Today, the National Park Service will crack down on “sleeping activity” at the two Occupy DC camps at McPherson Square and Freedom Plaza, which some say is an effective eviction. Park Service officials told protesters on Friday that they “may be subject to arrest and their property subject to seizure as evidence” if there are evident “camping violations” by noon today.
Police arrested 400 members of Occupy Oakland yesterday. Police said they were “pelted with bottles, metal pipe, rocks, spray cans, improvised explosive devices and burning flares.” The Oakland mayor attributed the actions to a “violent splinter group” of Occupy.
Mitt Romney is up big in Florida before tomorrow’s primary, and it may be thanks to money: Pro-Newt Gingrich forces have been outspent by nearly $12 million on Florida airwaves. Through Friday, the Romney campaign and his super PAC Restore Our Future had spent a combined $15,340,000, Politico reports, while Gingrich’s campaign and the super PAC Winning Our Future spent just $3,390,000.
Keeping a campaign promise, the Obama campaign is refunding money donated by federal lobbyists. “When we catch [a contribution] from a federal lobbyist that slips through the cracks, we immediately return the contribution,” said a campaign spokesman. “Unlike our opponents, our campaign does not accept contributions from Washington lobbyists.”
Texas Rep. Ron Paul (R) signed off on racist newsletters and was “deeply involved” in the company that produced them, sources told the Washington Post. “He always got to see the final product,” one source said. Paul has repeatedly denied writing, reading, or approving the newsletters, which were published in the 1990s.
Congressional candidates are feeling the financial power of Super PACs as those being targeted are scrambling to respond to the ads from outside groups. Super PAC targets include at least two dozen House districts and high-profile Senate races in states such as Massachusetts, Ohio, Utah, and Indiana, the Washington Post reports.
The State Department is operating a fleet of surveillance drones over the skies of Iraq, prompting outrage from Iraqi officials who call it a violation of the country’s sovereignty. The New York Times reports that approval from Iraq “may be untenable given the political tensions between the two countries.”
Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White (R) will face seven felony voting fraud charges at a trial beginning this morning. White, who maintains his innocence, allegedly registered to vote at a home that was not his residence and served as a councilman in a district where he did not live.
And finally: President Obama spoke at the elite Alfalfa Club dinner this weekend, a meeting of “political and business heavy hitters,” including third richest person in the world, whom he referred to jokingly: “Warren Buffett’s secretary’s boss is in the house.”
For breaking news and updates throughout the day, follow ThinkProgress on Facebook and Twitter.
Previous in TP Politics
By clicking and submitting a comment I acknowledge the ThinkProgress Privacy Policy and agree to the ThinkProgress Terms of Use. I understand that my comments are also being governed by Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, or Hotmail’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policies as applicable, which can be found here.