News Cover: DeSantis calls special session to redraw Florida’s congressional maps

In our news wrap on Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called a special session to redraw the congressional maps, and the House Oversight Committee heard from Minnesota Republicans who claimed state officials resisted efforts to address systemic fraud and delayed charging Nick Reiner in the killing of his parents after his prominent attorney was replaced by a public defender.

Amna Nawaz:

We start off today’s other headlines with rising political tensions over fraud schemes in Minnesota.

Rep. James Comer (R-Kentucky):

No, you all failed.

Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA):

We did nothing. You’ve got the gavel, Mr. Comer, who hardly holds hearings on anything actually…

(crosstalk)

Amna Nawaz:

In a sometimes contentious hearing on Capitol Hill today, the House Oversight Committee heard from Republican state lawmakers who alleged that state officials have resisted efforts to address systemic financial irregularities.

The committee’s Republican chairman, James Comer, said fraud was rampant.

Representative James Comer:

Minnesota’s social services, funded by you, the American taxpayer, are being robbed. The breadth and depth of this fraud is astonishing. I fear this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Amna Nawaz:

This issue has become controversial for President Trump and many senior Republicans, who point to the involvement of members of the Somali community in Minnesota in carrying out fraud schemes in the era of the pandemic.

Today, Democratic Rep. Summer Lee responded.

Representative Summer Lee:

Republicans have chosen a blue state with an immigrant population vulnerable to demonization. To be clear, Minnesota is not the only state with a fraud problem. To truly address waste, fraud and abuse, we need to approach the problem with a scalpel, not a hammer.

Amna Nawaz:

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz described today’s proceedings as a show hearing. Chief Comer threatened to subpoena Walz, as well as Attorney General Keith Ellison, to force them to testify about the ongoing investigation in their state. A GOP spokesperson said today that no Democrats have confirmed they will attend the hearing scheduled for February, although they still have several weeks to do so.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called a special session of the state Legislature in April to redraw the congressional maps. In a press conference today, DeSantis said the hearing aims to get out before the Supreme Court ruling bans discrimination in voting systems. The governor says at least one or two areas in Florida could be affected.

The state joins a nationwide redistricting effort ahead of this year’s midterm elections. Republicans currently hold 20 of Florida’s 28 congressional seats.

Nick Rayner’s arraignment over the murder of his parents was postponed today after his prominent lawyer was replaced by a public defender. Alan Jackson did not say why he asked the court to drop the case. His departure comes as Reiner faces two counts of first-degree murder in the death last month of actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife, photographer Michelle Singer Reiner.

Nick Rayner has entered no plea and is being held without bail. A new hearing is scheduled for February.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette will close with its final edition published in May. The family company that runs the newspaper, Block Communications, pointed to mounting losses, saying it had lost $350 million over the past 20 years. It also cited a recent court ruling that required the newspaper to work under what it described as an old employment contract.

The company said in a statement that it is proud to serve the city, adding – quote – “We deeply regret the impact this decision will have on Pittsburgh and the surrounding area.”

Abroad, the Iranian army commander warned against taking preventive military action against what he described as rhetoric against the Islamic Republic. His comments come as economic protests escalate across the country, including this demonstration in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas.

In recent days, President Trump has said that the United States is – quote – “ready and prepared” if Iran kills protesters. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also praised the demonstrators.

Today, Army Commander Amir Hatami warned the two leaders against interfering in Iranian affairs.

Amir Hatami, Supreme Commander of the Iranian Army (through translator): Today, there is no doubt about the criminal hostility of the American President and the Prime Minister of Israel towards the Iranian nation. They allow themselves to interfere in our internal affairs. They tweet. They talk. They have been enemies throughout history.

Amna Nawaz:

Separately, the Iranian government today began paying about seven US dollars per month to its citizens to help offset rising costs of daily necessities. But shop owners in the country warn that prices continue to rise.

Back in this country, Warner Bros. refuses to release it. Discovery’s recent acquisition bid from Paramount. Instead, the company is asking shareholders to commit to a plan to sell its streaming business and studios to rival Netflix for about $72 billion.

The announcement is the latest hurdle for Paramount Chairman David Ellison and his billionaire father, Larry Ellison, who have offered to put up about $40 billion to finance the deal. Warner Bros. shares closed. Slightly higher after the news.

Elsewhere on Wall Street, stocks finished mixed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 466 points. The Nasdaq index was able to achieve slight gains of about 40 points. The S&P 500 finished lower for the first time in four sessions.