
Democrats search for path forward on voting rights after Senate bill fails
CBSN
Washington — Senate Republicans blocked a sweeping elections and ethics reform bill on Tuesday, dealing a significant blow to Democratic efforts to secure voting rights protections on the federal level. But the White House and Democratic leaders in Congress insist that the fight to pass voting rights legislation is not over.
The bill, known as the For the People Act, failed along party lines in a 50-50 vote, far short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. The legislation was Democrats' answer to restrictive voting measures enacted in Republican-led states following the 2020 presidential election. Despite its failure and Republicans' staunch opposition, Democratic leaders say they have several options to move forward with strengthening voting rights. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is leading the Biden administration's efforts on voting rights, said in a statement on Tuesday that "we will not give in, and we will continue the fight to strengthen the right to vote."
A partial verdict has been reached in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial in New York City. The jury sent a note to the judge Tuesday afternoon saying it has reached a verdict on four of the five counts, but jurors said they were unable to agree on count 1, racketeering conspiracy. The note indicated there are jurors with unpersuadable opinions on that charge.

Washington — A federal judge in Rhode Island has blocked the Department of Health and Human Services from implementing mass layoffs and overhauling some of its sub-agencies, finding there to be "no rational basis" for the Trump administration's reorganization plans that would have "devastating consequences" across the country if enacted.