Do Atoms Understand Language?

Billings, Mont. — A Republican lawmaker from Montana blocked a Biden administration judicial nominee who would have been the state’s first Native American federal district court judge, officials said Wednesday. Attorney Danna Jackson with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes had been nominated last month by President Joe Biden. The post requires Senate confirmation. Sen.

A Texas Democratic lawmaker who broke with her party by supporting a ban on gender-affirming care for minors was ousted in a primary runoff that galvanized LGBTQ+ groups nationwide who then campaigned for her opponent in the race for the south Houston seat. Rep. Shawn Thierry’s defeat followed four terms in which the Houston lawmaker typically joined her fellow Democrats on major issues, including voting against aggressive immigration measures demanded by Republican Gov.

“The Florida Board of Education approved several tweaks Wednesday to the state’s standards for teaching social studies, but left intact controversial pieces on Black history that sparked widespread backlash last year,” Politico reports. “Florida’s new teaching standards include the same language that scored national blowback last year for requiring middle school students to learn ‘how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.'”

“Speaker Mike Johnson is preparing Republicans for quick, large-scale action if they win unified control of government in November, telling Semafor he’ll pursue a far-reaching bill aimed at addressing a wide range of issues at once,” Semafor reports. “Johnson said he’s been in frequent communication with Donald Trump, discussing the potential for a legacy-defining legislative package early in his presidency.” Said Johnson: “I told him that I believe he can be the most consequential president of the modern era, if we are focused on a policy and agenda-driven administration and Congress — and that’s our intention.”

“Donald Trump praised Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito for rejecting calls to recuse himself from two pending cases involving the former president or January 6 attack on the Capitol after the conservative justice faced criticism over flags his wife flew over their private residences that called into question judicial ethics,” Politico reports.

“Two senior Biden administration officials Wednesday opened the door to allowing Ukraine to use American-donated weapons to strike inside Russia,” Politico reports. “The move, if made, would come as European allies, lawmakers and Ukrainian officials exert pressure on the White House to lift the restrictions, and as Russia has made major advances on the battlefield.