January 2022 - Newshacker

Justice Stephen Breyer is Retiring. A Confirmation Battle Looms

Longtime Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, 83, the most senior member of the court’s three-justice liberal wing, is set to announce his retirement Thursday. The decision to retire comes just ten months away from the midterm elections, where the Democrats are widely expected to lose control of Congress.

How Might the 2022 Midterms Play Out?

The 2022 midterms are just under 10 months away. As they get closer, we are starting to get a better picture of how these elections might play out, especially as congressional redistricting is starting to be finalized by most states. We are starting to see clues of how some of the most consequential elections of this midterm election cycle might play out for both the Democrats and the Republicans.

NYC’s Interborough Express Line One Step Closer to Reality

In a State of the State address on Wednesday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, announced a plan that would bring the Triboro transit line one step closer to reality by starting an environmental review. The plan, titled the “Interborough Express,” would stretch 14 miles and link Brooklyn and Queens, connecting with the Long Island Rail Road and up to 17 subway lines.

Schumer Sets Up Vote For Senate Rule Change To Pass Voting Rights Legislation

On Monday morning, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced in a letter to colleagues that the Senate will vote on changing the rules to pass voting rights legislation if Republicans block a vote to open debate by Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 17. The threat to nuke the filibuster comes at the beginning of a critical midterm election year for the Democratic Party, where control of both houses of Congress is at stake.