‘COCAINE MITCH’ SWACKS DOWN REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER
It took Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell less than 24 hours to put down the first threat to his 15 years of leadership.
- On Wednesday, Republican senators overwhelmingly re-elected McConnell over Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., in a final tally of 37-10.
- Scott helmed the party’s unsuccessful campaign effort to reclaim the majority in last week’s midterm elections but publicly blamed McConnell.
12 REPUBLICAN SENATORS VOTE TO ADVANCE GAY MARRIAGE BILL
A supermajority of 62 senators, including 12 Republicans, voted to advance legislation Wednesday that would provide federal protections for same-sex marriages.
- The Respect for Marriage Act, which passed the House in July, looked to be on track to pass the Senate and become law during the lame duck Congress.
- The bill would not require states to allow same-sex couples to marry. But it would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which denied federal benefits to same-sex couples.
NASA’S MOONSHOT BLASTS OFF
NASA’s Artemis rocket launched Wednesday morning on a journey that will take an astronaut-less capsule around the moon and back.
- Getting Artemis off the ground cost taxpayers $40 billion, and critics have pointed out that private companies like Elon’s Musk’s SpaceX could get America back to the moon for a fraction of the price.
- “Congratulations!” Musk tweeted after the launch.