JOE BIDEN OFFICIALLY SIGNS BILL TO ALLOW COMMANDERS TO OFFICIALLY RELOCATE

CREDIT: WASHINGTON COMMANDERS

The Washington Commanders got a big legislative win today, as President Joe Biden has officially signed the "D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act." This new bill will allow the District of Columbia to rebuild the campus where the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium sits.

The bill allows for stadium development, residential and commercial development, and other specified purposes.

The bill was unanimously passed in the Senate on Dec. 21, after legislators reportedly stayed up all night to iron out the details of the new bill. Now, the Commanders can return back to their home stadium in Washington, D.C.

Following the unanimous passing of the "D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act" in the Senate on Dec. 21, President Biden has made the act official with his signature.

The Commanders began in the NFL as the Boston Braves in 1932. They would eventually relocate to Washington D.C., the team would change to the Washington Redskins in 1937.

The then-Redskins made their home at RFK Stadium from 1961-96, before relocating again to FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. The Commanders remain at FedEx Field, but the lease for the team will end in 2027.

The new couple of years and the bill being passed gives the Commanders and the District of Columbia time to plan their renovation of the RFK Stadium Campus. It will be interesting to see if the Commanders will have to play at a neutral site while their new stadium is being built.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser released a statement about the bill being passed by President Biden. The statement reads:

"It is a good day for DC when we finally have control of our own destiny at the RFK campus. We are ready and optimistic about unlocking the full potential of this space, and with more than 170 acres of land we can do it all – deliver housing, economic opportunity, green space, recreation, sports, and more.

This moment is the result of years of tireless and strategic advocacy, extraordinary collaboration, and bipartisan leadership. We extend our gratitude to President Biden, Representative James Comer, and Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton for their crucial support in ensuring this bill's success."

The Commanders have been building something special, especially this season. With a new head coach in Dan Quinn and the makings of a franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels, things are looking up for the Washington team.

Daniels could win Rookie of the Year, and the Commanders are in the playoffs. Now, they will likely move back to their home stadium in the near future.

For more on the Commanders, head to Newsweek Sports.

- James Brizuela Newsweek

ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. IS CONSIDERING AARON RODGERS OR JESSE VENTURA FOR A RUNNING MATE

FILE - Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., speaks during a campaign event at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, in Miami. Kennedy is having conversations with vice presidential candidates as he gets closer to announcing his runningmate for his independent presidential bid. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

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 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is having conversations with vice presidential candidates as he gets closer to announcing his running mate for his independent presidential bid.

Kennedy told The New York Times that NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers and former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura are at the top of his list. Stefanie Spear, a campaign spokesperson, confirmed the Times report and said there are other names on Kennedy's short list.

Kennedy, a scion of one of the nation's most prominent political families, has focused on getting access to the ballot, an expensive and time-consuming process that he has said will require him to collect more than a million signatures in a state-by-state effort.

Many states require independent candidates to name a running mate before they can seek access to the ballot, a factor driving the early push for Kennedy to make a pick. Major party candidates generally don't pick vice presidential nominees until closer to their summer conventions.

Kennedy is a lawyer and environmental activist who has become a leading figure in the movement that rejects the scientific consensus around vaccines. and a vocal critic of the public health establishment.

After originally running as a Democrat, he refocused his efforts around an independent campaign last year, spooking loyalists of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden, who worry he'll pick up supporters who would otherwise back one of the major party candidates.

Rodgers, the longtime Green Bay Packers quarterback who now plays for the New York Jets, shares Kennedy's distrust of vaccine mandates and, like Kennedy, is a fixture on anti-establishment podcasts. Ventura, a former professional wrestler, shocked observers when he won the race for Minnesota governor as an independent candidate in 1998.

- JONATHAN J. COOPER

BIDEN TO SKIP TRADITIONAL SUPER BOWL INTERVIEW FOR SECOND

Reuters 

 U.S. President Joe Biden will skip the traditional pre-game interview with the CBS television network before Sunday's Super Bowl, which is expected to become the most-watched American football game ever.

It is the second year in a row that Biden has opted out of the interview.

White House officials told reporters earlier this week they made the decision because Super Bowl viewers wanted to watch football, not the president. On Saturday, a White House official said Biden turned down the interview because CBS would have aired just a brief clip on Sunday, instead of a fuller extended version.

This year's Super Bowl clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers is expected to shatter viewership records in the U.S. Tickets are on track to be the most expensive ever amid feverish excitement that pop star Taylor Swift may attend to support boyfriend Travis Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end.

A record 200.5 million adults in the U.S. are planning to watch Super Bowl this year, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF)

Former President George W. Bush began the tradition of an interview around the Super Bowl, appearing with CBS lead commentator Jim Nantz in 2004 for a light series of questions, mostly about the game. "I think it's going to be a very close contest, but what the heck do I know? I'm just the president," Bush said.

BIDEN TO VISIT MICHIGAN TO SUPPORT AUTO STRIKE, A DAY BEFORE TRUMP

Reuters

U.S. President Joe Biden will travel to Michigan on Tuesday to show support for the United Auto Workers' strike against Detroit automakers, putting him in the center of the dispute that has pitted his labor allies against major manufacturers.

Biden, a Democrat, sees himself as a pro-union president and his visit to the state, a day before former President Donald Trump is scheduled to be there, will underscore his support for union workers' right to take action and engage in collective bargaining.

"Tuesday, I’ll go to Michigan to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create," Biden said on Friday in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. "It’s time for a win-win agreement that keeps American auto manufacturing thriving with well-paid UAW jobs."