Good morning! Here is your news briefing for Monday January 31, 2022
1.) THE DAILY SIGNAL
January 31 2022
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Good morning from Washington, where the Biden administration keeps pushing COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Fred Lucas has an update on agencies that want to track employees who seek exemptions. A Boston teacher faults her union for failing to fight for the unvaccinated, Virginia Allen reports. On the podcast, learn about an app that filters internet content for children. Plus: Salvation Army officials stay quiet on the financial consequences of woke training; identity politics weaken the nation; and your letters on pressing topics. On this date in 1950, President Harry Truman announces he will pursue development of a “superbomb” to dwarf the power of the U.S. atomic bombs dropped on Japan. Know someone who is perfect for an internship at The Daily Signal? Wednesday is the application deadline.
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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 — 1.31.22
Good Monday morning
Shumaker Advisors announced Monday that former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman is joining the firm as Managing Principal of its U.S. Cities Practice.
At Shumaker, Kriseman will focus on economic development and urban planning, while working with clients locally and nationally. Kriseman will also join the Shumaker law firm as of counsel in the Public Policy and Government Affairs service line.
“We are honored to have Rick join Shumaker Advisors. His vision to achieve economic growth while focusing on sustainability and purpose inspires us all,” Shumaker Advisors president and CEO Ron Christaldi said. “It is a compliment to our team that Rick believes in our ability to make a true impact, and we are excited for more success ahead.”
Kriseman served as St. Pete Mayor from 2014 to 2022.
“Tampa Bay has incredible potential. With our top leaders and greatest minds working together, the region’s future is brighter than ever,” Kriseman said. “I am honored to join the prestigious team at Shumaker Advisors and to work with their clients who are committed to ensuring that our communities become better places for all.”
The announcement comes a few weeks after Shumaker Advisors announced that former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn had joined the firm to work on economic development opportunities and urban development strategies across the state.
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Franco Ripple is leaving Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried’s office to serve as vice president at Direct Impact, a Washington-based public affairs firm and part of the international BCW Group.
Ripple served in several roles at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services since Fried’s inauguration, including as Director of Communications and Director of Strategic Initiatives. He also consulted on her successful 2018 campaign.
At the department, Ripple oversaw a communications shop that built Fried’s profile with frequent local TV hits, national cable appearances, and strong earned media, as well as rollouts of major initiatives.
Ripple’s entry into public affairs and politics came 20 years ago as a White House Intern in the (George W.) Bush administration in 2002, followed by bipartisan Capitol Hill internships. Part of every campaign cycle since 2004, he has served on gubernatorial, congressional, state legislative, and presidential campaigns, most recently as North Florida Director for the Joe Biden/Kamala Harris campaign.
He also spent five years at the CATECOMM public relations firm, consulting on advocacy communications, earned and paid media, digital campaigns, and public engagement for corporate, association, governmental and nonprofit clients.
Ripple will continue to be based in Tallahassee.
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For your radar — Matt Isbell posted late last night 3,500 words on redistricting, specifically what may happen to Florida’s 5th Congressional District. Be sure to give it a read by clicking here.
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
Tweet, tweet:
—@ChrisSpencerFL: If the Biden infrastructure bill is such a big deal for you, then why do you know so little about it that you think this CDBG-MIT funding was in it? It was actually appropriated after Hurricane Irma.
—@RepValDemings: Yesterday, neo-nazis rallied in Orlando. But America beat their disturbing ideology before, and we’ll do it again. As a police commander, I saw similar rallies, and I also saw that for every nazi, there were a hundred Floridians there to stand up for what’s right
Tweet, tweet:
—@VoteRandyFine: This is crap. @GovRonDeSantis has stood with the Jewish people more than any Gov in America. I hate these ppl more than anyone. If I saw it live, I’d need bail. But these idiots can’t even spell Brandon right. So let’s put the anger where it belongs — at these people.
—@MarcoRubio: One day, we will learn just what kind of deal with the devil the @NFL made in exchange for the last two weekends of playoff games
—@GiancarloSopo: Patrick Mahomes could still go to the Super Bowl if Mike Pence would just have the courage to do what is right.
—@JoshAllenQB: Pain.
Tweet, tweet:
—@JamesGrantFL: (Tom) Brady’s retirement leaking in the middle of Gasparilla is about as Tampa as it gets.
—@Cam_Joseph: Not sure there’s a more rewarding feeling in journalism than closing all the tabs after you pub a story
— DAYS UNTIL —
XXIV Olympic Winter Games begins — 4; Super Bowl LVI — 13; Will Smith‘s ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ reboot premieres — 13; Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show begins — 16; season four of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ begins — 16; Spring Training report dates begin — 17; Synapse Florida tech summit begins — 17; ‘The Walking Dead’ final season part two begins — 20; Daytona 500 — 20; Special Election for Jacksonville City Council At-Large Group 3 — 23; Suits For Session — 23; CPAC begins — 24; St. Pete Grand Prix — 25; Biden to give the State of the Union address — 29; ‘The Batman’ premieres — 32; the third season of ‘Atlanta’ begins — 51; season two of ‘Bridgerton’ begins — 53; The Oscars — 55; Macbeth with Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga begin performances on Broadway — 57; Grammys rescheduled in Las Vegas — 62; federal student loan payments will resume — 90; ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ premieres — 95; ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ premieres — 116; ‘Platinum Jubilee’ for Queen Elizabeth II — 122; ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ premieres — 159; San Diego Comic-Con 2022 — 172; Michael Mann and Meg Gardiner novel ‘Heat 2’ publishes — 190; ‘The Lord of the Rings’ premieres on Amazon Prime — 214; ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ sequel premieres — 249; ‘Black Panther 2’ premieres — 284; ‘The Flash’ premieres — 287; ‘Avatar 2′ premieres — 319; ‘Captain Marvel 2′ premieres — 382; ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ premieres — 417; ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ premieres — 543; ‘Dune: Part Two’ premieres — 627; Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games — 907.
—TOP STORY —
“Clash over election rules pits civil-rights groups vs. state, national Republicans” via Laura Cassels of Florida Phoenix — In a voting-rights case that will have national ramifications, DeSantis, top members of his administration, and two Republican national committees will convene in federal court Monday to defend Florida’s 2021 election reforms against state, national, and local plaintiffs who say the reforms suppress voting by Black voters, Latino voters, and others. At issue is Senate Bill 90, adopted by the Legislature and signed into law by DeSantis in May, immediately drawing lawsuits. It restricts the use of mail-ballot drop boxes widely used in the 2020 elections to accommodate record voter turnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. Opponents describe the measures as voter suppression, designed to make voting more difficult, especially among certain populations, and are asking a federal court to overturn the law. The trial starts Monday.
— DATELINE TALLY —
“Ron DeSantis vows to stamp out the ‘vicious ideology’ of ‘wokeness’” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — In a crystallization of his argument for re-election, DeSantis on Friday night went on the offensive against “wokeness,” a “vicious ideology” and a variant of what he called “cultural Marxism.” “This wokeness is dangerous, and we have to defeat it on all fronts,” DeSantis told the Common Sense Society during a speech Friday night. DeSantis said the movement intends to make conservatives “second-class citizens.” DeSantis suggested that priorities of Democrats, such as expanding the Supreme Court, abolishing the Electoral College, and “making D.C. a state, so you get two radical Senators for life,” are not issues that “many Americans are talking about over their kitchen table.”
No migrant flight companies have state contracts, state records show — DeSantis has said he wants companies that transport unaccompanied migrant minors to be ineligible for state contracts, but the state has no contracts with any of the corporations involved. As reported by Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has compiled a list of companies that have contracted with the Office of Refugee Resettlement, but none of the companies on the list have any business with the state government. However, a handful of names on the list are not immediately identifiable, such as “World ATL.” Other names, such as “Elite Air,” are used by multiple companies. FDLE said it did not have any further information on the companies and that the information it did have came from an unnamed “source.”
“‘Storm-prone state’: DeSantis pledges $80 million for climate adaptation in South Florida” via Anna Jean Kaiser and Alex Harris of the Miami Herald — DeSantis announced the state would award $80 million in grants to South Florida cities and counties to deal with stormwater and flood-control problems, with nearly $40 million going to two Miami projects. “As a storm-prone state, we need to make sure we’re mitigating the effects of these weather events,” DeSantis said at a news conference at Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades on Friday morning. Miami will receive $19.8 million to improve stormwater infrastructure in the southwest part of Wynwood, and $18.4 million to alleviate chronic flooding in East Little Havana.
“Senators plan overhaul of coastal resiliency measures” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — Sen. Jason Brodeur has filed an amendment fleshing out his bill to address rising sea levels, part of an effort to improve a 2021 law on environmental policy. During his first week in office in 2019, DeSantis signed an executive order on the environment that established the Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection within the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Brodeur’s bill (SB 1940) would codify a Statewide Office of Resiliency within the Governor’s Office and place the Chief Resilience Officer (CRO) as the head of the office. But with Brodeur’s proposed changes to that bill, the one-paged measure would expand to more than 20 pages and include tweaks to state processes within DEP and beyond. The bill, including Brodeur’s amendment, is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. It would be the proposal’s first of three committee hearings.
“Hurricane Catastrophe Fund reform could save insurance consumers $1 billion a year, backers say” via Ron Hurtibise of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Florida home insurance customers could get a substantial break from rising rates, saving about $150 a year, if they no longer had to pay into the state’s hurricane insurance reserve fund and if insurance companies could access those reserves more easily, with fewer overall claims losses. Reforms proposed in the state Legislature by state Sen. Jeff Brandes could save Florida consumers $750 million to $1 billion a year in insurance costs, he said. The savings would come from two major reforms to the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund.
“Pending bill puts a high price on home rule” via Bill Cotterell of the Tallahassee Democrat — A fast-tracked Senate bill, approved by a near party-line vote of 22-14 last week, is an unnecessary and punitive act of financial intimidation that defies the concept of home rule. The Republican leadership on the Capitol’s fourth floor seems intent upon letting business operators sue local governing boards for passing local ordinances that have an impact of 15% or more on their profits. It’s a potentially crippling financial threat, giving business owners and their lawyers nothing to lose for harassing local governments and giving mayors and other local officials a weighty incentive to play it safe and not do much of anything, for fear of getting sued.
“Florida Democrat delivers an emotional critique of ‘anti-woke’ bills: ‘ My opinion matters just as much as your opinion’” via Tim Craig of The Washington Post — The anger had been building inside Rep. Ramon Alexander for more than a year as he sat alongside his Republican colleagues in the Florida Legislature. One of the state’s highest-ranking Black legislators, Alexander watched as the state GOP responded to Black Lives Matter protests by making it easier to charge some demonstrators with felony charges. He watched Republicans impose new restrictions on voting by mail over the objection of Democrats. And he watched some GOP lawmakers downplay the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, which Alexander considers a violent effort to disenfranchise Black voters.
“Advocate pushing for ‘essential caregiver’ bills takes fight to Legislature” via Kent Justice of News4Jax — A Jacksonville woman is pushing to secure rights for every caregiver to see their loved one, pandemic or not. Mary Daniel is taking her fight to the Florida Legislature, which is moving into the fourth week of the Legislative Session. At the same time, Daniel is also fighting for change on the federal level. Daniel and her husband, Steve, have an incredible love story, partly because of tragedy. Her husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at just 59 years old. Now 68, he’s in a long-term care facility that shut out Daniel and others when the pandemic crashed down on the world in 2020.
“Former Sen. Charlie Dean honored with college building name, endowment” via Mike Wright of Florida Politics — It was 1962, and a young Dean was trying to find his footing in life. The son of Citrus County’s Sheriff, Dean graduated from Citrus High School and attended Florida State University, but it didn’t work out well. He joined the Marines and, after fulfilling his commitment, gave higher education another try. This time he attended Central Florida Community College in Ocala, now College of Central Florida, where he would earn an associate degree. He followed that with a bachelor’s at Florida State, then a master’s at Rollins College. And then, success: schoolteacher, counselor, Citrus County Sheriff, state Representative, state Senator.
— SKED —
Happening today — Democratic Rep. Felicia Robinson will host an online news conference to oppose a bill (HB 7) that deals with issues such as race-related instruction, 11:15 a.m. Zoom link here. Meeting ID: 85028918609. Call-in code: NoOnHB7.
— The Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee meets to consider SB 1658, from Sen. Aaron Bean, enabling the Governor to bypass the state Cabinet in appointing the secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, 3 p.m., Room 37 of the Senate Office Building.
— The Senate Judiciary Committee meets to consider SB 262, from Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez, to allow parents of adult children to pursue mental pain and suffering damages in wrongful-death lawsuits alleging malpractice, 3 p.m., Room 412 of the Knott Building.
— The Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee meets to consider SB 1928, from Chair Ed Hooper, to update regulations for household moving services, 3 p.m., Room 110 of the Senate Office Building.
— The House Appropriations Committee meets to consider HB 3, from Rep. Tom Leek, to help recruit and train law-enforcement officers, 3 p.m., Room 212 Knott Building.
— The House Ways and Means Committee meets to consider HJR 1 and HB 1563, from Rep. Josie Tomkow, to increase the homestead property-tax exemptions to classroom teachers, law enforcement officers, correctional officers, firefighters, child-welfare services professionals, members of the U.S. armed forces, or the Florida National Guard, 3 p.m., Room 404 of the House Office Building.
“Judge rules former Sen. Frank Artiles must release more documents in election fraud case” via Bianca Padró-Ocasio and Ana Ceballos of the Miami Herald — Former Florida Sen. Artiles will have to turn over some bank records, credit reports, cellphone communications, and other digital documents to be used as evidence in a high-profile corruption case against him, a Miami-Dade circuit judge ruled on Friday. But the files, which are part of the discovery in a wide-ranging criminal case involving dark money and a “ghost’ candidate in a Miami election, will be limited to anything produced between Jan. 1, 2020, and April 30, 2021. That period expands beyond when investigators have alleged Artiles paid a no-party candidate more than $40,000 to run and sway the outcome of the state Senate District 37 election.
“State Ethics Commission clears former JEA board member who later became privatization consultant” via Nate Monroe of The Florida Times-Union — The Florida Commission on Ethics decided a former member of the JEA board of directors and vocal privatization advocate didn’t violate the law when, during his term on the board, he discussed becoming a paid consultant to help the utility get acquired by a private company. That board member, Alan Howard, eventually did become a privatization consultant to JEA through a $75,000 contract with his law firm after his term on the board had expired. The finding of no wrongdoing closes the book on one of several controversies that arose during the contentious JEA privatization campaign more than two years ago.
“New phone, who dis? Florida cracking down on anonymous political text messages” via Fresh Take Florida — Ever receive one of those irritating political texts during an election, praising or criticizing a candidate and wonder who was behind it? The Florida Election Commission is cracking down on political texts that don’t explicitly say who paid for them, with new rules intended to improve transparency for voters and stem the spread of misinformation. Under the proposed new regulations, it will fine groups that break the new rules $200 to $250 for each text, amounts that could add up to tens of thousands of dollars for wayward texts blasted during a campaign. Even for honest campaigns, one consultant estimated that complying with the new rules could double their costs by adding characters to texts with limited lengths. The Election Commission disputed that estimate.
What Shannon Shepp is reading — “The next big squeeze: Florida orange juice could skyrocket in price” via Laura Reiley of The Washington Post — The next grocery item families could see skyrocketing in price: Florida orange juice. According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report earlier this month, the state’s orange crop will be the smallest since World War II. And the threats to Florida’s “liquid gold” continue: Weather forecasters predict this weekend’s freezing temperatures in Florida will further hurt the season’s crop. Florida is the country’s largest producer of juice oranges, at its peak producing 244 million boxes of oranges annually. The USDA predicts that it will fall to only 44.5 million this year. Demand for orange juice had cooled in recent years as consumers became concerned about sugar in fruit juices. But COVID-19 brought it back.
— CORONA FLORIDA —
“Florida logs more than 1,000 new COVID-19 deaths for first time since delta variant wave” via Chris Persaud of The Palm Beach Post — As the omicron wave of the coronavirus recedes across Florida, the scope of its deadliness has begun to take shape. For the first time since mid-October, Florida logged more than 1,000 COVID-19 deaths in a week, state health officials reported Friday. Viral fatalities rose by 1,192 since Jan. 21, data from the state Health Department shows. That’s nearly twice as many new victims reported last week, and more than seven times as many four weeks ago. And the omicron death wave appears to be rising as fast as the delta variant surge from last summer. During delta, it took six weeks for seven-day death totals to skyrocket from a low of less than 200 to more than 1,000. During this recent swing, health officials counted just 122 new deaths during the week ending Dec. 24, but in the six weeks since then, under omicron, that tally has grown, breaking 1,000 this week.
“Sunday Florida COVID-19 update: Hospitalizations down by another 171 people” via David J. Neal of the Miami Herald — Continuing a trend that began over a week ago, the number of Florida hospital patients with COVID-19 fell by 171. There were 9,440 hospital patients who tested positive with COVID-19 in Florida in data reported to HHS from 261 hospitals. That’s the same number of hospitals in Saturday’s report. In the latest report, patients with COVID-19 take up 16.22% of all inpatient beds, compared to 16.47% among Saturday’s reporting hospitals. Of the people hospitalized in Florida, 1,445 were in intensive care units, a decrease of four from Saturday. That represents about 22.70% of the state’s ICU beds, compared to 22.75% the previous day.
“Pandemic tensions deepen in Florida as DeSantis digs in” via Alexander Nazaryan of Yahoo News — The omicron wave appears to have crested in Florida, but you wouldn’t know it from the acrimonious battles Florida politicians have been fighting over the pandemic. DeSantis this week lashed out at Washington, and Democratic lawmakers protested the confirmation of Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, who has expressed skepticism over vaccines and masks. Few states have received as much scrutiny throughout the pandemic as Florida, where DeSantis has rejected many of the safety measures recommended by health officials while also downplaying the efficacy of vaccines. DeSantis has spent the week charging the Biden administration with withholding monoclonal antibody treatments developed by Regeneron.
“DeSantis enlists Dwight Eisenhower in his war against Dr. Anthony Fauci” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — Warning against “COVID authoritarianism” in a speech to the Common Sense Society, DeSantis invoked Eisenhower in his latest cautionary tale. In his Presidential farewell speech, Eisenhower warned of the military-industrial complex having an outsized role. DeSantis wanted to highlight a secondary message, however. “Eisenhower talked about how government was more involved with funding scientific research and how there was a danger that public policy could be hijacked by a scientific and technological elite,” DeSantis said. The Governor’s remarks were part of the right-of-center Common Sense Society‘s gala event Friday night at the Breakers Resort in Palm Beach.
— CORONA LOCAL —
“Volusia Clerk of Courts short-staffed partly by COVID-19 asks people to use website” via Frank Fernandez of The Daytona Beach News-Journal — The Volusia County Clerk of Courts is experiencing “extreme staffing shortages,” in part due to COVID-19, and is asking people to be patient and check the clerk’s website at clerk.org for information and services. Volusia County Clerk of Court Laura Roth wrote in an email on Thursday that 21 people were out of the office due to COVID-19; either they or a household member were positive for the virus, Roth wrote. She wrote that seven employees are out from one division, hurting the call centers. Five of those are COVID-19-related, while two are for other reasons, she wrote. The clerk’s office is already stretched thin because while it has approximately 230 employees, it should have about 260, Roth noted.
—“Polk COVID-19 infections decline for 2nd straight week” via Gary White of The Lakeland Ledger
—2022 —
“Soros pours $125M into super PAC ahead of midterms” via Elena Schneider of POLITICO — Soros is seeding a super PAC with $125 million, an enormous investment that will aid Democratic groups and candidates for the 2022 election cycle and beyond. The group, Democracy PAC, has served as Soros’ campaign spending vehicle since 2019, channeling more than $80 million to other Democratic groups and candidates during the 2020 election cycle. The new, nine-figure investment from Soros aims at supporting pro-democracy “causes and candidates, regardless of political party.” Soros added that the donation to the super PAC is a “long-term investment,” intended to support political work beyond this year. Soros’ son, will serve as the PAC’s president.
“Petition drive to bring sports betting to Florida folds” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — There will be no proposed constitutional amendment to legalize online sports betting on the 2022 General Election ballot. One organization behind the push in Florida has conceded it cannot get enough petition signatures verified in time to qualify by next Tuesday’s deadline. Florida Education Champions, the organization funded by the big daily fantasy sports platforms DraftKings and FanDuel, announced Friday it is reassessing long-term options, still hoping one day to get voter approval for legal online sports gambling in Florida. The other proposed gambling constitutional amendment drive, for a North Florida casino driven by the Las Vegas Sands Corp.’s committee Florida Voters In Charge, has not given up its campaign.
“Florida Voters in Charge defends its pro-gambling petition effort after being investigated for fraud” via Tom McLaughlin of the Northwest Florida Daily News — Florida Voters in Charge, a political action committee that has come under fire as supervisors of elections from all over the state report suspected fraudulent pro-gambling initiative petitions being turned in at their offices, has responded to what it says are “careless allegations” made against it. FVIC legal counsel Jim McKee said allegations of wrongdoing “in many instances” are being made by people and groups motivated to prevent a proposal to amend the state constitution and expand casino gambling in Florida from appearing on the ballot. In early December, supervisors of elections from six Florida counties notified the Secretary of State’s Office that fraudulent constitutional initiative petitions were being received by their offices from signature collectors working for Florida Voters in Charge.
“How 2 Black women conquered Senate primary politics” via Maya King of POLITICO — As Black women running in two of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races, Rep. Val Demings and former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley are poised to make history if they’re successful in November. But that’s only part of what makes their campaigns stand out this year. Demings and Beasley have drawn notice, and a heavy dose of respect within their party, for accomplishing a feat that has all-too-frequently eluded candidates of color, especially Black women: Managing to clear their Senate primary fields of heavyweight competition. Demings and Beasley still face nominal competition for the Democratic Senate nomination. But thanks to their political muscle-flexing, they are largely free to focus the bulk of their attention and resources on winning the general election in November.
“She believes: Annette Taddeo launches 67-county campaign for Florida Governor with RV tour” via James Call of USA Today Network — With her “I Believe” RV tour, Taddeo said she intends to visit all 67 Florida counties by Memorial Day to introduce herself to voters. State police closed the parking lot to the public park across from the mansion’s front gate, preventing Taddeo from using it as a staging area for a news conference. “We’re not going to let them dictate what we talk about,” said Taddeo. The turnout in the 44-degree morning was limited to about a dozen supporters and campaign staff and a handful of reporters. Taddeo harshly criticized DeSantis and the Republican-dominated Legislature for pushing an agenda she said was focused on inflaming a culture war instead of, among many other things, addressing building codes in the wake of the Surfside collapse.
Not spotted — Florida’s 13th Congressional District race is noticeably absent from David Wasserman’s Top 25 Republican House primaries to watch from The Cook Report. Left open after Congressman Charlie Crist mounts another run for Governor, CD 13 has been considered by many a significant focus for the GOP to flip in the midterms. Republican Anna Paulina Luna is touting an endorsement from Donald Trump, while her opponent, analyst Amanda Makki, boasts several top endorsements and was recently named a “Woman to Watch” by U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik’s group E-PAC, which supports the campaigns of Republican women. Local business owner and former prosecutor Kevin Hayslett, a self-described “Trump Republican,” has also just entered the race.
“Vern Buchanan raised $316K in 4Q, $1.7M in election cycle to date” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — U.S. Rep. Buchanan pulled in another $316,000 in the fourth quarter of 2021. That means the Longboat Key Republican has built up more than $1.7 million as he prepares to run for a ninth term in Congress. “I’m humbled by such a strong show of support,” Buchanan said. “People are responding to my positive agenda of recovery and rebuilding, protecting veterans’ benefits and safeguarding Social Security and Medicare.” Notably, the $1,707,712 he has collected includes none of Buchanan’s own money. The wealthiest U.S. House member representing Florida has offered self-funding to his campaigns before, but this election cycle has been paying debt down instead. The heavy influx of dollars comes as Buchanan positions himself to be the next U.S. House Ways and Means Committee chair, one of the most powerful positions in Congress.
“Janet Cruz collects nearly $90K in days leading up to Session” via Kelly Hayes of Florida Politics — Sen. Cruz raised nearly $90,000 ahead of this year’s Legislative Session as she continues her re-election campaign for Senate District 18, her campaign announced this week. Cruz collected $86,416 in the time before Session, split between $22,416 raised by her campaign and $64,000 fundraised by her political committee, Building the Bay. “We’re all hands on deck for this race,” Cruz said in a statement. Throughout the 2022 cycle, Cruz has raised $693,409. And Cruz’s most recent haul will be her last through March, while the Legislature is in Session, sitting lawmakers are barred from fundraising, both for their campaign accounts and political committees.
Happening tonight:
“Mike Caruso moving north to newly configured House District 87” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics — Rep. Caruso said redistricting means he’s going to be spending his weekends house-shopping, as he plans to move north to the new House District 87. The Delray Beach address he’s called home since the 1980s is currently in House District 89, and that’s being reconfigured. The redistricting effort has renumbered his district and shifted its boundaries further west. The district no longer stretches along Palm Beach County’s coastal area. Instead, it is roughly bounded by Highland Beach and Boynton Beach, extending west mostly along Military Trail. The Democrat-Republican split of his newly reconfigured district he’s called home for decades shows it’s getting bluer, and it also draws in Rep. Joe Casello.
Interesting — “Dan Gelber calls on Florida Democrats to open their primaries” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Miami Beach Mayor Gelber is calling upon the Florida Democratic Party to open its Primary elections to independent voters, a move he suggested might do no less than help save democracy itself. In a letter to Florida Democratic Party Chair Manny Diaz, Gelber expressed strong and foreboding thoughts about political divides increasing in breadth and intensity, dubbing them threats to democracy. Political parties must find ways to bring independent voters and their generally more moderate views back in, broaden political appeals, and temper divisions, Gelber argued. He suggests that the way to do that would be for political parties to open their primaries to them. The Democrats should go first, just because they can, Gelber urges. The former state Senator does not mince words in criticizing the GOP.
— CORONA NATION —
“Most Americans say pandemic will be over when virus becomes comparable to seasonal flu” via Amy Cheng and Adela Suliman of The Washington Post — As the coronavirus pandemic enters its third year, a new poll indicates that only a small minority of Americans need COVID-19 to be largely eliminated before they will regard the health emergency as over. By contrast, 83% of the 1,161 respondents said they would see the pandemic as a thing of the past once the virus evolves into a less severe, occasional presence in life, not unlike the seasonal flu. That’s a view taken by many public health experts and the countries that are pushing for “living with COVID” policies once the virus becomes endemic, or at “a point at which the infection is no longer unpredictably disruptive.” Seventy-three percent of respondents said getting vaccinated was important to ending the pandemic. Democrats were almost three times more likely than Republicans to believe that widespread immunization is essential.
“Embattled CDC rethinks pandemic response after criticism of guidelines” via Felicia Schwartz of The Wall Street Journal — The CDC is looking to reassert itself in the country’s COVID-19 response amid criticism it has sown more confusion than it has offered answers. According to the agency, the first orders of business are upgrading data collection that has hobbled decision making and clearing up messaging that has confused many. Yet the steps may not be enough to fix problems at the nation’s premier public-health agency exposed by the pandemic. And the CDC may not have much time, as a new variant could emerge after omicron crests. “Moving fast and risk-taking in a setting of ambiguity is not CDC’s strength — it’s not what they do,” said Charity Dean, previously a California Department of Health official who resigned during the pandemic.
“Boosters exacerbate the Republican-Democrat vaccine gap” via Aaron Blake of The Washington Post — In part because of these gaps in outcomes, and because Republicans are significantly less likely to get vaccinated, the pandemic’s death toll has registered very disproportionately in red areas. Now new data suggest the gap in protection between red and blue is growing significantly. While much has been written about the partisan vaccination gap, the gap is now larger with boosters. To date, the survey shows about 9 in 10 Democrats and 6 in 10 Republicans have gotten vaccinated. But when it comes to those who are vaccinated and boosted, Democrats are about twice as likely to be in that group, 62% to 32%.
— CORONA ECONOMICS —
“Despite omicron hurdles, strong economic recovery appears on track” via Abha Bhattarai of The Washington Post — Even as the U.S. economy grew at its fastest pace in decades in 2021, the recovery has more recently flashed troubling warning signs, with soaring inflation, whipsawing financial markets and slowing consumer spending complicating the rebound. The economy grew at a blockbuster 6.9% annualized rate in the last three months of the year, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said Thursday, as growing business investments, consumer spending, and a rush by companies to bolster inventories helped drive GDP much higher in the final months of 2021. That strong reading still masks pressure from the omicron coronavirus variant that began sweeping through the nation late last year. This variant has left a swift and discernible imprint on retail sales, inflation, and even new claims for jobless benefits.
“Tipping has soared during the pandemic” via Nathan Bomey of Axios — From restaurants to ride-sharing, Americans are tipping a lot more than they did before the pandemic. The past two years have upended how we express appreciation to the people who provide us food and services. We’re leaving tips much more frequently, in part because a lot more transactions are prompting us to, sometimes before the service that we’re tipping for has been completed. Immediately before the pandemic, people tipped on about 63% of in-person credit-card transactions that provided an option to tip. By August 2021, they were tipping on about 66% of such payments. The average tip amount was about 20%, pre-pandemic. It has risen slightly, to about 21%.
— MORE CORONA —
“‘It’s just stressful’: Students feel the weight of pandemic uncertainty” via Jacey Fortin and Giulia Heyward of The New York Times — The school shutdowns in the spring of 2020 were hard enough for students. But this winter, as the omicron variant drove a spike in coronavirus case numbers, the disruptions began to feel like they would never end. Some school districts extended winter break or returned temporarily to remote learning. And some schools, already struggling with a nationwide labor shortage, were forced to cancel classes after staff members called in sick. Many students are still scrambling to catch up academically after months of struggling to learn online, and some switch schools or dropped out altogether. A sense of profound isolation persists. There are feelings of loneliness and angst. Many students feel that an entire system has failed them, leaving them to take on additional responsibilities far beyond what is typically asked of young people.
“In the wake of the omicron wave, single parents are drowning” via Caitlin Gibson of The Washington Post — About 3 in 10 families with children are headed by single parents, and 75% of those parents are mothers. Single-parent families comprise more than 10 million households in America, yet some of those said they often feel like outliers, especially during the pandemic, and especially during this stage of the pandemic. Many parents say they’ve felt painfully overlooked: by school systems who expect them to be able to accommodate virtual learning; by employers who aren’t flexible when a day care closure upends a workweek; by lawmakers who have withdrawn financial safety nets; and by health guidelines that are often impossible for a solo-parent household to follow.
— PRESIDENTIAL —
“Can Joe Biden, Republican Governors work together to implement infrastructure law?” via Alex Roarty and Bryan Lowry of the Miami Herald — President Biden and Republican Governors rarely see eye to eye on anything. Will the new infrastructure law be any different? Federal officials and state governments have begun an ambitious partnership this year to implement a trillion-dollar upgrade to the nation’s infrastructure, money made available last year when Biden signed into law a new spending bill that Congress passed with bipartisan support. It’s a process everyone agrees will require cooperation between the Democratic-led government and 28 Republican Governors, many of whom will have broad discretion about where to spend the money they receive from the federal government. It’s a difficult feat to pull off when deep political polarization makes cross-aisle cooperation a rarity. But for Biden’s administration, it’ll be a necessity.
“Biden’s vow of Black justice a nod to his most loyal voters” via Nicholas Riccardi of The Associated Press — As he struggled to survive the 2020 Democratic Primary, Biden made a striking pledge before voting began in heavily African American, must-win South Carolina: His first Supreme Court appointment would be a Black woman. On Thursday, with his poll numbers reaching new lows and his party panicking about the midterm elections, Biden turned again to the Democratic Party’s most steadfast voters and reiterated his vow to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer with the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. The striking promise reflects Black women’s critical role in the Democratic Party and the growing influence of Black women in society. It’s also a recognition that Black women have been marginalized in American politics for centuries.
“A top candidate for the U.S. Supreme Court has roots in Miami” via Ariana Figueroa of Florida Phoenix — With the retirement of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Breyer by this summer, Biden has said he will fulfill a campaign promise of appointing a Black woman to an open seat on the highest court in the land. A top contender, who was even vetted by the Barack Obama administration in 2016 as a potential nominee to the Supreme Court, is Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Born in Washington, D.C., she grew up in Miami, where she graduated from Miami Palmetto Senior High School before going on to Harvard College and Harvard Law School. Biden said on Thursday that he plans to announce a nominee by the end of February.
— D.C. MATTERS —
“Republicans relish Biden’s troubles, eyeing a takeover of Congress” via Annie Karni of The New York Times — Republicans on Capitol Hill are using Biden’s failures to fuel their bid to retake control of Congress, focusing on his collapsing legislative agenda, his unfulfilled promise to “shut down” the coronavirus pandemic and rising voter anxieties over school closures and inflation as they seek a winning message for this year’s elections. Biden’s troubles have frustrated Democrats, prompting calls for a major course correction. At the same time, they have delighted Republicans, who have been intent on rehabilitating themselves in the eyes of voters after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol last year. Republicans believe they are finally able to capitalize on what they view as a historically advantageous environment. Republicans have spotlighted so-called kitchen-table issues like rising gas and home heating costs.
“Marco Rubio calls on HUD to address Florida’s section 8 properties with failing REAC scores” via Florida Daily — Last week, U.S. Sen. Rubio urged U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Sec. Marcia Fudge to immediately address several of Florida’s Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance properties with failing Real Estate Assessment Center scores that had previously experienced inspection delays. “ … failing scores and ongoing delays highlight an urgent need to address the unsafe and unsanitary conditions that many Florida families have been facing on a daily basis,” a letter to Fudge read.
“Federal judge throws out oil lease sale in Gulf of Mexico” via Daniel Figueroa of Florida Politics — A federal court has rejected a plan to lease millions of acres in the Gulf of Mexico for offshore oil drilling, saying the Biden administration did not adequately take into account the lease sale’s effect on planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, violating a bedrock environmental law. The decision by U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras in Washington sends the proposed lease sale back to the Interior Department to decide the next steps. The judge said it was up to Interior to decide whether to go forward with the sale after a revised review, scrap it, or take other steps. Environmental groups hailed the decision and said the ruling gave Biden a chance to follow through on a campaign promise to stop offshore leasing in federal waters.
— CRISIS —
“Committee investigating Jan. 6 attack issues subpoenas to 14 bogus Trump electors in states Biden won” via Felicia Sonmez and Beth Reinhard of The Washington Post — The congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob has issued subpoenas to 14 individuals who cast bogus electoral votes for the former president in seven states won by Biden in 2020. The move comes as two Democratic Attorneys General asked federal prosecutors in recent days to investigate whether crimes were committed in assembling or submitting the “alternate” Trump slates. This week, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco confirmed prosecutors’ consideration of what she termed the “fraudulent elector certifications.”
“Donald Trump suggests he might pardon some Jan. 6 defendants” via Kyle Cheney of POLITICO — Former President Trump suggested Saturday that he might pardon people associated with the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol if he were to win a second term as president. “Another thing we’ll do — and so many people have been asking me about it — if I run and if I win, we will treat those people from Jan. 6 fairly. We will treat them fairly,” he said at a rally in Conroe, Texas. “And if it requires pardons, we will give them pardons. Because they are being treated so unfairly.” The assertion comes amid efforts by Trump and some of his fiercest supporters to rewrite the history of Jan. 6, baselessly claiming the attack on the Capitol was instigated by the FBI and that the approximately 50 pretrial detainees held in connection with the attack are “political prisoners.”
Tweet, tweet:
— EPILOGUE TRUMP —
“Trump facing legal, political headwinds as he eyes comeback” via Jill Colvin of The Associated Press — As he prepared to tee off at one of his Florida golf courses, a fellow player introduced Trump as the “45th President of the United States.” “45th and 47th,” Trump responded matter-of-factly before hitting his drive. The quip was a reminder that the former President often has another presidential run on his mind. But the declaration belied the growing challenges he’s confronting as a series of complex legal investigations ensnare Trump, his family, and many associates. The probes, which are unfolding in multiple jurisdictions and consider everything from potential fraud and election interference to the role he played in the Jan. 6 insurrection, represent the most serious legal threat Trump has faced in decades of an often-litigious public life.
“Books, speeches, hats for sale: Post-presidency, the Trumps try to make money the pre-presidency way” via Michael Scherer and Josh Dawsey of The Washington Post — Trump’s advisers sent a “breaking” alert a few weeks before Christmas to his political supporters, informing them of a new opportunity to show their “loyalty” through a book of photographs. The book, based largely on photographs in the public domain, and sold unsigned for $75 and over three times that with Trump’s signature, has been published by a new company founded by his son, Donald Trump Jr. It paid the former president a multimillion-dollar advance for signing copies, writing captions and helping curate photos.
“Do Republicans love Trump as they once did?” via Dan Balz of The Washington Post — No one should underestimate Trump’s standing within the Republican Party, especially the passionate allegiance of a substantial part of the GOP base. But there are signs that, since the assault on the Capitol last year, his support within the party may not be quite as robust as it once was. The suggestion that he has slipped comes with a sizable caveat. Majorities of Republicans have bought into Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election. A Washington Post-University of Maryland survey, completed at the end of last year, found that more than 6 in 10 Republicans said there is solid evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Nearly 6 in 10 say Biden’s election was not legitimate.
—LOCAL NOTES —
“Feds try to block victims of Surfside condo collapse from accessing crucial evidence” via Nicholas Nehamas and Sarah Blaskey of the Miami Herald — After the deadly Surfside condo collapse, crucial pieces of evidence were trucked away from the disaster site and stored in a Miami-Dade police warehouse. The evidence is key for federal investigators and attorneys for victims. But now, NIST and Miami-Dade County are trying to prevent experts for the attorneys from testing and sampling the materials. “At this time, NIST will maintain exclusive custody and control of the debris to ensure the integrity of its investigation,” the letter to Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo Ramirez III stated. “ Judge Michael Hanzman appeared outraged when informed of NIST and the county’s actions.
“The towers and the ticking clock” via Matthew Shaer of The New York Times — Even in the most rigorously built structures, secured to the face of the earth by heavy pylons driven through yards of shifting sand, the coastal environment has inevitably taken its toll. Facades are pitted by the salt and sea air. Balconies are crumbling. Pool decks are spidered with cracks. And water, and rising sea levels, are a fact of life. Meaningful reform has long been notoriously hard to enact. Florida has roughly 1.5 million residential condo units, among the most of any state, and a highly lucrative condo and co-op industry.
“Criminalizing free speech? Group challenges Miami Beach law used to cuff people filming cops” via David Ovalle of the Miami Herald — After last year’s unruly spring break on South Beach, the Miami Beach City Commission passed an ordinance that allowed for the arrest of people who “interrupt” and get too close to cops doing their job on the streets. The result: Miami Beach police, over a crowded weekend in July, arrested over a dozen people, almost all Black and in the process of video recording police officers. Since then, nearly every one of those cases has been quietly dropped. But in one of the few remaining cases, the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers asked a court to dismiss the case against an Ohio tourist, saying the ordinance unconstitutionally punished the right to free speech. Given the opportunity to defend the law in court, Miami Beach’s city prosecutor last week backed down, simply dropping the case.
“Jacksonville City Council member gets litigation letter from firm snared in dark-money controversies” via Nate Monroe of The Florida Times-Union — Matrix LLC, an Alabama consulting firm that has been drawn into controversies across Florida over political dark money, sent a legal notice to Jacksonville City Council member Garrett Dennis demanding he retain a broad array of records that might be in his possession because they could be relevant to a contentious legal fight between Matrix and its former employees. That legal fight, playing out in courtrooms in Alabama and Jacksonville, has reverberated across Florida. Matrix owner Joe Perkins has accused his former CEO, Jeff Pitts, and other former employees of going “rogue” and working on secret projects with a Florida client whose description in court papers matches Florida Power & Light, diverting millions in fees from Matrix in the process.
“Citrus County officials want state to build turnpike extension” via Mike Wright of Florida Politics — Citrus County’s elected leaders agreed Friday that the “no-build” option for a possible Florida Turnpike extension is no option for them. Instead, members of the County Commission, School Board, and City Councils of Crystal River and Inverness said they would focus on ensuring whatever route the Florida Department of Transportation chooses has minimal effect on the community and its residents. “The no-build scenario is no scenario,” Commission Chair Ron Kitchen Jr. said. Kitchen chaired the annual Citrus County elected leaders’ summit, an idea he started seven years ago as a way of gathering policymakers together at least once a year to discuss issues of mutual interest. Friday’s meeting at the Lecanto Government Building opened with a presentation from turnpike officials about the proposed project, which would link the turnpike at Interstate 75 in Wildwood with U.S. 19 between Crystal River and Chiefland.
“2 Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies found dead in St. Augustine” via Jacob Langston of Spectrum News 9 — Two Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies were found dead Saturday evening at a vacation rental home in St. Augustine. The deputies involved were in a romantic relationship and were heard arguing in a bedroom by fellow deputies that were on vacation with them, followed by the sound of gunshots, the sheriff’s office said. The preliminary investigation shows that the gunshot wound to Det. Daniel Leyden was self-inflicted, and he was the only shooter. Leyden worked in the Criminal Investigations Division, and the other deputy found dead was assigned to Uniform Patrol District III.
“Woman goes bankrupt after suing Disney” via Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics — Xonia Book sued The Walt Disney Co. three times in nine years. Court records depict what happened next after Book lost twice at trial and fought a third pending lawsuit in her long legal war against a multibillion-dollar company: She filed for bankruptcy. In a recent interview, Book said the experience caused great stress in her life — from her marriage to her family and her health. It’s ruined her credit, too. Book sued over allegations that the company discriminated against her and wouldn’t promote her because she’s Colombian. She also accused Disney security director Melissa Merklinger of sexually harassing her when they took a photograph together at a Disney event.
— TOP OPINION —
“For first time ever, Florida is tackling illiteracy at the doorstep” via Chris Sprowls for Florida Politics — Starting last year, the Florida House set out to champion literacy like no other state legislative body has done. Now, it’s important to talk about these programs so that every Florida parent can know and take advantage of the good things happening in our state for children’s literacy. To identify the challenges in the elementary school system, we established the RAISE program in House Bill 7011. Research also shows that we have to reach children early in development to ensure that they can be prepared for success when it comes time to learn to read. We created the New Worlds Reading Initiative, the largest state-funded free book delivery program for kids in the nation.
— OPINIONS —
“Why Florida is lurching to the right” via The Economist — DeSantis recently released his “Freedom First” annual budget. If that sounds like a campaign slogan, it’s no accident. DeSantis is using Florida as a peninsular podium to advertise his policies. In his proposed $100bn budget, he is pushing for a special police force to oversee state elections, which he calls an “election integrity unit,” and wants to make it easier to penalize companies that “facilitate illegal migration” to Florida. He envisages bonuses for police officers who move to Florida and wants to create a state militia of volunteers that could work with the National Guard in emergencies. What explains Florida’s lurch to the right? Recently the number of voters registered as Republicans exceeded the number of registered Democrats for the first time in modern history. Republicans see momentum on their side. Chris Sprowls says people moving to Florida are “realizing that there’s a reason that they chose to come here,” which is, Republican policies.
“When lawmakers get quiet, it’s time to worry” via the Orlando Sentinel editorial board — The bills with bland titles and vague wording that can be impenetrable even to experienced politicos. The bills nobody seems to care about, except the people who are paid to care. A committee took up HB 977. The legislation governs the sale of tax certificates, liens against land and buildings owned by people who have failed to pay their property taxes. Big investment firms flood the auctions with bids, placed through thousands or even tens of thousands of shell companies. An investigation exposed the practice, and several tax collectors took steps to shut down the thousand-armed bidders by requiring a deposit from any entity that wanted to place a bid. HB 977 would strip these local elected officials of that power, making it easier for big companies to swoop in and dominate the auctions once again.
“Why secret searches for Florida university presidents are just a bad idea” via Judith Wilde and James Finkelstein for the Tampa Bay Times — The University of South Florida and the University of Florida are two of the four Florida public universities in the hunt for new Presidents, a process that should be open, both for philosophical and practical reasons. We have yet to identify any empirical evidence that supports the claim that “secret searches” result in hiring the best candidates and we’ve been studying this for 10 years. The Senate version claims that “if potential applicants fear the possibility of losing their current jobs as a consequence of attempting to progress along their chosen career path … failure to have these safeguards in place could have a chilling effect on the number and quality of applicants.” We doubt that.
“Legislators not putting Jacksonville voters first in state House redistricting” via Matt Schellenberg of Florida Phoenix — It is an absolute disappointment that the Florida House Committee on Redistricting has totally embarrassed itself with a district in Duval County that crosses the St. Johns River. Crossing the St. Johns River over a three-mile bridge enables incumbent state Rep. Wyman Duggan to keep his seat but disfranchises people living in Jacksonville’s Southside. Has the committee never heard of community interest and having compact districts? The plan being floated in Tallahassee eliminates a compact and community-centered district on the Southside and creates a district specifically designed for the benefit of political consultant Tim Baker’s wife, Jessica.
Gov. DeSantis laid the battle lines ahead, and the enemy is clear — wokeness. In a speech before a right-leaning group meeting in Palm Beach, the Governor called “wokeness” a disaster, cultural Marxism, and a danger to America, particularly America’s conservatives.
Also, on today’s Sunrise …
— Is this Legislative Session any different from those that came before? Veteran legislative reporter Gray Rohrer says there’s something of a pandemic hangover this year.
It’s Day One on the job for Rep. Daryl Campbell. He won the Special Election to represent HD 94, and — after some hiccups — the Secretary of State has certified his election.
Yeah, it was cold in Florida Sunday morning — iguana-dropping cold.
To listen, click on the image below:
— OLYMPICS —
“Sport, politics and COVID-19 collide at the Beijing Winter Olympics” via Emma Graham-Harrison and Vincent Ni of The Observer — Hosting the Winter Olympics during a pandemic was always going to test the Chinese government by putting its ever-growing ability to exercise political control and virus containment on a collision course with its enthusiasm for international prestige and status. The 2022 Winter Games, which open on Friday, are being held at a time of particularly intense western criticism of China over human rights abuses, from the mass persecution of Uyghurs in far western Xinjiang, labeled a genocide by the United States, and other groups including Tibetans. There is so little trust in the host nation that many countries have told their athletes to take burner phones, and cybersecurity experts warned a health app for Olympians could spy on them and steal health and other personal data.
“Sealed off: Inside the ‘closed loop’ at the Beijing Winter Olympics” via France 24 — Media and workers have to stay in approved hotels within the “loop,” the organizers’ alternative name for a coronavirus bubble, designed to protect participants from the virus and the Chinese population from the foreign mini-invasion. Wire fences seal off the area containing the Olympic venues and media center in Beijing from the rest of the capital, and the only way in is by shuttle bus or approved taxi. Security guards bar the way of anyone who tries to walk out of the hotel grounds. Bags are scanned as guests leave their hotels. Before boarding the bus, they must walk over to two cabins where staff in full protective gear awkwardly carry out mouth swabs from behind a plexiglass screen.
“U.S. Olympic bobsled team dealing with COVID-19 ‘nightmare’” via Henry Bushnell of Yahoo News — The United States bobsled and skeleton team has been dealing with COVID-19 trouble a week before the Olympics, with multiple positive tests affecting travel plans in recent days. One bobsledder, Josh Williamson, revealed Wednesday that he had tested positive. He was not the only team member affected. Sources said that multiple coaches, support staff, and at least one other athlete have tested positive. A USA Bobsled and Skeleton official confirmed the team’s delegation had “had multiple positive COVID-19 tests” but did not provide further details. Olympic rules, however, present extra hurdles. According to updated protocols finalized late last week, Williamson will need four consecutive days of negative tests, plus a fifth-day buffer, before he can depart.
— ALOE —
“Hundreds of volunteers with Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful clean up Gasparilla litter” via Malique Rankin of WTSP — Gasparilla is the third-largest parade in the world. That means the litter left behind could probably hold some world records of its own. After the pirates have cleared out, all that’s left behind are thousands of beads scattered across the streets, in the trees, and on the sidewalks of downtown Tampa. “Our efforts today are to collect as much trash we can, and also recycle the beads that were collecting,” Debbie Evenson, executive director of Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, said. “I want to say in 2020, we collected about 5,000 pounds of litter and debris,” Evenson said.
“Robocops could be patrolling some Orlando theme parks by end of year” via Katie Rice of the Orlando Sentinel — Soon, guests strolling through Orlando’s theme parks might find themselves walking alongside an unusual companion: a robotic security guard. If the machine is from Robotic Assistance Devices, as CEO Steve Reinharz hopes, it won’t be easily mistaken for a person. Shaped more like the Mars Rover than the humanoid T-800 from “Terminator,” ROAMEO 2.0 stands 6-and-a-half feet tall and gracefully cruises on four wheels despite its 750-pound mass. But as these machines begin patrolling at amusement parks, they raise questions about employment, security and ethics. Though experts say robocops won’t be taking human jobs anytime soon, they acknowledge their use has to be closely monitored.
“Elon Musk offers $5K to UCF freshman, asks him to stop tracking his private jet” via Nelly Ontiveros of the Orlando Sentinel — A UCF freshman received a $5,000 offer from Musk to take down his Twitter account, which tracks the billionaire’s private jet. Jack Sweeney, a 19-year-old freshman at UCF, manages @ElonJet, a Twitter account that uses a bot to track Musk’s private jet. Sweeney said he created an algorithm that tracks flight data through a plane’s transponder, the report said. The account caught the attention of Musk, who messaged Sweeney asking him to take the account down due to security risks, the report said. “Never intended for it to create a security concern,” Sweeney said in their private conversation.
— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —
Best wishes to Florida Politics rising star, Jason Delgado, as well as U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, the super-sharp Kelsey Deasy of Bascom Communications and Consulting, former #FlaPol’er Ryan Ray, and Ben Sharpe.
___
Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Daniel Dean, Renzo Downey, Jacob Ogles, and Drew Wilson.
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13.) AXIOS
Axios AM
Good Monday morning! Smart Brevity™ count: 1,497 words … 5½ minutes. Edited by Zachary Basu.
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Health experts are worried the Beijing Olympics, which open Friday, offer the perfect conditions for a COVID outbreak:
- That’s because of the lightning-fast spread of Omicron, vaccines’ weakened protection against it, and a mentality that the Games must go on in spite of the risks, Axios health care editor Tina Reed writes.
Why it matters: These Winter Games boast a “closed-loop system” that has been called the strictest ever created for a global sporting event. But China’s protocols seem more focused on keeping COVID from escaping the loop than protecting those inside it.
- The rules even direct locals not to help if an Olympics vehicle gets in an accident.
- “China has made their decision, and they’re gonna steamroll this thing,” Apolo Ohno, the most decorated American Olympian at the Winter Games, told Rolling Stone.
State of play: Omicron is still spreading fast, and now there are new warnings of an even more contagious version of the variant.
What’s happening: As with the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, an International Olympic Committee playbook lays out a COVID safety strategy that begins well before an athlete’s departure for the Games.
- Competitors and journalists must test negative to enter China, must wear masks in public areas, and are told to social-distance, practice hand hygiene and get tested for COVID daily.
- Unlike the Tokyo Games, China is also requiring vaccinations or quarantine for 21 days after arrival. Delegations have been told to use higher quality respirator masks, including N95s or KN95s.
- Locals working within the closed-loop system won’t be able to return to their homes until they’ve been quarantined. Even trash will be held in isolation.
Job growth numbers may be about to turn negative for the first time since President Biden took office, Axios chief economic correspondent Neil Irwin writes.
- Vast numbers of Americans missed work this month due to the Omicron variant, which is likely to drag down January jobs numbers.
Why it matters: In a winter of economic discontent, the job market has been booming. The virus surge undermined that in January.
The White House, which is seeking to get ahead of potential negative headlines, believes these effects will be temporary.
- “Forecasters see a large Omicron effect on employment in January, but expect that to reverse in future months as we see the wave beginning to come down,” David Kamin, deputy director of the White House National Economic Council, tells Axios. “That is very different from overall trends in the economy looking ahead.”
What’s happening: Jobs numbers are based on how many people are working during a “survey reference week,” which is generally the calendar week that includes the 12th of the month. That was Jan. 9 to Jan. 15.
- COVID cases peaked in precisely that span, with the highest seven-day average case count coming on Jan. 15, according to the CDC.
- Hourly workers who weren’t paid that week — because they were out sick, caring for someone, quarantining, or because their employer temporarily shut down — would subtract from payrolls.
👀 What we’re watching: That explains why forecasters surveyed by FactSet are projecting only 162,500 jobs added in January, which would be the weakest since December 2020. There is some reason to think the number could turn out to be significantly worse than that.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Employers are beefing up benefits packages to lure workers in a tight labor market, and many are adding pricey fertility benefits — including in-vitro fertilization and egg freezing.
- Why it matters: Benefits around fertility and family-building had long been overlooked by employer health care plans, Erica Pandey writes for Axios What’s Next.
What’s happening: In the past, many companies have avoided offering fertility benefits due to concerns about the cost, Erin Dowling of Mercer writes. But the rise in the number of fertility clinics — and growing demand for their services — is driving down the price.
- 97% of employers who provide this coverage say it has not resulted in a significant increase in medical plan costs, per a Mercer survey.
- Some companies — including Nike, Johnson & Johnson and IBM — even help with the costs of adoption.
Spain’s Rafael Nadal, 35, with trophies of his record 21 men’s tennis Grand Slam victories, from the French Open in 2005 to yesterday’s comeback at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
- That puts Nadal one ahead of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, his longtime rivals in the Big Three.
Cover art: Mixed media artist Deborah Roberts
“On February 26, 2012, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida, because as a Black boy walking in a gated community, he was deemed ‘suspicious,'” New York magazine writes in introducing a 59-page special section.
- The big picture: “Zimmerman’s acquittal appalled a nation often willfully blind to the vulnerability of living while Black. Ten years later, ‘Black Lives Matter’ has grown from a hashtag to a protester’s cry to a cultural force that has reshaped American politics, society, and daily life.”
Lindsay Peoples Wagner, editor-in-chief of the magazine’s The Cut, says the idea for the issue came to her in the months following a series of conversations with the families of Tamir Rice and Breonna Taylor.
- “I still have the photo of myself wearing a hoodie, with Skittles in my pocket, protesting Trayvon’s death in Iowa in 2012,” Peoples Wagner says. “Trayvon’s life and legacy changed my life.”
In the March issue of The Atlantic, staff writer George Packer presents a 20,000-word, 30-page indictment of America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan — “The Betrayal,” the magazine’s longest feature in years:
- “While waiting for Kabul to fall,” Packer writes, “the administration could have timed the military withdrawal to support evacuations, rather than pulling out all the hard assets while leaving all the soft targets behind.”
It could have created an interagency task force, vested with presidential authority and led by an evacuations czar — the only way to force different agencies to coordinate resources in order to solve a problem that is limited in scope but highly complex. It could have assembled comprehensive lists of thousands of names, locations, email addresses, and phone numbers — not just for interpreters … but for others at risk, including women …
It could have begun to quietly organize flights on commercial aircraft in the spring — moving 1,000 people a week — and gradually increased the numbers. It could have used the prospect of lifting sanctions and giving international recognition to a future Taliban government as leverage, demanding secure airfields and safe passage for Afghans whom the Americans wanted to bring out with them.
It could have used airfields in Herāt, Mazar-i-Sharif, Jalalabad, and Kandahar while those cities remained out of Taliban control. It could have drawn up emergency plans for Afghan evacuations and rehearsed them in interagency drills. It could have included NATO allies in the planning.
“It could have shown imagination and initiative,” Packer adds. “But the administration did none of this. Instead, it studied the problem in endless meetings.”
Photo: Vivian Zink/Syfy/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek is refusing to take action against the platform’s most popular podcaster, and has instead vowed to be more transparent about content rules and add advisories to podcasts that discuss COVID-19, Axios Media Trends author Sara Fischer writes.
- Why it matters: Spotify is facing a very public boycott over its handling of an ultimatum from musician Neil Young, who demanded his music be taken down unless the streamer addressed vaccine misinformation spread by Joe Rogan.
Spotify inked an exclusive, multi-year deal to distribute all of Rogan’s podcasts in 2020, reportedly for over $100 million.
- “The Joe Rogan Experience” is by far the most popular show on the platform, with millions of streams per episode.
- Rogan denied last night that he promoted misinformation, but said he would “try harder to get people with differing opinions” on his show and “do my best to make sure I’ve researched these topics.”
The NFL scriptwriters outdid themselves again, with two more thrillers for America’s favorite TV show, Axios Sports editor Kendall Baker writes:
- Bengals 27, Chiefs 24 (OT): Cincinnati erased an 18-point deficit to beat heavily favored Kansas City and clinch the Bengals’ first Super Bowl appearance in 33 years.
- Rams 20, 49ers 17: L.A. had lost six straight games to the 49ers, and looked poised to make it seven. But a fourth-quarter rally in the Rams’ house — SoFi Stadium — snapped the streak, and set up a date on the same turf in two weeks.
The Rams opened as 3.5-point favorites for the Feb. 13 big game.
Who Dey! Bengals defensive tackle Tyler Shelvin hoists quarterback Joe Burrow after their 27-24 overtime win against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
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14.) THE WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
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15.) THE WASHINGTON POST MORNING HEADLINES
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16.) THE WASHINGTON TIMES
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17.) THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
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18.) ASSOCIATED PRESS
TOP STORIES
Russia, US, Ukraine to square off at UN Security Council
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to meet Monday for the first time on Russia’s troop buildup and threatening actions against Ukraine at the request of the United States, and all key players are expected to square off in public over the possibility of a Russian invasion and its global impact.
WEEKEND READS
In one small prairie town, two warring visions of America
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Governor kept mum amid conflicting accounts of deadly arrest
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Mexican town protects forest from avocado growers, cartels
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Willow Biden joins long and varied line of White House pets
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After huge pandemic losses, governments see rapid rebound
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Russia’s COVID-19 tally hits pandemic record due to omicron
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Beijing seals off more residential areas, reports 12 cases
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Ottawa police investigating some anti vaccine protesters
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Cyprus Orthodox archbishop suspends 12 unvaccinated priests
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Omicron drives US deaths higher than in fall’s delta wave
POLITICS
Youngkin hustles to push swing state Virginia to the right
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Biden to meet Qatar leader as Europe energy crisis looms
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Clyburn, architect of Biden’s court pledge, pushes his pick
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Biden calls for release of US hostage in Afghanistan
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EXPLAINER: Why US sanctions may target individual Russians
U.S. NEWS
Omicron amps up concerns about long COVID and its causes
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Cyberattacks increasingly hobble pandemic-weary US schools
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Trial to resume for cops accused of violating Floyd’s rights
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2nd trial in Floyd killing centers on clash of duty, code
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EXPLAINER: New federal law targets medical bill surprises
WORLD NEWS
Russia, US, Ukraine to square off at UN Security Council
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US pledges to put Russia on defensive at UN Security Council
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N. Korea confirms test of missile capable of striking Guam
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Ottawa police investigating some anti vaccine protesters
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Top Hong Kong official resigns over birthday party fiasco
2022 WINTER OLYMPICS IN BEIJING
Olympians worry as ‘Winter’ disappears from Winter Games
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Skeleton medalist out of Beijing Olympics with virus
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Olympic athletes have 1 more thing to stress about: weather
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Prepare for the Beijing Games with this Olympic quiz
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Goggia recovery on track in race to recover for Olympics
ENTERTAINMENT
Rogan responds to Spotify protest, COVID advisories
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Dolce&Gabbana drop animal fur starting in 2022
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Cheslie Kryst, former Miss USA, dies at 30
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On a quiet weekend in theaters, ‘Spider-Man’ is No. 1 again
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Asghar Farhadi’s new film grapples with the idea of heroes
ODDITIES
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Getting an F: Alabama city’s new logo stirs strong feelings
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Gov tells Bette Midler to kiss dog’s ‘heinie’ – and shows it
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Toyota heading to moon with cruiser, robotic arms, dreams
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Fake poop helps evicted owls settle into new neighborhood
SPORTS
On to Super Bowl: Bengals versus Rams, who will host game
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Rams rally to Super Bowl with stunning 20-17 win over Niners
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Bengals top Chiefs 27-24 in OT to clinch Super Bowl trip
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Olympians worry as ‘Winter’ disappears from Winter Games
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Analysis: Opposites attract as Stafford, Burrow get Super
LIFESTYLE
AP PHOTOS: Savoring lucky Lunar New Year’s eve dish at home
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Olympians worry as ‘Winter’ disappears from Winter Games
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Dolce&Gabbana drop animal fur starting in 2022
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Housework or sleep? Study says it depends when you were born
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Willow Biden joins long and varied line of White House pets
BUSINESS
Growth slows at end of 2021 in 19 countries that use euro
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Rogan responds to Spotify protest, COVID advisories
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EXPLAINER: New federal law targets medical bill surprises
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Socialists win reelection in Portugal, eye major investments
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Dolce&Gabbana drop animal fur starting in 2022
SCIENCE
Toyota heading to moon with cruiser, robotic arms, dreams
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Fake poop helps evicted owls settle into new neighborhood
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How many times can I reuse my N95 mask?
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US judge won’t rein in federal wild horse roundup in Nevada
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He won a trip to space. Then he gave it away to a friend
TECHNOLOGY
Cyberattacks increasingly hobble pandemic-weary US schools
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Rogan responds to Spotify protest, COVID advisories
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In blow to telecoms, California’s net neutrality law upheld
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Ohio lured Intel’s chip plant with $2B incentive package
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Apple’s holiday iPhone sales surge despite supply shortages
AP INVESTIGATIONS
Governor kept mum amid conflicting accounts of deadly arrest
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Staffers complain of racism, abuse by WHO leader in Asia
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Migrant abuses continue in Libya. So does EU border training
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Bitcoin pyramid schemes wreak havoc on Brazil’s ‘New Egypt’
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Security scanners across Europe tied to China govt, military
MOST RECENT
Wife of convicted Israeli spy Pollard dies of COVID-19
JERUSALEM (AP) — The wife of convicted Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard, who championed a years-long campaign for his release from prison, died on Monday from complications of COVID-19.
Esther Pollard battled cancer in recent years and died after recently contracting the coronavirus, Israeli media reported.
Growth slows at end of 2021 in 19 countries that use euro
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European economy slowed noticeably at the end of last year as surging COVID-19 cases driven by the omicron variant piled on top of supply shortages and rising energy prices that dented consumer purchasing power.
Pritzker’s budget includes $1B in sales, property tax relief
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, facing a costly reelection campaign, plans to tackle another foe — inflation approaching 7% — in a state budget proposal that would lift or freeze taxes on groceries and gasoline and give homeowners a one-year rebate of up to $300, an aide told The Associated Press.
Germany: 2 police officers shot dead during traffic stop
BERLIN (AP) — Two police officers were shot dead on a rural road in western Germany while on a routine patrol early Monday, police said.
The shooting happened during a traffic check near Kusel at about 4:20 a.m., police in Kaiserslautern said in a statement.
Dolce&Gabbana drop animal fur starting in 2022
MILAN (AP) — Dolce&Gabbana announced Monday that it would drop the use of animal fur in all its collections starting this year, and transition to eco-friendly faux fur.
The Milan fashion house joins other luxury brands, including Armani, Gucci, Prada and Moncler, in adhering to guidelines set by the Fur Free Alliance, a network of animal rights groups around the world.
Biden to meet Qatar leader as Europe energy crisis looms
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is hosting the ruling leader of Qatar at the White House on Monday as he looks for the gas-rich nation to step up once again to help the West as it faces the prospect of a European energy crunch if Russia invades Ukraine.
Eriksen set for playing return after signing for Brentford
With a thumbs up to the camera, Christian Eriksen revealed his new team and planned return to playing — almost eight months after having a cardiac arrest on the field at the European Championship.
“I’m happy to announce that I’ve signed for Brentford Football Club,” Eriksen said in Monday’s social media video.
Skeleton medalist out of Beijing Olympics with virus
MOSCOW (AP) — Skeleton silver medalist Nikita Tregubov and one of his teammates will miss the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing after contracting the coronavirus and other athletes are also in doubt, Russian officials said Monday.
India economy projected to grow 8% in coming fiscal year
NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s economy is projected to grow 8% to 8.5% in the financial year beginning April 1, signaling a strong recovery after it was slammed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The government’s annual economic survey, released Monday, comes a day before Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is due to present the national budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year.
Top Hong Kong official resigns over birthday party fiasco
HONG KONG (AP) — A top Hong Kong official resigned Monday for attending a birthday party with about 200 guests in early January as the city was battling a coronavirus surge.
Pakistani police widen manhunt, day after killing of priest
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani police said they widened their manhunt Monday, searching for two unidentified assailants who shot and killed a Christian priest and wounded another the previous day in the country’s northwest.
Portugal’s center-left Socialists get landslide election win
LISBON, Portugal (AP) — The center-left Socialist Party won a landslide victory in Portugal’s general election, removing a political roadblock that had halted its plans to spend billions of euros (dollars) of European Union aid for the economy after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quadrant’s new facility bringing 200 jobs to Kentucky
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — An electric vehicle-related operation will build a facility in Kentucky, creating 200 full-time jobs.
The $95 million Louisville plant will be Quadrant’s first mass production facility in the U.S., Gov.
Video classes to help employers with safety requirements
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Employers who want to make sure their businesses are complying with Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements will be able to take courses being offered by West Virginia University Extension.
Global stocks higher with China, Korea closed for holiday
BEIJING (AP) — Global stocks rose Monday following a big Wall Street gain at the start of a week when China, South Korea and Southeast Asian markets will close for the Lunar New Year holiday.
At least 10 killed in Kenya when vehicle runs over explosive
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A local official in northeastern Kenya says at least 10 people are dead after their vehicle ran over an explosive device on a highway Monday morning.
North Eastern regional commander George Seda said the blast occurred outside Mandera town.
Phoenix puts home win streak on the line against Brooklyn
Brooklyn Nets (29-20, sixth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Phoenix Suns (40-9, first in the Western Conference)
Phoenix; Tuesday, 10 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Phoenix hosts Brooklyn looking to continue its four-game home winning streak.
DeRozan leads Chicago into matchup against Orlando
Orlando Magic (11-40, 15th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Chicago Bulls (30-18, second in the Eastern Conference)
Chicago; Tuesday, 8 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: DeMar DeRozan leads Chicago into a matchup with Orlando.
France: Man tried over killing 8-year-old girl, other crimes
GRENOBLE, France (AP) — It started with the disappearance of 8-year-old Maëlys de Araujo at a wedding in the French Alps. After a massive search that drew nationwide attention, investigators identified a wedding guest as the main suspect.
Calgary visits Dallas following shutout victory
Calgary Flames (21-13-6, fourth in the Pacific) vs. Dallas Stars (23-17-2, fifth in the Central)
Dallas; Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Calgary visits Dallas after the Flames shut out Vancouver 1-0.
Pittsburgh hosts Washington, aims to break home skid
Washington Capitals (24-12-9, fourth in the Metropolitan) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (27-11-7, third in the Metropolitan)
Pittsburgh; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Pittsburgh takes on Washington looking to end its three-game home skid.
Seattle faces Boston for non-conference battle
Seattle Kraken (14-26-4, eighth in the Pacific) vs. Boston Bruins (25-14-3, fourth in the Atlantic)
Boston; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Boston and Seattle face off in a non-conference matchup.
Colorado plays Arizona, aims for 19th straight home win
Arizona Coyotes (10-29-4, eighth in the Central) vs. Colorado Avalanche (32-8-3, first in the Central)
Denver; Tuesday, 9 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Colorado hosts Arizona aiming to continue its 18-game home winning streak.
San Jose travels to play Stamkos and the Lightning
San Jose Sharks (22-20-3, fifth in the Pacific) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (29-10-6, second in the Atlantic)
Tampa, Florida; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Steven Stamkos and Tampa Bay take on San Jose.
Vegas hosts Buffalo after shootout victory
Buffalo Sabres (14-23-7, sixth in the Atlantic) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (26-16-3, first in the Pacific)
Paradise, Nevada; Tuesday, 10 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: The Buffalo Sabres visit Vegas after the Golden Knights knocked off Tampa Bay 3-2 in a shootout.
Columbus hosts Florida after Laine’s 2-goal game
Florida Panthers (31-9-5, first in the Atlantic) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (20-21-1, fifth in the Metropolitan)
Columbus, Ohio; Monday, 7 p.m. EST
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE: Blue Jackets +208, Panthers -256; over/under is 6.5
Olympic athletes have 1 more thing to stress about: weather
Japan starts mass COVID boosters as omicron cases soar
TOKYO (AP) — Tokyo has launched a mass inoculation drive for COVID-19 booster shots at a temporary center operated by the military as Japan tries to speed up delayed third jabs to counter surging infections.
Analysis: Opposites attract as Stafford, Burrow get Super
Matthew Stafford and Joe Burrow had almost nothing in common before Sunday except that they were top overall picks in the NFL draft.
Now, they are both Super Bowl quarterbacks.
Their journeys are almost polar opposites since each left an SEC powerhouse.
AP PHOTOS: Savoring lucky Lunar New Year’s eve dish at home
HONG KONG (AP) — Tighter COVID-19 restrictions, including a ban on dining in restaurants after 6 p.m., mean many Hong Kong families are eating their reunion dinner on Lunar New Year’s eve at home this year.
Howard Hesseman, star of ‘WKRP in Cincinnati,’ dies at 81
NEW YORK (AP) — Howard Hesseman, who played the radio disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever on the sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati” and the actor-turned-history teacher Charlie Moore on “Head of the Class,” has died.
Nadal wins Australian Open for record 21st major title
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Searching for inspiration when he was down two sets and facing triple break point, with his prospects of winning a record 21st Grand Slam title almost shot, Rafael Nadal thought back to some of his most difficult defeats.
Youngkin hustles to push swing state Virginia to the right
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has used his first two weeks in office to push Virginia firmly to the right, attempting a dramatic political shift in a state once considered reliably Democratic that’s being closely watched by others in the GOP.
Universal health care bill faces deadline in California
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Democrats must decide Monday whether to advance a bill that would make the government pay for everybody’s health care in the nation’s most populous state; a key test of whether one of their most long-sought policy goals can overcome fierce opposition from business groups and the insurance industry.
19.) FORT MYERS (FLORIDA) NEWS-PRESS
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20.) CHICAGO TRIBUNE
21.) CHICAGO SUNTIMES
22.) THE HILL MORNING REPORT
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23.) THE HILL 12:30 REPORT
24.) ROLL CALL
Morning Headlines
The House committee investigating the Capitol riot sent subpoenas to a group of people from seven states Joe Biden won in the 2020 presidential election who allegedly submitted fake slates of Electoral College votes for Donald Trump. Read more…
A Black mechanic for the Architect of the Capitol, was referred to as a racial slur and as “lazy” by colleagues, was tasked with “dirty jobs” and subjected to different working conditions than his white co-workers, a lawsuit filed Friday against the agency alleges. Read more…
Democrats mull how much to build back, and when, in budget bill
Democrats eager to enact some form of their climate and safety net package before the midterms are floating disparate strategies for resurrecting talks that Sen. Joe Manchin III squashed last month. Manchin suggests “starting from scratch,” but his Democratic colleagues don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Read more…
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Listen: Budget priorities clash in coming months
Congress faces a Feb. 18 deadline to complete overdue appropriations, but distractions are multiplying. That means as each day passes, the chances for a revival of the “Build Back Better” package dwindle. CQ Roll Call’s David Lerman and Lindsey McPherson preview what’s coming up in a very busy next few months. Listen here…
IRS budget in focus as brutal tax filing season arrives
Anticipation of a fraught tax season is leading Democrats to consider more funding for the IRS. Another filing period complicated by COVID-19, new tax breaks and a backlog of unprocessed returns have put the spotlight on years of stagnant funding for taxpayer services. Read more…
In wildfire ‘pivot,’ experts question federal focus
In 1935, the U.S. Forest Service set policy to extinguish wildland fires the morning after detection. More than a century later, the Forest Service is trying to pivot from that practice and instead use smaller fires as a tool to limit catastrophic blazes fed by decades of fuel buildup. Read more…
CQ Roll Call is a part of FiscalNote, the leading technology innovator at the intersection of global business and government. Copyright 2022 CQ Roll Call. All rights reserved Privacy | Safely unsubscribe now.
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Washington, DC 20004
25.) POLITICO PLAYBOOK
POLITICO Playbook: Congress confronts a February deluge
DRIVING THE DAY
Lawmakers return from recess this week to a massive February to-do list before President JOE BIDEN’s March 1 State of the Union address. And the pressure is on: The White House and vulnerable House Democrats are desperate to quickly pass a $250 billion package aimed at boosting manufacturing and relieving supply-side clogs — a win they’d love the president to be able to trumpet at his big speech.
But Congress also has to avert a government shutdown and possibly begin vetting a Supreme Court nominee. And that’s to say nothing about trying to resuscitate Build Back Better.
Can they do all this in a few weeks? Color us extremely skeptical:
1. A COMPLICATED COMPETITION BILL — As our Sarah Ferris reports this morning, Speaker NANCY PELOSI’s House Democrats will be in “tunnel vision” this week as they clear their own version of a Senate-passed China competition bill, which garnered 19 GOP votes last June. Given those bipartisan numbers, you’d think it should sail through. Guess again.
The House bill, dubbed the COMPETES Act, is full of controversial Democrat-sponsored trade provisions that trouble Republicans. That means it’s destined for a conference committee, where Senate Republicans will have all the leverage since 10 of them will be needed to get it through the Senate.
That’s especially true considering the White House’s desperation to have Biden sign the bill by March 1. Senior administration officials, including Commerce Secretary GINA RAIMONDO, have made clear they see this as the Hill’s top priority before SOTU, particularly because it includes money to address the nation’s semiconductor shortage.
Complicating everything: House Republicans, we’re told, are planning to come out in unified opposition to the bill. A Republican Study Committee memo obtained by Playbook, which will circulate this morning, claims the measure will actually “help China,” not the U.S., while saying it should be called the “CONCEDES Act.”
Dems won’t need House GOP support to pass it, but the House Republican campaign will almost certainly complicate the ability of Congress to move quickly to get anything done by March 1.
One more thing: Our trade reporter Gavin Bade is hearing that Democratic members are privately peeved that leadership is circumventing the committee process on such major trade issues. So we could see internal House Dem drama too.
2. NEVER-ENDING APPROPS NEGOTIATIONS — The government runs out of money Feb. 18. Appropriators are still haggling over a long-term spending deal, with Republicans feeling zero pressure to make a deal they don’t like. (No deal means Trump era-spending policies stay in place, which is fine by them.)
Few expect a government shutdown — leaders are already talking about passing another stopgap spending bill to prevent it — but the issue will eat into floor time in both chambers.
3. BBB COMPLICATIONS — Democrats hoping to revive BBB talks are coming to terms with the fact that this may take a while. Last week, the Congressional Progressive Caucus called on the party to pass the bill by the SOTU — a deadline White House press secretary JEN PSAKI and Pelosi both dismissed.
Progressives aren’t alone in trying to up the urgency. This morning, a group of 250 left-leaning business leaders and nonprofit groups will call on the Senate to get moving on BBB, according to a copy of the letter shared with Playbook that will run as an ad in the NYT. But as we reported last week, senior Democrats have no idea what they can get Sen. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) to agree to and how long it will take. Because of that, Democratic leaders are loath to set another deadline.
Even if BBB talks commence soon, there are complications afoot: Sarah caught up with PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-Wash.) about BBB on Friday, and while the Progressive Caucus leader did indicate that her members would swallow a smaller version of the bill than they want, she also insisted that Manchin is on board with the framework the party agreed to in October. “I believe that, even from his conversation with me after he went on Fox News [to announce he was a ‘no’], that those are still the things that he supports,” she said.
That’s news to us and pretty far from what Manchin and his allies have indicated to reporters. Not only did Manchin turn his back on that framework a long time ago, he also walked away from an even narrower deal he offered to the White House in December (pre-K, health care and climate). Yet still many on the left are struggling to accept the new reality. The businesses on the BBB letter, for example, are also still pushing for the expanded child tax credit and paid family leave, which are pipe dreams at this point.
The disconnect underscores just how much work the party still has to do on BBB — and the fact it will have to compete for attention with a SCOTUS confirmation process that will take center stage in a matter of weeks. Happy legislating.
MORE ON BBB: WSJ’s Andrew Duehren nicely captures the near-total leverage that Manchin now has over his progressive colleagues, who are desperate to get him back to the bargaining table. “Manchin should have the pen, we should respect that whatever he wants to do will be reasonable and ultimately be historic,” Rep. RO KHANNA (D-Calif.) told Duehren.
A NEW GIG — Some news on the home front this morning from our editor Mike Zapler: “After a terrific run on Playbook the past year, Tara is taking on a new gig as POLITICO’s Chief National Correspondent. She’ll be launching and headlining a new Sunday night product that aims to set the agenda for the week in Washington and beyond — plus bringing her distinctive reporting and voice to our coverage of the midterms. Finally, as a newsroom announcement that just went out put it, ‘She’ll continue to report on Washington and its people, and on the intersection of politics, media and culture nationally.’
“Those of you who’ve enjoyed Tara’s Friday Playbook editions of buzzy scoops on all these fronts can expect to see even more of them in the coming weeks. We’re excited to see what she has in store.”
Good Monday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. We’ll be spending a lot of time on the road in 2022 reporting on national politics and elections to supplement our core Washington coverage. Drop us a line and let us know what races you want to know more about and the places you’d like us to visit: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
JOIN US — Today at noon, Raimondo will join White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López for a virtual Women Rule interview on POLITICO Live. The interview will cover Raimondo’s first year in the Biden administration, her role in pushing some key legislation, including Build Back Better and the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, and her path to Washington from working in venture capital and serving as Rhode Island governor. RSVP here to watch live
BIDEN’S MONDAY:
— 9:30 a.m.: The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief.
— 11 a.m.: Biden and VP KAMALA HARRIS will host the National Governors Association for a meeting at the White House.
— 2 p.m.: Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with Qatari Emir Sheikh TAMIM BIN HAMAD AL-THANI.
Psaki will brief at 1 p.m.
THE SENATE will meet at 3 p.m. to take up BRIDGET BRENNAN’s judicial nomination, with a cloture vote at 5:30 p.m.
THE HOUSE is out.
BIDEN’S WEEK AHEAD:
— Thursday: The president and VP will attend the National Prayer Breakfast, and Biden will head to New York for an event with Mayor ERIC ADAMS focused on guns, crime, violence and police funding.
— Friday: Biden will deliver remarks on the monthly jobs report.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
PLAYBOOK READS
CONGRESS
SCOOP: ECA GROUP TAKES ON ROGUE ELECTORS — The bipartisan Senate group trying to strike a deal to overhaul the Electoral Count Act is adding to its mission as it tries to ensure another Jan. 6 never happens again: a new legal process to ensure no rogue slates of electors come to D.C., according to two sources familiar with the conversations.
In addition to clarifying that the VP has no authority to ignore electoral slates, raising the bar for the number of lawmakers needed to protest slates, and protecting election workers, the group is considering a legal process that would rely on a federal judge to quickly litigate any discrepancies about who won the state.
The move comes after DONALD TRUMP tried to get GOP statehouses to send rogue slates of electors on his behalf to Congress on Jan. 6. The Senate gang wants to ensure that if that were to ever happen, the legal system could quickly dispense with the matter — rather than relying on Congress to figure out how to handle the situation.
We’re also hearing that group leader SUSAN COLLINS (R-Maine) has been encouraging the members to work quickly so they can release an outline as soon as possible, perhaps in the coming days. Lawmakers in the group are meeting over Zoom again today, and staff worked all week trying to iron out the pillars of an agreement, we’re told.
Talks heated up after top Democrats from Biden to Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER have sent positive signals on ECA reform, after weeks downplaying the talks. Group members have taken note and were particularly encouraged to see JENNIFER RUBIN — the WaPo opinion columnist known to be close with the Biden White House — appear to suggest ECA reform is worth pursuing after dismissing it just a few weeks ago.
JAN. 6
TRUMP PUTS IT IN WRITING — Trump said in a statement Sunday that MIKE PENCE “could have overturned the Election!”
The context was an attack on bipartisan efforts to reform the Electoral Count Act. In an interview with CNN’s Pamela Brown, Rep. ZOE LOFGREN, a member of the Jan. 6 committee, noted, “I guess he’s saying [Kamala Harris] gets to choose who the next president is.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s recent vow to pardon Jan. 6 criminals if he’s ever president again had reporters asking several Republicans to respond …
— Lindsey Graham: “I think it is inappropriate. I don’t want to reinforce that defiling the Capitol is OK.”
— Chris Sununu: “Look, the folks that were part of the riots and, frankly, the assault on the U.S. Capitol, have to be held accountable.”
Also, a pair of GOP governors, ASA HUTCHINSON and LARRY HOGAN, said Trump should not be the future of the GOP. “With America on the wrong path, the stakes are too high to double down on failure,” Hogan said.
Back to the future: Look for congressional Republicans to be blanketed with questions about both of Trump’s weekend statements.
WHAT MAKES A WIN STREAK — The Jan. 6 select committee has been notching a string of victories in public and in private lately. But what does it really mean? In reality, the recent success “has heightened the importance of turning lofty expectations for the select panel’s probe into results that are tangible to the public,” Kyle Cheney and Nicholas Wu write. In other words, “the biggest challenge for the Capitol riot committee has morphed into crafting a final product that will actually resonate with a polarized and occasionally desensitized electorate, considering the relentless campaign by Trump and his allies to diminish the significance of the insurrection.”
UKRAINE-RUSSIA LATEST
THE VIEW FROM UKRAINE — Ukrainian Ambassador OKSANA MARKAROVA downplayed any perceived tension between the country and the U.S., but continued to preach caution and patience from the West. Markarova said “there is no friction,” but added: “At the same time, in order to defend our country, we cannot afford to panic. We have to get ready. All of us — not only our military, our very capable military and veterans — but also all civilians. So we know and we see what’s going on.” (More from Quint Forgey)
ON THE GROUND — Even in holdout Ukrainian cities like Kharkiv, pro-Russian sentiments are all but gone as they stand on the brink of a war between the neighboring nations, WSJ’s Yaroslav Trofimov reports.
AT THE U.N. — The U.S. is preparing to put Russia “on the defensive” at today’s U.N. Security Council meeting, AP’s Jim Heintz and Ellen Knickmeyer write. U.N. Ambassador LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD “said the Security Council will press Russia hard in a Monday session to discuss its massing of troops near Ukraine and fears it is planning an invasion.”
INSIDE THE KREMLIN — Top advisers to Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN are pushing some outlandish claims. “The West is legalizing marriage between people and animals. Ukraine’s leaders are as bad as Hitler, and the country’s nationalists are ‘nonhumans.’ These are the views found in President Vladimir V. Putin’s inner circle, among the top Russian security officials who are likely to be at the table as their leader decides whether to launch an open war against Ukraine,” NYT’s Anton Troianovski reports from Moscow.
JUDICIARY SQUARE
KNOWING THE NOMINEES — WaPo’s Ann Marimow and Aaron Davis have a fascinating story on KETANJI BROWN JACKSON, a leading contender to become Biden’s Supreme Court nominee. Not only would she make history as a Black woman on the bench, but she would also become the “first justice in decades with deep experience as a criminal defense attorney.” Marimow and Davis go on to shed new light on another unique facet of Jackson’s life experience: Years ago, her uncle was “sentenced to life under a ‘three strikes’ law” for a non-violent drug offense. “After a referral from Jackson, a powerhouse law firm took his case pro bono, and President BARACK OBAMA years later commuted his sentence.” The full story is worth your time.
CLYBURN’S CHOICE — House Majority Whip JIM CLYBURN endorsed Biden in the South Carolina primary in 2020 after extracting a promise from Biden that as president he would nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court. Clyburn is now trying to steer Biden toward his own pick for the job, AP’s Meg Kinnard writes. “As the lobbying begins over filling the open court seat, Clyburn is harnessing his history with Biden and his stature as the No. 3 House Democrat to make a forceful case for his preferred choice, U.S. District Judge J. MICHELLE CHILDS, a jurist from his native South Carolina. It’s a campaign he’s making in public and in private, helping elevate Childs to an emerging short list of Black women who could soon make history.”
CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS — Biden won’t need any GOP votes to confirm his Supreme Court selection, but Marianne LeVine reports that it isn’t out of the question that the vote could garner some Republican support. “The three GOP senators who most frequently backed Biden’s picks for the federal bench over the past year did so at a rate similar to the three Democrats who most often crossed the aisle to support Donald Trump’s judicial nominees during his first year in office, according to a POLITICO analysis.” Who are they? SUSAN COLLINS of Maine, LISA MURKOWSKI of Alaska and LINDSEY GRAHAM of South Carolina have all voted to confirm at least 60 percent of Biden’s judges since his term began.
ALL POLITICS
CHARLIE COOK: “My friends who are Democrats, particularly those of the more progressive variety, don’t seem to understand how deep they are in the political hole this year — and just how hard it might be to get out of it in 2024, particularly in the Senate.”
THREE’S A TREND — After a pair of pieces in WaPo and AP over the weekend that entertained the question of whether Trump’s hold over the GOP is waning, NYT’s Shane Goldmacher adds to the conversation this morning: “[A] fresh round of skirmishes over his endorsements, fissures with the Republican base over vaccines — a word Mr. Trump conspicuously left unsaid at Saturday’s rally — and new polling all show how his longstanding vise grip on the Republican Party is facing growing strains.”
A GERRYMANDER WORTHY OF N.Y.’S NICKNAME — New York legislators have brought forward a “redistricting plan that could allow the size of the state’s Democratic delegation in Congress to grow from 19 to as many as 22 members,” Bill Mahoney reports. “The maps are expected to be approved in the coming week. Democrats, who have supermajorities in both houses of the Legislature, are poised to control the outcome of the mapmaking process in New York for the first time in generations.”
AN UPHILL BATTLE IN OHIO — WaPo’s Michael Scherer hits the road to profile Rep. TIM RYAN (D-Ohio), whose direct appeal to blue-collar voters in the Ohio Senate race has made “him one of the most consequential Democratic candidates of the 2022 cycle, a test case on whether his party has any hope of reclaiming its erstwhile White working-class voting base.”
GOVS DISH TO ZACH — The nation’s governors descended on Washington’s Marriott Marquis over the weekend for the National Governors Association’s winter meeting, the organization’s first in-person meeting since the start of the pandemic. Zach Montellaro interviewed Republican Governors Association Chair DOUG DUCEY and Democratic Governors Association Chair ROY COOPER. (The Ducey interview … The Cooper interview)
BEYOND THE BELTWAY
HOT ON THE RIGHT — Seattle Times’ Daniel Beekman and Lewis Kamb report that Seattle’s mayor considered handing over a police building to protesters:
“At the height of Seattle’s racial justice protests in 2020, then-Mayor Jenny Durkan’s administration drafted legislation to transfer the Police Department’s East Precinct building to a Black Lives Matter activist organization and researched relocating the station’s operations, newly released documents show.
“That June, as cops lobbed tear gas from behind barricades, and protesters on the streets surrounding the precinct called for the Police Department to be defunded, Durkan’s office behind the scenes briefly contemplated handing over the multimillion dollar property that had become the focus of the demonstrations.”
HOT ON THE LEFT — Across the country, states are seeing attempts to ban certain books at a pace that hasn’t ever been experienced before. “Such challenges have long been a staple of school board meetings, but it isn’t just their frequency that has changed, according to educators, librarians and free-speech advocates,” NYT’s Elizabeth Harris and Alexandra Alter write, “it is also the tactics behind them and the venues where they play out. Conservative groups in particular, fueled by social media, are now pushing the challenges into statehouses, law enforcement and political races.”
PLAYBOOKERS
Tweet of the day — Seung Min Kim: “Peak Bloomberg story: The ‘Jeopardy’ winner could owe an eye-popping $630,000 in taxes”
Colin Allred has Covid.
Themis Klarides, a Connecticut Republican, is running for Senate instead of for governor.
Ira Glasser, the former longtime head of the ACLU, criticized the organization’s recently updated guidelines on what free speech cases to take.
Marc Elias, the prominent Dem election lawyer, was savaged on Twitter after writing, “it probably is time for the courts to revisit New York Times v Sullivan,” the landmark free speech case.
—Nick Confessore responded: “In a story as old as America, a powerful man doesn’t get the press coverage he wants, and then wonders whether the press has too much freedom.”
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Tyler Q. Houlton is joining Convergence as VP of public affairs. He most recently was at Wolf Global Advisors, and is a Trump DHS and State Department alum. Convergence is also adding Will Flores as a client strategy director, Austin Fiala as a client strategy manager, Matt Heitmann as a junior graphic designer and Wesley Meadowcroft as a client strategy analyst.
— Dentons Global Advisors-ASG is adding Xiaoqing Boynton as SVP for China, Paul Triolo as SVP for China and technology policy lead, and Kevin Allison as VP for Europe and Eurasia and technology policy. Boynton most recently was at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, and Triolo and Allison were at the Eurasia Group.
NEW — The Hudson Institute today is launching a Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, led by senior fellow Mike Doran. The policy initiative will focus on promoting American interests in the region, particularly in the context of great power competition with Russia and China; bolstering Israel and other allies; and countering Iran and its proxies. It will also include Jonathan Schachter, Ezra Cohen, Mohammed Khalid Alyahya, Robert Greenway, Ahmad Hashemi, Rania Kisar and William Lombardo.
TRANSITIONS — Sierra Kelley-Chung will be a senior policy adviser to Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.). She most recently was senior adviser to Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Md.), and is a DCCC alum. … Daniel Harder is now director for government affairs and public policy at Biogen. He most recently was director for U.S. government and public affairs at EMD Serono, and is a Mike Bishop and House Ways and Means alum. … Mike Danylak is now an SVP at the CGCN Group. He previously was comms director for Senate Energy and Natural Resources ranking member John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). …
… Aaron Zelinger is now chief of staff and public policy lead at Arena-AI. He most recently co-led government deployments at Palantir Technologies and was a visiting research associate with the office of Condoleezza Rice. … Hallie Pence is now senior policy adviser for Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. She most recently was senior adviser for Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.). … Michael Tadeo is now director of corporate development at McGuire Research Services. He previously was a senior adviser for Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio).
ENGAGED — Allie Kopel, deputy chief of staff for Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.), and Will Baskin-Gerwitz, comms director for Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), got engaged last week. They met in 2019 in New York while working for Mayor Bill de Blasio. Pic
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.), Garret Graves (R-La.) (5-0), Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) and Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) … David Plotz … Dylan Byers … former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt … Nic Pottebaum … BuzzFeed’s Katherine Miller … former Interior Secretary James Watt … Heather Riley … Chris Marklund … Barbara Slavin of the Atlantic Council … Ali Zaidi … Nathan Lewin … former Reps. Larry Kissell (D-N.C.) and Gwen Graham (D-Fla.) … David Thomas … CNN’s Christine Romans and Clarissa Ward … Fox News’ Martha MacCallum … NBC’s Sarah Blackwill … E&E News’ Michael Doyle … Sam Dorn … Ray Kerins … NPR’s Peter Sagal … Tim Naftali … Karen Petel … USTR’s Conor Harrington … Christopher Alan Chambers … Bobbie Brinegar … Rahul Prabhakar … Michael Kempner of MWW … Fred Karger … Christopher Semenas … Matthew Gottlieb … Amos Friedland … Tom O’Donnell … Tricia McLaughlin
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26.) AMERICAN MINUTE
“‘Wall of Separation,’ a phrase nowhere to be found in the Constitution”-Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart – American Minute with Bill Federer
“‘Wall of separation ‘ a phrase nowhere to be found in the Constitution”-Justice Potter Stewart – American Minute with Bill Federer
- Municipalities would not be permitted to render police or fire protection to religious groups.
- Policemen who helped parishioners into their places of worship would violate the Constitution.
- Prayers in our legislative halls;
- the appeals to the Almighty in the messages of the Chief Executive;
- the proclamations making Thanksgiving Day a holiday;
- ‘So Help Me God’ in our courtroom oaths …
- these and all other references to the Almighty that run through our laws, our public rituals, our ceremonies would be flouting the First Amendment.
27.) CAFFEINATED THOUGHTS
28.) CONSERVATIVE DAILY NEWS
29.) PJ MEDIA
The Morning Briefing: Reminder—Some Teachers Are Truly Horrible People
Top O’ the Briefing
Happy Monday, dear Kruiser Morning Briefing friends. Go with your gut if you ever get the feeling that your neighbors are doing weird things with canned green beans.
Before we get to today’s main topic can we discuss the 800 lb gorilla in the Joe Rogan/Neil Young/Spotify room? Neil Young’s singing voice sounds like one of Dr. Mengele’s heirs is performing experiments on a ferret that hasn’t been given anesthesia.
Hey hey, my my, nobody wants to hear a ferret cry.
One of the most persistent leftist narrative myths is that of the saintly teacher. We have been repeatedly assured by the Democrats and their flying monkeys in the mainstream media that all educators in America have halos we can’t see and deserve to be paid kajillions of dollars more per year. Now, I do know a lot of great teachers but I’ve happened upon some who were absolute garbage too.
Maybe teaching is like every other profession: there’s plenty of both good and bad to go around.
Today, we focus on some of the bad.
Like, terrorist bad, to begin with.
Allison Fluke-Ekren, 42, a schoolteacher from Overbook, Kan., has been accused of organizing and leading an all-female battalion of jihadis for the Islamic State (ISIS). The Department of Justice announced Friday that Fluke-Ekren has been charged with “providing and conspiring to provide material support to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization.” She was caught in Syria and was scheduled to appear Monday at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Va.
It’s not your average career trajectory for a Kansas schoolteacher, but Fluke-Ekren, who also went by “Allison Elizabeth Brooks,” “Allison Ekren,” “Umm Mohammed al-Amriki” (that is, the mother of Muhammad the American), “Umm Mohammed,” and “Umm Jabril,” seems to have been a true believer. She “traveled to Syria several years ago for the purpose of committing or supporting terrorism.” While she was in Syria, Fluke-Ekren kept herself busy by putting together a battalion of female ISIS jihadis, known as the Khatiba Nusaybah. This wasn’t exactly a knitting circle: the women trained to fire AK-47s as well as use hand grenades and even suicide belts. In her spare time, Fluke-Ekren trained children in all this as well.
Imagine the field trips she would have preferred to take her students on.
Robert points out that there isn’t a clear explanation as to how Fluke-Ekren made the transition to “The Terrorist Next Door.” We can be sure, however, that if she’d been outed as a Republican the FBI would be doing a deep dive into the roots of her radicalization.
Over at HotAir, my colleague Jazz Shaw has a post about one New York teacher’s horrendous response to the funeral procession for slain detective Jason Rivera:
Unfortunately, not everyone was feeling the spirit of paying tribute to the life of the officer who was murdered during a cowardly ambush. One New York City public school teacher took to Instagram and posted a suggestion that someone might want to take a vehicle and plow into the sea of police officers. Christopher Flanigan, a math teacher in Brooklyn, received an immediate response and is probably wishing he’d kept his opinions to himself about now.
Anybody who thinks that whack-job leftists teachers like this refrain from letting their personal opinions get passed along to their students is delusional. This lunatic has no doubt let his biases bleed all over the curriculum.
Last night, The New York Post reported that Flanigan was fired for his insane oversharing. He probably won’t be unemployed for long though. That kind of thinking really isn’t outside of the mainstream for modern educators.
Finally, our sister site Twitchy had a story about American Federation of Teachers head commie Randi Weingarten trying to cover up the fact that she called parents who disagree with her “racists.” Comrade Randi was irked that the parents had the audacity to want to recall elected officials.
While not all teachers are awful people, the same can’t be said for the union higher-ups. They’re evil. As I wrote a full year ago, COVID has exposed them for the garbage human beings that they are, especially Weingarten.
Something else I’ve written about a lot is the need for the Republican party to prioritize school choice as an issue.
Now more than ever.
Everything Isn’t Awful
PJ Media
VodkaPundit. CNN Tries to Memory-Hole Ukraine President Telling Biden to ‘Calm Down’
Kansas Schoolteacher Joins ISIS, Plots Jihad Massacres in U.S., Leads All-Female Terrorist Battalion
Whistleblower at T-Mobile Releases Internal Emails: Get Jabbed or Get Lost!
Thousands of Truckers and Ordinary Canadians Gather on Parliament Hill to Protest Mandates
[WATCH] Russell Brand Calls Out Fake News Media for Convoy Protest Blackout, Goes Viral
Barry Manilow Denies Joining Neil Young in Laughable Spotify Battle Over Joe Rogan Podcast
DC Comics’ Bisexual Climate Change-Fighting Superman Is Kryptonite to Sales
Biased CNN Reporter Uses the Word ‘Lie’ 19 Times in Propaganda Piece About 2020 Election
Border Patrol Agents in ‘Heated’ Exchange With Leadership While Mayorkas Watches
Police Officers Attacked in Five States in the Last Week: What Gives?
National Governors Association Chair Asa Hutchison Thinks GOP Should Move On From Trump
Big Justin Is Watching You, Truckers
Substack Has the Right Anti-Censorship Philosophy, But Do They Have the Right Technology?
Key Pennsylvania Democrats Decline the Honor of Appearing With Biden During His Visit
West Coast, Messed Coast™ – Where Do We Get Our Reputation Back? – Edition
Townhall Mothership
Schlichter. Keep on Truckin’, Working Class Rebels
Democrats Decline to Offer Endorsement for Key Open Senate Seat
Justin Trudeau Has Fled Due to ‘Security Concerns’ Arising Out of Peaceful Protests
Cotton Says GOP Will Refrain from Launching ‘Grotesque Smear Campaigns’ Against SCOTUS Nominee
Oh. Meghan and Harry Insert Themselves Into the Spotify-Rogan Controversy
The Hypocrisy of the Left Knows No Bounds, as School Reveals New ‘Banned Words’ List
WATCH: California Shop Owner Defends Property During ‘Smash and Grab’ Attempt
Tacoma business leaders demand city address crime
2A groups’ assault on California’s non-privacy law
Constitutional Carry bill faces first test in Alabama
Is the DNC Chairman looking for an exit door as the midterm elections approach?
Has the UFO community become a political movement? Some advice from a veteran political operative
Fake vax card scam on Long Island really racked up the big bucks
VIP
‘Unwoke’ With Kevin and Kruiser #28: SCOTUS Speculation While Enjoying Stiff Manhattans
VodakPundit, Part Deux. Ranking the Bond Movies: Part 005 (Shaken and Stirring)
The Fringe with Megan Fox, Episode 83: A Spicy Scolding to Save America
60 Years of Bond Theme Songs, Part 005 of 007
Not Content with Destroying U.S. Economy, Biden Now Destroying Ukrainian Economy
You’re Not Going to Believe How Much Money George Soros Is Pouring Into the Midterms
Congress Nears Deal on ‘Heavy’ Russia Sanctions
Why Bill Maher’s Rants Against the Left Are Important
Around the Interwebz
Cheslie Kryst Dies: Miss USA 2019 And ‘Extra’ Correspondent Was 30
Have Babe Ruth Teach Your Kids How to Pitch
Roland Emmerich Confronted David Benioff About the Ending of Game of Thrones
Bee Me
The Kruiser Kabana
Kabana Gallery
Kabana Comedy
#RIP Howard Hesseman. What a show this was. It doesn’t get talked about enough as one of the great sitcoms of all time.
30.) WHITE HOUSE DOSSIER
31.) THE DISPATCH
The Morning Dispatch: The Spotify-Rogan Snit
Plus: The awkward dance Olympic corporate sponsors are doing ahead of the controversial Games in Beijing.
The Dispatch Staff |
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Happy Monday! The Morning Dispatch is hiring! If you are detail-oriented, love the news, have some journalism experience, and want to work with Declan to put TMD together every day, check out our Deputy Editor job listing here—and email declan@thedispatch.com with any questions.
Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories
- President Biden told reporters on Friday he will be moving some—but “not too many”—U.S. troops to Eastern Europe and NATO countries “in the near term” to counter potential Russian aggression. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also told reporters on Friday Russia has amassed enough troops to have the “capability” to seize Ukrainian cities, if President Vladimir Putin decides to go that route. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, sought to downplay the threat of an imminent invasion, saying Friday Ukrainians “don’t need this panic.”
- The Wall Street Journal reported Friday the Biden administration is “finalizing” an economic sanctions package that would hit major Russian banks, prohibit the trade of Russian sovereign debt, and apply semiconductor export controls if Putin goes through with an invasion of Ukraine. Sanctions on Russia’s oil and natural gas exports—and disconnecting Russia from the SWIFT payment system—are reportedly “off the table” for now, but could be reconsidered at a later date.
- North Korea conducted its seventh missile test of the month on Sunday, launching an intermediate-range, “Hwasong-12” ballistic missile into the sea for the first time since 2017. A senior White House official told reporters the administration plans to respond to the escalation in the coming days.
- CNN reported Friday the Biden administration had informed Congress it will withhold $130 million in military aid from Egypt due to the African country’s refusal to address the State Department’s human-rights concerns. The State Department has not yet confirmed the news.
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday that total compensation costs for employers increased 4 percent in 2021, as last year’s tight labor market drove workers’ wages and benefits up at the fastest annual pace since at least 2001.
- The January 6 Select Committee announced Friday it had issued subpoenas to 14 people who claimed to be “alternate electors” for former President Donald Trump and submitted “bogus” slates of Electoral College votes in the wake of the 2020 election.
- A Pennsylvania state court ruled 3-2 on Friday that the state’s election law—which allowed no-excuse absentee voting and passed on a bipartisan basis in 2019—was unconstitutional. The ruling has been appealed to Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court.
- A pre-print, non-peer reviewed study out of South Africa found that the COVID-19 beta variant virus was able to accumulate more than 20 additional mutations while incubating within a 22-year-old, HIV-positive woman for nine months. The authors said there is “no evidence” this specific variant spread into the general population, but warned additional variants could emerge in a similar fashion without widespread antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive people.
- Super Bowl LVI is set: The Los Angeles Rams will take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Los Angeles on February 13 after the two teams defeated the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, respectively.
Spotify and Joe Rogan Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World
Last Tuesday, Neil Young—the 76-year-old singer-songwriter—briefly posted on his website a letter to his manager demanding Spotify remove all his songs from its popular music-streaming service. Why? “I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines—potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them,” he wrote, noting that Spotify accounts for 60 percent of his global streaming. “They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.”
“Rogan,” in this instance, refers to 54-year-old comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan, who signed a deal with Spotify worth more $100 million in May 2020. His “Joe Rogan Experience” show—which features hours-long conversations with guests ranging from family-friendly comedian Jim Gaffigan and CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta to conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones and Alex Berenson—reportedly averages 11 million listens per episode, and became exclusive to Spotify last year.
The show exhibits an anti-establishment bent—Rogan endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for president in 2020—and has picked up a cult-like following since it launched in 2009. The host has earned the trust of his fans, mostly younger men, by being both genuine and willing to have taboo conversations with figures shunned by the mainstream. Two such conversations—with prominent anti-vaccine advocates Dr. Peter McCullough and Dr. Robert Malone—have put the podcaster at the center of an international firestorm. After the Malone episode aired on December 31—featuring a host of misleading COVID-19 vaccine statements and Nazi Germany comparisons—a group of more than 250 scientists and healthcare professionals published an open letter calling on Spotify to implement a more stringent misinformation policy.
On Sunday—after Young’s music was taken down and the singer’s cause was joined by singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, E Street Band guitarist Nils Lofgren, and podcaster Brené Brown—Spotify co-founder and CEO Daniel Ek published a blog post addressing the controversy, without calling out Rogan by name. “Personally, there are plenty of individuals and views on Spotify that I disagree with strongly,” he wrote. “It is important to me that we don’t take on the position of being content censor while also making sure that there are rules in place and consequences for those who violate them.”
Neither of the two Rogan episodes in question will be removed. But going forward, any podcast episode that includes a discussion about COVID-19 will include a content advisory that directs listeners to Spotify’s COVID-19 hub. And to increase transparency, the company also released its longstanding platform rules publicly for the first time: Content that dismisses COVID-19 as a hoax, encourages the consumption of bleach, suggests vaccines are “designed to cause death,” or tells listeners to purposely get infected with COVID-19 is in violation.
Rogan, in a video message released last night, sounded receptive to the changes, saying that he agrees with disclaimers making clear some of his more controversial guests are in the distinct minority of medical experts. Noting that he’s had more mainstream public health officials like Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Dr. Michael Osterholm, and Dr. Peter Hotez on the show, Rogan also admitted he could be better about scheduling those episodes to air right after the ones featuring anti-vaccine advocates. (Osterholm and Hotez joined Rogan in March and April 2020, while the Gupta episode aired in October 2021. Hotez has petitioned Rogan to have him back on the show to talk about vaccine hesitancy, to no avail.)
“I do not know if [McCullough and Malone] are right,” Rogan said yesterday. “I’m not a doctor, I’m not a scientist. I’m just a person who sits down and talks with people and has conversations with them. Do I get things wrong? Absolutely, I get things wrong. But I try to correct them.” Rogan—who has said the COVID-19 vaccines are “safe” and that vulnerable people should take them—similarly backtracked last April after he came under fire for suggesting young, healthy people should not: “I’m not a doctor, I’m a f—ing moron. … I’m not a respected source of information.”
The saga opened yet another chapter in our ever-present free speech v. misinformation debate. Thousands of social media users claim to have ended their Spotify subscriptions over the flap—Spotify competitors Apple Music, Amazon Music, and SiriusXM have playfully egged them on—and it’s thrust the Swedish music streamer into content moderation discussions typically reserved for social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, who have struggled mightily to implement fair and transparent content moderation policies. (A key difference, it should be noted, is that Spotify doesn’t just host Rogan’s content—it actively pays tens of millions of dollars to be the exclusive distributor and promoter of it.)
But Young—who has threatened to pull his music from Spotify in the past over its streaming sound quality—is adamant he’s not trying to censor anybody. “I support free speech,” he wrote on Friday. “Private companies have the right to choose what they profit from, just as I can choose not to have my music support a platform that disseminates harmful information.” If more musicians—already frustrated with Spotify’s business model—join Young’s campaign, it could change the streamer’s calculus.
But Spotify has thus far stood by Rogan—who maintained yesterday he’s a “huge Neil Young fan” and not mad at the musician—for obvious reasons: The company made an enormous investment in him two years ago as it was expanding into the podcast space, and Rogan’s popularity has certainly contributed to Spotify reportedly surpassing Apple last year as the largest podcast distributor in the U.S.
And if Spotify does abandon ship? As The Verge noted last fall, Rogan’s exclusivity deal is likely limiting his reach. Were he unshackled, Rogan would just take his millions of fans—and millions of dollars—and set up his show somewhere else, where listeners probably wouldn’t be directed to a COVID-19 hub or hear vaccine content advisories at all.
The Coca-Cola Ad You’ve Never Seen
The Winter Olympics begin in four days, but we wouldn’t blame you for not knowing that. Typically, the Games bring with them a cacophony of PR campaigns and marketing blitzes aimed at boosting viewership; an effort on the part of sponsors to make good on their sizable investments.
But those sponsors have been remarkably quiet this year—and it’s not too difficult to understand why. In a piece for the site, Andrew looks at the corporate complications that arise when the International Olympics Committee refuses to move the Games from a country actively perpetrating a genocide.
Coca-Cola, one of those Olympic sponsors, is running advertisements ahead of the Games—but only in China.
Like many other Olympic sponsors pressing the brakes on their domestic advertising this year, Coca-Cola is keeping silent on its reasons for letting its nine-figure Olympic sponsorship deal go to waste in the English-speaking world. (The company did not respond to a request for comment for this piece, nor has it opened up on the subject to other outlets.)
Explicit or not, the strategy is hard to mistake: The Beijing Olympics are shaping up to be a public-relations disaster for companies trying to straddle both U.S. and Chinese markets. The human rights abuses the Chinese government is perpetrating toward the predominantly Muslim Uyghur people, which the U.S. last year termed a genocide and Human Rights Watch has labeled crimes against humanity, hang as a pall over the Games. The U.S. and several other Western countries have opted for a diplomatic boycott.
Ordinarily, the Olympics are as bankable a cash cow for brands as any other sporting event—more so, when you consider the event’s peerless visibility around the globe.
From Albania to Zimbabwe, the Games are synonymous with traits any brand would love to be associated with: youth, vigor, beauty, endurance, excellence. Thus the monster payouts to secure exclusive licensing rights.
“The Olympics is the best opportunity for them to connect on a world stage with a very large audience, especially for these multinational corporations,” Dr. James Blair, who teaches sports marketing at Eastern Kentucky University, told The Dispatch. “They’ve got these very large brands, and for them to be able to connect with and be associated with the Olympics, which is considered the most premium prestige sporting event in the world, also raises their profile and keeps other brands from attaining that image.”
But those exclusive contracts, it turns out, can be a double-edged sword. Any company without a preexisting Olympics relationship might look at the controversy surrounding the Beijing games and decide simply to save its advertising dollars for better days—the 2024 Paris Games aren’t far away! For the sponsors, though, even beyond the sunk cost of the exclusivity rights themselves, there’s no way simply to slink out of the spotlight. They can’t remove themselves from the political question, because either remaining a part of or ducking out of the Olympics would be to make a political statement.
The result? The awkward two-step we’re seeing now.
They’ve determined that the financially optimal play is to keep partnering with the Beijing Olympics, but to do so with as little of the miasma surrounding these particular Games as possible sticking to their clothes afterward. It may be the world’s first example of companies devising their marketing strategy around trying to ensure people think of them as little as possible.
Worth Your Time
- Two New York City police officers, Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora, were shot and killed on January 21 while responding to a domestic disturbance call in Harlem. Rivera’s funeral was Friday, and you should take ten minutes to watch the eulogy his widow, Dominique Luzuriaga, delivered at St. Patrick’s Cathedral—and then read Maureen Dowd’s New York Times column on the tragedy. “We don’t hear much about good cops these days. Their stories get lost amid the scalding episodes with trigger-happy, racist and sadistic cops. The good ones get tarred with the same brush, even though the last person who wants to get in a squad car with a bad cop is a good cop,” she writes. “[Rivera, 22,] epitomized what we want in an officer—full of compassion and joy, with an infectious smile. His older brother, Jeffrey, remembered Tata, as his family called him, stripping down to his tighty-whities as a child to do Latin dances. Rivera was the mirror opposite of the brutal Derek Chauvin. As Jeffrey recalled, ‘My brother was afraid of heights, he was afraid of rats, he was afraid of dogs.’ But he ‘was not afraid to die to wear that uniform.’”
- Sonny Bunch’s take on the Rogan/Young spat—getting at the tension between freedom of association and social cohesion—is worth reading. Neil Young is, of course, free to disassociate from anyone or anything he disagrees with, and Spotify, of course, is free to pick Rogan over Young if that’s what makes the most financial sense. “But I do worry about the continued fragmentation of society that attends the idea that everyone sharing a cultural space must align ideologically to coexist,” Bunch writes. “What concerns me most about all this is the siloing of society into warring tribes.”
Presented Without Comment
Ben Natan @thebennatan
My dad is going to be furious. He’s a lifelong Spotify user that specifically loves Joni Mitchell and Neil Young. This is not a joke.
Also Presented Without Comment
Also Also Presented Without Comment
On FTN, @LindseyGrahamSC is shown video of Trump offering to pardon Jan. 6 defendants if he wins the presidency in 2024. Graham, who has urged Trump to run, says he opposes the pardons but also opposes “using the law to try to knock Trump out of running.”
Toeing the Company Line
- Steve took over hosting duties on Friday’s Dispatch Podcast, asking questions of Sarah, Gregg Nunziata, and John McCormack about Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement and the coming Supreme Court nomination process. Now that Breyer’s move is official, what’s happening behind the scenes at the White House and on the Senate Judiciary Committee?
- In the latest Uphill (🔒), Haley dives into House Democrats’ COMPETES Act, legislation aimed at boosting the United States’ competitiveness vis-à-vis China. “Any final bill reconciled between the two chambers will look different than the House Democratic package,” she notes. “Some components were already defeated in the Senate, and others are controversial among Republicans and the business community.”
- Jonah’s Friday G-File touches on the Joe Rogan/Neil Young brouhaha to make a larger point about nationalization. “Facebook itself, Twitter, and all other social media platforms are forces of nationalization,” he argues. “What the hell is all this ‘Meta’ and ‘augmented reality’ crap if not a rejection of the idea that physical space—literally where you live—is an inconvenient barrier to be overcome?”
- In his Sunday French Press, David explores why many good Christians feel a sense of attachment to flawed—or even corrupt—leaders. “We often fail to distinguish between God’s love and mercy for us and God’s approval or favor or endorsement of the man or woman who built the institution or delivered the message,” he writes. “It’s very easy to attribute to man what comes from God—or to place loyalty to any particular man as a special instrument of God.”
- In a piece published over the weekend, Catholic Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso and Southern Baptist Pastor Alan Cross take on “great replacement theory,” the idea—increasingly popular on the nationalist right—that welcoming immigrants is a nefarious plot to diminish white people’s political and cultural power. “While national immigration policy is complicated and our government has a job to do in both securing the border and enforcing the rule of law, we also must reject any kind of demonizing fear-based rhetoric concerning our immigrant neighbors,” they write.
Let Us Know
A chicken-or-egg question: Do you think anti-vaccine sentiment is as prevalent as it is because a handful of high-profile influencers have been spreading it for months, or have those handful of high-profile influencers spread anti-vaccine sentiment for months because there’s an existing market for it?
Put another way, would Spotify kicking Rogan off its streaming platform actually do anything to tamp down vaccine hesitancy?
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).
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
44.) WORLD NET DAILY
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45.) MSNBC
46.) BIZPAC REVIEW
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 MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2022 Good morning, NBC News readers.
Today we look ahead to the Supreme Court confirmation battle and a packed congressional schedule ahead, why Ukraine is playing down the prospect of a Russian invasion, and how one woman followed her roller skating dream.
Here’s what we’re watching this Monday morning. As Congress returns from recess this week, senators are gearing up for a confirmation battle to fill Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer’s seat.
The high-stakes process will feature candidates jockeying for the rare vacancy and lawmakers using the process to score political points, adding to what’s already set to be a busy stretch on Capitol Hill.
The Democratic-controlled Senate is bracing for a clash when President Joe Biden announces his pick to succeed Breyer, which he said he intends to do by the end of February.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who chairs the Judiciary Committee and would be responsible for steering Biden’s pick through the nomination process, said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that party leaders will ensure that the proceedings are fair.
“This is a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land. We should take it seriously,” he said.
Read the full story here. Also in politics today:
Monday’s Top Stories
Ukraine’s president has repeatedly called for calm in the face of the Russian military buildup and shrugged off claims that Kyiv is in denial about the threat. Meanwhile, the West is raising sanctions the pressure on Russia with new sanctions threats and a showdown at the United Nations. Omicron was unexpected, but with the delta variant also still circulating, scientists say it’s too soon to know for sure where the pandemic is headed. Rogan’s comments came after the music streaming service announced that it would add a content advisory to any podcast episode that discusses the coronavirus. OPINION The series is for those who, for multiple reasons, continue to struggle to reconcile the man they thought they knew with the predator he’s accused of being. writes Michael Arceneaux. Also in the News
Editor’s Pick
China’s economic growth has also widened its wealth gap, and it is now among the most unequal countries in the world. Select
In addition to flower bouquets, online retailers offer a variety of succulents and other plants for Valentine’s Day. One Fun Thing
After the Covid-19 pandemic torpedoed Adrienne Cooper’s plans to open a disco roller rink in Tennessee, she was stuck with 500 rental skates.
But instead of giving up, she redesigned the skates into three sleek, new colors and branded them “Moon Boots,” launching a social media campaign on Instagram to generate buzz.
After months of promoting the Moon Boots, they went on sale online at midnight one day last year. “That night we sold almost every pair,” Cooper said. “We made over $200,000 in one day.”
Read more here.
Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown.
If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — send me an email at: patrick.smith@nbcuni.com.
Thanks, Patrick Smith 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: Trump’s once dominant hold over politics has faded a year after leaving office
If it’s Monday… President Biden meets with the nation’s governors… Biden’s considering more than a dozen Supreme Court candidates, per NBC News… NBC News also reports on tensions inside the DNC… Val Demings rakes in more than $7 million for the quarter in FL-SEN… And Donald Trump says the quiet part out loud.
But FIRST… There are two ways to look at Trump’s last year after being removed from Twitter and from the daily political spotlight.
One, it’s weakened Trump’s siren’s call with Republicans. Just look at our most recent NBC News poll, which shows the share of Republicans who consider themselves more Trump supporters than party supporters declining over the past year.
And the drop has been pretty much across the board.
NBC News Poll, Jan. 14-18
Two, Trump’s daily – if not hourly – disappearance from the political spotlight has hurt Biden (who now gets compared more to The Almighty rather than to The Alternative) and Democrats (who spent five years using Trump’s tweets and actions as fodder to fire up their voters).
Just consider Trump’s latest controversial statement below. Does anyone doubt that it would have dominated the day’s political conversation had he tweeted it out – instead of getting screen-grabbed by reporters?
Make no mistake: Trump still remains the greatest singular force in the GOP; Democrats still will use him to fire up their voters, especially if he runs in ’24; and he can still generate headlines.
Like this one from over the weekend: “Trump suggests he might pardon Jan. 6 defendants if he returns to White House.”
But those headlines don’t pack the punch they once did.
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Tweet of the Day: Saying the quiet part out loud
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Data Download: The number of the day is … 13.
That’s the number of candidates who NBC News can report are being considered for the upcoming Supreme Court vacancy, with the list of potential candidates swelling to at least 13, per NBC’s Josh Lederman and Carol Lee.
Lederman and Lee say that Biden is casting a wide net, and that there isn’t a short list yet to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer, although Biden pledged during his campaign to nominate the first Black woman to the court.
While the White House has confirmed U.S. District Court Judge J. Michelle Childs is being considered, Lederman and Lee are also reporting others being considered, too. They include D.C. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, Judge Candace Jackson-Akiwumi of the Seventh Circuit, outgoing NAACP Legal Defense Fund President Sherrilyn Ifill and North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls.
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Other numbers you need to know today
$1.57 million: How much West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, who isn’t up for re-election until 2024, raised during the fourth quarter of 2021, per the FEC.
$7.1 million: How much Florida Democratic Rep. Val Demings says her Senate campaign raised in the fourth quarter of 2021, closing the year with $8.1 million on hand.
More than $1 million: The amount Wyoming Republican Harriet Hageman announced raising in her primary race against Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.
3: The number of seats Democrats could gain in New York under a new map proposed by party leaders.
14 percent: The average increase in rent last year in America, according to a Redfin analysis discussed in the Washington Post.
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Midterm roundup
There is a “strained relationship” between the DNC and the White House as the party heads into a difficult midterm election, NBC’s Natasha Korecki, Jonathan Allen and Lauren Egan report. DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison, who considered leaving his post, pushed back on his critics, writing on Twitter, “To unnamed sources, if you expect me to go away or roll into a ball and whimper…you picked the wrong one.”
Meanwhile, the White House is trying to assuage concerns about its midterm messaging. NBC’s Peter Nicholas, Carol E. Lee and Mike Memoli obtained part of a recording of a Zoom call with donors where White House counselor Steve Ricchetti said Biden plans to hit the campaign trail and tout the administration’s accomplishments.
For their part, Republican leaders are divided over whether the party should unveil a policy agenda before November’s elections, Nicholas also reports. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell wants to leave the focus on Democrats, while House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is crafting an agenda to win over voters.
Michigan Republican John James, the party’s nominee in each of the last two Senate races, announced Monday he’s running for the newly-drawn 10th District.
Republican Chuck Morse, president of the New Hampshire state Senate, officially launched his campaign against Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan on Saturday, riding to his launch event in a “skid-steer loader,” per WMUR.
Members of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party failed to endorse a candidate in the Senate primary Saturday, although Conor Lamb got the most votes. Committee members did endorse Attorney General Josh Shapiro for governor.
Rep. Marcy Kaptur said she will not be joining the scores of fellow House Democrats who are retiring. Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in House history, is running for re-election regardless of Ohio’s new congressional map, NBC’s Henry Gomez reports.
Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., endorsed Blake Masters, a Peter Thiel associate, in Arizona’s Senate primary.
ICYMI: What ELSE is happening in the world
The West is warning Russia it could face the “mother of all sanctions” as a response to any action it takes against Ukraine.
Democrats are considering replacing Iowa’s as the first-in-the-nation caucus spot for upcoming presidential elections, Politico reports.
NBC News’ Allan Smith explores Sen. Ted Cruz’s presidential ambitions and what it would take for him to run in 2024.
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50.) CBS
51.) REASON
52.) MANHATTAN INSTITUTE
53.) LOUDER WITH CROWDER
54.) TOWNHALL
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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
61.) HOT AIR
62.) 1440 DAILY DIGEST
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72.) FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC EDUCATION
73.) POPULIST PRESS
It’s been almost two months since Chris Wallace has left Fox News. He left to join CNN and their new online streaming news service.
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TOP STORIES:
-
Something Very Interesting Has Happened Over at Fox News Since Chris Wallace Left
-
Trump Calls For Major Boycott
- Michael Flynn Says COVID-19 Was Created to Steal the 2020 US Election
-
Trump Says Who He Will Pardon Next…
- Biden Just Announced His Nomination For The Supreme Court
- Pence Just Revealed Info About When He Last Spoke To Trump…
- GOP Lawmaker Disarms Libs of Their Favorite Weapon
- JESSE WATTERS JUST DROPPED A BOMBSHELL ON FOX NEWS
- Impeachment On The Table After Biden’s Dirty Secret Exposed…
- Black Lives Matter’s $60 Million Scam Begins To Crash… Leaders FLEE!
- Disney’s Minnie Mouse Just Went Woke, Fans Are Disgusted!
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IN DEPTH…
|
- Russia will hit US with cyberattack if sanctioned, cyber expert warns: ‘We are already in warfare state’ 1 hour ago
- FCC revokes China Unicom’s authorization to operate in US 2 hours ago
- After years of complaining about ‘dark money’ in politics, Democratic groups outspent the GOP in 2020 2 hours ago
- EXCLUSIVE: Jim Jordan Slams Senate Democrat Attempts to Revive Media Cartel Act 2 hours ago
- Dan Bongino: Democrats are obsessed with tearing down values 2 hours ago
- NATO Command of USS Harry S. Truman Sends Signal to Russia, Says Secretary General Stoltenberg
- Is Russia’s Navy Getting Ready to Attack Ukraine? 2 hours ago
- Cyberattack Targets Belarus’ Rail Network To Slow Flood Of Russian Forces Into The Country 2 hours ago
- Xi Jinping Is Watching His Back 2 hours ago
- Why Intermediate-Range Missiles Are a Focal Point in the Ukraine Crisis — War on the Rocks 2 hours ago
- Accused Texas Cop-Killer Was a Fugitive for 25 Years, Also Wanted for Murder in El Salvador, Say Police 3 hours ago
- America Must Not Cede the Middle East to China 3 hours ago
- Russia’s Military Plan for a War on Ukraine: An Attack on Kyiv? 3 hours ago
- 50 Years on, Bloody Sunday Still Scars Northern Ireland 3 hours ago
- “Meet the Heroes”: Is anyone still talking about the Americans left behind in Afghanistan? 3 hours ago
- U.K. Bishop: Putin Wants to Bring Back the Soviet Union 3 hours ago
- ‘Journalists’ That Rushed to Trash Ron DeSantis End up With Egg on Their Faces 3 hours ago
- Russia to move naval exercises away from Irish coast, ambassador says 3 hours ago
- Fauci Admits to WaPo His $10.4M Financial Portfolio Was Hidden 3 hours ago
- The problem with infrastructure isn’t government spending — it’s out-of-control costs 3 hours ago
- CNN’s Jim Acosta Accuses Youngkin of Turning VA Into a ‘Soviet-style Police State’ 3 hours ago
- China’s draconian one-child policy has led to a disastrous baby bust 3 hours ago
- Statehood for D.C. is Unconstitutional and a Partisan Power Grab 3 hours ago
- Neocons, Neolibs & NATO Inch Us Closer To Nuclear War With Russia 3 hours ago
- White House Confirms Judge Michelle Childs Is Under Consideration For Supreme Court 3 hours ago
- Texas Dept. of Public Safety Lt.: Remain in Mexico Is ‘Not Making an Impact’ — Biden’s Use of It Is Sparse 3 hours ago
- New Yorkers refuse to let go of COVID restrictions — even as Omicron wanes 3 hours ago
- President Biden’s Wandering Rhetoric Encourages Putin’s Aggression 3 hours ago
- DNC chair reportedly looking to leave amid tensions with Biden White House 3 hours ago
- Build Back Better: New bill, same stumbling blocks 3 hours ago
- Biden-Buttigieg DOT to tap infrastructure spending to promote speed cameras nationwide 3 hours ago
- Joni Mitchell removing her music from Spotify: ‘I stand with Neil Young’ 3 hours ago
- Law profs: Most states may recognize ‘multiparent families’ in the near future 3 hours ago
- Trump touts borders at home and abroad during Texas rally 3 hours ago
- Britney Spears calls sister Jamie Lynn ‘scum’ in scathing online post 3 hours ago
- Tom Brady to announce retirement after 22 seasons 3 hours ago
- Trudeau and family moved to secret location as thousands converge to protest COVID-19 rules: Report 3 hours ago
- Ash Barty defeats Danielle Collins for Australian Open women’s title 3 hours ago
- US Olympic bobsled team already facing COVID-19 ‘nightmare’ 3 hours ago
- Pregnant journalist stranded in Afghanistan forced to turn to Taliban for help 3 hours ago
- Longtime Steelers GM Exits With Big Ben 3 hours ago
- Kansas woman accused of leading all-female ISIS battalion 3 hours ago
- Jerry Jones Commits To Mike McCarthy For 2022, Squashes Sean Payton Rumors 3 hours ago
- Former ACLU Head SLAMS Org’s Sad Decline Into ‘Partisanship’ 3 hours ago
- Arizona governor calls for Mayorkas to “step down and step aside” for failing on southern border 3 hours ago
- NYT Goes Full-Bore Delusional Explaining How Biden Attacking Doocy Was ‘Feel-Good Moment’ 3 hours ago
- Chevron CEO: $100 per barrel oil is possible 3 hours ago
- Boeing invests $450 million in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) company 3 hours ago
- Leftist FCC nominee Gigi Sohn faces another ‘conflict’ hurdle 3 hours ago
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- NANTUCKET UNDERWATER… 4 hours ago
- Kansas man traveled to DC to kill ‘Antichrist’ Biden… 4 hours ago
- Split-screen pandemic: Families resume lives as hospitals overwhelmed… 4 hours ago
- TX Gov Faces Backlash Over Troop Deployment… 4 hours ago
- IRS plan to scan face prompts anger in Congress, confusion among taxpayers… 4 hours ago
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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 Monday edition of Internet Insider, dissecting online disinformation—one dumb conspiracy at a time.
ONE DUMB CONSPIRACY Conspiracy theorists are spreading a claim online that the devastating Tonga volcano eruption this month was caused not by mother nature but by a secret “kinetic weapon.”
The eruption, which occurred on Jan. 14, saw the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai volcano send ash more than 25 miles into the sky and caused waves nearly 50-feet tall to crash into Tonga’s main island.
Tsunami warnings were issued for as far away as the west coast of the United States. NASA scientists now believe the eruption, which split the volcanic island in two, was more powerful than the atomic bomb used by the U.S. during WWII.
Satellite imagery even showed how the eruption was visible from space, providing a unique insight into the volcano’s devastating power.
But in the minds of conspiracy theorists, something much more nefarious had clearly taken place.
A viral TikTok video published on Jan. 17, which has garnered more than 1.4 million views to date, purports to show a mysterious object flying into the volcano just moments before the eruption.
“Something ain’t right,” a narrator on the video says. “You know, somebody did this to these folks.”
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Commenters on the video appeared to agree, with some suggesting that the TikTok user was now in danger for exposing the “truth” about the eruption.
“Be careful brother,” one user replied. “These people will search you out for exposing them.”
Another suggested that all natural disasters were actually staged by the government as part of some nefarious plot to enslave humanity.
“They are creating these natural disasters to be able to make it like we need the government to step in to take control,” the user said. “These are not natural disasters.”
Yet the assertion that the clip shows an explosion coming just 5 seconds after an object supposedly splashed into the water has numerous holes. For starters, the satellite footage is not in real-time and shows a sped-up version of the clip. The video actually shows a 6-hour period from before, during, and after the eruption.
The satellite would also fail to pick up a splash in the water from that height, as noted by LeadStories, and is likely a small plume of ash caused by volcanic activity prior to the primary eruption.
Over on Bitchute, a video-sharing platform popular among the far-right, some claimed that the explosion was in retaliation for Tonga’s recent interest in Bitcoin. “Tonga had just announced they were going to start accepting Bitcoin as legal tender,” a user wrote. “Two days later THIS happened.”
Given all the evidence, it is undeniably clear that the so-called explosion was nothing more than a volcanic eruption, not a government space missile designed to stop Tonga from pursuing cryptocurrencies.
OTHER DUMB CONSPIRACY THEORIES
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77.) HEADLINE USA
78.) NATURAL NEWS
79.) POLITICHICKS
80.) FIRST RIGHT
January 31st, 2022
01/31/2022 05:15 CDT
TRUMP TELLS TEXAS CROWD IT’S TIME TO MOVE ON FROM COVID; PENNSYLVANIA BALLOT RELAXATION LAW RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL
TODAY’S TOP TEN
TRUMP: TIME TO MOVE ON FROM COVID
PRESIDENT TRUMP TELLS MASSIVE TEXAS CROWD, “We are moving on from COVID.” The Last Refuge.
PENNSYLVANIA COURT RULES THAT LAW that allowed 2020 absentee voting is unconstitutional. Breitbart.
BIDEN DOJ PUSHES FOR LENIENT SENTENCE for George Floyd rioter who burned down pawn shop, killing a man. TheBlaze.
THE UGLY TRUTH BEHIND THE FIVE DEATHS from January 6th and 7th. Tayler Hansen.
BIDEN, BUTTIGIEG TO TAP “INFRASTRUCTURE” spending to promote speed cameras nationwide. Just the News.
GEORGIA SCHOOL DISTRICT PUBLISHED PLANS to teach Critical Race Theory, then hid them. The Federalist.
NEARLY ONE-THIRD SAY DESANTIS should only run for president if Trump does not. Breitbart.
BLACK LIVES MATTER CAN’T ACCOUNT for $60 million after leaders jump ship. Washington Examiner.
DOES SUBSTACK HAVE THE RIGHT DIGITAL infrastructure to withstand the left-wing censorship mob? PJ Media.
POLITIFACT SIX TIMES MORE LIKELY to defend Biden than check his facts. NewsBusters.
If you’d like to share First Right with a friend, text FIRSTRIGHT (all caps, no spaces) to 30161
COMMENTARY WORTH READING
- Meet the Capitol Police’s new spy chief. Julie Kelly.
- Why the Wall Street Journal is wrong about the 2020 election. William Doyle.
- Vote fraud in Georgia in plain sight. Emerald Robinson.
VIDEO WORTH WATCHING
- Democrat voter has strong message for Biden. Fox News.
- Biden stumbles and mumbles in speech. Twitter.
- Pastor Brooks reveals how he become a conservative. Fox News.
LATEST FIRST RIGHT PODCAST
- An interview with Nicole Solas, a Rhode Island mom courageously fighting Critical Race Theory in her daughter’s school. Rumble.
OFFBEAT BEAT
- Hiker falls to his death after attempting picture on mountain peak. Daily Caller.
TWEETS OF NOTE
- (@EricMMatheny) People who wear masks while driving alone drive exactly as you’d expect them to drive. Tweet.
- (@yesisworld) Hungary passed a law called “The Stop Soros Law” which makes it a felony to aide and abet illegal immigration. Our Congress needs to pass that law. It would put NGOs out of business. Tweet.
MOST CLICKED ITEM FRIDAY
- FLORIDA’S DESANTIS RIPS WH press secretary Psaki for “lying through her teeth every single day.” The Republic Brief.
BONGINO REPORT TOP HEADLINE AT TIME OF EMAIL
- Trump Holds “Save America Rally” in Texas – Hints at 2024 Run. BONGINO REPORT.
81.) THE WESTERN JOURNAL
82.) CNN
Monday 01.31.22 Anything is possible! The Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals are heading to Super Bowl LVI after yesterday’s thrilling NFL conference championship games. The Bengals have zero Super Bowl wins in the history of the franchise, but never doubt an underdog! They may have what it takes to shock the world yet again. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day. Civilian volunteers in Ukraine train to fight off possible Russian invasion. Ukraine
The two top senators on the Foreign Relations Committee say they are confident they will get a bipartisan deal on Russian sanctions when the Senate comes back from recess, despite some sticking points. Some sanctions on the table could happen upfront, while others would go into effect if Russia were to invade Ukraine. Russia, meanwhile, is questioning the framing of NATO as a “defensive” alliance, complaining that the bloc’s “line of defense” continues to move east toward the county. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said yesterday this is a clear sign that Russia will “highly likely” invade Ukraine. The White House has also warned that a Russian invasion into Ukraine is “imminent.” President Joe Biden said Friday he will move US troops to NATO allies in Eastern Europe in the “near term,” marking a new phase in the US response to Russia’s escalation on the Ukrainian border. Supreme Court
The Senate Judiciary Committee will move quickly with the confirmation process once President Joe Biden announces his pick to replace Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, the panel’s chair said yesterday. The comments from Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin come days after Breyer, the senior liberal on the high court, announced he would be retiring at the end of the court’s term. The White House has begun its search for his potential replacement, assuring the pick will be a Black woman. Across the aisle, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham lavishly praised one of Biden’s possible contenders, South Carolina US District Judge J. Michelle Childs, as “qualified by every measure” and “one of the most decent people I’ve ever met.” Graham, who represents South Carolina, sits on the Judiciary Committee. Spotify
Spotify announced it is adding a content advisory to any podcast episode that includes discussion about Covid-19. This comes after the streaming service received a flurry of criticism from a number of prominent artists who said they will leave the platform if it continues to host comedian Joe Rogan, whose podcast has spread misleading and inaccurate claims about vaccines and the virus. Spotify’s new advisory will direct listeners to a Covid-19 hub that will include links to trusted sources. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are among a growing list of prominent people who have expressed their concerns to Spotify over Covid-19 misinformation — a move sparked by musician Neil Young. Earlier this month, a group of more than 250 scientists, doctors and nurses penned an open letter to Spotify condemning the streamer for hosting Rogan after he suggested that healthy young people should not necessarily get vaccinated against Covid-19. North Korea
North Korea fired its most powerful ballistic missile in years over the weekend, an escalation of its weapons program and a possible sign of larger tests to come. A senior US official says the launch — the latest in a string of provocations from North Korea — could be designed to extract concessions from the US ahead of potential negotiations. The Biden administration has long sought to restart diplomacy with Pyongyang, extending the invitation for talks without any preconditions. While there has been “no serious discussion internally” of a meeting between President Joe Biden and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, officials are eager for talks at a lower level “anytime, any place.”
Australian Open
Rafael Nadal fell to his knees yesterday after winning a record-breaking 21st grand slam men’s singles title in the Australian Open final. After rallying from two sets down, the No. 6 seed Nadal defeated World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev of Russia in an epic match that lasted more than five hours. This is Nadal’s second Australian Open crown (2009), and it follows an emotional series of events in the competition. Novak Djokovic, the world No. 1, was initially favored to take home the win, but he was denied entry into the country after having his visa revoked for being unvaccinated against Covid-19. On the women’s side, Ashleigh Barty beat Danielle Collins to become the first home Australian Open singles champion since 1978. Djokovic congratulated both Nadal and Barty on their wins via Twitter. Paid Partner Content 3 Top Makeup Tips See why Beauty Insiders are obsessed… Bronze, blush & highlight with Ogee’s award-winning, certified organic Sculpted Face Stick Trio for an on-the-go-glow.
Capitalize On Your Home Value If you’d like to calculate how much you could personally cash out on, click here.
Stop Jumping Through Hoops to Earn Cash Back Earn $200 in cash back after you spend $750 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening. People are talking about these. Read up. Join in. Tom Brady retirement rumors Still no official announcement from the GOAT, but let’s face it — seven Super Bowl rings are sitting pretty in his display case. That’s legendary either way.
$426 million lottery ticket sold in Woodland Hills, California Maybe this is your sign to go buy a ticket… or to put your money right back in your pocket.
Why are CVS receipts are so long? Here’s an explanation why your CVS receipt is as long a toilet paper roll.
Cold weather in Miami is causing a lot of falling iguanas Don’t worry! They may look lifeless for now, but these reptiles usually rejuvenate when it gets warm again.
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Howard Hesseman, the actor best known as disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever on the sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati” has died from complications related to colon surgery, according to his manager. He was 81. Hesseman earned two Emmy nominations for his role on “WKRP,” and also appeared on “Head of the Class” and “One Day at a Time,” along with guest appearances on “That 70’s Show,” among others. $5,000 That’s how much Elon Musk offered a 19-year-old to delete his Twitter account that tracks the billionaire’s private jet. Jack Sweeney, the college freshman who runs the @ElonJet account, countered Musk’s offer at $50,000, saying he could use the money for college and maybe a Tesla Model 3. Her great light was one that inspired others around the world with her beauty and strength. She cared, she loved, she laughed and she shined.
— A statement from the family of Cheslie Kryst, who died after jumping from a building in Manhattan yesterday, according to the New York City Police Department. Kryst was crowned Miss USA in 2019 and worked as an attorney and as a correspondent for entertainment news site ExtraTV. She was 30. Brought to you by CNN Underscored The 16 best winter boots at all price points, according to experts A winter snowstorm can be an unwanted reminder that your footwear isn’t up to snuff. If you’re in need of new boots, we spoke to stylists and experts to find their picks for the best waterproof winter boots, slip-on winter boots, ankle boots, winter riding boots and much more. Baby elephant overcomes fear of water I challenge you to conquer one of your fears today! If you need a little extra nudge, check out this little elephant who overcame his fear of water.
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83.) THE DAILY CALLER
84.) POWERLINE
Daily Digest |
- Lindsey Graham is confused about what affirmative action is
- Do Republicans love Trump as they once did?
- Smearing the Truckers
- Biden’s Bad Bet on Race
- Do Lockdowns Work? The Numbers Say No
Lindsey Graham is confused about what affirmative action is
Posted: 30 Jan 2022 09:08 PM PST (Paul Mirengoff)Sen. Lindsey Graham has long believed that a president’s judicial nominees should receive great deference from the Senate. He has made this clear over and over, both for nominees of Democrats and nominees of Republicans. For example, he defended his vote to confirm Justice Sotomayor on that basis. Graham’s view on the matter used to be shared by the vast majority of Senators. Today, almost no Senator really holds it, not when the nominee is a member of the opposite party. My view is that with Democrats constantly voting against well-qualified conservative nominees, Republicans should routinely vote against liberal nominees, regardless of qualification. But Graham doesn’t see it that way. I give him credit for standing by his principles. However, giving deference to the president doesn’t require making bad arguments on his behalf. If you want to vote for a nominee, just say the nominee is qualified and cast the “yes” vote. Lindsey Graham has never been a minimalist, though. He likes to preen and pontificate, and that’s what he’s doing now regarding the impending nomination by Joe Biden of a black female Supreme Court Justice. For example, Graham insists that setting aside a Supreme Court slot for a black female is not affirmative action. He states:
But picking people for jobs to make an organization “look more like America” is a form of affirmative action. More importantly, it’s a form of race discrimination because it entails favoring one candidate over another out of a desire to achieve racial balance — i.e., because of race. And when, as in Biden’s case, people of certain races are excluded from even being considered for the job, the affirmative action is a particularly egregious form of race discrimination. I’m not sure what Graham means by his statement that “affirmative action is picking somebody not as well qualified for past wrongs.” It’s true that rejecting a white or Asian candidate in favor of a less qualified black candidate to atone for “past wrongs” is a form of affirmative action. But it’s not the only form. The motive for favoring someone due to race — be it atoning for past wrongs, making a workforce “look like America,” or something else — has no bearing on whether the favoritism is affirmative action. It’s affirmative action, regardless. “Picking someone not as qualified” because of her race is affirmative action, but so is refusing even to consider the qualifications of candidates of certain races and a certain gender. That’s what Biden has decided to do. Graham made his comment in the course of touting a black South Carolina judge — J. Michelle Childs — who reportedly is under consideration for the Supreme Court. Graham is indulging in home state boosterism. He probably figures Biden’s black female nominee will be confirmed, and the spot might as well go to a South Carolinian. Childs’ qualifications don’t leap off the page. She is a district court judge, not a U.S. court of appeals judge, like all current Supreme Court members other than Justice Kagan were before they joined the Court. She lacks Kagan’s stellar background as an academic and high-ranking Justice Department lawyer. I see no credible argument that Childs is as qualified as, say, Sri Srinivasan. But Srinivasan has been ruled out because of his race and gender. He’s an Asian-American male, not a black female. As an Asian-American, his nomination would be “historic,” but that’s not the history Biden promised to make when he was hunting the endorsement of black politicians and leftists. I don’t know whether the Childs boomlet will lead to her nomination, but if it does she will definitely be an affirmative action nominee. |
Do Republicans love Trump as they once did?
Posted: 30 Jan 2022 06:54 PM PST (Paul Mirengoff)Recent polling shows they do not. However, it also shows that Republicans still like Trump enough to nominate him in 2024. Dan Balz notes that on the eve of the 2020 election, 54 percent of Republicans and independents who lean Republican said they considered themselves more a supporter of Trump than of the Republican Party, compared with 38 percent who said they considered themselves more a supporter of the Republican Party. By January 2021, views were evenly divided, with 46 percent saying Trump and 46 percent saying the GOP. What about now? According to Balz, a poll released last weekend shows that 56 percent of Republicans say they are more supporters of the party than of Trump, while 36 percent say they are more supporters of Trump than of the party. The numbers have basically flipped since October 2020. The defectors come from a wide range of constituencies. Since October 2020, Trump has lost 26 points in this survey among white Republicans without college degrees and 21 points among conservative Republicans. He has lost 18 points among Republican men and 17 points among Republican women. He has lost 23 points among Republicans age 65 and older and 19 points among white evangelical Republicans. That’s the good news, from my perspective. The bad news is that, regardless of whether Republicans still think of themselves as Trumpites first, they still like the former president enough to make him the clear, and perhaps overwhelming, favorite for the 2024 nomination. Balz reports that he latest Economist/YouGov poll finds 82 percent of Republicans with a favorable impression of Trump, including 59 percent who view him very favorably. That’s down from December 2020, when 91 percent viewed him favorably and 74 percent viewed him very favorably, but the current numbers are still ones that any normal politician would be delighted with. There’s also a new Marquette University Law School survey finding that 73 percent of Republicans nationally view Trump favorably. The same poll shows that 63 percent of Republicans and 51 percent of Republican-leaning independents say they would like to see Trump run again in 2024. The director of the poll says:
Can we? At this point, it’s not clear to me that “future candidates” themselves are seriously thinking about challenging Trump in 2024. Anyone under the age of 55 (or so) can pass up a run in 2024 and still have several opportunities to seek the presidency. To seek it in 2024 risks (1) drawing the permanent ire of Trump’s base and (2) being cut down to miniature size by Trump himself. Think back to 2016. The GOP field consisted of some of the brightest young GOP presidential prospects. Are any of them still mentioned as possible contenders in 2024? Only Chris Christie comes to my mind. But Christie played on Trump’s team in 2024. He helped take down Marco Rubio and then endorsed Trump fairly early in the primary season. Moreover, Christie is far down the list of serious potential non-Trump contenders in 2024, I think. The main names I hear are Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, and Tom Cotton. Balz concludes, correctly I think, that “for now, Trump remains the leader of the Republican Party and the nomination is his to lose — if he decides to run.” Only if Trump continues to slip pretty dramatically in the next year-and-a-half might this state of affairs change. |
Smearing the Truckers
Posted: 30 Jan 2022 03:06 PM PST (John Hinderaker)You no doubt are aware of the protest being staged by thousands of Canadian truck drivers who have now converged on Ottawa. The truckers began by protesting against a vaccination mandate for truckers crossing the U.S. border, but it has grown into a movement opposing extreme and irrational anti-covid measures, and promoting freedom generally. Naturally, the liberal press is horrified. You likely have seen this bizarre editorial cartoon that appeared in–where else–the Washington Post: When I first saw the cartoon, I literally did not understand it. Someone had to explain that the Post’s cartoonist is calling the truckers who are demonstrating on behalf of freedom fascists. Freedom is slavery, after all. Liberals have hoped for the protest to turn violent, but it hasn’t happened, as the New York Times grudgingly acknowledges:
This is how the Times describes the crowd:
Liberals always try to imply that if someone draws a swastika it means that person is pro-Nazi. Actually, it means (in this context, at least) that the person is accusing the Canadian government of using Nazi-like tactics. I don’t agree, but let’s not smear the protesters by inverting the intent behind their signs. The London Times does the same thing, a little more blatantly:
The Times story includes a video of the protest that I can’t embed here. You see hundreds, maybe thousands of Canadian flags. No Confederate flags that I could spot. No swastikas. No “far right” emblems that I recognized. Just a sea of Canadian flags. But misrepresenting the right is the principal business of the left. The press is making a big deal out of the fact that Justin Trudeau and his family were moved from their residence as a precaution. I have no problem with that, although given the total lack of violence–you might have thought they were expecting a George Floyd riot–it was an unnecessary precaution. But I would note that there was no similar outpouring of press angst when the Secret Service moved President Trump and his family out of the White House during a violent George Floyd riot. The AP headlined, “Trump took shelter in White House bunker as protests raged.” But there was no sign of sympathy or concern about the propriety of the protesters’ violence:
Here is more on the truckers’ protest from the BBC.
No incident described was even remotely violent. This one is darkly humorous:
So now the Left is against desecrating monuments! I thought it had become more or less compulsory. Putting aside whatever you may think about vaccination mandates, the hostility of the press’s response to any movement that expresses a desire for freedom is striking. |
Biden’s Bad Bet on Race
Posted: 30 Jan 2022 01:01 PM PST (Steven Hayward)Biden’s pledge to name a black woman—and only a black woman—to the Supreme Court is going down badly with Americans, a majority of whom are growing tired of the left’s relentless identity politics. A new ABC News/Ipsos poll begins its report thus:
Biden has backed himself into a corner on this appointment, and can’t reverse himself now without offending the most privileged constituency in the Democratic Party. My guess is that most of the names floated so far will be confirmed without much of a fuss. But Democrats want Republicans to make a fuss. Aside from some tough questioning in Judiciary Committee hearings, I expect Republicans will keep a cool head, vote no in large numbers, but without giving Democrats a “racist” spectacle to exploit. One potential appointment might give Democrats the spectacle they crave to motivate their base: Kamala Harris. Oh please please, Mr. Biden: pile folly on top of pandering stupidity! There’s no good news for Biden on other issues in the poll. He’s underwater on just about everything. Despite boasts of strong 4th quarter 2021 economic growth, “only 1% of Americans view the state of the nation’s economy as ‘excellent,’ and only 23% say it’s ‘good.’ Three out of four Americans said the state of the economy was ‘not so good / poor.’” |
Do Lockdowns Work? The Numbers Say No
Posted: 30 Jan 2022 11:43 AM PST (John Hinderaker)The effectiveness of lockdown measures by countries and states has been hotly debated for the last two years. Various measures have been tried enough times, in enough places, over a long enough period of time, that we ought to be able to arrive at a reasonably definitive answer. This study, titled “A Literature Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Lockdowns on COVID-19 Mortality,” published by The Johns Hopkins Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise, seeks to do just that. The study’s methodology strikes me as impressive. It began with a population of several thousand studies that could be relevant, but the authors winnowed the field down to 24 studies that met the authors’ criteria for inclusion. This study is well worth reading in its entirety, but the abstract states its conclusion clearly:
Emphasis added. This study’s conclusion is consistent with the broad observation that, whether one looks at different countries or at the U.S. by states, there is no apparent correlation between lockdown measures that have been taken, and results in terms of covid deaths, hospitalizations or cases. The same is true of mask requirements. The burden is on those who would continue to oppress the rest of us with limitations on our activities or mask requirements to prove, empirically, that such measures have benefits that outweigh their enormous costs. |
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99.) MARK LEVIN
January 28, 2022
On Friday’s Mark Levin Show, the constitutional case for the 2020 election in Pennsylvania that was brought by Greg Teufel and Julie Levin scored a victory today in the state’s Commonwealth Court. The court ruled that the practice of no-excuse mail-in ballots, put in place by Democrats right before the 2020 election was unconstitutional. This case was initially dismissed outright by the U.S Supreme Court despite being meritorious. Attorney Greg Teufel joins the show to discuss his big win for liberty. This is a real David versus Goliath story. The law Teufel challenged (Act 77) included expanded mail-in voting and absentee voting in a manner that was unconstitutional. Teufel argued that the doctrine of latches did not apply in this case and won. The case now heads to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for appeal. Then, as more and more officers are shot at by criminals, the widow of slain NYPD Officer Jason Rivera spoke at his funeral and called out the pro-crime progressive prosecutors that fail to keep people safe. Cops are human and they come in every race across this country. Later, George Soros is pumping more money into a new Political Action Committee that will be led by his son Alexander Soros. They will be supporting congressional Democrats and Democrat secretaries of state. While they fight to reverse gerrymandering the practice was created to ensure representation for African American voters, yet the Democrats use gerrymandering to ensure victories for Democrats who are usually White. Afterward, President Biden should be impeached from the office of President of the United States. The House must look into impeachment and/or the use of the 25th Amendment. The border crisis alone is enough for impeachment, but there are so many other issues.
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Pennsylvania Senate Republicans score court victory in elections investigation
Rumble
Widow of Fallen NYPD Officer: We’re Not Safe Anymore With New DA
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Liberal megadonor Soros pumps $125 million into super PAC to help Democrats in 2022 midterms
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DCCC Endorses Aggressive Gerrymander to Leave New York with 3 GOP Seats
Breitbart
Ukraine Releases Photos of President Zelensky After Controversial Biden Phone Call
The Post Millennial
White House urged to release transcripts of call with Ukraine after Biden allegedly told to ‘calm down’ over Russian invasion remarks
Reason
The Gretchen Whitmer Kidnapping Plot Looks an Awful Lot Like Entrapment
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113.) INSURGENT CONSERVATIVES
Do Americans really want transformative change? The evidence accumulates that they don’t. That is a problem for the Joe Biden Democrats, whose policies are…
This video proves how bad Joe Biden is truly doing at securing the border.
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