Kimberly Leonard Profile Banner
Kimberly Leonard Profile
Kimberly Leonard

@leonardkl

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Florida Playbook author and politics reporter @Politico . Send tips to kleonard @politico .com.

Miami, Florida
Joined June 2009
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
2 years
Gov. DeSantis, who is 43, still has over $21,000 in student loans. He doesn't trade individual stocks. His net worth is $318,987, far lower than many top politicians and if he runs for president he may clock in at the lowest net worth in a crowded field.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
2 years
A federal judge suspended enforcement of Florida's "Stop WOKE Act," a DeSantis-backed law restricting how workplaces and schools discuss race. In his opinion, the Obama-nominated judge compared Florida to the upside down in @Netflix 's #StrangerThings .
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
6 years
Journalists should stop using "too wealthy" to describe those who don't qualify for subsidies under Obamacare. Instead, specify what the salary cut-off is -- $48,240 for an individual, $98,400 for a family of four. Let readers decide whether that's wealthy.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
7 years
MAJOR UPDATE: Senate won't take up #Obamacare repeal bill from House, writing its own: via @dcexaminer
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
2 years
Florida registered GOP voters now outnumber Dems by 305,590, according to final state tallies ahead of the election.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
1 year
Ron DeSantis' memoir sold more copies in its first week than books by Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton during their one week of sales. Got the numbers right here:
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
6 years
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 40 percent of #Medicaid recipients don't work. Among them, 36 percent are ill or disabled, 30 percent are caregivers, 15 percent are students and 9 percent are retired.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
5 years
Democrats block Senate bill requiring medical care for babies that survive abortion
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
2 years
STOP IT LEO IS NOT THAT SMALL IS HE 🎾
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WeRateDogs
2 years
This is Leo. And that’s a regular-sized tennis ball. He’d like to know when he’ll be big enough to catch it. 12/10 soon, buddy
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
3 years
Major shift in perspective ... “Voter ID laws have proved popular despite Democratic arguments that they amount to voter suppression, and some activists have concluded that they do less to suppress the vote than they initially feared.”
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
5 years
More than 13,000 people in the U.S. are on a waiting list to receive a liver transplant, and only about 400 come from living donors. I spoke with one such donor -- @edhenry of @FoxNews -- about his experience:
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
5 years
NEW: Ted Cruz bill would speed FDA approval of drugs OK'd in other countries
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
4 years
The $2 trillion stimulus the House is voting on contains more than $100 billion for hospitals and aims to prepare for future drug shortages. Here are the details that came out of the 880-page bill: via @businessinsider
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
3 years
Nancy Pelosi’s surprise flip on student debt cancellation came after urging from billionaire power couple by @kenklippenstein , @ryangrim
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
2 years
I want to know how some of these people find the time to have an affair.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
4 years
Watching/reading latest news coverage... There seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding going on. By law, doctors can only disclose details about a patient that the patient has authorized for disclosure. This is true for you and me, and this is true for POTUS.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
4 months
“I'll conduct myself in a way you can tell your kids, 'That's somebody you should emulate.' And we will have success as a result of that," @RonDeSantis says on CNN.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
2 years
School board races typically don't get a lot of attention. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is changing that. He was rallying all over Florida today for candidates who support his education agenda. "Florida is the state where woke goes to die," he said.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
6 months
The final act.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
4 years
@anamariecox My dog started physical therapy today as he recovers from his knee surgery!
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
6 months
. @GovRonDeSantis wins the Freedom Summit straw poll posted on X.
@JimmyPatronis
Jimmy Patronis
6 months
I’ll be on stage later at the @FloridaGOP Florida Freedom Summit. Lots of folks are here! They’re fired up and ready to end this disastrous Biden Regime. WATCH LIVE : Who are YOU and your friends supporting?
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
3 years
Good @nytimes story but it should include a link back on the part where it references Salena Zito's @dcexaminer interview for the quote “Defund, my butt.” It doesn't even cite the publication.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
4 years
We are social distancing our way through Arthur’s physical therapy! His specialist was kind enough to send us a video of his first time using the water treadmill 💦
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
3 years
Made a new friend on the Hill today! This is Birdie!
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
10 months
After 3.5 years, this is my last day at @thisisInsider . In just a short time, the company promoted me twice and helped me do some of my best work. It's a bittersweet day for me to leave a company I loved, where I felt truly valued.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
5 years
You guys this is the National Arboretum. I’ve been in #DC almost 10 years and had never been. WHY did nobody tell me what I was missing?! #spring
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
5 years
Hey everyone affected by layoffs! @dcexaminer has openings in healthcare reporting, national security, breaking, and business. It's a great team! Email me kleonard(at). I'd be happy to forward resumes to editors.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
2 years
Trump's purported free speech social media platform Truth Social appears to have shadow banned posts about the Jan. 6 committee hearings, and about abortion as healthcare. @Public_Citizen ran a test drive: via @businessinsider
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
2 years
Details here!
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
4 years
Democrats are introducing a police reform bill today that would: - Ban chokeholds - Make it easier for police to be charged with using excessive force - Create a National Police Misconduct Registry Full details in an outline circulating Capitol Hill:
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
9 months
👀 “Given the decision between voting for [DeSantis] and getting a Pap smear from a girl I went to high school with, hand me the paper gown.” A story on voters who relate to DeSantis' awkwardness but not enough to support him.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
3 years
CDC is releasing five recommendations for reopening: - Masks - Distancing - Hand washing - Cleaning - Contact tracing Don't see vaccinations on the list...
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
9 months
The actual prices won't go down during Biden's first term. Worth asking 2024 GOP candidates: Would you implement the law or seek to repeal it? If Trump were to win again... he could keep his promise on lowering drug prices thanks to a law Biden signed:
@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
9 months
Biden to name first drugs for Medicare negotiations early next week via @politico
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
3 months
DeSantis sees ‘big warning signs’ for Trump’s candidacy, he says in his first post-candidacy interview, with @SteveDeaceShow via @politico
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
2 years
And here’s @GovRonDeSantis . He was campaigning with candidates in other states this week, but today he’s addressing the hyper-local topic of school boards.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
7 years
. @RepCummings says after @POTUS meeting that majority of Americans want #Obamacare improved but not repealed.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
1 year
Casey DeSantis responds to criticism about her appearance. “I don’t let it get to me. I’m lucky to even have hair," says Casey, who survived breast cancer.
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Karol Markowicz
1 year
The real Casey DeSantis isn’t some cartoon character clawing her way to the top. She’s funny, smart, loves her husband & has been through something that has given her perspective that shines through in all she does. My interviews w/her in Monday’s @nypost
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
1 year
How are women voters going to feel about all these men essentially telling DeSantis that, if he wants to be president, his wife should be demoted to a prop rather than an equal partner?
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
6 years
My self-imposed challenge for my story due today is to avoid these terms, which are vague and not known to most readers: "Patient-centered care," "Value-based care," "silos," "delivery system," "fee for service," and yeah basically all the MACRA terms. Wish me luck.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
3 years
1/ ANNOUNCING MY NEW ROLE: I'm still writing about national policy and politics for Insider's DC bureau — but now I'm based out of Miami. I'm covering the 2022 midterms, Florida politics, and buzz around the 2024 presidential race.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
10 months
Today is my first day at @POLITICO . I'll be covering all things #Florida #politics , and soon authoring the Florida Playbook newsletter. I'm eager to get started to deliver major stories to our readers! Say hi and send tips to KLeonard @politico .com.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
2 years
. @RonDeSantisFL on COVID outbreak in DC: "If they thought their policies really were necessary, that these mitigations really were effective, they would be abiding by it. They are not abiding by it because they know it's all about politics and control."
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
2 years
Sen. Manchin just said he won't be supporting Sarah Bloom Raskin's nomination to the Fed, citing her position on energy. We reported how her spouse, Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin, failed to properly report one of her stock holdings from several years back:
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
2 years
Congress and top Capitol Hill staff have violated the STOCK Act hundreds of times. But the consequences are minimal, inconsistent, and not recorded publicly.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
4 years
@dcexaminer @josephlawler @philipaklein @hgurdon Beginning March 23 I will begin a new job as senior health reporter for @businessinsider . I'll still be covering health policy here in DC, and I'm looking forward to working with @ZTracer @lydiaramsey125 @AndrewE_Dunn and @dodgeblake .
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
3 years
. @MittRomney just told me he’s a yes on @vivek_murthy to be surgeon general.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
2 years
This is a story about how Congress makes it nearly impossible to obtain and understand information designed to defend against conflicts of interest — and how over the last five months we went and did it anyway. via @businessinsider
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
10 months
👀
@POLITICOPress
POLITICO Press
10 months
NEWS: We are strengthening our Florida coverage with new moves! @leonardkl joins us as author of Florida Playbook, focusing on DeSantis, Trump and the conservative movement. Meanwhile, veteran reporter @fineout transitions to a new role tackling politics & policy in Tallahassee.
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Kimberly Leonard
3 years
New! Speaker Pelosi was able to secure vaccines for all Capitol police after @businessinsider reported that there was no plan to get them their shots. No word yet on the thousands of other essential workers who help keep the Hill running.
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Kimberly Leonard
3 years
Story update: The US Qatar Business Council tells us it did not pay for the camel rides that Reps. Swalwell and Gallego took (shirtless) on an $84,000 trip to Qatar with their spouses: Still not word on whether taxpayer money funded any part of the trip.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
7 years
Democrats want hearings on healthcare bill during delay via @dcexaminer
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
10 months
👀
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
1 year
DeSantis does a good deal of press conferences all over the state where press can ask questions on any topic. They’re also streamed live. Not every gov does this. It’s one of the main ways he generates national headlines.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
2 years
Some unexpected history in the DeSantis-Disney saga: The DeSantises had their wedding at Disney World, exchanging their vows in 2009 at the Grand Floridian's pavilion that overlooks Cinderella's castle.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
10 months
Thanks for the swag, ⁦ @politico ⁩! I start my new job on Tuesday.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
1 year
One of my favorites from @postsecret
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
5 years
BREAKING: Supreme Court upholds Indiana law requiring burial or cremation after an abortion
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
3 years
Operation Warp Speed is getting a new name... Peter Marks, longtime FDA career official, was reportedly the one who came up with the name. He's a big Star Trek fan.
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Jen Psaki
3 years
OWS is the Trump team's name for their program. We are phasing in a new structure, which will have a different name than OWS. Many of the public servants will be essential to our response, but urgent need to address failures of the Trump team approach to vaccine distribution
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
1 year
Second day in a row where major publications don't bother to link back to news I reported first, weeks ago.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
3 years
THREAD: Lavish travel for members of Congress, paid for by special interest groups, is back after a pandemic-induced hiatus. We dug into the data and here is what I found.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
5 years
Under Elizabeth Warren's "Medicare for all" plan, hospitals would get 110% of Medicare payments. Right now a lot of them get nearly twice as much from private insurers as they do from Medicare
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
2 years
DeSantis, 43, has over $21,000 in student loans. He doesn't trade individual stocks or own property. His net worth is $318,987, far lower than many top politicians and if he runs for president he may clock in at the lowest net worth in a crowded field.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
3 years
TONIGHT, on the eve of 4/20: The House will vote on a bill that'd let cannabis companies access banks. Customers could use their credit and debit cards at shops, too. It has bipartisan support, so it's expected to pass. With @jesse_yeji and @jfberke
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
2 months
Scooplet from @Reporter_Mia : @RepMoskowitz is considering a run for #Florida governor in 2026. The congressman noted Florida has more registered GOPs than Dems. “What Democrat can win that? Maybe a Democrat who worked for a Republican can win that.”
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
3 years
Got in a long run this morning to check out the 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
3 years
Meet Ron Klain, Joe Biden's soon-to-be White House chief of staff. He's the guy Democrats call to fix things and may soon be one of the most important people in DC. via @businessinsider
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
4 years
Biden made this promise last year after reversing on the Hyde Amendment. This'll be tough to pass legislatively without watering down Roe v. Wade as well as Doe v. Bolton, which often gets left out of the conversation but has influenced state laws codifying abortion rights.
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Jennifer Epstein
4 years
Biden says that if Amy Coney Barrett were to be part of a Supreme Court majority overturning Roe v. Wade, his response would be "to pass legislation making Roe the law of the land."
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Kimberly Leonard
5 years
A group of mental health experts who have concluded that President Trump is dangerous will argue in an online event Tuesday that the #MuellerReport shows the president is mentally unsound and shouldn't have war powers.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
3 years
Corporations who said they wouldn't give money to the 147 members of Congress who objected to the certification of Joe Biden's victory are now doing just that only a few months after their pledge
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
4 years
Professional news: This is my last day at @dcexaminer . I'm so grateful to @josephlawler for making me a better reporter, to @philipaklein for bouncing around story ideas on health policy, and to @hgurdon for bringing me on three years ago!
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
3 years
. @adamwren writes, "The film appears to be rated R largely because of @Lis_Smith 's language.
@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
3 years
After covering Buttigieg for years I watched a screener of the new 'Mayor Pete' documentary that follows his presidential campaign. Here are 8 things that struck me. via @businessinsider
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
3 years
I’m back at the Capitol today.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
3 years
A lot of people don't know that #Medicaid coverage for low-income people is something that each state decides. Some have moved during the pandemic to non-expansion states. They've been shocked to learn they cannot get healthcare coverage. My latest:
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
7 years
GAO to investigate Ryan Zinke's alleged threats against Lisa Murkowski for Obamacare vote via @dcexaminer
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
1 year
. @NikkiHaley doesn’t hesitate when the @RuthlessPodcast asks what her last meal would be: unlimited French fries, chocolate chip cookies, and pink champagne.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
7 years
. @BillCassidy : On claims that AHCA lowers premiums: "Then I realized the way you lower premiums is that you have terrible coverage" #AHA2017
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
4 years
The White House's policy chief in an exclusive interview spells out a second term Trump agenda that includes more tax cuts, lowering drug prices, and moving manufacturing jobs back to the US via @businessinsider
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
3 years
It's baaaack Members of Congress are once again letting special interests pay for fancy travel after stopping during the pandemic. @POGOwatchdog and @Public_Citizen say it's time to close some loopholes so fact-finding trips don't become vacations.
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
4 years
Bloomberg pays fines for 32,000 felons in Florida so they can vote
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@leonardkl
Kimberly Leonard
2 years
Once again, safety measures have been made available to Congress that are not available to the broader population. They got COVID vaccines before anyone else and have ample, free testing, too.
@ddiamond
Dan Diamond
2 years
A bit of Friday night news: Congress will start providing KN95 masks to House staff and lawmakers, per email obtained by The Post. Congress’ top doctor warned this week of “unprecedented” infections at Capitol. House returns from recess on Monday.
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