Chicago Votes for Mayor in a Race Dominated by Crime and Policing
Chicagoans headed to the polls Tuesday to vote in a highly contested mayoral race that has largely focused on crime, policing and the performance of Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who is seeking a second term leading the nation’s third-largest city. Lightfoot won 74% of the vote in the final balloting when elected four years ago. But she has faced widespread dissatisfaction from voters since. Eight challengers have lined up against her, and unless one candidate wins more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers Tuesday will advance to a runoff April 4.
DeSantis Hits the Trail. Just Don’t Call It a Campaign.
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida will make his debut appearances in three early presidential primary states in the next several weeks, selling his performance in his own state as he lays the groundwork for an expected presidential campaign. DeSantis is tentatively expected to appear in Iowa during the first half of March. Shortly after, he is expected to appear in Nevada, followed a few weeks later by an expected trip to New Hampshire. An appearance in South Carolina is also being discussed. Hitting the traditional early primary states as he discusses his new book allows DeSantis to unofficially test the waters and introduce himself nationally.
Low-Income Families Brace for End of Extra Food Stamp Benefits
Tens of millions of low-income families are set to lose additional food stamp benefits Wednesday after the expiration of a pandemic-era policy that had increased the amount they received. Under the pandemic-era policy, each recipient got a monthly average of $251. That is expected to decline by about one-third, or $82, in March, according to the Agriculture Department. Those who qualify for the minimum benefit under the standard income guidelines — many of whom are older Americans relying on Social Security — will see the steepest decrease, from $281 in monthly benefits to only $23, according to nonprofit Food Research &Action Center
Bryant’s Widow Settles Suit Over Crash Photos for $28.85 Million
Los Angeles County agreed to pay Vanessa Bryant and three of her daughters nearly $30 million to settle a lawsuit and potential claims over the sharing of graphic photos of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed Bryant’s husband, basketball star Kobe Bryant, and one of their daughters, according to a court filing Tuesday. The settlement agreed to by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors includes $15 million a jury awarded Vanessa Bryant in August, with additional funds to settle potential claims from her daughters: Natalia, 20, Bianka, 6, and Capri, 3.
Biden Administration Asks Congress to Reauthorize Warrantless Surveillance Law
The Biden administration urged Congress on Tuesday to renew a controversial warrantless surveillance law, emphasizing that security officials use it for a broad range of foreign policy and national security goals such as detecting espionage by countries including China and Iran or stopping hackers. The administration’s effort is likely to face stiff headwinds because many Republicans have adopted former President Donald Trump’s distrust of security agencies and surveillance, bolstering privacy advocates who have long been skeptical of the law, known as Section 702. The law allows the government to collect — on domestic soil and without a warrant — communications of targeted foreigners abroad, including when those people are interacting with Americans.
By wire sources