
Haaland expected to face contentious confirmation hearing over Interior nomination
CNN
President Joe Biden's Interior Secretary nominee Deb Haaland is expected to face a contentious confirmation hearing Tuesday in front of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
The Democratic congresswoman from New Mexico is a historic pick and would be the first Native American Cabinet secretary if confirmed by the Senate. But Democrats and White House officials told CNN that they anticipate the hearing could get tense, and some Republicans have already spoken out against what they call her "extreme" and "radical" views on energy and environmental issues. A key question for the future of her nomination is whether Joe Manchin, the chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and one of the most conservative Senate Democrats, will support it. Manchin is not getting ahead of the hearing -- he has not yet said if he will vote to confirm Haaland.
The retirement of Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin after nearly 30 years in office sparked an expensive three-way Democratic primary that has showcased the party’s divisions over how to confront President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and introduced pro-crypto forces as an influence seeking to shape the midterm elections. The contest is also setting up a test of Gov. JB Pritzker’s political clout in the state as he eyes a potential 2028 presidential bid.

Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, grandson of former Cuban President Raúl Castro, appeared for the first time alongside Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel at two public events on Friday, raising questions, according to analysts, about his role in Cuba’s leadership as the island faces calls for regime change from the United States.











