and “won’t jeopardize its efforts.”

Although there is a strong American and Israeli attempt to unite the region against Iran and create a military alliance, Qubaisi confirms that President Biden has failed in his efforts.

“No alliance or security or military action against Iran has been announced due to the absence of any coordination or homogeneity between the countries participating in the summit, and there are many political differences, as some of them have political and economic relations with Iran,” says Qubaisi.

Iran has significant political influence in majority Shi’ite Iraq, while Qatar shares one of the largest gas fields with Iran in the Gulf. Meanwhile, Kuwait and Oman adopt a more neutral policy on the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.

Fahad al-Shelaimi, president of the Middle East Center for Strategic and Political Studies in Kuwait, told The Media Line the main catalyst for the visit was that there are global geopolitical variables forcing President Biden to change his position on Saudi Arabia.

Shelaimi says the US withdrawal from the region encouraged China and Russia to fill the vacuum, economic and strategic, by building partnerships with the Gulf states.

The Gulf-Arab-Russian-Chinese rapprochement forced the Americans to rethink their approach in the region, he says.

“There is a need to build new bridges of trust or to restore old bridges of trust and political partnerships,” says Shelaimi.

Another factor, he says, that influenced the Biden Administration to reconnect with its Middle East allies is the Russo-Ukrainian War’s impact on the international energy market, as well as on regional and international political and military alliances and food security.

American domestic concerns also contributed to President Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Shelaimi explains, “in an attempt to persuade the energy-rich Gulf Cooperation Council countries to increase their production until the price of oil drops.”

There is also Washington’s desire to help European allies, who rely heavily on energy from Russia, face the crippling sanctions imposed by the West on Moscow, as they look for alternative sources of energy.

The Iranian nuclear file was also on the agenda, “a priority of the Gulf and regional countries in the region,” says Shelaimi.

“Biden’s visit to the region and his meeting with the GCC is considered as sending a message to Iran, as these countries consider Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missile program a threat to their national security,” he says.

Prof. Mohammad Marandi, head of the North American Studies Department at the University of Tehran, told The Media Line the Islamic Republic doesn’t see President Biden’s trip’s main intention as targeting them.

“I think the view here is predominantly that Biden is looking for Saudi oil to offset the current energy crisis and he didn’t get what he wanted.”

The feeling in Tehran is that the trip failed to achieve its objectives, Marandi says.

Talk of Israel forging some sort of military alliance with Arab states has intensified ahead of President Biden’s trip to the region, as caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid reiterated his country’s position on Iran, threatening the use of military force and insisting that “words” and “diplomacy” were not enough to stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“Diplomacy will not stop them. The only thing that will stop Iran is knowing that if they continue to develop their nuclear program the free world will use force. The only way to stop them is to put a credible military threat on the table,” Lapid told reporters standing next to the American president in Jerusalem on Thursday.

“Threats against Iran from Israel are nothing new. We’ve seen this often, during the Trump years we’ve heard the same language, also during the Obama years ‘all options were always on the table,’ the same was true with Bush,” says Marandi, adding that “the Israelis know if they carry out a strike on Iran,” Tehran will respond swiftly.

He says the chances of a security pact forming against Iran are slim because “regional countries, especially in the Persian Gulf, simply don’t trust each other.”

“Iran’s allies in Iraq are very powerful and therefore there’s no possibility for such a pact,” says Marandi.

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Jeddah conference produced no strong public front on Iran, no regional security pact, nor any announcement on steps toward normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia

US President Joe Biden left Jeddah, Saudi Arabia aboard Air Force One on Saturday, ending his first Middle East visit since taking office after four days in the region without major announcements.

The lukewarm reception and lack of enthusiasm were evident when the governor of the Mecca Region, Khalid Al-Faisal, was sent to the airport to receive President Biden upon his arrival in the city of Jeddah, in striking contrast to the extravagant reception that was given to then-President Donald Trump when he visited Riyadh in 2017, making the kingdom his first destination on his first trip abroad as president.

The way President Biden greeted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with a fist bump rather than a handshake, and the serious expressions they maintained as they barely moved their lips, left no doubt about how they felt toward each other.

Three major topics topped the agenda of President Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia: security, energy, and technology.

The Jeddah summit brought together the heads of government of the states producing about 50% of the world’s oil and was a chance for many of the United States’ Middle Eastern allies, who strongly believe the US has shifted its focus from their region to Asia, to reset relations with Washington.

“The United States is invested in building a positive future of the region, in partnership with all of you − and the United States is not going anywhere,” the president told Arab leaders in a speech during the summit, attended by the six Gulf Cooperation Council states − Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates − as well as Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq.

In the end, the summit communiqué didn’t live up to the hype that preceded the highly anticipated event, as it failed to produce a strong public front on Iran or establish a security pact or announce any steps on normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, told reporters after the US-Arab summit that Riyadh’s decision to open its airspace to all air carriers had nothing to do with establishing diplomatic relations with Israel and was not a prelude to further steps.

Retired Iraqi Maj. Gen. Majid al-Qubaisi told The Media Line that the US president was greeted by “a different Middle East that Biden did not read correctly.”

The Iraqi position was clear through a statement by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who refused to let Baghdad be part of any military or security axis directed at Iran.

“Iraq’s policy is to be at an equal distance from all parties. Iraq’s political and security situation does not allow it to play a role in this region by entering into alliances against anyone,” the statement reads.

Qubaisi says Baghdad plays a positive role in the convergence of views between Tehran and Riyadh, and “won’t jeopardize its efforts.”

Although there is a strong American and Israeli attempt to unite the region against Iran and create a military alliance, Qubaisi confirms that President Biden has failed in his efforts.

“No alliance or security or military action against Iran has been announced due to the absence of any coordination or homogeneity between the countries participating in the summit, and there are many political differences, as some of them have political and economic relations with Iran,” says Qubaisi.

Iran has significant political influence in majority Shi’ite Iraq, while Qatar shares one of the largest gas fields with Iran in the Gulf. Meanwhile, Kuwait and Oman adopt a more neutral policy on the issue of Iran’s nuclear program.

Fahad al-Shelaimi, president of the Middle East Center for Strategic and Political Studies in Kuwait, told The Media Line the main catalyst for the visit was that there are global geopolitical variables forcing President Biden to change his position on Saudi Arabia.

Shelaimi says the US withdrawal from the region encouraged China and Russia to fill the vacuum, economic and strategic, by building partnerships with the Gulf states.

The Gulf-Arab-Russian-Chinese rapprochement forced the Americans to rethink their approach in the region, he says.

“There is a need to build new bridges of trust or to restore old bridges of trust and political partnerships,” says Shelaimi.

Another factor, he says, that influenced the Biden Administration to reconnect with its Middle East allies is the Russo-Ukrainian War’s impact on the international energy market, as well as on regional and international political and military alliances and food security.

American domestic concerns also contributed to President Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia, Shelaimi explains, “in an attempt to persuade the energy-rich Gulf Cooperation Council countries to increase their production until the price of oil drops.”

There is also Washington’s desire to help European allies, who rely heavily on energy from Russia, face the crippling sanctions imposed by the West on Moscow, as they look for alternative sources of energy.

The Iranian nuclear file was also on the agenda, “a priority of the Gulf and regional countries in the region,” says Shelaimi.

“Biden’s visit to the region and his meeting with the GCC is considered as sending a message to Iran, as these countries consider Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missile program a threat to their national security,” he says.

Prof. Mohammad Marandi, head of the North American Studies Department at the University of Tehran, told The Media Line the Islamic Republic doesn’t see President Biden’s trip’s main intention as targeting them.

“I think the view here is predominantly that Biden is looking for Saudi oil to offset the current energy crisis and he didn’t get what he wanted.”

The feeling in Tehran is that the trip failed to achieve its objectives, Marandi says.

Talk of Israel forging some sort of military alliance with Arab states has intensified ahead of President Biden’s trip to the region, as caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid reiterated his country’s position on Iran, threatening the use of military force and insisting that “words” and “diplomacy” were not enough to stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“Diplomacy will not stop them. The only thing that will stop Iran is knowing that if they continue to develop their nuclear program the free world will use force. The only way to stop them is to put a credible military threat on the table,” Lapid told reporters standing next to the American president in Jerusalem on Thursday.

“Threats against Iran from Israel are nothing new. We’ve seen this often, during the Trump years we’ve heard the same language, also during the Obama years ‘all options were always on the table,’ the same was true with Bush,” says Marandi, adding that “the Israelis know if they carry out a strike on Iran,” Tehran will respond swiftly.

He says the chances of a security pact forming against Iran are slim because “regional countries, especially in the Persian Gulf, simply don’t trust each other.”

“Iran’s allies in Iraq are very powerful and therefore there’s no possibility for such a pact,” says Marandi.

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ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — One of the best opportunities for Democrats to regain a governor’s office this year is in Maryland, and the race to succeed term-limited Republican Larry Hogan has drawn a crowd of candidates. Winning back the seat shouldn’t seem so tough for Democrats in a state where they outnumber Republicans by a 2-1 ratio, but the GOP has won three of the past five elections.

Nationwide, Republicans hold a 28-22 edge in governor’s seats. Of the 36 governor’s races this year, Maryland and Massachusetts represent the best chances for Democrats to narrow the gap.

Maryland Democrats see an opening now because the popular Hogan, only the second Republican governor to win reelection in the state history, cannot seek a third term.

That’s attracted prominent Democrats to Tuesday’s primary, including members of former President Barack Obama’s Cabinet: onetime Labor Secretary Tom Perez, who also was chairman of the Democratic Party, and ex-Education Secretary John King.

Also in the race are Wes Moore, a bestselling author supported by Oprah Winfrey; Comptroller Peter Franchot, the state’s tax collector, who has name recognition in Maryland from four successful statewide races; and former state Attorney General Doug Gansler.

The primary winner will probably face either Kelly Schulz, a Republican endorsed by Hogan, or Dan Cox, who is backed by Donald Trump.

Given some of the GOP successes over the past two decades, Democratic voters are thinking more carefully about who can win in November.

Nancy Duden, 61, voted early in Annapolis, for Perez. It was a decision she struggled over during the drive to the voting center.

“Sometimes there aren’t very good choices, and this time there were so many good choices that I think people really need to pay attention to the qualifications of each candidate,” she said. “But I also think you have to give thought to who can actually win.”

Democrats once held the governor’s mansion for more than three straight decades. When Republican Robert Ehrlich won in 2002, he was the first in his party to be governor in 36 years — since Spiro Agnew in 1966.

A poll last month by the Sarah T. Hughes Center for Politics at Goucher, The Baltimore Banner and WYPR found no clear front-runner among the Democrats, with Franchot at 16% and Moore and Perez each at 14%.

The primary comes less than a month after a new Maryland law approved by the Democratic-controlled legislature took effect to expand abortion access. It was passed in anticipation of the Supreme Court striking down Roe v. Wade, which the justices did in June.

Less than a week later, Hogan directed the Maryland State Police to suspend the state’s “good and substantial reason” standard for permits to carry handguns after the Supreme Court struck down a similar New York law.

The Supreme Court also limited the reach of the nation’s main air pollution law that’s used to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants — a blow to environmentally conscious Maryland, home to the Chesapeake Bay, the nation’s largest estuary.

“We’ve got to keep Republicans away from the Statehouse,” said Doug McLaine, 78, who voted early in Annapolis for Moore and expressed concern about the gun ruling as the nation confronts a wave of mass shootings.

Moore, a former Army combat veteran who served in Afghanistan and former CEO of a national anti-poverty group, said the high court’s rulings have illustrated how “massively important” it is for Democrats to regain the governor’s office.

“Governors matter in this moment, now more than ever before, because governors are really a last line of defense that many constituents are going to have against just barbaric rulings that we’re seeing from this Supreme Court,” Moore told The Associated Press.

Perez, who also served as assistant attorney general for civil rights during the Obama administration and was a county council member in Maryland’s most populous jurisdiction in the suburbs of the nation’s capital, said it’s more important than ever for states to set the tone on crucial issues such as job creation, clean energy, health care and reproductive health.

“There are so many ways that we can set example for the rest of the country, and I think Maryland is one of the top opportunities to flip a seat from red to blue,” Perez said.

While Democrats who control Maryland’s legislature have been able to override many of Hogan’s vetoes over the years, the governor has had impact. For example, he recently blocked a request to accelerate $3.5 million in annual spending for training to expand the number of people who can provide abortions in the state.

Franchot, who has kept an amiable working relationship with Hogan on a powerful state spending panel with three voting members, had urged Hogan to release the money.

“I think that should have been done immediately,” Franchot said.

Gansler, who lost the Democratic primary in 2014 to then-Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, who went on to lose to Hogan, said the past two elections have illustrated the dangers of choosing a Democrat who is too liberal.

“In order to truly fight climate change and bring back the Chesapeake Bay, we need to have a Democrat in office, and we cannot commit political suicide again by electing a Democrat in the primary who cannot win in the general election,” Gansler said.

King, a progressive Democrat, said he believes the party has a great opportunity to flip the governor’s office.

“In order to do that we need a candidate who’s going to inspire folks across the Democratic Party, and particularly inspire young people, people of color and people who are outraged by the Supreme Court decisions on abortion access and gun safety, and I think I’m the best positioned to do that,” King said.

Jon Baron, a former nonprofit executive, and Ashwani Jain, a former official in Obama’s administration, also are running. Rushern Baker, a former Prince George’s County executive, announced he has suspended his campaign, though he is still appearing on the ballot. Jerome Segal, an activist, and Ralph Jaffe, a retired teacher, also are on the ballot.

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Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ap_politics.

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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — To promote the recently signed Virginia budget and its array of tax cuts, Gov. Glenn Youngkin hosted two high-energy campaign-style celebrations, complete with bright lighting, throngs of supporters and a booming playlist that harkened back to his winning run last year.

Other bill signings and news conferences in Richmond have featured a similar flair, like a carefully staged gas-tax proposal announced at a gas station where Youngkin washed windshields for drivers. And in the otherwise plain governor’s briefing room, a collection of Virginia and American flags has been added.

Youngkin is also increasingly expanding his focus beyond Richmond’s Capitol Square. He was in Nebraska this month to give the keynote speech at the state GOP convention. He plans additional stops on behalf of Republican gubernatorial candidates after Labor Day, along with appearances for candidates in some of Virginia’s most competitive congressional races.

In his first six months as governor, Youngkin has moved quickly to assert himself as a new voice in the party. It’s a dramatic and tightly choreographed transformation for a political newcomer who appears to be carefully cultivating his public image in a way that’s driving talk about his possible ambitions for higher office.

“By and large they have an operation that’s more coordinated, scripted,” said longtime Virginia political analyst Bob Holsworth. “They have an image they want to put forward, and they’re not trying to do anything that could detract from that.”

Speculation that Youngkin, a former private equity executive, might seek higher office — perhaps even a 2024 presidential bid — took off the moment he defeated Terry McAuliffe in a race the former Democratic governor entered as the perceived favorite. Virginia does not allow an incumbent to run for a second consecutive four-year term.

Youngkin drew national attention for navigating a win in a state long trending blue, running on a solidly conservative platform while keeping former President Donald Trump at a distance and impressing voters who found the candidate to be friendly and sincere.

Some speculate Youngkin might make a shortlist as a vice presidential contender or eventually challenge one of Virginia’s Democratic U.S. senators. He has been coy about his future, saying in recent interviews that he’s focused on Virginia but declining to rule anything out.

The 55-year-old was sworn in Jan. 15 and recently wrapped up work from his first legislative session, which saw some of his top priorities defeated by the Democratic-controlled state Senate. But he emerged with plenty to promote after focusing on specific campaign pledges and working to push Virginia to the right.

A few Democrats joined with Republicans on votes to ban school districts from imposing mask mandates, regulate sexually explicit classroom materials and expand a school innovation initiative Youngkin pushed. The compromise state spending plan enacts tax cuts — many of which Youngkin campaigned on — expected to save a family of four over $1,100 a year.

His administration has also loosened state COVID-19 quarantine and mask guidance beyond the federal government’s recommendations.

Looking ahead, he has indicated he would like to see a 15- or 20-week abortion ban enacted next year. Virginia currently permits abortions in the first and second trimesters, and in the third trimester only if three physicians certify that the mother’s mental or physical health is at serious risk.

All the while, Youngkin is proving himself to be a strong fundraiser, boosted through a newly formed political action committee. The PAC, Spirit of Virginia, raised more than $1.5 million in donations over $10,000 or more during the second quarter of the year. That was far more than other governors brought in during the similar period, even after adjusting for inflation, according to the nonpartisan money-in-politics-tracker, the Virginia Public Access Project. Total receipts during the quarter were over $2.2 million, and the PAC reported spending just over $1 million.

Youngkin also broke fundraising records for his inauguration festivities.

The governor, who appears with some regularity on Fox News, has recently attracted or participated in a blitz of splashy media coverage, from a TIME magazine profile to his second Sunday morning news show. A Washington Post opinion column said it was “good news” that he was “seriously” contemplating a presidential bid.

In Richmond, Youngkin has selectively engaged with the media, withheld public records requests in cases where his office has wide discretion and released fairly limited details about his schedule, which in recent weeks has contained few public events. He did not agree to an interview for this story.

Spokeswoman Macaulay Porter said the governor is committed to engaging with Richmond journalists and noted that Youngkin routinely answers questions after his public events.

Youngkin has evaded recent questions about Trump, who has been mulling a new presidential campaign as soon as this summer.

The governor was asked on CBS’ “Face the Nation” whether Trump should stop making false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.

“Well, let me begin with my trip to Nebraska, which was really great fun,” Youngkin responded. He went on to avoid directly answering the question three more times.

Some Democrats say Youngkin has been more focused on elevating his profile than on governing.

“His political ambition is costing Virginia its world-class economic status — and that is a damn shame,” Susan Swecker, chairwoman of the state Democratic Party, said in a statement after Virginia fell from first place to third in CNBC’s “Top States for Business” ranking.

But longtime state Sen. Chap Petersen, a moderate Democrat from northern Virginia who joined Republicans to effectively end school mask mandates, expressed a modicum of approval of the governor’s leadership. Petersen said Youngkin had helped return the state to a sense of normalcy as it reemerged from the heights of the pandemic.

Petersen did say he was disappointed in several of the administration’s actions he called “petty,” including the governor’s veto of bills from a colleague who led the fight against the appointment of a Cabinet nominee. Petersen said Youngkin might accomplish more in Virginia if he dialed back the partisanship.

“I sure hope he’s focused on his current job,” Petersen said.

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By Rose Horowitch

(Reuters) -The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed legislation to safeguard the right to travel across state lines to seek an abortion after several states banned the procedure in the wake of last month’s Supreme Court ruling.

The Democratic-controlled House voted 223 to 205, largely along party lines, to prevent states that have limited abortion from obstructing women’s ability to seek care elsewhere.

The bill faces long odds in the Senate, where Republicans blocked similar legislation on Thursday.

Roughly a dozen Republican-led states have moved to ban nearly all abortions since late June, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade ruling that had legalized abortion rights nationwide since 1973, and more states are expected to do so.

Some Republicans in those states have tried to go further. Missouri legislators considered a bill that would allow civil lawsuits against anyone who aids a woman in seeking an out-of-state abortion.

The issue received national attention after media outlets reported that a 10-year-old girl who was raped in Ohio had to travel to Indiana to obtain an abortion.

(Reporting by Rose Horowtich; editing by Andy Sullivan and Jonathan Oatis)

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By Sarah N. Lynch

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Justice Department on Friday said it has launched a civil rights investigation into whether the Maryland State Police engages in racially discriminatory hiring and promotion practices.

The investigation, known as a “pattern or practice” civil probe, marks the latest in a string of cases launched by President Joe Biden’s Justice Department into police departments across the country for potentially systemic discriminatory conduct.

The other six new cases involving police departments such as Minneapolis and Louisville, Kentucky, however, are investigating potentially discriminatory conduct by law enforcement officers against civilians.

Friday’s case against the Maryland State Police, by contrast, relates to potentially discriminatory employment practices within the department itself.

“Discrimination has no place in any workplace, and especially in law enforcement agencies,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a statement.

“Our investigation will determine whether the Maryland Department of State Police has created racially discriminatory barriers for Black people seeking job opportunities and promotions and, if so, identify the reforms necessary to ensure equal employment opportunities.”

A spokesperson for the Maryland State Police could not be immediately reached for comment.

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch in Washington)

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