Good morning! Here is your news briefing for Tuesday January 25, 2022
1.) THE DAILY SIGNAL
January 25 2022
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Good morning from Washington, where we monitor the politics of COVID-19. Mary Margaret Olohan has a scoop on House Republicans critical of Biden for tracking religious objectors, and Fred Lucas reports on doctors assembled to spotlight alternative treatments. In an eye-opening commentary, a mother recounts her battle with a Catholic school pushing gender ideology. On the podcast, wasteful Medicaid spending leaves taxpayers with a growing bill. Plus: why Americans trust the military less, and “Problematic Women” explores the connection between preserving life and opposing vaccine mandates. On this date in 1961, President John F. Kennedy, speaking at the State Department, becomes the first U.S. president to hold a live televised news conference.
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2.) THE EPOCH TIMES
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3.) DAYBREAK
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4.) THE SUNBURN
Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 1.25.22
Florida politics and Sunburn — perfect together.
Good Tuesday morning.
Say cheese! — If you’re a lawmaker who is tired of seeing photos from your freshman term pop up on Florida Politics, you’re in luck.
Photographer Alex Workman will be in the Capitol courtyard on Feb. 2 to snap new headshots for any member who wants one. All you need to do is mark yourself down for a time, and we’ll handle the rest. If you have any questions, shoot an email to hello@wearetheworkmans.com.
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After a COVID-19-postponed event in 2021, the Red Dog, Blue Dog bartending competition is back — and it will be “better than ever,” according to Kate MacFall, Florida State Director at the Humane Society.
The annual event raises money for the health and welfare of companion animals by pitting four Republican and four Democratic bartenders against each other in a friendly competition. This year, the fundraiser will be held at Township, 619 S. Woodward Avenue, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The teams of rivals include Sen. Aaron Bean, Sen. Jason Brodeur, Rep. Demi Busatta Cabrera and Sen. Joe Gruters on the Red Team; and Rep. Michael Grieco, Sen. Shevrin Jones, Sen. Jason Pizzo and Rep. Michelle Rayner slinging drinks for the Blue Team.
In 2020, the fundraiser netted nearly $9,600, divided between three local animal welfare groups, the Animal Shelter Foundation, the Leon County Humane Society and Last Chance Rescue. These groups will be the beneficiaries again in 2022.
There has been a change-up for this year’s edition. There will be a presenting sponsor for the first time: Rubin Turnbull & Associates.
Managing partner Heather Turnbull told Florida Politics that she sees the event as an opportunity to educate the public about the cruel treatment of dogs in puppy mills and encourage them to seek out reputable breeders or, even better, to adopt from a shelter.
In addition to Rubin Turnbull, other sponsoring organizations include Bascom Communications & Consulting, Florida Internet & Television, Enwright Rimes Consulting, McGuireWoods Consulting, Florida Association of Insurance Agents, Landmarc Strategies, Sachs Media Group, The Advocacy Group at Cardenas Partners, Brecht & Hunter Heuchan, Carlton Fields and Allison Aubuchon Communications.
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Gene McGee is now a partner in Sunrise Consulting Group’s government affairs practice, the firm announced Tuesday.
McGee, formerly of GMA Inc., brings more than 30 years of experience in government relations to the firm. In addition to his work in the lobbying field, he has served as legislative affairs director for the Florida Department of State and the Senate campaigns director for the Republican Party of Florida.
“It’s just a natural fit. I have known Gene for 20 years, and he is one of the nicest and hardest working guys you will meet in the Capitol. His great relationships in this process and expansive knowledge of the workings of government in Tallahassee will help grow and strengthen our firm,” said Shawn Foster, the president and CEO of Sunrise Consulting Group.
“Gene’s deep roots in Citrus County, combined with our long-established relationships in Pasco and Hernando counties, give SCG a strong base in Florida’s Nature Coast to complement its focus on state government in Tallahassee.”
In addition to his talent, McGee brings clients, including AmeriHealth Caritas Florida, Duke Energy, Greyhound Bus Lines, PCI Gaming, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment and others.
“I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with my friend Shawn Foster and Sunrise Consulting Group,” McGee said. “I have such respect for Shawn’s integrity, work ethic and genuineness. I truly believe he is one of the nicest and most effective people walking the halls of the Capitol. Putting this team together will not only make us more effective at serving our clients, but it will also be a joy to work together.”
With the roster addition, Sunrise Consulting Group now boasts more than 60 years of combined experience with broad expertise in appropriations, education, criminal justice, state associations, corporate clients and local governments.
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Ballard Partners has launched a practice group devoted to representing cannabis industry clients in legislative and regulatory matters.
One of the largest and most successful at the state and federal levels, the firm has tapped partners Courtney Coppola and Eugene O’Flaherty to lead the new venture.
“Our firm currently represents the largest cannabis retailer in the nation along with many other clients with significant interests in this industry,” said Brian Ballard, the firm’s founder and president. “Under Courtney and Gene’s leadership, our Cannabis Practice Group will provide invaluable counsel and assistance to clients throughout the country.”
Coppola joined Ballard Partners earlier this month. She most recently served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Gov. Ron DeSantis, though she previously worked as Director of Florida’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use.
“The cannabis industry in the United States has developed with conflicting and evolving policies at the federal, state and local level. Our new practice group will help clients navigate the complexity of these ever-changing policies,” Coppola said.
O’Flaherty was a member of the Massachusetts Legislature and served as Chair of the House Judiciary Committee from 2002 through 2013. The position saw him handle all bills related to the legalization of medical and recreational cannabis — Massachusetts voters approved medical cannabis in 2012 and recreational cannabis in 2016.
He later became Corporation Counsel for the city of Boston, where he was tasked with establishing and supervising the office that implemented the new law and processed applications for cannabis dispensaries in the city. O’Flaherty also wrote the regulations and transferred the cannabis process to the city’s Licensing Commission and established the Cannabis Control Board which today processes and licenses all cannabis applications in Boston.
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Science centers and museums from around the state are partnering with organizations such as the Motorola Solutions Foundation to host STEM Day at the Florida Capitol on Tuesday.
STEM Day focuses on the role science centers and museums play in inspiring young Floridians to pursue careers in STEM, an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Tuesday will see participants, including student groups, share their passion for STEM education and herald the benefits of STEM education, including its impacts on the state workforce and economy.
Participating groups include the Orlando Science Center, Motorola Solutions Foundation, the Museum of Discovery and Science in Ft. Lauderdale, the Tallahassee Museum, FIRST Northwest Florida, River City Science Academy of Jacksonville and STEM SimX.
Festivities will include displays and hands-on activities demonstrating how STEM education benefits the state. They will be set up in the Florida Capitol courtyard and rotunda from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
—@MarcACaputo: (Peter) Doocy: “Do you think inflation is a political liability in the midterms?” (Joe) Biden (sarcastically): “It’s a great asset. More inflation. What a stupid son of a bitch.” Today, Biden became president
—@Malinowski: My office is now getting calls from folks who say they watch Tucker Carlson and are upset that we’re not siding with Russia in its threats to invade Ukraine, and who want me to support Russia’s “reasonable” positions.
—@RyanStruyk: Some good news: U.S. cases and hospitalizations may have peaked. Daily cases now down to 681k/day from an 808k/day peak last week. Total hospitalizations ticking down from 160k to 150k in the last few days. Daily deaths still near the highest since September at ~2,000 deaths/day.
—@GirlsReallyRule: Reminder to mainstream media that anti-vaxxing can’t go mainstream unless you help it to go mainstream with the kind of coverage you give it.
Tweet, tweet:
—@NdamukongSuh: Tough loss yesterday. The plan that’s in your heart isn’t always God’s plan. But today, I’m remembering that everything happens for a reason!
Tweet, tweet:
—@DanCow: Note: if you like tweeting your wordIe scores, someone’s made a bot you should block as it auto-responds with tomorrows answer
— DAYS UNTIL —
James Madison Institute’s Stanley Marshall Day Celebration in Jacksonville — 3; XXIV Olympic Winter Games begins — 10; Super Bowl LVI — 19; Will Smith’s ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ reboot premieres — 19; Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show begins — 22; season four of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ begins — 22; Spring Training report dates begin — 23; Synapse Florida tech summit begins — 23; ‘The Walking Dead’ final season part two begins — 26; Daytona 500 — 26; Special Election for Jacksonville City Council At-Large Group 3 — 29; Suits For Session — 29; CPAC begins — 30; St. Pete Grand Prix — 31; Biden to give State of the Union — 35; ‘The Batman’ premieres — 38; the third season of ‘Atlanta’ begins — 57; season two of ‘Bridgerton’ begins — 59; The Oscars — 61; Macbeth with Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga begin performances on Broadway — 63; Grammys rescheduled in Las Vegas — 68; federal student loan payments will resume — 96;’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ premieres — 101;’ Top Gun: Maverick’ premieres — 122;’ Platinum Jubilee’ for Queen Elizabeth II — 128;’ Thor: Love and Thunder’ premieres — 165; San Diego Comic-Con 2022 — 178; Michael Mann and Meg Gardiner novel ‘Heat 2’ publishes — 196; ‘The Lord of the Rings’ premieres on Amazon Prime — 220;’ Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ sequel premieres — 255; ‘Black Panther 2’ premieres — 290; ‘The Flash’ premieres — 293; ‘Avatar 2′ premieres — 325;’ Captain Marvel 2′ premieres — 388;’ John Wick: Chapter 4′ premieres — 423; ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ premieres — 549;’ Dune: Part Two’ premieres — 633; Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games — 913.
—TOP STORY —
Florida National Guard caught in Ukraine, Russia showdown — As tensions rise between Russia and Ukraine, more than 150 Florida National Guardsmen remain on the ground serving alongside Ukrainian Armed Forces. Members of the Florida National Guard’s 53rd Infantry Brigade deployed to the region late last year as part of a mentorship and training mission. However, in recent weeks, Russia has amassed thousands of troops along the Ukrainian border and raised fears of a possible military invasion. Biden on Monday directed the Pentagon to ready 8,500 troops for potential deployment to the region. A Pentagon spokesperson in December told Task & Purpose the 53rd Infantry Brigade is not authorized to follow Ukrainian troops into combat. Based in Pinellas Park, the 53rd Infantry Brigade is Florida’s largest National Guard unit.
— DATELINE TALLY —
“Ahead of hearing, top House Democrat says Joseph Ladapo’s bona fides aren’t there on COVID-19” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — When Surgeon General Ladapo steps before senators for his first confirmation hearing, leading House Democrats hope their fellow lawmakers ask the controversial doctor about his COVID-19 experience and stance. The Senate Health Policy Committee is slated Wednesday to weigh Ladapo’s appointment to be the state’s top public health official. House Minority Leader Evan Jenne told reporters Monday that he wants to hear lawmakers flesh out Ladapo’s medical expertise. Reports had challenged Ladapo’s claims he worked as a front-line COVID-19 doctor at the University of California Los Angeles’ flagship hospital before DeSantis selected him in September as Florida’s next Surgeon General.
“Lawmaker details how proposed 15-week abortion ban would have impacted her abnormal pregnancy” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics — Democratic leaders held an online news conference Monday highlighting how women’s reproductive freedoms are under renewed assault, even for those impregnated through rape and incest. Democratic state Rep. Robin Bartleman said that the time it took to find out about a fetal abnormality and the struggle with what to do would have put her over that proposed 15-week limit. “I had the ability to make that decision. I had the ability to weigh the pros and cons and the impact on my family,” Bartleman said. “I was able to debate with just my husband, my doctor and my God, not the Florida Legislature.” Bartleman’s pregnancy ultimately terminated without an abortion, but Bartleman said she doesn’t want to see women have to reckon with anyone outside their own families as they make intensely personal decisions about their lives.
“Senate panel moves Ron DeSantis priority cracking down on ‘midnight’ migrants” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — Senators have given the first legislative OK to a DeSantis priority to crack down further on illegal immigration. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 6-3 along party lines Monday to approve a bill (SB 1808) expanding on a 2019 law that banned “sanctuary cities.” The measure, carried by Sen. Bean, would prevent transportation companies from doing business in Florida if they participate in programs transporting to the state people who have entered the country illegally. Sen. Tina Polsky argued the bill’s consequences could include barring lawmakers or school sports teams from flying on American Airlines, for example. Bean argued that was precisely the bill’s intent.
“Senate panel advances bill eliminating permanent alimony” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — Legislation to end lifelong alimony has returned to the Legislature and is making its way through the Senate. In recent years, some lawmakers have made repeated unsuccessful attempts to pass similar alimony reform measures. In this Session, Gruters says his bill (SB 1796) improves past efforts. The measure on Monday passed the Senate Judiciary Committee 6-3 on a party-line vote. If passed, Florida would join the majority of other states that have banned lifetime alimony. “This bill is all about predictability,” Gruters told the panel. “It allows people to live their lives and the goals of bringing fairness to the system.” The measure would repeal court-ordered permanent alimony for all divorces going forward, leaving bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative and durational alimony. Former couples could still agree to permanent alimony in a marital settlement.
“VISIT FLORIDA promises no more ‘Pitbull incidents’ as bill to extend program makes it through House Commerce Committee” via Daniel Figueroa of Florida Politics — Rep. Linda Chaney called it the “Pitbull incident.” About five years ago, VISIT FLORIDA was coming under fire from both sides of the aisle in Tallahassee following reports of bloat, sketchy bonuses, a lack of transparency and lavish contracts to celebrities like Miami rapper Pitbull. The agency’s CEO, along with the chief operating officer and chief marketing officer, stepped down after it was learned Mr. 305 was given a million-dollar contract to market the state worldwide. Chaney is sponsoring HB 489, a bill to extend VISIT FLORIDA’s sunset from Oct. 1, 2023, to Oct. 1, 2028. Since its housecleaning, VISIT FLORIDA has made quarterly reports available to the public and Legislature at any time.
“Bills that expand telehealth, change Medicaid managed care reporting requirements clear House panel” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics — On Monday, a House health care panel quickly approved bills that expand Florida’s telehealth law, delete specific reporting requirements for Medicaid managed care plans and change rules that insurance companies and HMOs relying on step therapy programs must follow. The bills passed the House Health and Human Services Committee unanimously and, for the most part, without debate or fanfare. HB 17 allows providers to prescribe controlled substances via telehealth. Filed by Rep. Tom Fabricio, the bill enables telehealth providers to issue a renewal prescription for controlled substances listed under Schedule III, IV and V via telehealth. When Rep. Kelly Skidmore asked whether the changes applied to refills or all prescriptions, Fabricio said it was the physician’s call based on the “standard of care.”
“Florida nonprofits ask Legislature to fund $40 million to ease foster case manager shortage” via Tristan Wood of Florida Politics — The Florida Coalition for Children and Florida TaxWatch asked the Legislature to add an additional $40 million into its foster care system to halt a case manager shortage. The state funds several private community organizations to place foster children into homes, a process monitored by caseworkers with those organizations. About 2,000 case managers work in the state, but the industry currently has 600 vacant positions, said Coalition President and CEO Kurt Kelly. He said the shortage is being driven by Florida having lower average case manager salaries than other states and similar fields. Overall, the average salary is $39,646, well below the $57,600 average salary for teachers, police officers, and social workers. Kelly said that pay level is not high enough for the high-stress job and remained vital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Senate Committee OK’s bill to secure land conservation funding” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — A Senate committee OK’d a proposal Monday that would require lawmakers to provide $100 million a year to preserve natural lands under the Florida Forever Trust Fund. Created by lawmakers in 1999, Florida Forever is a conservation and recreation lands acquisition program designed to protect the state’s natural and cultural heritage. Under the proposal (SB 1816), lawmakers would guarantee $100 million a year for the program and extend the retirement date of bonds issued by the Land Acquisition Trust Fund (LATF). Voters in 2014 approved an amendment to establish a dedicated funding source for land and water conservation. The measure would extend the bond life to 2054, adding roughly 14 years to the current retirement date of 2040.
—TALLY 2 —
“‘It was just crazy’: Florida Sen. Audrey Gibson on verbal attack by Sen. Ileana Garcia” via Jim DeFede of CBS Miami — At the conclusion of a recent legislative committee meeting, Sen. Garcia angrily confronted Sen. Gibson, standing over Gibson as she was seated and allegedly cursing at Gibson, saying she was tired of being disrespected. “She just walked over to me and got in my face about being disrespected,” Gibson said. “I said, what are you talking about? And I said, `You should get out of my face.’” As Gibson stood up to put distance between herself and Garcia, Senate staff stepped in, afraid the incident would escalate further. Walking away, Garcia reportedly said, “this isn’t a [expletive] parking lot.” Garcia denied she did anything and instead blamed Gibson, saying in a statement: “This story has been fabricated with a political narrative and not a journalistic one.”
“Proposal tying local tax referendums to General Election ballots on to final committee” via Kelly Hayes of Florida Politics — A proposal requiring local tax referendums to be held in general elections is on to its final committee after receiving unanimous approval Monday in the House Ways and Means Committee. The bill (HB 777), sponsored by Rep. Will Robinson, would require local governments to place local tax referendums on General Election ballots rather than primary, local or special elections. The goal is to get input when voter turnout is highest. When presenting the bill, Robinson listed three numbers: 24, 20 and 80. The first two were the percentages tied to voter turnout in Manatee and Sarasota counties in special elections, compared to the 80% turnout during the 2020 General Election. “The purpose of this bill is to have the maximum number of voters vote on these initiatives because are so important. They affect your pocketbook,” Robinson said.
“Florida Democrats discuss legislative game plan after GOP blocks federal voting rights bill” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Congressional Democrats may have stumbled last week when Senate Republicans blocked the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, but the fight is far from over. In a Zoom news conference Monday, attendees stressed the importance of the federal legislation, which passed through the U.S. House last year but stalled in the Senate. They also highlighted state bills that could still ease voting access in Florida. One such measure (SB 90), which DeSantis signed into law during a Fox News news conference in May, increased barriers to mail-in voting and banned the distribution of water and food to people waiting in line to vote in person, among other restrictions. “These were unnecessary changes that were made to the law,” state Sen. Tina Polsky said.
“Democratic lawmakers push for dialogue on marijuana reform” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — Democrats have filed at least 10 marijuana-related bills in the 2022 Legislative Session. One proposal would outright legalize marijuana (HB 467), while another would decriminalize the drug and other addictive substances. It’s a long shot, the sponsors will concede. But many insist the conversation alone is legislatively fruitful. “It’s probably more a matter of time than it is anything else,” House Minority Leader Jenne said on the Democratic-led effort to shape Florida’s drug policy. Democrats aren’t fighting alone. In trying to legalize marijuana, they enjoy the support of activists, and even some Republican lawmakers, who they say opt to stay silent on the issue.
“Dems grill GOP sponsor on legislation exempting heavy equipment from ad valorem tax” via Kelly Hayes of Florida Politics — Reps. Anna Eskamani and Carlos Guillermo Smith hammered into several pieces of GOP-sponsored tax legislation Monday at the House Ways and Means Subcommittee, including one measure that seeks to change how heavy equipment is taxed in Florida. The measure that received the most scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers at the meeting was HB 751, sponsored by Rep. Chuck Clemons. The proposal would alter the way local municipalities tax heavy equipment. The legislation would reclassify construction equipment available for short-term rental as inventory, exempt from an ad valorem tax. Currently, such equipment is assessed as tangible property, which allows it to be taxed annually via the state’s ad valorem tax.
Florida engineers back post-Surfside reforms — The Florida Engineering Society and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida expressed support for a bill (SB 1702) aimed at strengthening the long-term health of buildings in the wake of the Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside. “To help ensure Florida never experiences a tragic building collapse similar to the Champlain Tower South collapse in Surfside, Florida should consider establishing mandatory minimum structural inspections and post-occupancy whole building safety inspections,” said Allen Douglas, the executive director of both organizations. “We encourage the Senate Community Affairs Committee to pass SB 1702.” The bill is scheduled to go before the Senate Community Affairs Committee when it meets Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
“Claims bill to pay mother of boys maimed in state trooper crash advances with significant payout cut” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — A mother of three whose children were permanently injured more than seven years ago due to a Florida state trooper’s negligence may finally receive compensation from the state. However, the award amount would be far less than originally agreed upon. On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously OK’d an amended claim bill by Sen. Dennis Baxley. The bill directs the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to pay about $7.2 million to Christeia Jones for injuries she and her sons sustained in May 2014. On Nov. 30, 2018, Jones and the Florida Highway Patrol entered into a settlement agreement for $18 million, the amount both parties concurred a jury could have reasonably awarded her if the case had gone to trial.
Grandparent visitation ‘Markel Bill’ passes first Senate committee stop — SB 1408, sponsored by Keith Perry, passed unanimously out of Senate Judiciary on Monday afternoon. The bill and its companion (HB 1119) were inspired in part by the murder of FSU professor Dan Markel. The bills would allow grandparents to petition courts for visitation with grandchildren in cases where a civil or criminal court has found the living parent responsible for the other parent’s death. Markel’s ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, who prosecutors allege was a co-conspirator in his murder, has blocked Markel’s parents from visitation with their two sons while the case is being investigated and adjudicated. The bill moves next to Senate Children, Families, and Elder Affairs.
“Bills to boost rural broadband service get Senate panel approval” via Gray Rohrer of Florida Politics — A pair of bills that would give a large cash infusion, $400 million or more, to Florida’s new efforts to expand broadband in the rural parts of the state passed through the Senate Commerce Committee Monday, despite concerns from Democrats the measure would do little to make the service more affordable. “Ten percent of Floridians don’t have any (broadband) service,” said Sen. Joe Gruters, who presented the bill on behalf of bill sponsor Sen. Jim Boyd, who was absent Monday. High-speed broadband internet service is available in 98% of urban areas in Florida, but only 78.6% of the state’s rural areas. Some Democrats on the panel noted the bill would only provide service, not necessarily “access” to high-speed internet if low-income customers can’t afford the service.
— INSIDE THE LINES —
“House drops new legislative map ahead of full Redistricting Committee hearing” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — The latest map (H 8013) likely represents the last significant revision to statewide cartography before the full House takes up redistricting. The latest map doesn’t overhaul the map advanced by the House Legislative Redistricting Subcommittee (H 8009), but it does update it in meaningful ways large and small. Among the most notable changes can be found at the divide between Hillsborough and Manatee counties. There, proposed House District 70 still crosses the line but hugs I-75 more closely.
“House Democrats question whether redistricting staff took minority growth into account” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — While the Senate passed its redistricting maps with broad bipartisan support, the only vote so far on a House map advanced on a party-line vote. At a Monday press event featuring House Democrats, party leaders signaled that may continue. “We have concerns that minority representation and the Voting Rights Act are not being adhered to,” said House Democratic Leader Jenne. “That’s just something our caucus cannot abide.” Jenne and Rep. Fentrice Driskell, a Tampa Democrat, discussed fears that state and U.S. House maps coming out of the GOP-led House of Representatives won’t properly reflect population growth among ethnic minorities in the last decade.
“Corrine Brown’s revenge? DeSantis goes after Al Lawson” via A.G. Gancarski for Jacksonville Today — That is one interpretation of the Year Zero-style Congressional redistricting map from the Governor’s General Counsel, a document dropped the night before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The map lays waste to the concept of protected minority access districts, creating a map that puts aside the Fair Districts amendments in favor of some race-agnostic document that guarantees legal challenges if this map became realized. If it somehow got through the Legislature, the map also would mean the end of Congressional District 5, replaced by a Congressional District 3 combining areas north and west of the St. Johns River with Nassau and Clay counties.
“Tina Polsky files to run in Boca Raton-centered SD 30” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Sen. Polsky has refiled to run for a second term from a new locale. She will officially campaign this year to represent Senate District 30. “I just filed to run in SD 30, where I am proud to currently represent over half the new district,” Polsky told Florida Politics. “I look forward to continuing to serve my constituents in Broward and Palm Beach counties.” That’s not a huge shock. Polsky revealed when the first draft maps in the Senate redistricting process were published that she wanted to represent a district with Boca Raton at its heart. But under the Senate map approved by the Florida Senate, Polsky’s home lies in the proposed Senate District 26. That’s a seat now held by Sen. Lori Berman, a close Polsky ally. That means Polsky will need to move, but she made clear she lives in a rental unit, and a shift in residence did not create a significant economic barrier to her ambitions. Polsky did express some dismay in the significant change in the shape of her district.
— SKED —
— The House Post-Secondary Education and Lifelong Learning Subcommittee meets to consider HB 461, from Rep. Lauren Melo, on Bright Futures scholarship requirements through paid work instead of volunteer service., 1 p.m., Morris Hall of the House Office Building.
— The House State Administration and Technology Appropriations Subcommittee meets to consider HB 357, from Rep. Jackie Toledo, to reform regulations of pharmacy benefit managers., 1 p.m., Room 212 of the Knott Building.
— The House Tourism, Infrastructure and Energy Subcommittee meet to consider HB 1411, from Rep. Bryan Avila, to develop floating solar-energy facilities on wastewater treatment ponds, abandoned limerock mines and reservoirs., 1 p.m., Reed Hall of the House Office Building.
— The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee meets to consider SB 186, from Sen. Jeff Brandes, to update the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp., 3:30 p.m., Room 412 of the Knott Building.
— The Senate Community Affairs Committee meets to consider SB 1702, from Chair Jennifer Bradley, requiring inspections of multifamily residential buildings in the state, 3:30 p.m., Room 37 of the Senate Office Building.
— The Senate Transportation Committee meets to consider SB 364, from Sen. Bean, to change the state’s specialty license-plate program to allow the University of Alabama, the University of Georgia, and Auburn University plates, 3:30 p.m., Room 110 of the Senate Office Building.
— The House Children, Families and Seniors Subcommittee meets to consider HB 899, from Rep. Christine Hunschofsky, to boost mental health services in schools., 3:30 p.m., Reed Hall of the House Office Building.
— The House Environment, Agriculture and Flooding Subcommittee meets to consider HB 729, from Rep. Vance Aloupis, to place new requirements on local plans that involve land near the Everglades Protection Area., 3:30 p.m., Room 212 of the Knott Building.
— The House Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee meets to consider funding requests by lawmakers for higher-education projects or programs., 3:30 p.m., Room 404 of the House Office Building.
— The House Justice Appropriations Subcommittee meets to consider HB 195, from Rep. David Smith, to expunge certain juvenile arrest records after completion of diversion programs., 3:30 p.m., Morris Hall of the House Office Building.
— The Revenue Estimating Conference meets to consider a revenue cap., 9 a.m., Room 117 of the Knott Building.
—STATEWIDE —
“DeSantis’ Inspector General is reviewing Florida education bid-rigging case” via Lawrence Mower and Ana Ceballos of the Tampa Bay Times — DeSantis’ Chief Inspector General is reviewing the handling of a bid-rigging probe at the Florida Department of Education, his office said Monday. In a reversal from the office’s previous statement, DeSantis spokesperson Taryn Fenske confirmed Chief Inspector General Melinda Miguel is reviewing how the Department of Education and its Inspector General handled the bid for a multimillion-dollar contract. “She is doing her due diligence on all of the above,” said Fenske, the Governor’s communications director. Evidence shows the department tried to steer the contract to a politically connected vendor, but its inspector general did not investigate the matter.
“Florida school district cancels professor’s civil rights lecture over critical race theory concerns” via Marc Caputo and Teaganne Finn of NBC News — A Florida school district canceled a professor’s civil rights history seminar for teachers, citing in part concerns over “critical race theory” — even though his lecture had nothing to do with the topic. J. Michael Butler, a history professor at Flagler College in St. Augustine, was scheduled to give a presentation Saturday to Osceola County School District teachers called “The Long Civil Rights Movement,” which postulates the civil rights movement preceded and postdated Martin Luther King Jr. by decades. He said he was shocked to learn why the seminar had been canceled through an email.
“Florida TaxWatch calls for major spending to bring broadband to unserved areas” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — The Florida Legislature should spend nearly a half-billion dollars to extend broadband internet service to areas that do not have it, Florida TaxWatch urged Monday. With the release of its report, “Closing the Digital Divide,” the fiscally conservative government watchdog and taxpayer research institute recommended the state appropriate $366 million of federal money available for broadband expansion grants, plus $100 million available from another federal program for utility poles. The group argues that officials should focus efforts on rural areas with no high-speed internet service. Florida TaxWatch’s report contends the Sunshine State’s economic gains from such investments would amount to billions of dollars. Besides that, the effort would help close the digital divide across Florida.
— CORONA FLORIDA —
“As DeSantis bashes feds’ monoclonal antibody ‘games,’ Democrats troubled by ‘snake oil’ push” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — DeSantis is continuing to criticize the federal government for “playing games” with the state’s monoclonal antibody therapy supply, but Democrats say the drug is a waste of resources. Florida opened additional monoclonal antibody treatment sites Tuesday after receiving shipments of the drug that had previously proven effective against treating COVID-19. But health officials say the versions created by Regeneron and Eli Lilly aren’t as effective against the omicron variant, leading the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to pause shipments late last year. HHS had also previously rationed the drug’s supply, drawing criticism from DeSantis. DeSantis said the federal government had been messing with the monoclonal antibody supply for months. “They’ve always been playing games on this,” DeSantis told reporters.
“Charlie Crist slams DeSantis’ COVID-19 response as ‘affordability’ tour heads to Orlando” via Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel — Crist called DeSantis’ proposed congressional redistricting maps “appalling” and said his COVID-19 response was “costing lives” in an interview. Crist, a member of Congress from St Petersburg, is launching a statewide tour this week to highlight affordability in Florida, including housing, wages, utilities and insurance. Crist cited the “exploding” rents and housing prices in the state, which reached record levels in 2021. Crist criticized DeSantis and the GOP-controlled Legislature for cutting in half the amount of money paid into the Sadowski Fund, the pot of money used to pay for affordable housing, to $209 million last year.
“Florida COVID-19 update: Highest seven-day average for deaths since November” via Michelle Marchante of the Miami Herald — Florida on Monday reported 44,010 COVID-19 cases and 426 new deaths to the CDC. The CDC backlogs cases and deaths for Florida on Mondays and Thursdays, when multiple days in the past had their totals changed. In August, Florida began reporting cases and deaths by the “case date” and “death date” rather than the date they were logged in to the system. Of the deaths added, about 98% occurred in the past 28 days and about 69% in the last two weeks. The state has added 130 deaths in the past seven days, the highest seven-day death average since Nov. 11. In the past seven days, the state has added 43,701 cases per day, on average.
AARP Florida: Nursing home resident, employee vaccination rate rising — AARP released updated data on vaccination rates on Monday, showing an uptick in the number of Florida nursing home residents and staff who have been vaccinated and received a booster shot. Overall, 31% of residents and 13% of staff had received boosters as of Dec. 19. That’s up 8% and 9%, respectively, though it is still significantly below the national average. “This new report shows that Florida’s nursing home residents and health care workers are taking steps to protect themselves with booster shots,” AARP Florida State Director Jeff Johnson said. “As the omicron variant continues to spread, we hope to see this positive booster trend increase in future reports. The data also shows other indicators, such as nursing home resident cases and deaths, decreased during this time period.”
— CORONA LOCAL —
“Tampa Bay reports drop in COVID-19 cases, nears 70% vaccination rate” via Kelly Hayes of Florida Politics — While cases of COVID-19 are continuing to spread at high levels across Tampa Bay, the area saw a drop in the number of new cases this past week. From Jan. 14 through Jan. 20, Hillsborough County reported 18,219 cases of COVID-19. That’s about 6,000 fewer cases than the county reported in the week prior when it saw 24,400 instances of COVID-19. Overall, case numbers are way up from mid-December, when the county reported just above 1,000 cases. Since the pandemic’s start, Hillsborough County has reported 333,254 cases of COVID-19. The high caseload seen in the past week was accompanied by a countywide positivity rate of 28.1%. For reference, a 10% positivity rate is considered the threshold for community spread by researchers. The week prior, the county saw a rate of 30.1%.
“Leon County’s COVID-19 cases fall, hospitalizations continue slow climb” via Christopher Cann and Mike Stucka of the USA Today Network — Florida — Leon County’s COVID-19 cases are beginning to fall; however, hospitalizations are continuing to climb at a slow pace. As of Monday morning, 160 people with COVID-19 were hospitalized in the capital city and county. Health workers at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare were treating 97, while Capital Regional Medical Center had 63 infected patients. There were 143 COVID-19-positive patients between Tallahassee’s two hospitals a week prior. Since the new year, there have been 17 COVID-19-related deaths in Tallahassee hospitals; eight in TMH and nine in CRMC. In December, TMH reported six deaths and CRMC reported four. On Monday, Leon County Schools reported 1,115 self-reported COVID-19 cases among students within the past 14 days. Last Tuesday, that number was 893.
“Lakeland Regional joins national study to see if ivermectin is effective against COVID-19” via Dustin Wyatt of The Lakeland Ledger — For much of the latter part of 2021, Polk County Commissioner Neil Combee pushed to make ivermectin more widely available to patients sick with COVID-19. Local health leaders pushed back against his messaging, saying the drug has adverse side effects, and that there isn’t enough evidence to prove it treats the virus. Now, the county’s largest hospital system is putting ivermectin to the test, administering the parasite drug to COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms as part of a nationwide study to determine its effectiveness. Lakeland Regional Health has joined a study led by the National Institutes of Health that officially launched in June and aims to enroll nearly 15,000 participants across the U.S.
“Man we call Blu is fighting for his life with COVID-19; It’s our turn to help him” via Chris Hays of the Orlando Sentinel — Football recruiting guru Larry Blustein is a friend to everyone and I’m lucky enough to be able to call him one of my closest friends in the business. COVID-19 has struck the 66-year-old Blustein. Something he wrote in December on his website reeks of foreshadowing. “Get vaccinated all you want, but COVID can still get into your system and make life horrible,” Blustein wrote, “ … Unfortunately, we are a society of nonbelievers who ignore what is being told to us — and it takes someone close getting sick to have reality hit home, and it happens — over and over.” For the record, he is fully vaccinated, but as he wrote, it seems the vaccinations deter little when it comes to this dreaded pandemic.
“UF tells students sick with COVID-19 to leave dorms, go home, prompting outrage,” via Danielle Ivanov of The Gainesville Sun — The policy itself is much the same as it was during the fall 2021 term, but now set in the context of the omicron variant, students and their families have been questioning the university’s decision to have COVID-19-positive students quarantine off campus while also not providing separate housing for the sick or guarantee online class accommodations for those who are infected.
—2022 —
“Democrats make surprising inroads in redistricting fight” via Nicholas Riccardi and Bobby Caina Calvan of The Associated Press — Democrats braced for disaster when state legislatures began redrawing congressional maps, fearing that Republican dominance of statehouses would tilt power away from them for the next decade. But as the redistricting process reaches its final stages, that anxiety is beginning to ease. For Democrats, the worst-case scenario of losing well over a dozen seats in the U.S. House appears unlikely to happen. After some aggressive map drawing of their own in states with Democratic legislatures, some Democrats predict the typical congressional district will shift from leaning to the right of the national vote to matching it, ending a distortion that gave the GOP a built-in advantage over the past five House elections. Republicans in some large states like Florida have yet to finalize proposed changes, giving the GOP a last-minute opportunity to seek an advantage.
“Marco Rubio endorsed by all but 12 Florida sheriffs for re-election bid” via Sam Sachs of WFLA — At an official campaign event for his 2022 re-election bid for U.S. Senate, Rubio was endorsed by 55 of Florida’s sheriffs. The event was one of two at the Hyatt Regency in Jacksonville, with a follow-up event helmed by DeSantis, who is also running for re-election in 2022. The Rubio campaign noted that the gathering of sheriffs who endorsed Sen. Rubio for his 2022 midterm campaign was bipartisan, notable during an increasingly polarized political landscape following the 2020 Presidential Election. All 10 sheriffs in Tampa Bay were present and endorsed Rubio at the Jacksonville event. From the 67 sheriffs in the state, endorsements did not come from Alachua, Broward, Franklin, Gadsden, Lafayette, Leon, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties.
Assignment editors — Crist launches a statewide tour announcing his Affordable Florida for All policy plan. News conference on Part I of Crist’s Affordable Florida for All plan, 9:30 a.m., Miami; solar energy tour of local small business, 11 a.m., Hollywood Beach; kitchen table conversation with seniors on affordability issues, 1 p.m., Delray Beach; Parents for Crist coalition roundtable, 6 p.m., Melbourne. RSVP to press@charliecrist.com for locations.
“Miami’s Mayor to national GOP: How can I help (raise money)?” via Bryan Lowry, Joey Flechas, and Bianca Padró-Ocasio of the Miami Herald — Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who has previously said he wouldn’t disqualify a run for President in 2024, says he’s ready to help his Party fundraise to retake the U.S. House and Senate. During a visit to Washington for the annual U.S. Conference of Mayors, Suarez said he’s planning to be more involved with the Republican Party in the run-up to the 2022 midterm elections, and likely ahead of the 2024 presidential race. Suarez is a registered Republican who holds a nonpartisan office and often talks about bipartisan cooperation. “Yeah, 100%,” Suarez replied when asked about his involvement with GOP fundraising efforts. Suarez, who has spent most of the pandemic selling cryptocurrency investors and Silicon Valley billionaires on moving to Miami, has made an impression on some national Republicans.
— CORONA NATION —
“Joe Biden’s pandemic fight: Inside the setbacks of the first year” via Michael D. Shear, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Sharon LaFraniere and Noah Weiland of The New York Times — Biden and his team have gotten much right, including getting at least one dose of a vaccine into nearly 85% of Americans 12 and older and rolling out lifesaving treatments. Those achievements have put the United States in a far better place to combat the virus than it was a year ago. The White House bet the pandemic would follow a straight line, and was unprepared for the sharp turns it took. The administration lacked a sustained focus on testing. The President tiptoed around an organized Republican revolt over masks, mandates, vaccine passports and even the vaccine itself.
“New studies show a booster dose is essential. Our policies should change accordingly.” via Leana S. Wen of The Washington Post — The CDC released a trio of studies on Friday that erases any doubt that boosters are needed for optimal protection against COVID-19. When science changes, policy should adapt accordingly. In this case, the same national effort used to deploy initial vaccinations should now occur for boosters. One study found that during the omicron surge, a booster dose was 90% effective at preventing hospitalization, compared with just 57% for those who had received two shots and were at least 180 days, or about six months, out from the second dose. Two other studies looked at the likelihood of contracting COVID-19. Both found that rates of the coronavirus were lowest among people who were vaccinated and boosted. This new research adds to evidence that boosters are essential to controlling COVID-19.
“FDA expected to sharply restrict use of two monoclonal antibodies, spurring a halt in federal shipments of the COVID-19 treatments” via Laurie McGinley of The Washington Post — The FDA is poised as soon as Monday to restrict two monoclonal antibodies, saying the COVID-19 treatments should not be employed in any states because they are ineffective against the dominant omicron variant. As a result, the Biden administration will pause the distribution of the therapies, manufactured by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly, to the states. “We want to make sure that patients get treatments that are effective, not treatments that don’t work,” said one of the officials. The FDA action will involve revising the emergency use authorizations for the monoclonal antibodies. The agency will not revoke the authorizations in case the treatments become useful against a future coronavirus variant.
“Proposals by California officials move to treat the coronavirus as endemic.” via Shawn Hubler of The New York Times — As health experts warn that COVID-19 will remain a fixture of life after the current surge passes, a group of California legislators rolled out the latest in a package of proposals aimed at coping with the coronavirus long-term. In a measure that would treat the virus like measles and whooping cough, the lawmakers said they would seek to eliminate an exemption for “personal belief” from a new mandate that schoolchildren receive coronavirus vaccinations. Additional proposals for the workplace and consumer protections and countering vaccine disinformation are expected in the coming weeks. The proposals are part of a push not only to drive down infections and strengthen the state’s aggressive health protections but also to set the stage for a future in which the virus becomes a manageable risk.
— CORONA ECONOMICS —
“Vaccine bonuses, aid to businesses and … a golf course? Cities and states put $350 billion stimulus windfall to widely varied use.” via Tony Romm of The Washington Post — More than 160 sprawling golf courses already dot the area around Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, a sunny hub for the sport that serves as a home base for the country’s professional league. But the 115-acre, 18-hole expanse that could soon become the city’s next outpost is slated to have a key feature that sets it apart from the rest: Its construction is set to benefit from more than $2 million in federal coronavirus aid. The spending in Florida counts among thousands of new investments nationwide, as cities and states look to spend their portions of a generous, $350 billion stimulus initiative. Federal officials have conceded they have only so much power to tell local governments how to spend their cash, a limitation that has been on display nationwide.
“Cash aid to poor mothers increases brain activity in babies, study finds” via Jason DeParle of The New York Times — A study that provided poor mothers with cash stipends for the first year of their children’s lives appears to have changed the babies’ brain activity in ways associated with stronger cognitive development, a finding with potential implications for safety net policy. The differences were modest and it remains to be seen if changes in brain patterns will translate to higher skills, as other research offers reason to expect. Still, evidence that a single year of subsidies could alter something as profound as brain functioning highlights the role that money may play in child development and comes as Biden is pushing for a much larger program of subsidies for families with children. Evidence abounds that poor children on average start school with weaker cognitive skills, and neuroscientists have shown that the differences extend to brain structure and function.
— MORE CORONA —
“Lab study shows omicron-blocking antibodies persist four months after a Pfizer-BioNTech booster” via Carolyn Y. Johnson of The Washington Post — Virus-fighting antibodies capable of blocking the omicron variant persist four months after a third shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, according to a new study. The study gives the first hint about the durability of coronavirus vaccine protection, with a key line of immune defense remaining intact. The study has not yet been peer-reviewed and will need to be replicated and extended to a longer period. The study suggests a fourth shot may not be needed right away, a question that has caused anxiety for people wondering if and when they would need to get another booster.
“COVID-19 patient dies at a hospital weeks after his wife sued another to keep him on a ventilator” via Brittany Shammas, Paulina Firozi and Hannah Knowles of The Washington Post — Scott Quiner, a Minnesota man whose wife sued over a hospital’s plan to take him off a ventilator months after he was diagnosed with COVID-19, died Saturday. He was 55. Quiner died at the Houston hospital where he was flown for care during the legal battle, according to Marjorie Holsten, an attorney for the family. Holsten said he remained on a ventilator at the time, but she declined to identify the facility or provide additional details on the circumstances of his death. Quiner was not vaccinated when he contracted the virus on Oct. 30. On Jan. 11, doctors told Quiner’s wife, Anne, that they wanted to take him off the ventilator, she said in court records. She said she strongly objected as his medical representative. It’s unclear why Mercy Hospital wanted to take that step.
— PRESIDENTIAL —
“Biden may not find it so hard to turn the corner” via Jennifer Rubin of The Washington Post — For weeks, we have witnessed unremittingly negative media coverage of Biden. At a speech Friday, Biden spent the lion’s share of his time on an undeniable win and a solid policy achievement: his infrastructure legislation. Biden stressed the American Rescue Plan had “a lot of money in that to keep those schools open.” While he hasn’t gotten Build Back Better, the policy achievements in the ARP and the infrastructure legislation are substantial. After months of virtual silence, the President is talking about it. Biden listed components such as child care subsidies, universal pre-K, clean energy and the child tax credit. Biden spent nearly as much time talking up the funding mechanism, which is actually among the most popular aspects of the bill.
“‘Stupid son of a …’: Biden makes plain his opinion of Fox reporter’s question” via Myah Ward of POLITICO — President Biden on Monday called a reporter a “stupid son of a bitch” after he was asked whether inflation was a “political liability in the midterms.” It wasn’t just any reporter. It was Fox News’ Peter Doocy, the network’s rising star who is known for needling the President and for his clashes with White House press secretary Jen Psaki during daily briefings. It didn’t seem as if Biden was speaking directly to Doocy, though it’s unclear whether the moment was a hot-mic mistake or meant for the room to hear. It didn’t take long for Fox to blast the exchange: “Biden blows up at Peter Doocy,” the chyron read.
“‘It’s nothing personal, Pal’: Biden phones Peter Doocy after calling him a ‘stupid son of a b*tch’” via Michael Luciano of Mediaite.com — Doocy appeared on Hannity later that night to describe a phone call he had with the President shortly after the incident. “Did he apologize?” host Sean Hannity asked. “He cleared the air,” Doocy replied. “And I appreciate it. We had a nice call.” “Hannity laughed and said, “That’s not an answer. Did he apologize?” “He said, ‘It’s nothing personal, pal.’ And I told him I appreciated him reaching out. Hey, Sean, the world is on the brink of like World War III right now, with all the stuff going on. I appreciate that the President took a couple minutes out as evening as he was still at the desk to give me a call and clear the air.” Hannity said, “At least he called you ‘pal.’”
— D.C. MATTERS —
Assignment editors — U.S. Sen. Rick Scott will join the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and local officials for a news conference on Florida’s environment and the Everglades, 10:15 a.m., U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Florida Operations Office, 525 Ridgelawn Rd., Clewiston. RSVP to press@rickscott.senate.gov to attend.
“Vern Buchanan plans to use new subcommittee post to focus on Medicare, telehealth” via Kevin Derby of Florida Daily — Now the top Republican to lead the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee’s Health Subcommittee, U.S. Rep. Buchanan weighed in on what he wants to do in his new post. Buchanan took over the new assignment on Wednesday. Buchanan plans to “focus on a patient-oriented system that would encourage innovation and increase personalized health care choices” and to “work to save and strengthen Medicare, continue to grow the use of telehealth services to improve access and affordability and prioritize preventive care.” U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, the top Republican on the Ways and Means Committee who is retiring this year, said Buchanan will do well in his new post.
“September retrial scheduled for ex-U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown to face fraud, tax charges” via Steve Patterson of The Florida Times-Union — Brown’s repeat trial on fraud and tax charges will start Sept. 12, a federal judge has decided after asking how much preparation time defense lawyers need. Brown, a Jacksonville Democrat who spent 24 years in Congress, was convicted in 2017 on 18 counts that included conspiracy and mail and wire fraud charges involving money pulled from a sham charity. She is awaiting trial again because the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals said in May that Corrigan should not have dismissed a juror from deliberations who said “the Holy Spirit” told him Brown was innocent. The appellate judges sent the case back to U.S. District Court, where prosecutors offered a deal that Brown rejected, teeing the case up to go to another jury.
— CRISIS —
“A social media influencer behind the #WalkAway movement got home detention for his role in the Capitol riot” via C. Ryan Barber of Business Insider — A social media influencer who spoke at a pro-Donald Trump rally the day before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, was sentenced Monday to three months of home detention after pleading guilty to a disorderly conduct charge stemming from his participation in last year’s deadly attack on the Capitol. Brandon Straka, a onetime New York City hairstylist, admitted in October that he joined the pro-Trump mob and encouraged rioters on Jan. 6 as they forced their way inside the Capitol. In a video he recorded, Straka could be heard yelling, “go, go, go” as the mob advanced into the Capitol, and he said, “take it, take it,” as Trump supporters wrested a riot shield away from a police officer.
“Bernie Kerik told Jan. 6 panel that former Army colonel came up with idea to seize voting machines” via Betsy Woodruff Swan of POLITICO — A former member of Trump’s legal team told the Jan. 6 committee that former Army colonel Phil Waldron first came up with the idea of Trump issuing an executive order to seize voting machines. Earlier this month, Kerik, who worked with Rudy Giuliani on Trump’s legal efforts to find evidence of voter fraud, told the select committee that Waldron originated the scheme, which would almost certainly have been illegal. In his voluntary interview with the committee, Kerik also called the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol “counterproductive.” Kerik indicated that the riot eliminated any hope he and his team had of getting government authorities to take their fraud allegations seriously.
“Capitol Police examines backgrounds, social media feeds of some who meet with lawmakers” via Betsy Woodruff Swan and Daniel Lippman of POLITICO — After the Jan. 6 insurrection, the Capitol Police’s intelligence unit quietly started scrutinizing the backgrounds of people who meet with lawmakers. However, examining the social media feeds of people who aren’t suspected of crimes is a controversial move for law enforcement and intelligence officials, given the civil liberties concerns it raises. The Capitol Police, in a statement, defended the practice of searching for public information about people meeting with lawmakers and said the department coordinates the work with members’ offices.
— EPILOGUE TRUMP —
“How Donald Trump’s flirtation with an anti-insurrection law inspired Jan. 6 insurrection” via Devlin Barrett and Spencer S. Hsu of The Washington Post — Within days of Trump’s election defeat, Stewart Rhodes began talking about the Insurrection Act as critical to the country’s future. Invoking the Insurrection Act was an idea sparked in conservative circles that spring as a means of subduing social justice protests and related rioting, a goal Trump seemed to embrace when he called for state leaders to “dominate” their streets. By the end of the year, it had become a rallying cry to cancel the results of a presidential election. Now, private and public discussions of the law stand as key evidence in the cases against the Oath Keepers. Rhodes was charged with seditious conspiracy, accused along with 10 members of his group of conspiring to use violence to try to stop Biden’s certification.
“Trump’s team is directing allies to a Jan. 6 legal defense fund” via Gabby Orr and Annie Grayer of CNN — Trump‘s team has been involved in discussions about a legal-defense fund created to support aides targeted by the House panel investigating Jan. 6. While declining to use his own war chest to cover the sky-high legal bills that some of his current and former aides are facing, Trump’s team has instead been working with American Conservative Union Chair Matt Schlapp to determine which individuals subpoenaed by the select committee should receive help from Schlapp’s “First Amendment Fund,” which is run by the ACU’s nonprofit arm. “We are certainly not going to assist anyone who agrees with the mission of the committee and is aiding and abetting the committee,” Schlapp said. He noted that the fund withholds “the right to make decisions over whether someone gets assistance or doesn’t.”
“Moderate non- Trump Republican Governors are disappearing from the political landscape” via Alex Seitz-Wald of NBC News — Trump is stepping up his involvement in gubernatorial primaries, looking to make examples of critics in his own Party and elevate allies ahead of a potential 2024 Presidential run, just as some of those elected before the former President’s takeover of the GOP are hitting their term limits. Critics say that the result could be unelectable candidates in otherwise winnable races and the purging of some of the few Republican elected leaders who didn’t need to depend on Trump’s base. Conservatives, however, point out that the popularity of moderate Republican Governors is often driven by Democrats and independents. Conservatives say it’s about time their values are represented.
“Trump followers zero in on Secretary of State campaigns” via Zach Montellaro of POLITICO — Having failed to prevent certification of the 2020 election, Trump and his followers are targeting state and local offices that will be involved in running the next presidential election, boosting loyalists who cast doubt on the 2020 vote and pouring energy into races that typically see little engagement. Secretary of State duties vary from place to place but can include coordinating election policy across their states, investigating wrongdoing and certifying the final vote counts in state elections, once-invisible responsibilities that have gained prominence since the attempts to subvert the 2020 election. Democrats say they are watching races including Minnesota, Colorado and even Washington state as part of a more expansive battlefield of Secretary of State races.
“DeSantis knows the formula to defeat Trump” via Rich Lowry of National Review — Trump-DeSantis storyline is inherently alluring, considering the chances of a collision between two men who have been allies and the possibility of the subordinate in the relationship, DeSantis, eclipsing the figure who helped to elevate him into what he is today. Whether that ever happens is unknowable, yet the spat is revealing nonetheless: Some version of what DeSantis represents has the greatest odds of coaxing the Party away from Trump and forging a new political synthesis that bears the unmistakable stamp of Trump while jettisoning his flaws.
—LOCAL NOTES —
“Rodney Barreto drops bids for Coral Gables Country Club and Burger Bob’s, blaming ‘malcontents’” via Aaron Liebowitz of the Miami Herald — Barreto, an influential lobbyist and businessman, has withdrawn his controversial bids to lease and operate both taxpayer-owned Coral Gables Country Club and beloved burger joint Burger Bob’s, blaming a “coordinated, vitriolic, and persistent campaign of misinformation” in a letter to the city. “It would be imprudent for us to commit to investing over [$5 million] in places where we are not welcome,” Barreto wrote Friday to Zeida Sardiñas, asset manager for Coral Gables’ Economic Development Department. Barreto’s decision is a partial victory for activists who have rallied to keep the country club in the hands of its current operator, Liberty Entertainment Group and CEO Nick Di Donato. As of Monday, over 3,200 people had signed an online petition to preserve the country club as “a place that is accessible for ALL residents — not just the elite.”
“Will Florida City voters give their Mayor a 38th year in office? Election is getting heated” via Samantha J. Gross and David Goodhue of the Miami Herald — On Tuesday, voters in Miami-Dade County’s southernmost municipality will return to the polls to do something they’ve done every few years over the last four decades: decide whether Otis Wallace should remain Florida City’s all-powerful Mayor. First elected in 1984 at the age of 32, Wallace, now 71, is seeking another four-year term as the city’s top elected official and administrator. In an interview, Wallace told the Herald this would be his final campaign for Mayor. “My reason for running this time — and this is the last time I will run for Florida City — is that I am in the middle of a whole lot of unfinished business,” Wallace said. “My focus for voters is to bring value back to the city in the form of outside resources.”
“Judge rules Parkland shooter’s Instagram photos may be shown to jury” via Eileen Kelley of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Nikolas Cruz had no expectation of privacy when he posted disturbing photos to his Instagram account before committing a massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, a judge ruled Monday. The photos can be shown to the jury in the trial’s penalty phase next month, when jurors will decide whether he should be sentenced to death. Cruz’s public defender Nawal Bashimam tried to persuade Judge Elizabeth Scherer that Cruz had an expectation of privacy. The judge didn’t buy the argument, saying Cruz’s accounts were public, to begin with, in 2018. Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty last October to 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted premeditated murder in the 2018 attack on the Parkland school.
“Orange County prepares sales-tax-hike pitch to pay for road improvements, SunRail, Lynx” via Stephen Hudak of the Orlando Sentinel — In April 2020, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings called off his 11-month campaign to raise the county sales tax by a penny, an increase he described as critical for improving the region’s deficient transportation network. But Tuesday, Demings is expected to renew the surtax campaign at a County Commission meeting. Orange County’s sales tax is 6.5%, lower than comparably sized Hillsborough County, which levies an 8.5% sales tax, the highest in the state. Demings provided no details ahead of Tuesday’s meeting and staff PowerPoint presentations are not made available to the public until the board sees them. He must persuade the board to put the referendum on the November ballot — and then convince county voters to approve it.
“Volusia remains world shark bite capital as Florida attacks up in 2021” via Joe Mario Pedersen of the Orlando Sentinel — Florida is once again the shark bite capital of the world as numbers jumped globally after three years of declines, according to the annual update from the International Shark Attack File. The group released its annual report this month and found 73 documented attacks last year, a stark contrast from 2020′s total of 52. Numbers don’t appear to be jumping the shark. Rather, experts say the 2021 number aligns with the five-year global average of 72 annually. International fatalities also saw an increase with 11 deaths reported. 2020 saw 10 deaths, which was unusually high given the year’s low shark bite count. The increase in attacks and fatal incidents is surprising for experts, but not a cause for concern as overall short-term trends of both counts are still decreasing.
— TOP OPINION —
“The DeSantis — Trump tensions will lead to a test of strength” via Dan McLaughlin of National Review — Reporters and pundits have been busy lately trying to incite a fight between DeSantis and Trump. For now, officially, there is no feud. DeSantis is wise enough to want no such thing and has said so publicly. He has his own 2022 re-election bid to secure before he turns to national matters, and a breach with Trump would dent his ability to roll up a convincing up-and-down-the-ticket victory. Even if DeSantis is contemplating a frontal assault on Mount Trump, there is no reason for him to begin the ascent until after the midterms. Trump has his own incentives to avoid a public spat for now. He, too, would like to claim credit for 2022 victories, which are more easily earned with a united front. While Trump has not always put party interests above his own, he understands that he is more powerful when elected Republicans see him helping the team.
— OPINIONS —
“The ‘Havana syndrome’ is still a mystery. It is too soon to stop investigating.” via The Washington Post editorial board — The CIA’s interim finding that a single global power is probably not carrying out attacks on U.S. intelligence and diplomatic officials abroad is hardly the last word. The intelligence community must continue to hunt for who or what is behind it, and the Biden administration must show compassion to a large cohort of government employees in distress. A senior CIA official has announced, “We have assessed that it is unlikely that a foreign actor, including Russia, is conducting a sustained, worldwide campaign harming U.S. personnel with a weapon or mechanism.” This statement does not exclude the possibility that lesser actors, perhaps subcontracted, are responsible for the attacks, nor does it rule out that multiple sources are to blame.
“Stupid legislator tricks: Mendacity, malevolence, monkey business at Florida’s Capitol” via Diane Roberts of Florida Phoenix — The legislative session is only two weeks old and the reliably witless Sen. Gruters is moving a bill to fine professional sports teams if they don’t play the national anthem. Wait, you say, aren’t the Heat and the Magic, the Bucs and the Jaguars, the Rays and the Marlins and the rest of the millionaire menagerie already playing the national anthem? In other pressing legislative news, elected representatives are debating whether strawberry shortcake should become the state dessert. Your tax dollars at work, people. Of course, there’s a sound argument to be made that it’s better they occupy themselves with this sort of nonsense than carry on enacting our thug Governor’s agenda.
“Palm Beach County Commission must reject land swap to protect Ag Reserve” via The Palm Beach Post editorial board — It was a tough call, but the Palm Beach County Planning Commission got it right when it recently denied a land-swap, proposed by GL Homes, that would have transformed a section of the Agricultural Reserve into houses. The matter will now come before the County Commission, which should follow the planning board lead. The board had justification for its 9-4 recommendation that County Commissioners reject GL Homes’ long-sought land swap that would allow the development of high-end homes along State Road 7. Approval would set a precedent that the Ag Reserve could not overcome, while many questions remain about the impact further development might have on a part of the county that most taxpayers believe is supposed to be protected.
“The solution to a labor shortage is more workers” via Bob Boyd for the Fort Myers News-Press — Across all sectors of Florida’s economy, workers are in high demand. Florida’s independent colleges and universities, with the support of the EASE voucher, can help fulfill that need. Students in Florida are able to attend independent colleges and universities with the help of the EASE voucher. EASE stands for Effective Access to Student Education, and this voucher gives students access to earn a degree and the option to choose the school that is right for them. EASE creates more than 21,000 jobs per year, generates $282 million in tax revenue and contributes $3.5 billion in annual economic impact. In simple terms, for every dollar the state spends on EASE, Floridians get 2.5 times the return. To fulfill our state’s workforce needs, the Florida Legislature must maintain and fully fund the EASE program.
— TODAY’S SUNRISE —
Florida Democrats broke the internet with Zoom news conferences talking about everything from the way minorities are fitting into redistricting maps to abortion rights.
Also on today’s Sunrise:
— A Florida legislator tells her own story about a fetal abnormality in pregnancy and how a 15-week limit might have changed that story.
— Democrats are raising questions about the state Surgeon General’s resume.
— And a preview of tonight’s “Red Dog, Blue Dog” event.
To listen, click on the image below:
— ALOE —
“The Batman’s massive run time could have been even longer” via Eammon Jacobs of Looper — “The Batman” has had a difficult journey to the big screen. Despite the delays, fans have kept the faith, no doubt buoyed by the impressive trailers for the film. “The Batman” sees the Dark Knight in his second year of crime-fighting as he tackles institutional corruption, while also grappling with the Riddler’s chaotic plans for the city. It isn’t so surprising, then, that the film is two hours and 55 minutes long — including credits — since the story will clearly have a lot of moving parts. But a new report suggests that the massive run time of “The Batman” could have been even longer. The studio tested a four-hour-long cut of “The Batman.”
“‘The Batman’ offers a more extensive look at its funeral scene” via Jeff Yeung of Hypebeast — With The Batman inching ever closer, Warner Bros. and DC Comics have been releasing myriad trailers for the upcoming reboot of the Dark Knight, but now a fan has discovered the first full clip from the upcoming film revolving around the funeral scene that has appeared in previous teasers. The almost three-minute clip was found by YouTuber Mario Z in the form of an ad when browsing the Internet and follows Robert Pattinson‘s Bruce Wayne as he attends the funeral of a fallen Gotham City law enforcement officer or some form of government official. As he settles down, Jeffrey Wright’s Detective Gordon can be heard speaking to another policeman about the disappearance of one of his colleagues before a car suddenly comes crashing through the pews of the church. The missing person then steps out of the vehicle with a bomb locked around his neck and a message to the Batman.
To watch the new trailer, click on the image below:
“SpaceX Dragon splashes down off Florida coast with more than 2 tons of cargo” via Richard Tribou of the Orlando Sentinel — A microscope left Earth in the early months of Barack Obama’s first term, circled the Earth about 75,000 times, and came back home on Monday. The Light Microscopy Module was among more than 4,900 pounds of science and other cargo that splashed down in a SpaceX Dragon capsule off the coast of the Florida Panhandle. It marks the completion of the 24th contracted cargo resupply mission for SpaceX, which launches several times a year onboard Falcon 9 rockets from the Space Coast. Science from the spacecraft will be transported to Kennedy Space Center by helicopter while the Dragon makes its way by SpaceX recovery ship Go Searcher to Port Canaveral.
“World’s largest surfing park in Florida a step closer to reality” via Tiffini Theisen of the Orlando Sentinel — Want to ride the waves without risking shark encounters or sand in your suit? Florida may get what’s being touted as the world’s largest surfing park, Wavegarden. It’s envisioned as the signature feature surrounded by a massive live-work community in the Treasure Coast that includes 600 hotel rooms, 1,000 residences, and 650,000 square feet of commercial space. The Willow Lakes Resort Village community would rise on 200 acres in Fort Pierce, just off Interstate 95 and about 8 miles inland. Plans for Wavegarden show an enormous swimming pool-like area “that creates up to 1,000 waves an hour and can accommodate around 100 surfers at a time” with a variety of wave shapes for all levels, a promotional video depicts.
What Kevin Sweeny is telling me to read — “Study reveals impact 10 minutes of exercise can have on adults over 40” via CNN — Could you find 10 minutes in your day to increase your physical activity? It might be life-saving. More than 110,000 US deaths could be prevented each year if adults over 40 added 10 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity to their normal routines. The study noted that an increase of 20 or 30 minutes could lead to even more lives saved. “We know exercise is good for us. This study provides additional evidence of the benefits at the population level: if all adults in the United States (over age 40) were to exercise just a bit more each day, a large number of deaths could be prevented each year,” said Pedro Saint-Maurice, the study’s first author. Walking outside or on a treadmill is one of the best and simplest ways to bring consistent physical activity into your life.
— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —
Celebrating today are Sen. Bean, Sean Cooley, our great friend Gus Corbella of Greenberg Traurig, Beth Kennedy, Adam Ross, and Austin Stowers, Legislative Affairs Director to CFO Patronis.
___
Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Daniel Dean, Renzo Downey, Jacob Ogles, and Drew Wilson.
5.) MORNING BREW
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12.) THE FLIP SIDE
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13.) AXIOS
Axios AM
Good Tuesday morning. Smart Brevity™ count: 1,183 words … 4½ minutes. Edited by Zachary Basu.
🚨📚 How to Smart Brevity® … The secrets of Smart Brevity — the signature Axios style of efficient, effective communication — are coming to your favorite bookseller this fall. (Preorders start in March.)
- We’re jazzed about working with the top-shelf team at Workman Publishing on Smart Brevity: Write Less. Say More. Be Heard.
Why it matters: The book — by Axios co-founders Jim VandeHei, Roy Schwartz and Mike Allen + the Axios newsroom — will show you how to use Smart Brevity to win the war for attention in email, newsletters, presentations, speeches, meetings — and in life outside work.
The political internet rewards polarization over power:
- Online attention favors the loud, not the leaders, Axios’ Neal Rothschild and Sara Fischer write from exclusive NewsWhip data.
Why it matters: Online engagement helps politicians build bigger national profiles and more fundraising power, incentivizing them to be more outrageous and divisive.
Topping the list are lightning rods from each party — politicians who fire up their base while providing ammunition for the other party.
- Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) generate the most social-media interactions (likes, comments, shares) per article — a measure of how much their names light up the internet.
The most powerful newsmakers aren’t the buzziest:
- President Biden ranks lowest on interactions per article among 23 well-known, active politicians Axios analyzed — above only Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
🤯 Mind blown: Moderate Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of Arizona and Kyrsten Sinema of West Virginia — who stood in the way of Biden’s $2 trillion spending plan and became villains of the left — are near the bottom of the list, just above the president.
Between the lines: The politicians who drive the highest average interactions are more often discussed by critics than their fans.
- Nine of the 10 top stories about Ocasio-Cortez from last year were from right-wing outlets. Just two of the top stories about Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) were from the right, per NewsWhip data.
- Share this story.
🔥 Hot spots: See an Axios table of 19 hyperpartisan House seats that are open in the midterms .
Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios
With bellwether tech stocks down 10%+ since the New Year, the industry is once again debating whether it faces a “big one” — a financial earthquake that will end a two-decade run of spectacular growth.
- But tech’s giants know they’ll come out on top regardless, Axios managing editor Scott Rosenberg writes.
💡 Here’s why: Each of the tech giants is sitting on an enviable hoard of cash — tens or hundreds of billions of dollars — that they can use to buy whatever’s left of value in the rubble of a crash.
- Antitrust and regulatory efforts will have less traction if a down market leads to recession. More candidates and lawmakers could become boosters of business in the name of economic recovery.
Zoom out: Wall Street took a rollercoaster ride yesterday, with major indices dropping as much as 4% before closing a bit up.
- That followed weeks of woe for investors in many tech stocks, including industry leader Netflix and trendy high-flier Peloton.
- 🔮 Axios’ Dan Primack called a market top in startup investments at the end of last week.
Of course, Big Tech firms would pay a price in a stock collapse.
- Declining share value and underwater stock option prices make it harder to recruit and retain talented engineers and managers.
- The bigger price will be paid by smaller firms with less cushion.
Two new Biden administration drives — mailing at-home COVID-19 tests to those who ask, and offering free N-95 masks — are hugely popular, each backed by 84% of Americans in a new installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.
- But people who may need those tools most — the unvaccinated — are less likely to take advantage of the offerings, Axios managing editor Margaret Talev writes.
👀 44% of U.S. adults surveyed said they’d already ordered free tests through the government portal.
- That included half of vaccinated respondents — but just one in five unvaccinated people.
Miami Beach reopened world-famous Ocean Drive to one lane of southbound traffic yesterday, nearly two years after it was closed to expand outdoor dining and give the public more space during COVID.
- A new two-way bike lane replaces parking spaces on the east side.
Officials wait to validate Olympic accreditation for people arriving at Beijing Capital International Airport yesterday. Photo: Carl Court/Getty Images
Ian Bremmer‘s Eurasia Group today debuts a China COVID-19 Containment Disruption Index (CDI), tracking the economic effects of Beijing’s zero-tolerance approach to COVID.
- Why it matters: Containment is sharpening “nationalism in the domestic discourse, particularly online,” Bremmer tells me. “Nationalist netizens feel compelled to defend China against criticism of its policies, even (especially) domestic critics.”
“China’s leadership has incentives to lean into this mood to rally the population around Xi amid a difficult period,” Bremmer adds.
- 🥊 “This is one of the factors behind the growing pressure that foreign firms in China face from criticism on social media and state media.”
Go deeper: Eurasia Group’s Top Risks 2022.”
Omicron infections are trending down nationally — but the number of deaths is as high now as it was during the summer’s Delta wave, Axios’ Bob Herman writes.
- Why it matters: Although vaccines have been available for roughly a year, more than 2,000 people are dying from COVID in the U.S. every day right now. That number has been rising for the past week, according to the latest seven-day rolling averages.
Roughly three out of four deaths are people who are 65 or older, according to the CDC.
- Unvaccinated people are 100 times more likely to die from COVID than those with three doses of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna).
United Van Lines’ annual index shows the top inbound states for moves in 2021 were South Dakota, South Carolina, West Virginia and Florida.
- Why it matters: Lower density states were the winners, Alissa Widman Neese writes for Axios Columbus. Nine of the top 10 “outbound” states are considered densely populated.
New Jersey was the top outbound state for the fourth year running.
- Other exodus leaders: Illinois, New York, Connecticut and California.
The ski industry has invested millions of dollars in more efficient snowmaking systems amid questions about whether the practice is a wise use of energy and water, AP reports.
- Why it matters: Snowpack in the U.S. West has decreased about 20% in the last century, making machine-made snow more vital each year.
What’s happening: Some resorts have dug storage ponds to collect water in the spring. A few are eying the use of reclaimed wastewater.
- Vail’s modern snow guns automatically shut down when the weather gets too warm. Older technology required workers to monitor the temperature and manually turn off the system.
Above: “The Melted Gondola,” an art piece, sits atop the Aspen Mountain ski area in Colorado to promote action on climate change.
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14.) THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
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15.) THE WASHINGTON POST MORNING HEADLINES
16.) THE WASHINGTON TIMES
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17.) THE WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
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18.) ASSOCIATED PRESS
19.) FORT MYERS (FLORIDA) NEWS-PRESS
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20.) CHICAGO TRIBUNE
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21.) CHICAGO SUNTIMES
Chicago’s top cop vows sweeping response to killing of 8-year-old girl
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22.) THE HILL MORNING REPORT
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23.) THE HILL 12:30 REPORT
24.) ROLL CALL
25.) POLITICO PLAYBOOK
POLITICO Playbook: Schumer strategy leaves some Dems seething
DRIVING THE DAY
Frustration with CHUCK SCHUMER’s leadership strategy is privately simmering among some Hill Democrats.
We talked to a half-dozen senior Democratic staffers in both chambers Monday night and heard a variation of the same complaint from each of them: that Schumer’s ploy to isolate Sens. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) and KYRSTEN SINEMA (D-Ariz.) on Build Back Better and then voting rights has only set the party back in achieving its goals.
Manchin remains furious at how he’s been treated and has yet to return to the negotiating table on BBB. Sinema, meanwhile, was censured by her state party over the weekend, and there’s growing talk of her facing a primary in 2024 — in the type of state Democrats have to win to have any hope of controlling the Senate.
One aide pointed out that Schumer is majority leader only because both senators ran centrist campaigns and won. Another argued that it’s the job of any majority leader to protect every member of the caucus. All were particularly stunned by Schumer’s refusal last week to say that Manchin and Sinema should not be primaried. The comment, they said, effectively gave progressives permission to start talking about mounting Democratic campaigns to defeat them.
All of the aides spoke on condition of anonymity, given the sensitivities of criticizing the Senate leader.
“Leadership 101 is even if you don’t get someone today, you’re going to need them tomorrow,” said a senior House Democratic aide. “The level of malpractice is stunning. BBB is a once-in-a-10-year opportunity, and we fucked it up.”
ANOTHER SOURCE OF FRUSTRATION: Schumer’s willingness to hold floor votes that he knew would fail — exposing party divisions — as he did last week during the debate on voting rights and the filibuster. The strategy resulted in a slew of negative headlines reminding the base that the party hasn’t delivered on a core promise.
Republicans, meanwhile, skirted any pressure over their opposition, another senior Democratic Senate staffer noted, as Democrats zeroed in on Sinema and Manchin instead: “The Republicans had a fine week last week … There was no contrast with Republicans. And it was a result of the fact that our party leader chose not to be the leader of the entire caucus.”
The impact isn’t just on those two, however. A former longtime Senate staffer following Schumer’s strategy closely noted that last week’s vote also exposes vulnerable senators up for reelection in 2022. Sen. MARK KELLY (D-Ariz.), for example, will almost certainly be compared with Sinema and attacked by Republicans as a party pawn for backing an end run around the filibuster.
Other leaders from both parties have taken a starkly different approach. Speaker NANCY PELOSI is famous for saying she never brings a bill to the House floor that will fail. She’s also argued numerous times that the party should lay off Manchin and Sinema, defending the pair in a press conference last week just after Schumer refused to disavow primary challenges to the two.
Likewise, Senate Minority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL has not only tried to avoid allowing votes that would divide his conference, but also defended Republican moderates from attacks from the right. When former President DONALD TRUMP came after Sen. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-Alaska) for voting present on Supreme Court Justice BRETT KAVANAUGH’s nomination, McConnell defended her. When Trump demanded revenge for Sen. MITT ROMNEY’s (R-Utah) impeachment vote, McConnell refused to oblige, saying he needed the senator for important votes down the line.
THE SCHUMER DEFENSE: In interviews last week with POLITICO and other outlets, the Democratic leader said he had a moral obligation to hold a vote on voting rights because the issue is central to democracy. He predicted the intra-party damage of not doing so would have far outweighed the divisions he exposed.
“There was overwhelming, strong and vocal support throughout our caucus to hold the vote,” a source close to Schumer said.
But Democrats we spoke with said there were other ways of handling the issue short of staging a losing vote that antagonized two senators he’s probably going to need to get anything else done. Some speculated that his leadership strategy has been driven more by his own personal political ambitions.
“It’s seemed clear for a while that the strategy Schumer is running has to do more with his fear of getting primaried than it did with actually achieving anything with the caucus he has or with protecting or expanding the majority,” said one senior Senate Democratic aide.
WILL THE STRATEGY CHANGE GOING FORWARD? Schumer promised around Christmas to force an up-or-down vote on BBB “very early in the new year” to put everyone on record. Notably he hasn’t followed through so far, and all of these sources hope he doesn’t. In the meantime, Democrats are praying that Manchin cools down and re-engages on the party’s social spending plan. But Schumer, these people all agree, hasn’t made that process any easier.
Good Tuesday morning, and thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri.
THE LATEST ON UKRAINE — The U.S. on Monday ordered 8,500 troops be put on heightened alert for deployment to Europe, while NATO said “it was moving more military equipment into Eastern Europe and Russia [continued] to build up massed forces along the border with Ukraine, amid fears that it will invade its neighbor,” WaPo’s Robyn Dixon, David Stern, Missy Ryan and Karoun Demirjian report. “The American forces put on standby include U.S.-based intelligence and transportation units, Pentagon spokesman JOHN KIRBY said, cautioning that no final decisions have been made.”
— But while war looms, “there are still diplomatic options — ‘offramps’ in the lingo of the negotiators — and in the next several days the Biden administration and NATO are expected to respond, in writing, to VLADIMIR PUTIN’s far-reaching demands,” NYT’s David Sanger notes. “The question is whether there is real potential for compromise in three distinct areas: Russia’s demand for ironclad assurances that Ukraine won’t enter NATO; that NATO won’t further expand; and that Russia can somehow restore some approximation of its sphere of influence in the region to before the strategic map of Europe was redrawn in the mid-1990s.”
— WSJ’s James Marson sets the scene on the ground: “Ukraine has struggled to maintain a sense of stability since it fully established itself as a sovereign country in 1991, and has been at war since 2014. But with 100,000 Russian troops gathered nearby, threatening Europe’s biggest land war since the 1940s, people there say something feels different this time. ‘It became kind of normal to say, ‘What, again?’ said DANYLO KOVZHUN, 46 years old. ‘On the other hand, I tend to be panicky. I think it’s going to be a nightmare, like Syria. That’s the only thing Russians can do.’”
JOIN US — President JOE BIDEN’s legislative agenda is stalled on Capitol Hill, and the Democratic Party faces a key moment of reckoning before election season. Can Democrats reset and resurrect Build Back Better, the party’s $1.75 trillion social spending package? And what’s next on voting issues? Join Rachael for a POLITICO Live interview with House Majority Leader STENY HOYER today at 12:30 p.m. They’ll talk Hill latest and also dig into Democrats’ prospects for the midterms. Register here to watch live
BIDEN’S TUESDAY — The president and VP KAMALA HARRIS will receive the President’s Daily Brief at 10:15 a.m.
HARRIS’ TUESDAY — The VP will also deliver remarks to the President’s Interagency Task Force To Monitor and Combat Trafficking In Persons at 2 p.m.
Press secretary JEN PSAKI will brief at 12:15 p.m.
THE SENATE and THE HOUSE are out.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
PLAYBOOK READS
THE WHITE HOUSE
KLAIN’S TURN IN THE BARREL — WaPo’s Sean Sullivan and Tyler Pager take a look at how White House chief of staff RON KLAIN’s “sterling credentials” for the position “have repeatedly bumped against the unusual challenges of governing in today’s Washington.” The wide-ranging account of his first year in the position includes reporting that Manchin’s complaints about the White House “largely center on Klain” and that the senator feels “Klain must repair the relationship with him if the chief of staff is to be involved in future negotiations.”
CONGRESS
BAD BEHAVIOR — The Office of Congressional Ethics claimed Monday that Rep. MARIE NEWMAN (D-Ill.) “may have promised a potential primary challenger, Palestinian-American professor IYMEN CHEHADE, a job as her ‘foreign policy advisor and either District Director or Legislative Director’ in a potential future congressional office after the two met in 2018.
“Newman told the body that she sought to hire Chehade because of his knowledge on foreign and Arab-American affairs, which she felt was a shortcoming of her 2018 campaign.” The two signed an employment contract in 2018, but the job never came to fruition, and Chehade has since sued her office. More from Insider’s Bryan Metzger.
— In a separate report Monday, the office alleged Rep. DOUG LAMBORN (R-Colo.) “misused his congressional staff and resources by having aides run errands for his family and that he solicited or accepted improper gifts from his subordinates,” WaPo’s Mariana Alfaro writes. “The report found that Lamborn’s staffers were often asked to help out his children, including preparing his son for interviews for a job in the federal government, and throwing a party for his daughter-in-law after she became a U.S. citizen.”
ECA REFORM PUSH GROWS — The bipartisan group of senators pushing to reform the election certification process has doubled since its creation, Burgess Everett and Marianne LeVine report for Congress Minutes. Sen. SUSAN COLLINS (R-Maine) led the now 16-person group in a Zoom on Monday, “which focused mostly on the Electoral Count Act and lasted just over an hour. The group is still in the early stages of discussing reforms to clarify Congress’ and the vice president’s roles in certifying elections as senators seek to make it more difficult for small groups of lawmakers to force votes on objecting to the elections.”
ALL POLITICS
THE GOP DIVIDE — On the ground in Strongsville, Ohio, Zach Montellaro and Michael Kruse report that the faceoff between Republican Gov. MIKE DEWINE and former Rep. JIM RENACCI may serve “as an early test case of intra-party rebellion against a number of Republican governors this year. DeWine has forged a long and decorated career in Ohio capped off by his governorship — but relations with his own changing party have been challenging at times. Renacci, meanwhile, has molded his campaign in Trump’s image — though he lacks Trump’s actual endorsement so far.”
MEDIA MAKEOVER — Former Secretary of State MIKE POMPEO’s PAC “spent $30,000 on media training from last March to June — the most on any service beyond payroll during the first six months of 2021,” Axios’ Lachlan Markay reports. “The former secretary of State hasn’t just been losing weight but working to hone his media skills amid speculation about a possible presidential run.”
TRUMP ALUM EYES CONGRESSIONAL SEAT— Former Trump White House aide and campaign staffer STEVEN CHEUNG is eyeing a run for California’s 9th Congressional District after Rep. JERRY MCNERNEY (D) announced last week that he’s retiring. Cheung, who is from South Sacramento but is considering a seat that’s based primarily in Stockton and San Joaquin County, has been speaking with donors and local GOP officials in the area about whether he has a shot at flipping the Democratic-leaning seat, according to two people familiar.
JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH
ABOUT THOSE DOCUMENTS … The House select committee on Jan. 6 now has a large batch of documents from Trump’s presidency, despite the former president trying to block access, citing executive privilege. NYT’s Luke Broadwater, Alan Feuer, Nick Corasaniti and Michael Schmidt break down what the documents could mean for the panel’s investigation.
TRUMP CARDS
THE INVESTIGATIONS — Fulton County, Ga., D.A. FANI WILLIS has been granted a special grand jury for her investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Tamar Hallerman. County judges on Monday gave the green light Monday for a special grand jury to be impaneled May 2 and last up to a year. “Some legal observers believe that a special grand jury could benefit Willis given the complexity of the case.”
POLICY CORNER
THE CHILD TAX CREDIT AND BRAIN DEVELOPMENT — “A study that provided poor mothers with cash stipends for the first year of their children’s lives appears to have changed the babies’ brain activity in ways associated with stronger cognitive development,” NYT’s Jason DeParle reports. “The differences were modest and it remains to be seen if changes in brain patterns will translate to higher skills. … Still, evidence that a single year of subsidies could alter something as profound as brain functioning highlights the role that money may play in child development and comes as Biden is pushing for a much larger program of subsidies for families with children.”
THE PANDEMIC
THE POLITICS OF COVID — Many elected Democrats are shifting their approach to the pandemic amid the Omicron wave, forgoing the most restrictive public health measures with an eye toward the public’s readiness to move on, NYT’s Trip Gabriel, Lisa Lerer and Jennifer Medina report. “If malaise over the pandemic further slackens turnout, it will add to Democrats’ headwinds” in the midterms, they write.
AMERICA AND THE WORLD
PULLOUT FALLOUT — Hundreds of CIA-backed Afghan commandos and their families who helped the U.S. evacuate Kabul are stuck in the United Arab Emirates, waiting to be cleared to get to the U.S., report NYT’s Julian Barnes, Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Charlie Savage. Now, some “say they feel abandoned, victims of a chaotic withdrawal in which the speed with which departing Afghans reached the United States was often determined by nothing more than what kind of plane they left on.”
PLAYBOOKERS
Joe Biden called Peter Doocy “a stupid son of a bitch” — then later called the Fox News reporter to apologize.
Sarah Palin, whose trial for her defamation lawsuit against the NYT was postponed Monday because she tested positive for the coronavirus, dined out at a New York City hot spot two days earlier — despite the city’s vaccine requirement.
Laura Ingraham mocked Kate McKinnon’s impression of her.
IN MEMORIAM — Sheldon Silver, the longtime New York statehouse leader “who ruled Albany with an iron fist until he was busted and later convicted on federal corruption charges in a stunning fall from grace, died Monday in prison” at 77, per the New York Post.
HOT JOB (in more ways than one): WaPo is advertising for a reporter to cover Amazon.
MCCORMICK IN MANHATTAN — GOP Pennsylvania Senate candidate David McCormick held a fundraiser at the Metropolitan Club in Manhattan on Monday night that was attended by former Trump officials such as Gary Cohn, Tony Sayegh, Hope Hicks, Justin Muzinich and McCormick’s wife Dina Powell. After that event, McCormick went on to a strategy dinner at the even more exclusive Links Club on the Upper East Side with his fellow Bush ’43 alumni, including former assistant secretary for the Treasury Emil Henry and former Undersecretary of Treasury Bob Steel along with former Bush and Romney adviser Dan Senor. McCormick also talked campaign strategy with his inner circle, which includes Wall Street titans such as EMCOR Chair Tony Guzzi, Goldman Sachs’ John Rogers and Blue Ridge Capital’s John Griffin. Former NYC Department of Education chancellor Joel Klein also joined. McCormick heads to Pennsylvania today to hold his first campaign rally — an event in the Lehigh Valley where he’ll be joined by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Separately, Rob Collins, an NRSC alum, and Mark Harris, a former aide to retiring Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), recently launched a super PAC for McCormick dubbed “Honor Pennsylvania.”
MEDIA MOVES — Laura Chang, a longtime editor at the NYT, is joining Stat in the newly created role of editorial director. … Ryan Cooper will be managing editor of The American Prospect. He currently is a national correspondent at The Week.
TRANSITIONS — Tina Sfondeles is now VP of public and media relations for Mac Strategies Group in Chicago. She most recently was a White House reporter and co-author of West Wing Playbook at POLITICO. … Carrie Warick-Smith will be VP of public policy at the Association of Community College Trustees. She most recently was director of policy and advocacy at the National College Attainment Network. … Duy Pham is now a consultant at Frontline Solutions. He previously was a senior policy analyst at the Center for Law and Social Policy.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), Andy Harris (R-Md.) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) … Joe Conason of The National Memo … Kate Conway … NAM’s Mark Isaacson … Eleni Towns … NYT’s Jeremy Peters … Zach Pleat … WaPo’s Michael Scherer … POLITICO’s Caroline Amenabar,Alessandro Sclapari and Chris Parisi … Dave Martinez … Adam Kovacevich of the Chamber of Progress … Dan Kaniewski … White House’s Ashley Jones … Navy Rear Adm. George Wikoff … Adam Falkoff of CapitalKeys … Danielle Inman … David Woodruff of CN Railway … Arya Hariharan of the House Judiciary Committee … RNC’s Will Sexauer (3-0) … Mallory Hunter … Luke Graeter of Rep. Brad Wenstrup’s (R-Ohio) office … Jim Axelrod … NBC’s Emily Passer … Evan Lukaske of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s (D-N.Y.) office … Jason Jay Smart … Josh Randle … Connor Wolf … Meaghan Lynch … Brunswick Group’s Kevin Helliker … Joelle Terry … Erik Smulson … Amy Mitchell … Michelle Goodman … Dan Carol … Phil Beshara … FDA’s Angela Calman … Jack Oliver … Nancy Gibbs … Erika Reynoso of Amazon … Ed Payne … Tina Tchen … former Iowa Gov. Chet Culver
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26.) AMERICAN MINUTE
Hospitals & Healthcare Pioneered by Christian Charity – American Minute with Bill Federer
Healthcare & Hospitals Pioneered Christian Charity – American Minute with Bill Federer
- “I was sick and you visited me”;
- “Whatever you have done to the least of my brethren, you have done unto me.”
- hospital,
- hospitality,
- host,
- hostel, and
- hotel.
- Bologna
- Paris
- Naples
- Toulouse
- Oxford
- Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul (founded 1633);
- Sisters of St. Joseph (founded 1650);
- Sisters of Mercy (founded 1827);
- Little Sisters of the Poor (founded 1839);
- Sisters of Providence (founded 1843);
- Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine (founded 1851);
- Fr. Damien’s colony for lepers at Molokaʻi, Hawaii (founded 1864). Statues of him are at Hawaii’s Capitol and in the U.S. Capitol;
- Sisters of St. Mary (founded 1872);
- Sisters of the Little Company of Mary (founded 1877);
- Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother (founded 1883).
- Seventh Day Adventists,
- Baptists,
- Episcopalians,
- Lutherans,
- Methodists, and
- Presbyterians.
- Mayo Clinic,
- St. Vincent’s,
- Baltimore Infirmary, and
- hospitals for the working classes in Buffalo, Philadelphia and Boston.
- New York’s Lower East Side, 1890;
- Newark, 1901; and
- Boston, 1916.
- 98 percent Protestant,
- 1 percent Catholic,
- 1/10th of 1 percent Jewish.
- Catholic Health Initiatives-78 hospitals;
- Ascension Health-67 hospitals-Daughters of Charity, Congregation of St. Joseph, Sisters of St. Joseph;
- Trinity Health-44 hospitals, 379 Clinics, Catholic Health Ministries;
- Catholic Healthcare West-41 hospitals, Sisters of Mercy;
- Catholic Health East-34 hospitals, 9 religious congregations & Hope Ministries;
- Catholic Healthcare Partners-33 hospitals, Sisters of Mercy, Daughters of Charity;
- Providence Health & Services-26 hospitals, Sisters of Providence, Sisters of the Little Company of Mary;
- Marian Health System-25 hospitals, Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother
27.) CAFFEINATED THOUGHTS
28.) CONSERVATIVE DAILY NEWS
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29.) PJ MEDIA
The Morning Briefing: GOP Dreams of Election Victory Revenge-Porn Are a Bit Premature
Top O’ the Briefing
Happy Tuesday, dear Kruiser Morning Briefing friends. It’s either a blessing or a tragedy that Build-A-Bear Workshop didn’t exist when more Americans were dropping acid.
For those of us on the political right in America, the emotions are all over the place these days. On the one hand, we’re mired in all the misery that the problematic puppet in the Oval Office is heaping upon the Republic. Because we’re on the right, we aren’t shielded by the preternatural delusion that cocoons the Democrats’ feelings. We are aware of it and experiencing it all.
On the other hand, all this misery is setting up the Republican Party for a big midterm election year.
Despite the fact that I have been high atop the “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch” soapbox many times in the past year, I also lapse into periods of reverie, where all I do is dream about what life might be like if the GOP does happen to have a big night on Nov. 8.
It’s all about balance.
Today is a soapbox day.
There is a lot of bold talk going on about what might happen if the Republicans take back the House and — this is an even bigger if — the Senate in November.
Early in December — almost a full year away from the midterms — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy talked about a little quid pro quo with the Democrats when it comes to committee assignments. McCarthy was way out over his skis on that one, seeming to presume that he would be Speaker with the remarks.
Yesterday, Matt wrote about some interesting remarks that Newt Gingrich made:
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says that the January 6 Select Committee has broken several laws, and its members could face jail time should the GOP take back Congress in November.
“You’re gonna have a Republican majority in the House, a Republican majority in the Senate. And all these people who’ve been so tough and so mean and so nasty are going to be delivered subpoenas for every document, every conversation, every tweet, every email,” Gingrich told Maria Bartiromo on her Fox News show on Sunday.
Gingrich accused the committee of “running over the law” and “pursuing innocent people” without justification.
“It’s basically a lynch mob,” Gingrich said.
I would like nothing better than to see every member of that kangaroo court committee rounded up and sent to wherever it is the United States would use as a gulag (I nominate Sacramento, Calif.) and left there to rot for having subjected the country their pathetic diaper-filling tantrum. If it were possible, there are a few thousand dominoes that have to fall in the sequence before that one gets toppled.
I’m not nearly as optimistic as many conservatives that the GOP’s chances to take back the Senate are good. Even if it does happen, the new “majority” will probably be as slim as the one the Democrats have now, and without the benefit of a vice president of the same party to be a tie-breaking vote.
My biggest worry about getting too caught up in Future Think is that it may induce complacency. Just because the Democrats really, really should lose an election doesn’t mean that they will. We’re all aware of their ability to adapt on the fly and play fast and loose with the law. They know they’re in trouble this year, so you can bet they are feverishly working to bend whatever rules they need to.
There is definitely a big prize that we should be using as motivation, but looking beyond that prize is fraught with danger. There’s plenty to focus on before we get there.
Everything Isn’t Awful
This hockey team has one of the best traditions in sports.
It’s called the Teddy Bear toss. Every year, fans bring stuffed animals to throw onto the ice, as a donation for local charities.
This year, they collected 52,000 stuffed animals.
— Goodable (@Goodable) January 23, 2022
PJ Media
VodkaPundit. War for Ukraine? Eastern Europe May Receive 1,000s of U.S. Troops
MELTDOWN: Biden Calls Fox Reporter a ‘Stupid Son of a B****’
The Radical Left is Showing Liberals and Conservatives That We Can Be Friends Again
He Don’t Lie: Eric Clapton Makes Quite the Statement About Vaxxed People
Burn down academia. Supreme Court Will Hear Racist College Admissions Cases Against Harvard, UNC
Cross-Border Trucking Firms Have Mixed Reactions to New Vax Mandate
Build Back Blexit? Black Voters Sour on Biden
VodkaPundit, Part Deux. Joe Biden: A Failing and Flailing President
School Staff Forces Child to Eat Waffles She Threw in the Trash
Bodies Are Stacking Up as Progressive Politicians Blame Everything but Themselves
Cruel ‘Bare Shelves Biden’ Policies Create Baby Formula Shortage
Florida Is so Red, Democrats Can’t Even Field Candidates in Some 2022 Races
#TrueStory. Trump Maxim Must Guide GOP Going Forward
Diplomats Ordered to Evacuate Ukraine, But Is the Order Premature?
Jail Time for J6 Committee Members? Gingrich Says It Could Happen
Prager. Why the Masked and the Unmasked Have Disdain for Each Other
Townhall Mothership
Customs and Border Protection Finally Release December’s Southern Border Encounters Data
Joe Rogan Slams CNN: ‘People Know That They’re Full of S***’
I’m listening…Donald Trump For Speaker Of The House
Driven to Hysterics: Professor Suggests Anti-Maskers Should Be Hit by Drunk Drivers
Surge in gun ownership bad for gun control
Cam&Co. Stalking victim: you are your own first responder
Data shows there’s more diversity at a gun range than a university faculty lounge
Seattle: Deranged homeless man live-tweets his second ‘hostage taking’ attempt in 6 months
Ninth Circuit judge rebukes court: I’ll write your en-banc bad take on the Second Amendment for you
Resistance hero Michael Avenatti goes on trial for stealing $300,000 from Stormy Daniels
VIP
VodkaPundit, Part Trois. Ranking the Bond Movies: Part 003 (Neither Shaken Nor Stirred)
White House Admits Connection Between Defunding Police and Rise in Crime
Biden Brings Back Obama-Era Secret Iran Deals
GOLD Schlichter: The Looming Ukraine Disaster
Around the Interwebz
Hippos can recognise their friends’ voices
Steam Deck will get the trippiest cloud-save functionality we’ve ever seen
NASA’s revolutionary James Webb Space Telescope reaches final orbit in space
Why the World Has Gone Wild for Wordle, According to a Philosophy Professor
Smells Like Onion
Woman Feeling Doubly Conflicted About Attending ‘Harry Potter’-Themed Plantation Wedding https://t.co/5aAFHazBbu pic.twitter.com/bqQzG7IoLc
— The Onion (@TheOnion) January 24, 2022
The Kruiser Kabana
Kabana Gallery
Villa Torlonia, Frascati, 1907 #johnsingersargent #americanart pic.twitter.com/yll24p5lQv
— John Singer Sargent (@artistsargent) January 25, 2022
Kabana Comedy
30.) WHITE HOUSE DOSSIER
31.) THE DISPATCH
The Morning Dispatch: Germany Drags Feet On Ukraine
Plus: Investor expectations of interest rate raises sow market chaos.
The Dispatch Staff |
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Happy Tuesday! You can finally relax: The James Webb Space Telescope successfully reached its final orbit yesterday at the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point (L2). Way to go, JWST team!
Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories
- Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby told reporters yesterday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had placed about 8,500 U.S. military personnel on “a heightened preparedness to deploy” to Eastern Europe in case NATO activates its response force.
- The Washington Post reports that, in another effort to stave off a Russian reinvasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration is threatening Moscow with rarely used export controls that would cripple Russian industry by inhibiting the country’s ability to import semiconductors—manufactured around the globe—that rely on American software or tools in any way.
- U.S. Central Command announced yesterday that American forces at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates—with the help of Emirati armed forces—intercepted two incoming ballistic missiles early Monday morning. A Houthi military spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack, adding the Iran-backed militia will continue launching missiles “as long as attacks on the Yemeni people continue.”
- Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said that 39 Chinese aircraft—including 34 fighter jets, four electronic warfare aircraft, and one bomber—flew into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone on Sunday, the largest such incursion since October.
- Momentum for updating the Electoral Count Act of 1887 continues to grow, with 16 senators—including nine Republicans and 7 Democrats—meeting on Monday to chart a path forward on bipartisan legislation that could earn at least 60 votes.
- New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced yesterday he plans to combat rising gun violence in the city by launching new NYPD Neighborhood Safety Teams, putting more police officers on patrol, and increasing coordination between NYPD and New York State Police, among other initiatives.
Whose Side is Germany On, Anyway?
In a Monday morning press conference, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that several members of the military alliance were stepping up their efforts to deter a Russian reinvasion of Ukraine. Denmark will send a frigate to the Baltic Sea and fighter jets to Lithuania. Spain is dispatching ships to the Black and Mediterranean Seas. The Netherlands is committing aircraft to Bulgaria, and France is prepared to send troops to Romania. President Joe Biden said last week the United States has already shipped $600 million worth of arms to Kyiv, and the United Kingdom has airlifted thousands of short-range antitank missiles to Ukraine in recent days, plus 30 “elite British troops” to train Ukrainians to use them.
Germany—the third-largest NATO member by population—has been notably absent from this unified show of force. Citing the country’s long-standing, “very clear stance on weapons exports,” Olaf Scholz—the country’s new chancellor—told reporters late last week Germany would likely abstain from supporting Ukraine militarily. A few hours later, The Wall Street Journal reported Berlin had blocked Estonia from doing so as well, because the Cold War-era howitzers the small NATO ally had planned to supply Kyiv originated in East Germany. The British planes carrying antitank missiles to Ukraine last week took a long detour through Denmark to avoid German airspace. (Initial reports indicated Germany had denied the planes’ request to take a more direct route, but both German and UK officials later clarified the UK didn’t bother to ask permission in the first place.)
Berlin’s reluctance to export weapons—or be even tangentially associated with exporting weapons—is just one sliver of Germany’s broader caginess toward the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Scholz is saying many of the right things—“Borders must not be moved by force,” a Russian invasion of Ukraine will “have a high cost”—but he has proven unwilling to publicly commit to hardline sanctions on Russia’s prized (but not-yet-operational) Nord Stream 2 pipeline in the event of an incursion.
“It is clear that there will be a high cost and that all this will have to be discussed if there is a military intervention against Ukraine,” Scholz said last Tuesday when pressed on the nearly-finished natural gas pipeline, which connects Russia and Germany while bypassing Ukraine. A few weeks earlier, he described Nord Stream 2 as a “private-sector project” and sought to de-link its regulatory approval from the Ukraine situation—a position Germany’s defense minister echoed earlier this month. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has opposed the pipeline in the past, but dodged a question on it in a joint press conference with Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week. Yesterday, she said the “hardest stick” may not always yield the best results.
Why all the equivocation? Two main reasons: Germany’s increasing reliance on Russian energy, and the long and fraught history between the two countries.
Investors Start to Take the Fed Literally
The up-and-down win probability graph from Sunday’s Chiefs v. Bills game was certifiably insane, but yesterday’s stock market volatility may have given it a run for its money. The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled more than 1,000 points on Monday before a late afternoon rally resulted in it closing up 0.29 percent on the day. The S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq gave investors similar scares before ultimately recovering.
Even prior to yesterday’s frenzied swings, it’s been an uneven few weeks for the markets. The Dow has shed nearly 6 percent of its value since the calendar turned, the S&P 500 is down almost 8 percent, and the Nasdaq has plunged a whopping 12 percent. All three indices have fallen for three straight weeks, and last week finished as the worst one for the latter two since the March 2020 sell-off. The most speculative assets—cryptocurrencies—have been hit even harder.
If you timed the Nasdaq perfectly—buying at its lowest point 22 months ago and selling in mid-November—you would be up nearly 110 percent. But don’t expect a similar trajectory following this dip: Much of that growth was fueled by easy monetary policy throughout the pandemic, and much of this month’s contraction has to do with central bankers tightening things up.
Worth Your Time
- The state political party censure is having a moment! After a year which saw Sens. Ben Sasse, Lisa Murkowski, Pat Toomey, Richard Burr, and Bill Cassidy censured by their local GOPs for voting to convict former President Donald Trump in last February’s impeachment trial, the Arizona Democratic Party got in on the action this weekend, formally condemning Sen. Kyrsten Sinema for not voting to abolish the legislative filibuster. “These ongoing ideological purges are a major reason Washington remains so dysfunctional,” Henry Olsen argues in his latest column. “Both parties want to make significant policy changes, but neither can do so without enduring majority support from independent voters. These voters have been sending a clear message for more than two decades that they want to back a party that is principled but not purely ideological. Sinema’s censure shows Democrats still don’t get it. Meanwhile, Trump’s ongoing personal jihads against Republican foes show the GOP doesn’t get it either. The first party that does—the one that has room for both Kyrsten Sinema and their most devoted partisans—will reap the rewards.”
- For most of their time in office, former Presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama boasted remarkably consistent approval ratings. President Joe Biden’s approval, meanwhile, has proven malleable in the face of events. That’s a good thing, Jonathan Bernstein argues in Bloomberg. “If it was really true, as some suggest, that Obama’s and Trump’s unchanging approval ratings were caused by partisan polarization, then there really would be no reason for presidents (or other politicians) to try to make voters happy,” he writes. “They could ignore everyone but their strongest supporters, or even just govern for their own benefit, without risk. Biden’s slump could well show that voters still hold the president accountable—and that future presidents may still have an incentive to pursue good policies.”
Presented Without Comment
Germany: we can’t send weapons to Ukraine, we have a restrictive arms-export policy based on our history Also Germany:
Also Presented Without Comment
Toeing the Company Line
- On Monday’s episode of Advisory Opinions, David and Sarah look at two college admissions cases heading to the Supreme Court, discuss Sarah Palin’s upcoming defamation trial against The New York Times, and more.
- On the site today, Audrey and Harvest dig into the ongoing logistical snarl of finding homes for resettled Afghans, many of whom remain cooped up on military bases. Plus, Walter Olson picks apart some bad reporting on race-based allocation of COVID therapies and John Gustavsson critiques the notion, recently endorsed by Germany’s new government, of a federal Europe.
Reporting by Declan Garvey (@declanpgarvey), Andrew Egger (@EggerDC), Charlotte Lawson (@lawsonreports), Audrey Fahlberg (@AudreyFahlberg), Ryan Brown (@RyanP_Brown), Harvest Prude (@HarvestPrude), and Steve Hayes (@stephenfhayes).
Subscribe to The Morning Dispatch
An essential daily news roundup, TMD includes a brief look at important stories of the day and original reporting and analysis from The Dispatch team, along with recommendations for deeper reading and some much-needed humor in these often fraught times.
32.) LEGAL INSURRECTION
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33.) THE DAILY WIRE
34.) DESERET NEWS
35.) BRIGHT
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36.) AMERICAN THINKER
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37.) LARRY J. SABATO’S CRYSTAL BALL
38.) THE BLAZE
39.) THE FEDERALIST
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40.) REUTERS
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41.) NOQ REPORT
42.) ARRA NEWS SERVICE
43.) REDSTATE
Peter Doocy Has Appropriate Response to Biden Attack as Other ‘Reporters’ Show True Colors
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44.) WORLD NET DAILY
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45.) MSNBC
January 25, 2022 THE LATEST A resurfaced stunt — in which “a group of ‘alternate electors’ tried to cast their various states’ Electoral College votes for the loser of that election: then-President Donald Trump” — is garnering renewed interest from the Jan. 6 committee. “On the surface, the fake electors scheme was as simple as it was asinine,” Hayes Brown writes. “In hindsight, one of the wildest things about the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election was how many of Trump’s attempts to overturn the election took place in the open,” Brown posits. “And that’s the crazy thing that undergirds the link between the Trump campaign and the men and women who stormed the Capitol: They really thought it would work.”
Read Hayes Brown’s full analysis in your Tuesday MSNBC Daily. TOP STORIES Biden cursed at a reporter. But there’s a bigger issue at hand. Read More The U.S. could completely kneecap Russia’s plans for the future. Read More Puerto Rico’s new bankruptcy plan won’t bring any new relief for the masses. Read More House Republicans were so outraged by proxy voting, they literally made a federal case out of it. Read More TOP VIDEOS MORE FROM MSNBC How do we make sense of this unprecedented moment in world history? Why is this all happening? Chris Hayes asks the big questions that keep him up at night every week on his podcast, aptly titled, “Why Is This Happening?”
Time for our mailbag! Chris and producers Tiffany Champion and Doni Holloway answer your questions and talk about what’s new on the pod. Chris also discusses which interview in 2021 stuck with him the most, and we share an exciting milestone that we need your help to celebrate! Listen now.
This week on Into America, Trymaine Lee sits down with Yamiche Alcindor to discuss President Biden’s first year in office, the promises he made to Black Americans and how they’re holding up. Listen now.
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46.) BIZPAC REVIEW
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47.) ABC
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48.) NBC MORNING RUNDOWN
To ensure delivery to your inbox add email@mail.nbcnews.com to your contacts Today’s Top Stories from NBC News TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2022 Good morning, NBC News readers.
Today we take a closer look at the relationship at the heart of Republican aspirations to win back control of the Senate. In a positive development, the number of omicron cases in the U.S. appears to have peaked. Plus, we have some news-you-can-use about new ransomware tactics to look out for.
Here’s what we’re watching this Tuesday morning. As the all important midterm elections approach, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is waging a quiet campaign to keep his caucus from getting a whole lot Trumpier.
The power struggle between McConnell and former President Donald Trump is one of the more consequential subplots of this midterm election season, and its outcome promises to affect not only which party controls the Senate next year but also whether the Senate GOP is more or less Trump-flavored a year from now.
It occurs against the backdrop of a deep freeze between the two men, which set in when McConnell condemned the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and said Trump had “provoked” it.
Read our full story from NBC News’ senior national politics reporter Jonathan Allen here. Tuesday’s Top Stories
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has placed 8,500 troops on “heightened alert” to assist with the defense of NATO allies, the Pentagon said Monday, stressing that no deployment orders have been given. The number of omicron cases peaked and is trending downward in at least two dozen states, according to an NBC News analysis of Covid case numbers tallied from state and county health departments. Hackers have increasingly roped in everyday people whose information is stored in computers they hacked, pestering them by phone and email. OPINION Thinking about quitting your job? Don’t make the same mistake I did, writer Ashley Memory advises in an opinion piece. Abruptly quitting a good job solely out of frustration can lead to problems you don’t see coming. Also in the News
Editor’s Pick
Reported parties at Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s official residence reveal potential rule breaking at the highest echelons during Covid lockdowns — but they also highlight a culture of heavy drinking in Britain and the outsize role that alcohol often plays in society. Select
The Ember Mug works exclusively with the Ember app to control and monitor your drink’s temperature. One Fun Thing
The debate over whether or not eating meat really did “make us human” just became more complicated.
It’s understood that the frequent eating of meat separates humans from other primates, but the exact role it played in early human evolution is getting a fresh challenge from a study published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Read the full story here. Want to receive NBC Breaking News and Special Alerts in your inbox? Get the NBC News Mobile App 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112 |
49.) NBC FIRST READ
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From NBC’s Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Ben Kamisar, Bridget Bowman and Alexandra Marquez
FIRST READ: Both political parties are unpopular and divided, NBC News poll finds
If it’s Tuesday… The Pentagon has put 8,500 U.S. troops on “heightened alert”… Federal judges tossed out Alabama’s new redistricting map… Georgia’s prosecutor got her special grand jury in her investigation into Donald Trump… And Jessica Cisneros is on the air in Texas.
But FIRST… Not only does our new NBC News poll show both political parties to be unpopular – with the Democratic Party (33 percent fav, 48 percent unfav) and the Republican Party (34 percent fav, 44 percent unfav) both underwater
But you have to go back to 2015 when one of the two parties – the Democrats – actually had a net-positive rating in our poll.
That was seven years ago. Before Donald Trump captured the GOP presidential nomination, and before Bernie Sanders won his first primary victories against Hillary Clinton.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Now look at our poll: It finds the GOP split between those who consider themselves more supporters of Trump, versus those who are more supporters of the party – and the pro-party side has been growing since Trump left office.
(By the way, Trump has a 90 percent-to-0 percent fav/unfav rating with pro-Trump Republicans, while it’s 62 percent-to-20 percent among pro-party Republicans.)
And the NBC News poll also shows a split inside the Dem Party – with 40 percent who were supporters of Biden during the 2020 primaries, 30 percent who backed Bernie Sanders and 12 percent who sided with Elizabeth Warren.
(By the way, President Biden’s approval rating is 92 percent-to-7 percent among Dem Biden voters, while it’s 74 percent-to-23 percent among Sanders/Warren voters.)
Now check out some of today’s political headlines.
McConnell-Trump deep freeze promises to define the midterm elections.
Schumer strategy leaves some Dems seething.
Critics say Ron Klain is too beholden to Biden’s left flank.
Voto Latino is spending money for a possible primary challenge against Kyrsten Sinema.
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Tweet of the Day: “It’s nothing personal, pal”
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Data Download: The number of the day is … 25.
That’s the percentage of all adults surveyed in the latest NBC News national poll who listed “voting rights and election integrity” among the issues they consider the most important facing the country. The only issues that ranked higher were jobs and the economy, which was a key issue for a combined 42 percent of respondents, and the coronavirus, which 29 percent chose as a top issue.
The January survey was the first time pollsters included “voting rights and election integrity” as an option in the range of issues. It was also conducted from Jan. 14 -18, just as Democrats tried to move forward on sweeping election legislation, which may have contributed to its higher rank among the top issues.
The poll did reveal a stark partisan divide: Respondents were asked which issue — voting rights or election integrity — was more important. Sixty-seven percent of Democrats said voting rights were more important, versus 75 percent of Republicans who said election integrity.
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Other numbers you need to know today
24: The number of states, as of Sunday afternoon, where average, daily Covid cases are falling.
10 percent: The portion of employees in America who belong to a union, half the portion that did in 1983.
8,500: The number of U.S. troops on heightened alert as America weighs how to respond to Russia’s threats on Ukraine.
$13.5 million: How much cash Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, had on hand for his gubernatorial race at the end of 2021, after raising $6.3 million in the fourth quarter.
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Midterm roundup
In Georgia, a legal spat between incumbent GOP Gov. Brian Kemp and his primary challenger, David Perdue, is shedding light on the ethical issues with a new campaign finance law, which allows Kemp and other incumbents in top positions to form “leadership committees” that can accept unlimited contributions and fundraise during the legislative session. One activist called the law “a huge problem for democracy.”
It’s back to the drawing board in Alabama (pending appeal), where a panel of federal judges tossed out the state’s new congressional map as a likely violation of the Voting Rights Act. The judges instructed the state legislature to draw two districts where Black voters make up a sizable portion of the electorate, instead of just one. The state’s filing deadline, which was set for Jan. 28, was also pushed to Feb. 11.
Democratic lawyer Jessica Cisneros has booked her first TV buy in her primary against Rep. Henry Cuellar. Right now, she’s booked about $41,000 and is going up with a health care-focused spot touting her support for Medicare for All. (Cuellar is also up on the airwaves)
Former Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., is making an announcement Thursday about his “2022 election plans.” Walker, who is currently running for the state’s open Senate seat, has also been weighing a House run.
The Office of Congressional Ethics referred investigations into two lawmakers to the Ethics Committee yesterday— Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., and Rep. Marie Newman, D-Ill. The committee will investigate whether Lamborn misused official resources, and whether Newman (who is running in a primary against fellow Democratic Rep. Sean Casten) promised a rival a job.
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ICYMI: What ELSE is happening in the world
The Los Angeles Times is spotlighting Republicans who are touting the success of an infrastructure bill they voted against.
The FDA is limiting the use of two monoclonal antibodies that aren’t effective against omicron, the current dominant strain.
State legislatures are trying to limit governors in the wake of their Covid emergency orders.
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Download the NBC News Mobile App
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50.) CBS
51.) REASON
52.) MANHATTAN INSTITUTE
53.) LOUDER WITH CROWDER
Reset the clock because Joe Biden had another old man meltdown. After reporters were being rushed out of the room to avoid answering questions, DOOCY asked one anyway. So Joe Biden, who is presiden … MORE Sponsored |
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55.) REALCLEARPOLITICS MORNING NOTE
56.) REALCLEARPOLITICS TODAY
57.) CENTER FOR SECURITY POLICY
58.) BERNARD GOLDBERG
59.) SARA A. CARTER
60.) TWITCHY
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62.) 1440 DAILY DIGEST
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73.) POPULIST PRESS
We have been waiting for this!! MONUMENTAL CASE hits the dockets of the Supreme Court!
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IN DEPTH…
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74.) THE POST MILLENNIAL
75.) BLACKLISTED NEWS
76.) THE DAILY DOT
Did a friend forward this? Subscribe here. Welcome to the Tuesday edition of Internet Insider, where we dissect tech and politics unfolding online. TODAY:
BREAK THE INTERNET Surveillance advertising gets the spotlight Analysis Over the last week, surveillance advertising has had a spotlight shined on it.
Surveillance advertising is essentially big tech companies using the vast amounts of data they collect on you to hyper-target advertisements. This business model has been highly criticized and the concerns raised about it align mostly with the arguments that a data privacy law is necessary.
A trio of Democrats in both chambers of Congress introduced the “Banning Surveillance Advertising Act.” The bill would ban advertisers from targeting users based on “protected class information, such as race, gender, and religion, and personal data purchased from data brokers.”
That would mean advertising facilitators like Google and Facebook from using that kind of information to target ads. The bill also proposed having the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorneys general enforce violations of the law.
Speaking of the FTC, it’s already been connected to surveillance advertising. Last year, advocacy group Accountable Tech petitioned the FTC to start a rulemaking process to target the practice.
Accountable Tech argued that surveillance advertising should be treated as an “unfair method of competition” and the amount of data collected to fuel the practice “relies upon and cyclically reinforces monopoly power” of big tech companies.
“The unchecked power of Big Tech companies that employ this toxic business model has led to dominant digital platforms that exploit users and businesses—without recourse or competitive constraints—to pad their own profits at tremendous societal cost,” Jesse Lehrich, Accountable Tech’s co-founder, said in a statement last September.
That petition from Accountable Tech got a boost from an unexpected source on Monday. Hillary Clinton tweeted about the group’s petition to the FTC, urging her followers to support it.
“Big tech uses surveillance advertising to fuel their business model, keeping us in our filter bubbles and spreading misinformation as they silently profit off of our data. @OnwardTogether partner @accountabletech is fighting back. Sign their petition,” the former presidential candidate tweeted, adding a link to the petition.
The focus on surveillance advertising comes as big tech is having a moment in Congress. Two antitrust bills were approved by Senate Judiciary Committee late last week.
Both of those bills drew the ire of big tech companies, which you can read more about below. By Andrew Wyrich Deputy Tech Editor SPONSORED Cats are amazing (#teamcat), but there’s one about owning a cat that really sucks: that litter box. Now, you’ll never shovel cat poop by hand ever again with the Litter-Robot. This smart, self-cleaning, automatic litter box does the dirty work for you. With a custom-built litter filter, sensor system, and deodorizing system, Litter-Robot is the last cat litter solution you’ll ever need. BIG TECH Two big tech giants, Apple and Google, are trying to convince Congress not to pass several antitrust bills that were introduced last year.
The two companies have pushed back against the Open App Markets Act and the American Innovation and Choice Online Act. Both of the bills were introduced last summer and would have major impacts on the two companies.
Both bills passed through a Senate committee after Apple and Google commented on them.
Google’s President of Global Affairs & Chief Legal Officer Kent Walker published a blog post titled “the harmful consequences of Congress’s anti-tech bills” where he said the bills would be “handicapping America’s technology leaders.” He said Google was “deeply concerned” about “unintended consequences” from the bills.
Meanwhile, Apple sent a letter to members of Congress, which was published by 9to5Mac, saying the two bills would cause “real harm” to “American consumers’ privacy and security.”
While Google and Apple have pushed back against the bills, other technology companies are urging Congress to pass the bills.
A group of 35 companies including DuckDuckGo, Proton Technologies, the Tor Project, Sonos, and Yelp wrote an open letter to lawmakers saying that the bills would “restore competition in the digital marketplace and remove barriers for consumers to choose the services they want.”
—A.W.
DAILY DOT PICKS
RANSOMWARE A well-known ransomware gang is now using the social media platform Parler in order to aid its extortion efforts.
The cybercrime group, which joined the conservative-leaning website on Jan. 11, has already posted the name of one medical equipment company that it claims to have hacked.
The discovery was made by Brett Callow, a threat analyst with the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft.
Ransomware groups work by infecting and encrypting the contents of a computer network before demanding a ransom to return the data. If a victim refuses to pay, the group will often resort to publishing the victim’s data online.
The Daily Dot was able to locate the Parler profile in question but is declining to name the group to avoid pressuring the company into giving into the ransomware group’s demands.
While ransomware gangs most often use the dark web to avoid having their websites and hacked data censored, Emsisoft noted last month that some groups have begun using social media in order “to bring news of their conquests to a wider audience and put more pressure on victims to pay the ransom.”
Callow told the Daily Dot, however, that he believes this is the first time a ransomware group has decided to use Parler.
The Daily Dot reached out to Parler, which touts itself as an anti-censorship platform, to inquire about its policies regarding cybercrime but did not receive a response by press time.
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77.) HEADLINE USA
78.) NATURAL NEWS
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79.) POLITICHICKS
80.) BLACKPRESSUSA
81.) THE WESTERN JOURNAL
82.) CNN
Tuesday 01.25.22 The federal tax filing season is underway. And even though the IRS still hasn’t processed millions of returns from last year due to Covid-19 and a lack of funding, there are still ways to help ensure your tax filing experience is hassle-free. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day. Ukrainian soldiers preparing for a possible invasion by Russian troops. Ukraine
As many as 8,500 troops have been put on heightened alert for a possible deployment to Eastern Europe as Russian troops mass along Ukraine’s border. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said yesterday that the “bulk of” the troops on alert were intended to bolster NATO’s quick response force, but added they would be “postured to be ready for any other contingencies as well.” NATO announced yesterday that some member countries are putting forces on standby and sending additional ships and fighter jets to eastern Europe. Separately, the US is keeping a close eye on potential Russian cyberattacks, which the Department of Homeland Security warned could occur if Moscow perceives that a US or NATO response to a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine would threaten Russia’s long-term national security.
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court announced yesterday it will reconsider race-based affirmative action in college admissions, a move that could eliminate campus practices that have widely benefitted Black and Hispanic students. Justices will hear challenges to policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina beginning next October, with a decision likely by June 2023. Also in the pipeline, the high court agreed to take up a case that could limit the federal government’s jurisdiction over wetlands protected under the Clean Water Act. The case comes as the Biden administration actively tries to undo Trump-era rollbacks to federal protections. Separately, the Supreme Court declined to take up House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s challenge to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s proxy voting protocols that were put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic. Coronavirus
The Biden administration says it will not be enforcing the federal employee vaccine mandate amid ongoing litigation, after a Texas federal judge on Friday blocked the enforcement of the vaccine mandate for government employees. The move comes after the judge called the mandate an overstep of presidential authority, while striking down a separate mandate that had applied to private sector workers. Separately, a state supreme court judge struck down New York state’s mask mandate yesterday, ruling that the governor and the New York State Department of Health did not have the authority to enact such a mandate without approval from the State Legislature. Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso’s army said it took control of the country yesterday, deposing President Roch Kabore, dissolving the government, suspending the constitution and shuttering its borders. The coup was announced on state television by Captain Sidsore Kader Ouedraogo, who said the military had seized power in response to the “ongoing degradation of the security situation” in the country and the “incapacity of the government” to unite the population. Sitting alongside him was Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba, who was introduced as the country’s new leader. Damiba was recently promoted by Kabore to commander of the country’s third military region, which is responsible for security in the capital city of Ouagadougou, according to Reuters. There was no mention of Kabore’s whereabouts. The president has not been seen in public since fighting broke out on Sunday around the presidential palace. Boris Johnson
London’s Metropolitan Police say they are investigating a “number of events” in Downing Street amid claims of Covid rule-breaking at the heart of the UK government, as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces intense scrutiny for attending gatherings while the rest of his country was in lockdown. Johnson celebrated his birthday with a gathering at his official residence in June 2020 while the UK was in its first Covid-19 shutdown, a spokesperson said yesterday. For weeks, Johnson has been under pressure over alleged summer garden parties and Christmas gatherings held in Downing Street. Meanwhile, his approval ratings are plunging and there appears to be a growing sense among his ruling Conservative Party that he is becoming a liability. Paid Partner Content The $50 Cashmere Sweater Yep, you read that right. 100% Grade A cashmere. 1,500+ 5-star reviews.10 colors. And, just $50. Or 50-70% less than other brands. Everyone
Insanely High Paying Cash Back Card With No Annual Fee Up to $300 bonus offer. High ongoing cash back rates. No annual fee. 0% interest for 15 months on purchases. Start racking up huge cash back rewards. People are talking about these. Read up. Join in. Highlights from Paris Fashion Week menswear shows Kanye West and his new girlfriend Julia Fox stunned in matching denim outfits. Very trendy and very 80s, if you ask me.
Saturn’s ‘Death Star’ moon could harbor a hidden ocean Yes, it looks strangely similar to the Death Star from the “Star Wars” movies, but a thick ice shell is protecting anything from getting in or out. Sorry, Han and Luke.
So many people want this truck that Ford stopped taking orders Do we have any truck fans? This is the last week to get on the waiting list for this popular 2022 model.
Minnesota is currently running a poll to name it’s new snow plows What could be better than Plowy McPlowface? Here it is: Betty Whiteout
Krispy Kreme will give blood donors a dozen free doughnuts Just show proof you’re a donor to the American Red Cross or another blood donation organization and you get a free box of deliciousness. 110,000 That’s approximately how many deaths could be prevented each year in the US if adults over 40 added 10 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity to their normal routines, according to the study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. Gun violence is a public health crisis. There is no time to wait. We must act. The sea of violence comes from many rivers. We must dam every river that feeds this greater crisis.
— New York City Mayor Eric Adams, announcing details of his administration’s blueprint to combat gun violence, from increasing officers on patrol and combating the influx of guns into the city, to encouraging prosecutors to move forward earlier with gun charges. Brought to you by CNN Underscored The new Whoop Strap is the fitness tracker you need to take your resolutions seriously The new Whoop Strap is for people who want to optimize their workouts and recovery. After spending months with it tracking our workouts, sleep and recovery, here’s what we think of the Whoop Strap 4.0. Courageous baby penguin Sponsor Content by CompareCards 8 Exclusive Credit Card Offers For Excellent Credit Take advantage of your excellent credit today by getting a card that earns you more rewards. Our credit card experts have selected the top 10 credit card deals you can take advantage of right now.
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83.) THE DAILY CALLER
84.) POWERLINE
Daily Digest |
- Biden Has a Moment of Lucidity [Updated]
- The Washington Post on the murder epidemic in America’s cities
- Who’s Carjacking?
- Loose Ends (150)
- Notes on the Real Economy
Biden Has a Moment of Lucidity [Updated]
Posted: 24 Jan 2022 04:58 PM PST (John Hinderaker)Today Joe Biden held a press gaggle of some kind on the subject of rising prices. When he was done talking he took questions–well, actually, he didn’t. Several reporters wanted to ask him about Ukraine, which he shot down. But then Peter Doocy of Fox News asked an on-topic question: “Do you think inflation is a political liability in the midterms?” Biden’s answer is blowing up Twitter:
I actually give Biden a little credit here. First of all, contrary to what many are saying, this is not a “hot mic” situation. Biden was perfectly aware that he was sitting at a microphone, ostensibly in order to answer questions, and that anything he said would be heard by everyone. He did it on purpose. To me, what is notable about Biden’s answer is not that he said to Doocy, “You’re a stupid son of a bitch.” That is just Biden’s usual senile hatefulness. Rather, it is the fact that for a change, Biden was able to recognize reality, saying sarcastically, “It’s a great asset. More inflation.” That represents an unusual moment of lucidity. Even Joe Biden understands that rising prices are damaging to the Democrats. Of course, it is one thing to understand that inflation is devastating politically, and something else to have any idea what to do about it. But let’s not expect too much from Joe, who, when it comes to solutions, is clueless as usual. UPDATE: Biden has now apologized to Doocy:
It’s a little disappointing, in a way. Biden exercised the license of the diminished-capacity elderly to say what he really thought, and perhaps it is too bad that his handlers shut him up. After all, Biden didn’t say anything worse about Doocy than everyone else has been saying about Joe. FURTHER UPDATE: Then again, maybe not:
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The Washington Post on the murder epidemic in America’s cities
Posted: 24 Jan 2022 04:36 PM PST (Paul Mirengoff)When I read this frontpage headline in the paper edition of yesterday’s Washington Post — “Cities look to halt deadly surge” — my first thought was that there is no significant surge in deaths from the coronavirus in our cities. But the Post wasn’t writing about the pandemic. It was writing about murders.
Yes, the Washington Post has finally acknowledged the epidemic of violent crime in America. No more emphasis on how the homicide rate is lower now than in the 1990s. It is, but that doesn’t make anyone feel safe — nor should it. The Post’s article fails to live up to the promise of its title. Reporter Griff Witte seems uncertain as to why homicides are surging. Is it “the coronavirus’ scars”? Is it “a breakdown in trust between police [forces] and the communities they serve”? Is it “the flood of illegal guns”? These are Witte’s prime suspects. Eventually, he mentions “police departments stretched thin by attrition.” But Witte never gets around to explaining the attrition itself. Might it stem from lack of public support for, and constant demonizing of, police officers by liberals, including those at the Washington Post? Of course. See Baltimore’s experience. Witte quotes the Fresno, California police chief who says “stimulating interest in joining the department has been challenging.” I wonder why. Much of Witte’s article is devoted to suggesting that things might be turning around on the homicide front. He cites a few cities that experienced significant reductions in the number of homicides last year. Complete nationwide figures for 2021 have not yet been released. But even if they were to show a decrease from 2020 — when homicides increased by nearly 5,000 from 2019 and reached a two-decade high — there wouldn’t be much solace in that. Witte is interested in what might have caused the decrease in homicides in the few cities he mentions. Fair enough. He cites three factors: (1) measures to improve relations between the police and the community, (2) measures to address “the root causes of crime,” and (3) proactive policing, including a focus on patrolling the areas where most homicides occur. As to the first factor, if relations between the police and the non-criminal community were as bad as the left has made them out to be, then it’s impossible to believe that, in one year, they were repaired to the point needed to affect the crime rate. As to the second, the root causes of crime can’t be ameliorated appreciably in a year As to the third factor, BINGO. But does the ACLU know about this targeted policing? Does the Biden Justice Department? It wasn’t long ago — like maybe last week — that the left was complaining that the “over-policing” of black neighborhoods was oppressing African-Americans and skewing the black crime rate. It wasn’t all that long ago — like during the Obama years — that the DOJ was expressing the same concern. Are we finally over that? Maybe. But the chief of police in Columbus, Ohio says that in using “data analysis, technological surveillance, and old-fashioned intelligence gathering” to identify areas in need of extra policing, she is careful, in the Post’s words, “not to overly rely on arrests and other shows of force.” It’s never a good idea to “overly rely” on anything, but there is no good substitute for arresting criminals or else showing enough force to deter them from committing crimes. Cities probably won’t be able to halt the deadly surge in homicides if they pretend otherwise. |
Who’s Carjacking?
Posted: 24 Jan 2022 04:13 PM PST (John Hinderaker)In the Twin Cities, as throughout much of the country, rising crime is a top news story. While homicides draw the most headlines, the crime that has most instilled fear in law-abiding citizens, in my area at least, is carjacking.
I lived in the Twin Cities metro area for more than 40 years before, to my recollection, I ever heard the word “carjacking” in a local context. Now, carjackings are rampant, not only in the central cities but across the suburbs. Some carjackings are motivated by profit, while others apparently are carried out just for fun. Weapons are often used, and there have been some injuries, although I am not aware of anyone who had been murdered in the course of a carjacking. Most of these crimes reportedly are carried out by black juveniles or young adults. Last week a two-person crime wave came to an end when two suspects, St. Paul residents, were arrested. The details shed light on the current public safety crisis:
Carjacking is intrinsically a crime of violence, which is why it has aroused so much fear and anger.
These young career criminals seem to have absorbed the zeitgeist when it comes to law enforcement:
Hey, it’s only a property crime! Why are you getting upset? That attitude is consistent with with Black Lives Matter ideology, the defund the police movement, liberal theories of crime and punishment, and the general tolerance of lawlessness that we have seen in many American cities. It is not, however, consistent with the views of any substantial number of voters, as liberal politicians are likely to learn in November. |
Loose Ends (150)
Posted: 24 Jan 2022 03:02 PM PST (Steven Hayward)• It has finally happened, though it was bound to come to this eventually:
• Aaaannndd guess what’s racist now: potholders. I’m not making this up. It’s in USA Today, so it must be true.
Is there not a single editor in the newsroom at USA Today to ask, “You know, if we publish this piece, people will laugh at how stupid we are?” Apparently not. • Meanwhile, you may recall mention recently of M&M candies going woke. Well, apparently M&Ms aren’t nearly progressive enough. So says the Washington Post, so it must be true. (Actually the article turns out to be an attack on Mars candy for being so silly, but still, we waste pixels on this?)
• More evidence of oppressive Baby Boomer tyranny over our culture (it’s in The Atlantic, so you know it must be super-true):
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Notes on the Real Economy
Posted: 24 Jan 2022 01:29 PM PST (Steven Hayward)The stock market today opened down sharply—the Dow was off 900 points early in the day—before staging a late rally to close in the green. Still, the last week has been ugly. Strap in for a lot more volatility until the Fed is done finding its rear end with both hands—likely many many months from now.
It is not news that traditional energy stocks—coal, natural gas, and oil—were the stock market’s big winners last year, and so far are holding up well in the current market swoon. This, despite the push of the Biden Administration to destroy the sector, and the successful pressure on the finance community to cut off access to capital for the sector, which has already raised the cost of capital for fossil energy companies. And yet their stocks have thrived anyway, for the simple reason that when nations need energy that works, is scalable, affordable, and available on demand, they are turning back to fossil sources. Pretty fast in fact. (News item: U.S. Coal Stockpiles Near Historic Lows. News item: Oil Bulls Encouraged by Low Inventory.) I love this chart comparing the electricity sectors in France and Germany yesterday (especially for their all-important “carbon-intensity): What’s clear here is that Germany’s energiewende has failed. Meanwhile, guess which energy stocks are not doing so well right now? Barron’s tells us:
This paragraph makes clear that the prosperity of “green” energy is largely dependent on government subsidies, mandates, and favorable tax treatment. In other words, without government to prop it up, green energy withers quickly, while energy that actually works prospers in the face of government hostility. Slowly people are going to figure this out. Meanwhile, I’ve found the very weakest spot in the whole supply chain problem: refrigerated dough. No, really, here’s the chart: Thank God I’ve hoarded lots of dough in my freezer. |
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85.) THE POLITICAL INSIDER – WAKE UP EDITION
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89.) THE POLITICAL INSIDER – LUNCH BREAK
90.) CONSERVATIVE TRIBUNE
91.) USA TODAY
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92.) THE DAILY BEAST
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93.) JUST THE NEWS
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97.) US NEWS & WORLD REPORT
98.) NEWSMAX
99.) MARK LEVIN
100.) WOLF DAILY
101.) THE GELLER REPORT
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102.) CNS
103.) BO SNERDLEY
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104.) INDEPENDENT SENTINEL
There are American traitors. Take the $31 million the Biden family got from the CCP while Joe was VP.
Dems want more COV spending and to gut the Electoral College.
NY can’t mandate masks – it’s unconstitutional!
DHS fears Russia will cyberattack US so leave the borders wide open?
Bill Barr – biggest disappointment.
Truckers on the move!
Joe says Fox reporter is a “stupid son of a bitch.” How ironic.
“Constitutionality is in the eye of the beholder”
DHS: Russia Might Cyberattack US But the Borders Remain OpenThe Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an intelligence bulletin revealing that Russia may attempt a cyberattack on the US homeland if the Kremlin discerns a NATO or US response to interfere in their invading… | |
NY State Supreme Court: Hochul’s Mask Mandate Is “unconstitutional, Null, Void, and Unenforceable”New York State Supreme Court Justice Thomas Rademaker ruled the unelected governor’s mask mandate unconstitutional.To be constitutional, the legislature would have had to approve. this applies to everyone, children, adults,… | |
Peter Doocy Responds to Biden Calling Him a “Stupid Son of a Bitch”Peter Doocy was on The Five and joked with Jesse Waters about Biden calling him a “stupid son of a bitch” on a hot mic earlier today. The response was… | |
WA State Senator – Re Guns, “Constitutionality Is in the Eye of the Beholder.”Many Democrats need an education in the meaning of a Constitutional Republic. One of those Democrats is Washington State Senator Patty Kuderer. She was discussing a new gun control bill… | |
Things Are Bad When the Ukraine President Calls Out Biden for His ResponseJoe Biden will send troops to protect any border except the United States border. Does anyone else find that odd? It’s also pretty bad when the President whose nation you… | |
‘Presidential’ Joe Called Fox Reporter “a Stupid Son of a Bitch” on a Hot Mic‘Presidential’ Joe Biden called Fox News reporter Peter Doocy a “stupid son of a bitch” on a hot mic, CNBC reported. After Biden complained that all the press questions were about… | |
RFJ Jr.’s Fiery Speech at the Anti-Vax-Mandate Rally Was MemorableRobert Kennedy Jr., the founder and chairman of Children’s Health Defense, is the nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy and the son of Robert F. Kennedy, the late US… | |
Slave Labor in WI? Judge Won’t Let 7 Healthcare Workers Quit Their JobsThedacare in Wisconsin sued and received a court order to keep 7 healthcare workers from starting jobs at another facility, Ascension Northeast Wisconsin, reports Insider. Mark J. McGinnis, a judge… | |
Heartbreaking Instagram Tribute from Slain Officer’s Grieving WidowThe grieving widow of the slain 22-year-old NYPD officer Jason Rivera yesterday posted a moving tribute to her husband, who she married just three months ago. Rivera was shot dead… | |
Biden’s Writing Up Military Orders for the Fools Who Ruined AfghanistanBiden administration is writing up military orders for units to be sent to Eastern Europe, according to CNN. The same fools that surrendered Afghanistan to terrorists and left Americans behind,… | |
SCOTUS Case: $74 Billion Ponzi Scheme, WaPo Cover-Up, US Senator BribesThe Supreme Court Accepts Case on Seventy-Four-Billion Dollar Ponzi Scheme, Washington Post Cover-up, and U.S. Senator Bribes The Washington Post Editors and over sixty U.S. Senators are not sleeping well tonight. … | |
Washington U Says ‘Professionalism’ Is at Times Racist White SupremacyWashington University in St. Louis is now considering the question of professionalism as a “racist construct” sometimes used to “silence and marginalize people of color.” We suggest that they want… | |
Feds Plan to Raise Interest Rates 4 Times or More This YearThe Federal Reserve could hike interest rates four times this year in an effort to chase inflation, according to analysts at Goldman Sachs. Inflation is allegedly at 7%, the highest… | |
Demon Bill Gates Praises the CCP for Their Great Work on COV-19“I want to wish everyone in China, a very Happy Lunar New Year. Just as the tiger symbolizes vitality and health, our Foundation has continued work over this past year,”… | |
Is An Iron Curtain Closing Around America?Is an iron curtain closing around America? by Karen Kataline Once upon a time in the ’60’s and 70’s America, public service commercials about *Radio Free Europe filled our television airwaves…. | |
Pathetic School Photos Out of OregonThe second grade school photos below from Oregon are depressing. How can an educator agree to do this to a child? There is NO reason in the world to take… | |
Cowards! ‘Where is Peng Shuai’ Tees Banned at Australia OpenRetired tennis star Martina Navratilova has blasted a decision by Australian Open organizers to ban T-shirts supporting Chinese player Peng Shuai. Security staff had on Friday asked spectators trying to… | |
How Government Billions Masked Our ChildrenThe Tennessee Liberty Network researched the COVID relief funds, where they went, and what strings were attached to them. According to The Defender, the network found that public, charter, and nonprofit… | |
Canadians Cheer on Trucker Protesters en Route as the Left Cancels ThemStarting tomorrow, the unvaccinated in Quebec will not be allowed in retail stores over 1,500sq meters. Unvaccinated individuals who want to go to a pharmacy in a Walmart or Costco… | |
News Roundup: BBB, Gut the Electoral College, Spend More $$$Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) offered to participate in a rewriting of the Build Back Better bill but has said there has not been any outreach yet over a potential overhaul…. | |
Bill Barr Is “Cooperating” with the J6 Witch Hunt CommitteeFormer Attorney General Bill Barr is cooperating in some way with the J6 witch hunt committee. Bennie Thompson confirmed the news that they have had “conversations” with Barr. It was… | |
Biden Family Got $31 Million from the Highest Ranked CCP OfficialsAxios reported last December that the Chinese government is increasingly using its economic weight to reshape global behavior and strengthen its own authoritarianism. Corporations are turning over all their secrets and… | |
American Traitors“Can you feel the earth move?” ~ Tim Cook upon Dictator Xi’s entrance The dangerous influence and power Chinese Communists have in the United States, thanks to the American oligarchs… |
105.) DC CLOTHESLINE
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106.) ARTICLE V LEGISLATORS’ CAUCUS
107.) BECKER NEWS
108.) SONS OF LIBERTY
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109.) STARS & STRIPES
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110.) RIGHT & FREE
111.) UNITED VOICE
112.) THE DAILY SHAPIRO
113.) INSURGENT CONSERVATIVES
Joe Biden campaigned as a moderate elder statesman who could help heal a divided country. The truth, of course, has been just the opposite.
In this basement, police say they found a worrying scene.
Wyoming Republicans have not forgotten Cheney’s work on the sham Jan. 6th committee.
Insurgent Conservatives
PO Box 8161 Greenwood, IN 46142
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114.) WAKING TIMES
115.) UNCOVER DC
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116.) DC DIRTY LAUNDRY