NEWS OF THE DAY
1 Nominee confirmed: A White House lawyer won Senate confirmation as a federal appeals court judge Thursday despite complaints by lawmakers from both parties about his record on immigration, race, women’s equality and LGBTQ rights. Steven Menashi, 40, was confirmed by a 5141 vote for a seat on the New Yorkbased Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. As a lawyer for Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Menashi “helped cook up an illegal scheme to use the Social Security data of students swindled by forprofit colleges in order to deny them debt relief,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York, noting that a federal judge ruled the plan violated federal privacy laws.
2 Kentucky concession: Republican Gov. Matt Bevin conceded to Democratic archnemesis Andy Beshear on Thursday, putting an end to Kentucky’s bitterly fought governor’s race and setting the stage for divided government in a GOP stronghold. Bevin, an ally of President Trump, made the dramatic announcement outside his statehouse office in Frankfort on the same day election officials across Kentucky doublechecked vote totals at the governor’s request. Bevin, trailing by several thousand votes, acknowledged the recanvass wouldn’t change the outcome. Promising Kentuckians that “we won’t let you down,” Beshear said later in the day that he’s ready to help build the “next chapter” of Kentucky’s future.
3 Stone trial: Jury deliberations will extend into a second day in the trial of Roger Stone, a veteran Republican political operative charged with lying to Congress and other charges stemming from the special counsel’s Russia investigation. Jurors on Thursday concluded about 6 hours of deliberations without reaching a verdict. Stone, a longtime confidant of President Trump, was indicted in January as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election tampering.
4 Teachers strike: Teachers picketed outside the site of a historic desegregation and dozens of other Little Rock schools Thursday, walking out for the first time in more than three decades to protest the state’s control of the local school system and their loss of collective bargaining rights. 5 Gun control: Dozens of students from across Florida descended on their state Capitol demanding action on gun control Thursday, a day when a deadly school shooting in Los Angeles County prompted panic, helplessness and determination. Two students were killed and three others were wounded when a fellow student opened fire at a Santa Clarita high school. Aly Sheehy, a survivor of last year’s Parkland high school shooting that killed 17, found herself in disbelief at the news as she traveled to Tallahassee on a bus with other young activists. They joined a studentled rally called March for Our Lives, seeking to focus attention on gun control measures. The violence cast a pall over the rally, as about 60 students spoke with determination to get lawmakers to act.