Bloomberg Hires Top Staffer From Harris’ 2020 Campaign

(AP) Michael Bloomberg has hired a top staff member from a rival Democratic campaign for his nascent presidential bid. His campaign spokespeople said Wednesday that Kelly Mehlenbacher has joined as deputy chief operating officer. She had been working for California Sen. Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign. She previously worked on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential bid.…

Super PAC Backing Cory Booker’s Presidential Bid Shuts Down

(AP) A super PAC formed to support Cory Booker’s Democratic presidential campaign is shutting down. The group’s founder, San Francisco lawyer Steve Phillips, indicated in a news release Wednesday that Dream United had struggled to raise money. Booker, a New Jersey senator, has publicly disavowed support from super PACs, which aren’t required to disclose their…

Michael Bloomberg Launches Democratic Presidential Bid

NEW YORK (AP) — Billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, one of the world’s richest men, has formally launched a Democratic bid for president. Ending weeks of speculation, the 77-year-old former Republican announced his candidacy Sunday in a written statement posted on a campaign website describing himself as uniquely positioned to defeat…

The Latest: Trump says he doesn’t expect to be impeached

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump and the House impeachment inquiry (all times local): 8:55 a.m. President Donald Trump says he does not expect to be impeached, claiming Democrats have “absolutely nothing” incriminating, despite days of public testimony by witnesses who said Trump withheld aid from Ukraine to press the country to…

Leading White Democrats Court Black Votes; Some Find Trouble

ATLANTA, GA (AP) — Coming out of their debate in a key center of black America, the leading Democratic presidential contenders aimed Thursday for the party’s crucial black and minority vote, with the scramble putting internal party tensions on display. From black protesters disrupting Elizabeth Warren to the lone black woman in the race chiding…