OnPolitics: Massachusetts AG wins Dem primary, Trump favorite gets GOP nomination
Happy Wednesday, OnPolitics readers!
Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama’s legacy will now remain in the halls of the White House forever.
“When future generations walk these halls and look up at these portraits, I hope they get a better honest sense of who Michelle and I were,” Barack Obama said. “And I hope they leave with a deeper understanding that if we could make it here, maybe they can do remarkable things, too.”
The Obamas were welcomed to the White House on Wednesday, as President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden revived a tradition of hosting former presidents for the unveiling of their official portrait.
The event was held for the first time since 2012, when Barack Obama hosted former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush for their official portrait unveiling at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
It's Ella and Amy with today's top stories out of Washington.
Massachusetts AG wins Dem primary, Trump favorite gets GOP nomination
Geoff Diehl, a former state representative endorsed by former President Donald Trump, has won the Republican nomination for Massachusetts governor over businessman Chris Doughty, who was considered the more moderate candidate in the race.
The victory for Diehl sets up a general election contest against Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey, who would be the first openly gay person and the first woman elected governor of Massachusetts if she wins in November. The state’s current governor, Republican Charlie Baker, decided against seeking a third term.
Republican voters made Massachusetts the latest blue state this midterm season to nominate a Trump loyalist in a high-profile race, potentially dooming the party’s already-slim chances of winning in November.
Voters in Connecticut and Maryland, liberal states where centrist Republicans have found some success in previous elections, also selected far-right candidates to go up against a Democrat in the general election.
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FEMA head: 'Too early to tell' when Mississippi water crisis will end
The of head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency acknowledged Sunday that officials are not yet certain how long it will take to fix the water crisis in Mississippi nearly a week after state officials declared an emergency.
"It's still too early to tell," FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell told CNN's State of the Union on Sunday in response to a question about when residents could expect clean drinking water. "We have a lot more to learn about what it's going to take to get that plant up and running."
What happened to the water? The water supply in Mississippi's capital city, Jackson, remained unsafe for its 150,000 residents to drink or brush their teeth this week after water treatment pumps failed, exacerbating a persistent water crisis in the city.
Excessive rainfall had doused Jackson and central Mississippi throughout August, and flooding of the Pearl River caused the pumps to fail, officials said. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, who lives in Jackson, announced a state of emergency early last week and warned residents to not drink the water.
What has the White House done? President Joe Biden has approved Mississippi's emergency declaration, freeing up federal resources to bolster the state's response. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Environmental Protection Agency would send an expert to Jackson to assess its water treatment plants and expedite repairs.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: OnPolitics: Candidates picked in Massachusetts' governor's race
