WASHINGTON – A rare Senate vote Wednesday to block Washington, DC, criminal code reform is a political fight dressed up as a policy debate.

Democrats and Republicans alike are using the moment to appear tough on crime or defend the autonomy of city residents and renew a progressive push for statehood in the nation’s capital.

President Joe Biden is now in the political crosshairs of a conflict partially created by his own handling of the issue.

Some Democrats say they didn’t know he was going to sign off on the GOP-led resolution to block a city council effort opponents say

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned people to “buckle up” as he signed a bill giving the state control over Disney’s sprawling Orlando theme parks.

The bill strips power uniquely held by Disney for over 50 years and enables more oversight by Mr DeSantis’ Republican-led legislature.

The move is seen as retaliation after Disney opposed state laws curtailing gender and sexuality education.

It precedes a likely 2024 presidential run by Mr DeSantis.

“Today, the corporate kingdom finally comes to an end,” he said on Monday at a bill signing ceremony in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, near Walt Disney World.

“There’s a

WALTERBORO — Former attorney Alex Murdaugh had such a cozy relationship with law enforcement in the Lowcountry that he put blue lights in his car with their blessing and carried a badge in case he needed a favor.

He’d come from a family synonymous with enforcing the law as prosecutors in the southern tip of South Carolina for more than eight decades. He tried only a few criminal cases himself to spend time with his father, a former solicitor. But despite his limited involvement, Murdaugh treated himself to the trappings of office, including a shiny gold badge.