Rep. Bobby Rush to retire after 30 years in Congress

Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) said Monday he will not seek reelection after 15 terms in Congress.

Rush told the Chicago Sun-Times he made the decision in the past several weeks and that it was a result of a conversation he had with his grandson.

“I don’t want my grandchildren . . . to know me from a television news clip or something they read in a newspaper,” Rush told the Sun-Times.

“I want them to know me on an intimate level, know something about me and I want to know something about them. I don’t want to be a historical figure to my grandchildren.”

Rush co-founded the Illinois chapter of the Black Panthers, becoming acting chairman following the killings of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark in a police raid in December 1969.

Rush, 75, was first elected to Congress in 1992, said in an interview he intends to stay active in his ministry and find ways to use his remarkable life story — a trajectory from a 1960s radical to House member — to inspire younger generations.

He notably defeated then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama in a 2000 Democratic primary for the the state's 1st Congressional District. He served previously as a Chicago alderman.

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Whoopi Goldberg tests positive for COVID-19

On Monday's The View, co-host Joy Behar explained moderator Goldberg's absence by revealing Goldberg tested positive for COVID over the holidays.

"Whoopi unfortunately tested positive over the break," Behar explained. "Since she's vaxxed and boosted, her symptoms have been very, very mild."

She said Goldberg would "be back probably next week," adding that the ABC talk show is "being super cautious" about COVID amid the surge.

.@JoyVBehar shares on #TheView that @WhoopiGoldberg tested positive for COVID-19 over the holiday break and is recovering at home: "Since she's vaxxed and boosted, her symptoms have been very, very mild."

Get well soon, Whoopi! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Oo1Qakfbcn

— The View (@TheView) January 3, 2022

Maxine Waters Says Marjorie Taylor Greene Should Not Be In Congress

During an interview with Rev. Al Sharpton on his Politics Nation show, Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) branded Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) an "Extremist Radical" who has "no business" in the House after the congresswoman was permanently banned from Twitter. Watch that portion of the interview below:

Alvin Bragg Makes History As Manhattan’s First African-American District Attorney

Manhattan’s new District Attorney made history Saturday.

Alvin Bragg, Jr. was sworn in during a private ceremony at City Hall with his family standing with him.

Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on COVID Status

Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III after positive COVID-19 test:

I tested positive this morning for COVID-19. I requested the test today after exhibiting symptoms while at home on leave.

My symptoms are mild, and I am following my physician’s directions.

In keeping with those directions, and in accordance with CDC guidelines, I will quarantine myself at home for the next five days.

Stemming the spread of this virus, safeguarding our workforce and ensuring my own speedy and safe recovery remain my priorities. To the degree possible, I plan to attend virtually this coming week those key meetings and discussions required to inform my situational awareness and decision making. I will retain all authorities. Deputy Secretary Hicks will represent me as appropriate in other matters.

I have informed my leadership team of my positive test result, as well as the President. My staff has begun contact tracing and testing of all those with whom I have come into contact over the last week.

My last meeting with President Biden occurred on Tuesday, December 21st, more than a week before I began to experience symptoms. I tested negative that very morning. I have not been in the Pentagon since Thursday, where I met briefly - and only - with a few members of my staff. We were properly masked and socially distanced throughout.

As my doctor made clear to me, my fully vaccinated status — and the booster I received in early October — have rendered the infection much more mild than it would otherwise have been. And I am grateful for that.

The vaccines work and will remain a military medical requirement for our workforce. I continue to encourage everyone eligible for a booster shot to get one. This remains a readiness issue.