Good morning! Here is your news briefing for Thursday August 13, 2020
THE DAILY SIGNAL
Aug 13, 2020
Good morning from Washington, where President Trump gets some backup in pressing for schools to reopen. On the podcast, Fox News’ meteorologist shares her personal campaign to find out why New York lost so many elderly nursing home residents to COVID-19. Plus: meet the prosecutor who’s digging into the “unmasking” scandal; the new timeliness of Reaganesque conservatism; and, on “Problematic Women,” a Berkeley grad questions closed minds on America’s campuses. On this date in 1981, President Ronald Reagan signs the Economic Recovery Tax Act, a package of budget and tax cuts advancing his administration’s economic policies.
“When it comes to our loved ones, this is not about politics. I’m sure there are a lot of families that voted for [Gov. Andrew] Cuomo that have lost their loved ones [and] want answers,” says Janice Dean, a Fox News meteorologist.
A federal prosecutor in Texas draws a new kind of attention by digging into the “unmasking” of Trump campaign associates in the waning days of the Obama administration.
“I would just be fighting with my parents all the time,” recalls Madison Breshears of her first two years in college, adding: “I was very naively believing that most of [the] elders in my life were mistaken, stupid, and bigoted.”
You are subscribed to this newsletter as rickbulow1974@gmail.com. If you want to receive other Heritage Foundation newsletters, or opt out of this newsletter, please click here to update your subscription.
The U.S. recently banned the Chinese-owned WeChat and TikTok apps, sanctioned officials and a giant PLA-affiliated company for human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and made moves to crack down on Chinese companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges that don’t comply with U.S. audit standards.
Guy Benson says the choice of Harris was predictable as “Team Biden has been running a prevent defense-style campaign for months. They believe they are ahead by a significant margin and have thus kept their shaky, gaffe machine of a candidate off the grid to the greatest extent realistically possible.” But, he explains, Harris isn’t the moderate the media is painting her as, but rather on “the party’s far left edge” (Townhall). Harris is already filling the air with lies (National Review). Mollie Hemingway looks at the horrendous character assassination Harris used against Kavanaugh (The Federalist). Alexandria Desanctis explains “She is without question the most radically pro-abortion candidate to run for president or vice president in the history of our country” (National Review). Red State’s Jennifer Van Laar has seen too much of Harris in her time in California (Red State).
2.
Uber Could Shut Down for Year Due to California Law
From the story: In a new four-page declaration, Brad Rosenthal, Uber’s director of strategic operational initiatives, said that if the company has to reclassify the bulk of its workforce as employees rather than contractors, it will “force Uber to dramatically restructure its entire business model and its relationships with drivers and riders.” In a call with investors Wednesday, Lyft CEO John Zimmer said the company would likely also suspend operations in the state for similar reasons.
Wisconsin State Agency Tells Employees to Wear Masks in Zoom Meetings
Even if you are home alone (The Hill). Senator Jim Talent explains “In dealing with a pandemic, the right goal is to reduce the total human harm over the life of the pandemic. That includes serious illness and death inflicted by the disease itself, but also harm from other illnesses that would have been treated but for restrictions imposed by the pandemic, as well as the secondary but very real human deprivations that occur when the normal patterns of life are disrupted (National Review).
4.
Biden Hits His Peak as Democrats Keep Him Hidden
From Jim Geraghty: For Biden, these days may be as good as it gets. As November approaches, he will have a tougher time campaigning almost entirely via Zoom calls from Delaware. His fellow Democrats are not hiding their concerns that three 90-minute debates offer ample opportunities for stumbling blocks. Traditionally, presidential campaigns tighten near the end. Nate Silver ominously declares that Biden’s chances of winning are about the same as Hillary Clinton’s chances at this time four years ago.
District Attorney Confirms: Many Rioters in Portland Won’t be Prosecuted
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt says they have made policy changes so hundreds of rioters will be back on the streets to keep the riots going. Only the more extreme cases will remain.
Former Colonels Claim Trump Might Try Coup If He Loses
The conspiracy theory that has been around every president at least since the Clinton years, but never quite like this. And this time the media is actually pushing it (Hot Air). Byron York says other similar conspiracy theories are bouncing around (Washington Examiner). And apparently Jamie Lee Curtis believes Trump supporters are stealing mail trucks to win the election (Washington Examiner).
7.
Cancel Culture Overtakes Colleges and Universities
Pepperdine’s Pete Peterson writes “academia’s proudest boast for the last hundred years has been its devotion to free inquiry. These days, however, it is hard to keep up with the instances of faculty members denounced and often punished for thought-crimes. Significant numbers of academics have, in effect, made a U-turn on free speech. Instead, they now favor censoring those whose views — past or present — can no longer be “tolerated.”
Jerry Jones Says Fans Can Come Watch Cowboy Football
From the story: Gov. Greg Abbott said in June that he would allow 45,000 people into the stadium, so Jones is well within legal bounds to do so. AT&T Stadium can seat up to 100,000 while the main seating capacity is 80,000, giving fans more than enough social distancing space.
This newsletter is never sent unsolicited. It is only sent to people who signed up from one of the Salem Media Group network of websites OR a friend might have forwarded it to you. We respect and value your time and privacy.
Unsubscribe from The Daybreak Insider
OR Send postal mail to:
The Daybreak Insider Unsubscribe
6400 N. Belt Line Rd., Suite 200, Irving, TX 75063
The Department of Management Services is expected to officially announce today that Rep. Jamie Grant will take over as the state’s Chief Information Officer.
In his new role, Grant will oversee the Florida Digital Service, which aims to transform the delivery of government services to Floridians through design and technology.
Congratulations to Rep. James Grant, newly named Florida Chief Information Officer. Image via Colin Hackley.
“I’m honored to lead the charge for digital innovation in Florida and excited to leverage technology to problem solve and rapidly respond to individuals, families, and businesses seeking to engage with state government,” Grant said. “Through new technology, top talent, and private and public sector collaboration, we will fundamentally change the way we serve and communicate with the people of Florida.”
The Tampa Republican was one of the chief architects of FDS. In the 2020 Session, he sponsored the bill creating the service as a replacement for the Division of State Technology. It is charged with maintaining state data, setting up testing environments to demo state software before it’s rolled out and facilitating data sharing between government agencies.
Grant has served in the Legislature since 2010 — more than the typical eight years afforded lawmakers before term limits kick in — due to a challenge to his 2014 reelection victory over an issue with a write-in candidate.
During his tenure he became a powerhouse in Tallahassee, driving major legislation often with a conservative agenda.
His departure, however, leaves questions about who will represent the district. With Grant facing reelection on the Nov. 3 ballot, his new gig leaves Democrat Jessica Harrington unopposed.
If he weren’t facing reelection this year, the move would prompt a special election. Instead, it invokes the state’s nominee replacement rules. But the party will need to act fast to get the replacement nominee’s name on the ballot.
___
With the primary elections a week away, it’s time to set the record straight in a couple of contests.
In the Democratic primary for HD 81, Michael Weinstein has slammed Kelly Skidmore as a “career politician” who has never passed a bill while holding himself out as an unfairly attacked outsider with grassroots support.
Skidmore was in office for just four years. She’s passed bills. Weinstein’s “attackers” pointed out some troubling facts after he started smearing her. And AstroTurf has deeper roots than his self-funded campaign.
Michael Weinstein is going for the sympathy vote. Good luck.
Still, he seeks the sympathy vote, going so far as to accuse news outlets of using a “sinister” looking headshot in stories rebutting his outlandish claims.
It seems self-funders with persecution complexes and tenuous handles on the truth are a dime a dozen in Palm Beach, as former Rep. Irv Slosberg is working from the same playbook in his campaign for the Democratic nomination in Senate District 29.
Slosberg, no stranger to quixotic Senate campaigns, has accused Rep. Tina Polsky of lying about his vote against repealing Stand Your Ground.
Polsky’s claim has been fact-checked by The Palm Beach Post, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and four TV stations. And what did they determine? It’s true.
Undeterred, Slosberg chose to risk retraumatizing daughter, Rep. Emily Slosberg, by having her film campaign ads at the scene of the crash that killed her twin sister, Dori.
Tweet, tweet:
___
Registering to vote is nearly as easy as clicking the like button on your Facebook feed.
The social media giant is rolling out its new Voting Information Center this morning as part of the largest voting information campaign in American history. It launches with an ambitious goal: registering 4 million voters.
There’s no need for a link — the company said the nonpartisan feature will appear atop Facebook and Instagram feeds nationwide.
The tool is a one-stop-shop for information about requesting mail-in ballots, registration and request deadlines. The Voting Information Center will also help users check if they’re already registered and if not, it will direct them to the Florida Online Voter Registration System.
It aims to be more than a repository for evergreen information, with Facebook also using the platform to get posts from verified local election authorities in front of voters so they can keep current with any pandemic-induced changes to the voting process or logistics.
Between now and November, Facebook expects more than 160 million Americans will see information about how to vote in the Voting Information Center.
Situational awareness
—@RealDonaldTrump: @KamalaHarris started strong in the Democrat Primaries, and finished weak, ultimately fleeing the race with almost zero support. That’s the kind of opponent everyone dreams of!
—@KirbyWTweets: .@GovRonDeSantisbegins a statewide address with a comparison between schools reopening in Martin County and the Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Said school reopening will require the same kind of commitment as that mission.
Tweet, tweet:
—@Fineout: If you asking what Florida’s chief financial officer has to do with football or higher education … well, the answer is … nothing. The CFO deals with banking, insurance regulation & also acts as comptroller and fire marshal
—@ChrisSprowls: @realDonaldTrump continues to hit home runs in selecting judges. A respected constitutional conservative, Kathryn Kimball Mizelle will make an outstanding addition to the Middle District of Florida.
—@JeffreyBrandes: Many constituents have called, shocked by rising homeowners/condo rates. Some home insurance companies are closing new business in #FL and Citizens in growing at 2k+ policies a week. The legislature must act to reform/stabilize the market and fight excess litigation and fraud.
—@MDixon55: When people talk about Florida Democrats being able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, these are the sort of things they mean Been a circular firing squad for years
—@AGlorios: A lot of people are wondering if I am still planning to return to @politico and @politicofl on Sept. 1. Yes, I love my job as a health care reporter.
Days until
Florida primaries for 2020 state legislative/congressional races — 5; Florida Bar exams begin online (rescheduled) — 6; Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee begins — 6; Regal Cinemas reopen in U.S. — 8; Indy 500 rescheduled — 10; Republican National Convention begins in Charlotte — 11; NBA draft lottery — 12; Rev. Al Sharpton’s D.C. March — 16; U.S. Open begins — 18; Christopher Nolan‘s “Tenet” rescheduled premiere in U.S. — 21; Rescheduled running of the Kentucky Derby — 23; Rescheduled date for French Open — 38; First presidential debate in Indiana — 47; “Wonder Woman” premieres — 50; Preakness Stakes rescheduled — 51; Ashley Moody’s 2020 Human Trafficking Summit — 54; First vice presidential debate at the University of Utah — 55; NBA season ends (last possible date) — 60; Second presidential debate scheduled at Miami — 63; NBA draft — 64; Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch” premieres — 64; NBA free agency — 67; Florida Chamber’s Future of Florida Forum — 68; Third presidential debate at Belmont — 70; 2020 General Election — 82; “Black Widow” premieres — 86; NBA 2020-21 training camp — 88; Florida Automated Vehicles Summit — 99; “No Time to Die” premieres — 99; NBA 2020-21 opening night — 112; Super Bowl LV in Tampa — 178; “A Quiet Place Part II” rescheduled premiere — 190; “Top Gun: Maverick” rescheduled premiere — 323; New start date for 2021 Olympics — 344; “Jungle Cruise” premieres — 351; “Spider-Man Far From Home” sequel premieres — 449; “Thor: Love and Thunder” premieres — 547; “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” premieres — 589; “Black Panther 2” premieres — 631; “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” sequel premieres — 784.
Countdown to primary 1
“Federal COVID-19 funds for Florida election supervisors delayed over a month, expected this week” via Jeffrey Schweers of the Tallahassee Democrat — The state’s 67 county supervisors of elections were supposed to get their share of the $20.2 million in federal funds on July 1 to help fortify polling places and bolster the extraordinary 2020 elections during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, many supervisors have had to spend money earmarked for other expenses to prep polling sites for early voting, which started Saturday for most Florida counties. And with a week to go before the Aug. 18 primary, they were told by state Division of Election officials the money is coming this week. “We heard today that we can expect to receive the money by Tuesday or Wednesday,” Gerri Kramer, chief communications officer for the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections, responded in an email. No explanation was given for the monthlong delay.
Long-delayed federal funds for Florida election supervisors are finally expected this week. Image via the Palm Beach Post.
“‘Words can’t explain how I feel.’ Felons vote for first time since rights restoration.” via C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald — Deshaun Jones couldn’t sleep Monday night. Anticipation gnawed at her insides as she went on the internet, researching and evaluating candidates. The very next day the 44-year-old social workerwould do something that she hadn’t done in more than a decade: She voted. Jones was among several felons who joined the Circle of Brotherhood, a nonprofit that encourages Black men to be community leaders, in marching to the polls for early votingon Tuesday. The demonstration took place in Brownsville and encouraged everyone in earshot to not take voting for granted. “For all the women who are coming out of prison, all the women who are in there right now — my vote was for them,” Jones said.
“Frederica Wilson scores donation from NFL Players Association in reelection bid” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — The NFL Players Association donated $2,500 to help Wilson in her bid for reelection in Florida’s 24th Congressional District. The organization’s political arm, the NFL Players Association One Team PAC, made the donation Tuesday, according to a new report filed with the Federal Election Commission. The PAC was created in 2016 as a way to raise money on behalf of the organization and get involved in the political process. The NFL itself also has a PAC, called the Gridiron PAC. The NFLPA’s political arm was slow to start donating money after its 2016 launch. That organization became active in mid-2018 ahead of the midterm cycle with donations to a bipartisan group of lawmakers. The donation was flagged as part of the FEC’s “48-Hour Notices.” Within 20 days of an election, all donations of $1,000 or more must be reported separately to the FEC. That requirement remains in effect until 48 hours before Election Day.
Frederica Wilson’s reelection effort is getting a boost from NFL players.
“Byron Donalds-connected Super PAC drops mailers bashing three opponents” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — A Super PAC dropped more than $85,000 in 36 hours blasting or boosting candidates in Florida’s 19th Congressional District. Much of the spending by Trusted Conservatives went toward colorful full-page glossies. On one side of each piece, the page is divided into thirds and trashes Casey Askar, Dane Eagle and William Figlesthaler in turn. On the other side is promotional information on Donalds. It’s the latest sign that while nine Republicans seek the Republican nomination for the open seat, there are four financial powerhouses duking it out until the Aug. 18 GOP primary. The committee on Aug. 10 and 11 invested a total of $82,025 on mail in the race. That spending appeared to manifest in mailboxes in the Fort Myers-Naples market brimming with two-track messaging.
Countdown to primary 2
Florida House Democrats get $1M infusion — Florida Democrats’ effort to flip the state House got a seven-figure boost last month, courtesy of a $1 million check from billionaire donor Marsha Laufer. As reported by Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida, the check went to Forward Majority Action Florida, the state-level arm of a Democratic super PAC aimed at busting Republican hegemony in the Capitol. So far, the committee has spent the money on research and polling but it is expected to transition to direct mail and digital ad campaigns in the run-up to November. As it stands, the odds of flipping the Florida House are slim. The GOP holds a commanding 73-47 majority, meaning Democrats would need a net gain of 14 seats to take control.
“Democrat Amanda Linton to withdraw from open SD 21 race” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Linton is dropping out of the Senate District 21 race, she announced. She cited economic consequences of COVID-19, which are forcing her family to relocate out of state. “It is with sadness and regret that I must announce my withdrawal from the race,” she wrote in an open letter. “My head and my heart have been consumed with this race since I filed as a candidate last year because I knew that our movement would be an uphill climb. I was ready for that challenge; what I was not ready for was the effect this pandemic would have on my family.” Linton was the first candidate to file to succeed Senate President Bill Galvano, a Bradenton Republican, in the district. The district leans heavily Republican. But as a teacher and mother, she felt the impacts of the pandemic immediately, forced both to help her own children with distance-learning from home and teaching students remotely. But her husband’s career path also was altered by the public health crisis.
“A back seat connection with voters? This Uber driver is running for Miami-Dade Mayor” via Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald — Miami-Dade mayoral hopeful Carlos Antonio de Armas never ran for office before, has $5 in his campaign account and his name isn’t even printed on the ballot because he opted to save $2,500 on his qualifying fee by paying $300 to file as a write-in candidate. Still, the 52-year-old can point to one advantage over his rivals: He’s driven more voters than any of them have. “More than a year ago I started to do Uber, just to talk to people and find out what’s going on,” the Fontainebleau resident said. “When they sit in the back seat, they tell you everything. What their fears are. What they’re suffering from. What their dreams are.”
“Raquel Regalado closes July with big fundraising week” via Spencer Fordin of Florida Politics — Regalado had one of her most substantial fundraising periods in the last week of July. However, she still trails former Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner in funding in the race for the District 7 seat on the Miami-Dade County Commission. Regalado, a former member of the Miami-Dade Public School Board, raised $20,425 from 29 donors between July 25 and July 31 for her strongest funding period since taking in $35,545 in October 2019. One major caveat: Regalado raised the $35,545 over an entire month. The fundraising period for Regalado was also notable because it eclipsed every Lerner fundraising period since June 2019. Lerner’s campaign began with a massive haul of $114,615 in April 2019, but she hasn’t raised more than $20,000 in any fundraising period since May last year.
“Orange County Commission races intensify as Election Day approaches” via Jason Garcia and Stephen Hudak of the Orlando Sentinel — With one week to go until Election Day, races for seats on the Orange County Commission are intensifying. In west Orange County, in a district that runs from Winter Garden to Walt Disney World, the campaign of an incumbent commissioner who has been engulfed in controversy is going on the attack against her little-known challenger, a sign that a seemingly lopsided contest is tightening in the homestretch. On the east side, in a commission district extending from Winter Park to Bithlo, an assortment of outside interests are helping candidates in a vitriolic three-way race pitting an incumbent commissioner against two well-financed challengers.
“Florida Rights Restoration Coalition leaders create new PAC, support Monique Worrell” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — DesmondMeade and Neil Volz, leaders of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition that ushered a state constitutional amendment to restore felons’ voting rights in Florida, launched a new political committee to support candidates. Worrell is the first to enjoy the group’s backing. The support begins with a TV commercial launched in the Orlando market this week advocating for Worrell, the former law professor and former national criminal justice reform group executive who is running for State Attorney in Florida’s 9th Judicial Circuit. Meade, who chairs the new Our Vote Our Voice Political Action Committee, said the committee was created to promote the voices of returning citizens such as himself and Volz, the PAC’s treasurer, in political elections. Meade and Volz first filed to create Our Vote Our Voice July 31, and the Florida Division of Elections acknowledged the organization last Friday.
Desmond Meade and Neil Volz are coming to the aid of Monique Worrell.
“Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw wants a fifth term as challenger calls for reform” via Eileen Kelley of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Palm Beach County Sheriff Bradshaw, a homegrown lawman of 50 years, says he has unfinished business in aiming to win his fifth term in office. He now faces primary opponent Alex Freeman, a retired Riviera Beach police major with big ideas. But can Freeman dethrone the sitting sheriff, given all of Bradshaw’s political clout? Freeman tried to defeat him four years ago but Bradshaw won handily. On Aug. 18, it will be Round Two when Palm Beach County voters head to the polls for the primary election. The winner of the sheriff’s Democratic primary will face Lauro Diaz, a Republican challenger, in November.
“Parkland father Ryan Petty offers support for Karen Rose, Eric Robinson, records robocall for Sarasota School Board candidates” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — A week out from School Board races in Sarasota County, a Parkland parent recorded a robocall taking sides. Petty, whose daughter Alaina died in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, ties the issue of defunding the police to the School Board contests. “I’m calling to share that I am disgusted and angry to hear that two Sarasota County School Board candidates, Tom Edwards and David Graham, are pushing to redeploy and reallocate funding for law enforcement. Anyone who supports defunding the police has no business running for office, let alone, overseeing schools,” Petty says in the call. “Their plan to defend the police puts Sarasota County students and teachers at risk, which is something we cannot let happen. That is why I’m supporting Karen Rose and Eric Robinson.” Edwards is challenging Robinson, an incumbent School Board member and prominent Florida campaign treasurer, for his District 3 seat. Graham and Rose face off for an open District 2 seat.
“Public Defender’s race fractures Congressman’s support: Al Lawson endorses both candidates” via James Call of the Tallahassee Democrat — Lawson stirred up local politics this week when he endorsed both Andy Thomas and Jessica Yeary to be the 2nd Judicial Circuit’s elected Public Defender. Thomas, first elected in 2016 to succeed longtime Public Defender Nancy Daniels, seeks a second term. Yeary, a former assistant public defender, seeks to unseat him. Both are Democrats. The results of the primary election will determine the winner; there are no Republicans in the running. A Yeary flyer that recently hit mailboxes proclaimed a Lawson endorsement, triggering the controversy. Thomas supporters immediately cried foul, saying Lawson promised he was in Thomas’ camp. The dispute played out on different Facebook pages. Lawson said he thinks both candidates are qualified, wrote checks to both campaigns, and gave both Thomas and Yeary permission to use his name.
“Possible tourism tax would be used to promote the northern part of Walton County” via Jim Thompson of NWF Daily News — Walton County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to add a referendum to the Nov. 3 general election ballot that will let voters in the northern part of the county decide whether to impose a 2% tax on accommodations to market that part of the county to tourists and make tourism-related improvements. If the tax is approved, commissioners will have to take additional steps to set up collections of the levy, Assistant County Attorney Heather Christman said Tuesday. If passed, 40% of the revenue generated by the tax, levied on hotel and motel room charges, condominium rentals and other accommodations leased for less than six months, would have to be used to market the northern part of the county.
2020
“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris appear together as Donald Trump and allies launch attacks” via The New York Times — Biden and Harris, former political rivals, used their first public appearance as running mates on the Democratic ticket to stand unified against Trump. In her first campaign appearance as Biden’s vice-presidential pick, Harris, a former prosecutor, repeatedly assailed Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the economic upheaval it has caused. “As somebody who has presented my fair share of arguments in court, the case against Donald Trump and Mike Pence is open and shut,” Harris said. The appearance, held at Alexis I. duPont High School in Wilmington, Delaware, offered the first indication of how Biden and Harris, two Democrats from opposite coasts and different generations, would fuse their messages as they sought to unseat Trump this fall.
It didn’t take long for Donald Trump and his allies to go after Kamala Harris and Joe Biden.
“End of an era? Trump says he won’t hold rallies with empty seats.” via Anne Gearan of The Washington Post — The Trump rally may be a thing of the past. At the least, the signature stew of tribal politics, showmanship, insults, outrage, humor and hero-worship that propelled Trump’s improbable victory four years ago and that has punctuated his presidency with the trappings of a perpetual campaign, is on a break. Trump appeared to declare the end of the rally era Tuesday. He said the events — the success of which he has always measured by the size of the crowd and the “ratings” — are a casualty of the coronavirus pandemic. Or more exactly, of the dispiriting optics that proper social distancing would mandate. “You can’t have empty seats,” Trump said in an interview with Fox Sports Radio.
“Trump losing ground to Biden in Florida” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — Though the big news of the political week was Biden selecting Harris as his running mate, new polling says Biden was surging in Florida even before the rollout. The Change Research/CNBC “States of Play” poll, conducted from August 7 through 9, shows Biden with a six-point lead over Trump, both nationally and in Florida, at 50% to 44% in each cohort. In a memo accompanying the results, pollsters said Biden had “notable strength” in the Sunshine State. For Biden, that result represents a good news/bad news scenario. Biden was up nine points nationally (51% to 42%), but only three points in Florida when the poll was previously conducted in late July. The poll focuses on battleground states, and shows a 48% to 44% lead across battleground states.
“Trump’s campaign ads run on Chinese state media YouTube channel” via Mark Bergen and Eric Newcomer of Bloomberg — Trump’s campaign is inadvertently funding Chinese state media outlets and entities tied to the Kremlin through automated advertisements on YouTube, according to a study of thousands of videos on the Google service. Omelas Inc., a Washington-based security software firm, reviewed the YouTube clips in early August and found 22 Trump campaign ads running on YouTube channels linked to the Chinese government. While the dollar amounts are small, the purchases show how hard it can be for advertisers to control where their ads end up on YouTube, even when Google gives them the tools to avoid particular channels. However circuitous, the money flows strike a jarring tone for a campaign that has taken a hard line against China and a presidency that is cracking down on some of these very media outlets. Some of the marketing spots ran before and during videos from China Global Television Network (CGTN) and China Radio International (CRI), Omelas said.
“Trump backers tout mail-in ballots, blast Harris” via Jim Turner of the News Service of Florida — Former Attorney General Pam Bondi implored Republican volunteers in Tallahassee to stress the positives of mail-in-ballots as a campaign bus tour for Trump swung through Northwest Florida. Trump campaign senior adviser Corey Lewandowski also signaled the party will try to paint Harris, announced as Biden’s running mate, as being part of the “far left.” “I don’t know what she brings to the ticket,” Lewandowski said. “We weren’t concerned about potentially losing the state of California. But we have to look at her record, both as a prosecutor and as a United States Senator. She voted against Donald Trump’s tax cuts that help everyday working Americans. She votes for the Green New Deal.”
“Republicans are divided over how to best attack Harris” via David Catanese of McClatchy DC — On Wednesday morning, Matt Schlapp, the chairman of the American Conservative Union and a loyal ally to Trump, joined the pile-on of Republican attacks against Harris on Twitter, saying she “was a lock em up and throw away the key prosecutor.” Hours later, Vice President Mike Pence offered a contradictory critique in a fundraising email by labeling Harris “weak on crime.” The early conflicting messages on Biden’s newly minted and historic running mate reveal the latest strategic challenge for Trump’s struggling reelection campaign: Whether to cast Harris in traditional GOP terms as a “radical liberal” or attempt to open up a wedge between progressives over her checkered record as a prosecutor in California.
“Joe Gruters, Anthony Sabatini make cameo in anti-Trump ad” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics — Two of the most fervent Trump supporters in Florida will soon have their faces on phone and computer screens across the country as part of an ad insinuating the President’s campaign is operating irresponsibly. Gruters and Sabatini are featured in Protect Our Care’s new digital ad, which questions whether Trump’s reelection operation can be trusted to safely canvass given the partisan divide on masks and other mitigation efforts. The ad frames the campaign as is the least funny knock-knock joke ever, opening with a knock at the door. And then another, louder one. “Who could that be? It’s the Trump campaign and they’re spreading more than just campaign pamphlets. Trump and his supporters have mocked safety protocols like wearing masks and social distancing,” a narrator says.
Meanwhile … “Kanye West, who is pursuing a spot on the 2020 ballot, met with Jared Kushner.” via Maggie Haberman and Danny Hakim of The New York Times — Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, met privately last weekend with West, the rapper who has filed petitions to get on the November ballots for president in several states. The meeting took place in Colorado, where Kushner was traveling with his wife, Ivanka Trump, those familiar with the meeting said. West had been camping in Colorado with his family, and afterward flew to Telluride to meet with Kushner and Ivanka, but was not accompanied by his wife, Kim Kardashian West, those with knowledge of the meeting said. West has not denied that he is acting as a spoiler to damage the Biden campaign with his effort to get on several ballots in states like Colorado, where he will appear.
“NAACP launches drive to boost Black voter turnout in six key states” via Makini Brice of Reuters — The NAACP, the largest U.S. civil rights organization, is launching a drive ahead of November’s presidential election to boost Black voter turnout in six key states, it said on Tuesday. The initiative aims to enlist the services of about 200,000 “high-propensity” Black voters or people who turned out to vote in a high number of recent local, state and presidential elections. Those voters, in turn, will seek to mobilize so-called “low-frequency” Black voters — people who were registered to vote, but who had not voted in the most recent election cycle or several election cycles — in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The goal is to increase Black turnout by more than 5% compared to 2016. That year, Black voter turnout declined for the first time in 20 years.
“Amendment 3 would suppress Black representation in Florida, new report says” via Steve Contorno of the Tampa Bay Times — Voters in November will decide whether to drastically change how Floridians pick their elected leaders in the future, and a new analysis concludes Black representation in Tallahassee would plummet if it passes. The analysis raises concerns about Amendment 3, a ballot referendum that would turn Florida’s primary elections into a top-two open primary system. Under that system, sometimes called a “jungle primary,” all candidates running for a state office in Florida would be on the same primary ballot regardless of party and all registered voters can weigh in. The two candidates who receive the most votes in the primary then advance to the general election. The amendment would apply to elections for governor, state cabinet members and the state legislature, but not Congress or the President.
Corona Florida
“Ron DeSantis COVID-19 approval rating falls as schools reopen” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — Support for DeSantis’ pandemic response has returned to its lowest level since the pandemic began as he faces continued criticism over his decision to reopen classrooms. That’s according to the latest CNBC and Change Research battleground state poll, which saw the Governor’s approval rating on the issue fall four percentage points to 42% in the last two weeks, its lowest mark since the first time pollsters posed the question. The survey took results from likely voters from Aug. 7 to Aug. 9, the final weekend before classes started for several public school districts. Even though DeSantis has tried to offer a choice for parents, the Department of Education’s plan to reopen schools is facing public and legal scrutiny, and battle lines have been drawn in Hillsborough County. Since the last survey, the state also experienced four straight days of record-breaking daily death tolls. In their prior survey from late July, the pollsters showed a favorable trend for DeSantis’ support, but it was still below his disapproval rating on the issue.
Thanks to COVID-19, Ron DeSantis’ popularity is dropping quickly. Image via Colin Hackley.
“As schools reopen, DeSantis rallies educators with SEAL Team Six comparison” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — As more school districts prepare to open their doors to students as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, DeSantis hoped to give teachers and parents a confidence boost Wednesday. Several schools began the first day of classes Monday, and many more will open up throughout the month. Acknowledging the challenges schools will face as the pandemic rolls on, the Governor said Martin County School District Superintendent Lori Gaylord compared the district’s responsibility to that of a Navy SEAL team. “Just as the SEALs surmounted obstacles to bring Osama bin Laden to justice, so too will the Martin County school system find a way to provide a meaningful choice of in-person instruction or continued distance learning — all in, all the time,” DeSantis, a Navy veteran, said.
“Florida blames Miami lab for backlog in test results, skewing state’s COVID-19 data” via Marc Freeman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — A Miami lab suddenly reported the results of thousands of COVID-19 cases from the past seven weeks — a backlog that “severely skews” Florida’s daily report on COVID-19 infections, the state health department warned. The data dump distorted the daily results, which had shown a higher percentage of people in Florida were testing positive for COVID-19 than at any time since late July. The Florida Department of Health said on Twitter that Wednesday’s report was skewed because the lab reported over 4,000 case results that date as far back as June 23. “This backlog severely skews today’s daily report for Miami-Dade & is not reflective of current trends,” the state’s tweet said.
“Florida’s hospitals show signs that coronavirus may be waning. For now, at least” via Cindy Krischer Goodman of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Hospitalization rates, the most timely indicator for how severe the COVID pandemic is in Florida, are showing signs that the state finally may have the virus more under control. While people still are arriving at Florida hospitals struggling for breath, they are coming in fewer numbers than just three weeks ago, when new hospitalizations for the coronavirus hit a high in the state. Hospitalizations and emergency department visits are reported in real-time. New positive cases and deaths are lagging indicators, both take time to process and report. “Hospitalizations are the real measure, and we are seeing declining admissions and increasing discharges,” said Dr. Zoran Bursac, chair of the Department of Biostatistics at Florida International University.
This is silly — “Grim Reaper lawyer emerges with mobile billboard: ‘Killing Florida With His Stupidity,’ Ron DeathSantis” via Issac Morgan of Florida Phoenix — A truck is heading to various locations in the state capital of Tallahassee, with a mobile billboard that includes a provocative political statement about COVID-19: “Killing Florida With His Stupidity,” Ron DeathSantis. Known as the ‘Grim Reaper’ lawyer, attorney Daniel Uhlfelder has pushed for closures of crowded beaches in the Panhandle and gone to court over the issue. Now he’s behind a movement that criticizes DeSantis’ handling of the public health crisis in Florida. The ad is sponsored by Uhlfelder’s PAC, Make My Day, and the sign was originally created by a popular comedy duo, Uhlfelder said Wednesday in a phone interview. The truck will be en route to various locations in Tallahassee, such as the Florida Department of Education, and other areas, Uhlfelder said. His PAC is raising awareness of the Governor’s lack of leadership in the state’s response to the pandemic, he added.
If the Grim Reaper get-up wasn’t absurd enough.
Back to school?
“Growing number of voters oppose Trump demand to fully reopen schools” via Nicole Gaudiano of POLITICO — A growing majority of voters oppose the Trump administration’s demand that schools and colleges fully open for in-person instruction, according to a new poll. In the survey of nearly 2,000 registered voters, 59% said they oppose fully reopening K-12 schools for the beginning of the academic year. Those numbers are up from polling last month that showed 53% opposed. With slightly less resistance to the idea of in-person learning for younger and older students, 56% of respondents said this month that they are against fully reopening daycares, in contrast to 53% in July’s survey. For reopening colleges and universities, 57% said they were opposed, up from 50% in the previous poll.
A first-grader gets off the bus for his first day back to school in Saltillo, Miss.issippi. Image via AP.
“Teachers ponder early retirement as schools reopen” via Ana Ceballos of the News Service of Florida — As schools begin to reopen, surveys show that teachers across the state are deciding to resign, retire early or take a leave of absence rather than return to campus this month. In a July survey, 52 educators in Pasco County, or roughly 1% of respondents, said that they would either resign or take a leave of absence if asked to come back. Fourteen Pinellas County school employees resigned before the start of the school year and 47 have requested a leave of absence. In rural Jackson County, eight teachers have said they would take a leave of absence, two said they would resign and two others said they would retire early.
“Ventilation should be part of the conversation on school reopening. Why isn’t it?” via Alexandra Feathers of Stat — As an epidemiologist, and after reading the CDC’s guidelines for school reopening and the various accompanying news coverage and think-pieces, I can’t convince myself that following its rules will keep my family or yours safe. Because the primary way COVID-19 is transmitted is through respiratory droplets that careen through the air, and yet the capricious nature of air circulation and the lack of filtration systems in our already underfunded public school systems is absent from the conversation. We need to include air circulation patterns and filtration options in the conversation. If we’re not willing or able to fund necessary upgrades to school ventilation systems, let’s admit that. Until we have that public discussion, I am not comfortable exposing my family to schools.
“Why I am not sending my kids back to school” via Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN — One of the questions I am getting more than any other: Am I going to send my children back to school? As a father of three teen and preteen girls, this has been a constant discussion in our household, and it hasn’t been easy. My girls want to go back to school, and they are placing enormous pressure on us parents to make it so. They miss their friends, the social structure and the immersion in humanity that kids need and crave at this age. Virtual learning has played an important role for them, but it is not a substitute for in-person learning, especially for younger kids. As things stand now, my children are scheduled to start school next week. After considering all the objective criteria and assessing the situation in our own community, we have made the decision to keep our girls out of school for the time being.
Corona local
“Lenny Curry cautions against coronavirus complacency” via Christopher Hong of The Florida Times-Union — Curry said he is participating in an advertising campaign to encourage residents to wear masks. Curry cautioned residents to not become complacent or succumb to coronavirus pandemic “fatigue” and said continuing to wear a mask in public places and avoiding mass gatherings are crucial to fight the local COVID-19 outbreak in Jacksonville. On Wednesday, the Florida Department of Health announced 231 new cases and 12 new deaths in Duval County. Curry, as well as hospital officials, appeared in a video urging residents to wear masks. “Taking this simple step makes you a hero,” Curry said in the video. “You are saving lives. Wear the mask Jacksonville.”
Lenny Curry warns Jacksonville.to be complacent when it comes to coronavirus. Image via Twitter.
“Expiring $600 has kept Miami-area workers afloat. Turns out, many were lucky to even get that” via Rob Wile and Yadira Lopez of the Miami Herald — When Kendall resident Nick Castillo was laid off in March from a local transportation equipment distributor, he did not imagine that, nearly six months later, he would still be looking for work. Fast-forward to August: Castillo, who holds a Master of Business Administration, is still searching. “I’ve applied everywhere — Lowe’s, Amazon, anyone who said they were hiring,” he said. “Nothing.” Castillo is one of about 600,000 Florida workers — more than one-quarter of them in Miami-Dade and Broward — who have been surviving with the help of Florida’s maximum unemployment assistance. For the past few months, the federal government has added $600 per week to state benefits, which top out at $275 in Florida.
“Lost to coronavirus: Aspiring nurse, Palm Beach County’s youngest victim” via Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post — Claudia Martin wanted to make a career out of helping people. Born with a nerve disorder that affected her speech, the Lake Worth Beach woman had recently graduated from the patient care technician program at Florida Career College in West Palm Beach. Claudia was looking for a job as a nursing assistant when she died suddenly from COVID-19. She was 22, the youngest person in Palm Beach County to die from the respiratory disease. Her death fits a grim pattern: Of those younger than 60 dying from COVID-19 in Palm Beach County and throughout Florida, most are minorities. In the county, Blacks and Hispanics accounted for 70 of 78 such deaths, an analysis found. How she contracted the coronavirus remains a mystery to her family.
More local
“Father and son doctors die of coronavirus after treating COVID-19 patients on Florida front lines” via Theresa Braine of the Orlando Sentinel — Dr. Jorge A. Vallejo a retired obstetrician and gynecologist, and his 57-year-old son, Dr. Carlos Francisco Vallejo, who was caring for up to 76 COVID-19 patients, were both hospitalized on Father’s Day. Jorge Vallejo died six days later, on June 27. Carlos Vallejo hung on for 42 days in intensive care before succumbing to the illness, dying on Aug. 1. Carlos Vallejo’s son Kevin Vallejo feels keenly the loss of his father, who suspected he got COVID-19 from one of his patients. “He was just my role model. I could talk to him every day for hours,” Kevin said, recounting how, when patients were going through a rough patch, he would see them for free.
“Disney World will host COVID-19 tests, paving way for performers to return” via Matthew J. Palm of the Orlando Sentinel — On-site public COVID-19 testing will be available on Disney-owned property this week, possibly clearing the way for many actors, dancers and stunt people to return to work and thereby restoring some of Disney’s most popular shows to its theme parks. “We have been consistent that testing is an important part of ensuring a safe workplace for Equity performers, and today, I’m pleased to see that Disney World has agreed,” said Kate Shindle, president of Actors’ Equity Association, which represents about 750 Disney performers. Disney, however, said the new testing site was the result of ongoing discussions with the state of Florida and unrelated to talks with the union.
Walt Disney World will be sponsoring COVID-19 tests for cast members, making way for safe return to work. Image via AP.
“Hillsborough reports record 31 single-day COVID-19 deaths” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Hillsborough County confirmed a record 31 deaths Tuesday, according to Florida Department of Health data released Wednesday. The previous single-day record was reported Aug. 3 with 21 deaths. Before that the record was 18 deaths reported July 22. A total of 426 Hillsborough County residents have now died from COVID-19. While tragic, deaths are a lagging indicator and reflect spikes from days and even weeks prior. Other data points in the county and region are looking better, signaling the uptick in mortality may have an end in sight. The county recorded 202 new cases from Tuesday morning to Wednesday morning, a high number, but far lower than the several hundred and, on a couple of days, more than 1,000 reported in July.
“COVID-19 testing is free, except when it’s not” via Evan Donovan of WFLA — Many Americans are finding out that what’s supposed to be a free COVID-19 test is sometimes anything but. When two employees at Camp Tampa fitness center tested positive for COVID-19 in June, the owners asked other employees to get tested just to be safe. Nearly three dozen of them, who went to Tampa General Hospital, ended up with medical bills as a result. At least one employee who was uninsured got a bill of nearly $1,200. “I was shocked, but I thought we missed something, because we heard it was free,” said Jeff Cogell, a fitness instructor and Camp Tampa coach. “And when I got to the site, they said it was free.”
“A father’s coronavirus death left three Tampa siblings without a parent” via Romy Ellenbogen of the Tampa Bay Times — After his wife passed away from cancer six years ago, Alfonso Cardenas never wanted his kids to feel like they were alone. On Aug. 2, after a month of battling coronavirus, Cardenas died. He was 55 years old. Before his death, Cardenas was intubated and sedated at Tampa General Hospital, so his children couldn’t talk to him. Cardenas was a beloved coach for the Chargers Soccer Club, where he coached his daughters since they were 6 years old in recreational soccer and his son in competitive soccer. After his wife, Clara Gomez, died years ago, Cardenas became single-mindedly focused on his children’s well-being. There is a GoFundMe to help Cardenas’ children through this difficult period. More than $11,000 has been raised so far.
“St. Johns County Commissioner says he’s done seeking mask mandate on his own” via Sheldon Gardner of the St. Augustine Record — After unsuccessful attempts to get a countywide mask mandate, Commissioner Henry Dean said he won’t try again — but he will support any other Commissioner who tries to get a mandate implemented, he said. Dean said it’s clear that it’s “futile” for him to keep making the motion when he doesn’t have support from other commissioners to get it done. “I would hope that one of my fellow commissioners would make that motion now or in the future,” he said.
St. Johns County Commissioner Henry Dean is done seeking a countywide mask mandate.
“Most Bay County students set to attend classes in brick and mortar schools starting next week despite COVID-19 pandemic” via Tony Mixon of the Panama City News-Herald — Most Bay County parents still plan to send their children to brick and mortar schools when classes begin next week despite the ongoing pandemic, enrollment numbers show. The reopening process has been a roller-coaster ride for parents and Bay District Schools. The district continues to try to provide as many options as possible for students and parents so they can make the best decisions for themselves to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, current enrollment numbers show many parents are opting for their children to attend brick and mortar schools starting Aug. 20. Out of 25,422 total students, including charter schools, 20,392 students are set to attend physical classrooms.
“Century prison sees more than 450 new COVID-19 cases over weekend” via Jim Little of the Pensacola News Journal — The Century Correctional Institution has become a hotspot for COVID-19, with positive cases among inmates increasing by 455 over the weekend. The number of COVID-19 positive inmates in the Century prison spiked from 140 on Friday to 595 as of Monday after the Florida Department of Corrections conducted more than 1,100 tests last week at the prison. As of Monday, there were 374 tests still pending at the prison. So far, tests conducted at the prison are returning a positivity rate of 51.4%. The prison reports that 554 inmates are in medical quarantine and three are in medical isolation. The Century Correctional Institution has an inmate capacity of 1,345. Additionally, the prison has 26 staff members who have tested positive for the virus. No deaths have been reported at the prison in Century.
“North Florida Fair canceled because of COVID-19 pandemic” via TaMaryn Waters of the Tallahassee Democrat — The 79th annual North Florida Fair will not take place in the fall as planned because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Slated for Nov. 5-15, the longtime event draws crowds of as many as 120,000 over its entire run, depending on the weather. It typically has 80 food vendors, including 40 to 50 retail vendors, according to fair representatives. The North Florida Fair now joins the growing number of local signature events that have been canceled as a result of the coronavirus, including Springtime Tallahassee and the Chain of Parks Arts Festival in the spring. “Canceling this year’s fair was a difficult decision, and we realize many people look forward to coming each year,” said Mark Harvey, executive director of the North Florida Fair, in a statement.
Corona nation
“Accuracy of U.S. coronavirus data thrown into question as decline in testing skews drop in new cases” via Will Feuer and Nate Rattner of CNBC — For the first time in months, the daily growth of new coronavirus cases in the U.S. has steadily fallen over the past two weeks, giving some hope to U.S. officials who proclaimed there were “signs of progress” in Southern states that were hit particularly hard. But testing shortages in key states and other gaps in COVID-19 data call into question the accuracy of those numbers and whether the outbreak in the U.S. is really improving or whether cases are simply going undiagnosed, epidemiologists say. The country recorded an average of 52,875 new cases every day over the last seven days, down 19% from an average of 65,285 new cases per day on July 28, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. However, COVID-19 testing has declined as well, falling from a seven-day average of about 814,000 tests per day two weeks ago to about 716,000, a 12% decline.
Testing shortages in key states and other gaps in COVID-19 data call into question the accuracy of new case numbers and whether the outbreak in the U.S. Is actually dropping. Image via CNBC.
“The next unprecedented vaccine hurdle: Making hundreds of millions of doses” via Zachary Brennan of POLITICO — Some experimental vaccines use technology that has never before reached the market, so there is no precedent for producing hundreds of millions of doses. Other potential bottlenecks include a global sand shortage that could throttle the production of glass vials, and limited supplies of chemicals called adjuvants that are sometimes used to boost a vaccine’s ability to provoke an immune response. Adding to the difficulty, several of the vaccines now in late-stage trials require two doses per person — doubling the manufacturing need. If the approach succeeds, it could hasten the end of a pandemic. But the strategy has never been tested at this scale, and officials are still trying to figure out how to make it work.
“Companies test antibody drugs to treat, prevent COVID-19” via Marilynn Marchione of The Associated Press — With a coronavirus vaccine still months off, companies are rushing to test what may be the next best thing: drugs that deliver antibodies to fight the virus right away, without having to train the immune system to make them. Antibodies are proteins the body makes when an infection occurs; they attach to a virus and help it be eliminated. Vaccines work by tricking the body into thinking there’s an infection so it makes antibodies and remembers how to do that if the real bug turns up. But it can take a month or two after vaccination or infection for the most effective antibodies to form. The experimental drugs shortcut that process by giving concentrated versions of specific ones that worked best against the coronavirus in lab and animal tests.
Corona economics
“To brink and back in 175 days: S&P 500 briefly tops record close” via Vildana Hajric, Lu Wang, and Claire Ballentine of Bloomberg — The S&P 500 popped above its highest-ever closing level, and stands poised to erase its bear-market plunge in record time. But as stirring as the recovery has been, it’s also a case study in how stock benchmarks can be misleading when it comes to the experience of investors at large. It took just 175 days for the index to go from peak to trough to peak, a recovery that has come faster than any comparable one in the past. The previous 12 cycles that saw stocks recover from a drop of at least 20% took an average of four years. Since bottoming in March, the S&P 500 has risen about 50%, with more than 40 of its members doubling. More than $12 trillion dollars of share value that vanished is now all but restored.
“Derailment of small business rescue clouds U.S. recovery” via Zachary Warmbrodt of POLITICO Florida — The Paycheck Protection Program, which has kept millions of small businesses afloat during the pandemic, is in limbo, creating a new source of uncertainty for the country’s economic recovery. The collapse of pandemic relief negotiations has brought complications for the massive emergency lending program, which shut down on Saturday to new loans after doling out more than $520 billion in funds, leaving banks and borrowers unsure of how to proceed with a key phase of the rescue. Before talks between congressional Democrats and the White House fell apart, there was clear bipartisan support emerging for revamping the program, which offers government-backed small business loans that can be forgiven if employers maintain their payroll. One major revision would make it easier to convert the smallest loans into outright grants, making life easier for both borrowers and lenders.
The collapse of negotiations for the next phase of coronavirus relief is bringing complications to the massive Paycheck Protection Program.
“Report: Hospitality economy hurting most, by far” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Not surprising to Florida a new report says the leisure and hospitality sector has by far been the hardest hit in the coronavirus crisis, accounting for a third of all the lost jobs nationally. The sector initially shed nearly half of its 17 million jobs nationally at the outset of the crisis in March and April. And while the situation has improved some as parts of the economy reopened, including theme parks, there still are more than 4.3 million leisure and hospitality jobs that remain gone. That’s twice as many as in the next hardest-hit sector of the American economy, mining. That’s according to a new report prepared for the U.S. Travel Association by Tourism Economics. The reality is evident across Florida, where the latest figures showed a statewide unemployment rate of 10.4% for June, and particularly for the Orlando area, which posted a 16.5% unemployment rate.
“Spike in Florida homeowners falling behind on mortgage payments” via Dave Bohman of WPTV — Thousands of Floridians who’ve recently lost their jobs now fear they’ll lose their homes. According to a leading real estate tracking firm, nearly one in 10 homeowners in the state are behind in their mortgage payments by 90 days or longer. “I have not been this nervous, worried or stressed out in my entire life,” said Delray Beach resident Susan Shear, who works for a travel agency. At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, her hours at work and her income were cut in half. She’s likely to miss many of her upcoming mortgage payments on her home. “Would I lose my house?” asked Shear. “That would be my biggest fear.” An analysis found a sharp rise in the number of homeowners falling behind in Florida. Florida has a moratorium on foreclosures for homeowners who fall behind on payments due to COVID-19.
“Jacksonville-based Stein Mart files for bankruptcy; store closures coming” via Steve Patterson of The Florida Times-Union — Jacksonville-based retailer Stein Mart has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to remain in business “in the near term” but said Wednesday it will be closing a number of stores. “The company expects to close a significant portion, if not all, of its brick-and-mortar stores,” the company said, adding that it “has launched a store closing and liquidation process.” The closings will allow the company to continue to operate its business in the ordinary course in the near term, officials said. The company also is evaluating alternatives, including the potential sale of its e-commerce business and related intellectual property. In court filings Wednesday, the company said that both its assets and liabilities were worth between $500 million and $1 billion. The company said it had between 5,000 and 10,000 creditors.
The Jacksonville-based Stein Mart chain is filing for bankruptcy, another victim of COVID-19.
“United adds Florida flights outside hubs in bet on getaway trips” via Justin Bachman of Bloomberg — United Airlines will bypass its hubs to debut nonstop flights from seven cities to Florida in November, betting that the coronavirus pandemic won’t disrupt typical travel patterns for winter-weary northerners. The carrier believes that shifts in demand wrought by COVID-19 require an “opportunistic” approach to grab leisure travel, a faint bright spot for an industry in which business and international traffic has virtually disappeared. U.S. air travel is about 75% below year-earlier levels. The non-hub flights are part of United’s effort to experiment in business planning, especially while the industry grapples with plunging revenue.
More corona
“The nation wanted to eat out again. Everyone has paid the price.” via Jennifer Steinhauer of The New York Times — Across the United States this summer, restaurants and bars, reeling from mandatory lockdowns and steep financial declines, opened their doors to customers, thousands of whom had been craving deep bowls of farro, frothy margaritas and juicy burgers smothered in glistening onions. But the short-term gains have led to broader losses. Data from states and cities show that many community outbreaks of the coronavirus this summer have centered on restaurants and bars, often the largest settings to infect Americans.
America wanted to eat out again. We are all now paying the price. Image via Facebook.
“Grocery workers say morale is at an all-time low: ‘They don’t even treat us like humans anymore’” via Abha Bhattarai of The Washington Post — This spring, for the first time, Angel Manners found purpose and pride at the supermarket where she has worked the past decade. Customers praised her as a hero for putting herself at risk during the pandemic. Bosses boosted her hourly pay by $2. Suddenly, her job was essential. Nearly five months in, and it is all gone. “We’ve lost our hazard pay, and people are quitting every day,” said Manners, 43, who processes vendor deliveries at a Meijer store in northern Kentucky. “Those of us who are left are really stretched thin — working so much harder for $11.50 an hour.”
“Pay promises, threats of jail. How Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line made crew work without wages” via Taylor Dolven of the Miami Herald — As crew members started to make it safely off Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line’s Grand Celebration ship in mid-April, stories about life on board surfaced on social media. Facebook and Instagram comments described how the company stopped paying working crew on board after it canceled passenger cruises on March 14 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 18, below an Instagram image of the company’s ship with a sunset in the background, came this plea for help: “Through this message, we want to ask for help on behalf of 8 Salvadorans stranded on the Grand Celebration cruise … We want to let you know and make it public that we are being forced to work without any remuneration, we have to buy our personal supplies … Help us.”
“We love trucks during pandemic, but will it last?” via Ken Armstrong of The Gainesville Sun — The only time we stop to think who brings our stuff, though, is during a crisis: a pandemic, a hurricane, a fire. Professional truck drivers are the ones who deliver. Right now they are heroes because the food, gas, hand sanitizer and toilet paper for which we were desperate comes to us because those drivers are willing to put themselves at risk. According to July’s Mason-Dixon poll, Floridians have positive or very positive attitudes toward truck drivers during COVID-19 to the tune of 84%! The same 625 people surveyed were asked their opinions before the pandemic, and only 57% reported the same positive feelings. But wait. Weren’t the same trucking companies bringing all the things we needed before COVID-19 too? How do we account for the 27% swing? We need to change our minds about people in the trucking business. They are extremely well trained. Long-haul drivers or experienced diesel techs can frequently make more than $100,000 a year.
“A rare economic bright spot in the U.S. health system: The vet’s office” via Sarah Kliff of The New York Times — The human health care system has struggled financially through the coronavirus pandemic, losing billions from the cancellations of lucrative elective operations as patients were first told to stay away from hospitals and then were leery of setting foot in one. The canine and feline health system, though, is booming. Animal hospitals appear to have pulled off something human hospitals have struggled to do: make patients feel comfortable seeking routine care. Most veterinarians are now requiring curbside service, owners drop their pet at the door, and wait outside during the appointment, lessening the risk of catching coronavirus. Their animal patients tend to be less susceptible to coronavirus, although not completely immune. Some pets have become infected, and last month the first dog in the United States to test positive for the virus died.
“Big 12 Conference vows to continue with fall football season despite other Power Five cancellations” via Max Cohen of POLITICO — The Big 12 Conference on Wednesday announced that its fall sports season would go on, one day after the Big Ten and Pac-12 Conferences called off their 2020 plans amid the coronavirus pandemic. The issue of playing fall football took on a political dimension this week when Trump waded into the conflict. Trump threw his support behind the athlete-led “#WeWantToPlay” campaign and appeared on sports media outlets to rail against efforts to postpone the fall season. The Big 12’s commitment to play will come as a relief to many players, coaches and Republican officials, the last of which have been prominently pushing for the continuation of college football in 2020. The multimillion dollar college football industry received a massive blow on Tuesday when two of the Power Five conferences scrapped their fall seasons, citing the advice of health officials who warned against holding a season as the COVID-19 pandemic rages through the country.
D.C. matters
“U.S. budget deficit climbs to record $2.81 trillion” via The Associated Press — The U.S. budget deficit climbed to $2.81 trillion in the first 10 months of the budget year, exceeding any on record, the Treasury Department said. The nation’s budgetary shortfall is expected to eventually reach levels for the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30 more than double the largest annual deficit on record. The federal government rang up a $63 billion deficit in July, the department reported. That’s a relatively modest amount compared to red ink that spilled in the spring months when the government tried to revive an economy that all but ground to a halt due to the coronavirus outbreak. Last month’s deficit was sharply lower than June’s $864 billion, in part because the government collected a record amount tax revenue in July, $563 billion, after extending the filing deadline to July 15. That extension allowed Americans more time to sort through the economic havoc wrought by the pandemic.
The U.S. budget deficit hits a record high.
“‘That fight starts right away’: Brian Mast announces bill to prohibit toxic Lake O discharges” via Max Chesnes of the TCPalm — U.S. Rep. Mast, joined by local environmental champions from Friends of the Everglades and Captains for Clean Water, announced proposed legislation to prohibit the Army Corps of Engineers from discharging Lake Okeechobee water containing toxic algal blooms with 8 parts per billion microcystin or more to the St. Lucie estuary and Indian River Lagoon. “It is basic good governance that the federal government not poison people that they work for,” Mast told the crowd gathered at Flagler Park. “The government works for the people, not the other way around.” Mast said he plans to garner support for the bill in D.C. by emphasizing the everyday crossroads between the Treasure Coast community and its waterways.
“Trump taps Kathryn Kimball Mizelle to serve as federal judge” via News Service of Florida staff reports — Trump announced that he will nominate Mizelle, an attorney with the Jones Day law firm, to serve as a federal judge in the Middle District of Florida. Mizelle’s previous positions included serving as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. An announcement from the White House did not list where Mizelle lives, but the Jones Day website indicates she practices in Miami and Washington, D.C. The Middle District of Florida is a massive area stretching from Fort Myers to Jacksonville and includes Orlando and Tampa. Mizelle’s appointment is subject to U.S. Senate confirmation.
Statewide
“Lawmakers, Donald Polmann on PSC shortlist” via Jim Saunders of the News Service of Florida — DeSantis will choose from among three state lawmakers and an incumbent commissioner as he makes his first appointment to the Florida Public Service Commission. A nominating panel sent the names of four candidates to DeSantis: Sen. Tom Lee, Reps. Mike La Rosa and Holly Raschein, and PSC member Polmann, who is seeking reappointment to another four-year term on the utility-regulatory commission. Eight applicants initially sought appointment, but three withdrew before interviews by the Florida Public Service Commission Nominating Council. DeSantis will pick one of the four finalists for a seat that Polmann has held since January 2017 after being appointed by then-Gov. Rick Scott.
Sen. Tom Lee is on the shortlist of four names for a seat on Florida’s Public Service Commission. Image via News Service of Florida.
“Transportation revenue takes a hit” via News Service of Florida staff — Pointing to issues such as the coronavirus pandemic, economists say Florida will collect about $1.5 billion less than expected in transportation-related revenues during the next several years. The economists, who meet as the Revenue Estimating Conference, said in a new report that the cumulative amount of money going into the State Transportation Trust Fund during a period ending in the 2025-2026 fiscal year would be $1.485 billion below earlier projections, or 5.7%. The largest hit will come during the current 2020-2021 fiscal year when revenues are expected to be $432.2 million below earlier projections.
“Florida child’s mother shot and killed during online Zoom class as teacher watches” via Minyvonne Burke of NBC News — A Florida elementary school student was on Zoom for her first day of school when her mother was shot and killed during the online class, police said. The shooting happened Tuesday at a home in Indiantown, about 30 miles southwest of Port St. Lucie, just after 8 a.m. The suspect, Donald J. Williams, was taken into custody that same day and faces charges of first-degree murder as well as other felony offenses, Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said. Six children were in the home at the time of the shooting, including a 10-year-old girl who was taking an online class for Warfield Elementary. Many schools around the country have opted for online lessons due to the coronavirus pandemic. Snyder said at a news conference on Tuesday that the girl’s teacher witnessed the child reacting to the shooting.
“Oldsmar Vice Mayor charged with DUI after 3-car pileup” via Tampa Bay 10 — Oldsmar Vice Mayor Linda Norris has been arrested and charged with driving under the influence and refusing to submit to a Breathalyzer test. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said she drove recklessly and caused a three-car pileup around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in Oldsmar. According to law enforcement, a witness called 911 after seeing a red Tesla driving erratically on Hillsborough Avenue and rear-ending another car, causing that car to rear-end the one in front of it. Deputies say they asked the Tesla driver, identified as Norris, to step out of the car. “They immediately noticed she was slurring her words and her movements appeared unstable. Deputies asked her where she was going and where she came from but said Norris was unable to provide a clear answer,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a news release.
Oldsmar Vice-Mayor Linda Norris was arrested and charged with DUI after a 3-car pileup.
“Another ugly headline? Time for Osceola clerk Armando Ramirez to go” via Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel — I don’t often make endorsements. But I do sometimes share who I think doesn’t deserve your vote. Today is one of those days. Good people of Osceola County, you need a new clerk of court. Ramirez’s tenure in office started stinking shortly after he took office in 2013 and has only gotten stinkier since. Don’t take it from me. Just take a peek at a sampling of the headlines generated by the 85-year-old Democrat during his first two terms in office. “Osceola clerk promotes son’s girlfriend as new chief deputy” … “New clerk in Osceola: I’ll pay my $7,000 debt” … “Osceola clerk finance chief quits, rips Ramirez” … “Fired attorney warned clerk against breaking law.”
Personnel note: James Kotas joins Vertex Pharmaceuticals — Kotas is the new assistant director of government affairs at Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Kotas joins the company from the Agency for Health Care Administration, where he has worked as the deputy chief of staff since January 2019. It’s not his first foray into government affairs — before AHCA, Kotas held high-level positions at Darden and FCCI Insurance Group. He has also worked on the other side of The Process, serving as chief of staff to Sen. Aaron Bean and Rep. Dana Young when she served in House leadership.
Top opinion
“Sheriff Gregory Tony’s shameful use of N-word on live TV” via the South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board — Next Tuesday’s primary election features the most diverse field of candidates in Broward history. On the ballot, Broward Democrats will nominate the county’s 18th sheriff. The winner faces the huge challenge of restoring pride in an agency distracted by an ugly political campaign while dealing with a pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement. The Democratic nominee could well be Sheriff Tony, whose idea of leadership includes saying the N-word on live TV. He did it to describe how that word was used against him by a paid operative for Scott Israel, his opponent. Israel parted ways with operative Terry Scott after he went on Facebook Live last month and called Tony a “house n—-r.”
Opinions
“It’s way too soon to count Trump out” via Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight — While the polls have been stable so far this year, it’s still only August. The debates and the conventions have yet to occur. Biden only named his running mate yesterday. And the campaign is being conducted amid a pandemic the likes of which the United States has not seen in more than 100 years, which is also causing an unprecedented and volatile economy. Nor has it been that uncommon, historically, for polls to shift fairly radically from mid-August until Election Day. Furthermore, there are some reasons to think the election will tighten, and Trump is likely to have an advantage in a close election because of the Electoral College.
“Trump backers’ dizzying response to Harris’s selection” via Aaron Blake of The Washington Post — Shortly after 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Biden’s campaign announced Harris as his running mate. Around exactly the same time, though, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said something quite different. “Kamala Harris’ extreme positions … show that the left-wing mob is controlling Biden’s candidacy, just like they would control him as president,” McDaniel said in a statement. But by late that evening, the RNC was back to making a very different case. “Liberals revolt against Biden, Harris ticket,” an RNC news release said. It pointed to Bernie Sanders supporters and others who attacked Harris as insufficiently progressive. Many Republicans have offered mixed messages by also suggesting she is a disappointment to Sanders supporters and even a tool of Wall Street.
“Opportunity Zones makes economic prosperity a reality in Fort Myers” via Ben Carson with the News-Press — Over the last three years, Trump and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have been working hard to bring economic prosperity and affordable housing to America’s forgotten neighborhoods. No program has generated more success toward these efforts than the President’s Opportunity Zone Initiative. In 2017, Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which established Opportunity Zones to incentivize long-term investments in low-income communities nationwide. These incentives offer capital gains tax relief to investors for new investment in designated Opportunity Zones. Since that momentous day, Opportunity Zones have driven over $75 billion in new investments. These new investments will lift approximately one million Americans from poverty, decreasing the poverty rate in Opportunity Zones by 11%.
“Eddie Farah: Waiving COVID-19 liability protects special interests, not people” via Florida Politics — Imagine you or a family member became sick with COVID-19 because a business didn’t bother to follow expert advice about best practices for health and safety requirements — because they knew there was nothing you could do about it. That scenario is exactly what the future could look like for millions of Floridians — if special interests enact their priority to protect themselves instead of the public’s interest. Big businesses and industries are already making active moves to persuade the Florida Legislature to issue a massive and undeserved liability security blanket to protect them from lawsuits related to COVID-19. Before it’s too late, let’s stop a terrible idea from becoming a bad legislative bill that could ultimately become a very dangerous law.
Today’s Sunrise
The Florida Department of Health is reporting 213 new COVID-19 fatalities in the state.
Also, on today’s Sunrise:
— Early voting is underway in most of Florida — but not everywhere. Voting rights advocates say that’s a problem and they’re asking the Gov. DeSantis to make it easier for people to vote early during the November election.
— The COVID-19 crisis is hitting veterans hard, and Florida is No. 3 in the nation for the number of residents who are vets. Sunrise investigates the problem with the woman who quite literally wrote the book on health care for vets.
— The Public Service Commission nominating council has selected four finalists for a seat on the Public Service Commission. Three of them are state lawmakers, the 4th is already on the PSC and wants another four-year term.
— Checking-in with a Florida Man who hit the wrong car after running a red light in Seffner.
“Disney’s CEO is scrapping once-sacred businesses” via Christopher Palmeri of Bloomberg — When Walt Disney Co. announced that it had closed more than 20 foreign TV channels last week, Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek looked like he was taking the knife to a big chunk of the company’s international audience. The move would have been unthinkable a few years ago. But Chapek, less than six months after succeeding longtime CEO Bob Iger, is using the COVID-19 crisis to transform Disney much faster than expected, all with an eye toward making the company an online juggernaut that reaches far more people worldwide. Besides scrapping the networks, he shut down a musical version of the animated film “Frozen” that opened with much fanfare on Broadway two years ago, closed a chain of English-language schools in China, and scaled back a $1 billion resort-technology project that has largely been replaced by a simple mobile phone app.
“Masters Tournament to be played with no spectators” via Garry Smits of The Florida Times-Union — The Augusta National patrons, knowledgeable, vocal and emotional in their embrace of great shots and great champions at the Masters, won’t be a part of the 2020 tournament. Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley announced on Wednesday that the tournament, already delayed to Nov. 12-15 because of the coronavirus pandemic, will take place without the patrons or guests on the grounds for the first time since the tournament began in 1934. It was the final golf tournament of 2020 in which there were hopes of admitting fans. The U.S. Open Sept. 17-20 at Winged Foot and the remaining PGA Tour events had already announced spectators would not be allowed.
I love her — “Sarah Cooper, comedian known for viral Trump lip-syncs, lands Netflix special” via Orion Rummler of Axios — Cooper, best known for her viral lip-sync impersonations of Trump on TikTok, will star in a Netflix comedy special in fall 2020, the company announced Wednesday. Cooper, who wrote a pair of bestselling books before her internet fame, has seen her platform grow to over 500,000 followers on TikTok and over two million on Twitter, according to Netflix. One of Cooper’s most-watched impersonations of the president lip-synced his suggestion that disinfectants could be used to treat the coronavirus, which he later claimed was sarcastic.
Comedian Sarah Cooper turned her popular TikTok account into a new Netflix special. Image via Netflix.
Sachs Media Group helping students become ‘COVID Health Heroes’ — Comic book blockbusters may be on hold, but that leaves room for some new heroes to shine. Sachs Media Group is helping develop the next batch of superheroes with a new campaign encouraging Florida students to take simple actions known to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The “COVID Health Heroes” campaign emphasizes behaviors like wearing a mask, staying six feet apart and coughing into an elbow instead of a hand. Sachs Media Group President Michelle Ubben came up with the idea while serving on the task force advising Leon County Schools about how to reopen as safely as possible. Leon County students aren’t the only ones who will benefit, however — Sachs Media Group has made the campaign materials available to school districts throughout the state.
Happy birthday
Best wishes to Erika Donalds.
Unsubscribe Having trouble viewing this email? View in browser
“Back in October, the pollsters found Trump with a 9-point advantage over a generic Democrat among white middle-class voters. By the first week in August, Biden claimed an 8-point advantage over Trump. ‘Normally, a successful nationwide Republican campaign is winning a majority of middle-class voters, driven by winning white middle-class voters by 20 points,’ Republican pollster Ed Goeas writes. ‘For many of the reluctant Trump supporters who were willing to put up with his persona in exchange for economic prosperity, the current economic climate no longer upholds this bargain.’ If that sentiment holds steady, it could mean a disaster for both Trump and other Republican candidates lower down the ballot.” Philip Elliott, Time“In both Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, independent voters were found to favor Biden. Clinton lost this group in both states to Trump; and Biden is also outperforming Clinton’s vote share among white voters with and without college degrees. It should be noted, however, that the two data points aren’t directly comparable — while polling data in this case comes from likely voters who may or may not actually go to the polls, 2016 voting data comes from voters who did, in fact, turn out…“Pollsters found views on the coronavirus pandemic as having a strong relationship to candidate preference — in fact, in its analysis of the survey data, CBS found that views on the pandemic are more strongly associated with voting than views on the economy… Public perception of the president’s pandemic response is highly polarizing — and polls in recent months have shown that the public finds it to be the most important issue facing the nation.” Zeeshan Aleem, Vox“[A recent Monmouth poll] shows that about 4 in 10 people have favorable opinions of Trump (40 percent) and Biden (42 percent). That leaves a large chunk of the electorate that doesn’t view either man positively: 22 percent… unlike in 2016, these voters who don’t like either candidate are breaking strongly for Biden. The ‘double-haters’ favor Biden 55 percent to 17 percent. By contrast, Trump in 2016 won voters who disliked both candidates by particularly large margins in the key states: 21 points in Michigan, 25 points in Pennsylvania and 37 points in Wisconsin…“Another relevant point, though, is that they aren’t threatening to go with a third party. While 12 to 13 percent of voters at this point in 2016 were saying they’d do that, that’s not the case today. It’s as low as 3 to 5 percent… the limited polling we have suggests that voters who don’t love their major-party options aren’t yet venturing beyond them.” Aaron Blake, Washington Post“There is little sign of a vast supply of hidden Trump support in the electorate. That said, it is possible, especially at this early juncture, that Trump outperforms his current polling and goes on to win…“A slightly hopeful sign for Trump backers looking for hidden Trump support is an examination of polls that don’t use live interviews. Most of these polls are done online or with an automated voice. An accepted polling practice to see if voters are afraid to give a certain answer they deem to be socially undesirable is to compare the results when a live interviewer is present and when one isn’t. Biden’s national lead is still 8 points in polls that don’t use live interviews at this point. That is a little lower than in polls that do use live interviewers and call cell phones, though that gap has only recently appeared and may just be a statistical artifact.” Harry Enten, CNNIt’s worth noting that “Although three of the economic factors we use in the model (jobs, spending, manufacturing) have been terrible, a fourth component (income) has been very strong because of government subsidies in the form of the CARES Act, though that could change if stimulus payments lapse. The fifth and sixth components, inflation and the stock market, have also been reasonably favorable… In other words, our forecast thinks it’s far from obvious that the economy will doom Trump, especially if he can tell a story of recovery by November…
“[Moreover] Biden’s current roughly 8-point lead in national polls is really more like a 6-point lead in the tipping point states. And 6-point leads in August are historically not very safe. That margin is perhaps more likely than not to tighten and at the very least, there’s a fair amount of uncertainty about what COVID-19 and the rest the world will look like by November… It’s way too soon to count Trump out.” Nate Silver, FiveThirtyEight
From the Right
The right is skeptical of polls showing Biden far ahead.
“Interestingly, if you compare FiveThirtyEight’s 2016 model to the new one you’ll find that Hillary’s odds of winning over the course of the campaign surged higher than Biden’s ever have. She reached 89 percent after the Democratic convention, declined, then came all the way back to 88 percent in mid-October. Biden has never topped 79 percent despite his gaudy polling leads in June and July. The difference is that Hillary also had moments when her odds crashed, twice dipping below 55 percent and declining by more than 20 points over the second half of October…
“A pandemic, an economic collapse, anti-racism riots and protracted violence, and FiveThirtyEight estimates that this race is about as stable as any other presidential contest. That’s a testament to the extent to which voters’ opinions so far are a pure referendum on Trump… [but] If I were Sleepy Joe, I wouldn’t feel at all comfortable about a four-point lead in any battleground given how pollsters overlooked the strength of Trump’s working-class support last time.” Allahpundit, Hot Air
“Donald Trump has pulled into a virtual tie with Joe Biden in Minnesota — or so one pollster reports. According to a new Emerson poll, Biden only leads 50/47… not far off from a Trafalgar poll taken a couple of weeks earlier. The GOP-linked polling firm had a larger sample (1129 likely voters, compared to Emerson’s 733 registered voters), but found Biden only leading by five points, 49/44…
“Both Emerson and Trafalgar point to a much closer contest in November [than national polls]. If so — and if this isn’t just some polling noise — then it might be due to the ‘abolish the police’ push in Minneapolis and the sharp rise in crime over the last two months… I’d like to see more polling on these statewide races before moving Minnesota to battleground status, but I’d bet that Democrats might start moving resources around sooner than that to shore up their standing here — and that’s not bad news for the GOP elsewhere.” Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
“President Trump is trailing Joe Biden because of the revolt of the country’s largest voter bloc: whites without college degrees. In the most recent Fox News poll, which has Biden up 8 points, Trump’s advantage over Biden with this subset is only 49%-40% — a 14-point decline from the network’s April survey… Why have voters who in 2016 made up 44% of the electorate and broke 2-1 for Trump over Hillary Clinton been swayed in the other direction the last 100 days?…
“Less-educated whites are pessimistic about race relations and do not have confidence in Trump’s ability to improve them. It’s the only non-coronavirus issue where he consistently polls below overall voter preference… Part of the reason Trump in 2016 reversed years of Republican decline in black and Hispanic support was the nature of his longtime, high-profile association with nonwhite celebrities. These were relationships that for him seemed to hinge on talent and personality rather than racial identity. Trump should celebrate himself as someone who, flaws and all, judges people on anything but their skin color…
“A post-racial society may seem far-fetched right now, but it is an aspiration from the early civil rights leaders up to President Barack Obama. It is also one that a majority of white voters have consistently shared and still do. The candidate that has the most satisfying response to the racialization epidemic will probably win the election. Biden can offer gestures. Trump can seek a colorblind society.” Rich Danker, Washington Examiner
“Biden’s staffers assure us that even if voters are generally unenthusiastic about Biden, the widespread disapproval of Trump will carry them across the finish line. But if Rasmussen is right and Trump’s approval rating is now at 51 percent, a recent prediction in the British Economist that Biden will run away with the electoral college as well as the popular vote seems wildly premature. We may wonder whether the Dems can count on a tidal wave of anti-Trump feeling or Trump’s verbal impulsiveness to bring their side victory.” Paul Gottfried, American Conservative
“The notion behind the secret Trump voter is simple: With the media bashing the president daily — going so far as to call him, and by extension his supporters, racist — some don’t want to face the scorn of supporting him. My guess is that they’re still out there — and more angry than ever. They may not show up in all the polls, but they will turn up on Election Day to cast their ballots. Democrats dismiss the secret Trump voters at their peril.” Joseph Curl, Daily Wire
💰 Situational awareness: Joe Biden raised $26 million in the 24 hours after he named Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate, doubling his previous one-day record and signaling enthusiasm among Democrats, AP reports.
1 big thing: New real-estate gold rush
Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Americans of all ages, races and incomes are moving away from urban centers, Axios managing editor Jennifer Kingson writes from New York.
Why it matters: Bidding wars, frantic plays for a big suburban house with a pool, buying a property sight unseen — they’re all part of Americans’ calculus that the virus has permanently changed our lives.
There’s a gold rush in real estate across the U.S., driven by record-low mortgage rates and the dawning realization that for many of us, our homes are going to be the only place we work and play for the foreseeable future.
The trend started in the spring when school was cancelled in many areas, and has gained steam as companies have allowed workers to continue working from home (in some cases, indefinitely) and as question marks have arisen over in-person school this fall.
Spacious single-family homes in suburbs and exurbs are in hot demand, while rents are falling in Manhattan, where landlords are offering deals
What buyers are looking for: Fresh air, backyards, home offices (for two adults), a homeschooling area, space for pets, home gyms — plus proximity to beaches, lakes, parks and bike paths.
“Preferences have moved from ‘what’s a prestigious location?’ to ‘what’s practical?'” Anna DeSimone, a housing finance expert who writes guidebooks for consumers and mortgage professionals, tells Axios.
Searches on real estate firm Compass’ website for houses with pools are up threefold, CEO Robert Reffkin told CNBC.
As more people do their grocery and household shopping online, proximity to retail stores is no longer a real estate priority.
“We’re not hearing as much around brick-and-mortar — where’s the closest this-or-that,” Kris Lindahl, CEO of Kris Lindahl Real Estate, outside Minneapolis, tells Axios. “Instead it’s: ‘Can we get delivery here?'”
By the numbers: Existing home sales rose 20.7% in June over May, and median housing prices rose in every region of the country, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Sales growth is particularly pronounced in the more-affordable South and Midwest, Lawrence Yun, the NAR’s chief economist, tells Axios.
Unlike in decades past, the move toward the suburbs doesn’t represent “white flight,” but rather the work-from-home phenomenon, Yun tells Axios.
“The people moving to the suburbs are of all races and ethnicities,” Yun said.
2. Axios interactive: How to vote in all 50 states
Millions of Americans who normally vote in person will turn to early voting or mail-in ballots this fall, Axios’ Stef Kight and Naema Ahmed report.
Axios is launching an interactive resource, built on research by RepresentUs, a nonpartisan election reform group, to help voters across the country to get the information they need.
What’s next: Minnesota and South Dakota will be the first states to allow voters to cast ballots early in person, starting Sept. 18.
California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and D.C. are automatically sending voters ballots — not just applications, as even more states are doing.
But it’s complicated:
32 states require mailed-in ballots to be received by Election Day, which could present problems if postal service delays continue through November.
Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, Indiana and New York require an excuse to vote absentee — though New York is poised to change, and more may follow.
11 states require absentee ballots to be notarized, have a witness signature or be submitted with a copy of an ID.
Voters in Rhode Island have until Oct. 13 to request absentee ballots — and Oct. 20 in New Mexico and Nevada — the earliest cut off dates.
Without asking, Sen. Kamala Harris is getting something Joe Biden had to demand of Barack Obama — the right to stay in the Oval Office when everyone else has cleared out, Axios’ Hans Nichols writes from Wilmington, Del.
What Harris is doing in return: energizing the base, and prosecuting the case against President Trump.
“I’m ready to get to work,” Harris said in remarks carried live around the world.
Why it matters: From his experience in both the White House and Senate, Biden knows that it’s hard to synchronize movements between two equals. But he’s not offering Harris equality: He’s promising a partnership, not a co-presidency.
Being there … In the 24 paces that Biden and Harris took to half court in the Alexis duPont High School gym where the ticket appeared together for the first time, they were in lockstep for the first 16.
Biden conducted it like a ballroom dancer, raising his hand behind Harris’ back to get them started, and then again when it was time for her to break for the director’s chair.
Separated at half-court, the two families kept a respectable distance, and appeared to wave to a non-existent crowd. Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, looked to be thoroughly enjoying himself.
It was Dr. Jill Biden who couldn’t help herself, and reached out to Harris.
When CNN’s Arlette Saenz asked Biden if they’d campaign together, he hedged: “If the science allows us, you’re going to see us campaigning together.”
4. Our weekly map: Cases fall, but don’t get too comfortable
America’s coronavirus outbreak is slowing down after a summer of explosive growth, Axios health care editor Sam Baker writes.
The U.S. is averaging roughly 52,000 new cases per day — still a lot, but about 10.5% fewer than last week.
New cases slowed in 21 states — including Arizona, Florida, Texas and Southern states that experienced dramatic outbreaks.
The U.S. is cutting back on coronavirus testing: Nationally, the number of tests performed each day is about 17% lower than it was at the end of July, and testing is also declining in hard-hit states, Axios’ Caitlin Owens reports.
Why it matters: This big reduction has helped clear away delays, but fewer tests can undermine our response.
HHS estimated this week that nearly 90% of all tests are being completed within three days — a big improvement.
With tax revenue in free-fall and expenditures dramatically rising, the pandemic is on pace to crush cities’ finances, Axios’ Kim Hart reports.
During the Great Recession, cities’ year-over-year decline occurred over six years. The rapid fiscal plunge cities have felt over the past six months has been a much greater shock to cities’ budgets.
Why it matters: Almost all cities are required to balance their budgets, and at this rate they’ll have no choice but to cut more services, layoff or furlough more workers and freeze capital projects.
7. Woodward: Kim Jong-un sees “fantasy film” bond with Trump
Bob Woodward — whose new book about President Trump, “Rage,” is out Sept. 15 — obtained 25 personal letters between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that have not been public before, according to the book’s Amazon listing.
I’ve been at this awhile, and that’s the first time I’ve used that attribution!
Woodward spent extensive time with Trump, including at Mar-a-Lago.
“Rage” follows “Fear,” Woodward’s first book about Trump.
Kim describes the bond between the two leaders as out of a “fantasy film,” per the description from Simon & Schuster.
“‘Rage’ draws from hundreds of hours of interviews with firsthand witnesses, as well as participants’ notes, emails, diaries, calendars and confidential documents.”
8. New amid virus: Newspapers without newsrooms
Facing enormous financial pressure, media companies are giving up on their downtown newsrooms for more permanent work-from-home structures, Axios’ Sara Fischer writes.
Tribune Publishing announced yesterday that it was shuttering its main newsrooms for five papers, including The New York Daily News, The Orlando Sentinel and The Capital Gazette.
Condé Nast is considering downsizing from its headquarters at One World Trade Center despite signing a 35-year lease for 21 floors in 2014.
The bottom line: Many of the newsrooms being vacated have historic value and represent the foundation of democracy in America.
Pinterest set out to be a bright spot in cutthroat Silicon Valley, but now faces allegations of mistreatment and a toxic culture by women who held senior roles at the company, Axios’ Ashley Gold reports.
Former COO Francoise Brougher is suing the company for, she says, firing her in retaliation for speaking up about perceived gender bias.
It comes after Ifeoma Ozoma and Aerica Shimizu Banks, who are Black, left the company in May — sharing their experiences of racist and sexist comments from co-workers, unequal pay and pushback for speaking out.
The other side: “We remain committed to advancing our culture to ensure that Pinterest is a place where all of our employees feel included and supported, which is why there is an ongoing independent review regarding our culture, policies, and practices,” said a Pinterest spokesperson.
The bottom line: With 2,000 employees and 400 million monthly users, the company is beginning to get a taste of the public scrutiny that so many other big social networks grapple with daily.
Players and staff are wearing a smartwatch-like device that produces audible and visual warnings to help maximize social distancing. They also keep employees not required to interact with players apart from those who must.
The tracker can provide instant reports for contact tracing in case of a positive test.
The devices are worn during practice but turned in at the end of the day.
Mike Allen
📱 Thanks for reading Axios AM. Please invite your friends tosign up here.
The resonance of President Trump’s “nasty” adjective is often different when the recipient is a woman — and different still when that woman is a person of color.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, who won a primary in Georgia, promotes the QAnon conspiracy theory and has made racist, anti-Semitic and Islamophobic comments.
By Rachael Bade and Isaac Stanley-Becker ● Read more »
The fate of those arrested at protests has become a hotly contested issue as the reform-minded district attorneys in Chicago and Portland, Ore. have come forward to defend policies that are likely to let hundreds of people off with light consequences.
Congressional Democrats urged the Postal Service not to abandon long-standing practices for election mail processing to ensure the timely delivery of ballots.
Republican strategists say they have become more optimistic about President Trump’s prospects after Joe Biden anointed Sen. Kamala Harris his running mate, claiming the liberal Californian would derail the presumptive Democratic nominee’s momentum in key Midwestern battlegrounds.
Sen. Kamala Harris weaved her personal story into a broader narrative of why she and Joe Biden should form the country’s next administration over President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
Cities and towns across the country are supporting the police by increasing spending for law enforcement next year, despite a national drive from the Left to “defund” the police.
The White House is worried about a spike in homeowners defaulting on their mortgages in the absence of further coronavirus economic relief, according to multiple former administration officials.
Louisiana may be turning the corner on the coronavirus surge that began in late June. Cases appear to be dropping, and hospitals are seeing a decline in COVID-19 patients.
The Environmental Protection Agency is poised to eliminate direct regulation of methane from oil and gas operations formally Thursday, teeing up a clash with big oil majors who had pressed the administration to keep the regulations intact.
Conservative activist Laura Loomer is no stranger to controversy. But she believes if she wins the Republican primary to face off against Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel for a November showdown in President Trump’s Palm Beach backyard, she can be a congresswoman.
Four major news networks have not reported on a story of a 5-year-old white child who was allegedly shot in the head at point-blank range by a 25-year-old black man while he played in the street.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has received $850 million from the federal government to combat COVID-19, agency Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said Tuesday.
You received this email because you are subscribed to Examiner Today from The Washington Examiner.
Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive.We respect your right to privacy – View our Policy Unsubscribe
With coronavirus trends in most of Illinois moving in the wrong direction, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday again warned that the state might reimpose stricter measures to slow the spread of the highly contagious disease.
Pritzker repeated a plea for local officials to “impose greater mitigations on a targeted basis to bring down the number of infections or the positivity rate.”
The weather service had confirmed six tornadoes on Tuesday, but Wednesday, forecasters said there were five others during the storm, which left hundreds of thousands without power across northern Illinois and northwest Indiana.
A planned protest outside the Englewood police station Tuesday evening over a recent police-involved shooting devolved into shouting matches among demonstrators, with threats and insults hurled back and forth, after a group of older residents derided the event as “a party” and demanded that outsiders leave.
Many Black Chicagoans have had negative experiences when seeking medical care: times a doctor didn’t believe them, dismissed their concerns or didn’t fully explain their options. When racial bias occurs in medicine, it can have devastating consequences for patients, and may be one factor leading to worse health outcomes for Black people, such as higher rates of deaths from COVID-19, experts say.
Fred Waller, the Chicago Police Department’s third-in-command, was suspended for 28 days for using the word “rape” during a meeting at police headquarters to express his feelings about officers being moved out of police districts to other units.
“Grope me, don’t rape me,” Waller said at the Nov. 19 meeting, police records show.
Waller, who announced last month he will retire Saturday, is the department’s chief of operations, in charge of the officers in the city’s 22 police districts. Frank Main and Fran Spielman have the story…
A visit to Englewood in the wake of a weekend shooting that turned a spotlight on the South Side community finds resentment that revitalization efforts get lost in negative narratives.
One man allegedly discussed paying a victim $500,000 to keep her from cooperating with the feds, saying “She got too much.” Another harassed a woman who filed a lawsuit against Kelly.
“Grope me, don’t rape me,” an internal affairs investigation found Fred Waller said at a meeting to discuss shifting officers from patrol to the police academy and other units.
The restrictions — in place from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. each night until Monday morning — include raised bridges, a partial shutdown of Lake Shore Drive, expressway ramps and no CTA train service to the downtown area.
Zoraleigh Ryan, 55, and her daughter were struck crossing the street by Edgar Roman who then circled back and intentionally ran over the mother a second time, prosecutors said.
At least 20% of the state’s 24,000 restaurants “will never reopen,” said Illinois Restaurant Association President Sam Toia. Statewide, 321,000 restaurant employees have been laid off, and 86% of restaurants are “unlikely” to turn a profit within six months.
Welcome to The Hill’s Morning Report. It is Thursday. We get you up to speed on the most important developments in politics and policy, plus trends to watch. Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver are the daily co-creators, so find us @asimendinger and @alweaver22 on Twitter and recommend the Morning Report to your friends. CLICK HERE to subscribe!
Total U.S. coronavirus deaths reported each morning this week: Monday, 162,938.Tuesday, 163,465. Wednesday, 164,537. Thursday, 166,027.
Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) made their first joint appearance as the Democratic ticket on Wednesday, attacking President Trump’s leadership with arguments about why they should steer the country through multiple crises beginning in January.
Introducing his newly minted running mate, Biden heaped praise on the California Democrat and celebrated the historic possibility of electing the first vice president of color. Biden championed Harris’s qualifications, arguing she is the right candidate to join him and is ready to tackle a role he himself held for eight years.
“She knows how to govern, how to make the hard calls, and she’s ready to do the job on day one,” Biden said.
Biden and Harris used the event to tear into Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, a bruised and battered economy, and the racial tensions that have been intensified in recent months. As The Hill’s Jonathan Easley notes, the two anchored their attacks to the third anniversary of the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va. It’s the event Biden has said prompted him to mount his third campaign for the presidency.
“The president’s mismanagement of the pandemic has plunged us into the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and we’re experiencing a moral reckoning with racism and systemic injustice that has brought a new coalition of conscience to the streets of our country,” Harris said. “America is crying out for leadership.”
“[Trump] inherited the longest economic expansion in history from Barack Obama and Joe Biden. And then, like everything else he inherited, he ran it straight into the ground,” Harris added.
The Associated Press: Biden, Harris lash Trump in introduction of historic VP pick.
The Hill: Biden hits back after Trump’s attacks on Harris.
Throughout the event in Wilmington, Del., the outsize role of the coronavirus pandemic was laid bare. In normal times, the unveiling of a running mate has been marked by a massive rally, followed by the subsequent criss-crossing to events across key battleground states and the party’s conventions.
None of that was (or will be) the case, as Biden and Harris appeared in the gymnasium of Alexis I. duPont High School wearing masks and practiced social distancing throughout the event, which took place without a crowd. The Democratic pair then took part in a virtual fundraiser.
The Harris announcement also proved to be a financial winner: the Biden campaign raised $26 million in its first day, according to the former vice president.
The New York Times: Biden and Harris’s incident-free, audience-free debut.
John F. Harris, Politico founding editor: The epic blandness of the Joe Biden campaign.
With the Democratic ticket off and running, Republicans are grappling with how best to attack Harris, with the first 24 hours serving as a prime example as Trump allies were unable to come up with a cohesive message against the presumptive vice presidential nominee. As Brett Samuels documents, the Trump campaign derided her as “weak on crime,” yet also played up her self-described role as a “top cop” when she served as California’s attorney general.
On Tuesday, Trump labeled Harris as “nasty” for her questioning of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, even as the campaign worries such rhetoric could turn off the suburban voters Trump needs to secure a second term in office.
“Trump is really — unlike Hillary Clinton, who he successfully branded from day one as a crook — he has not been able to brand Biden in the same way,” said Alex Conant, a former top adviser to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). “He risks having the same problem with Harris in part because she doesn’t fit into an obvious box.”
The Washington Post: “Extraordinarily nasty”: Trump hurls one of his favorite insults at a new target in Kamala Harris.
Facebook is building the largest voter information effort in US history, starting with the new Voting Information Center, where you can find the latest resources about voting in the 2020 election. Our goal is to help register 4 million voters.
CONGRESS: Negotiations on a massive coronavirus relief package remained at a stalemate on Wednesday, with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) charging that White House negotiators have no interest in meeting them halfway to reach an accord.
Early Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Fox Business that the two Democratic leaders are “unwilling to compromise,” pointing to their repeated need for nearly $1 trillion in funding for state and local governments.
“Our view is let’s spend a little over $1 trillion on areas of the economy that are going to be very impactful now that we can agree on,” Mnuchin said. “If we need to do more, we’ll come back and do more and work together.”
The remarks prompted a rebuke from Pelosi and Schumer hours later, with the pair saying in a statement that Mnuchin pushed for a new meeting on an aid package but showed no willingness to move off the administration’s negotiating position. They added that any deal needs to be in the ballpark of $2 trillion — a figure Republicans remain reluctant to approach.
“An overture was made by Secretary Mnuchin to meet and he made clear that his televised comments from earlier today still stand: the White House is not budging from their position concerning the size and scope of a legislative package,” Pelosi and Schumer said. “Democrats have compromised. … We have again made clear to the Administration that we are willing to resume negotiations once they start to take this process seriously” (The Hill).
Adding to the rhetoric, the president panned Pelosi and Schumer for wanting “ridiculous” items in the bill, including funds for mail-in voting in November.
“Nancy and Chuck haven’t provided anything,” Trump said. “They don’t want to give anything.”
The Washington Post: Mnuchin’s latest overture to Pelosi goes nowhere, and relief talks stall again.
As The Hill’s Jordain Carney writes, lawmakers are barreling toward a rocky September. With no deal in sight, the perfect storm of legislative matters looms as coronavirus relief discussions could collide with a push to avoid a government shutdown only weeks before the general election.
Lawmakers are already discussing trying to merge coronavirus funding and a continuing resolution just weeks before Election Day, with Pelosi saying that they want a COVID-19 deal before the funding deadline, Sept. 30, but there’s no end in sight for the stalemate between the two sides.
The Hill: Pelosi says COVID-19 aid can’t wait until September: “People will die.”
Politico: Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) says committee Republicans are blocking James Comey, John Brennan subpoenas.
IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKES
CORONAVIRUS: Trump, eager to nudge schools to open this fall for classroom rather than online instruction, on Wednesday unveiled basic hygiene and other precautions suggested to U.S. schools in the form of formal guidance meant to increase precautions against the transmission of the coronavirus.
At a Wednesday event at the White House, Trump said, “Virtual is not as good as being there. Virtual is just not the same thing” (Reuters). He continued during an evening press briefing, asserting that children are short-changed with virtual learning: “When you sit alone in a basement looking at a computer, your brain starts to wither away.”
The New York Times: 1,193 people have been quarantined in Georgia because students returned to schools with COVID-19 infections, setting off chains of precautionary events. Also in Tennessee, Mississippi and Indiana, for example, suburban and rural schools opened their doors weeks ago.
The Associated Press: School boards are at the heart of the coronavirus-reopening debate in schools.
The Associated Press: At one university in North Carolina, police recently broke up an off-campus student party with 400 people. It was one of 20 parties at which the university police intervened because young people did not heed rules and precautions against COVID-19 transmission.
> Treatments: Companies are rushing to test drugs that deliver antibodies to fight COVID-19 without having to train the immune system to make them. These drugs, given through an IV, are believed to last for a month or more. They could give quick, temporary immunity to people at high risk of infection, such as health workers and housemates of someone with the coronavirus. If they prove effective and if a vaccine doesn’t materialize or fails to work as hoped, the drugs might eventually be considered for wider use, perhaps for teachers or other groups (The Associated Press).
> Dental health during the pandemic: The World Health Organization, in newly released interim guidance on Wednesday, recommended that people delay routine, nonessential dental care until coronavirus transmission rates in patients’ communities are reduced or until national or local officials suggest otherwise. The guidance prompted a rebuttal from the American Dental Association (The Washington Post).
> Bars and restaurants: Eating out. Drinking out. Family gatherings. During the pandemic, these simple pleasures have proved to be dangerous. Data from states and cities shows that many community outbreaks of the coronavirus this summer have centered on restaurants and bars. The clusters seen in data from Louisiana, Maryland, Colorado and other states as well as major cities are worrisome to health officials because many restaurant and bar employees across the country are in their 20s and can carry the virus home and possibly seed household transmissions, which have soared in recent weeks through the Sun Belt and the West. There are no simple answers or solutions for patrons, owners, employees and communities (The New York Times).
> Dog dies from COVID-19: An 8-year-old dog that tested positive for the coronavirus in North Carolina, according to laboratory tests, died this month after suffering respiratory distress. A member of the household had previously tested positive for COVID-19 and subsequently tested negative. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said there is currently no evidence that pets play a significant role in transmission of the virus (ABC News).
> Sports: 🏇 The Kentucky Derby, which is scheduled on Sept. 5, decided to move ahead with some social distancing precautions at Churchill Downs because of the coronavirus and will limit spectators to fewer than 23,000 (USA Today). … Augusta National Golf Club announced on Wednesday that The Masters, set to take place Nov. 12-15, will be held without fans (The Associated Press). … 🏈 The Washington Football Team will play the 2020 football season without fans at FedEx Field. “The well-being of those supporters, along with that of our players, coaches and each and every member of our gameday staff is simply too important, and the current knowledge of COVID-19 too unpredictable, to welcome our fan base to FedEx Field to start the season,” owner Dan Snyder said on Wednesday (Yahoo Sports). … The Dallas Cowboys plan to play all their home games this season in front of fans, owner Jerry Jones said on Wednesday (NBC Sports).
OPINION
The pandemic has made clear that college students are customers, by Megan McArdle, columnist, The Washington Post. https://wapo.st/3fSGCA2
Hong Kong still has many ways to resist, by Joshua Wong, opinion contributor, The New York Times. https://nyti.ms/3gRqwYx
A MESSAGE FROM FACEBOOK
How Facebook is preparing for the US 2020 election
— Launched new Voting Information Center
— More than tripled our safety and security teams to 35,000 people
— Implemented 5-step political ad verification
— Providing greater political ad transparency
The House meets at 2 p.m. on Friday in a pro forma session. Pelosi will appear on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” at 8:25 a.m. She will also hold her weekly press conference at 10:45 a.m.
The Senate will convene at 11 a.m.
The president has no public events scheduled.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is today in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where he meets with Prime Minister Janez Jansa. At midday, the secretary and Foreign Minister Anze Logar expect to sign a 5G joint declaration and hold a press conference. Pompeo will participate in an afternoon meeting about energy issues, followed by a working lunch with Slovenian President Borut Pahor. From Ljubljana, the secretary will continue his travels this week to Vienna, Austria, and Warsaw, Poland before returning to Washington.
Economic indicator: The Labor Department at 8:30 a.m. will report initial jobless claims for the week ending Aug. 8. Although unemployment has eased, the U.S. labor market is still struggling.
👉TODAY at 1 p.m.: The Hill Virtually Live hosts “Breaking Through: U.S. Businesses Powered By Global Exports.” Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), co-chairman of the congressional U.S.-China Working Group; former Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez; and others will join a conversation moderated by The Hill’s Steve Clemons. RSVP: https://bit.ly/3kjRWZl
➔ Trade: U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer late Wednesday announced the Trump administration will leave U.S. tariffs unchanged at 15 percent on Airbus aircraft, and maintain 25 percent tariffs on other European goods, despite moves by the European Union to resolve a 16-year-old dispute over aircraft subsidies. The administration ignored calls from European Union officials and rejected an appeal this week from U.S. lawmakers to drop tariffs on food, wine and spirits from the EU, but did not add tariffs to vodka, gin and beer, as it had threatened (Reuters). … U.S. Wine Trade Alliance President Ben Aneff did not mince words in a stern statement of objection released on Wednesday. “This decision highlights serious questions about how the USTR is currently damaging small, mom-and-pop restaurants and wine businesses throughout our nation, at the height of the worst pandemic in a century,” Aneff said. “The USTR also owes Boeing an explanation. The agency continues to deal out more punishment to small, unrelated U.S. businesses than to Airbus, the recipient of the illegal subsidies at the heart of this dispute.”
➔ Courts: Federal prosecutors charged three men on Wednesday with threatening and intimidating women who have accused Grammy Award-winning artist R. Kelly of sexual misconduct. Among those charged are an adviser of Kelly who threatened to release sexually-explicit pictures of a woman who filed suit against the musician, and a friend who offered $500,000 to a victim to not cooperate with prosecutors (The Associated Press and The Hill).
➔ Administration: Six former administrators of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from both parties are calling for a “reset” at the EPA in an open letter published on Wednesday (The Hill). …One of Trump’s pet peeves is a federal regulation affecting water conservation through showerheads. The administration is moving ahead to eliminate some Department of Energy appliance standards, including for showerheads (The Associated Press). … Following the November election, Trump is considering replacing Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who has challenged the president’s inclinations more than once, according to sources in multiple news outlets on Wednesday (Reuters). … Pompeo, during a speech on Wednesday to the Czech Senate, said China poses a threat to the West that is in some ways “worse” than that posed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. “What’s happening now isn’t Cold War 2.0,” he said. The secretary said in his remarks that China is a more significant danger to Czech democracy than Russia. The secretary appeared with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (pictured below) (Politico).
And finally … It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for this week’s Morning Report Quiz! Inspired by the 2020 presidential tickets, we’re eager for some smart guesses about vice presidential running mates.
Email your responses to asimendinger@thehill.com and/or aweaver@thehill.com, and please add “Quiz” to subject lines. Winners who submit correct answers will enjoy some richly deserved newsletter fame on Friday.
In what year did a Democratic presidential nominee choose and campaign with a vice presidential running mate for just 18 days?
1968
1972
1980
1992
Which presidential nominee “surprised everyone” and “irritated many” during his party’s convention by announcing his VP pick was a Maryland governor?
Michael Dukakis
Mitt Romney
Robert Dole
Richard Nixon
According to accounts published by former President Obama’s 2008 campaign strategists, which of these politicians interviewed to be the former Illinois senator’s presidential running mate in addition to then-Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.)?
Evan Bayh, Tim Kaine
John Kerry, Barbara Boxer
Ted Kennedy, John Lewis
Bill Richardson, Tom Vilsack
Harris on Tuesday made history as Biden’s pick, but not as the first woman chosen to be a VP nominee of a major U.S. political party. Who was the first?
The Morning Report is created by journalists Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver. We want to hear from you! Email: asimendinger@thehill.com and aweaver@thehill.com. We invite you to share The Hill’s reporting and newsletters, and encourage others to SUBSCRIBE!
TO VIEW PAST EDITIONS OF THE HILL’S MORNING REPORT CLICK HERE
TO RECEIVE THE HILL’S MORNING REPORT IN YOUR INBOX SIGN UP HERE
POLITICO Playbook: How the Kamala Harris rollout played
Presented by
DRIVING THE DAY
NEW … ALSO PARTICIPATING IN THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION NEXT WEEK: Rep. CEDRIC RICHMOND (D-La.) … L.A. Mayor ERIC GARCETTI … Rep. LISA BLUNT ROCHESTER (D-Del.) … Michigan Gov. GRETCHEN WHITMER … MICHAEL BLOOMBERG … L.A. County Supervisor HILDA SOLIS … ANDREW YANG … JON MEACHAM.
FRONTS: NYT,with a two-column hed: “BIDEN AND HARRIS VOW TO REVIVE U.S. AS TRUMP ATTACKS,” accompanied by a terrific ERIN SCHAFF photo … N.Y. POST … N.Y. DAILY NEWS FAWNS: “WELCOME TO KAMELOT” … WSJ: “Harris Draws Plaudits From Wall Street as Biden’s Pick”
WSJ ED BOARD PREDICTS KAMALA WILL BE PRESIDENT: “Getting to Know Kamala Harris:How Biden’s running mate blocked a hospital rescue to help the SEIU”: “She was in the vanguard of the new progressive state AGs who use prosecutorial power against opponents. Watch for this in the Harris Administration in 2025, if not sooner.”
DEPT. OF THINGS WE DIDN’T KNOW … FLASHBACK, NOV. 10, 2003 … THE BEEF BETWEEN KAMALA HARRIS AND KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE… S.F. CHRONICLE: “Brains, brio, beauty — and wounded feelings,”by Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross: “They both have glamour, brains and determination — they even travel in the same tight-knit San Francisco social circle — but don’t look for district attorney hopeful Kamala Harris to get a job reference from former office mate Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom anytime soon.
“Because behind the smiles, Guilfoyle Newsom — the network TV analyst and wife of mayoral front-runner Gavin Newsom — is still smarting from what she says was the frosty and underhanded treatment she got from Harris when she was making a bid to return to the D.A.’s office a couple of years back.”
YOU MAY REMEMBER, at the beginning of this year, Rep. JEFF VAN DREW sat next to President DONALD TRUMP in the Oval Office, announced he was leaving the Democratic Party and pledged “undying support” for the president.
— THAT LOYALTY IS NOT BEING rewarded in his district. HOUSE MAJORITY PAC, a Democratic super PAC, has VAN DREW down 46-45 to AMY KENNEDY, the Dem nominee. WE ARE OFTENTIMES SKEPTICAL of internal party polling, but multiple Republicans told us they had the race in the same general place — within the margin of error. The poll
Good Thursday morning.
DRIVING TODAY: ON THE TRAIL … JOE BIDEN and KAMALA HARRIS will receive a health briefing from public health experts in Wilmington, Del. Afterward, they will deliver remarks. … Speaker NANCY PELOSI has ner news conference at 10:45 a.m. in the Capitol.
HOW HARRIS’ ROLLOUT PLAYED …
— CHRIS CADELAGO in Wilmington, Del., and MATTHEW CHOI: “‘Ready to do the job’: Biden touts Harris’ experience in campaign debut”: “Joe Biden lauded Kamala Harris as the child of ‘America’s story’ who fought for the working class and was ready to take on their opponents in a ‘life-changing election.’ Harris presented Biden as a selfless leader prepared to swiftly banish President Donald Trump come November.
“And as the two appeared together Wednesday for the first time as running mates, Biden focused on the instrumental factor that, according to people familiar with conversations during the vetting process, sealed his decision to team up with Harris: a combination of readiness, experience and ability to assume the presidency right away, if needed. ‘Kamala knows how to govern. She knows how to make the hard calls,’ Biden said, as Harris listened from a seat behind him. ‘She’s ready to do this job on day one,’ he added.”
— AP/CHICAGO: “‘One of us’: South Asians celebrate Harris as VP choice,”by Sophia Tareen: “Harris, the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, often focuses on her identity as a Black woman. At times during her political career, as she ran for California attorney general and senator, some didn’t realize she was of Indian descent. In her first remarks as Biden’s running mate on Wednesday, she spoke of her mother’s roots but described herself as the ‘first Black woman’ to be nominated for the vice presidency on a major party ticket.
“Still, the possibility she would be the U.S. vice president, which has already triggered sexist and racist commentary, created instantaneous glee among South Asians worldwide and put the spotlight on her as the first person of Asian descent on a major party presidential ticket.”
— THE SUPER LOCAL ANGLE … NEW INDIAN EXPRESS in Chennai:“While Kamala’s maternal relatives, including her maternal aunt Sarala Gopalan, are happy and thrilled about the turn of events, their wish to avoid publicity is so strong that they have cut off their telephone, which has been ringing ever since the news of her becoming the vice-presidential candidate broke.” New Indian Express
“And so, just hours after former vice president Joe Biden announced Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif). as his running mate, Trump reached for one of his favorite adjectives and dismissed the first woman of color on a major-party ticket as ‘nasty.’ …
“The insult is one Trump has levied roughly equally against men and women alike since becoming president, according to Factba.se, a data analytics company that tracks all of Trump’s public utterances. … But the resonance of the adjective — the way the attack lands, the nuances in connotation — is often different when the recipient is a woman, and different still when that woman is a person of color. Calling a woman nasty, say many experts and women in politics, is another way to deliberately dismiss and demean female politicians.”
NYT’S KATIE ROGERS: “Kamala Harris Crystallizes Trump’s View of Women: They’re ‘Nasty’ or Housewives”: “On matters of race and gender, Mr. Trump has always believed that indulging his instincts has elevated his political brand. But just as public attitudes on racism have shifted, threatening to turn the president and his embrace of the Confederacy into a living relic, his views on American women — particularly the suburban ones — are similarly anachronistic.” NYT
FT’S EDWARD LUCE in FT MAGAZINE: “Inside Joe Biden’s race of a lifetime”: “‘Life is about choices, right?’ says a former senior CIA official who has interacted with Biden over more than three decades. ‘Biden or Trump?’ He admitted that he occasionally saw Biden as a ‘mediocre’ politician. But he added that Biden always struck him as fundamentally decent, which sounds like a subversive quality in today’s Washington. ‘Even if you thought that Biden was mediocre,’ he continued, ‘you would take mediocre over catastrophic every time.’”
CORONAVIRUS RAGING … MORE THAN 5.1 MILLION Americans have tested positive for Covid-19. … 166,027 AMERICANS have died.
GREAT DATELINE ALERT … NYT’S REID EPSTEIN and NICK CORASANITI in Center of the World, Ohio: “Ohio State Football Is Canceled. Will Trump Take the Hit?”: “For Mr. Trump, the cancellation of big-time college football in the Midwest and the West — the Pac-12 Conference also canceled its season Tuesday — serves as yet another unmistakable sign of how fundamentally the pandemic has transformed American life and cast a spotlight on his administration’s handling of the crisis. Critics point to South Korea, where fans have been attending professional baseball games for weeks, and to parts of Europe, where some soccer and tennis matches are open to spectators.
“And like the closings of schools, bars, restaurants and churches, the loss of tailgating, jammed stadiums and marching bands felt as if yet another piece of fabric was being torn from American life. In a hotly contested election year, the loss of college football seems almost certain to seep into politics as well. No conference covers as many presidential battleground states as does the Big Ten, the Midwestern behemoth with schools in seven states that are being fought for by both Joe Biden and Mr. Trump.
“In crucial battleground states like Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania, where college football serves as an autumn religion not just on campus but in the rural areas where Mr. Trump’s support runs deepest, losing football may be a political stain that the president is unable to blame on his enemies in the Democratic Party or on the media.”
THE SLUGFEST IN MASS. … BOSTON GLOBE: “Ed Markey is making it personal in the Senate race,”by Victoria McGrane: “When he launched his audacious challenge to incumbent Senator Edward J. Markey last year, Joseph P. Kennedy III’s last name and the storied family that gave it to him were seen as a huge advantage, bringing him instant recognition and warm feeling in the state that launched that famous political dynasty.
“At a Tuesday TV debate, Markey sought to turn that family connection into a cudgel, hammering away at the allegation that the Kennedy family is rushing to bolster the latest would-be heir to its legacy via a super PAC that’s pouring cash into negative ads against Markey. He took particular aim at the possibility — not proved — that Kennedy’s father, former congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II, is helping fund the PAC.
“‘Tell your father’ not to put money into a PAC running negative ads, Markey ordered, repeating the phrase like a mantra. The not-so-subtle subtext of Markey’s attack: Kennedy and his family feel entitled to the Senate seat, and they’ll do whatever it takes to oust the incumbent standing in their way. It remains to be seen how effective it will be for Markey, with some political analysts warning that Markey may alienate undecided voters, especially older ones, who still feel the emotional tug of Camelot.”
MELANIE ZANONA, ALLY MUTNICK and JOHN BRESNAHAN: “McCarthy faces QAnon squeeze”: “The rise of [Marjorie Taylor] Greene — an unapologetic QAnon conspiracy theorist who has made disparaging remarks about Jews, Blacks, and Muslims — is threatening to hurt the entire party as Republicans seek to stanch their bleeding in suburbia and expand their base of support amid a national reckoning over racial inequality. Greene won a GOP primary runoff in a deep red northwest Georgia seat, all but guaranteeing her a spot in Congress next year.
“Now Republicans up and down the ballot will have to answer for Greene’s controversial remarks. And she’s showing no signs of softening her rhetoric. During her primary victory party, Greene ripped into ‘spineless Republicans,’ called Speaker Nancy Pelosi ‘a bitch’ and kicked reporters out of the event. Greene then celebrated their ouster on Twitter.”
TRUMP’S THURSDAY — The president has nothing on his schedule.
— KAYLEIGH MCENANY will hold a press briefing at 1 p.m.
PLAYBOOK READS
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION — “Trump Weighs Replacing Mark Esper at Pentagon After Election,” by Bloomberg’s Jennifer Jacobs: “President Donald Trump has privately said that he intends to replace Secretary of Defense Mark Esper after the November election, according to people familiar with internal discussions.
“One person said Esper has told people close to him that he intends to leave regardless of the election’s outcome, meaning he could exit the administration about two months before Trump does, if the president loses.” Bloomberg
BOOK CLUB — “Bob Woodward obtains letters between Trump and Kim Jong-un for new book Rage,” by The Guardian’s Martin Pengelly: “Bob Woodward’s second book on the Trump White House has a title, Rage, and promises to reveal the secrets of ‘25 personal letters exchanged between [Donald] Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that have not been public before.’
“In the letters, according to details from Simon & Schuster published on the book’s Amazon page on Wednesday night, ‘Kim describes the bond between the two leaders as out of a ‘fantasy film,’ as the two leaders engage in an extraordinary diplomatic minuet.’ Rage, the sequel to Fear, is due out on 15 September, its cover showing Trump’s face in extreme close-up.” Guardian …$30 on Amazon
FOR YOUR RADAR — “U.S. says Iran briefly seizes oil tanker near Strait of Hormuz,” by AP’s Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates: “The Iranian navy boarded and briefly seized a Liberian-flagged oil tanker near the strategic Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions between Tehran and the U.S., a U.S. military official said Thursday.
“The U.S. military’s Central Command published a black-and-white video showing what appeared to be special forces fast-roping down from a helicopter onto the MT Wila, whose last position appeared to be off the eastern coast of the United Arab Emirates near the city of Khorfakkan.
“The Iranian navy held the vessel for some five hours before releasing it Wednesday, said a U.S. military official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public. The Wila made no distress calls before, during and after the seizure, the official said.” AP
SPOTTED at a Zoom party Wednesday night organized by David and Katherine Bradley for Darrell West and John Allen’s new book, “Turning Point: Policymaking During the Era of Artificial Intelligence” ($24.99 on Amazon): Kara Swisher, David Sanger, Robert Barnett, Rita Braver, James Fallows, David Ignatius, Steve and Jean Case, Jeffrey Goldberg, Fred Hiatt, Daniel Lippman, Steve Clemons, Walter Isaacson, Sean Mickens, Katie Benner, Barbara Hagerty, Don Peck, Adrienne LaFrance, Ben Isaacoff, Norine MacDonald, David Teich, Karen Hao, Joshua Geltzer, John Nicholson, Nicholas Thomas, Andrew Peek, Martine Paris and Shana Keefe.
BIDEN TRANSITION — Mariel Saez is taking leave from House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s office to join the Biden campaign as women’s media director.
ENGAGED — Alex Vargo, legislative assistant for Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and a Ted Budd alum, proposed to Amanda Robbins, associate director of the White House Office of Public Liaison and an OMB and Heritage alum, on Monday at Brant Point in Nantucket. Pic… Another pic
WEEKEND WEDDING — Jenna Browder, an anchor and reporter at CBN News, and Joe Cope, co-founder and managing partner at wealth management firm Cope Corrales, got married Saturday in D.C. They had an intimate ceremony with family, followed by dinner at Del Mar on the Wharf. They’re honeymooning at the San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, Calif. Pic… Another pic
BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Jim Spiegelman, VP/COS at the Aspen Institute. What he’s been reading: “I am reading three books kept at my bedside: Harry McPherson’s ‘A Political Education,’ because he’s one of my heroes. The book is widely regarded as among the finest Washington memoirs ever written; Eric Idle’s ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,’ because Idle’s anarchic humor offers a healthful diversion in these grim days of Covid; and ‘Being a Dog,’ by Alexandra Horowitz, because I love dogs.” Playbook Q&A
BIRTHDAYS: Karine Jean-Pierre, new campaign chief of staff for Kamala Harris … Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.) is 71 … Sarah Huckabee Sanders is 38 (h/t husband Bryan) … former Fed Chair Janet Yellen is 74 … Kelly Rzendzian of the World Bank Group … Tim Johnson … Sara Sorcher, deputy editor of WaPo’s PowerPost … Jamestown Associates CEO Larry Weitzner … Jeremy Bash, founder and managing director of Beacon Global Strategies … IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva is 67 … Catherine Michael … Grace Davis, press secretary for Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kan.), is 23 … Bridget Roddy (h/t fiance Tommy Burr) … Isabel Aldunate, deputy surrogate comms director for the Biden campaign … Sam Gaynor, principal at Altamont Capital … Adam Sharon is 43 … GrayRobinson’s Chris McCannell … Ben Pack is 31 …
… Addy Baird …Douglas Rivlin, comms director for America’s Voice … Josh Romney is 45 … Sam Champion is 59 … Molly Henneberg … Vanessa Lindlaw … former Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders is 87 … Nate Jablow … Allison Lessne of BlackRock … Nora McAlvanah … Andrew Malkin … Fred Miller … former Rep. Tom Marino (R-Pa.) is 68 … former Rep. Lincoln Díaz-Balart (R-Fla.) is 66 … Chris Dhanaraj … Sharlett Mena … Kate Bryan … POLITICO Europe’s Aurélie Burnier … Elizabeth Whipple … Alec Davis … Gabriel Laizer … Google’s Kelly Pilchard … Monique Lyons … AP’s Kelly Daschle … Alice McKeon … Elizabeth Wilkerson … Maer Roshan is 53 … Joanna Ossinger … Susan Garraty … Gonzo Gallegos … Lauren Kirshner … Cate Hurley … Crystal King (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) … Kevin Plank, CEO of Under Armour, is 48
“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,” (1 Peter 3:12, ESV).
By Shane Vander Hart on Aug 12, 2020 08:26 pm
SOMETHiNG WICKED released a video targeting former Vice President Joe Biden’s past racially-charged comments and it is brutal. Read in browser »
By Shane Vander Hart on Aug 12, 2020 10:47 am
Shane Vander Hart: Kamala Harris’ record and comments as a presidential candidate and U.S. Senator troubles the right, her record as a prosecutor troubles the left. Read in browser »
By Shane Vander Hart on Aug 12, 2020 09:03 am
Chuck Grassley: “Miss Greenfield in this seat would spell doom for Iowa farmers and biofuel producers, our entire ethanol industry, and the many Iowans who depend on it.” Read in browser »
Launched in 2006, Caffeinated Thoughts reports news and shares commentary about culture, current events, faith and state and national politics from a Christian and conservative point of view.
President Donald Trump will participate in a phone call with America’s Sheriffs on Tuesday then he will hold a news conference. Keep up with Trump on Our President’s Schedule Page. President Trump’s Itinerary for 8/12/20 – note: this page will be updated during the day if events warrant Keep up …
So Peaceful it will make your eyes water.. We know the Socialist Democrats and the fake news mainstream media are going to blame anything and everything on Trump at every opportunity. Now they’re blaming the unrest in the big blue cities on Trump. No, it’s not the fault of the …
Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris co-sponsored a bill that would force public schools to allow biologically male athletes who identify as transgender on girls’ sports teams. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced Harris as his running mate on Tuesday. In March 2019, Harris cosponsored the Equality Act, which would …
LAREDO, Texas—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers at the World Trade Bridge and Colombia-Solidarity Bridge seized methamphetamine worth an estimated $18 million in two separate enforcement actions over the weekend. “The upsurge of methamphetamine trafficking has become a serious international health and security threat,” …
AUSTIN, Texas — An active duty soldier and former government employee at Camp Mabry admitted to stealing and unlawfully selling more than $1 million worth of items from the military installation. This case is being conducted by agents with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s …
President Donald Trump holds a news conference Tuesday to update the nation on recent developments. The briefing is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. EDT. Content created by Conservative Daily News and some content syndicated through CDN is available for re-publication without charge under the Creative Commons license. Visit our syndication …
Former Vice President Joe Biden criticized President Donald Trump’s executive order paving the way for a payroll tax holiday years after former President Barack Obama called it “inexcusable” for lawmakers not to extend a similar cut during the recovery from the 2008 recession. Trump signed an executive order Saturday ordering …
Good Almost End of the Week, brilliant frequent readers of the Kruiser Morning Briefing.
We are still in an “All Things Kamala” extended news cycle and the barrage of hot takes and information about the woman of the hour feels like it’s been delivered from a fire hose. Put mildly, there has been a lot to sift through since Tuesday, and I already knew a lot about her because she used to be my attorney general and my senator.
Among the many perplexing things about Joe Biden choosing Kamala Harris is how she affects the progressive voters. Progressives are still a sought-after constituency and that makes the former prosecutor and attorney general a curious choice.
I briefly alluded to Harris’s less-than-stellar relationship with hardcore progressives in yesterday’s Briefing. Early last year I wrote a post about progressives not being very shy with their condemnation of Harris’s days in law enforcement.
Ever since Biden stumbled early in the primary debates — largely because of Harris — he has abandoned any pretense of being a moderate and been moving steadily towards the progressive fringe. He seemed to have made functional peace with Bernie Sanders, whose ardent supporters were still stinging from what they felt was a betrayal by the Democratic establishment in 2016.
Ed explored this uncomfortable relationship between Harris and progressives at HotAir yesterday, highlighting a tweet from former Bernie Sanders press secretary Briahna Joy Gray that said the Dems running Biden and Harris showed “contempt for the base.”
That’s going to make the Democratic Labor Day picnic a little awkward.
Throughout all of the social unrest this summer, Basement Biden has been mouthing all of the approved Black Lives Matter progressive talking points. He also brought progressive darling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on board as one of his climate policy loons. By all appearances, it seemed that Biden was going to be the perfect progressive puppet.
Does this mean that it was all a head-fake and Biden is pivoting away from the progressives to be the moderate choice that he was being sold as at the beginning of the primaries?
As the kids like to say: LOL.
Biden will still need the progressives to turn out for him in November in greater numbers than they did for Hillary in 2016.
There were already rumors that Harris wasn’t Biden’s first choice, but his final short list really didn’t leave him with many choices that would have appealed to progressives. Karen Bass probably would have been the best of the bunch for that, but she proved to be more wackadoodle by the day as crunch time came for Biden to pick someone.
If the Biden-Harris 2020 ticket is going to appeal to progressives, Kamala Harris is going to have to vigorously and publicly disavow almost everything that she did before she was elected to the Senate. There may be enough Orange Man Bad fever out there make the progressives sing Kumbaya on election day, but that’s not likely given the taste of blood that they’ve gotten in recent months.
They’re not really much for compromise these days.
Biden-Harris ticket debuts . . . Kamala Harris made her campaign-trail debut as Joe Biden’s Democratic running mate on Wednesday, delivering a strong rebuke of President Donald Trump’s leadership and highlighting the historic significance of her new role. Harris said Biden, the former vice president under President Barack Obama, had recognized the critical moment being faced by the country by picking her to be the first Black woman and Asian American on a major-party U.S. presidential ticket. “Today, he takes his place in the ongoing story of America’s march toward equality and justice as the only person who served alongside the first Black president, and has chosen the first Black woman as his running mate,” said Harris. Reuters
MSM declares Harris a “moderate” . . . ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos is the latest member of the media to portray Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., as a moderate choice for Joe Biden’s running mate. “Kamala Harris comes from the middle of the road, moderate wing of the Democratic party,” the anchor said to a panel. On Tuesday, The New York Times raised eyebrows for referring to the California senator as a “pragmatic moderate.” An op-ed from The Washington Post on Wednesday similarly declared her as a “small-c conservative.” Fox News
Brett Baier: Harris may have been the most liberal member of the Senate . . . The Trump campaign will be guilty of some severe political malpractice if it lets the MSM portray Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as moderates. I mean, sure, compared to Trotsky. But these two are as liberal as they come, and their administration, pulled to the left by the forces now running the Democratic Party, will be little different than a socialist regime. White House Dossier
Harris is not popular, polling shows . . . Recent polling by YouGov finds that since Kamala Harris has entered into the public consciousness and began aggressively campaigning for president last year, she has not been particularly popular with voters. According to YouGov, her unpopularity reached a peak at the end of November with close to 50 percent expressing a negative view of her and just 35% saying they had a favorable opinion. White House Dossier
So with all the commentary about her charisma and the strength she may bring to the Biden ticket, it seems she has the same problem he does: The less seen, the better.
Harris may stay in the basement too . . . Biden’s campaign is contemplating the advent of Team Basement. The Californian flopped on the campaign trail in the primaries. The dilemma now facing Mr. Biden: Is Ms. Harris a better value on the trail or huddled with him in the basement out of concern that she could flop again? Washington Times
Kamala wants your guns . . . Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has done something unprecedented with his pick of Sen. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.) as his running mate: put a candidate on the presidential ticket who publicly supports gun confiscation. During her failed primary campaign, Harris was one of only a handful of candidates to explicitly advocate for the confiscation of what she estimated to be tens of millions of legally owned firearms. Washington Free Beacon
Trump introduces task force member as antidote to Fauci . . . President Donald Trump on Wednesday again acknowledged Dr. Scott Atlas at a coronavirus event, turning over the floor to his new advisor who has argued against lockdowns and school closings and wants to hasten ‘herd’ immunity. Trump turned to Dr. Atlas at an event on reopening schools, even as the nation grapples with infections among young people even on campuses starting to reopen. Atlas is a trained neuro-radiologist at the Hoover Institution known for his appearances on Fox News. Daily Mail
China says frozen chicken wings from Brazil positive for the coronavirus . . . The infected poultry was discovered in the city of Shenzhen during routine screenings of imported meat and seafood carried out since June, the city government said in a notice. The screenings were implemented after a coronavirus outbreak in Beijing was linked to a seafood market. People who may have come into contact with the chicken wings, along with food products stored near the batch, were tested by Shenzhen’s health authorities. All those results came back negative. New York Post
No problem. I get all my frozen chicken wings from Argentina.
Politics
Harris may hurt Biden in the crucial Rust Belt . . . Republican strategists say they have become more optimistic about President Trump’s prospects after Joe Biden anointed Sen. Kamala Harris his running mate, claiming the liberal Californian would derail the presumptive Democratic nominee’s momentum in key Midwestern battlegrounds. Biden has Trump on his heels from Iowa to Pennsylvania. GOP operatives say Harris would blunt Biden’s appeal with voters in exurban and rural communities, citing her occasional support for abolishing private health insurance and embrace of a federal ban on fracking, a major source of jobs in states such as Pennsylvania. Washington Examiner
Trump within six points of Biden in six battleground states . . . Biden leads Trump by 6 points in Florida, 50 to 44 percent, and the former vice president leads by 5 points in Michigan, 48 to 43 percent, according to the “States of Play” survey from CNBC and Change Research. Biden is also up by 4 points in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, 48 to 44 percent and 47 to 43 percent, respectively. The former vice president’s lead is slimmer in Arizona, where he is ahead of Trump, 45 to 44 percent. Trump, meanwhile, holds a narrow lead over Biden in North Carolina, 48 to 47 percent. The Hill
Here’s my rule: If Trump is within three points in a poll just before Election Day, he definitely wins the state. Even within five points, he has a good shot.
Soros sees “revolutionary moment in pandemic . . . Billionaire liberal activist George Soros told an Italian newspaper that he sees the coronavirus epidemic as a “revolutionary” opportunity. Soros also denounced President Trump as a “transitory phenomenon” but expressed hope that the COVID-19 crisis has opened up politics in a radical direction. “I would describe it as a revolutionary moment when the range of possibilities is much greater than in normal times,” he said. “What is inconceivable in normal times becomes not only possible but actually happens. People are disoriented and scared.” Washington Times
AOC getting just one minute at the Democratic convention . . . The New York Democrat reacted on Twitter to reports that she’ll get just 60 seconds to speak when she participates next week in the Democratic Party’s mostly online national convention. Ocasio-Cortez quoted from “God’s Minute,” by the late civil rights leader Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, whose poem was a commentary on the brevity of life. “I only have a minute. Sixty seconds in it. Forced upon me, I did not choose it, But I know that I must use it,” the poem reads. Fox News
It’s still too long.
Woodward book to describe “love letters” between Trump and Kim Jong Un . . . According to Simon & Schuster, in one letter “Kim describes the bond between the two leaders as out of a ‘fantasy film.'” “Rage” also reveals Trump’s blunt opinions of former presidents and whether he thinks he will win re-election in November. The book’s title comes from a quote during an interview Trump did. “I bring rage out,” Trump said. “I do bring rage out. I always have. I don’t know if that’s an asset or a liability, but whatever it is, I do.” CNN
Trump celebrates QAnon backer who won GOP primary . . . President Trump hailed QAnon conspiracy supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene as a “future Republican Star” after her victory in the Republican primary runoff for Georgia’s 14 Congressional District, which she is heavily favored to win. “Congratulations to future Republican Star Marjorie Taylor Greene on a big Congressional primary win in Georgia against a very tough and smart opponent,” Trump tweeted Wednesday. “Marjorie is strong on everything and never gives up – a real WINNER!” Greene called QAnon “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to fight a “global cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles.” Washington Examiner
Trump promises to abolish payroll tax . . . President Trump promised to abolish the payroll tax if reelected in November, saying he would protect Social Security by taking money from the Treasury’s general fund to pay for it. “At the end of the year, the assumption that I win, I’m going to terminate the payroll tax, which is another thing that some of the great economists would like to see done,” he said. “We’ll be paying into Social Security through the general fund, and it works out very nicely.” Washington Examiner
National Security
US general wants of ISIS resurgence . . . The Pentagon’s top officer for the Middle East warned Wednesday that the U.S. will face “huge problems” from a resurgent Islamic State over the coming decade unless Washington develops a sweeping initiative to deradicalize young men and women in several Middle East hot spots. Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, who heads U.S. Central Command, sounded the alarm that the group remains active and bent on recruiting a new generation of jihadis. Analysts say ISIS remains fully capable of conducting smaller-scale terrorist strikes while pursuing deeper strategic aims. Washington Times
Trump to remove Defense Secretary Esper after election . . . President Donald Trump has privately said that he intends to replace Secretary of Defense Mark Esper after the November election, according to people familiar with internal discussions. One person said Esper has told people close to him that he intends to leave regardless of the election’s outcome, meaning he could exit the administration about two months before Trump does, if the president loses. Trump has been frustrated that Esper, who became secretary in July 2019, hasn’t done more to publicly defend him on key issues, including reports that Russia paid Taliban fighters “bounties” for the killing of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Bloomberg
International
Modi’s key ministers hit by coronavirus as the pandemic grips India . . . Several Indian ministers in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past few days, underscoring the spread of the virus in the world’s second most populous nation. Five ministers including Modi’s key aide and minister for internal security Amit Shah have contracted the virus which has infected nearly 2.4 million Indians. The south Asian nation has the highest death toll after U.S., Brazil and Mexico. Some of the ministers, including Shah, are in hospitals while others are recovering at home. Bloomberg
Israel stops fuel shipments to Gaza over fire balloons . . . Israel said on Thursday it would stop shipments of fuel into Gaza in response to Palestinians in the enclave launching incendiary balloons that have torched tracts of farmland on the Israeli frontier. Palestinians in Islamist Hamas-ruled Gaza have launched dozens of helium balloons laden with incendiary material in recent days to pressure Israel to ease its blockade of the territory. Reuters
Money
Restaurant chains on the coronavirus chopping block . . . The owners of chains like Outback Steakhouse, Applebee’s and The Cheesecake Factory are on a newly updated list of national restaurants that are facing the highest likelihood of not paying back their debts. When companies default on loans, they are often forced to file for bankruptcy protection, close locations or occasionally liquidate. One chain, California Pizza Kitchen, already filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with plans to close some locations. IHOP and Dave $ Buster’s also face peril. USA Today
Deficit at nearly $3 trillion and counting . . . The U.S. budget deficit climbed to $2.81 trillion in the first 10 months of the budget year, exceeding any on record, the Treasury Department said Wednesday. The nation’s budgetary shortfall is expected to eventually reach levels for the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30 more than double the largest annual deficit on record. Daily Mail
You should also know
Chicago looters smashed Ronald McDonald House as sick kids huddled inside . . . Chicago’s Ronald McDonald House had its doors smashed during rioting and looting that took place on Monday night while children were inside the home. The facility provides a shelter and resources to families while a child receives treatment at local hospitals. ‘We were very concerned there was a lot of activity right in front of the house, people making choices that could put them at risk and put our families at risk so the staff was frightened,’ said Lisa Mitchell, of Ronald McDonald House Charities. Daily Mail
Trump to relax rules for showers after complaints about flow . . . The U.S. Energy Department proposed easing water efficiency requirements for shower heads Wednesday following multiple complaints from Trump about how low water flow is impeding his ability to properly wash his hair. The plan would allow manufacturers to bypass a 2.5 gallon-per-minute maximum flow rate set by Congress in the 1990s. The rule comes after Trump has railed against shower heads that go “drip, drip, drip,” as well as low-flow toilets and faucets among other appliances. Bloomberg
This is easily the best news of the day. I’m using a shower head that is probably 30 years old. Is there seriously a water shortage?? I’m going to celebrate by running the shower all morning long, with nobody in it.
Guilty Pleasures
Wisconsin forces state employees to wear masks during Zoom events . . . The head of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is telling employees to wear face masks on teleconferences — even when they’re not around others and at no risk of spreading the coronavirus. Natural Resources Secretary Preston Cole said every DNR employee must wear a mask while in a DNR facility. “Also, wear your mask, even if you are home, to participate in a virtual meeting that involves being seen — such as on Zoom or another video-conferencing platform — by non-DNR staff,” Cole told his employees. “Set the safety example.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Obviously Cole is not wearing a mask all the time because he needs to remove it to get high on pot or take hallucinogens.
Do you love Cut to the News? Let your family and friends know about it! They’ll thank you for it. Spread the word . . .
By Email – use the message that pops up or write your own.
If you enjoy Cut to the News, please help support it. You can make a single contribution or set up regular payments, like a voluntary subscription.Donate here today.Thank you for your generosity.
Got this from a friend? Subscribe here and get Cut to the News sent to your Inbox every morning.
Editor
White House Dossier
http://www.whitehousedossier.com
P.O. Box 27211,
Washington, DC 20038Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options
THE DISPATCH
The Morning Dispatch: The State of Play for College Football
Happy Thursday! And a reminder: This is the version of TMD available to non-paying readers. We’re happy you’ve made The Dispatch part of your morning routine, and we hope you’re enjoying The Morning Dispatch and the rest of our free editorial offerings. If you do, we hope you’ll consider joining us as a paying member. In addition to the full version of TMD each day, you’ll get extra editions of French Press, the G-File, Vital Interests, our campaign newsletter called The Sweep, and our other paid products. And members can engage with the authors and with one another in the discussion threads at the end of each of our articles and newsletters. If this appeals to you, we hope you’ll please join now.
Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories
The United States confirmed 52,754 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday, with 8 percent of the 657,562 tests reported coming back positive. An additional 1,406 deaths were attributed to the virus on Wednesday, bringing the pandemic’s American death toll to 165,934. *Note: North Carolina withdrew 220,000 test results due to a reporting error, which explains the discrepancy between cumulative and new tests today.
FiveThirtyEight is out with its 2020 election model, which finds Joe Biden has a 71 percent chance of winning the Electoral College compared to Donald Trump’s 29 percent chance.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that Democrats and the Trump administration remain “miles apart” on the next round of economic aid in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Biden campaign raised a whopping $26 million in the 24 hours after announcing Sen. Kamala Harris would be joining the ticket. Harris appeared with Biden in Delaware yesterday for the first time as his running mate, leaning into her past as a prosecutor, reminiscing on her friendship with Biden’s late son Beau, and previewing the attacks she’ll bring to President Trump and Vice President Pence.
Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward has a second Trump administration book due out next month, this one called “Rage” and featuring several interviews with Trump himself. CNN reports that “Woodward conducted more than a dozen interviews with Trump for ‘Rage’ at the White House, Mar-a-Lago and over the phone.”
College Football Hangs in the Balance
The Big Ten, Pac-12, and Big East college athletic conferences officially announced this week they were joining smaller conferences—the Ivy League, the Mid-American Conference, the Mountain West Conference—in postponing all fall sports until spring 2021 at the earliest.
“As time progressed and after hours of discussion with our Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee,” Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren said in a statement, “it became abundantly clear that there was too much uncertainty regarding potential medical risks to allow our student-athletes to compete this fall.”
The other three Power 5 conferences—the Big 12, SEC, and ACC, mostly located in the South and Sun Belt—reiterated this week they plan to forge ahead with their football seasons, albeit with modified schedules.
Is America past the worst of its second COVID wave? It’s not the sort of thing you want to just blurt out—knock on wood, and all that—but we are starting to see some encouraging signs in the numbers.
After shooting up like a rocket between mid-June and mid-July, new daily cases of the virus have started to dip again over the last two weeks. Daily deaths, a trailing indicator, have yet to follow suit—more than 1,000 Americans per day are still dying from the disease. But while that number is tragic, it’s several times less severe than the daily death totals we were seeing during the virus’ first surge in mid-April—when new cases per day at their worst were barely half what they’ve been in recent weeks.
Why are cases seemingly dropping? One reason may be because testing itself has dipped a bit since August. But while that isn’t ideal, it doesn’t account for the full dip either—the test positivity rate has continued to inch down, too, suggesting that a slight ebb in tests hasn’t hurt our ability to see the state of the virus today.
Just hours after Marjorie Taylor Greene—the QAnon adherent with a history of bigoted comments—won her primary in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, President Trump tossed his full support behind her, calling her a “future Republican Star” and a “real WINNER!” Melanie Zanona, Ally Mutnick, and John Bresnahan have some great reporting at Politico on the headaches Greene is already causing Republican officeholders—and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in particular. A source close to McCarthy told Politico that he would welcome Greene into the GOP conference if she wins in November, something that appears likely given the strong GOP makeup of her district. “Kevin McCarthy puffed his chest out about stripping Steve King of his committee assignments, then sat on the sidelines and let another Steve King walk away with this race in GA14,” said one GOP source. “It’s political malpractice and Republicans will be answering for her for years to come.”
FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver wrote a piece—“It’s Way Too Soon To Count Trump Out”—explaining how his election model works, and it’s a really useful guide to polling, probability, and campaign fundamentals. “Biden is in a reasonably strong position: Having a 70-ish percent chance of beating an incumbent in early August before any conventions or debates is far better than the position that most challengers find themselves in,” Silver writes. “His chances will improve in our model if he maintains his current lead. But for the time being, the data does not justify substantially more confidence than that.”
It’s certainly true that today’s cultural climate has made it all too easy to denigrate history for its failures and take progress for granted. “The idea of the past as nothing but a nightmare, specifically one of injustice, is probably the prevailing historiographical trope of our time,” writes Theodore Dalrymple in Law & Liberty this week. He advocates for a “historiography that is capable of recognising defects and even horrors in a tradition, but also strengths and glories, such that the tradition can survive without remaining obdurately stuck in its worst grooves.”
Joe Biden tapped Kamala Harris as his running mate on Tuesday, and The Dispatch Podcast gang (with Declan filling in for Jonah this week) has thoughts. Tune in for a lively discussion on what Biden’s VP pick means for the future of the Democratic Party, a deep dive into foreign election meddling, and a much-needed update on the status of professional sports during the pandemic.
Speaking of foreign election meddling, Thomas Joscelyn’s latest Vital Interests newsletter (🔒) asks and answers the question: How effective is Russia’s disinformation? Spoiler: Not as effective as you might think.
Social conservatives are sounding the alarm over a new rap song called “WAP” by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion over its explicit language and sexual innuendo. It reminds David of another rap song from years ago that created a stir, 2 Live Crew’s “Me So Horny.” In yesterday’s French Press (🔒), he looks back on how efforts to combat the song—the song was banned in some places, and the group was arrested for performing it live—failed, and the risks inherent when “political power was brought to bear in the attempt to rescue the culture.”
Kemberlee Kaye: “The Ronald McDonald House in Houston was a tremendous help, support, and kindness to us when our son was in the hospital. The people staying here while looters where breaking windows and doors were there because they had a child in the ICU. It’s sick and horrendously selfish. Attacking this organization is truly unconscionable.”
Legal Insurrection Foundation is a Rhode Island tax-exempt corporation established exclusively for charitable purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to educate and inform the public on legal, historical, economic, academic, and cultural issues related to the Constitution, liberty, and world events.
For more information about the Foundation, CLICK HERE.
“As coronavirus cases rise across the nation, the media and the Democrats (but I repeat myself) have struck upon a narrative: COVID-19 has been mishandled by Republicans. This is, to be sure, a dubious proposition….”
Like receiving news in your inbox? Sign up for another free Deseret News newsletter.
Want to see your company or product advertised in our newsletters? Click here.
Kamala Comes Out
After announcing his running mate, former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris appeared together in Delaware, where they took zero questions while making a scripted case to American voters.
“Is anyone surprised Donald Trump has a problem with a strong woman or strong women across the board?” Biden asked.
“America is crying out for leadership, yet we have a president who cares more about himself than the people who elected him,” added Harris. “A president who is making every challenge we face even more difficult to solve.”
The event was solid but boring. You can watch the whole thing here.
The two stoked racial flames and attempted to blame the president for the 165,000 COVID deaths and economic fallout that ensued by comparing Trump’s COVID response to Obama’s and Biden’s Ebola response—a dishonest, lazy, and unserious line of attack.
On a personal note, I have to admit I was wrong when I predicted last week that Biden would pick Susan Rice as his running mate. I knew the pressure was on to pick Harris, who on paper made the most political sense. But in early July, Biden said he wanted to pick a running mate he was “simpatico” with, and he and Harris did not get along. (That’s not to mention the fact that Harris said she believes the women who accused Biden of sexual assault—meaning that she has no problem partnering up with a sexual predator.)
Although it was clear Biden was being controlled by strategists behind-the-scenes, until now I didn’t know to what extent. But alas, progressives aren’t even trying to hide the fact that they’re able “to push Joe Biden to do things that he hadn’t signed on to before.” So yes, a Harris-Biden ticket makes perfect sense. And no, the ordering of those names is not a mistake.
Will those who criticized Tucker Carlson for mispronouncing her name do the same for her running mate?
Another Tragic Death You Won’t Hear About
…because it doesn’t fit the media’s narrative. An unbelievably sad story, from Kylee Zempel at The Federalist:
“On Sunday, 25-year-old Darius Sessoms, a black man, allegedly killed white 5-year-old Cannon Hinnant while the child’s two young sisters looked on. While Hinnant was riding his bike in the front yard of his father’s North Carolina home, Sessoms, his neighbor, reportedly ran across the yard and shot the child in the head point-blank. One neighbor witnessed the incident, as did the boy’s 7- and 8-year-old sisters.
‘My first reaction was he’s playing with the kids’” said Doris Lybrand, the neighbor who saw Sessoms run across the lawn and shoot the boy. For a second, I thought, ‘That couldn’t happen.’ People don’t run across the street and kill kids.’ … The boy’s father dashed out to his son, screaming and holding his bleeding body. Hinnant was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
… As the blaze of manufactured conflict continues, be mindful of the media’s framing. Note not only their sins of commission as they intentionally divide Americans over the color of their skin, but also their sins of omission as they ignore victims that cut against the “America is racist” narrative, such as the many victims of black-on-black crime. Today, the victim they’ve ignored is Cannon Hinnant.
Will the mainstream media say his name?”
No Punishment for Portland Protesters
Since the riots and protests began on May 29, supposedly inspired by George Floyd’s death, there are roughly 550 misdemeanor and felony charges pending in Portland.
But according to Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, protesters can only be charged with assault, theft or property damage in a new retroactive policy. From The Daily Caller:
“The policy comes as Schmidt says the DA’s office needs to ‘recognize that we will undermine public safety, not promote it, if we leverage the force of our criminal justice system against peaceful protestors who are demanding to be heard,’ according to an official statement.
‘We will presumptively decline to charge cases where the most serious offenses are city ordinance violations and crimes that do not involve deliberate property damage, theft, or the use or threat of force against another person,’ according to Schmidt.
The DA will not prosecute those charged with interfering with a police officer, disorderly conduct, criminal trespass, harassment (when classified as a misdemeanor) or rioting unless accompanied by one of the three acceptable charges.
Schmidt is also calling for charges to be dropped after victims, whose harm was financial, are compensated, or the charged individual has made amends to the community.”
In the latest example of the devastating impact violent riots are having throughout the country, The Ronald McDonald House in Chicago was vandalized during the violent looting Monday morning while more than 30 families and their sick children were inside, according to the foundation. The Ronald McDonald House provides a home and resources for families and sick children while their children receive medical treatment at a nearby hospital.
“[We were] very concerned there was a lot of activity right in front of the house, people making choices that could put them at risk and put our families at risk, so the staff was frightened,” Lisa Mitchell, of Ronald McDonald House Charities, told ABC 7 Chicago.
“They are already in a really, really difficult spot,” she said of the families. “Having this kind of additional stress and worry about getting to and from the hospital even though we are five blocks away because of safety concerns is just doubling the strain.”
Kelsey Bolar is a senior policy analyst at Independent Women’s Forum and a contributor to The Federalist. She is also the Thursday editor of BRIGHT, and the 2017 Tony Blankley Chair at The Steamboat Institute. She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband, daughter, and Australian Shepherd, Utah.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list
Note: By using some of the links above, Bright may be compensated through the Amazon Affiliate program and Magic Links. However, none of this content is sponsored and all opinions are our own.
Aug 13, 2020 01:00 am
Kamala Harris is a dangerous and malevolent political opportunist who doesn’t belong in the same zip code as the White House. Read More…
Aug 13, 2020 01:00 am
Jerry Falwell, Jr., one of Donald Trump’s most vocal evangelical supporters is now out at Liberty University. We’ve seen this pattern many times now. Read More…
Aug 13, 2020 01:00 am
If you still believe in the global warming hysteria movement, you should face reality and dump wind and solar for nuclear. Read More…
Biden minion high-fives reporters covering campaign: ‘We did it, guys’
Aug 13, 2020 01:00 am
They are trying to sell so many illusions – that he is capable of performing the duties of his office and Kamala Harris is a moderate pragmatist, for example – that pretending that the media are unbiased may be a bridge too far. Read more…
Kamala Harris and the Dems’ identity politics bingo
Aug 13, 2020 01:00 am
Democrats look to woo voters based on their candidates’ ethnicity, skin-color and genitalia. No care seems to be given as to whether political candidates are likely to be any good at representing their constituents Read more…
To better understand the COVID-19 mortality rate in the U.S., Steve Deace compiled data from the official Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website and shared the information on Tuesday’s episode of the Steve Deace Show.Deace and his team independently pieced together the information released by the CDC to the general public with the goal … Read more
Christians say, with the apostle Paul, that for us to live is Christ, and to die is gain — yet at the very thought of death, so many of our churches slammed our doors shut and are keeping them closed. What does that say about our faith?
If suburban voters begin to understand what Biden’s housing rule would mean for their communities, many would flock back to Trump, irrespective of what they think of his tweets.
‘It’s because they can’t defeat the pro-gun movement, they can’t achieve their legislative agenda, and so rather than win on the merits of the argument, they try to silence’ the NRA, says Larry Keane.
‘WAP’ is brazen and brash, and we’re probably meant to believe it’s empowering, but what it really does is deprive sex of mystery and remove seduction from the process.
A devastating new policy report provides data on how conservatives are sidelined in western academia. Now, conservatives have to decide what to do about it.
‘My primary goal is to wake up as many patriots as possible and get as many involved to help save America, because right now oppressive leftism is kicking the door and making its way in,’ O’Handley says.
The NBA routinely fails to stand up for freedom, so don’t expect LeBron James to tweet about Agnes Chow’s arrest or push for ‘StandwithHK’ on NBA jerseys.
The Transom is a daily email newsletter written by publisher of The Federalist Ben Domenech for political and media insiders, which arrives in your inbox each morning, collecting news, notes, and thoughts from around the web.
“You must read The Transom. With brilliant political analysis and insight into the news that matters most, it is essential to understanding this incredible moment in history. I read it every day!” – Newt Gingrich
It takes a lot to get me truly outraged. I don’t necessarily have anger-management issues, but I try to keep my cool at all times, even when I’m upset over something. The lack of coverage of 5-year-old Cannon Hinnant’s murder has me absolutely outraged to the point I could barely finish recording the latest episode of Conservative News Briefs.
The young boy was riding his bicycle with his two sisters when he went onto a neighbor’s lawn. That neighbor, Darius N. Sessoms, 25, allegedly walked up to the child and shot him in the head with a firearm. He is in custody. This is big news that goes beyond local coverage. At least it should. It’s being picked up around the world by major news outlets like The Independent in the United Kingdom. But in the United States where it happened, the big mainstream media outlets other than Fox News are completely ignoring it.
Why? Because Hinnant was a young Caucasian boy and his suspected murderer is Black. If the situation were different and a Black boy was killed by a Caucasian man, this would be the biggest story across the board on CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, NBC, NY Times, Washington Post, and all the other leftist mainstream media rags. Instead, we’re hearing a deafening silence. None of them have even mentioned Cannon Hinnant’s name other than in local affiliate broadcasts.
Yesterday a 5 year old was riding his bike playing outside his house with his two sisters. His neighbor with already multiple felony charges walked up to him and shot him dead at point blank. FIVE YEARS OLD JFC. Where the hell is the media coverage?
Same group of people plastered Covington kids on front page – a total hoax, by the way – now want to claim that they won’t report on Cannon Hinnant, because it’s a “local news story.”
A five-year-old child was murdered in cold blood – shot at close range while riding his bike, by a man who crossed a street to put the gun up to his head. My question: why not call it what it was? Execution of an innocent child.
This is 100% about the Black Lives Matter movement. They won’t report it just like they won’t report murders in Chicago that are predominantly committed against Black men by Black men. It’s why they wont’ report violence in leftist cities like Portland or Seattle because it’s violence in the name of Black Lives Matter; to mainstream media, they’re just “mostly peaceful protesters.” They have an agenda that combines their allegiance to the Democratic Party and their embrace of the Neo-Marxist push by Black Lives Matter.
There is nothing more racist that mainstream media can do than to ignore a story about a child’s murder because he didn’t fit their agenda. CNN, MSNBC, NY Times, and WaPo are evil. Cannon Hinnant. Say his name.
COVID-19 may take down an independent news outlet
Nobody said running a media site would be easy. We could use some help keeping this site afloat.
Colleagues have called me the worst fundraiser ever. My skills are squarely rooted on the journalistic side of running a news outlet. Paying the bills has never been my forte, but we’ve survived. We have ads on the site that help, but since the site’s inception this has been a labor of love that otherwise doesn’t bring in the level of revenue necessary to justify it.
When I left a nice, corporate career in 2017, I did so knowing I wouldn’t make nearly as much money. But what we do at NOQ Report to deliver the truth and fight the progressive mainstream media narrative that has plagued this nation is too important for me to sacrifice it for the sake of wealth. We know we’ll never make a ton of money this way, and we’re okay with that.
Things have become harder with the coronavirus lockdowns. Both ad money and donations that have kept us afloat for a while have dropped dramatically. We thought we could weather the storm, but the so-called “surge” or “2nd-wave” that mainstream media and Democrats are pushing has put our prospects in jeopardy. In short, we are now in desperate need of financial assistance.
The best way NOQ Report readers can help is to donate. Our Giving Fuel page makes it easy to donate one-time or monthly. Alternatively, you can donate through PayPal as well. We need approximately $11,500 to stay afloat for the rest of 2020, but more would be wonderful and any amount that brings us closer to our goal is greatly appreciated.
The second way to help is to become a partner. We’ve strongly considered seeking angel investors in the past but because we were paying the bills, it didn’t seem necessary. Now, we’re struggling to pay the bills. This shouldn’t be the case as our traffic the last year has been going up dramatically. June, 2018, we had 11,678 visitors. A year later in June, 2019, we were up to 116,194. In June, 2020, we had 614,192. We’re heading in the right direction and we believe we’re ready talk to patriotic investors who want to not only “get in on the action” but more importantly who want to help America hear the truth. Interested investors should contact me directly with the contact button above.
Election year or not, coronavirus lockdowns or not, anarchic riots or not, the need for truthful journalism endures. But in these times, we need as many conservative media voices as possible. Please help keep NOQ Report going.
Join fellow patriots as we form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. The coronavirus crisis has prompted many, even some conservatives, to promote authoritarianism. It’s understandable to some extent now, but it must not be allowed to embed itself in American life. We currently have 8000+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.
At 25-years-old, rising Republican star Madison Cawthorn will be the youngest member of Congress when he’s sworn in next January. He’s practically guaranteed a victory in a district that saw White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows win by 30-40 points every election before joining the Trump administration. But leftists are trying to smear Cawthorn over an image they believe is associated with this alleged racist beliefs.
The problem is, for anyone to see the image as racist, they’d have to completely ignore everything other than the leftist narrative. The circumstances and context all tell a different story, which is why progressive media is ignoring it.
I don’t cower to the mob. The new Republican Party that I represent will fight back against liberal lies.
The post from his Instagram featured a photograph of Cawthorn and his brother at Eagle’s Nest, a historical site that Hitler is known to have used as a vacation retreat.
“The vacation house of the Führer. Seeing the Eagles Nest has been on my bucket list for awhile, it did not disappoint. Strange to hear so many laughs and share such a good time with my brother where only 79 years ago a supreme evil shared laughs and good times with his compatriots,” wrote Cawthorn in the post from July 2017.
Cawthorn said that he took his photograph in the same spirit as U.S. military forces did later to celebrate their defeat of the Nazi threat.
Another fake news controversy:
When our soldiers were photographed at the Eagle’s Nest in 1945 they were clearly celebrating the Allies triumph over one of the greatest evils in human history. They weren’t celebrating evil; they were celebrating their victory over evil. pic.twitter.com/K4rbSGjYqX
Referring to Adolf Hitler as “supreme evil” in context of the image clearly shows no support for the Nazi leader, but leave it to leftist media to ignore that context. Welcome to being a Republican politician, Madison Cawthorn.
COVID-19 may take down an independent news outlet
Nobody said running a media site would be easy. We could use some help keeping this site afloat.
Colleagues have called me the worst fundraiser ever. My skills are squarely rooted on the journalistic side of running a news outlet. Paying the bills has never been my forte, but we’ve survived. We have ads on the site that help, but since the site’s inception this has been a labor of love that otherwise doesn’t bring in the level of revenue necessary to justify it.
When I left a nice, corporate career in 2017, I did so knowing I wouldn’t make nearly as much money. But what we do at NOQ Report to deliver the truth and fight the progressive mainstream media narrative that has plagued this nation is too important for me to sacrifice it for the sake of wealth. We know we’ll never make a ton of money this way, and we’re okay with that.
Things have become harder with the coronavirus lockdowns. Both ad money and donations that have kept us afloat for a while have dropped dramatically. We thought we could weather the storm, but the so-called “surge” or “2nd-wave” that mainstream media and Democrats are pushing has put our prospects in jeopardy. In short, we are now in desperate need of financial assistance.
The best way NOQ Report readers can help is to donate. Our Giving Fuel page makes it easy to donate one-time or monthly. Alternatively, you can donate through PayPal as well. We need approximately $11,500 to stay afloat for the rest of 2020, but more would be wonderful and any amount that brings us closer to our goal is greatly appreciated.
The second way to help is to become a partner. We’ve strongly considered seeking angel investors in the past but because we were paying the bills, it didn’t seem necessary. Now, we’re struggling to pay the bills. This shouldn’t be the case as our traffic the last year has been going up dramatically. June, 2018, we had 11,678 visitors. A year later in June, 2019, we were up to 116,194. In June, 2020, we had 614,192. We’re heading in the right direction and we believe we’re ready talk to patriotic investors who want to not only “get in on the action” but more importantly who want to help America hear the truth. Interested investors should contact me directly with the contact button above.
Election year or not, coronavirus lockdowns or not, anarchic riots or not, the need for truthful journalism endures. But in these times, we need as many conservative media voices as possible. Please help keep NOQ Report going.
Join fellow patriots as we form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. The coronavirus crisis has prompted many, even some conservatives, to promote authoritarianism. It’s understandable to some extent now, but it must not be allowed to embed itself in American life. We currently have 8000+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.
The election calculus in 2020 is completely different from what it was in 2016. Against Hillary Clinton, it was easily predictable that Donald Trump would win because the left wasn’t looking at key indicators. They were going by polls alone. They won’t make the same mistake in 2020 and they won’t assume they’ll win no matter what the polls say.
In 2016, mainstream media was against candidate Trump and social media was generally left-leaning, though much more balanced than today. In 2020, mainstream media has tripled-down on the propaganda and Big Tech has gone from left-leaning to unambiguous pro-Democrat social justice platforms that will do everything in their power to make sure Joe Biden and Kamala Harris win. Conservatives can no longer be a silent majority because the all-important Independents may not get the message. It’s up to us to get loud, get aggressive, and spread the truth in light of mainstream and social media’s lies.
In this, the 100th episode of NOQ Report, I was joined by Gatekeepers Online founder and Freedom First Network co-founder Jeff Dornik. He’s the one who got me into podcasting in the first place, so it seemed fitting to have him on the show.
Complacency is the greatest risk to Republican victories in November. We cannot sit back and expect a repeat of 2016 because the chips are all stacked against us more so than they were four years ago. Vocal NeverTrump “conservatives” are on the warpath. The elevation of Kamala Harris by the media is nearly ludicrous but, unfortunately, effective. We have to activate our full power now or this nation will be lost.
If you’re a conservative sitting back and expecting a repeat of 2016, then you’re not looking at the situation properly. The force against President Trump in 2020 is far greater. WE must stand up and do more than just vote. We need to spread the truth.
COVID-19 may take down an independent news outlet
Nobody said running a media site would be easy. We could use some help keeping this site afloat.
Colleagues have called me the worst fundraiser ever. My skills are squarely rooted on the journalistic side of running a news outlet. Paying the bills has never been my forte, but we’ve survived. We have ads on the site that help, but since the site’s inception this has been a labor of love that otherwise doesn’t bring in the level of revenue necessary to justify it.
When I left a nice, corporate career in 2017, I did so knowing I wouldn’t make nearly as much money. But what we do at NOQ Report to deliver the truth and fight the progressive mainstream media narrative that has plagued this nation is too important for me to sacrifice it for the sake of wealth. We know we’ll never make a ton of money this way, and we’re okay with that.
Things have become harder with the coronavirus lockdowns. Both ad money and donations that have kept us afloat for a while have dropped dramatically. We thought we could weather the storm, but the so-called “surge” or “2nd-wave” that mainstream media and Democrats are pushing has put our prospects in jeopardy. In short, we are now in desperate need of financial assistance.
The best way NOQ Report readers can help is to donate. Our Giving Fuel page makes it easy to donate one-time or monthly. Alternatively, you can donate through PayPal as well. We need approximately $11,500 to stay afloat for the rest of 2020, but more would be wonderful and any amount that brings us closer to our goal is greatly appreciated.
The second way to help is to become a partner. We’ve strongly considered seeking angel investors in the past but because we were paying the bills, it didn’t seem necessary. Now, we’re struggling to pay the bills. This shouldn’t be the case as our traffic the last year has been going up dramatically. June, 2018, we had 11,678 visitors. A year later in June, 2019, we were up to 116,194. In June, 2020, we had 614,192. We’re heading in the right direction and we believe we’re ready talk to patriotic investors who want to not only “get in on the action” but more importantly who want to help America hear the truth. Interested investors should contact me directly with the contact button above.
Election year or not, coronavirus lockdowns or not, anarchic riots or not, the need for truthful journalism endures. But in these times, we need as many conservative media voices as possible. Please help keep NOQ Report going.
Join fellow patriots as we form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. The coronavirus crisis has prompted many, even some conservatives, to promote authoritarianism. It’s understandable to some extent now, but it must not be allowed to embed itself in American life. We currently have 8000+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.
It’s one thing to show a blatant disregard for Constitutional principles and basic human rights, quite another to laugh at the prospect. But Kamala Harris did exactly that last year during a Democratic presidential primary debate.
The left’s socialist national agenda on basic human rights has become so extreme that it can only gain traction in the aftermath of mass murder tragedy. They are very much like a boa constrictor snake waiting for its prey to exhale before it contracts, then waiting for the next opportunity. Such was the case last year when some mass murder tragedies gave it a chance to try and make the case for gun confiscation.
Ironically enough, it was Joe Biden acting as the voice of reason in the exchange. Further on in the clip, Ms. Harris worked to exploit other people’s pain for her political gain. This highlights why the nation’s socialist left has to wait for tragedy, and why they are woefully unprepared to debate the issue during normal times.
Which means that we of the pro-liberty right need to take this into consideration and make the case for liberty when the left doesn’t have the crutch of mass murder to prop them up. They always talk about having a ‘conversation.’ Now would be the time to do so and point out to everyone that a vote for Biden/Harris is a vote for gun confiscation – while they laugh about the prospect.
COVID-19 may take down an independent news outlet
Nobody said running a media site would be easy. We could use some help keeping this site afloat.
Colleagues have called me the worst fundraiser ever. My skills are squarely rooted on the journalistic side of running a news outlet. Paying the bills has never been my forte, but we’ve survived. We have ads on the site that help, but since the site’s inception this has been a labor of love that otherwise doesn’t bring in the level of revenue necessary to justify it.
When I left a nice, corporate career in 2017, I did so knowing I wouldn’t make nearly as much money. But what we do at NOQ Report to deliver the truth and fight the progressive mainstream media narrative that has plagued this nation is too important for me to sacrifice it for the sake of wealth. We know we’ll never make a ton of money this way, and we’re okay with that.
Things have become harder with the coronavirus lockdowns. Both ad money and donations that have kept us afloat for a while have dropped dramatically. We thought we could weather the storm, but the so-called “surge” or “2nd-wave” that mainstream media and Democrats are pushing has put our prospects in jeopardy. In short, we are now in desperate need of financial assistance.
The best way NOQ Report readers can help is to donate. Our Giving Fuel page makes it easy to donate one-time or monthly. Alternatively, you can donate through PayPal as well. We need approximately $11,500 to stay afloat for the rest of 2020, but more would be wonderful and any amount that brings us closer to our goal is greatly appreciated.
The second way to help is to become a partner. We’ve strongly considered seeking angel investors in the past but because we were paying the bills, it didn’t seem necessary. Now, we’re struggling to pay the bills. This shouldn’t be the case as our traffic the last year has been going up dramatically. June, 2018, we had 11,678 visitors. A year later in June, 2019, we were up to 116,194. In June, 2020, we had 614,192. We’re heading in the right direction and we believe we’re ready talk to patriotic investors who want to not only “get in on the action” but more importantly who want to help America hear the truth. Interested investors should contact me directly with the contact button above.
Election year or not, coronavirus lockdowns or not, anarchic riots or not, the need for truthful journalism endures. But in these times, we need as many conservative media voices as possible. Please help keep NOQ Report going.
Join fellow patriots as we form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. The coronavirus crisis has prompted many, even some conservatives, to promote authoritarianism. It’s understandable to some extent now, but it must not be allowed to embed itself in American life. We currently have 8000+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.
It’s been a while since I’ve done an episode of Non-Compliant America. It’s not that the need to not comply is any less today than it was before. It’s just that we’re in a strange time period in which there is so much news, so many things to fight, that NCA got pushed back a bit. No problem. Here’s a new episode, and it’s an important one.
Here’s how mainstream media is trying to paint Kamala Harris:
Now that she’s the top of the Democratic ticket, they’re going to do everything in their power to convince people she’s not a radical progressive. And yes, she’s the top of the ticket. 55% of Americans do not believe Joe Biden would finish his term. If they win, she will be President of the United States within weeks, perhaps months following their inauguration. It likely will not take years before that happens. This is why mainstream media is so bent on selling her to the people.
She believes in open borders, going so far as the call ICE equivalent to the KKK. She believes in single-payer healthcare with some variation of Medicare-for-All. She believes in the Green New Deal and not because of its environmental properties but because it would push us into Modern Monetary Theory.
Kamala Harris is neither pragmatic nor a moderate. She is a Green New Deal loving, Medicare-for-All pushing radical progressive who has a penchant for trying her hardest to be “woke.” The “moderate” narrative must be demolished… by us.
COVID-19 may take down an independent news outlet
Nobody said running a media site would be easy. We could use some help keeping this site afloat.
Colleagues have called me the worst fundraiser ever. My skills are squarely rooted on the journalistic side of running a news outlet. Paying the bills has never been my forte, but we’ve survived. We have ads on the site that help, but since the site’s inception this has been a labor of love that otherwise doesn’t bring in the level of revenue necessary to justify it.
When I left a nice, corporate career in 2017, I did so knowing I wouldn’t make nearly as much money. But what we do at NOQ Report to deliver the truth and fight the progressive mainstream media narrative that has plagued this nation is too important for me to sacrifice it for the sake of wealth. We know we’ll never make a ton of money this way, and we’re okay with that.
Things have become harder with the coronavirus lockdowns. Both ad money and donations that have kept us afloat for a while have dropped dramatically. We thought we could weather the storm, but the so-called “surge” or “2nd-wave” that mainstream media and Democrats are pushing has put our prospects in jeopardy. In short, we are now in desperate need of financial assistance.
The best way NOQ Report readers can help is to donate. Our Giving Fuel page makes it easy to donate one-time or monthly. Alternatively, you can donate through PayPal as well. We need approximately $11,500 to stay afloat for the rest of 2020, but more would be wonderful and any amount that brings us closer to our goal is greatly appreciated.
The second way to help is to become a partner. We’ve strongly considered seeking angel investors in the past but because we were paying the bills, it didn’t seem necessary. Now, we’re struggling to pay the bills. This shouldn’t be the case as our traffic the last year has been going up dramatically. June, 2018, we had 11,678 visitors. A year later in June, 2019, we were up to 116,194. In June, 2020, we had 614,192. We’re heading in the right direction and we believe we’re ready talk to patriotic investors who want to not only “get in on the action” but more importantly who want to help America hear the truth. Interested investors should contact me directly with the contact button above.
Election year or not, coronavirus lockdowns or not, anarchic riots or not, the need for truthful journalism endures. But in these times, we need as many conservative media voices as possible. Please help keep NOQ Report going.
Join fellow patriots as we form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. The coronavirus crisis has prompted many, even some conservatives, to promote authoritarianism. It’s understandable to some extent now, but it must not be allowed to embed itself in American life. We currently have 8000+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.
Does the left even listen to its own rhetoric? We’re not referring to the laudable goal of judging people by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Their words demonstrate that they have long abandoned that sense of racial equality for the cult of intersectionality.
We’re referring to tiresome talking points that we’ve been flogged with for decades and in particular the past few months. This is their cherished belief that sexism and systematic racism are such a flaw in the nation that the only way to correct it is to burn it all down and start over or in the vernacular of Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’ whatever that means.
That no one of certain characteristics can get ahead because of this supposedly inherent and thus intractable flaw. If that is the case, then placing Kamala Harris on the ticket would mean it’s destined to lose.
The nation is either racist and sexist to the core or it’s not
Consider two scenarios of what is taking place in the nation. The first is that it is riddled with racism and sexism because of past sins. These reach back to 1619 and have never been fully resolved. This “systemic racism” bubbles beneath the surface of polite society like the magma under a volcano, never really talked about but always ready to ruin the aspiring career of certain people in our society.
In this situation, the candidacy of Kamala Harris is doomed to failure, as would be the case with any of those who fall into this category. Systemic racism means that many will not vote for her, thus there is no reason to place her on the ticket since it can never win.
The second scenario is that while the nation had these dreadful ideas in the past. We have made great strides in overcoming racism and sexism to the point that anyone can aspire to the highest office in the land. This means that sexism or systemic racism isn’t a threat to having her on the ticket, so there is no downside to this selection.
The bottom line: Witnessing the end of sexism and systemic racism
Note the date August 11, 2020, in your diaries as the day that sexism and systematic racism officially ended in the United States. If these were still a problem, it would be a losing proposition to place Kamala Harris on the nominating slate. Thus the nation’s socialist left has demonstrated they don’t even believe their own words. Were these still a significant problem. The prospect of winning would overcome the desire to choose someone based on sex and skin color.
Above all else, the left wants to win and gain power, no matter what it takes. If the country were as they claim, they would avoid defeat, selecting someone else who had better prospects. But that isn’t the case. Sexism and systemic racism aren’t the problems that they incessantly claim.
COVID-19 may take down an independent news outlet
Nobody said running a media site would be easy. We could use some help keeping this site afloat.
Colleagues have called me the worst fundraiser ever. My skills are squarely rooted on the journalistic side of running a news outlet. Paying the bills has never been my forte, but we’ve survived. We have ads on the site that help, but since the site’s inception this has been a labor of love that otherwise doesn’t bring in the level of revenue necessary to justify it.
When I left a nice, corporate career in 2017, I did so knowing I wouldn’t make nearly as much money. But what we do at NOQ Report to deliver the truth and fight the progressive mainstream media narrative that has plagued this nation is too important for me to sacrifice it for the sake of wealth. We know we’ll never make a ton of money this way, and we’re okay with that.
Things have become harder with the coronavirus lockdowns. Both ad money and donations that have kept us afloat for a while have dropped dramatically. We thought we could weather the storm, but the so-called “surge” or “2nd-wave” that mainstream media and Democrats are pushing has put our prospects in jeopardy. In short, we are now in desperate need of financial assistance.
The best way NOQ Report readers can help is to donate. Our Giving Fuel page makes it easy to donate one-time or monthly. Alternatively, you can donate through PayPal as well. We need approximately $11,500 to stay afloat for the rest of 2020, but more would be wonderful and any amount that brings us closer to our goal is greatly appreciated.
The second way to help is to become a partner. We’ve strongly considered seeking angel investors in the past but because we were paying the bills, it didn’t seem necessary. Now, we’re struggling to pay the bills. This shouldn’t be the case as our traffic the last year has been going up dramatically. June, 2018, we had 11,678 visitors. A year later in June, 2019, we were up to 116,194. In June, 2020, we had 614,192. We’re heading in the right direction and we believe we’re ready talk to patriotic investors who want to not only “get in on the action” but more importantly who want to help America hear the truth. Interested investors should contact me directly with the contact button above.
Election year or not, coronavirus lockdowns or not, anarchic riots or not, the need for truthful journalism endures. But in these times, we need as many conservative media voices as possible. Please help keep NOQ Report going.
Join fellow patriots as we form a grassroots movement to advance the cause of conservatism. The coronavirus crisis has prompted many, even some conservatives, to promote authoritarianism. It’s understandable to some extent now, but it must not be allowed to embed itself in American life. We currently have 8000+ patriots with us in a very short time. If you are interested, please join us to receive updates.
by Gary Bauer: Putrid In Portland
The growing disrespect for law enforcement and the rule of law generally in Portland is beyond absurd. Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced yesterday that his office would be dismissing the vast majority of charges brought against the rioters and thugs who have terrorized the city for the past 75 days.
Schmidt said he wanted to “honor the fact that they were there protesting and wanting to be heard.” Among the charges he is refusing to prosecute:
Interfering with a police officer
Disorderly conduct
Criminal trespass
Harassment
Escape in the 3rd degree
Riot (sometimes in some circumstances)
Schmidt added that his office will be scrutinizing charges of resisting arrest and assault on law enforcement officers “if those cases occurred when an individual was being teargassed or otherwise exposed to a use of force at the time of resistance.”
Why does that matter? Schmidt excused the resistance as the “instinctive reaction of people who have been gassed repeatedly, who have been struck with kinetic projectile weapons, and who have seen other protestors arrested in ways they deeply disapprove of.”
Perhaps it is time for law-abiding, patriotic Americans who live in Portland to start voting with their feet. They should start making plans to relocate to more rational areas of the country.
Omar Prevails
Islamic supremacist Rep. Ilhan Omar beat back a serious primary challenge last night from a very well-funded liberal candidate, Antone Melton-Meaux.
He criticized Omar for repeatedly missing votes, for funneling money to her new husband and for her blatant anti-Semitism. The biggest newspaper in Minnesota endorsed Melton-Meaux. None of it mattered.
Her crushing victory, 57% to 39%, is another example of what is happening in Joe Biden’s Democrat Party.
We’re wasting time if we think her reelection is because we’re delivering our arguments poorly or because we’re campaigning poorly. This district votes for Omar because Obama and Biden flooded it with refugees from Somalia, a country on fire with radical Islamism.
Part of the district is now known as “Little Mogadishu,” named after the city where dead American soldiers were dragged through the streets to cheering crowds.
That district has effectively seceded from the United States. It is an outpost of Islamist thought and passion in the heartland of America. It is the terrorist recruitment capital of America.
When Obama and Biden set out to fundamentally transform America, there were plenty of compassionate, well-meaning people, including some Christians, who thought that bringing thousands of Somalis into the country without checking their loyalty and values was a really good idea.
While many Somali-Americans are good and law-abiding Americans others are obviously willing to support an anti-American, anti-Semitic radical like Omar.
Now we have this poison inside Congress, a rising star in American politics, at the same time our children are being told America is evil. What could possibly go wrong?
If enough people like her are elected to office because of future immigration patterns, don’t worry about having a nice face mask for your wife. Imagine what she will look like under a veil.
“White House Siege”
The radical group behind the Occupy Wall Street movement is back. This time it is setting its sights on the White House. The group is calling on activists to “lay siege to the White House” for 50 days. The “revolution” begins on September 17th.
Remember the chaos BLM activists created outside the White House not that long ago? Dozens of Secret Service agentswere injured. They want those images on the nightly news every night for 50 days leading up to November 3rd.
Make no mistake about it: This chaos and turmoil is part of the left’s strategy. It is voter intimidation aimed at forcing the American people to elect the most extreme ticket in history so the left can ram its radical agenda down our throats.
Polling Propaganda
Here’s some good news: A well-respected political observer predicts that Joe Biden has a 71% chance of winning the election. How is that good news? Well, he also predicted that Hillary Clinton had a 71.4% chance of winning in 2016!
CNBC released a new poll today showing Biden leading Trump by six points. But one analysis of the poll finds that it grossly oversampled and undersampled certain demographics in ways that may have seriously skewed the results.
Yet when the samples are adjusted to reflect turnout in 2016, the race becomes a statistical tie.
My point is that far too many polls are being used not to measure public opinion, but are instead rigged in order to manipulate public opinion.
Kamala vs. Kavanaugh
As you know, many Democrats and the media are applauding Joe Biden’s selection of Sen. Kamala Harris to be his running mate. Many are hailing her nomination as “historic.” The New York Times is describing Harris as a “pragmatic moderate.”
Presidential nominees often seek to balance their ticket, and there’s no question that Harris offers various contrasts to Biden.
She provides a gender balance, a racial balance, a generational balance (she’s 55, Biden’s 77) and a geographic balance (she’s a left coast elitist and he’s an East coast elitist.)
While Biden is making an aggressive play for Catholic voters, Harris may not help his efforts. To begin with, Harris is proudly pro-abortion. She has a 100% pro-abortion voting record with Planned Parenthood.
But Harris also led the charge to publicly smear Brett Kavanaugh, a devout Catholic, when he was nominated to the Supreme Court.
During his confirmation hearing, Harris confronted Kavanaugh with a lurid letter alleging that he and a friend repeatedly raped a young woman.
The letter was signed “Jane Doe.” There was no return address. There were no reference of time or place in the letter. It was just another false charge. Yet, Harris ran with it to destroy a good man’s reputation.
The left-leaning group Politifact called out Harris for using a deceptively edited video to falsely suggest that Kavanaugh was against birth control. She also attempted to smear Kavanaugh as a racist, and later demanded his impeachment.
Yes, she is a “nasty” lady.
———————– Gary Bauer (@GaryLBauer) is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families
Tags:Gary Bauer, Putrid In Portland, Omar Prevails, White House SiegeTo share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!
by Bill Donohue: Once Catholic voters learn more about Kamala Harris’ positions on an array of moral issues, Joe Biden’s vice presidential pick will have a hard time winning them over.
To begin with, Harris has tainted herself with the brush of anti-Catholicism. In 2018, she sought to stop a Trump nominee for a seat on the federal bench simply because he was Catholic. In doing so, she invoked a religious test for the bench, a patently unconstitutional act.
Here is how I characterized the Catholic League’s effort to help the nominee for a federal district job; my remarks were published in the Catholic League’s “2019 Year in Review.”We were among the first to come to bat for [Brian] Buescher, and our effort paid off. After much haggling, he was seated on the court in August [2019].”
The day after Christmas, 2018, I unloaded on Harris for questioning the suitability of Buescher for the job. His offense? His affiliation with the Knights of Columbus. She objected to his membership in the Knights because it is pro-life. Of course it is—it is a Catholic entity. In short, her real target was the Catholic Church.
Her craving for abortion rights is so strong that in 2019 she bludgeoned pro-life activist David Daleiden for his undercover video work showing how abortion operatives harvest and sell aborted fetal organs. Unlike the American people, the vast majority of whom want restrictions on abortion, Harris insists there should be none. She led the fight against a 20-week abortion ban.
Last September, following a Democratic presidential candidate debate, Harris criticized ABC panelists for not asking about abortion. The debate, she said, “was three hours long and not one question about abortion or reproductive rights.” She is so pro-abortion that in 2015, in her capacity as California’s Attorney General, she sought to cripple crisis pregnancy centers with draconian regulations. She was sued and lost in the Supreme Court three years later.
Catholics will be delighted to know that Harris is a co-sponsor of “The Equality Act,” legislation that would effectively gut Catholic hospitals. As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops said, it would put freedom of speech, belief, and thought “at risk,” thus vitiating conscience rights. It would also disable the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act, making mince meat out of religious liberty.
Harris’ passion for gay rights led her to become the keynote speaker at the 2017 Human Rights Campaign dinner, the prominent homosexual entity. She thrilled the crowd, saying, “Together we’ll fight when Planned Parenthood clinics are being threatened to shut down.” The audience was ecstatic when she boasted that she “felt patriotic when on Valentine’s weekend in 2004, I performed marriages of gay couples at San Francisco Hall.”
What about men who think they are women, and vice versa? She’s fine with that. Do they belong in the military? Sure. What about biological males who think they are girls competing against real girls in girls’ sports? She loves it.
Harris’ persona is something to keep an eye on. She will fight to the end of the earth to keep black kids trapped in public schools, denying them the same school choice options she has exercised. Yet her stepchildren attended an elite private school in Los Angeles, Wildwood School, that costs about $44,000 a year. She made sure not to stick them in a public school.
If this shows her classist streak, her penchant for believing any sexual allegation made against men shows her sexist side. When Supreme Court nominee Bret Kavanaugh testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Harris said about Christine Blasey Ford’s accusations, “I believe her.” That was before Kavanaugh testified. A year later, after Ford’s tale was blown wide open, Harris tweeted that Kavanaugh “lied.”
Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax is another man whom Harris smeared. When he was charged with sexual assault, she immediately labeled it a “credible account.” The accusation died on the vine. He still has his job.
More seriously, when her running mate was charged with sexual assault last year, Harris said of his accusers, “I believe them and I respect them being able to tell their story and having the courage to do it.” She has never taken that back. Does she still believe Biden is a predator? If she hasn’t changed her mind, what does that make her?
Finally, Harris supports reparations for African Americans. That would not include her: her father is Jamaican and her mother was born in India. So she wouldn’t get a dime. But she would have to fork up lots of cash. Why? As her father disclosed—he is a Stanford University professor—one of her ancestors, Hamilton Brown, was a slave owner.
In fairness, then, if the average American has to pay X amount for slavery, Harris should at least have to pay 10X. Isn’t this what redistributive justice is all about? Catholics need to know.
————————- Bill Donohue (@CatholicLeague) is a sociologist and president of the Catholic League.
Tags:Bill Donohue, Catholic League, Kamala Harris, Catholic ProblemTo share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!
by Michelle Malkin: There’s bad blood between President Donald Trump and Comcast. It’s no secret.
The commander in chief nicknamed the telecom giant “Concast” for presiding over incessantly skewed media coverage of his campaign and administration. Comcast is the parent company of NBC News and MSNBC, whose notorious fake news media execs are “trying to poison the mind of the American voter” in President Trump’s view. On Twitter, he has called on supporters to drop the cable conglomerate for its “terrible service” and “go to a good provider” instead.
For their part, top Comcast execs and employees have forked over a whopping $213,974 in contributions to the Biden for President campaign. The Democratic presidential candidate held his first mega-fundraiser last April at the Philadelphia home of Comcast executive David Cohen, who oversees the firm’s corporate lobbying (which totaled more than $13 million last year). The very next day, after Cohen’s posh kickoff (which raked in more than $500,000), Comcast-owned NBC News communications director T.J. Ducklo left his position to serve as Biden’s national press secretary.
Against that backdrop, let us now consider what happened this week to Laura Loomer, the Trump-supporting conservative investigative journalist and fierce critic of big tech bias who is the GOP front-runner in Florida’s 21st congressional district — home to Mar-A-Lago and the Trumps’ official legal residence since last fall. If Loomer prevails in her Aug. 18 primary as widely expected, she will face four-term incumbent Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel and win an extraordinary opportunity to turn Trump’s long-blue home district red.
On Monday, Loomer discovered that Xfinity/Comcast had blocked voters from receiving her campaign texts and emails. Customers instead received an ominous warning that read: “Hold On! We blocked access” to Loomer’s messages because they were alleged to pose a threat to users’ devices “or contain dangerous content.” The company claims it was a “technical” glitch. One corporate spokesman in charge of engineering issues told me Monday afternoon that “the security alert had nothing to do with the content or sender of any communication.” Instead, he blamed “widely used third-party threat-intelligence services” for flagging Loomer’s texting provider.
When I asked which third-party intelligence services Comcast uses to determine what is and isn’t “dangerous,” the company would not specify. When I asked what new information led to the security red flag, the company could not or would not say, but suggested that a “phishing” scheme may have led to the warning. Curiously, Comcast decided in the wake of Loomer’s whistleblowing that it would override the third-party threat-intelligence services and generously “fix” and “resolve” the issue by unblocking her messages.
Here’s the thing: Loomer’s campaign has used the same texting provider all year without any problems until now. What changed? One spokesman shrugged the question off: “I don’t know why the timing issue is what it is,” he told me. Another D.C.-based Comcast communications official blithely dismissed any suggestion of political interference, emphasizing to me that Loomer “hasn’t won her primary yet” and that these types of incidents have happened before. When I asked for any other example of such glitches affecting political campaigns, she came up empty.
The posture of disinterest is unconvincing. It’s hard to accept the curious technical glitch that blocked Loomer from voters at a critical juncture in her high-profile upstart campaign — just one week before primary Election Day — at face value coming from a company that not only sides so overwhelmingly with Biden but has donated nearly $15,000 to Rep. Frankel (who is also a Comcast stockholder) since 2012.
The curious technical glitch robbing Loomer temporarily of her ability to communicate came just as her campaign was endorsed by GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida and former Nixon aide and veteran GOP operative Roger Stone. The technical system also just happened to glitch as Loomer made national news for her astonishing fund-raising haul — more than $1.1 million this cycle, despite being the most-banned woman in America, if not the planet.
You may recall that in 2018, the 27-year-old independent reporter was suspended permanently from Twitter (where she had built up a formidable following of more than 250,000 users) during the crucial midterm election season for blasting sharia-adherent Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. Paypal, Instagram, TeeSpring, Facebook, Uber, Uber Eats, Lyft, Venmo, GoFundMe and Medium all followed suit as Loomer exposed systemic tech censorship. China’s got nothing on America’s big tech overlords when it comes to silencing dissent and criticism.
Why is Loomer “dangerous”? It’s because she has almost singlehandedly unmasked Silicon Valley’s social credit system and its anti-American, free speech-squelching collaborators led by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Anti-Defamation League and the Council on Islamic-American Relations. She is the canary in the de-platforming coal mine. Her enemies are President Trump’s enemies, who’ve done everything in their coordinated power to crush him.
It strains credulity not to believe the corporate dirty tricksters and social justice handmaidens are doing everything between now and Aug. 18 — including, yes, election meddling–to stop Laura Loomer from disrupting the powers that be. Question the timing? Hell, yes.
—————————– Michelle Malkin is mother, wife, blogger, conservative syndicated columnist, and author. She shares many of her articles and thoughts at MichelleMalkin.com. H/T Rasmussen Reports.
Tags:Michelle Malkin, Rasmussen Reports, Is Biden-Loving Comcast, Meddling in, Loomer’s Campaign? To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!
by John Stossel: Black Lives Matter protests led many people to want to do something useful to reduce racial injustice. Racial justice groups are being flooded with money.
Big companies made multimillion-dollar donations.
“Bad idea,” says Black radio host Larry Elder in my new video.
“It is condescending… and not helpful. I urge white people to chill. Stop helping us, because you’re making things worse!”
Making things worse, he says, because it supports the activists’ claim that “Blacks are victims of racism. (But) if racism were in America’s DNA, Obama never could have got elected. Racism has never been more insignificant a factor in one’s success than right now.”
I push back. “It must be a huge problem or there wouldn’t be all this protest!”
“Well, they’re being lied to,” Elder responds. Teachers, Black activists and the media give “young people the impression that racism remains this huge problem in America when it is not.”
It’s not, he says, because today any person who does three things can succeed: “Finish high school, don’t have a kid until you get married, get a job. Do those things, you will not be poor.”
The biggest problem facing the Black community today, says Elder, is the absence of fathers. In the 1960s, most Black children were raised in two-parent households. That changed when our government’s War on Poverty began.
The handouts sent the message that it’s the government’s job, not your responsibility, to take care of you and your kids. “A mother with two children makes more money than she would make on minimum wage because of all the goodies she gets through the welfare state!”
Now, he says, Black Lives Matter actually encourages the breakup of families. Their website does say, “disrupt the Western-prescribed, nuclear family.”
That’s a Karl Marx idea straight from “The Communist Manifesto.” Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors proudly describes herself as a “trained Marxist.”
Elder calls her and the anti-capitalist protesters “phonies.”
“Do they really want socialism?” Elder asks. “Do they really want inferior products? They are all wearing Nike and using Apple products. They’re hypocrites.”
But they’re winning!
They are even redefining what racism means. Today’s “anti-racists” says racism means “any policy with an effect that is disproportionate.” So even a tax deduction is racist because on average, whites deduct more than Blacks.
“Anti-racism presumes things about the world that simply can’t be true,” says Kmele Foster, lead producer at Freethink. “We are all at bottom, whatever our race, individuals. Anti-racism takes that and flips it on its head.”
Recently, Washington’s Museum of African American History and Culture, part of the taxpayer-funded Smithsonian Institute, posted that “white culture” means things like “nuclear family,” “self-reliance,” “rigid time schedule” and “delayed gratification.”
The poster is “despicable,” says Foster. “It’s offensive to suggest that Black people can’t aspire to or possess all the values outlined in a document like this. Black people can be punctual. Black people are, in fact, successful in this country.”
The poster was removed, after complaints.
I wanted to ask Black Lives Matter about things like that. We contacted all 14 U.S. chapters. Not one would agree to an interview.
Too bad. I wanted to ask the “anti-racists” if they notice that they and white supremacists now support similar segregationist policies, like Blacks- (or whites-) only spaces. Foster points out that both white supremacists and anti-racists believe “race is an immutable attribute of who we are.”
He prefers Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision: a nation where “people are judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
“Black Lives Matter leaders don’t really want the vision of MLK,” says Elder. “They want a color-coordinated society — as long as they’re the ones who do the coordinating.”
———————– John Stosselis author of “No They Can’t! Why Government Fails — But Individuals Succeed.” Article shared byRasmussen Reports.
Tags:Anti-Racist Racists, John Stossel, Rasmussen Reports,To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!
by David Horowitz: The big news of the day is that Joe Biden has picked a running mate in Kamala Harris, a demagogic woman who called him a racist, and couldn’t win a primary in her own state because Democrat voters didn’t think she was “authentic.” Nonetheless, leftists at MSNBC and other DNC propaganda venues are falling over themselves calling the choice historic and inspiring because of her skin color. The Biden-Harris ticket is now a rallying cry for the hate-Trump-and-white-America left. According to MSNBC’s Joy Ann Reid, the Biden-Harris ticket will be greeted by a massive turnout of black America for the Democrats in November. Traditionally Democrats get over 90% of the black vote.
Not so fast. There were actually two events today. The other was the release of a Trump ad responding to Biden’s announcement. If the Republican ticket were headed by any Republican except Trump, there might be some reality to the claim that Harris adds a serious dimension to the ticket. A normal Republican would be skittish about going to the mat with the woman who if elected would – given Biden’s declining condition – be effectively the next president of the United States. After all, she’s black, and therefore untouchable.
But a look at Trump’s ad shows that, far from deferring to a political opportunist and serial liar like Harris because of her skin color, Trump is prepared to go to the mat to defeat her and her running mate. In other words, Trump is going into battle just as if Kamala were not black – or more accurately, brown (she’s half-Indian) – which is the true measure of equal treatment, albeit a measure that Democrats’ don’t really want. In the Trump ad the Biden-Harris ticket is skewered as “Sleepy Joe” and “Phony Kamala” – a sobriquet that underscores the Machiavellian character of a woman who called her running mate a racist before wooing him and whose only stable principle is “the ends justify the means.” In other words, Trump will take on the ticket with a woman chosen for her skin color with no punches pulled.
Not surprisingly, the Democrats’ elation at the Harris pick overlooks a reality unnoticed by ideologues who slander the president as a “white nationalist” and the most inclusive, integrated and equal nation in the world as “white supremacist.” This reality is on display in the just-released Rasmussen poll which shows that 36% of the black community supports Trump – up from 8% in the last election, and previous Republican runs. That is because Trump is the first Republican leader to actively and aggressively woo the black community and to deliver for them as well. Perhaps the most salient point of his delivery for this election is his support for the nation’s integrated and beleaguered police forces and the battle cry “law and order.”
According to Gallup, by a factor of 81% the black community feels threatened by the destruction of America’s cities at the hands of violent mobs who hide behind the slogan “Black Lives Matter” as they carry out their dirty work. Black America is against defunding police departments as Democrats have proposed. Black America embraces the central theme of Trump’s campaign: law and order. Where has Kamala Harris been on these issues, her skin color notwithstanding? Invisible. No calls from her to arrest the looters and arsonists, no criticism of the Democrat mayors whose hands-off policies and moral support for the “protesters” were indispensable to the mayhem, the injuries to thousands of officers, and the deaths of scores of people – mainly black – that followed.
The reality in America does not fit the leftist script. America is not a racist country. “Systemic racism,” the battle cry of Kamala’s leftist supporters and their puppy dog Biden, is a transparent myth. And therefore the mouthing of leftist clichés is not going to inspire communities “of color” as Democrats think.
I recently published a book on the wars against Trump, which has been six straight weeks on The New York Times best-seller list. A nasty review appearing in New York Magazine summarily dismissed it because of its title, calling it “bad timing.” That title is Blitz: Trump Will Smash the Left and Win. The book described the secret that made me so confident that despite being the most vilified and slandered human being in all history, Trump would prevail. Trump is a patriot and a populist but above all else a fighter. It was that fact that gave me the confidence that through all his wars he would continue to win. And now more than ever, I am confident my timing is good.
———————– David Horowitz is a Contributing Author at ARRA News Service
Tags:David Horowitz, FrontPage Mag, Why I Am Confident, Trump Will, Smash the Left, and WinTo share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!
by Gary Bauer: As promised, here is our special report on Sen. Kamala Harris. Please share it with friends and family members.
Biden’s Choice
Joe Biden has made his choice for a running mate – California Senator Kamala Harris. Predictably the lamestream media is describing her as a pragmatic moderate in the mainstream of American politics. That is totally false.
Harris is extremely left-wing. She votes with Bernie Sanders 92% of the time. The non-partisan site Govtrack ranked Harris as the 4th most liberal senator. For perspective, Elizabeth Warren was ranked as the 13th most liberal senator.
She was one of only nine senators who voted against the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, which funds our military and benefits for our servicemen and women. She opposed the Defense Authorization Act this year, saying, “I unequivocally agree with the goal of reducing the defense budget.”
Harris co-sponsored Bernie Sanders’s socialized healthcare scheme, Medicare For All.
As California’s attorney general, Harris began the prosecution/persecution of pro-life activist David Daleiden, who exposed Planned Parenthood’s illegal trafficking of aborted baby body parts.
Like Biden, Harris wants to crush the Little Sisters of the Poor because they refuse to support the abortion agenda. And she viciously attacked a federal court nominee because of his membership in a group that deeply disturbed her.
What was the group? The KKK? No. The Nazi Party? No. The Communist Party? No. The nominee was a member of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic men’s organization.
This is the most pro-abortion ticket in history.
On The Second Amendment
During the Democrat debates, Harris promised that if elected she would immediately introduce legislation to restrict the Second Amendment. And if she couldn’t get it passed in Congress, she would issue executive orders to ban firearms.
This is not like the orders Trump is being criticized for, which involve shuffling around money. Harris seems to think she has the power to repeal parts of the Constitution!
On Immigration
Harris supports decriminalizing illegal entry into the United States. She compared ICE agents to KKK terrorists, and embraced left-wing demands to “abolish ICE,” saying we should reexamine immigration enforcement by “starting from scratch.”
Harris & The Black Vote
Many pundits suggest that the “historic” selection of Kamala Harris as the first black woman on a presidential ticket will help Biden get the black vote. Well, she had trouble attracting black voters during the primaries.
Polls consistently showed that Biden got more of the black vote than she did. In fact, if she is such a “historic” candidate, why did Democrats reject her? In her home state of California, she peaked in the low 20s and finished at 7% when she dropped out.
The more people saw Harris, the worse she did. There’s virtually no evidence that she will attract young minority voters. In fact, she may repel them. She made up false stories to justify her hypocrisy on some popular issues with younger voters.
And while Harris campaigns as a social justice warrior today, even supporting Jussie Smollett, as a prosecutor and California’s attorney general, Harris denied justice to several wrongly convicted individuals. She even fought against advanced DNA testing to clear a potentially innocent man on death row.
Bashing Biden
During the presidential primary, Harris strongly suggested that Joe Biden is a racist. When multiple women came forward to accuse Biden of sexual harassment and even sexual assault, Harris said, “I believe the women.”
So, how ambitious is she? Let’s put it this way: Harris has been doing everything she could to be the running mate of a man she believes is a racist and a sexual harasser.
Trump vs. Harris?
The race may very well become a Trump vs. Harris contest. A recent Rasmussen poll found that 59% of Americans do not believe Joe Biden will finish his term in office. So a majority of Americans believe that Biden just picked the person who could well become president sometime in the next four years.
I don’t think it was an accident that President Trump was out last night immediately defining Harris. In many ways, she is his main opponent. While Vice President Pence will have the honor of debating her, I believe President Trump will be talking about Harris as much as he talks about Joe Biden.
We MUST defeat the Biden/Harris ticket.
——————— Gary Bauer (@GaryLBauer) is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families
by Garrett O’Leary: Everytown for Gun Safety, the group funded by billionaire and failed presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg, has pledged to spend big in this fall’s elections; specifically in battleground states to help boost the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee, Joe Biden.
The group plans to spend $15 million (of a larger $60 million campaign) on digital advertising in eight states as the Nov. 3 election approaches. The targeted states are Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas.
Florida, in particular, is where one third of that spending is intended to go, while another $3.5 million will be spent on six U.S. House of Representative races in Texas. Also, $1.5 million is earmarked for North Carolina, and a further $1.25 million will be spent in Arizona and Iowa Senate races.
A recent survey conducted by the National Shooting Sports Foundation found that only 17% of voters surveyed said “gun-related issues” were one of their top three areas of focus heading into the election. This finding, coupled with Everytown’s immense spending, could exacerbate the problem that many voters simply don’t realize just how radical Biden is. His election would paint an ominous future for the Second Amendment.
If last fall’s election results in Virginia can be duplicated by Everytown in other states, and at the federal level, the Second Amendment could be threatened like never before. Second Amendment-supporting Americans need to make their voices heard at the ballot box this November. ———————— Garrett O’Leary is an assistant editor at America’s 1st Freedom.
Tags:Michael Bloomberg, Second Amendment, Gun Rights, firearms, Garrett O’LearyTo share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!
Tags:Editorial Cartoon, AF Branco, Phony KamalaTo share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!
Google makes some really bizarre assertions in defense of their many, many thefts. None more bizarre than the male cow manure they’re currently pitching at the Supreme Court.
“If the Supreme Court legalizes Google’s mass heist – it begs a question:
“Why would anyone like Oracle and Sun spend all their time, effort and money developing and maintaining things like Java – if thieves like Google can then simply steal them?
“Hint: No one would. No new things would ever again be made. Because duh.
“Why go to all the time, trouble and expense of creating – if your creations are destined to be stolen?…
“(W)hat Google is really looking to dump – is reality.
“Google wants SCOTUS to rule against human nature.”
Google is also one of the planet’s biggest hypocrites when it comes to stealing. They steal as a matter of course. They steal before they actually think about what to do next.
But steal from Google – and Google ensures all Hell rains down upon you.
“Theft for me – not from me” – seems to be Google’s unofficial motto.
Google again went all the way after one such thief. And Their Monstrousness just received a favorable judicial outcome.
“Anthony Levandowski, a former Uber executive, was sentenced to 18-months in prison on Tuesday after pleading guilty to stealing proprietary self-driving car technology from Google, which he had previously worked for.
“Levandowski pleaded guilty to the theft of trade secrets in March. In his admission, Levandowski said that he had stolen over 20 files from the tech giant.”
Funny, Google readily – if inadvertently – admitted they stole 11,500 lines of Oracle’s Java code.
If you use 11,500 lines of code – and you enter into negotiations for licenses to use said 11,500 lines of code – you’re admitting you need permission to use said 11,500 lines of code.
If you then start selling the products containing those 11,500 lines of code – without having secured permission to use said 11,500 lines of code – you’re engaging in a heist.
And Google’s heist – has become really, truly massive.
“(U.S. District Judge William) Alsup said a sentence short of imprisonment would have given ‘a green light to every future brilliant engineer to steal trade secrets,’ comparing what Levandowski took to a ‘competitor’s game plan.’”
COMPLETELY CONTRADICTORY of the argument Google is making before the Supreme Court in defense of its theft from Oracle.
“‘(Levandowski)’s misconduct was enormously disruptive and harmful to Waymo, constituted a betrayal, and the financial effects would likely have been even more severe had it gone undetected,’ wrote Leo Cunningham, a lawyer representing Waymo.”
EXACTLY the point Oracle is making before the Supreme Court in seeking justice against Google.
Perhaps Oracle can add this Google lawyer to their legal team – against Google.
He’s making their case for them.
—————- Seton Motley is the President of Less Government and he contributes articles to ARRA News Service. Please feel free to follow him him on Facebook.
Tags:Seton Motley, Less Government, Google: Hey Justices, Let Us Steal…Hey, Someone Stop That Guy, He Stole Our StuffTo share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!
. . . The Mayor & Governor Putting People’s Lives At Risk’
by Robert Romano: “Portland, which is out of control, should finally, after almost 3 months, bring in the National Guard. The Mayor and Governor are putting people’s lives at risk. They will be held responsible. The Guard is ready to act immediately. The Courthouse is secured by Homeland!”
That was President Donald Trump on Twitter on Aug. 10, urging Oregon Democratic Governor Kate Brown to deploy the National Guard after a riot was declared in Portland, Oreg. when the Portland Police Association (PPA) building was set on fire.
For more than two months, federal law enforcement officials including the U.S. Marshals have had to defend the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse from violent protesters and rioters including Antifa, who have been attempting to burn it to the ground since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.
As the situation escalated on Aug. 9, Portland Police issued a warning on Twitter, stating, “Those near the PPA Office: Do not engage in criminal activities including, but not limited to, vandalism, unlawful entry to the building, or fire starting. Failure to adhere to this order may subject you to arrest and/or the use of crowd control munitions and/or tear gas.”
Portland Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler had a mixed message for rioters on Aug. 7. On one hand, as rioters converged on a police precinct, Wheeler declared, “You are not demonstrating, you are attempting to commit murder.”
On the other, the mayor appeared worried that the riots were helping President Donald Trump’s reelection bid: “Don’t think for a moment that if you are participating in this activity, you are not being a prop for the reelection campaign of Donald Trump — because you absolutely are… If you don’t want to be part of that, then don’t show up.”
And yet, Mayor Wheeler and Governor Brown are not putting the National Guard on the streets to restore order to the situation. Maybe they’re worried that might help Trump, too.
How does that work anyway? This gives the appearance that Wheeler and Brown are making life-and-death decisions on whether to protect government buildings including police precincts based on how it impacts the presidential election in November. That’s pretty twisted.
That’s what it looks like to the American people, too. A July 29-30 Rasmussen Reports poll found that 50 percent of likely voters believe political leaders in major cities like Portland and Seattle are facilitating violent protests by limiting police response. That includes 72 percent of Republicans, 33 percent of Democrats and 48 percent of unaffiliated voters who think Democrats are allowing the urban violence to spread. Only 31 percent of all voters disagreed. 19 percent were unsure.
In testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on July 28, Attorney General William Barr blasted the violence, saying, “What unfolds nightly around the courthouse cannot reasonably be called a protest; it is, by any objective measure, an assault on the Government of the United States.”
Barr explained the violence at the end of July, “In recent nights, rioters have barricaded the front door of the courthouse, pried plywood off the windows with crowbars, and thrown commercial-grade fireworks into the building in an apparent attempt to burn it down with federal personnel inside. The rioters have started fires outside the building, and then systematically attacked federal law enforcement officers who attempt to put them out—for example, by pelting the officers with rocks, frozen water bottles, cans of food, and balloons filled with fecal matter. A recent video showed a mob enthusiastically beating a Deputy U.S. Marshal who was trying to protect the courthouse – a property of the United States government funded by this Congress – from further destruction. A number of federal officers have been injured, including one severely burned by a mortar-style firework and three who have suffered serious eye injuries and may be permanently blind.”
Since that time, on July 29, Gov. Brown attempted to declare that federal law enforcement had “withdrawn” from Portland only to be contradicted by Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and President Trump.
“After my discussions with VP Pence and others, the federal government has agreed to withdraw federal officers from Portland,” Brown tweeted.
But Secretary Wolf stated in contradiction, “Our entire law enforcement presence that is currently in Portland yesterday and the previous week will remain Portland until we are assured that the courthouse and other federal facilities will no longer be attacked nightly and set afire… DHS law enforcement that are there today will remain in Portland until we are assured that Oregon State Police and plans that the governor has put together is successful… The entire DHS law enforcement presence in Portland will remain in Portland.”
On Aug. 10, Trump confirmed federal presence in Portland, affirming on Twitter, “The Courthouse is secured by Homeland!” And now, with the President’s call for Oregon to bring in the National Guard, the situation could be coming to a head, with Trump contemplating sending in the Guard on Brown’s behalf, as he has previously warned he would.
Under 10 U.S. Code § 252, “Whenever the President considers that unlawful obstructions, combinations, or assemblages, or rebellion against the authority of the United States, make it impracticable to enforce the laws of the United States in any State by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings, he may call into Federal service such of the militia of any State, and use such of the armed forces, as he considers necessary to enforce those laws or to suppress the rebellion.”
Enacted in 1792 in response to the Whiskey Rebellion and updated in 1795, in 1807 as the Insurrection Act, in 1861 and 1956, the law allows the President to restore civil order with or without a governor’s consent. It was used by George Washington to put down the Whiskey Rebellion, by Abraham Lincoln to wage the Civil War and by Dwight Eisenhower in 1957 when Arkansas attempted to use the Arkansas National Guard to block Brown v. Board of Education and Eisenhower federalized the Guard to enforce it. In Lincoln and Eisenhower’s cases, neither intervention was requested by state governors.
Which, Brown and Wheeler may simply lack the political will to do what is necessary to preserve law and order for fear it might help President Trump politically. That’s just too bad. Governor Brown and Mayor Wheeler must realize that if they refuse to restore civil order, President Trump is more than willing to step in and do it for them.
——————— Robert Romano is the Vice President of Public Policy at Americans for Limited Government.
Tags:Robert Romano, Americans for Limited Government, President Trump, Urges Portland, Oregon, Bring in the National GuardTo share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!
by Richard Finger: The disease may recede, but the stigma lingers. I have experienced it first hand as earlier this summer; my twenty-one-year-old daughter tested positive for COVID-19. Placing this data bit in the atmosphere receives hushed condolences as if revealing the contraction of an incurable venereal disease. Exile to a leper’s colony purged her Mark of Cain. She remained asymptomatic throughout her convalescence.
Paradoxically, neither my wife nor I tested positive, despite close contact with her in the days preceding. Over a month later, I cheerfully introduce her as a recent COVID survivor. The mood changes, the unease is palpable, and all confirm face coverings are hermetically sealed.
Humanity has fallen into dystopian existence. Incessant media bombardment convince COVID to be the Armageddon that will forever redefine the human race. Permanent radical behavioral shifts, masks, social distance, no restaurants, bars or theaters, social seclusion, become the new future. Methodically, through all the redundancy, a tectonic reposition of thought patterns occur.
Bike riders secure their face coverings, yet no humans stray within a hundred feet. Ditto to the shrouded fools riding alone in their cars or solitary women with strollers. Masked hikers on the mountain trails of Colorado assiduously avoid my uncovered appearance.
My advance reeks panic of approaching death. They move aside, bow heads in prayer-like posture, and for extra protection, place their hands over already camouflaged faces.
Such demeanor presupposes COVID disperses from the trees, the rivers, and mischievously lurks in crisp mountain air. People transform to vapid souls listlessly wandering the landscapes now devoid of internal electrical impulses remotely prompting they might question, much less rebel against, directives mandated by public officials. Shunning or worse for the pariah who dares resist the new orthodoxy. A complete indoctrination.
DEATH BY AGE
What if it’s all orchestrated misinformation?
CDC statistics show through August 1, there were nationwide, a total of 45 deaths of children 14 years old and younger. With 60.7 million children in this population demographic, the odds of dying from COVID calculate to about 1 in 1.35 million, well outside the top ten causes of death for this age group. I hypothesize most of these unfortunate 45 suffered from previous underlying medical issues.
Conversely, during the past four years, over 100 children younger than five years old annually died of seasonal flu. In the 2017-18 season, influenza deaths for this age group were as high as 600; yet no schools closed. More than halfway through 2019-2020, officially 186 have succumbed. Yet COVID has claimed only 25 lives of those less than five years old, or 14 percent of seasonal flu numbers. The fifteen to twenty-four-year-old group remains nearly as bulletproof with a loss of around 225 people on a 42 million population base.
California, breaking through 10,000 COVID deaths, recently reported its first death of a “young person” with the passing of a 17-year-old male. Like most, he suffered from a preexisting health condition. Approaching six hundred thousand cases, yet only one confirmed school-age death, disingenuous teachers’ unions and politicians miraculously deflect “safety of children” as one justification to keep schools shuttered.
The CDC discloses in only six percent of all coronavirus deaths, “COVID was the only cause” mentioned. For the other ninety-four percent, “there were 2.6 additional conditions or causes per death.” There were 115,495 fatalities where patients got admitted to the hospital with “influenza and/or pneumonia.” Another 93,393 checked in with respiratory failure, while 35,167 arrived amid cardiac arrest. Yet hospital administrators sign COVID on death certificates one hundred percent of the time. Early on, Dr. Deborah Birx publicized the probability that medical facilities overstate numbers of actual coronavirus fatalities.
Of U.S.165,000 casualties attributed to COVID, six percent translates that less than ten thousand fatalities were otherwise healthy. Eighty percent of all deaths occur in those over 65. One-third of the deceased is over 85, even though this group represents only around four percent of the total population. With 165,000 dead, approximately 133,000 have been these older adults. It is impossible to know the precise age breakdown of the unlucky ten thousand victims in robust health, but the CDC published that half of all eighty-year-olds entered hospitals free from other maladies. Given the asymmetric sacrifice the elderly have made, many of these victims must have been previously in sturdy condition. Therefore, probably more than eighty percent of healthy deaths were also over sixty-five. This leaves 2,000 or fewer vigorous individuals killed by COVID under sixty-five. The under 65 population represents 272 million or 84 percent of America’s total. That’s outstanding odds you will be a survivor.
American behavior now far transcends sensible risk aversion sliding toward a surreal Twilight Zone.
Hospitals have every incentive to treat every admission as a coronavirus patient. Medicare will make a lump sum payment of $5,000 to a hospital for a pneumonia diagnosis, but the amount ricochets to $13,000 if the doctor determines COVID with pneumonia. Stick that COVID patient on a ventilator for 96 hours, and the reimbursement skyrockets to $39,000. How many manipulated for-profit death certificates signed “COVID” were in actuality from other medical issues? I confirmed with a doctor at a major Houston hospital pressure tactics exist, that, if a patient has COVID, to designate COVID as the cause of death, regardless of whether the victim was a 500-pound diabetic with cancer who had a heart attack.
Hospitals become even more motivated since many locations have continuing restrictions on elective surgeries, depriving a significant income source. In another questionable practice, to “earn” more federal dollars, some states, most notably N.Y., allow for “presumptive COVID cases.” On April 14, New York magically added 3,700 COVID fatalities to include “people who had never tested positive for the virus but were presumed to have it.” That equates to tens of millions in additional federal funds with the stroke of a pen. Andrew Cuomo maliciously carried out death sentences of thousands of New York nursing home residents consigning infected patients to join healthy populations. At nearly 33,000 victims, New York alone, with less than six percent of the country’s people, accounts for 20 percent of U.S. fatalities.
Back in California, with cameras rolling, Dr. Rais Vohra, Fresno County’s interim public health officer, tearfully recounted the 17-year old’s death. “It’s a huge trauma for everyone…., including the hospital workers who are still coping on this case. I am speechless when it comes to anything that I could say to the family……It just brings home the reality that this is not sparing even the youngest members of our community.” Really. One dead of over 8.5 million California kids 17 or younger. While nothing can equal the catastrophe of losing a child, the doctor’s tone sounds as if COVID confers exponentially more tragedy than death by mundane seasonal flu, cancer, or getting hit by a city bus.
Would a cancer death have warranted an equally hyperbolic and apocalyptic press briefing highlighted with sensationalized melodrama? A politicized COVID end translates to being victimized by the willful malfeasance of wicked Donald Trump. Liberals narrate that without the White House bungling, all of this cataclysm and economic destruction would have been avoided. Yet when Trump announced the very early January 30 China travel ban, Joe Biden and ilk were swift with stale cries of “xenophobia and fear-mongering.”
Dying by coronavirus becomes a symbol, a logo of martyrdom to rid our country of the real virus, Trump. Hence, leftists and media collaborators promote ideas of “second waves,” tacitly cheer rising fatality counts, and demand ever more economic lockdowns.
Over the past couple of weeks, the media, with lackey doctors Fauci and Gottlieb providing imprimatur, double down on hysteria as for several days, COVID cases spiked above 70,000. Even Republican governors cowed under pressure as many states slow or halt reopening economies. For perspective, for the six-month Oct-April 2020, CDC reports up to 56,000,000 seasonal flu cases.
This calculates to over 300,000 per day. Currently, the official COVID count stands just over 5 million. Does anyone, ever, refer our annual flu “tradition” as a pandemic? During the recent case spike, deaths never got above 55 percent of the April peaks.
This recent case uptick comes from more testing, now approaching twenty percent of Americans. The muted death rates stem that most of the new cases are from the younger demographics that went back to work and mingled in reopened restaurants and bars. In California, 18-49-year-olds encompass over 60 percent of cases, yet comprise a little over 43 percent of the population.
Significant numbers, 35 percent or much higher in some studies, of those infected with COVID, show no symptoms. With such a high prevalence of asymptomatic virus response, the number of coronavirus cases certainly is much higher, perhaps by orders of magnitude than official reports. The CDC estimates the real numbers at six to twenty-four times larger. If 50 or 60 million people have been exposed, then realized death rates must be adjusted commensurately downward.
The Meaning of Pandemic
The fourteenth-century Bubonic Plague classifies as a genuine pandemic. Forecasts that 100 to 200 million perished, erasing perhaps 50 percent or more of all inhabitants of Europe. Some guess it eclipsed 20 to 25 percent of the world’s total residents.
Proportionally overlay these numbers to the twenty-first century and visualize over 100 million dead Americans and billions vanished worldwide. Yet the current 735,000 worldwide coronavirus fatality census corresponds to less than a 100th of one percent of all people on the planet.
For this, governments worldwide, deprive millions of businesses and perhaps hundreds of millions of individuals a right to earn a living. With death rates among most demographics far less than one-tenth of one percent, the world economy gets forced into collapse.
Other Things To Worry About
While we hyperventilate over COVID, around the world, humans continue dying, sometimes in much higher numbers, from other things. So far this year:
—over a million dead by HIV/AIDS
—over 3 million dead from smoking
—over 1.5 million dead from alcohol
—nearly 5 million dead from cancer
—over 630,000 dead from suicide
—nearly 600,000 dead from malaria
—over 7 million dead from communicable diseases (not including COVID)
—nearly 4.6 million dead children under five years old
—25 U.S. deaths from COVID for children under five years old on a population of 19.7 million
—over 6.5 million dead from starvation
—over 500,000 dead by water-related diseasesEvery year over 450 million worldwide cases of pneumonia end around four million lives. Headlines seem sparse on almost all the above disasters. These figures transform COVID into an afterthought.
The newly radicalized proxies of the Democrats, teachers’ unions nationwide keep the education system hostage to specious safety concerns. Twitter and Facebook both removed a Donald Trump video clip announcing children are “almost immune from the disease.” While not immune, the above numbers reveal they rarely get sick, and it’s seldom fatal. Such universal coordinated censorship shields truth from the public. Empirical evidence from both a German study and a French survey found school settings not to be hotbeds of transmission. They bore out the hypothesis that kids are much less prolific transmitters of the virus than adults.
Conclusion
With all the pecuniary incentives for hospitals to bilk the federal government, I believe the number of COVID deaths vastly exaggerated. Given eighty percent of fatalities are over those over 65 and 94 percent have underlying health problems, young, healthy people have little to worry about.
So, if you’re over 85, take a leave of absence from work, or if you chose, just keep on living; at the end of the day, no one’s getting out of here alive. If you’re over 65, obese with diabetes, perhaps you should tread lightly as well. Everyone else should use common sense. But unsavory Democrats drill into heads an evil ethos of government as a benign omniscient protector. American society has long abrogated any concept of personal responsibility.
The recent multi-trillion-dollar COVID rescue or stimulus packages with another brewing further inculcate Democratic welfare ideology.
Coronavirus represents a culmination of a generation of leftist warfare to deracinate two and half centuries of American spirit. History might look back at this media-driven fabrication as the nail that irretrievably shut the coffin.
Open the hood of the car and discover there is no engine. Read all the numbers, not just those curated to dissemble. COVID is a flu, not a bubonic plague-like killer pandemic the media has programmed us to believe.
COVID is a hoax.
——————– Richard Finger is an Options Trader and Screenwriter from Houston, Texas. He shared his article on Medium.com. Article shared by Turning Point USA
Tags:Richard Finger, A New Discrimination Route, The COVID HoaxTo share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!
by Mario Murillo Ministries: The Democrat Party has made America miserable. They have done it with a misery unknown and unequalled in our history. They have caused great misery, both to our institutions and to our people. They have made everyday life miserable. They have made all the races miserable. They have made professional sports miserable. They have made education miserable. They have made relationships miserable. They have made the elderly, the middle aged, the young, and even children miserable.
Once anything of beauty is touched by the “woke” and the progressive, it is instantly drained of color. Words like honesty, decency, love and virtue have been beaten to a pulp by people who are always offended and who literally see everything as racist.
They have destroyed Minneapolis, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, New York City —and Gavin Newsom is doing one better by working to destroy an entire state. Antifa is the armed militia of the Democrat Party.
Every solution they have forced on us is worse than the problem it was meant to solve. Every word out of their mouth is a euphemism that masks a dark agenda and the next debacle they are planning.
They have even found a way to out-kill the virus. Their shutdown has created an epidemic of suicide, drug addiction and depression. Their war on the police has unleashed a crime wave that is turning urban areas into murder capitols and uninhabitable torture chambers.
Democrats are masters of evading responsibility. They could crawl through a barrel of pretzels and not touch a single one. They blame Trump for the deplorable conditions that exist in cities they utterly control and have always controlled.
The Democrat Party has left us with no choice but to absolutely repudiate them. There is no doubt about this. This is an inescapable fact to all moral and sensible people, but, somehow, Christians are in denial of all these obvious facts.
Many Christians struggle to admit evil. Not only that, they can’t see their natural duty to stop America’s destruction. If what the Left is now doing does not shake you out of complacency, I doubt anything will.
Perhaps you don’t want to get involved. Perhaps you are using tired religious excuses, such as hiding behind a false interpretation of Romans 13. Maybe you are convinced that this maelstrom of evil will simply go away on its own if you pretend it doesn’t exist and just sing louder.
You are a pastor who is torn about taking a stand in this war because you may lose your church. But if you don’t act, there won’t be any church left for you to save. There is no viable excuse for staying out of this battle. There is nothing heroic about avoiding your sacred duty in this time of national destruction.
In Psalm 11:3 there is a verse that some translations render, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Which makes it sound like: ‘The foundations have been destroyed, so the righteous might as well give up, there is nothing they can do.’ But the Hebrew, according to several commentaries, says something different: “If the foundations be destroyed, what will become of the building/structure?”
In this current crisis, the foundations that are being destroyed are the American system of government, law and order, Capitalism, and the Constitutional protection of the freedom of religion. The Psalmist is saying to us in our day, “When those foundations are gone, what will be the end of the entire structure?”
The structure is America. Surely this nation is worth fighting for. Many have bled and died for our freedoms. There may have been a day when American Christians could comfortably live in apathy—an apathy that seemed harmless—but not anymore. Today, it is a formula for guaranteed disaster.
———————– Mario Murillo is an evangelist Mario Murillo, minister, blogger.
Tags:Mario Murillo, Ministries, Christian Apathy, Used To Be Harmless, Not Anymore, Today, A Total DisasterTo share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!
by Marvin L. Covault, Lt General, US Army retired: Joe Biden’s campaign platform is beginning to creep out of his basement and so far, it is not a pretty picture. That was the opening line to a recent blog and the subject was BIDEN’S “PLAN” FOR EDUCATION. For those of you who missed the blog, Joe got an “F” on education. This time, let’s look at a second pressing national issue, immigration.
All persons residing in the U.S. are supposed to fall into one of three categories; that is, a U.S. citizen or those with a Green Card permanent resident status or temporary inhabitants with Visitor or Student Visas.
The democrats would have you believe there are 10-12 million illegal residents. Professors from MIT and Yale, using more sophisticated methodology, estimated in September 2018 that as many as 22.1 million undocumented aliens could be in the U.S. They came to three conclusions; that 10-12 million is no longer viable, for sure there are at least 16 million and more likely over 20 million. One thing is for certain, we do not know who they are or where they reside.
A nation that cannot secure its borders against drug traffic, criminals, gangs, human trafficking and illegal aliens has a serious national security problem.
President Trump has worked this issue and managed to bring it under reasonable control. But the democrats will absolutely reverse all of those gains. Why? It is common knowledge that the democrats see illegal aliens in general and Hispanics in particular as a valuable future voting bloc.
In a recent news conference, President Trump outlined 42 things Biden will do if elected. Nineteen of them had to do with immigration:
Abolish immigration detention.
Stop all deportation.
End prosecution of illegal border crossers.
Support the deadly sanctuary cities.
Incentivize illegal-alien child smuggling.
Expand asylum for all new illegal aliens.
Cancel all asylum cooperation agreements with Honduras, Guatemala, with El Salvador.
Taxpayer-funded lawyers will be given to all illegal aliens.
Abolish immigration enforcement against illegal workers.
Restore Catch and Release policies for illegals.
Grant work permits for illegal aliens.
Provide taxpayer subsidies and welfare for illegal aliens and new immigrants.
Federal Student Aid and free community college for illegal aliens.
Sign new immigrants up for welfare immediately.
End requirement for immigrants’ self-sufficiency and maximize their welfare.
End all travel bans, including from jihadist regions.
Grant mass amnesty.
Vastly expand low-skilled immigration to the United States.
Increase refugee admissions by 700 percent.
The fact-checkers, democrats and main-stream media went crazy saying there is nothing in the Biden’s platform that says he will take those actions. Of course, they are correct; Biden will not RUN on open borders and amnesty for all. But President Trump is also correct; if Biden is elected, he will execute these actions. He won’t have a choice; the democrat party will demand it. Why?
For decades the democrat party has been synonymous with identity politics, particularly Black American voters. Additionally, for several years they have seen the illegal alien Hispanic community as a new political identity target. In 2016 Hillary Clinton was running on a platform promoting, “a pathway to citizenship.”
Trumps 2016 victory was a huge setback for the democrats’ plans for two reasons. One, Immigration reform was an over-arching issue in Trumps campaign and it was the exact opposite of what the democrats intended to do. Secondly, Trump not only campaigned on stopping the continuous flow of illegal immigrants, drugs, criminals, terrorists and human trafficking, he immediately set out to fix it.
Biden’s 14-page platform on immigration is littered with soft language and propaganda. For example, “Biden will move immediately to ensure that the U.S. meets its responsibilities as a nation of immigrants.” He says he will, “End prolonged detention.” That is code for catch-and-release which was the Obama/Biden centerpiece and the reason we now have over 20 million illegals. Then there is, “End the mismanagement of the asylum system.” More catch-and-release. “Welcome immigrants in our communities.” That is to say, amnesty for all. The one thing his website does NOT say, is how he will reduce illegal immigration.
Let’s be clear about what is happening with Biden on immigration. As pointed out there is the soft language in his printed platform and then there are the direct answers to questions during rare occasions when he is being questioned by the media.
Earlier this year during the democrat primaries, there was open dialogue concerning, “Support for the elimination of criminal penalties for entering the country illegally”. That democrat position is a euphemism for open borders. Why don’t they just come clean and say it, we democrats are for open borders?
During a recent interview Biden was asked if he would introduce immigration reform legalizing millions of undocumented immigrants promptly after assuming office. “I already have the bill,” Biden said. And, he continued, “I will get it done in the first week.” There it is, amnesty, pure and simple. In that interview, Biden went on to say, “illegal immigrants should have access to the same health benefits everyone else has.”
Homeland Security reports that from fiscal years 2017 to 2019, ICE agents arrested and eventually deported around 205,000 convicted criminals and about 36,000 immigrants with pending criminal charges. Over that same period, ICE deported around 17,000 known or suspected gang members and 145 known or suspected terrorists. Keep your powder dry because Biden says he, “Will limit ICE’s ability to deport criminals.”
Doing the math on the 258,000 deportees cited above, over a 24-month period that would be, an average, deportation of 353 really bad folks a day. So, when Biden emphatically declares he, “Will not deport a single soul in my first 100 days in office,” that’s about 35,000 criminals that will still be in our neighborhoods but shouldn’t be. Furthermore, what is the intellectual point about not doing something the first 100 days? Is he signaling that deportations may be eliminated altogether? Given that he wants to reverse every gain made during the Trump presidency, that would be a valid conclusion.
Then there are the democrat-established sanctuary cities; a place of refuge for illegal aliens and criminals. Biden has said he will, “expand sanctuary locations.” Another scary proposal.
Amnesty-for-all is not only a slap in the face to the millions of upstanding citizens who worked through the immigration system legally but the long-term ramifications of amnesty-for-all are unthinkable. Once amnesty-for-all is initiated the precedent is set and precedent is a powerful force. Organizations are generally change-averse and that includes this country. But once the work has been done to overturn the rock, the next time it is easy. It is highly likely that amnesty-for-all will become the norm in the future every time the democrats are in power.
How many will there be the next time? There are actually hundreds of millions of people world-wide who would jump at the chance to immigrate to the US. The prospect of a second round of amnesty-for-all will likely result in all of our borders being overwhelmed by attempted illegal entry.
Consider that you are one of those want-a-be poor folks in Guatemala and you can foresee crossing an open border, getting on welfare, enroll in Medicare, free legal assistance, reside in government housing in a sanctuary city, have a government-issued work permit and look forward to guaranteed citizenship. You build it and they will come….. by the tens of millions.
There are about 47 million Hispanic citizens in the US plus another 20 million illegals. Politically, this is the holy grail for the democrats. The democrats foresee a dynasty in power for years to come if they can get a strong hold on this Hispanic identity group. The complete revamp of the immigration system in the nineteen immigration initiatives outlined above by President Trump will certainly do just that.
P.S. One thing Biden conveniently left out of his platform was a position on restraining illegal- entry children in cages. You will recall the mainstream media going nuts and reporting, “Inside an old warehouse in South Texas, hundreds of children wait in a series of cages created by metal fencing.” You will recall that was headline news until the media finally discovered that the pictures were file photos from the Obama era.
Finally, I cannot help but take a swipe at Speaker Pelosi. How many dozens of times has she lectured us during her weekly news conferences saying, “No one is above the law.” I’m suggesting she needs to modify that as follows: No one is above the law except the millions of illegal aliens living among us.
Bottom line: Open borders, amnesty-for-all and failure to deport illegal immigrant criminals are irrational policies, defy intellectual honesty and threaten our national security. They may provide an up-side for the democrat party but, Joe, is there any value-added for America? I think not.
On the upside, Joe, you are at least consistent; an “F” in education reform and now I’m giving you a “F” in immigration.
———————— Marvin Covault, Lt.Gen (Ret) shared this article. H/T McIntosh Enterprises.
Tags:Marvin Covault, Lt. Gen., Biden’s Plan For ImmigrationTo share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!
by Kevin McCullough: Historically great presidents take action, in important challenges, to preserve the welfare for the greatest number of people in their care.
When doing so even despite a pandemic, cities wrestling with nightly crime and violence, massive power outages, an opposing party in government attempting to thwart every move and a 95 percent hostile media doing 98 percent negative coverage—even then—they can’t be stopped.
Yes, despite all that a president can achieve an approval rating seven percent ahead of where his predecessor was in his bid to a successful re-election. He can also be winning the hearts and minds of not just 98 percent of his base, but leading with independents, and very quietly be preparing to take the largest swath of black votes in the history of the GOP.
Welcome to the 2020 reality for President Donald Trump.
This week, perhaps sensing that they have lost all control of this election cycle, the man and team of Joe Biden sputtered chaotic nonsense and now have to sit on the sidelines as the president used his working weekend to, again, help secure America’s future.
Biden also had some fairly embarrassing tweets/moments where he claimed he’d solve the problems President Trump already had.
Low Wage Earnings
Former VP Biden tweeted on Friday about the need to see earnings for low-wage earners improve and how he will be the president to do it.
Only problem: prior to COVID, the Trump economy was the hottest for low-wage earners in the history of the nation. The recovery also seems to be benefitting the low-wage earners with many of the record breaking 10 million new jobs created in the last 90 days going to those in their category. Lastly, this weekend the president did what Biden, Pelosi and the Democratic controlled House refused to do, which was to provide more financial relief directly to the people. Unilaterally extending the unemployment benefit, on an emergency basis, proves he’s gravely concerned about the most vulnerable in the financial crisis.
COVID Relief
On the virus front the president also did some important things that team Biden and Democrats couldn’t. Since government was largely the cause of the artificial crashing of the economy, government has a larger onus than normal to provide help. But since—as he should—the president left the solving of the virus to the individual states he recognizes where politically motivated governors and mayors in places like New York, Chicago, California, Michigan and elsewhere continue to bully their constituents instead of serving those who elected them. By dealing with student loan furloughs and extending grace periods for renters and homeowners he is doing—in his own limited way, and based on the emergency of the crisis—what the people’s local governments were refusing to do.
Tax Cuts
Democrats (with the exception of JFK) have never figured out the benefit of stimulating strong economic activity by letting those who work, keep and use more of their own earnings. The old Democrats might have been quasi-willing to cooperate on tax relief in exchange for selfish political benefits. The new ones however—the AOC, Bernie Sanders, Marxist/Anarchists that Biden has turned over his campaign to—have no use for any tax help. By providing a payroll tax holiday for every family earning under $100,000 for 2020, Trump helps millions of families. It also provides additional incentives for those still out of work to consider starting their own entrepreneurial endeavors, and it strongly encouraged small businesses not to shrink the work force but to expand it here in the final stretch of 2020 as the race to economic recovery hits warp speed. This incentive alone should encourage the continuation of the “millions” of jobs per months recovery, perhaps in ways that sans the crisis might not have been as efficient or ever come about.
Race
Every one of the areas of benefit listed above will impact all Americans. And under such conditions prior to COVID, Black America was already making the greatest strides in the modern era on wage growth, business start-ups, job expansion, job selection, and new opportunities. Long after Biden authored the criminal reform law that blacks say helped destroy the black family… Long after Joe Biden labeled then-candidate Obama “clean and articulate” for being a black man… Not so long after telling Charlamagne Tha God that he couldn’t be a black man if he didn’t vote for him… Biden, completely without merit, implied that a successful black TV anchor should be tested for cocaine use and asked him if he was “a junkie,” and followed that up the next day by stating implicitly that the African American community is not “diverse.” Meanwhile, President Trump continues to push for criminal justice reform and helping black families in actual policy that allows the maximum number of people to achieve the American dream.
America First
With less than 90 days to go until the election, America is watching the stage on which these two men are making their case to be allowed to serve for the next four years. Donald Trump’s personal net worth has lost $2 billion dollars in the four years he has taken zero salary as president. Joe Biden has been in public life for 47 years and literally has no solutions to problems he’s campaigned on for those same 47 years. The president is demonstrating every day — in his actions — that anything the Democrats claim they are able to do, that he’s probably already doing it, and in great likelihood doing it better.
That’s why he’s got a 51 percent approval rating on the same day in the process that Obama has 44 percent in 2012.
That’s why he’s now leading Biden in the ever critical category of independent voters.
That’s why he’s holding his base in the high 90 percent range.
That’s why he’s attracting what will be the biggest crossover of African American voters to ever have voted for the GOP.
And that’s but a few more reasons why the media will have indigestion on the night of November 3.
—————————- Kevin McCulloug (@KMCRadio) breaks news as it happens in New York on Salem Media’s AM 570/970 weekday afternoons. He’s nationally syndicated. He operates a boutique media firm which produces broadcast/podcast content airing on 1600+ outlets, seven days per week. He’s a 3 time best-selling author. He’s committed to God, his family, and his fellow man. He is burdened by injustice. He pursues clarity above everything… and wishes more people would to! H/T Townhall. & H/T McIntosh Enterprises.
Tags:Kevin McCulloug, Everything They Can Do, He Has Done Better!To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!
by John Paulton: If Joe Biden intended to distance himself from the extreme Left with his VP pick yesterday, he failed.
Sen. Kamala Harris, whom Biden tapped as his running mate, holds positions that are among the most radical in the U.S. Senate, especially on social issues.
To get a sense of where she’s coming from ideologically, just take a look at her positions on three key social issues: abortion, LGBT issues and religious freedom.
Harris on Abortion: Supports It Up to Birth – and Beyond
For starters, Harris toes the line of Planned Parenthood on every abortion issue:
Supports abortion up to the moment of birth – and even after, calling it a woman’s decision on whether care should be offered to a baby who survives an abortion
Has a 100% voting record according to Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America
Sponsor of the infamous “Women’s Health Protection Act” that would have invalidated nearly every federal or state restriction on abortion
But Harris goes even further. She has a plan to pre-emptively stop states from passing new pro-life legislation. Under her plan, states and localities that “have a pattern of violating Roe v. Wade” would have to seek pre-clearance from the Department of Justice before a law dealing with abortion could go into effect. Specifically, the Department of Justice would have to certify that “it comports with Roe v. Wade.”
Harris on LGBT Agenda: Zealous Advocate for Full Playbook
Harris first gained notoriety on LGBT issues when, as Attorney General of California, she refused to defend Prop 8, the constitutional amendment protecting marriage that was passed by the voters of California. Later, as AG, she personally performed same-sex weddings.
As a presidential candidate, she zealously advocated for the entire LGBT playbook, plus some of her own additions. These included:
Forcing school students to share bathrooms and locker rooms with the opposite gender
Overturning President Trump’s ban on transgenders in the military – thus prioritizing social engineering over military readiness
Establishing a White House LGBT czar – the “Chief Advocate for LGBTQ+ Affairs” – who would work with agencies throughout the federal government to advance the LGBT agenda
Forcing taxpayers to subsidize so-called “sex-change” surgeries through guaranteed coverage in her Medicare for All plan
Harris on Religious Freedom: Limit It
Sen. Harris seems to only have one approach with regard to religious freedom – limiting it. In fact, she introduced a bill to do exactly that. Her so-called “Do No Harm Act” would forbid First Amendment religious freedom protections if the religious views were deemed to be discriminatory against people who identify as LGBT. In other words, in Kamala Harris’ world, the LGBT worldview trumps religious freedom every time.
As a senator, Harris also stirred up controversy when she attacked a Catholic whom President Trump had nominated for a federal judgeship. She called him an “extremist” simply because he is a member of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization.
Most importantly, the selection of Kamala Harris says a lot about Joe Biden – what he stands for and the kind of people he would appoint to fill thousands of federal leadership positions. His pick underscores the monumental stakes in this election.
—————– John Paulton writes for and is the Mobilization Manager for the Family Policy Alliance.
Tags:John Paulton, Family Policy Alliance, How Extreme?, The Facts About, Kamala HarrisTo share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!
. . . Beijing prefers Joe Biden, but Nancy Pelosi says Russia is still the real threat.
by Nate Jackson: “The Chinese, they said, prefer Biden. We don’t know that, but that’s what they’re saying,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “But,” she then explained, “they’re not really getting involved in the presidential election.” Worse, she says, “Russia is actively 24/7 interfering in our election. They did so in 2016, and they are doing so now.” The two, she insists, are “not equivalent.”
Well that’s convenient for Democrats, especially given that it ignores the budding China/Russia alliance.
As has been well established by so many investigations and reports that we’ve lost count, Russia did interfere in the 2016 election by sowing division and distrust. But Vladimir Putin hoped to destabilize President Hillary Clinton by supporting the certain loser, Donald Trump. Voters did not cooperate, of course, but Democrats mendaciously exploited the narrative for political gain, winning the House in 2018 and using their victory to put the nation through the Ukraine impeachment fiasco earlier this year.
That is to say the only success Moscow’s propagandists truly had was in giving Democrats political fodder for four long years. Talk about collusion…
Beijing’s propagandists have their own agenda. Indeed, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a statement confirming as much. “We assess that China prefers that President Trump — whom Beijing sees as unpredictable — does not win reelection,” said the report. “China has been expanding its influence efforts ahead of November 2020 to shape the policy environment in the United States, pressure political figures it views as opposed to China’s interests, and deflect and counter criticism of China.”
As has been well established by so many investigations and reports that we’ve lost count, Russia did interfere in the 2016 election by sowing division and distrust. But Vladimir Putin hoped to destabilize President Hillary Clinton by supporting the certain loser, Donald Trump. Voters did not cooperate, of course, but Democrats mendaciously exploited the narrative for political gain, winning the House in 2018 and using their victory to put the nation through the Ukraine impeachment fiasco earlier this year.
That is to say the only success Moscow’s propagandists truly had was in giving Democrats political fodder for four long years. Talk about collusion…
Beijing’s propagandists have their own agenda. Indeed, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a statement confirming as much. “We assess that China prefers that President Trump — whom Beijing sees as unpredictable — does not win reelection,” said the report. “China has been expanding its influence efforts ahead of November 2020 to shape the policy environment in the United States, pressure political figures it views as opposed to China’s interests, and deflect and counter criticism of China.”
But “they’re not really getting involved in the presidential election.”
Why does China think Biden would be preferable? Because Trump has actually been tough on our primary geopolitical foe. The DNI report continues:
Although China will continue to weigh the risks and benefits of aggressive action, its public rhetoric over the past few months has grown increasingly critical of the current Administration’s COVID-19 response, closure of China’s Houston Consulate, and actions on other issues. For example, it has harshly criticized the Administration’s statements and actions on Hong Kong, TikTok, the legal status of the South China Sea, and China’s efforts to dominate the 5G market. Beijing recognizes that all of these efforts might affect the presidential race.In his 1796 Farewell Address, George Washington warned, “Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence … the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake; since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of Republican Government.” No one should take lightly efforts by sinister foreign tyrannies to manipulate American elections. But neither should anyone believe that Democrats will truly further American interests and Liberty.
Update 8/12: Asked about the issue, President Trump asserted in his typical fashion, “If I don’t win the election, China will own the United States. You’re going to have to learn to speak Chinese.”
———————– Nate Jackson writes for The Patriot Post.
Tags:Nate jackson, The Patriot Post, Democrats, dismiss, Chinese election interferenceTo share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks!
You are subscribed to email updates from ARRA News Service.
To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.
Email delivery powered by Google
Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States
This newsletter is never sent unsolicited. It was sent to you because you signed up to receive this newsletter on the RedState.com network OR a friend forwarded it to you. We respect and value your time and privacy. If this newsletter no longer meets your needs we will be happy to remove your address immediately.
Visit the Townhall Media Preference Center to manage your subscriptions
You can unsubscribe by clicking here.
Or Send postal mail to:
RedState Unsubscribe
1735 N. Lynn St – Suite 510, Arlington, VA 22209
* Copyright RedState and its Content Providers.
All rights reserved.
Politico just published a long feature explaining the 55 things we all need to know about U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, the “trailblazing prosecutor-turned-politician” who now “sits on the cusp of history.” I’ve been writing about Harris since the state’s voters promoted her from San Francisco district attorney to state attorney general, and will boil down everything you should know in only two points. First, as a top prosecutor she strongly opposed the kind of criminal justice reforms that Democrats now support.
Just last month, New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo was complaining, “If anybody sat here today and told you that they could reopen the schools in September that would be reckless and negligent of that person.” House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi chided President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for encouraging school re-openings, insisting that “Going back to school presents the biggest risk for the spread of the coronavirus. They ignore science and they ignore governance in order to make this happen.” Then a few days ago, all of a sudden Cuomo encouraged counties to open their schools. Can even Pelosi be very far behind? What happened over those few short weeks?
According to media accounts, a “power outage” delayed the debut of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on Wednesday — a foreshadowing of what we can expect from an anti-energy Biden–Harris administration. Both are committed to an extreme environmentalism that will cripple America’s oil and gas industry. Harris is opposed to all fracking. Biden has made as his vice-presidential running mate a San Francisco radical, whose voting record puts her to the left of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
Today, the Silicon Valley Four stand accused of censoring or deplatforming conservatives and anti-Islamists accused of dehumanizing, hateful language, such as conservative broadcaster Dennis Prager, Muslim activist Kasim Hafeez, anti-Islamist writer Tom Quiggin, and, most recently and notably, Donald Trump. Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) testified a few weeks ago that “Big Tech is out to get conservatives…. That’s a fact.” Likewise, censorship of anti-Islamist voices has become so bad that, as the Middle East Forum noted two years ago, it appears to occur “almost weekly.”
When revenue shrinks by 1 percent of GDP and spending increases by 51 percent over 10 months, you get a $2.8 trillion deficit. That figure, according to the Congressional Budget Office, is significantly larger than the deficit Uncle Sam accumulated over the first 10 months of 2019. Yet many in Congress demand that even more spending be enacted in the name of stimulating the economy..
Our summer 2020 print magazine was going to be a reopening issue. Not an end-of-the-world issue. But then right before press time, three months of shutdown (and counting, in too many different places) took on a different coloring. Increasingly during that quarter one had had the sense that this was the way the world ends — with a whimper. A nation that allows itself to soften hastens its own demise. Turns out we had set ourselves up for something a lot more devastating.
Biden and Harris make 1st appearance as historic Democratic ticket: Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris appeared together for the first time as running mates Wednesday afternoon in Wilmington, Delaware. Harris, the first Black woman and Asian American woman on the ticket of a major political party, described how honored she was to be selected for the role. “Joe, I’m so proud to stand with you,” she said. “And I do so mindful of all the heroic and ambitious women before me whose sacrifice, determination and resilience makes my presence here today even possible.” Biden seemed equally excited to stand alongside Harris. “I have no doubt that I picked the right person to join me as the next vice president of the United States of America,” he said. Together, Harris and Biden addressed the public health crisis and the economic fallout as a result of President Donald Trump’s leadership. “America is crying out for leadership,” Harris said. “This election isn’t just about defeating Donald Trump or Mike Pence. It’s about building this country back better.” As they look ahead to the Democratic National Convention next week, ABC’s FiveThirtyEight is out with its new political forecast, which shows that right now Biden has a robust lead in the polls — nationally and in most battleground states — but there’s still plenty of time for the race to tighten. Read more about the team’s predictions here.
Over 1,100 students in Georgia school district under quarantine: At least 1,130 students and 38 staff members in the Cherokee County School District of Georgia have been ordered to self-quarantine for two weeks after at least 70 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in various schools since they reopened earlier this month. In addition, Georgia’s North Paulding High School, of which images of packed hallways went viral on social media, has moved to hybrid learning after seeing at least 35 confirmed coronavirus cases. “The plan we have developed will reduce the number of students on campus by half, will reduce hallway congestion, will improve traffic flow during class transitions, and will help mitigate other challenges we have identified since in-person instruction started,” school officials said Wednesday. Meanwhile, New Jersey’s Elizabeth Public Schools superintendent announced in a letter that schools will go 100% virtual after 402 teachers said they’d need “special considerations for health-related risks and cannot teach in person.” Educators across New Jersey are also calling on Gov. Phil Murphy and the state’s Department of Education to direct all public schools to open remotely. Visit our “GMA” Back-to-School Guide for the latest news on schools reopening, and for experts’ advice and answers to safety questions.
WHO warns against going in for ‘routine’ dental appointments: The World Health Organization is urging people to avoid non-emergency dental procedures that generate aerosols and put dental workers at “high risk” of contracting and spreading COVID-19. The guidance comes three months after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave the OK on non-emergency dental care amid the pandemic, along with public health and safety recommendations. In response to recommendations from WHO, the American Dental Association “strongly disagrees” with delaying routine dental care. “Dentistry is essential health care because of its role in evaluating, diagnosing, preventing or treating oral diseases, which can affect systemic health,” read a statement on its website.
3-year-old learns life lessons while traveling the world with mom: Most parents want to give their children the world, but TeAndra Taylor would rather show it to her 3-year-old son, Carson. “His first flight was at 3-and-a-half months old,” Taylor told “GMA.” “After that, we’ve flown every single month until COVID-19. He loves meeting new people.” The mother and son, who live in Dallas, have traveled to 18 states and 11 countries together, and document each voyage on their family travel blog, Traveling with the Taylors, where she hopes their adventures will get kids — especially Black children — excited about travel. “It’s really shaping him to be an amazing man in the future by exposing him to different cultures and traditions,” said Taylor, who wrote a children’s book when she couldn’t find any travel books for kids with characters that looked like her son. While the traveling duo has been grounded for most of 2020 due to the pandemic, Taylor said they’ll be visiting three new states next month.
GMA Must-Watch
This morning on “GMA,” we chat with Danny DeVito about the new Disney+ movie, “The One and Only Ivan.” Plus, don’t miss The Survival Mom sharing her tips on what to do ahead of a second wave of coronavirus, what items you can stock up on now and the most important things you should have in your home. And Robin Roberts sat down one-on-one with Amy Grant, who spoke out for the first time about her heart surgery. All this and more only on “GMA.”
Kamala Harris gives her first speech as Joe Biden’s running mate, House Democrats call for changes to the Postal Service before the election, and coronavirus cases spike in kids.
Here’s what we’re watching this morning.
Attack Trump, mobilize voters: Kamala Harris’ big task ahead
Kamala Harris gave her debut speech as Joe Biden’s running mate, saying that she was “incredibly honored by this responsibility” and that “America is crying out for leadership.”
Harris’ ability to deliver punchy one-liners against Trump is one reason supporters said she was a good fit for the job. But she will also need to mobilize Black voters and persuade suburban women to pick Biden over Trump, writes NBC News’ Jonathan Allen in a news analysis.
“The fact that she has been able to take on, whether it was big banks or big oil or [Supreme Court Justice] Brett Kavanaugh, I think that also inspires and energizes women and people of all backgrounds, to be honest with you, because she’s fearless,” said Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., who was a co-chair of the Biden campaign team that vetted vice presidential hopefuls.
Democrats hope Harris will also help convince people who feel unwelcome in the political system to get involved, just as former President Barack Obama’s election did more than a decade ago.
Meanwhile, Trump campaign advisers and allies are expressing concern that the GOP’s initial fumbling response to her selection signals there is no clear strategy to define the historic pick in the weeks ahead, according to several people involved in the discussions.
The beginning of the school year is coinciding with new data showing a startling surge in children and teenagers diagnosed with COVID-19, as a new report finds that nearly half of all pediatric cases of the disease were diagnosed in a single month.
The source appears to be rooted in the communities those children are living in and the cases have occurred in states where there are surges among adults.
“I think the students who are learning English, they need extra support, they need visuals, they need to be able to see the way pronunciation happens, see the way the mouth moves,” said teacher McKenna Potter. “So it is extra important for them to be in class in real life.”
Watch NBC News’ primetime special on coronavirus and the classroom at 8pm ET/7pm CT. Hosted by Lester Holt, it will share practical guidance for kids, parents and teachers as they navigate the return to school during the pandemic.
Track U.S. hot spots where COVID-19 infection rates are rising
House Democrats demand Postal Service chief roll back changes ahead of Election Day
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and 174 other Democrats in the chamber signed a letter to the new Postmaster General demanding the agency reverse changes they argue would hamper mail-in voting on Nov. 3.
President Donald Trump’s new head of the Postal Service, Louis DeJoy, recently made a series of changes to the agency that could disrupt mail for millions of Americans, particularly absentee and mail-in ballots ahead of Election Day.
A surge in interest in voting by mail because of the pandemic could also delay election results this year. That delay was part of a conversation between nine major U.S. tech companies and federal government officials on Wednesday as they discussed how to handle misinformation in the period after the vote as well as during the political conventions.
An election worker sorts vote-by-mail ballots for the presidential primary at King County Elections in Renton, Washington in March. (Credit: Jason Redmond / AFP – Getty Images file)
Want to receive the Morning Rundown in your inbox? Sign up here.
The push to play college football this fall ignores science, ignores the facts on the ground and ignores any nuance in every aspect of how the business of college football is constructed, writes Will Leitch in an opinion piece.
I’m filling in for Petra Cahill while she’s taking a break. If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — send me an email at: rachel.elbaum@nbcuni.com
If you’re a fan, please forward it to your family and friends. They can sign-up here.
Thanks, Rachel
NBC FIRST READ
From NBC’s Chuck Todd, Carrie Dann, Ben Kamisar and Melissa Holzberg
FIRST READ: From the USPS to Kanye, Trump’s moves look like his eyes are on November
With the conventions and the true sprint to the general election approaching, it’s a good time to take stock of the things President Trump, his campaign and his administration have done that COULD influence the mechanics of the November election.
And we’ll note here: We’re not talking about the standard things — whether you think they’re ethical or not — that campaigns have historically done, like filing lawsuits to argue for voting rules that boost their political interests, or using their message in a way designed to depress the other side’s turnout.
We’re talking about tangible, deliberate, and unusual decisions made by the current president and his allies that could have an impact on the vote less than three months from now.
Here’s a taste of what we’re talking about, just from the last few weeks:
Trump installed a new Postmaster General (who was a campaign donor) who instituted new cost-saving measures that have slowed mail delivery nationwide and sparked fears about absentee ballot delays.
He explicitly said yesterday that he would block proposed emergency funding for the Postal Service, adding that USPS doesn’t “have the money to do the universal mail-in voting. So therefore, they can’t do it, I guess.”
He appeared to put more stock in an intelligence report finding that China prefers a Biden presidency than in Russian efforts to denigrate Biden, despite intelligence officials saying that pro-Trump election interference from Russia “was the far graver, and more immediate, threat.”
He equated foreign interference from Russia to Democrats “meddling” in the election because they are promoting mail-in balloting during the pandemic.
He suggested in a tweet that Florida’s mail-in ballots are more trustworthy than other states’ because Florida has had “two great Republican governors.”
GOP operatives in at least four states have aided West’s attempts to get on the 2020 ballot.
Photo by Nicholas Kamm / AFP
Individually, maybe there could be alternative explanations for some of these actions. By itself, the USPS overhaul, for example, seems like it could plausibly be more about Trump’s feud with Amazon’s Jeff Bezos than about the election.
(Then again, this is what Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said last week to the Postal Service governing board, after insisting that the USPS has the capacity to handle unprecedented volume of mail ballots: “However, as discussed, we cannot correct the errors of the Election Boards if they fail to deploy processes that take our normal processing and delivery standards into account.” That’s a shrug at best… and a veiled threat at worst. )
Taken as a whole, it’s hard to look at the list above and not see something that’s a cause for alarm.
And maybe what’s most alarming is that these are just the actions that we know about, because they’re being done so openly.
A disconnect in debate expectations
Of course, the big event yesterday was the first joint appearance of the newly-minted Democratic ticket of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
And their sharp attacks on the president yesterday — in what the Washington Post describes as “the most crisp and focused speeches either has given during the presidential campaign” — highlighted an ironic difference between the two when it comes to setting expectations for the upcoming presidential debates.
In the 2020 primary cycle, Joe Biden — whose debate performances were unreliable at best — benefited from low expectations. Biden seemed to always just clear the low bar set for him in contrast to younger and more agile candidates.
And that low bar has gotten even lower, entirely because of the Trump strategy of framing Biden as “mentally shot” and unable to “put two sentences together.” (Were there really many folks who watched yesterday’s joint event and came away with that take?)
For Harris, though, it may be Democrats who are making the unwise strategic move on debate expectations. By gleefully predicting that Harris will “shred Mike Pence” in the debate and “have him for breakfast,” they may be doing her the opposite of the same favor that Trump is doing for Biden.
(Remember when political experts predicted that trial lawyer John Edwards would wipe the floor with Dick Cheney in their sole debate in 2004? That’s… not quite how that went.)
Taking stock
We’re not usually fans of reading too much into the whims of Wall Street. But we couldn’t help noticing yesterday that the financial markets didn’t exactly panic at the Harris pick.
Markets yesterday had a fine day, rallying a bit after a slump earlier in the week.
The Wall Street Journal writes that the relatively warm welcome “reflects some relief that in choosing Ms. Harris, Mr. Biden has—for now at least—fended off the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party that has called for tougher financial regulation.”
More: “As Mr. Biden’s running mate, they see a noncontroversial partner—closely aligned with him on the issues nearest and dearest to their hearts—and an asset with big donors.”
Progressives will hardly love seeing the story’s warm and fuzzy quotes from CEOs, although it may be true that any pick OTHER than Elizabeth Warren might have had the same effect.
But what’s most noteworthy to us: If the GOP strategy is to brand Biden and Harris as “socialists” and “radical left-wing liberals,” the markets certainly don’t seem to be buying it one bit.
AD WATCH: Flashback
Now that the Biden/Harris ticket is embarking on the mission of introducing its new vice presidential pick to the rest of the country, it’s worth taking a look back at how Harris defined herself during her presidential campaign.
The Californian’s top TV ad during the primary was a biographical spot that connected her mother’s persistence with the persistence of American families.
It mainly touted her “3 a.m. Agenda,” a plan aimed at assuaging the late-night worries of Americans by repealing the Trump tax cuts to cut middle class taxes, enacting Medicare for All (her plan also allowed people to have private insurance), and promoting equal pay for women.
TWEET OF THE DAY: ARE we ready for some football?
DATA DOWNLOAD: The numbers that you need to know today
166,807: The number of deaths in the United States from the virus so far. (That’s 1,141 more than yesterday morning.)
63.73 million: The number of coronavirus TESTS that have been administered in the United States so far, according to researchers at The COVID Tracking Project.
211,500: The number of “excess deaths,” deaths above normal levels, in America from March 15 to August 1, leading to questions as to whether America has seen more coronavirus-related deaths than the official count can capture.
17: The number of consecutive days that America’s coronavirus death count has been at least 1,000, per The Washington Post.
13: The number of new coronavirus infections in New Zealand since yesterday, days after the country hit 100 days without any community spread.
25: The number of personal letters between President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un obtained by journalist Bob Woodward while writing his new book.
See you in September?
With the lack of activity on Capitol Hill, there could be no coronavirus relief until September, NBC’s Hill team reports.
Pressed about whether September 30 — when government funding is set to expire — has become the new de facto deadline for resolving the relief impasse, Missouri GOP Sen. Roy Blunt reluctantly told reporters that “that’s the likelihood,” although he acknowledged not having a front seat to the negotiations.
And the White House and Democrats can’t seem to even agree on why they haven’t restarted negotiations.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement that in a call with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, “An overture was made by Secretary Mnuchin to meet and he made clear that his televised comments from earlier today still stand: the White House is not budging from their position concerning the size and scope of a legislative package.”
They claim it’s the lack of movement on the budget of the bill that’s stopped the negotiations. But Mnuchin claimed that Democrats are the stubborn ones stopping talks from going forward.
“Earlier today, Speaker Pelosi and I spoke by phone. Her statement is not an accurate reflection of our conversation. She made clear that she was unwilling to meet to continue negotiations unless we agreed in advance to her proposal, costing at least $2 trillion,” Mnuchin said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the federal weekly unemployment benefit has expired for Americans across the country, schools are beginning to reopen without further federal aid and there have been no additions made to the Paycheck Protection Program.
THE LID: Socialists, anarchists, elitists, oh my!
Don’t miss the pod from yesterday, when we explored the not-so-coordinated messages from the GOP about Kamala Harris.
SHAMELESS PLUG: Coronavirus and the classroom
Tonight, NBC’s Lester Holt will anchor an NBC News primetime special at 8pm ET/7pm CT on NBC and NBC News NOW.
The hour-long special, “Coronavirus and the Classroom,” will feature NBC News correspondents, newsmakers and additional experts sharing practical guidance for kids, parents and teachers as they navigate the return to school during the pandemic.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s staff says Marjorie Taylor Green, the Georgia Republican nominee for a House seat who has spoken supportively of the QAnon conspiracy theory, will be allowed to join the GOP conference and its committees if elected despite her past racist and anti-Islamic comments.
A large brush fire erupted in Southern California, prompting evacuations. Also, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris made their first joint appearance as running mates and criticized the current administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. All that and all that matters in today’s Eye Opener. Your world in 90 seconds.
Watch Video +
Massive fire prompts evacuations in California
Watch Video +
NYPD is “not willing to address” gender bias, former chief says
Read Story +
“Too many stories” of deaths, assault and harassment at Fort Hood
The Manhattan Institute is pleased to welcome SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce later today to discuss policy changes to shareholder voting, as well as her broader vision for the future of U.S. securities regulation. Sworn in on January 11, 2018, Commissioner Peirce has long been a leading thinker about these issues—including as a former contributor to the Manhattan Institute’s legal-policy weblog.
Allison Schrager talks with Rutgers professor of economics Jennifer Hunt, a leading expert on the economics of immigration and wage inequality.
By Allison Schrager Economics21
August 12, 2020
Nicole Gelinas joins Seth Barron to discuss recent violence on New York’s Upper West Side, why the decision to house homeless men in nearby hotels isn’t good for them or their neighbors, and the risk that the city faces of losing wealthier residents due to quality-of-life concerns.
Manhattan Institute president Reihan Salam discussed whether the COVID-19 pandemic and current civil unrest in the country will lead to people moving out of large U.S. cities, as was seen after the 1960s.
On August 10, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan joined the Manhattan Institute to discuss his new book, Still Standing, and how America’s governors can lead the nation out of crisis.
What do young progressives believe? On August 6, Manhattan Institute fellow and City Journal contributing editor Coleman Hughes; New York Times opinion columnist, Ross Douthat; and columnist for Tablet Magazine, Wesley Yang discussed the “Successor Ideology” that is quickly becoming a major force in our national life.
On August 4, Andy Smarick hosted a discussion with education policy expert Chester E. Finn, Jr., law professor Nicole Stelle Garnett, and charter school expert M. Karega Rausch, on the legal and policy consequences (and possibilities) of charter schooling following the Supreme Court’s Espinoza decision.
With America and its cities still reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent civil unrest, Manhattan Institute scholars are charting a path forward at the federal, state, and local levels. Read more in the Summer 2020 update from president Reihan Salam.
Manhattan Institute is a think tank whose mission is to develop and disseminate new ideas that foster greater economic choice and individual responsibility.
52 Vanderbilt Ave. New York, NY 10017
(212) 599-7000
This newsletter is never sent unsolicited. It was sent to you because you signed up to receive this newsletter on the Townhall.com network OR a friend forwarded it to you. We respect and value your time and privacy. If this newsletter no longer meets your needs we will be happy to remove your address immediately.
Visit the Townhall Media Preference Center to manage your subscriptions
You can unsubscribe by clicking here.
Or Send postal mail to:
Townhall Daily Unsubscribe
P.O. Box 9660, Arlington, VA 22219
* Copyright Townhall and its Content Providers.
All rights reserved.
REALCLEARPOLITICS MORNING NOTE
08/13/2020
Share:
Carl Cannon’s Morning Note
COVID Medical Bills; Illinois Exodus; Profile in Courage
By Carl M. Cannon on Aug 13, 2020 08:50 am
Good morning, it’s Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020. On this date in 1898, the U.S. flag was raised over Manila, ending the Philippines theater of the Spanish-American War. The day before, a cease-fire in Santiago had brought independence to Cuba. The fighting between the United States and Spain, which began in April of that year, brought Spain’s reign as a colonial power in this hemisphere to an end while signaling the rise of America’s international influence.
In a letter to Theodore Roosevelt, Secretary of State John Hay described the 1898 conflict as “a splendid little war.” It was, Hay added, “begun with the highest motives, carried on with magnificent intelligence and spirit, favored by that Fortune which loves the brave.”
Actually, neither fate nor fortune always favors the brave. This is true in times of peace as well as war — and during disease pandemics. This week in 1944, that grim reality was visited on the Kennedys of Boston, and not for the last time.
I’ll have more on the death of Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. in a moment. First, I’d point you to RealClearPolitics’ front page, which presents our poll averages, videos, breaking news stories, and aggregated opinion pieces spanning the political spectrum. We also offer original material from our own reporters and contributors, including the following:
* * *
Sen. Mike Braun: Huge COVID Bills Show Transparency Need. Horror stories about what Americans are paying for tests and treatments give urgency to proposed legislation, Susan Crabtree reports.
The Blunt Truth About COVID and Obesity. RealClearScience editor Ross Pomeroy explains the connection.
Take the Medicaid Handcuffs Off State Budgets. Scott Centorino makes the case that attorneys general should fight federal COVID-relief mandates that sanction fraud.
Fiasco of “Go Ahead, Break Our Windows” Policing. As unrest rocks U.S. cities, too many elected officials fail to understand public safety is their most important job, at our nation’s peril, Charles Lipson writes.
Poor Governance Fuels Illinois Exodus. Richard W. Porter spotlights the findings of a new study on what attracts — and repels — millennials to particular states.
Were David Brock’s Media Matters Illegal Hillary Matters? In RealClearInvestigations, Mark Hemingway reports on allegations that Brock’s tax-exempt nonprofits worked so closely with the Clinton campaign that they broke the law.
MLK, American Revolutionaries, and the Politics of Parallel Reality. RealClearPublicAffairs continues its “1776 Series” with this essay by S. Adam Seagrave.
Harness the Wind to Build a Better Post-Pandemic Future. In RealClearEnergy, Tom Kiernan outlines ways government can enhance development of our nation’s largest renewable contributor.
* * *
U.S. Navy aviators Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. and Wilford John Willy were undeniably brave. Uncommonly so, really, although the last mission they volunteered for was so dangerous and ill-considered one wonders why the scientists and officers who conceived of it weren’t cashiered or court-martialed.
It was called Operation Aphrodite, which in anodyne military jargon really meant it was untested. One in a short series of futile tests would come when the Navy loaded an aged B-24 Liberator with nearly 22,000 pounds of volatile explosives and dispatched it to take out German V-2 rocket launching sites in France. Completing that mission was a noble goal: V-2 rockets would kill some 2,750 civilians in London alone. But with no rockets of their own, the Allies’ only options were desperate measures such as Operation Aphrodite. It consisted of deploying the B-24 as a drone. But since the technology did not exist to get the big plane off the ground without pilots, Lt. Kennedy and Lt. Willy were to get their bomber airborne and then parachute out of the cockpit to safety on England’s coast. Two following planes would take control of the Liberator via radio signal and crash it into the Normandy target. That was the plan, anyway. What happened on the evening of Aug. 12, 1944, was that the Kennedy-Willy aircraft exploded minutes after takeoff, incinerating both pilots. The oldest Kennedy scion, as courageous as they come and groomed for greatness, was dead at 29.
John F. Kennedy, a war hero himself in the Pacific, assumed the mantle of oldest Kennedy son. He would wear it well. Regarding his fallen brother, who was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, JFK later wrote that Joe had completed his designated number of missions by May of 1944, had lost his former co-pilot and a number of close friends, and was offered R&R by the Navy.
“Joe refused his proffered leave and persuaded his crew to remain on for D-Day,” John F. Kennedy noted. “They flew frequently during June and July, and at the end of July they were given another opportunity to go home. He felt it unfair to ask his crew to stay on longer, and they returned to the United States. He remained. For he had heard of a new and special assignment for which volunteers had been requested which would require another month of the most dangerous type of flying.”
In words that simultaneously conveyed a Navy officer’s clinical sense of duty and a brother’s immense feelings of pride in his kinsman, JFK added:
“It may be felt, perhaps, that Joe should not have pushed his luck so far and should have accepted his leave and come home. But two facts must be borne in mind. First, at the time of his death, he had completed probably more combat missions in heavy bombers than any other pilot of his rank in the Navy and therefore was preeminently qualified, and secondly, as he told a friend early in August, he considered the odds at least fifty-fifty, and Joe never asked for any better odds than that.”
The People’s Republic of China is turning up the heat around Japan’s Senkaku Islands, which the Chinese also claim and call the Diaoyu Islands.
It is challenging Japanese control and has warned Tokyo not to complain the next time a host of Chinese fishing boats swarm the area with Chinese Coast Guard and PLA Navy ships providing cover.
Six decades ago, millions of Americans rallied to support domestic opponents of Soviet Communism. By making these “refusniks” famous, many of whom were imprisoned in the deadly prison camps and psychiatric wards of the Gulag Archipelago, their supporters here and elsewhere in the Free World helped protect them from the worst of the Soviets’ abuses and perhaps death.
Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo sought to provide similar protection to today’s refusniks – the courageous freedom-fighters in Hong Kong, now personified by media magnate Jimmy Lai. The CCP arrested him earlier this week for “colluding with foreign powers.”
Undeterred, following his release on bail, Jimmy spoke forthrightly this morning to Maria about the need for change in China, the danger posed by its Maoist dictator, Xi Jin Ping and why Western civilized values are the only basis for peace.
Stand with Jimmy and Hong Kong.
This is Frank Gaffney.
FRED FLEITZ, President and CEO Center for Security Policy, Former CIA analyst, Former Chief of Staff for Amb. John Bolton in the State Dept., Author of The Coming North Korea Nuclear Nightmare: What Trump Must to Reverse Obama’s Strategic Patience (2018):
Susan Rice’s instincts and decisions on national security in the past
Rice’s role in Benghazi
How will the United States’ enemies view the US if Biden doesn’t participate in debates?
DIANA WEST, Nationally syndicated columnist, Blogs at Dianawest.net, Author of Death of the Grown Up, American Betrayal, and Red Thread: A Search for Ideological Drivers Inside the Anti-Trump Conspiracy:
Joe Biden’s selection of Kamala Harris to be his running mate
What types of national security policies may Kamala Harris introduce?
How would mail-in ballots impact the 2020 presidential election?
Censorship of conservative voices in American social media
DAVID WURMSER, Director of CSP’s new program on fighting global anti-Semitism and defending the US-Israel relationship, Served as Middle East Adviser to Dick Cheney, as Special Assistant to John Bolton and as a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, Served in the US Navy Reserve as an intelligence officer at the rank of Lieutenant Commander:
This email is never sent unsolicited. It was sent to you because you signed up to receive this email on the Twitchy.com network OR a friend forwarded it to you. We respect and value your time and privacy. If this newsletter no longer meets your needs we will be happy to remove your address immediately.
Visit the Townhall Media Preference Center to manage your subscriptions
You can unsubscribe by clicking here.
Or Send postal mail to:
Twitchy Unsubscribe
P.O. Box 9660, Arlington, VA 22219
* Copyright Twitchy and its Content Providers.
All rights reserved.
WERE YOU FORWARDED THIS EDITION OF THE HOT AIR DAILY?
You can get your own free subscription to the #1 blog delivered to your email inbox early each morning by visiting: http://www.hotair.com
This newsletter is never sent unsolicited. It was sent to you because you signed up to receive this newsletter on Hot Air OR a friend forwarded it to you. We respect and value your time and privacy. If this newsletter no longer meets your needs we will be happy to remove your address immediately.
Visit the Townhall Media Preference Center to manage your subscriptions
You can unsubscribe by clicking here..
Or Send postal mail to:
Hot Air Daily Unsubscribe
P.O Box 9660, Arlington, VA 22219
* Copyright Hot Air and its Content Providers.
All rights reserved.
By AIER Staff | “The evidence available in March suggested the vast majority of people would not suffer severe illness from the virus. This should have led state leaders to focus limited resources on protecting the most vulnerable in society.
By Jeffrey A. Tucker | Nine-hundred years ago, the English historian Henry of Huntingdon wrote down an older Anglo-Saxon story/myth of King Canute who claimed the throne of England in 1016. The story was of appalling arrogance. It resonated in…
Initial Claims for Unemployment Benefits Drop Below One…
By Robert Hughes | For a second week, initial claims for unemployment benefits maintained a downward trend that was interrupted by two weeks of slight increases in July. The latest drop pushes the total number of initial claims below the one…
By Fiona Harrigan | “Modern Germany is deceptively unified–so much so that it has become easy to relegate the cautionary tale of the GDR to the history books. But the ideology that gave rise to the Berlin Wall persists around the world. For as…
By Raymond C. Niles | “Looking ahead to a more authoritarian future, will old-fashioned lobbying be enough to secure a measure of business freedom any more? What new steps will businesses need to take in the future to protect themselves from…
By Joakim Book | “Nature may be pristine, but nature is not friendly. With climate change making nature even less secure, we would do well to let technology and global economic growth protect us. With wealth and technology, we can both tame it…
We are on the cusp of a dramatic wave of technological change – from blockchain to automated smart contracts, artificial intelligence and machine learning to advances in cryptography and digitisation, from Internet of Things to advanced communications technologies.
This book presents a call to arms. The liberty movement has spent too much time begging the state for its liberties back. We can now use new technologies to build the free institutions that are needed for human flourishing without state permission.
On the menu today: Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden take a moment to offer ludicrously unrealistic proposals about Social Security and Medicare, the disappearance of functional Congressional majorities, and indicators that large swaths of the world just tune out what the president says on any given day.
Washington’s Jaw-Dropping Denial about Money
Yesterday, during his press briefing at the White House, President Trump again pitched his proposal to “terminate the payroll tax” permanently.
The term “payroll taxes” probably misleads some people, as they are considered separate from your income taxes, despite the fact that half of them comes out of your paycheck. You and your employer each pay 6.2 percent of your income to pay for Social Security and 1.45 percent for Medicare, and an additional 0.9 percent is levied on the highest earners. In fiscal year 2019, Americans paid $1.2 trillion, which was almost 36 percent of all federal revenues.
Facebook is building the largest voter information effort in US history, starting with the new Voting Information Center, where you can find the latest resources about voting in the 2020 election. Our goal is to help register 4 million voters.
“Makes an original and compelling case for nationalism . . . A fascinating, erudite—and much-needed—defense of a hallowed idea unfairly under current attack.” — Victor Davis Hanson
The private schools in Montgomery County, Maryland, where I live, are breathing a sigh of relief that, after much sturm und drang this past week, they’re back in charge of their own decisions about whether and how to re-open.
Strategika Issue 66 is now available online. Strategika is an online journal that analyzes ongoing issues of national security in light of conflicts of the past—the efforts of the Military History Working Group of historians, analysts, and military personnel focusing on military history and contemporary conflict.
This week’s Goodfellows conversation was a bit more contentious than usual. The most interesting part, I think, is our little dust-up over TokTok, following Niall’s Bloomberg commentary.
In 1962, Barbara Tuchman published The Guns of August, a book about the negotiations among the Great Powers that led to the outbreak of World War I in August 1914. Her thesis was that bungled diplomacy caused the war. The book won the Pulitzer Prize and is said to have influenced President John F. Kennedy in his handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis later that year.
If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that this crisis has thrown all of us for a loop. We humans aren’t built for something so unnerving, so unprecedented in our own lifetimes, so mysterious and hard to understand and out of control. We might view our own brains as perfectly rational, but despite our best efforts, we’re going to grasp for the familiar in times like this, including familiar ways of thinking.
Given the massive shrinkage in the number of jobs available during the first months of the pandemic, most economists don’t think that the $600 bonus kept many people from returning to work.
Hoover Institution fellow Victor Davis Hanson discusses Kamala Harris winning the Democrat veepstakes, reparations, the thin veneer of civilization, the end of civil rights as we knew it, the A-bomb at 75, and the COVID nursing-home apocalypse.
One of the key aspects of the Trump presidency has been his success at maintaining the vibrant and dynamic role of the office of the president. In “Defender in Chief,” John Yoo counters the narrative that President Trump challenges our constitutional order. On the contrary, Mr. Yoo explains, Mr. Trump has been quite remarkable in promoting and protecting the presidency as an integral part of our federal system.
After months of butting heads with his medical experts, including the government’s top infectious disease official, Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Trump introduced a new adviser to the administration during his coronavirus briefing on Monday, Dr. Scott Atlas, whose views on Covid-19 and school reopenings more closely match the president’s.
Dr. Scott Atlas joining the Coronavirus Task Force is a wonderful addition. He will provide some common sense, using honest risk-evaluation regarding COVID-19, which has been missing. Since the beginning of the pandemic, his opinions and thoughts about public policy have evolved as new information became available.
Webster’s defines racism as, a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.
President Donald Trump stepped up his effort to push school systems to reopen by hosting an event at the White House featuring parents, educators and researchers who argued for in-person learning.
The most material political news that broke this week was not the selection of Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) as Joe Biden’s running mate, but the disastrous decision of major college football conferences to cancel their 2020 seasons. Specifically, in battleground Midwest states, legions of football fans who may not be particularly politically oriented will become animated to punish candidates unwilling to vociferously defend football.
The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hoover Institution or Stanford University.
Thank you for subscribing to the Hoover Daily Report.
This email was sent to: rickbulow1974@gmail.com