Good morning! Here is your news briefing for day , 2022
1.) THE DAILY SIGNAL
January 27 2022
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Good morning from Washington, where the Biden administration is busy figuring out how to track federal employees with religious or medical reasons for not getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Fred Lucas has an update on our exclusive reporting. With the news of another imminent Supreme Court vacancy, John Malcolm assesses what Stephen Breyer stands for. On the podcast, it’s West Virginia v. China, sort of. Plus: tailoring education to children’s needs; YouTube bounces Dan Bongino; and “Problematic Women” wades into the masks-at-school debate. Fifty-five years ago today, a launch pad fire during tests at Cape Canaveral, Florida, kills Apollo I astronauts “Gus” Grissom, Edward White II, and Roger Chaffee, all trapped inside the command module.
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2.) THE EPOCH TIMES
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3.) DAYBREAK
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4.) THE SUNBURN
Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 1.27.22
Good Thursday morning.
The first State of Emergency podcast of 2022 honors the passing of co-host Jared Moskowitz‘s father, Michael. Jared and Peter also talk with Speaker Chris Sprowls, who is in the middle of his final Legislative Session. In this exclusive conversation, the Pinellas lawmaker offers his insights on a range of priorities and issues.
P.S. Tom Leek, you’re on the clock!
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LSN Partners expansion is continuing into 2022, with the addition of three new employees at its offices in Broward and Miami-Dade.
The full-service consulting firm announced Thursday that it has hired Dr. Heidi Richards to work in its Ft. Lauderdale office and Lisa McClaskey and Veronica Pizzorni to work in its Miami Beach office.
“We are very proud to welcome Heidi, Lisa, and Veronica to the LSN Family,” LSN founder and managing partner Alex Heckler said. “We strive to continuously exceed clients’ expectations and employ individuals who represent our values and will be respected advisers to clients.”
Richards is the former Chief of Staff to Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness and has experience building coalitions and creating client-focused campaigns. She also has expertise in policy areas including economic development, transportation, and housing and is adept at communicating and advancing complicated policy issues with political leaders, companies and other stakeholders.
McClaskey has more than 10 years of experience in developing strategic partnerships, managing event logistics, and enhancing global relations. She is the former director of economic and political affairs for the Consulate General of Israel in Miami. She has also served in the Advance Department for two presidential campaigns, interned in the Florida Governor’s Office, and worked in the Development Department for the Miami Art Museum, now known as the Perez Museum of Art.
Pizzorni previously worked as manager of operations for Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and has immense experience in the Miami-Dade County governmental and political environment. The University of Florida graduate also served as Levine Cava’s Deputy campaign manager and has worked on many high-profile campaigns across the state.
The new hires follow an explosive year of growth at LSN, which added 10 new members across its offices in Washington D.C. and South Florida.
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Leslie Reed is now a partner at Brightwater Strategies Group.
Brightwater Strategies Group is the consulting shop launched by owner Jennifer Valenstein last year. The firm also includes her husband, former Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein, who serves as managing partner.
Reed bolsters Brightwater’s expertise in agricultural and environmental policy. She comes to the firm from DEP, where, as Chief of Staff, she served as second in command under Valenstein during his time leading the department.
At DEP, Reed oversaw the agency’s administrative, financial and legislative activities. She also managed the department’s information technology, legislative affairs, and intergovernmental affairs divisions.
Reed has also served as Florida’s representative on the RESTORE Council, which manages funds from the multistate settlement following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. She was originally appointed to the council by former Gov. Rick Scott and was reappointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Before DEP, Reed held positions at the Suwannee River Water Management District and the Florida Public Service Commission.
At SRWMD, she managed the agency’s strategic planning initiative and Surface Water Improvement and Management Plan. At the PSC, she assisted with need determinations for investor-owned electric companies, carrier-to-carrier telecom issues, and other matters.
Reed earned a law degree from Florida State University and a bachelor’s degree in environmental policy and planning from Virginia Tech.
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
—@SahilKapur: 2022 is going to be a huge year for the Supreme Court. Major rulings to come on abortion, gun rights and affirmative action. A Senate confirmation battle for a new justice. A midterm election that’ll determine which party controls the process for potential future vacancies.
—@BillKristol: Straightforward from here. June 30: Court overturns Roe. July 1: (Stephen) Breyer resigns, says Court “needs aggressive progressive justices.” July 4. (Joe) Biden picks (Kamala) Harris for Court. Harris resigns as VP. July 5. Biden picks (Mitt) Romney as VP, says national unity needed for the world crisis.
—@RepJimBanks: Have we ever seen a President attack and malign the free press like Joe Biden has??
—@BRhodes: What Fox News has done to this country is infinitely more offensive than anything Joe Biden said.
Tweet, tweet:
—@Dabbs346: Ron Johnson tells Charlie Kirk that “all these athletes [are] dropping dead on the field” after the COVID vaccine. #wisen
—@JacobRubashkin: Where the “DeSantis can beat (Donald) Trump in 2024″ talk falls short is, why would any other GOP hopeful step aside for DeSantis? If you believe a DeSantis candidacy makes Trump beatable, why let DeSantis be the only one who takes a shot? He doesn’t command the loyalty that Trump does.
—@MarcACaputo: There’s certainly much to criticize DeSantis for — especially his de-emphasizing of the benefits of vaccines, which are so far the best tool to fight COVID But when it comes to school openings & masking, the criticisms of those policies have yet to match the reality
—@AGAshleyMoody: It’s abundantly clear that there is a purposeful effort to undermine the success of FL by @JoeBiden. His reckless immigration policies, attacks on our #1 cruise industry & shutdown of @GovRonDeSantis‘s successful monoclonal program are just a few examples of the #FedWarOnFL.
—@TedLieu: Rep Matt Gaetz is entitled to the presumption of innocence. He is not entitled to sit on the House Judiciary Committee that has oversight over the Department investigating him for sex crimes with a minor. @GOPLeader needs to remove Rep Gaetz from the Committee.
Tweet, tweet:
Tweet, tweet:
—@Gehrig38: Every year the conversation revolves around who didn’t get in. Like all-star voting, who got cheated. I say it every year and especially this year, focus on who did get in. @davidortiz deserved a 1st ballot induction! Congratulations my friend you earned it! #bigpapiHoF
— DAYS UNTIL —
James Madison Institute’s Stanley Marshall Day Celebration in Jacksonville — 1; XXIV Olympic Winter Games begins — 8; Super Bowl LVI — 17; Will Smith’s ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ reboot premieres — 17; Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show begins — 20; season four of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ begins — 20; Spring Training report dates begin — 21; Synapse Florida tech summit begins — 21; ‘The Walking Dead’ final season part two begins — 24; Daytona 500 — 24; Special Election for Jacksonville City Council At-Large Group 3 — 27; Suits For Session — 27; CPAC begins — 28; St. Pete Grand Prix — 29; Biden to give State of the Union — 33; ‘The Batman’ premieres — 36; the third season of ‘Atlanta’ begins — 55; season two of ‘Bridgerton’ begins — 57; The Oscars — 59; Macbeth with Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga begin performances on Broadway — 61; Grammys rescheduled in Las Vegas — 66; federal student loan payments will resume — 94; ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ premieres — 99; ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ premieres — 120; ‘Platinum Jubilee’ for Queen Elizabeth II — 126; ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ premieres — 163; San Diego Comic-Con 2022 — 176; Michael Mann and Meg Gardiner novel ‘Heat 2’ publishes — 194; ‘The Lord of the Rings’ premieres on Amazon Prime — 218; ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ sequel premieres — 253; ‘Black Panther 2’ premieres — 288; ‘The Flash’ premieres — 291; ‘Avatar 2′ premieres — 323; ‘Captain Marvel 2′ premieres — 386; ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ premieres — 421; ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ premieres — 547; ‘Dune: Part Two’ premieres — 631; Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games — 911.
—TOP STORY —
“Senate Democrats walkout as Republicans on panel OK Joseph Ladapo as Florida Surgeon General” via Jeffrey Schweers of USA Today Network — After a lengthy grilling on his merits and qualifications, the Senate Health Policy Committee voted, without its Democratic members, to recommend that Ladapo be confirmed as Florida’s Surgeon General. Frustrated by what she and her colleagues called a lack of honest answers from Ladapo after more than an hour of questioning, Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book said Democrats on the panel would walk out of the room. “We have an extreme amount of respect for process, but we are not getting any answers,” Book said. After the four Democrats left the room, Sen. Aaron Bean called for a vote on recommending confirmation.
“Florida physicians call on Ron DeSantis, Ladapo to drop politics from public health” via Douglas Ray of The Gainesville Sun — Three prominent Florida physicians Wednesday called on DeSantis and Dr. Ladapo to focus on public health and stop politicizing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Frederick Southwick, a Gainesville infectious disease specialist, Dr. Bernard Ashby, a Miami cardiologist, and Dr. Michael Teng, a Tampa virologist, joined a Zoom conference call with news media as members of the Committee to Protect Health Care. “We are here today to set the record straight on the monoclonal antibody therapies that DeSantis has been making hay about,” Ashby said.
— DATELINE TALLY —
“New Florida House boundaries approved, but draw fire over minority districts” via John Kennedy of the USA TODAY Network–Florida — A redrawing of Florida House districts that would position Republicans to maintain a sizable majority for the next decade is ready for a final vote in that chamber. Boundaries for the 120-member House would create 71 districts carried by Trump in the last election, compared to 49 that went for Biden, despite registered voters in Florida being close to equally divided among Democrats, Republicans and those with no party affiliation. The House currently has 78 Republicans. But Democrats on the Reapportionment Committee questioned why the new plan maintains 30 districts likely to elect a Black or Hispanic representative when these communities accounted for the bulk of the state’s population growth over the past decade. Many of these minority-heavy districts tend to vote Democratic.
“Florida State Guard may increase ranks to 500 volunteers” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — The Florida State Guard could scale up to a level of 500 troops and establish itself as a paramilitary haven for unvaccinated service members. DeSantis announced plans to resurrect the volunteer force in November. They would assist the National Guard with hurricanes, natural disasters and other state-specific emergencies. But unlike the National Guard, the Florida State Guard would answer solely to the Governor. No federal deployments. No federal missions. No federal dollars. DeSantis’ initial vision for the force included 200 volunteers at a price tag of $3.5 million. The Florida State Guard, however, may grow to reach 500 members, DeSantis said Wednesday.
“Bill deeming churches essential during emergencies progresses despite possible flaws” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — Lawmakers could be erring on the side of broader protections for religious services during states of emergency. Under the legislation (SB 254 and HB 215), state law would label houses of worship as an “essential service,” meaning religious events and activities may continue so long as any business is permitted to operate. In effect, church doors would be among the last to close during a state of emergency. The House State Affairs Committee advanced the House bill Wednesday with a 15-7, party-line vote, but not without bill sponsor and Rep. Nick DiCeglie acknowledging the opportunity to tweak the bill. DiCeglie said the legislation is a reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s ensuing response.
“Florida lawmakers consider banning cities, counties from setting local minimum wages” via James Call of USA Today Network-Florida — The state’s top business lobbying associations are putting their combined political might behind a bill that could cut the pay of thousands of Florida workers. The Florida Chamber, Associated Industries of Florida, the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association and the Florida Retail Federation are urging House and Senate committees to approve a proposed ban on local wage mandates that are higher than the state minimum of $10 an hour. Cities, counties and workers argue local governments should be free to include so-called “living wage” and benefits mandates in local contracts.
—TALLY 2 —
Americans for Prosperity flyers seek to block VISIT FLORIDA, film incentive funding — Calling them “corporate welfare,” Americans for Prosperity-Florida distributed mail pieces statewide on two legislative bills that they say will unnecessarily siphon taxpayer dollars to specific industries. Set to be heard in the Senate Thursday, SB 434/HB 489 seeks a five-year delay for the repeal of VISIT FLORIDA. AFP-FL argues the tourism agency “gobbled up an average of more than $65 million per year over the past five years.” If passed, the bill will head to its final stop in the House on Monday. AFP-FL also seeks to defeat SB 946/HB 217, which would reinstate film incentives for the first time since 2016. The organization argues that Florida taxpayers should not be forced to re-fund a film program that “flopped the first time” — bringing in 43 cents in return for every dollar spent.
“A bunch of corporations defied the Legislature without consequence” via Jason Garcia of Seeking Rents — In 2019, the Florida Legislature passed an enormous tax cut for corporations despite not knowing how much it would cost. But this tax cut was temporary — and it came with a catch. The law required corporate taxpayers to provide the state with more detailed information about their income taxes. According to the Florida Department of Revenue, only about half Florida corporations complied. The 2019 law wasn’t optional; it required corporations to file these information returns. And it called for penalties for those that did not comply. But the Department of Revenue says it has decided not to impose penalties for incomplete returns because the Revenue Estimating Conference decided not to use the data — even though the REC decided not to use the data because the returns were incomplete.
“Legislation to discount property tax bills for essential workers advances” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics — Teachers, first responders, military members and others would all get another $50,000 property tax exemption under a proposal that drew unanimous committee support Tuesday. The Senate Community Affairs Committee gave a thumbs-up to the legislation (SJR 1746) that could mean voters would be asked in November to approve an amendment to the state constitution that would mean a lower tax bill for about half a million people or 4% of the state’s workforce. Identical legislation (HJR 1) has been filed in the House but has yet to see committee action. The bill affects teachers, law enforcement officers, correctional officers, firefighters, child welfare service professionals, active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces and members of the Florida National Guard. Local property tax collections would drop an estimated $80 million, Sen. Jason Brodeur said.
“Senate committee OK’s bill to replace standardized tests with digitized progress monitoring” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — Florida may soon replace the current standardized testing system in public schools with a “progress monitoring program” under a bill OK’d Wednesday by a Senate committee. The Senate Education Appropriations Subcommittee passed the proposal (SB 1048) unanimously. Sen. Manny Diaz Jr. is the bill sponsor. Under the measure, public schools must roll out a digitized progress monitor tool and a year-end assessment covering math and English within the year. The goal is to devote less time on testing and more time on learning, Diaz suggested.
“Senate panel advances environmental funding bill despite opposition from advocates” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — A Senate environmental committee has advanced legislation to set aside $20 million a year for projects to improve the water quality in rivers in Florida’s heartland. The bill (SB 1400) would hand $20 million annually to the Department of Environmental Protection for designing or constructing projects that protect, restore or enhance Central Florida’s headwaters. Water in the region affects 32 counties, about half the state, said bill sponsor Sen. Danny Burgess. The dollars would come from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund (LATF) and pay to implement the Heartland Headwaters Protection and Sustainability Act, which outlines the expenditures. But environmental organizations question whether the bill would be a proper use of the fund, as part of the continued fallout from a 2015 lawsuit over how the Legislature was spending the funds.
“13-second bill that explained nothing — but all committee members approved it” via Issac Morgan of Florida Phoenix — Last week, state Rep. Ralph Massullo, a dermatologist, came before a public health-related subcommittee in the state House to present legislation connected to minors. The Committee chair asked Massullo to present his bill. “Thank you, Mr. Chair, committee. [HB] 817 simply enables physicians to provide emergency care to minors outside of a hospital or college health service system without parental consent,” Massullo told lawmakers. That was the bill — the whole 13 seconds. There were no questions, no debate. Lawmakers unanimously approved the bill, 16-0, with four missed votes. In all, the entire discussion lasted less than two minutes — and still — the public would have no idea about the details. What wasn’t mentioned that day was that the legislation would broaden the current law considerably.
“Florida House Redistricting Committee sends new statehouse map to the floor” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — The Florida House Redistricting Committee has voted to send a draft map of Florida’s 120 House districts to the floor. Through a near party-line vote, the committee advanced the fourth proposed map (H 8013) from House staff. Only Rep. Anika Omphroy crossed party lines to vote yes. Rep. Leek, an Ormond Beach Republican and the Committee’s chair, said the map was the product of months of work. Most importantly, he said, that product came out constitutionally compliant. “This is one of the most arduous tasks,” he said. Rep. Joe Geller, a Democrat and the committee’s ranking member, called for a vote to delay approval of maps until an upcoming meeting, unsatisfied with the time given to review the last draft.
“Civil war: Likely Florida House map pits 19 incumbents against House colleague” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — A map advanced by the House Redistricting Committee should establish the boundaries of political battles over the next decade. More immediately, it could force a number of fights between incumbent members of the House seeking election this year. An investigation by Florida Politics finds the current cartography (H 8013) could pit at least 19 sitting representatives against one another, presuming all remain in their current home. That means more than 20% of House members who have filed to seek another term will see colleagues, often within their own party, become nemeses.
“House ready for vote to increase penalties for evidence tampering” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — A bill that would increase penalties for evidence tampering in capital felony cases sailed through its final committee in the House Wednesday and is now ready for the House floor. The bill (HB 287), introduced by Rep. Sam Garrison of Clay County, would make tampering with or fabricating evidence a second-degree felony if done in a criminal trial, proceeding or investigation relating to felonies. Currently, it’s a third-degree felony to tamper with evidence in all cases, and the law does not distinguish between tampering with evidence in murder cases and lesser offenses. Garrison, a former prosecutor, told the Judiciary Committee the change would align the bill with the current perjury statute and close a long-standing loophole in the law.
“Florida doctors are a step closer to prescribing controlled substances via telehealth” via Gina Jordan of WFSU — A bill is back that would enable doctors to prescribe certain controlled substances via telehealth, and it’s getting bipartisan support. Doctors use telehealth to deliver health care services remotely through technology like the Zoom platform. “We saw during the pandemic through the Governor’s executive order how well telehealth works,” said Rep. Tom Fabricio, telling a House committee his bill allows physicians to prescribe certain controlled substances via telehealth consultations. Controlled drugs have the potential to be highly addictive. Fabricio’s bill would allow physicians to remotely prescribe drugs like stimulants, sedatives, and anabolic steroids, which fall under schedules III through V.
— MORE TALLY —
“Bill to define cryptocurrencies in law advances in Senate” via Gray Rohrer of Florida Politics — Legislation to define the term “virtual currency” and attempt to clarify state law regarding cryptocurrency and state financial regulations passed through the Senate Subcommittee on Agriculture, Environment and General Government. The bill’s movement is an indication the bill has a greater chance at passing this year after failing to get through the Senate last year. “It’s largely uncontemplated in law since it’s so new,” said Sen. Jason Brodeur, sponsor of SB 486. “(The bill) lays some guardrails down for how we will deal with cryptocurrency.” The bill defines “virtual currency” as a “medium of exchange in electronic or digital format which is not currency.” Brodeur and the committee also amended the bill to ensure the term doesn’t apply to currencies solely used in online gaming platforms or a business’ exclusive rewards programs that can’t be converted into hard cash.
“Bill that would repeal state’s last remaining pit bull bans advances” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics — Pit bulls, also known as American Staffordshire terriers, would no longer be discriminated against in ordinances and would only be judged by their behavior, according to legislation that advanced Tuesday. The Senate Community Affairs Committee unanimously voted for legislation (SB 614) that would prohibit public housing authorities and local ordinances from breed-specific rules on dogs. It repealed a previous line that allowed city rules that had passed before Oct. 1, 1990, the same year that Miami-Dade County’s ordinance prohibiting pit bulls was adopted. “There isn’t any scientific evidence that there is a particular breed that is dangerous,” said Sen. Ileana Garcia.
“Lawmakers quiet on bill forcing car dealers to transfer title within 30 days” via Shannon Behnken of WFLA News Channel 8 — If you buy a car, how long should you have to wait for the title? Current Florida law requires dealers to apply to transfer the title within 30 days. But if three lawmakers are successful, proposed legislation could change that, doing away with the deadline and the state’s ability to yank a dealer’s license if it fails to fork over titles in time. Republican Sen. Tom Wright and Republican Rep. David Smith filed the identical bills, SB 1346 and HB 1517. Now, Rep. Andrew Learned, a Hillsborough Democrat, signed on as a co-sponsor.
“They’re not quite flying cars, but Jason Fischer wants Florida to be ready” via Raymon Troncoso of WJCT News — Flying cars were the stuff of “Back to the Future” and “The Jetsons,” elements of a post-scarcity society where everyone got where they needed to go with no hassle. It’s not the way Rep. Fischer describes his legislation to prepare Florida for the advent of VTOL, or vertical takeoff and landing craft. But the intent of the technology is the same: more convenient, affordable air travel. Fischer’s bill, HB 1005, would create an “Advanced Air Mobility Study Task Force,” a board of at least 20 state, local and industry leaders that would position Florida for VTOL. The effort includes looking ahead at laws on the books and preparing or removing regulations depending on the needs of the burgeoning industry.
“Odds improve for lottery winner anonymity as Senate bill nears floor vote” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Members of the Senate Government Oversight and Accountability Committee gave a unanimous thumbs-up Wednesday to a bill (SB 170) by Democratic Sen. Tina Polsky of Boca Raton that would create a public-records exemption for the names of people who win lottery prizes of $250,000 or more. Under the proposed change, big-pot lotto winners would be able to keep their names private for 90 days from the day they claim their winnings. If they choose to do so, they could still waive confidentiality. Jacksonville Democratic Rep. Tracie Davis, who is carrying the House twin of the bill (HB 159), said the $250,000 limit came at the recommendation of Florida Lottery Secretary John Davis.
“House panel tops strawberry shortcake state dessert bill with whipped cream” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — A measure naming strawberry shortcake the state dessert (HB 567) is ready to be served on the House Floor. Members of the House State Affairs Committee voted unanimously to approve the bill, prepared by Republican Rep. Lawrence McClure. While St. Johns Republican Rep. Cyndi Stevenson praised strawberry shortcake as “within most everybody’s culinary ability,” the committee added an extra step to the recipe. A change to the bill from Committee Chair Ralph Massullo specified “strawberry shortcake with natural Florida dairy topping” would be the state’s official post-dinner treat.
“Florida GOP lawmakers vow to expand school choice at Capitol rally in Tallahassee” via Ana Goñi-Lessan of the Tallahassee Democrat — School choice advocates, most wearing yellow scarves stitched with the National School Choice Week logo, stood in the Capitol Courtyard Wednesday. On a stage in front of the old Capitol steps, children from Tallahassee’s Brownsville Preparatory Institute gestured and stomped while reciting the words of the poem “The Creation” by James Weldon Johnson. Republican lawmakers vowed to expand school choice for every child in Florida, regardless of socioeconomic status, at the rally. Lawmakers touted the success of last year’s Session when they changed the parameters for the Family Empowerment Scholarship.
Construction defect bill makes FJA, Disney unlikely allies — Legislation intended to keep disputes between homeowners and developers out of court has sparked fights between construction companies and some of the highest-profile special interest groups in the state, Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida reports. The fight stems from a provision in a Senate “construction defect” bill that would halve the time homeowners have to file a claim against a developer for major defects, such as foundation issues. The change is opposed by trial lawyers and major businesses such as Disney, which are almost exclusively on opposing sides of legislative fights. The House construction defect bill does not propose shortening the claims window.
“Broward’s newest state Representative gets sworn in next week, allowing him to serve most of annual Legislative Session” via Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Rep.-elect Daryl Campbell was heading for Tallahassee on Wednesday and expects to be sworn into office next week. Campbell said he was told by House leaders that, following the certification, he’d be sworn in next week, when the full House will be in Session. Some Democrats had feared Republicans who controlled the House wouldn’t swear in the newly elected Democrat for two months, keeping his Broward district unrepresented for the entire Session. That happened with another Broward Democrat under a previous Republican House Speaker. Jenna Box Sarkissian, communications director for House Speaker Sprowls said last week that Campbell will be sworn in once certified. She didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday after the Canvassing Commission certified the results.
“Drinks and donations flow at Red Dog, Blue Dog fundraiser” via Roseanne Dunkelberger of Florida Politics — Although it’s only two weeks into the 2022 Session, there was a definite Sine Die vibe Tuesday night at the Township Bar for the seventh (almost) annual Red Dog, Blue Dog fundraising event. Sara Clements, one of the event organizers, was hoping the large crowd and increased sponsorship would double the nearly $10,000 take from 2020, the last time the event was held because of COVID-19 concerns. By the end of the evening, the 2022 event was on target to quintuple that number. Credit goes to Sen. Aaron Bean, a licensed professional auctioneer who suggested and offered his services to Red Dog, Blue Dog, as he has for other charitable events. Despite the worst system in the history of amplified sound, he was able to encourage participants to bid more than $35,000 for the chance to sit down and share a meal with Senators and Representatives.
— SKED —
Happening today — Florida Space Day to raise awareness and celebrate the state’s aerospace industry, promoting innovation and growing the economy, event begins at 7 a.m. Later, the Space Day Luncheon featuring Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro, and Florida Space Day Chair Sen. Tom Wright, 11:30 a.m., Governors Club.
Happening today — Rural Counties Day featuring a Legislative Networking Reception, 8 a.m., Capitol Courtyard.
— The Senate convenes a floor Session, 2:30 p.m., Senate Chamber.
— House Civil Justice & Property Rights Subcommittee, 8 a.m., Room 404 of the House Office Building.
— Senate Finance & Tax Committee, 9 a.m., Room 110 of the Senate Office Building.
— Senate Rules Committee, 9 a.m., Room 412 of the Knott Building.
— House Infrastructure & Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee, 9 a.m., Reed Hall of the House Office Building.
— House Insurance & Banking Subcommittee, 9 a.m., Morris Hall of the House Office Building.
— House Secondary Education & Career Development Subcommittee, 9 a.m., Room 212 Knott Building.
— Senate Appropriations Committee, 11:30 a.m., Room 412 of the Knott Building.
— House Finance & Facilities Subcommittee, 11:30 a.m., Morris Hall of the House Office Building.
— House PreK-12 Appropriations Subcommittee, 11:30 a.m., Reed Hall of the House Office Building.
— House Regulatory Reform Subcommittee, 11:30 a.m., Room 212 of the Knott Building.
— House Government Operations Subcommittee, 11:30 a.m., Room 404 of the House Office Building.
— House Rules Committee, 2:30 p.m., Room 404 of the House Office Building.
— House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee, 4 p.m., Morris Hall of the House Office Building.
— House Public Integrity & Elections Committee, 4 p.m., Room 404 of the House Office Building.
— The Revenue Estimating Conference meets to consider a tax-collection enforcement diversion program, 9 a.m., Room 117 of the Knott Building.
— The Revenue Estimating Conference meets to analyze monthly revenue, 9:30 a.m., Room 117 of the Knott Building.
Happening today — The Florida Supreme Court releases weekly opinions, 11 a.m.
—STATEWIDE —
“DeSantis demurs on marijuana legalization but can’t stand the dank stank” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — The “putrid” smell of marijuana is among the reasons DeSantis may remain opposed to legalization in Florida. DeSantis shied away from offering a definitive answer on the issue Wednesday when asked by the press at a campaign event in Tallahassee. He did, however, speak out against the smell of cannabis in public places. “What I don’t like about it is if you go to some of these places that have done it, the stench when you’re out there, I mean, it smells so putrid,” he told reporters. The Governor’s remarks come as Democratic gubernatorial contenders vow to legalize marijuana if elected to office. DeSantis, though, characterized those promises as dishonest. Such an effort requires the cooperation of the Legislature, he noted.
“Florida collected $45 million in Medicaid overpayments and criminal, civil penalties last year” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics — Florida recovered more than $22 million in civil and criminal penalties stemming from Medicaid fraud and abuse in the Fiscal Year 2020-21. The state also clawed back $23 million in Medicaid overpayments to providers. The report was developed by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) and the Office of the Attorney General, which work together to go after scammers trying to rip off the $34 billion health care program that provides services to the state’s poor, elderly and disabled. The AG’s office houses what’s called the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, which is charged with investigating and prosecuting Medicaid fraud and abuse cases. Meanwhile, Medicaid Program Integrity is housed at AHCA, as is the state’s Medicaid program.
“Florida shock jock in Matt Gaetz circle pleads guilty” via Jose Pagliery and Roger Sollenberger of The Daily Beast — Joe Ellicott is the longtime best friend of corrupt Florida tax official Joel Greenberg, who was Gaetz’s wingman in the underage sex operation, according to several sources with direct knowledge of their relationship. Last year, The Daily Beast revealed that Ellicott knew intimate details about the teenage girl who was paid for sex by the group and actually texted what essentially amounted to a confession that they were scrambling to try and cover up details about their sex with a 17-year-old from the feds. Ellicott was particularly legally exposed through his involvement with Greenberg, who ran the small Central Florida tax agency like a fiefdom where he hired his friends for no-show jobs. That appears to be what took Ellicott down.
“Conservative group trying to ban 16 books from Polk Schools, calling them pornographic” via Kimberly C. Moore of The Lakeland Ledger — Polk County Public Schools Regional Assistant Superintendent John Hill and several of his colleagues spent Tuesday morning going to area middle and high schools to gather 16 books out of media centers after County Citizens Defending Freedom, a conservative political group, complained to Superintendent Frederick Heid that the novels, graphic novels, autobiographies, and sex education books contain pornographic material harmful to children. Heid sent an email Monday evening to middle and high school principals and media center librarians, stating that a “stakeholder group” is alleging that the books may be in violation of Florida Statute 847.012, which deals with distributing obscene or harmful materials to children.
“A surge at sea: Migrants seek entry to the U.S. aboard flimsy boats” via Frances Robles and Miriam Jordan of The New York Times — The maritime disaster that left rescuers still searching on Wednesday for 38 migrants lost at sea in the Florida Straits comes amid a surge in seaborne migration on both U.S. coasts as thousands of people board flimsy boats in a desperate attempt to reach the United States. Experts attributed the surge in sea smuggling to beefed-up land-border enforcement combined with shrinking opportunities in developing countries stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.
“The Indian River Lagoon has lost 89% of seagrass cover and restoring the waterway will cost $5B” via Daniel Figueroa of Florida Politics — Last year was the deadliest on record for Florida’s beloved manatees, with more than 1,000 dying. Most starved thanks to the disappearance of seagrass that lines coasts and estuaries providing nutrition for the aquatic mammals. Data shows those seagrass numbers are continuing to trend downward. “We’ve lost 58% of the acreage we had in 2009 and we’ve lost about 89% of the cover,” Chuck Jacoby of the St. Johns Water Management District said. Seagrass restoration is just one of the hefty challenges Florida faces as climate change, pollution, excess storm and wastewater runoff and coastal development erode the state’s waterways. A bill making its way through the Legislature this Session would actually make it easier for developers to destroy more seagrass with the promise that hypothetical mitigation funds would install new seagrass somewhere else.
“Vickie Chachere succeeding Mark Howard as Florida Trend’s next Executive Editor” via Florida Trend — Florida Trend announced that Chachere will be its next Executive Editor. Chachere, who joined Florida Trend on Jan. 18, 2022, will be taking the reins from longtime Executive Editor Howard who will be retiring at the end of March after leading the publication’s editorial operations for nearly 26 years. Chachere joins Florida Trend from the University of South Florida where she has held numerous communications positions, most recently, Director of Strategic Communications for USF Research & Innovation.
— CORONA FLORIDA —
“DeSantis calls removal of antibody treatments ‘rash decision’ by FDA” via Robert Pandolfino of WFLA — DeSantis continued to push for coronavirus patients to receive monoclonal antibody treatments that were pulled by the federal government after they were deemed ineffective against the omicron variant. DeSantis held a news conference at Miami Dade College’s North Campus Wednesday with Florida Department of Health Deputy Secretary Dr. Kenneth Scheppke and other medical experts to decry what he called a “rash decision” by the FDA. The FDA said it was revoking emergency authorization for Regeneron and Eli Lilly because they don’t work against the omicron variant that now accounts for nearly all U.S. infections. If the drugs prove effective against future variants, the FDA said it could reauthorize their use.
—“Jimmy Patronis blasts ‘heartless’ FDA decision to stop monoclonal therapy” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
“Will omicron end soon? Florida epidemiologist says endemic phase is near” via Marlei Martinez of WFLA — When it comes to pandemic trends, the proof is in the numbers. Florida’s latest COVID-19 status report shows improvement with the number of new cases plummeting last week compared to the week before. “We’re heading in the right direction,” said UCF epidemiologist Elena Cyrus. Cyrus added that Florida’s latest new case positivity rate of 26.8% is still significant. With omicron, Cyrus said the most notable consequence is the scale of the variant’s spread instead of its milder severity.
— CORONA LOCAL —
“Ladapo won’t talk about why Orange health official Dr. Raul Pino was suspended” via Mark Skoneki of the Orlando Sentinel — Ladapo wouldn’t talk much Wednesday about why Pino has been suspended, but he did tell lawmakers the decision wasn’t because of politics. “I want to clarify that particular position was absolutely not placed on administrative leave for any reasons that were potentially political or related to anything other than the policies we have in the Department of Health,” Ladapo told a Senate committee considering his nomination for the job.
“‘Grossly overcrowded’: Leon County jail nears capacity amid COVID-19 surge, inmates sent to neighboring counties” via Christopher Cann of the Tallahassee Democrat — The number of people detained inside the Leon County Detention Facility (LCDF) is so high, some have been transferred to neighboring jails in recent months to alleviate congestion, especially amid a surge of COVID-19 cases that’s caused a lockdown. As of late last week, there were 1,173 people in custody inside the detention facility, not counting those in other facilities who were already moved. Jefferson County has five juveniles and Wakulla County is holding 25 inmates for Leon County in their respective detention centers, as the Leon jail nears its maximum capacity of 1,200.
“Breakthrough COVID-19 cases hit Jacksonville City Council members Michael Boylan, Matt Carlucci” via Beth Reese Cravey of The Florida Times-Union — Jacksonville City Council members Boylan and Carlucci became the latest council members to get the COVID-19 virus this month as both suffered breakthrough infections despite being vaccinated. Boylan learned Tuesday he had the virus and was quarantined at home. Carlucci went through a quarantine period after testing positive a couple of weeks ago and has resumed his duties at City Hall. Boylan said the test was prompted by him “feeling kind of weird.” He said he was vaccinated early last year and received a booster shot in November. “I would call it a moderate case. More than a bad cold,” he said. Boylan said he had a cough, body aches and congestion. Had he not been vaccinated, he feared his symptoms could have been worse.
“Collier County manager announces retirement after his battle with COVID-19” via Rachel Heimann Mercader of the Naples Daily News — Battling COVID-19 and its aftereffects since September, Collier County Manager Mark Isackson announced his retirement after less than a year on the job. He plans to retire by July 1 to allow time for the Board of County Commissioners to figure out the best way to find the best candidates for the position. Isackson’s announcement comes on the heels of deputy manager Sean Callahan‘s departure from his government role. In his email to staff, Isackson said his ongoing struggle with post-COVID-19 conditions became the deciding factor for him to retire.
“Sheriff’s office names new bloodhound ‘Miss Peggy’ after beloved employee who died from COVID-19” via Fresh Take Florida — A sheriff’s office in Florida’s Panhandle is naming its new bloodhound puppy “Miss Peggy” in a heartwarming tribute to a beloved, longtime office employee who died after battling COVID-19. Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford over the weekend asked for the blessing of the family of Margaret “Peggy” MacDonald. She worked as a staff assistant in Panama City for nearly 30 years under five sheriffs. She died in December 2020, less than two years away from retiring. Her daughter, Rachael Smith, 44, of Panama City Beach, loved the sheriff’s idea. Now MacDonald’s name and legacy will live on through a brown, floppy-eared bloodhound, now 13 weeks old. It will work at the county jail as a tracking dog. The training was expected to take another three months, and she will likely work for the sheriff’s office for at least seven years.
— 2022 —
“Florida Police Chiefs Association endorses DeSantis” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — FPCA endorsed DeSantis’ re-election bid Wednesday at a campaign event in Tallahassee. The endorsement comes after a yearslong effort by DeSantis to appeal to Florida’s law enforcement community. “On behalf of the Florida Police Chiefs Association, we are honored to stand here today with Gov. DeSantis,” FPCA President and Daytona Beach Shores Public Safety Department Director Stephan Dembinsky said in a statement. ”From his commitment to safe communities and defending the rule of law, to his unwavering support for the profession of law enforcement through better pay and bonuses to help agencies recruit and retain the most capable, professional officers, Gov. DeSantis has always had our back. Now we have his.”
“Charlie Crist vows to fully fund Sadowski Fund, repeal cut” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Crist pledged to push for full funding of the Sadowski Fund for Affordable Housing and to seek repeal of the law passed last year that cuts the fund’s available bankroll in half. Crist spoke in Orlando alongside Chris King, a former Democratic Lieutenant Governor candidate who runs a housing company in Winter Park. Crist also pledged the creation of a statewide “housing czar” post to explore options to increase affordable housing. The announcement provided part two of Crist’s “Affordable Florida for All” Plan. He first began rolling out his housing proposals Tuesday in Miami, where he pledged to reform the Public Service Commission with the goal of lowering utility costs for residents. He’s planning to announce the third and final component Thursday in Tallahassee.
“Crist announces ‘Affordable Florida for All’ plan, targets Public Service Commission reform” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Crist’s campaign for Florida Governor unveiled the first part of a new policy plan to make living in the Sunshine State more affordable for Floridians. It’s appropriately called the “Affordable Florida for All” plan, and two additional parts of the proposal are set to be unveiled later this week. The first part of the plan centers on the Public Service Commission, which Crist’s campaign said is now “in the pocket of big utilities and acting more like a lap dog than a watchdog” while “wages and the rate of wage growth in Florida are well below the national average.”
Happening today — Crist will conclude a statewide tour announcing his Affordable Florida for All policy plan: Announcement of the final part of the plan, 9:30 a.m., Tallahassee; kitchen table conversation with local family on affordable internet access, 1 p.m., Quincy. RSVP to press@charliecrist.com for locations.
Happening tonight:
“In-person early voting begins for Naples City Council elections” via Karl Schneider of Naples Daily News — Naples began in-person early voting Wednesday for the Feb. 1 City Council election in which five candidates are running for three open seats. This is the first year since 2006 the city has held early in-person voting days. In 2006 only 20 city voters showed up to early voting sites, Collier Supervisor of Elections spokeswoman Trish Robertson wrote in an email. Nine voters were in line at the Norris Center across the street from City Hall before poll doors opened at 10 a.m. When city council elections fall on non-presidential voting years, voter turnout historically has fallen below a third of registered voters in the city.
— CORONA NATION —
“Deaths months after COVID-19 point to pandemic’s grim aftermath” via Jason Gale of Bloomberg — COVID-19’s deadly effects manifest long after some patients leave the hospital. Hospitalized patients who survived at least a week after being discharged were more than twice as likely to die or be admitted again within months, scientists found. The COVID-19 survivors also had an almost five times greater risk of dying in the following 10 months than a sample taken from the general population. The findings add to evidence that the pandemic’s effects on health and well-being extend well beyond an initial infection. Compared with flu patients, those who had COVID-19 had a greater risk of hospital readmission or death resulting from their initial infection, from dementia, and more broadly from any cause.
“CDC study finds shorter hospital stays during omicron wave, even as infections and death toll mount” via Lena H. Sun of The Washington Post — Federal health officials reported Tuesday that the omicron variant caused less severe illness in hospitalized patients than earlier virus lineages, even though its explosive transmissibility has caused far more infections and led to more than 2,200 deaths a day on average, one of the highest tolls since early last year. Despite record infections and hospitalizations caused by omicron, the percentage of hospitalized patients with severe illness is lower compared with those in earlier pandemic waves. That lower disease severity is partly the result of immune protection from higher vaccination coverage among those 5 and older, booster use and previous infection, as well as the potential lower virulence of the virus itself. Other studies have suggested that the variant is less able to penetrate deep into the lungs.
“Joe Biden administration’s rapid-test rollout doesn’t easily reach those who need it most” via Hannah Recht and Victoria Knight of KHN — In the past week, the Biden administration launched two programs that aim to get rapid covid tests into the hands of every American. But the design of both efforts disadvantages people who already face the greatest barriers to testing. From the limit placed on test orders to the languages available on websites, the programs stand to leave out many people who don’t speak English or don’t have internet access, as well as those who live in multifamily households. All these barriers are more common for non-White Americans, who have also been hit hardest by COVID-19. The White House told KHN it will address these problems but did not give specifics.
“There’s a new version of omicron but so far it doesn’t appear to be more dangerous” via Lenny Bernstein of The Washington Post — Known as BA. 2, the new version of the virus is a descendant of the omicron variant responsible for huge surges of COVID-19 in the United States and elsewhere around the globe. Virologists are referring to the original omicron variant as BA. 1. Viruses mutate constantly, mostly in harmless ways. There is no current evidence that BA. 2 is more virulent, spreads faster, or escapes immunity better than BA. 1. “Variants have come, variants have gone,” said Robert Garry, a virologist at Tulane University School of Medicine. “I don’t think there’s any reason to think this one is a whole lot worse than the current version of omicron.”
— CORONA ECONOMICS —
“CDC travel warning flags 5 Caribbean destinations as ‘very high’ risk for COVID-19” via Hannah Knowles of The Washington Post — In the Caribbean, the CDC urged people to “avoid travel” to Jamaica, Saint Barthelemy, the Dominican Republic, and two island territories of France: Guadeloupe and Saint Martin. The agency also issued its highest coronavirus warning for Peru, Colombia, Fiji, Kuwait, Mongolia, Niger, Romania and Tunisia. Monday’s alerts deal with some of the most popular beach destinations for Americans. According to federal travel data, more than 4.6 million U.S. citizens traveled to the Caribbean from January through September last year. That exceeds the number of U.S. visitors to any other overseas region, including all of Europe.
— MORE CORONA —
“New research hints at 4 factors that may increase chances of long COVID-19” via Pam Belluck of The New York Times — It is one of many mysteries about long COVID-19: Who is more prone to developing it? Are some people more likely than others to experience physical, neurological, or cognitive symptoms that can emerge, or linger for, months after their coronavirus infections have cleared? A team of researchers who followed more than 200 patients for two to three months after their COVID-19 diagnoses report that they have identified biological factors that might help predict if a person will develop long COVID-19. The study found four factors that could be identified early in a person’s coronavirus infection that appeared to correlate with an increased risk of having lasting symptoms weeks later.
“How Sesame Street is handling the pandemic” via Kate Cray of The Atlantic — Kids’ media have achieved a level of clarity and directness in their pandemic coverage that can be hard to find in outlets geared toward older audiences. Articles are straightforward because they have to be; it’s the only way kids will understand them. They’re also heavy on context, making few assumptions about what the audience already knows. Although the interviews tend to start with quite simple questions (one kid reporter at Time for Kids asked Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to explain the difference between himself and Anthony Fauci), they build to surprising levels of nuance. Time for Kids tackled the difference between the FDA’s and the CDC’s role in vaccine approval, for instance, while CNN and Sesame Street addressed the safety of having playdates with unvaccinated friends.
“Kids shouldn’t have to be ‘resilient’” via Mary Katharine Ham of The Atlantic — Children are the least at-risk population, but in many areas of the country they continue to face draconian mitigation policies — either in their name (low chance of serious COVID-19 complications doesn’t mean no chance) or in the name of protecting their elders. As David Leonhardt wrote in The New York Times, we’ve inflicted “more harm to children in exchange for less harm to adults.” You don’t have to be a psychologist to see something wrong with that exchange. In our focus on one threat, we’ve let a thousand others flourish. Most children are neither in grave danger nor do they pose a grave danger to others — especially now that vaccines are widely, freely available — but we routinely treat them as if they were.
“Conservatives defend D.C. bar under investigation for violating vaccine rules” via Justin Wm. Moyer and William Wan of The Washington Post — The Big Board, a bar and restaurant in the District’s H Street corridor, received two $1,000 citations as well as written and verbal warnings for alleged unmasked employees and not checking customers’ vaccine status, according to a D.C. Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) list of citations posted Tuesday. As the Washingtonian first reported, conservatives have rallied to defend the Big Board. A crowdfunding campaign begun by Henry Rodgers, a reporter for the conservative Daily Caller, had raised nearly $13,000 for the bar by Tuesday afternoon. U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, who says he refuses to show a vaccine card to get restaurant service, also mentioned the Big Board on Fox News last week, decrying “bureaucrats” trying to “shut these places down.”
— PRESIDENTIAL —
“Democrats have lost confidence that Biden can do what he promised — or much else” via Philip Bump of The Washington Post — Biden’s approval rating is at a remarkably low 41%. That’s in part because independents view him fairly negatively, as they have for a while. But it’s also because Democrats don’t love him as much as they used to. Biden has gone from 95% approval among Democrats last spring to 76% in January. Since September, the percentage of Democrats who say they strongly approve of the job he’s doing has fallen from 27 to 21%. The two biggest drops in confidence are on issues that he had repeatedly emphasized on the campaign trail and during his early days in office: managing the coronavirus pandemic and unifying the country.
“Biden gets CEO support for economic agenda” via Josh Boak of The Associated Press — Biden on Wednesday secured the blessing of several business leaders on his economic agenda that has stalled in the Senate, part of an effort to restart some momentum for the nearly $2 trillion in spending and tax increases that he’s proposed. Biden met at the White House with top executives from General Motors, Ford, Microsoft, Etsy, Salesforce and other companies. The President emphasized the benefits from spending more on climate issues, manufacturing and child care. “A lot of folks refer to this as just social spending,” Biden said. “Well, I see it this way: The Build Back Better plan lowers prices for families and gets people working.” The President stressed the benefits of child care subsidies and universal prekindergarten when talking with Tom Linebarger, CEO of the engine-maker Cummins.
“Biden picks 6 lawyers for U.S. prosecutor posts, diverse group” via Michael Balsamo of The Associated Press — Biden has nominated a diverse group of six lawyers to run U.S. attorney’s offices across the country, his latest picks for the top law enforcement positions. The nominees, announced by the White House on Wednesday, would run the federal prosecutors’ offices in Alaska, Connecticut, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Utah. They would include the first woman to serve as U.S. attorney in Utah and the first Black woman to serve as U.S. attorney in Connecticut. The Justice Department’s 93 U.S. attorneys, who are responsible for federal criminal prosecutions in their respective districts, are likely to be central to efforts to combat violent crime. Biden has now nominated 43 people to serve as U.S. attorneys, positions that have been filled for months by acting U.S. attorneys.
— D.C. MATTERS —
“Justice Stephen Breyer to retire from Supreme Court, paving way for Biden appointment” via Pete Williams of NBC News — Justice Breyer will step down from the Supreme Court at the end of the current term, according to people familiar with his thinking. Breyer is one of the three remaining liberal justices, and his decision to retire after more than 27 years on the court allows Biden to appoint a successor who could serve for decades and, in the short-term, maintain the current 6-3 split between conservative and liberal justices. At 83, Breyer is the court’s oldest member. Liberal activists have urged him for months to retire while Democrats hold both the White House and the Senate. Biden promised on the campaign trail to nominate a Black woman to the court. In the wake of Breyer’s announcement, there was an outpouring of statements calling for him to follow through.
“Breyer’s retirement renews focus on the Black female jurists who could replace him” via Seung Min Kim and Ann E. Marimow of The Washington Post — The retirement of Breyer this year abruptly puts a renewed spotlight on a small circle of Black female jurists who are positioned to be chosen as Biden’s first pick to the Supreme Court, potentially marking a milestone in the country’s history. That shortlist, which could grow, is topped by Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who was confirmed last year to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit as one of Biden’s first judicial nominees. Brown is a favorite of the Democrats’ liberal base, in part because of her history as a former public defender, an unusual background for a Supreme Court justice. Another strong candidate is Leondra Kruger, a California Supreme Court justice who has previously rebuffed offers from the White House to take a job in the administration.
—“A top Biden ally has a favored candidate to replace Breyer: Judge J. Michelle Childs.” via Michael S. Schmidt of The New York Times
—“How Republicans can block Stephen Breyer’s replacement” via Philip Elliott of Time magazine
“New report finds 1 in 8 congressional staffers are not making a D.C. living wage” via Annie Grayer of CNN — One in eight congressional staffers in Washington, DC, are not paid a living wage, a new report from a nonprofit found. That’s nearly 1,200 staffers who cannot afford to live in the city that they work in based solely on their income from their job working in Congress. Issue One, a self-described cross-partisan group focused on political reform researched how junior congressional staffers are compensated and how that affects the talent pipeline on Capitol Hill. The report compares staff salaries in Congress to the living wage in Washington, DC, which according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is $42,610 for an adult with no children. The study finds that 70% of staff assistants, which is the most common entry-level job on Capitol Hill, earned less than a living wage in 2020.
— CRISIS —
“Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes pleads not guilty to seditious conspiracy in Jan. 6 attack on Capitol” via Spencer S. Hsu of The Washington Post — Rhodes and nine alleged co-conspirators with the extremist Oath Keepers group pleaded not guilty Tuesday to seditious conspiracy and other charges in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob. An 11th defendant arrested with Rhodes on Jan. 13, Edward Vallejo, was not present during a court hearing in the case Tuesday and will be arraigned later. Rhodes and those charged with him are accused of plotting violence to prevent the confirmation of Biden’s election victory. Rhodes said he was communicating at the Capitol on Jan. 6 with members of his group, part of the far-right anti-government movement, in an effort to “keep them out of trouble.”
“Rhodes ordered detained pending trial ” via Kevin Johnson and Bart Jansen of USA Today — Rhodes was charged with 10 other members of the paramilitary group in the alleged attempt to overthrow the government. “The weight of the evidence against Defendant is strong and reveals Defendant’s participation in a coordinated attack on government officials within the United States Capitol and that Defendant put in place and controlled armed groups to support and/or further escalate the planned attack,” Texas U.S. Magistrate Kimberly Priest Johnson wrote Wednesday. Prosecutors had argued that continuing detention was necessary because the former Army paratrooper represented a continuing danger to the public and a flight risk.
“Man who wore ‘Camp Auschwitz’ sweatshirt during U.S. Capitol riot pleads guilty” via Hannah Rabinowitz of CNN — The man who was photographed inside the U.S. Capitol wearing a “Camp Auschwitz” sweatshirt on January 6, 2021, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor trespassing charge on Wednesday. Robert Packer, 57, could face up to six months in prison when he is sentenced in April. Prosecutors say that Packer traveled from Virginia to attend the pro-Trump rally on January 6. He entered the building despite seeing broken windows and the mob fighting police, according to the plea agreement read aloud during the hearing. And he was nearby when rioters broke House Speaker Nancy Pelosi‘s office sign and when Ashli Babbitt was shot. Packer left the building after about 20 minutes.
— EPILOGUE TRUMP —
“Federal prosecutors examine states that offered Donald Trump electoral votes in states Biden won in 2020” via Matt Zapotosky — Federal prosecutors are examining the decision by Republican electors in some states won by Biden in 2020 to send in signed statements purporting to affirm Trump as the victor of the election, a top Justice Department official said Tuesday. Their actions were criticized at the time as a political stunt meant to bolster Trump’s unfounded claims of election fraud. But they have drawn additional scrutiny in recent weeks, as the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol seeks to understand the origin of the Trump elector slates, and two Democratic attorneys general, in New Mexico and Michigan, have asked federal prosecutors to investigate whether the certifications could amount to a crime.
— LOCAL NOTES —
Exclusive — “Mold, radon in FSU building tied to eight cancer cases in faculty report” via Tristan Wood of Florida Politics — A new report compiled by four Florida State University faculty members detailed black mold and other health hazards in a university building. And eight people who worked on one of the building’s floors were diagnosed with cancer in the past 10 years. The report, which was obtained by Florida Politics from an anonymous university employee, was made by professors in FSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences and was sent to FSU President Richard McCullough on Jan. 21. Details in the report include complaints about air quality and “black specks” covering surfaces in the building dating back as far as the 2000s and continuing through this year. Included in the report was a Jan. 19 email from Health and Human Sciences Dean Michael Delp announcing the immediate cessation of teaching and research activities in the building until Feb. 1 pending further air testing.
“Tallahassee local, state officials call out ‘predatory’ mobile home park owner” via Tristan Wood of Florida Politics — Local and state officials from Tallahassee are criticizing the actions of the new owner of a mobile home park in the city. Tallahassee City Commissioners Jeremy Matlow and Jack Porter and Leon County School Board Chair Darryl Jones held a news conference outside Florida Sun Estates Tuesday criticizing the rent increases, the failure of the owner to answer the residents and their contact requests, and other actions. Rep. Allison Tant has also spoken out against the owner’s actions. Florida Sun Estates, previously known as the Meadows, was purchased in August by Florida Sun Estates LLC. Since then, a gate that used to provide a safe pathway for students of Sabal Palm Elementary that lived on the property was blocked off by the owners, forcing the children to walk along a busy road to get home.
“NextEra, would-be JEA buyer, says internal investigation finds no wrongdoing by company” via Nate Monroe of The Florida Times-Union — The chief executive officer of NextEra said Tuesday the company has conducted a “thorough review” and concluded neither it nor its employees did anything wrong in connection with controversies Florida newspapers have uncovered in recent months that have ties to the utility giant. Speaking during the company’s quarterly earnings call, NextEra Chair and CEO Jim Robo said the company’s internal investigation included a review of financial records as well as personal emails and texts of employees. A statement from a spokesperson in response to follow-up questions referenced stories about a statewide “ghost candidate” controversy. That reporting showed spoiler candidates in three state Senate races in 2020 were propped up by money from dark-money groups in an effort to help Republicans control the chamber. Those groups were controlled by employees at a former consulting firm to Florida Power & Light, NextEra’s subsidiary.
“Lawsuit claims Clay County Schools withheld information about child’s well-being” via Robert Grant of Action News Jax — A Clay County father said his rights as a parent were violated and now he’s taking the school district to court. The suit, filed by Child & Parental Rights Campaign, claims a school counselor held secret weekly meetings with an elementary student about a gender identity crisis for months without alerting the parents. “It is a serious mental health decision that school personnel are not qualified, not competent, and not authorized to make,” Vernadette Broyles, the organization’s president, said. “Parents must be involved in these important decisions.” The father, who we are not naming to protect the identity of the child, said he was alerted on Jan. 5 that his daughter attempted to commit suicide on campus.
“Palm Beach County Clerk seeks to punish Post for pursuing Jeffrey Epstein records” via Jane Musgrave of The Palm Beach Post — Despite insisting he wants the public to know why serial molester Epstein escaped serious punishment 15 years ago, Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts Joe Abruzzo wants to punish The Palm Beach Post for trying to open secret records that could do just that. In a motion for sanctions filed last week, Abruzzo is asking Circuit Judge Donald Hafele to make The Post pay the Tampa law firm he hired to successfully fight the newspaper’s request to release transcripts of a 2006 grand jury hearing. While Abruzzo didn’t say how much he would be seeking, according to Abruzzo’s office, he used $32,794 in public money to pay attorney Shane Vogt’s law firm to fight The Post’s efforts to make the records public.
“Winter Park Police Chief Michael Deal resigns after domestic violence charge, city says” via Lisa Maria Garza of the Orlando Sentinel — Deal resigned Wednesday, a week after he was arrested in Seminole County on a domestic violence charge. City Manager Randy Knight announced Deal’s resignation at Wednesday’s regular Commission meeting and said the city will immediately begin the hiring process for a new police chief. Division Chief Pam Marcum will continue to head the police department, which employs about 75 officers, until Deal’s replacement is named, Knight said. Three members of Deal’s family told Seminole County deputies that Deal battered one of them during an argument on Jan. 19 at their home in unincorporated Sanford.
“Marsy’s Law is meant to protect crime victims. So why is it being used to shield the name of a Boynton officer who chased a 13-year-old boy who died?” via Angie Dimechele of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — One month after a 13-year-old boy crashed his dirt bike and died while a police officer chased him, the public is left with a mystery: Who was the Boynton Beach Police officer? Boynton Beach Police have not released the officer’s name, saying the officer invoked his right to protect his name from the public under Marsy’s Law. The question of law enforcement officers who were acting in their official capacity invoking Marsy’s Law to shield their identities is one that has repeatedly surfaced since the amendment passed in 2018, and some experts have pointed out the ambiguities of the law that allow it to happen and say that it leaves room for what some consider a misuse of the law.
“Skanska files appeal in Pensacola Bay Bridge case, which could again halt commuter cases” via Emma Kennedy of the Pensacola News Journal — Skanska has filed a federal court appeal aiming to overturn a local judge’s ruling that the company was negligent in its actions before Hurricane Sally, a move that could delay adjacent lawsuits filed by homeowners, commuters and businesses that are still suffering. When the storm hit in September 2020, 27 of 55 Skanska barges being used to construct the Pensacola Bay Bridge broke loose, causing significant damage to the bridge, as well as some shoreside property. U.S. District Judge Lacey Collier ruled in December that Skanska should have done more to prepare for the storm than to tie its barges to pilings in the Pensacola Bay and that its executives should have known based on weather reports that there was a chance the storm would directly impact Pensacola.
“What’s next for ex-St. Petersburg City Council members Amy Foster and Darden Rice?” via Colleen Wright of the Tampa Bay Times — Foster and Rice may not be in public office anymore, but plan to remain in the public eye. Both former City Council members say they have found work, or expect to, that furthers the causes they championed on the council. They were forced to leave office due to term limits after serving two consecutive four-year terms. Foster, whom fellow City Council members pronounced their favorite when saying their goodbyes, focused on issues affecting vulnerable populations, particularly the homeless and housing affordability. Rice, known as a sharp and practical policy wonk, championed environmental causes.
— TOP OPINION —
“What are Republicans for?” via Joseph Epstein of The Wall Street Journal — We all know what the Republicans are against, which includes the crime currently rampant on our big cities’ streets, the want of anything resembling order on our southern border, the mélange of progressive giveaway programs and more. But what is the party, what in general, are American conservatives actually for? The standard answer would include free enterprise, freedom from interference from big government … What, though, is the Republican, or conservative, message? In the mind of the general public, Republicans remain the party of the wealthy — the infamous 1%. That the bumptious billionaire Trump at the moment looks to be the party’s leader doesn’t help. Republicans, in this view, are anti-Democrat, little more, with no appealing positions of their own, no worldview, no philosophy beyond selfishness.
— OPINIONS —
“PCR COVID-19 tests are not very useful. Focus on rapid antigen tests instead.” via Ezekiel Emanuel, David Michaels, Rick Bright and Luciana Borio for The Washington Post — For most of the pandemic, Americans have been told PCR testing is the gold standard. But in most situations, it is not. Ideally, coronavirus test results should guide actions related to isolation, travel, social interactions or even when to seek treatment options. PCR testing is less than useful to do any of these for two reasons. First, most PCR tests have a long lag between sample collection and test result. A result that takes longer than 18 hours is of little use for people trying to make decisions. Second, PCR tests can detect viral particles many days after infection, which might not indicate contagiousness. From an individual standpoint, there is no good reason to get a PCR test at this stage of a widespread pandemic.
“Ladapo and his contrived evasiveness must go” via the South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial board — He’s masterful at dodging questions, insulting the intelligence of Floridians and avoiding straight talk about the need to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Florida’s underqualified and overpaid public health officer faced a panel of Senators Wednesday in the first of several steps in his expected confirmation as surgeon general. But he never even mentioned COVID-19 or the more than 64,000 Floridians who have died from it, perpetuating the reckless strategy of denial executed daily by his boss, DeSantis. Ladapo was asked that question five times by Senate Democratic Leader Book. Ladapo did not express regret for refusing to wear a mask while visiting the Capitol office of Sen. Polsky. He would not give a straight answer as to why Dr. Pino was recently placed on administrative leave as Orange County’s health director.
“If praying the gay away was bad, Florida Republicans’ new bigoted proposal is much worse” via the Miami Herald editorial board — Florida lawmakers are trying to push what’s been dubbed the “Don’t say gay” bill during this year’s Legislative Session, with zero regard for the emotional harm it will do to LGBTQ students, who are already more likely to commit suicide. The bill, among other things, “prohibits a school district from encouraging classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.” It’s yet another fight in the GOP’s culture wars, lawmakers also want to ban lectures about race, sexism and homophobia that, they swear, make men and White and straight people feel “anguish” or “guilty.” Harding also promised with a straight face that the bill wouldn’t prevent the teaching of LGBTQ history, such as the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando that killed 49 people.
“Here’s how the bad idea of the ‘business damages’ bill would harm Florida taxpayers” via Leslie Waters of the Tampa Bay Times — The Legislature is considering a bill that it hopes will create a more business-friendly environment in the state. Unfortunately, lawmakers’ misguided efforts will end up swamping municipalities with lawsuits. And as a result, it will have a disastrous impact on the taxpayers of smaller cities like Seminole. The “business damages” legislation, SB 620/HB 569, would, in effect, create a new tort in the state, allowing businesses to sue municipalities that may harm their profitability in any way. A tort is costly and creates a bad business climate for one simple reason, filing lawsuits is cheap and defending against them is costly. This sets up an incentive for unscrupulous actors to file as many claims as possible, fishing for quick settlements.
“Staffing shortages at shelters could hurt at-risk youth” via Stacy Gromatski for Florida Politics — We are fortunate in Florida that the state Legislature funds a statewide network of youth shelters as a part of the Florida Network of Youth and Family Services. These programs serve about 15,000 children and families in crisis each year. Most of these children in crisis are ready to run away or engage in other risky behavior. Some are abused and neglected. Most have behavioral or mental health problems. Many are homeless. The Department of Juvenile Justice funds these programs as prevention for juvenile delinquency. This year, they have had to limit services due to staffing shortages. For these programs to stay whole we need an increase in funding to support an increase in wages. We commend DeSantis for including pay increases to shelter staff in his budget recommendations.
“Florida’s rooftop solar industry creates jobs. Let’s keep them.” via George Riley for Florida Politics — The rooftop solar industry alone supports more than 40,000 jobs across the state. From installers and manufacturers to engineers and electricians, the solar industry is quite literally supercharging our economy — and those are careers that can’t be outsourced. That’s why it would be counterproductive to enact policies that would wipe out thousands of those solar jobs. Unfortunately, one current proposal would do just that by undermining Florida’s existing net metering laws and making it harder for families to choose solar to meet their energy needs. Regardless of why each family or business owner chooses to embrace solar, the key is that they have the choice. By eliminating net metering, the state would take that choice away from more than 90% of Floridians.
“Florida to sports teams: Sing anthem if you want tax dollars. Me: Stop giving them tax dollars!” via Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel — In their latest war on problems that don’t exist, Florida Republicans want to force pro sports teams, which already play the national anthem before games, to continue playing the anthem if they want to keep getting taxpayer subsidies for their arenas and stadiums. There’s still no good reason for taxpayers to subsidize the profit margins of these private businesses. The Legislature’s own analysts have said it’s a sorry waste of tax dollars with a negative return on investment. Lawmakers can’t find the money to properly pay teachers or address the 10-year-waiting list for children with disabilities.
—TODAY’S SUNRISE —
A mic drop from Democrats at the first confirmation hearing for Surgeon General Ladapo. After asking for yes-or-no answers to their questions, and getting nothing close to that, they walked out of the Senate Health Policy committee meeting … leaving the remaining Republicans to vote in favor of confirmation.
Also on today’s Sunrise:
— The Surgeon General tells the news media — post-confirmation — that he answered all questions accurately.
— Equality Florida talks with Sunrise about legislation moving through the Session they claim is part of a surveillance state push.
— And DeSantis says he thinks marijuana stinks. No, really, he says he finds the smell “putrid.”
To listen, click on the image below:
— ALOE —
“A ‘The Batman’ controversy unsettles a portion of fandom” via Richard Newby of The Hollywood Reporter — “Remember we never kill with weapons of any kind!” Those words, uttered by the Caped Crusader to his partner, Robin, in Batman No. 4 (1940) marked the debut of Batman’s “no-kill rule,” an aspect of the hero that has become almost as fundamental a character trait as his cape and cowl … in the comics at least. The film adaptations, on the other hand, have played fast and loose with that rule, with it sometimes existing as a suggestion, other times a matter of semantics, and occasionally, not existing at all. Robert Pattinson said, “there is this rule with Batman: he must not kill.” Early reports from test screenings claim that this is a rule Pattinson’s Batman sticks to in the film and is highlighted by a specific plot point.
— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —
Celebrating today is our dear friend Laura Boehmer of The Southern Group as well as smart guy Doug Bell of Metz Husband & Daughton, Bryan Eastman, Cory Guzzo of Floridian Partners, and Deno Hicks.
___
Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Daniel Dean, Renzo Downey, Jacob Ogles, and Drew Wilson.
5.) MORNING BREW
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6.) THE FACTUAL
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7.) LIBERTY NATION
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8.) FOX NEWS
9.) UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
10.) THE FEDERALIST PAPERS
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11.) AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE
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12.) THE FLIP SIDE
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13.) AXIOS
Axios AM
Good Thursday morning. Smart Brevity™ count: 1,495 words … 5½ minutes. Edited by Zachary Basu.
Ground personnel unload weapons, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, and other military hardware delivered by the U.S. military near Kyiv on Tuesday. Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Republicans running in high-profile primary races aren’t racing to defend Ukraine against a possible Russian invasion. They’re settling on a different line of attack: Blame Biden, not Putin.
- Leery of the base, they are avoiding — and in some cases, rejecting — the tough-on-Russia rhetoric that once defined the Republican Party, Axios’ Jonathan Swan and Andrew Solender report.
- GOP operatives working in 2022 primary races tell Axios they worry they’ll alienate the base if they push to commit American resources or troops to help Ukraine fight Russia.
Why it matters: Any assistance President Biden provides to Ukraine could grow instantly into an ideological war back home.
- Biden has ruled out sending troops to Ukraine. But he is shipping U.S.-made weaponry to Kyiv, promising “unprecedented” sanctions if Putin invades, and preparing to deploy U.S. forces to reinforce NATO allies in eastern Europe.
The big picture: Republican hopefuls who vow not to assist in any potential conflict in Ukraine are reflecting — and fanning — anti-interventionist sentiments in the modern GOP.
- Frustration with the long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and former President Trump’s warmer posture toward Russia, helped drive the shift.
Between the lines: There’s a stark split in the GOP over how to handle Russia’s threat to Ukraine. It’s less useful to think “doves” versus “hawks” — and more illuminating to view it as a divide between Republicans who are responsive to their base, and incumbents who feel they can afford to maintain some distance from GOP primary voters.
- Those without the buffer of time baked into a six-year term are increasingly either muffling their hawkish instincts — or wondering aloud why America should care at all what Russia does to Ukraine.
- GOP House members are notably less interventionist than GOP senators. GOP primary candidates are the least interventionist of all.
Zoom in: Blake Masters, one of the top Republican contenders for the Senate in Arizona, said in a statement to Axios:
- “This country has actual problems that our politicians should prioritize: election integrity, the border crisis, soaring inflation, violent crime, failing schools, and Big Tech, to name a few.”
- “The Ukrainian border isn’t even in the top 20,” Masters added.
In Ohio’s GOP Senate primary, candidates J.D. Vance and Bernie Moreno have both made the same argument: that Biden cares more about Ukraine’s border than America’s southern border.
- Adam Laxalt, who’s well-positioned to win the GOP primary for Nevada’s Senate race, approvingly tweeted a Tucker Carlson clip in which the top-rated Fox News host ridicules Vice President Kamala Harris for pledging to defend Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
The other side: Prominent Republicans in Washington, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, are still making statements that sound more at home in the pre-Trump GOP.
- McConnell and other leading GOP senators, including Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, are pushing Biden to go farther.
But House Republicans are generally warier than the senators about pushing Biden to respond militarily to Putin.
- Axios found nearly a dozen public statements from House Republicans criticizing the idea of sending troops to the region — or wondering why Americans should care at all about a conflict that’s thousands of miles away.
- We could find no similar statements from Senate Republicans.
That safe political space — criticize Biden as weak but don’t get too specific about what being “strong” against Russia would look like — is being used by Republicans on the campaign trail who aren’t willing to go “full Tucker,” as one GOP operative put it.
The backstory: Two shifts have happened in the GOP electorate over the past 15 years. The first is a growing skepticism about foreign intervention in general — frustration and anger still fueled by the disastrous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- The second is a more recent warming towards Russia — initiated by the party’s most powerful figure, Donald Trump.
A 2018 Gallup poll quantified the Trump effect. The number of Republicans calling Russia a friend or ally rose sharply from 2014-18 — from 22% to 40%.
- Part 2 is below.
Screenshot: “Tucker Carlson Tonight”
Tucker Carlson has had a profound effect on how Republican candidates talk about the Russia-Ukraine issue, GOP operatives working on primary races tell Axios’ Jonathan Swan and Andrew Solender.
- GOP offices have been fielding numerous calls from voters echoing arguments they heard on Carlson’s 8 p.m. ET show on Fox News.
- Carlson has been telling his viewers there’s no reason why the U.S. should help Ukraine fight Russia.
Even Democratic offices have been fielding these calls from Carlson’s viewers.
- Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.) tweeted that he got “calls from folks who say they watch Tucker Carlson and are upset that we’re not siding with Russia in its threats to invade Ukraine, and who want me to support Russia’s ‘reasonable’ positions.”
Carlson told Axios that despite the changes in how Republicans talk about Russia and foreign intervention in general, he thinks the party isn’t changing fast enough.
- “I just want to go on the record and say I could care less if they call me a pawn of Putin,” Carlson said. “It’s too stupid. I don’t speak Russian. I’ve never been to Russia. I’m not that interested in Russia. All I care about is the fortunes of the United States, because I have four children who live here.”
- “I really hope that Republican primary voters are ruthless about this,” Carlson added — and vote out any Republican “who believes Ukraine’s borders are more important than our borders.”
Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
When Olympic athletes from all over the world land in Beijing for the 2022 Olympic Games, they’ll be loaded up with burner phones and will likely leave their own devices behind, Axios’ Ashley Gold reports.
- Why it matters: China is trying to put on a good show for the world ahead of the Games. But experts are sounding the alarm about cybersecurity fears, because of the Chinese Communist Party’s penchant for cyber espionage and desire to control online content.
Team USA warned in a tech advisory obtained by Axios: “Assume that every device and every communication, transaction, and online activity will be monitored.”
Context: The last time the Olympics were held in China was 2008, before the explosion of smartphones and social media.
Photo: Casey Durkin/Sony Pictures Television via AP
Amy Schneider’s 40-game streak on “Jeopardy!” came to an end last night after Chicago librarian Rhone Talsma beat her during Final Jeopardy.
- Why it matters: The engineering manager from Oakland made history as the first woman to win $1 million on the show — and the first transgender contestant to qualify for the Tournament of Champions.
President Biden and Justice Stephen Breyer are expected to hold an event at the White House today to announce Breyer’s plans to retire.
- Biden pledged during the campaign to nominate the first Black woman to the high court. Among his options (with their undergraduate schools, followed by their law schools):
New COVID infections are declining in the U.S. — a sign the Omicron wave has likely peaked, Axios’ Sam Baker and Kavya Beheraj report.
- Reality check: Deaths are rising, and the U.S. still has a lot of COVID — a reminder that even this milder variant is still a very real threat to unvaccinated Americans.
Mika Brzezinski did the show from Warsaw this week. Screenshot: MSNBC
MSNBC will soon announce plans to move morning anchor Stephanie Ruhle to the 11 p.m. ET hour that Brian Williams turned into an elite destination, Axios Sara Fischer scoops.
- The 9 a.m. ET hour, currently hosted by Ruhle, will become part of MSNBC’s flagship morning show, “Morning Joe,” which now runs from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. ET.
The “Morning Joe” team also programs “Way Too Early” at 5 a.m. ET.
- So the Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski empire now will extend across 25 hours a week on MSNBC.
In September, “Morning Joe” will celebrate 15 years on the air — with Scarborough, Brzezinski and Willie Geist together the whole time.
- I’m told “Morning Joe” will also add prime-time specials — and hit the road for remote editions throughout America.
Disclosure: NBC is an investor in Axios, and our journalists appear regularly on “Way Too Early” and “Morning Joe.”
Neil Young plays a “Rust Never Sleeps” tour stop in Atlanta in 1978. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images
Neil Young’s music will be removed from Spotify at his request because of COVID misinformation on Joe Rogan’s popular podcast, AP reports.
- Spotify said it regretted Young’s decision, “but hope to welcome him back soon … [W]e’ve removed over 20,000 podcast episodes related to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.”
Young, 76, said many of Spotify’s listeners are “impressionable and easy to swing to the wrong side of the truth.”
- Spotify is responsible for 60% of his music streamed all over the world. He said it was “a huge loss for my record company to absorb.”
📬 Was my email forwarded to you? Join the conversation: Sign up here for your own personal copy of Axios AM and Axios PM.
14.) THE WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
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15.) THE WASHINGTON POST MORNING HEADLINES
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16.) THE WASHINGTON TIMES
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17.) THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
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18.) ASSOCIATED PRESS
19.) FORT MYERS (FLORIDA) NEWS-PRESS
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20.) CHICAGO TRIBUNE
21.) CHICAGO SUNTIMES
Melissa Ortega’s mom says she forgives suspected killer, calls him a victim, too
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ISSUES
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22.) THE HILL MORNING REPORT
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23.) THE HILL 12:30 REPORT
24.) ROLL CALL
25.) POLITICO PLAYBOOK
POLITICO Playbook: Breyer throws Biden a lifeline
DRIVING THE DAY
THE NARRATIVE CHANGES — For weeks, JOE BIDEN’s presidency has been dragged down by a stalled agenda, spiraling inflation, lousy poll numbers and an angry base accusing him of not delivering on his promises.
Wednesday delivered a much-needed jolt with the news that Supreme Court Justice STEPHEN BREYER will retire at the end of this term. It’s a chance for the White House to pivot from the spate of bad news and rally depressed Democratic voters. Perhaps more importantly, it presents a chance for Biden to prove to Black voters — who rescued his 2020 campaign — that he can deliver for them.
On the latter point, the timing couldn’t be more opportune. The defeat of the voting rights bill last week was a final straw for many voters of color disenchanted with the lack of action on that issue as well as on police reform. A recent Quinnipiac poll showed Biden’s approval among Black voters down to 57%, from 78% a year ago.
Perhaps that’s why the White House smartly wasted little time confirming that POTUS will follow through on his campaign promise to nominate the first Black woman to serve on the high court. We’re told that right after the Breyer news dropped, civil rights leaders lit up the White House phone lines reminding the administration of the vow, and were promptly assured that press secretary JEN PSAKI would clarify that Biden intended to keep his word.
A GIFT FOR CHUCK SCHUMER — The moment could also prove to be a unifier for Senate Dems after their internal feuding over Build Back Better and voting rights. While the confirmation of a SCOTUS nominee in a 50-50 Senate has never occurred before — and if all Republicans oppose the nominee, Democrats can’t lose a single vote — party leaders are projecting confidence that Biden’s pick will have smooth sailing. And there’s reason to believe they’re right.
All 50 Democrats have been unified on Biden’s judicial nominees so far. Even Sen. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) tends to defer to presidents on nominations, which is why he supported two of DONALD TRUMP’s Supreme Court picks, NEIL GORSUCH and BRETT KAVANAUGH. Sen. KYRSTEN SINEMA (D-Ariz.) has also been a reliable vote in favor of Biden’s nominees.
HOW THIS WILL GO DOWN — Breyer is expected to officially announce his retirement today, though he’s planning to serve out the remainder of this term, meaning the transition would happen sometime in early summer. However, the White House is expected to name his nominee quickly — in less than a month, according to WaPo’s Seung Min Kim.
Senate Majority Leader Schumer, meanwhile, is planning for a speedy, monthlong confirmation process that mirrors the GOP’s playbook for AMY CONEY BARRETT. Trump tapped Barrett on Sept. 26, 2020; she was confirmed exactly one month later.
COULD THE MOVE UPEND BIDEN’S LEGISLATIVE AGENDA? It’s a distinct possibility. While party leaders hoped to revive BBB, multiple Hill aides have told us in recent days that it’s going to be several weeks before talks heat up again — if they ever do.
Now BBB 2.0 is going to have to contend with a high-profile confirmation process that’s going to suck up all the oxygen in Washington.
A Senate Democratic aide argued to us that the chamber can work on both BBB and a SCOTUS nominee at the same time, if it comes to that. If Biden nominates someone around Presidents’ Day (Feb. 21), for example, she will have to go through weeks of hearings and meetings with senators before her nomination comes to the floor in late March or early April. Technically, the Senate needs just a few days for the actual confirmation vote, this person noted, leaving the chamber open to focus on other things in the meantime — at least in theory.
THE SHORTLIST — The looming vacancy has already set off a behind-the-scenes scramble among influential Black leaders. House Majority Whip JIM CLYBURN (D-S.C.) is pushing for J. MICHELLE CHILDS, a federal judge who’s set to appear for a hearing next week for her nomination to serve on the D.C. Circuit.
Others are backing U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Judge KETANJI BROWN JACKSON, a former public defender who’s personally met with Biden before and is currently considered the frontrunner. Also on the list is California Supreme Court Justice LEONDRA KRUGER, who clerked for Justice JOHN PAUL STEVENS and is considered more of a moderate. WaPo has a good writeup of the possible nominees.
While Clyburn is weighing in for Childs, however, we’re told the Congressional Black Caucus isn’t likely to get behind a single choice, especially this early on in the process. Civil rights leaders also aren’t expecting to rally around one potential pick — especially since one of their own, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s SHERRILYN IFILL, might be considered.
“We do not want to give a candidate. We want to make sure promises made, promises kept,” Rev. AL SHARPTON told us Wednesday night.
MORE SCOTUS HEADLINES — “Justice Breyer reportedly ‘upset’ by timing of retirement news,” Fox News … “Inside Biden’s calculated silence on Breyer’s retirement,” CNN … “Breyer’s Retirement Gives Democrats a Dose of (Cautious) Optimism,” NYT
WHIMPER, NOT A BANG? — Meridith McGraw and Hailey Fuchs explain why you shouldn’t “expect a scorched earth fight over Breyer’s replacement”:
“The conservative movement has, for decades, prioritized Supreme Court fights over nearly all other forms of political battle. But a survey on Wednesday of some of the top officials and activists in that universe indicates that they aren’t planning a vicious political fight over President Joe Biden’s pick to replace retiring Justice [Stephen] Breyer. At least not yet.”
Another sign of that lack of appetite for a major fight from the right can be gleaned from this WSJ editorial. The toughest line in it is still fairly tame: “The President would be wise to pick a liberal in the mold of Justices Breyer or ELENA KAGAN, rather than SONIA SOTOMAYOR, who seems more interested in fiery dissents than persuading colleagues and shaping the law.”
Good Thursday morning, and thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri.
JOIN US — On Monday at noon, Commerce Secretary GINA RAIMONDO will join White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López for a virtual Women Rule interview on POLITICO Live. The interview will cover Raimondo’s first year in the Biden administration, her role in pushing some key legislation, including Build Back Better and the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, and her path to Washington from working in venture capital and serving as Rhode Island governor. RSVP here to watch live
BIDEN’S THURSDAY:
— 9:30 a.m.: The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief.
— 3:30 p.m.: Biden will receive his weekly economic briefing.
VP KAMALA HARRIS’ THURSDAY: The VP departed for Palmerola, Honduras, at 4:25 a.m. Still to come (all times Eastern):
— Noon: Harris will attend the inauguration ceremony for Honduran President-elect XIOMARA CASTRO.
— 3:05 p.m.: Harris will hold a bilateral meeting with Castro.
— 6:20 p.m.: Harris will depart Palmerola to return to D.C.
Psaki will brief at 12:30 p.m.
THE SENATE and THE HOUSE are out.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
PLAYBOOK READS
AMERICA AND THE WORLD
PUT IN WRITING — The U.S. has delivered a written response to Russia’s recent demands, WSJ’s William Mauldin and Michael Gordon report:
“The U.S. proposals, delivered to the Russian Foreign Ministry Wednesday, could lead to discussions on ways to avoid confrontations in the Black Sea and missile-related inspections on each side, according to U.S. officials and people briefed by the Biden administration.
“They expand on a recent diplomatic approach by the U.S. and its allies but don’t meet Russia’s core demands, chief among them that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization deny Ukraine entry into the alliance and cut military ties with the country and other parts of the former Soviet Union.”
WILL HE OR WON’T HE? — POLITICO Europe’s Matthew Karnitschnig talks to experts who “warn of heavy casualties, thousands of refugees, a fractured country — and an unstable Continent,” yet nobody really knows what Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN will actually do: “Depending on whom you ask, Putin is about to plunge Europe into its most serious military conflict since World War II or is staging an elaborate bluff to show the West that he’s as dangerous as ever.”
GOP SPLIT ON UKRAINE — NYT’s Jonathan Weisman has a smart look at the GOP politics of Russia and Ukraine: While some Republicans have encouraged “Biden to get tougher on Russia, through immediate sanctions on Russian energy exports and more lethal aid to Ukraine’s military … [the] message has been undermined by the party’s far right, which has questioned why the U.S. would side with Ukraine at all, and has obliquely suggested with no evidence that the president is bolstering his son HUNTER BIDEN’s business interests. … Driven by a steady diet of pro-Russian or anti-interventionist rhetoric from the Fox News host TUCKER CARLSON, the Republican right has become increasingly vocal in undercutting not only U.S. foreign policy but also the positions of the party’s leaders.”
— In a separate NYT interview with Leah Askarinam and Blake Hounshell, Carlson defended his pro-Kremlin commentary, declaring: “Of course I’m not an agent of Russia.”
WILL PUTIN BLINK FOR BLINKEN? — Nahal Toosi takes a look at the Biden administration’s flood-the-zone approach to Russia-Ukraine diplomacy, as they try to marshal support for Ukraine not just from the usual European allies but around the globe. The U.S. foreign policy team is seen as more internally united on this front than they have been on past Russia decisions, but so far “the diplomatic offensive doesn’t seem to be changing Vladimir Putin’s calculations,” she writes. And it hasn’t always been easy to convince other countries with their own complicated sets of incentives to jump on board.
THE WHITE HOUSE
COMMUNICATION IS KEY — In his latest column, John Harris writes about Biden’s “stupid son of a bitch” moment — and how that kind of trash talk could give his presidency a much-needed lift. “Whether PETER DOOCY is a jerk does not count as one of those great national questions FDR was talking about when he talked about the clarifying power of the presidency,” he writes. “The air between the reporter and the president, of course, is not the most important air that needs clearing from Biden’s perspective.
“It is the gap between the grand hopes Democrats had for his presidency a year ago and the present reality of a stalled agenda, a divided party, a rancid political culture and the haunting sense that he may not be quite up the task of turning all this around in time for 2022 and 2024 elections. As it happens, Biden’s lapse of presidential decorum hints at a path toward restoring presidential vitality.”
CONGRESS
ON SECOND THOUGHT — Schumer “is quietly stoking bipartisan talks about updating the Electoral Count Act,” Burgess Everett reports this morning, after the majority leader dismissed ECA reform as wholly inadequate. (That, of course, was before the collapse of voting rights legislation last week.) Schumer “hasn’t committed to backing the work” of the bipartisan gang of senators working on the issue. Instead, he’s waiting to see what the group “comes up with before gaming out whether legislation could win 60 votes on the Senate floor.”
PRIMARYING SINEMA — “Democratic Party financiers are plotting to fund a 2024 primary challenge against Sen. Kyrsten Sinema as she fights key pieces of their party’s agenda,” CNBC’s Brian Schwartz reports. The group includes some who contributed to her Senate campaign back in 2018. And, Schwartz writes, “certain financiers who want to unseat Sinema signed a recent letter to her in which they suggested her campaign should return their donations if the senator imperils voting rights legislation.”
BEYOND THE BELTWAY
GUN OWNERSHIP REGULATIONS INCOMING? — San Jose, Calif., may become the first city in the country to require gun owners to purchase liability insurance and pay a $25 annual fee. City council members voted in favor of measures that would enforce those standards Tuesday night, and they await one final approval next month. If enacted, it would go into effect in August. More from NBC’s Chantal Da Silva and the San Jose Mercury News
MEDIAWATCH
EX-REPORTER TO NY POST: I WAS ‘MENTALLY TRAUMATIZED’ — CNN’s Oliver Darcy scooped Wednesday night that “former New York Post staffers are voicing support for MICHELLE GOTTHELF, the tabloid’s former digital editor-in-chief who filed a harassment lawsuit against the company last week.”
More: “In a private Facebook group, multiple people shared messages of solidarity with Gotthelf after the lawsuit was made public, according to screen grabs that I obtained. ‘Good for Michelle Gotthelf for standing up against the abusive environment that has been allowed and encouraged for years at the NY Post,’ one ex-staffer wrote. ‘I left the NY Post mentally traumatized.’”
PLAYBOOKERS
Sarah Palin, who tested positive for the coronavirus Monday, delaying her defamation trial against the NYT, was spotted dining out at a restaurant in Manhattan on Wednesday night.
Stephanie Ruhle will replace Brian Williams in MSNBC’s 11 p.m. hour, per Axios’ Sara Fischer.
Dan Bongino was permanently banned from YouTube.
Peter Thiel hosted a fundraiser Wednesday night for Harriet Hageman, who’s challenging Liz Cheney in Wyoming’s Republican primary.
Matt Gaetz got another round of bad news in the long-running sex trafficking investigation pending against him.
SNEAK PEEK — Showtime’s “The Circus” is returning for its seventh season at 8 p.m. on March 6. The 16-episode season will air over two parts, with the first eight episodes airing on Sundays through April 24. Exclusive trailer
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Nora Kohli will be comms director for Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.). She most recently was a press assistant for Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), and is a John Delaney alum.
NEW NOMINEES — The White House announced Biden will nominate Michael Adler as ambassador to South Sudan and John Godfrey as ambassador to Sudan.
COMMERCE DEPARTMENT ARRIVAL LOUNGE — Nell Abernathy has returned to the Commerce Department to be acting director of the office of policy and strategic planning. She most recently was senior policy adviser at the National Economic Council.
TRANSITION — Ray Zaccaro is joining the Klein/Johnson Group as a principal. He most recently was senior adviser and comms director for Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and is a Frank Pallone alum.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Andrew Gibbons, VP at Leading Authorities (Speakers Bureau), and Julie Gibbons, a family nurse practitioner, welcomed Graham Louis Gibbons on Tuesday. He joins big sisters Caroline (5) and Emmie (3). Pic
— Zach Hunter, managing director at Narrative Strategies, and Mallory Hunter, senior director of operations for WinRed, welcomed Charles “Charlie” Hunter on Tuesday (the same birthday as his mom). Pic … Another pic
— Charlie Harris, director of U.S. membership mobilization at the ONE Campaign, and Rachel Harris, a veterinarian at Brook-Falls Animal Hospital in Milwaukee, welcomed Violet Josephine Harris on Tuesday. She came in at 8 lbs, 12 oz and 19.5 inches. Pics
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Chief Justice John Roberts is 67… Meredith Kelly of Declaration Media … C-SPAN’s Howard Mortman … Chelsea Patterson Sobolik … Jessica Fink of Groundswell Communications … Kitty Bartels Di Martino … Circle’s Jared Favole … Erin Lindsay of Precision Strategies … Emily Skor of Growth Energy … CFR’s Kayla Ermanni … Jamal Ware … Nomiki Konst … White House’s Matt Lee-Ashley and Will Rusche … Connie Partoyan of Targeted Victory … Ben Owens of Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick’s (D-Ariz.) office … Heather Nauert of the Hudson Institute … Lisa Kaplan of the Alethea Group … Akin Gump’s Josh Teitelbaum … Morry Cater … Scott Backer … Rick Ridder … Kendall Bianchi … WaPo’s Holly Bailey … former Reps. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.), Zack Space (D-Ohio), John Mica (R-Fla.) and Dick Ottinger (D-N.Y.) (93)
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26.) AMERICAN MINUTE
Battle of Cowpens: tactical masterpiece and a turning point in the Revolutionary War – American Minute with Bill Federer
- Gen. Andrew Pickens (nicknamed “the Wizard Owl”);
- Gen. Francis Marion (nicknamed “the Swamp Fox); and
- Col. Thomas Sumter (nicknamed “the Carolina Gamecock”).
- General Benjamin Lincoln,
- General Baron von Steuben,
- General Modecai Gist,
- General Henry Knox, and
- General John Peter Muhlenberg.
27.) CAFFEINATED THOUGHTS
28.) CONSERVATIVE DAILY NEWS
29.) PJ MEDIA
The Morning Briefing: Nick Searcy Is on a Mission to Destroy Dems’ Jan. 6 Lies
Top O’ the Briefing
Happy Thursday, dear Kruiser Morning Briefing friends. Oxtail soup never goes well with ennui.
The battle to counter the tsunami flood of false narratives coming from the mainstream media is a 24/7 affair that never ends. The power of traditional media is waning, to be sure, but it’s still very strong.
And everyone in the MSM is a full-time advocate for the Democratic party.
For over a year now, they’ve been peddling Nancy Pelosi’s concussed version of what happened at the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The kangaroo court in the House of Representatives that’s trying to brand all Trump supporters as domestic terrorists is championed daily by members of the press who laughingly refer to themselves as “journalists.”
There are many people out there who tell a different tale than what the Democrats have been selling but they’ve been kept in the shadows until now.
Actor/director Nick Searcy (Justified, The Shape of Water) has given them a voice in his latest film, the documentary Capitol Punishment.
Victoria recently wrote a great article about the movie for us which featured a quote from Searcy that sums things up rather succinctly:
“Everything that we are being told [about Jan. 6] is a lie and Americans are being persecuted to support that lie.”
Bingo.
Nick joined me on my Kruiser Kabana podcast this week to talk about the movie, offering some additional context to the dark subject matter. These podcast episodes are usually for VIP subscribers only but I have decided to leave it on the other side of the paywall for a couple of weeks to give more people a chance to hear this important version of what went on that day.
It’s an intense film to watch. It’s also a necessary film to watch. If you haven’t already seen it you’ll definitely want to after hearing my interview with Nick.
Since I’ve already mentioned our VIP program, I may as well take a moment to once again sing its praises. Well, I’ve got a little help this time. Athena Thorne is one of our newest writers and she provided a newcomer’s perspective on what we’re working to build here:
My point is that I didn’t even realize how much news I wasn’t being told until I joined the incredible staff of professional journalists here at PJ Media. It was, as Don Rumsfeld once explained, one of those things I didn’t know I didn’t know. Thank God for PJ Media and outlets like it who keep this information alive and available.
Of course, Big Left isn’t going to stand idly by while PJ Media tells the world what they’re up to. Editor Paula Bolyard detailed some of the attacks they’ve been launching on sites like this one. From the Biden administration sending lists of banned subjects to social media giants, to those platforms throttling our traffic, to tech infrastructure companies refusing services to sites with which they disagree, it’s a constant battle for conservative news services to stay online.
We are not only fighting to save conservative journalism, we’re also building a community of like-minded patriots. Several of them will be joining Stephen Green and me at CPAC next month for some extracurricular fun. Mr. Green and I are constantly marveling at the fact that we get to call this work.
The VIP program has given us a platform to freely expand our multimedia presence with podcasts, videos, and the live “Five O’Clock Somewhere” chat that we two Steves do for three hours every Thursday. Nick has been on my podcast before and he’ll be on again soon. The weekly “Unwoke” podcast that Kevin Downey Jr. and I do has now evolved into a live stand-up tour. A VIP subscription doesn’t just support journalism, it’s an integral part of the overall expansion of all conservative entertainment.
And it’s cheaper than Netflix. Much cheaper.
Come hang out with us. We won’t tell anybody where you are.
Everything Isn’t Awful
Winter is making some people nicer.
We 💙 this fun, neighborly trend. This blue dinosaur was spotted shoveling snow on Northview Road in Rocky River. The mom of two said she is shoveling the entire street and was inspired by the Lakewood unicorn. pic.twitter.com/deKDfuw7IR
— clevelanddotcom (@clevelanddotcom) January 25, 2022
PJ Media
VodkaPundit. Biden to ‘Expedite’ Bringing More Afghan Refugees to U.S.
Sacre Bleu! The Commie Battle For Canada Has Begun
I Hope Neil Young Will Remember, Spotify Don’t Need Him Around Anyhow
DeSantis Aims to Fix Failure to Prosecute Florida Election Crimes
Imitating Islam: The Left’s Hate for the Christian Cross
I’ve Learned Some Wild Stuff Since I Came to PJ Media
Good Grief! Charlie Brown Voice Actor Kills Himself
About Those Free COVID-19 Tests Joe Biden Sent You…
CHAZ’s Rapping BLM Warlord Has a New Side Hustle – Fighting Sexual Assault Lawsuits in Seattle
Bronx College Student Caught Selling Illegal Guns–What Will NYC’s New Liberal Trio Do About It?
Biden’s Bad Poll Numbers Could Get Worse
Putin Has America Right Where He Wants It: Weak and Virtually Alone
Woman Sneaks Ivermectin Into Hospital, Saves Husband’s Life
I smell expensive, taxpayer-funded promises…Biden to Meet With CEOs to Hype Build Back Better
Canada and the U.S.: What a Difference!
Biden’s Bad Poll Numbers Could Get Worse
He got the idea from Biden. Putin Adds Likely Election Foe Navalny to List of ‘Terrorists’
Bombshell Documents Debunk Fauci Narrative on COVID Origin
Biden Administration Finally Withdraws Vaccine Mandate Rule. But Not Really
Townhall Mothership
Larry O. Jim Acosta Has Thoughts About the Soviet Union
Mom Sticks Up to Virginia’s Largest School District on Mask Mandates
Trial Lawyers And The Elite Left: A Love Story
EXCLUSIVE: DHS Secretary Had a Disastrous Meeting with Border Patrol Agents
Fauci Puts Two-Year-Olds on Notice: Prepare for up to Three Doses of the COVID Vaccine
ATF raids Amish farmer, seizes guns
Cam&Co. No way, San Jose: 2A activists fight new infringements
The NYC Second Amendment infringement case you’re not hearing about
Time for another top Democrat to suggest that the midterms might not be legitimate
New: Two more men arrested in England for Congregation Beth Israel terror attack
Study suggests kids who don’t attend pre-K do better in reading and math
Marc Elias calls Spotify a ‘disgraceful company’ because they ‘chose Joe Rogan over Neil Young’
Deadspin adds editor’s note clarifying that ‘young, white guy’ Mike McDaniel is actually biracial
VIP
VodkaPundit, Part Deux. Ranking the Bond Movies: Part 004 (Popcorn Thrills)
How Radical Will Biden’s Supreme Court Choice Be? A Short List
What Finally Got Breyer to Retire?
On Resilience and the Overlooked Ones of the Pandemic
These 4 Red States Recovered All the Jobs They Lost During the Pandemic
Why Did Joe Biden Build His Hollywood Oval Office Set? An Answer Emerges.
GOLD DC Outsider: Ep.48 Everyone Is Missing the Real Story of the Biden/Doocy InsultGate Scandal
Around the Interwebz
‘Good Omens’: Cast Confirmed For Season 2 Of Neil Gaiman’s Amazon Fantasy Series
Voter-ID laws are not the ‘new Jim Crow’
Valve confirms Steam Deck shipment, review dates: By the end of February
US Air Force spends $60 million on supersonic commercial airliner
Why Is February Spelled So Strangely?
Bee Me
With Train Robberies, No Electricity, No Gasoline Automobiles, California Tries Rebranding With Vintage Old West Theme https://t.co/fHoMn1tJwZ
— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) January 26, 2022
The Kruiser Kabana
Kabana Gallery
Malaga, 1854 https://t.co/SbsWYMejdO #ivanaivazovsky #romanticism pic.twitter.com/8fTwFVgwrz
— THE MONTMARTE (@themontmarte) January 27, 2022
Kabana Comedy
30.) WHITE HOUSE DOSSIER
31.) THE DISPATCH
The Morning Dispatch: Breyer to Retire
The court’s oldest liberal member ensures President Biden and a thin Democratic Senate majority will name his replacement.
The Dispatch Staff |
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Happy Thursday. On this day 77 years ago, Soviet forces reached the Auschwitz concentration camp, liberating thousands of Jewish prisoners who had not already been evacuated by the Nazis and forced into a death march.
On this Holocaust Remembrance Day, take a moment to commemorate the millions upon millions of victims of Nazi hatred and reflect on the societal forces that allowed such atrocities to persist.
Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories
- NBC News reported Wednesday that Justice Stephen Breyer, 83, will retire from the Supreme Court at the end of the current term, paving the way for President Joe Biden to appoint a younger successor to the court. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer declared Biden’s nominee will “receive a prompt hearing” and be confirmed “with all deliberate speed.”
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters on Wednesday the Biden administration had delivered a written response to Moscow that responds to Russia’s recent demands surrounding NATO and Ukraine. “We’re open to dialogue, we prefer diplomacy, and we’re prepared to move forward where there is the possibility of communication and cooperation if Russia de-escalates its aggression toward Ukraine, stops the inflammatory rhetoric, and approaches discussions about the future of security in Europe in a spirit of reciprocity,” Blinken said.
- The United States’ embassy in Ukraine sent a message to American citizens in the country on Wednesday urging them to “consider departing now” using commercial transportation due the “increased threat of Russian military action.”
- The Federal Reserve concluded its January Federal Open Markets Committee (FOMC) meeting on Wednesday, with Chair Jerome Powell announcing the central bank remains on track to wrap up its monthly asset purchases in March, when it will likely begin raising interest rates.
- The Census Bureau reported yesterday the United States’ international trade deficit in goods reached a record high in December, increasing 3 percent month-over-month to cross the $100 billion monthly threshold—and $1 trillion annual threshold—for the first time.
You Can’t Breyer Me, I Quit!
For months, we’ve been hearing about the “Great Resignation” sweeping across the country as workers—emboldened by labor shortages and higher wages—quit their jobs at record rates in search of greener pastures. Yesterday, the phenomenon hit the highest court in the land.
Just before noon on Wednesday, NBC News’ Pete Williams went live with a story that, within minutes, had turned Washington on its head: Justice Stephen Breyer, the oldest member of the Supreme Court, plans to step down at the end of the court’s current term. The 83-year-old justice has yet to publicly confirm the news—which was attributed to “people familiar with his thinking”—but CNN reported he will do so at a White House event with President Biden later today.
Any change to the composition of the court is inherently big news given its limited size and its current centrality to our politics, but Breyer’s retirement is hardly unexpected. Having sat on the bench for nearly 28 years, Breyer could only guarantee he’d be succeeded by a philosophically aligned justice if he stepped down before the 2022 midterm elections. Progressive activists—still reeling from Republicans’ confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2020—had been calling on Breyer to take this step for more than a year.
“It is a relief that President Biden will get the opportunity to choose the next justice on the Supreme Court while the Senate is in Democratic hands,” said Brian Fallon, executive director of Demand Justice, adding that Breyer’s decision came “not a moment too soon.” In April 2021, Fallon’s judicial advocacy group rented a billboard truck to circle the Supreme Court while displaying “Breyer, Retire” in big, bold lettering.
Worth Your Time
- Tyler Cowen’s latest Bloomberg column focuses on recency bias, humans’ tendency to overweight events of the recent past and assume current trends will continue. “For instance, starting in 2008 the U.S. Federal Reserve increased the money supply sharply, and the rate of price inflation did not rise correspondingly. One result of this recent episode of expansionary monetary policy is that America became less vigilant about inflation—and it is now living with the consequences,” he writes. “The plan for overcoming recency bias is pretty straightforward. Spend less time scrolling through news sites and more time reading books and non-news sites about how your issues of concern have played out in the distant past. If you are young, spend more time talking to older people about what things were like when they were growing up. If you had applied those techniques, Russia’s interest in taking over more parts of Ukraine would not be very surprising.”
- In The Washington Post, former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul recounts a 2011 meeting between Vladimir Putin and then-Vice President Joe Biden. “At one point, Putin told Biden (and I’m paraphrasing from memory), ‘You look at us and you see our skin and then assume we think like you. But we don’t,’” McFaul writes, explaining why a realist analytical framework doesn’t necessarily explain Russia’s behavior. “[Putin] has his own analytic framework, his own ideas and his own ideology—only some of which comport with Western rational realism.” Because the Russian president believes the West unfairly dictated the terms of peace at the Cold War’s end and that geopolitics is a never-ending struggle between democracy and autocracy, he won’t be satiated even by a pledge to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO. “He will press on to undo the liberal international order for as long as he remains in power,” McFaul argues. “Normalizing annexation, denying sovereignty to neighbors, undermining liberal ideas and democratic societies, and dissolving NATO are future goals.”
Presented Without Comment
Toeing the Company Line
- On Wednesday’s Dispatch Podcast, Sarah, Steve, Jonah, and David discuss the worsening situation in Ukraine before turning to two issues not getting enough attention in the lead up to the midterms: immigration and crime.
- Jonah’s Wednesday G-File (🔒) focuses on Breyer’s retirement and Biden’s pledge to appoint a black woman as his successor. “The African American women in contention may be eminently qualified,” he writes. But by preemptively limiting himself to one group of people, Jonah argues Biden has attached a “stigma” to the eventual appointee, even if it’s undeserved. “All of the likely nominees would be in a better position today if Biden hadn’t made the promise in the first place.”
- In yesterday’s Capitolism (🔒), Scott Lincicome checked in on how the Biden administration has handled trade policy thus far. “No one actually paying attention to Biden’s long history, the longstanding protectionism of congressional Democrats (especially those in charge), and the Biden campaign’s clear rhetoric expected much on trade from this administration,” he writes. “So it’s just that much more disappointing that he couldn’t even clear our very low bar.”
Reporting by Declan Garvey (@declanpgarvey), Andrew Egger (@EggerDC), Charlotte Lawson (@lawsonreports), Audrey Fahlberg (@AudreyFahlberg), Ryan Brown (@RyanP_Brown), Harvest Prude (@HarvestPrude), and Steve Hayes (@stephenfhayes).
Subscribe to The Morning Dispatch
An essential daily news roundup, TMD includes a brief look at important stories of the day and original reporting and analysis from The Dispatch team, along with recommendations for deeper reading and some much-needed humor in these often fraught times.
32.) LEGAL INSURRECTION
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33.) THE DAILY WIRE
34.) DESERET NEWS
35.) BRIGHT
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36.) AMERICAN THINKER
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37.) LARRY J. SABATO’S CRYSTAL BALL
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KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE— In almost half the states, governors and lieutenant governors are either nominated separately, or else the official who is next in the line of succession is elected separately. — This makes it reasonably common for the governor and lieutenant governor to come from separate parties. Currently, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Vermont fall into this category. Sometimes these pairings work smoothly; other times, they don’t. — Even governors and lieutenant governors from the same party can have relationships that range from distant to acrimonious. There are recent examples of this phenomenon in Idaho and Rhode Island. — In states where gubernatorial candidates cannot choose their running mates, it may be harder for them to win the governorship in the first place. Lieutenant governors across the countryIn some ways, the lieutenant governor of a state is much like the vice president on the federal level: They serve as a backup in case of death or resignation from office, and they don’t have a lot of other specific duties in their portfolio. But in almost half the states, there’s a big difference from the vice presidency — lieutenant governors are elected separately from the governor. In 17 states, the governor and lieutenant governor are elected separately, rather than running on a joint ticket. These states are Alabama, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington state. In 3 other states — Arizona, Oregon, and Wyoming — there’s no lieutenant governor, but a separately elected secretary of state takes over if the governor can no longer serve. And in 4 other states — Maine, New Hampshire, Tennessee, and West Virginia — the presiding officer in the state Senate, who’s also elected separately from the governor, is first in the line of succession. Sometimes having a No. 2 elected separately works out just fine for a state and its governor. Other times, it doesn’t. Sometimes the governor and lieutenant governor end up being from different parties and working at cross purposes. Sometimes both officials are from the same party but lack the personal closeness that comes from having run as ticket-mates. And sometimes a gubernatorial candidate is hampered in their efforts to win the office in the first place because they had no say in who the candidate for lieutenant governor is. Right now, in North Carolina, the Republican lieutenant governor is using his bully pulpit to bash the Democratic governor. In Idaho, a shared Republican Party affiliation has done nothing to forge cooperation between a governor and lieutenant governor from different wings of the party. And in Virginia, some observers wonder whether the inability to appoint a running mate hampered former Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s (D) bid to win a new term in 2021. Then there are the ever-present tensions that stem from career jealousy. “Generally there are issues between governors and lieutenant governors because many lieutenant governors are ambitious and have eyes on the top job,” said Ed Feigenbaum, who was staff director of the National Conference of Lieutenant Governors from 1983 to 1987 (that organization is now called the National Lieutenant Governors Association). For this article, we reached out to political observers in many of these states to see how well, or poorly, their ticket-less system has worked over the years. What do lieutenant governors actually do?In many states, lieutenant governors preside over the state Senate, and in some states, that carries significant power. In Mississippi, for instance, the governor will have difficulty moving legislation that is opposed by the lieutenant governor, said Stephen Rozman, a Tougaloo College political scientist. Beyond that, the duties of the office vary widely by state — if they have any specified duties at all. In Pennsylvania, the lieutenant governor is a member of the Board of Pardons. In Louisiana, the lieutenant governor heads the Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism. In California, the office’s occupant serves on the boards of the University of California, California State University, and California Community College systems. The lieutenant governor also joins the state controller and a gubernatorial appointee on the State Lands Commission, a low-profile but powerful body. In other states, lieutenant governors are able to find a policy issue they can focus on, even if it’s not in the official job description. In Arkansas, for instance, former Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, a Democrat, advocated for a state lottery to fund college scholarships, while current Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin, a Republican, has led a task force on public school standards reform established by GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson. In Pennsylvania, Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has leveraged his office to promote marijuana legalization, which in turn has helped boost his current Senate campaign. In some states, such as Vermont, the post of lieutenant governor is officially part-time. When the legislature was not in session, Republican Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie was an airline pilot, and Democratic Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman operated an organic farm. States with governors and lieutenant governors from different parties todayCurrently, 3 states have a governor and lieutenant governor from different parties. In Louisiana, Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards serves with Republican Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser. In North Carolina, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper serves with Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. And in Vermont, Republican Gov. Phil Scott serves with Democratic Lt. Gov. Molly Gray. These relationships run the gamut from amiable to oppositional. In Vermont, Scott has maintained his popularity in the blue state by hewing to the political center. “We certainly don’t agree on everything, but we are willing to come together and work together,” Gray told U.S. News & World Report earlier this year. In Louisiana, Edwards, a moderate Democrat, and Nungesser, a pragmatic Republican, have a good working relationship, said Pearson Cross, a University of Louisiana-Lafayette political scientist. Unlike Edwards’ friction-filled relationship with Jeff Landry, the state’s more aggressively partisan attorney general, the governor seems to have something of a non-aggression pact with Nungesser, observers said. The most antagonistic relationship of the 3 is in North Carolina, where Cooper is a moderate Democrat but Robinson regularly stakes out positions on the right flank of the GOP, including remarks critical of the LGBT community. He’s expected to run for governor in 2024 (Cooper is term-limited). “Robinson has used this bully pulpit masterfully,” said Chris Cooper, a Western Carolina University political scientist. “Although he cannot pass policy, he has been able to draw attention to himself and his issues like no lieutenant governor in recent history.” These 3 states have seen such partisan splits frequently. In Vermont, 10 governors have served since 1962, and 8 of them have had a lieutenant governor of the opposing party for at least one of their terms, said Chris Graff, a longtime political observer in the state. “Vermonters look at the offices separately when voting,” Graff said. “They don’t mind splitting tickets for the top two jobs.” In Louisiana, Edwards’s predecessor, Republican Bobby Jindal, served with 3 lieutenant governors, 2 of whom were Democrats (although one switched parties). And North Carolina has seen 4 such examples, including Cooper with Republican Dan Forest prior to Robinson. Forest unsuccessfully challenged Cooper in 2020. How states have previously dealt with split partisan control of the top two officesMany states have navigated such partisan splits without producing dramatic breaks. “Factually and anecdotally, of the hundreds of pairs of leadership teams in states through history, these teams have worked in nearly all cases, to be productive and achieve various priorities,” said Julia Brossart, executive director of the National Lieutenant Governors Association. In Vermont, for instance, the relationships have tended to be cordial and professional, said former GOP Gov. Jim Douglas. During Tropical Storm Irene, which battered Vermont in 2011, the governor and lieutenant governor were of different parties, but they cooperated effectively in relief efforts, Douglas said. Vermont even survived a difficult transition in 1991, when Republican Gov. Richard Snelling died in office and was succeeded by Democratic Lt. Gov. Howard Dean. Dean instantly inherited the policies and personnel of the Republican administration. Meanwhile, in Rhode Island, Democratic Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts served key advisory roles in the administrations of Republican Gov. Donald Carcieri and Gov. Lincoln Chafee, a Republican-turned-Independent, especially on health care policy, said Valerie Endress, an associate professor of political communication at Rhode Island College. But in several states, divided control of the top 2 seats has turned rocky indeed — most glaringly so in states where the lieutenant governor serves as acting governor in the governor’s absence. Stories abound about governors leaving Missouri “secretly” so a lieutenant governor of the opposite party could not act as governor in their stead, said Saint Louis University political scientist Ken Warren. Perhaps the most celebrated example of this phenomenon came in the 1970s, when Republican Mike Curb served as lieutenant governor under California Gov. Jerry Brown. Curb, a musician and music producer, “would seize onto power whenever Brown vacationed with his then-girlfriend, Linda Ronstadt, or leave to campaign out of state,” said Marcia Godwin, a professor of public administration at the University of La Verne. Other cross-partisan lineups in California worked better, such as Democrat Leo McCarthy’s tenure under Republican Govs. George Deukmejian and Pete Wilson. Godwin speculates that McCarthy’s long service as a state legislative leader had left him more levers of power than other occupants of the office. In North Carolina, fear of Robinson assuming gubernatorial powers has kept Cooper stuck in the Tar Heel State. In fact, looking to the 2022 Senate cycle, Cooper was, at a time, considered Democrats’ strongest potential candidate. But Robinson’s election effectively took Cooper out of contention — if he ran for Senate and won, that would mean handing the governorship over to Robinson in the middle of the term. One common irritant is that the lieutenant governor may be using their office to boost their own electoral challenge to the sitting governor. Douglas recalls working on Snelling’s staff during a period when Democrat Madeleine Kunin was serving as lieutenant governor. “It was obvious that she was eying the top job,” Douglas said. He recalled asking Snelling if he was concerned that Kunin would do something to undercut him. “‘No,’ he replied. ‘To her credit, she does all her mischief when I’m around.’” Even governors and lieutenant governors of the same party can be at oddsIn some states, governors and lieutenant governors generate friction because they come from different wings of the same party. In the 1980s, there were tensions between Gov. Gerald Baliles and Lt. Gov. Doug Wilder, said Robert D. Holsworth, a founding director of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Center for Public Policy who is now managing partner of the consulting firm DecideSmart. Both were Democrats, but Wilder did not support Baliles’ tax package that was intended to fund transportation. Currently, in Mississippi, Gov. Tate Reeves and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann are both Republican, but Hosemann is considered more of a pragmatist. The two have split over such issues as Medicaid expansion, medical marijuana legalization, and control of COVID-19 emergency funds, Rozman said. Historically, party splits in Idaho haven’t been problematic, such as the one between Democratic Gov. Cecil Andrus and Republican Lt. Gov. Butch Otter, said Randy Stapilus, a longtime political observer in the state. But the current relationship between Republican Gov. (and former Lt. Gov.) Brad Little and Republican Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin has devolved into open warfare. McGeachin, who has received President Donald Trump’s endorsement in a 2022 primary challenge to Little, has taken positions on the right-most edge of her party, while Little has been more of a pragmatist, especially on coronavirus policy. “On more than one occasion when the governor has been outside Idaho, McGeachin has taken to issuing executive orders as acting governor,” Decision Desk HQ reported. “Little has rescinded the orders, and apparently didn’t inform McGeachin he was going out of the state earlier this month.” Stapilus described the 2 as being “ferociously at odds almost all year, and neither has been, at least in recent months, making any real effort to hide or soft-pedal it.” Another recent example comes from Rhode Island, where Democrat Dan McKee was elevated from lieutenant governor to governor in early 2021 following the confirmation of fellow Democrat Gina Raimondo as President Joe Biden’s secretary of commerce. Prior to McKee’s elevation, the two reportedly didn’t see each other in person for more than a year; to communicate, he had to ask capitol police officers to hand-deliver letters to her office. At one press availability, Raimondo was asked whether she’d had any substantive discussions with her lieutenant governor. “Not often,” she acknowledged. Endress describes the Raimondo-McKee relationship as “really dysfunctional,” noting that Raimondo didn’t attend her successor’s inauguration, nor was McKee invited to her farewell address. “Raimondo garnered national media attention as state treasurer with her overhaul of the state pension system, and she relished the limelight as her national profile continued to rise,” Endress said. “McKee, who served as a town councilman and mayor of a town of 35,000, adopted a much more low-key approach to governing. The two also differed vastly on their approach to economic development, arguably the central focus of policymaking in Rhode Island since the 2008 recession.” One consequence of the poor relationship: Several state legislators and officeholders in Rhode Island have begun floating changes to the way the state’s 2 top officeholders are elected, Endress said. Gubernatorial candidates can be hobbled by not being able to choose a running mateSeveral states use a slightly different system, in which the governor and lieutenant governor are chosen separately, either through a convention or a primary. The nominees then run together in the general election. In Pennsylvania, this hasn’t worked too well in recent years, with “teams” that have differed in both style and substance. Gov. Ed Rendell regularly clashed with fellow Democrat Catherine Baker Knoll, while Gov. Tom Wolf ended up with a disastrous pairing with Mike Stack in 2014. Stack and his wife were accused of mistreating their staff and the state troopers who were providing their protection. Wolf ended up removing Stack’s police protection and reducing his staff. In Virginia — one of the aforementioned states where the lieutenant governor is elected completely separately from the governor — Democratic gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe may have been destined to lose to Republican Glenn Youngkin last November. But the margin was less than 2 points, and it’s possible to wonder how much of an impact the state’s separate elections for governor and lieutenant governor played into that result. McAuliffe won the primary over, among others, 2 Black women, former state Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy from Northern Virginia and state Sen. Jennifer McClellan from the Richmond area. But rather than being able to select either of the runners-up, McAuliffe was limited to running alongside the winner of the primary for lieutenant governor. As it turned out, the Democratic nominees for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general all came from Northern Virginia. And not having either a Black candidate or one from outside of Northern Virginia “really hurt Democratic turnout in other major population centers of the state, including Hampton Roads and the Richmond area,” said Stephen J. Farnsworth, a University of Mary Washington political scientist. Bill Bolling, who served as a Republican lieutenant governor under both Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine and Republican Bob McDonnell, said that it’s par for the course for lieutenant governors to be distant. In Virginia, Bolling said, “most governors have not involved the lieutenant governor actively in their administrations. Frankly, that has been the case regardless of political party. They have not historically been actively involved in the day-to-day operation of the governor’s administration.” Bolling said that he and Kaine were friendly, having cut their teeth in Richmond-area politics, but because the governor was from a different party, “he was obviously not going to involve me in the day-to-day operation of his administration.” During McDonnell’s tenure, however, the two “governed together as a team,” including a key role for Bolling on economic development issues. Given his experiences as lieutenant governor, Bolling said, “I have long been an advocate for changing the way we elect the lieutenant governor and changing the role of the lieutenant governor. I would prefer a system where the governor and lieutenant governor ran together on a ticket, just like the president and the vice president. If this happened, I think governors would be more inclined to let their lieutenant governor play a more active role in their administration. This would make the office much more meaningful and better prepare the Lieutenant Governor to become governor should the need ever arise.”
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38.) THE BLAZE
39.) THE FEDERALIST
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40.) REUTERS
Thursday, January 27, 2022 by Linda Noakes |
HelloHere’s what you need to know.The Fed is likely to hike rates in March, Russia sees some room for dialogue on Ukraine, and expats head for the exit as Singapore’s COVID controls bite. Plus, who owns Scotland? – we look at the millionaires buying up the Highlands. |
Today’s biggest stories
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Quote of the day“There are people so fraught with hate who can, when faced with such imagery, be tipped over into action”Nachman Shai Diaspora Affairs Minister Israel sees Holocaust tropes in COVID protests fueling anti-Semitism |
Video of the dayScientists hit a milestone on the road to nuclear fusion energy Using the world’s largest laser, researchers coaxed fusion fuel for the first time to heat itself beyond the heat they zapped into it. |
And finally…Mystery black diamond called ‘The Enigma’ goes up for auction Also known as a carbonado diamond, it is possible the gemstone came from outer space. |
More from Reuters
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41.) NOQ REPORT
42.) ARRA NEWS SERVICE
43.) REDSTATE
Ron DeSantis Releases a Blistering Ad Targeting the Sainted Dr. Fauci
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44.) WORLD NET DAILY
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45.) MSNBC
January 27, 2022 THE LATEST Thanks, Mitch, for clearing the way for Breyer’s replacement by Hayes Brown Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will retire at the end of the term, freeing up a spot for President Joe Biden to fill. It’s a move that liberal activists have been calling for over the last year, even as 83-year-old Breyer has been resistant. Now, whoever Biden names to fill the vacancy “will have one person to thank for their seat: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell,” Hayes Brown writes. That may sound counterintuitive. “But McConnell is the one who changed the way the Senate considers presidents’ Supreme Court nominees,” Brown writes. His cynical obstructionism and opportunism over the last five years has cleared the way for the eventual nominee.
Read Hayes Brown’s full analysis in your Thursday MSNBC Daily. TOP STORIES Democrats need to fill Breyer’s seat — even if it won’t change the balance of power. Read More Kyrsten Sinema’s censure in Arizona is a sign of a changing party. Read More We’ve rarely heard from students themselves about how they view the conservative assault on school lesson plans. Read More It’s also becoming clear that this is not the only ongoing investigation into the fake-electors scheme. Read More TOP VIDEOS MORE FROM MSNBC How do we make sense of this unprecedented moment in world history? Why is this all happening? Chris Hayes asks the big questions that keep him up at night every week on his podcast, aptly titled, “Why Is This Happening?”
Time for our mailbag! Chris and producers Tiffany Champion and Doni Holloway answer your questions and talk about what’s new on the pod. Chris also discusses which interview in 2021 stuck with him the most, and we share an exciting milestone that we need your help to celebrate! Listen now.
Join Ali Velshi for special coverage of the rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine as he seeks to answer the question: What is Putin’s endgame? Plus, Richard Engel reports live from the region. Watch a special edition of The Last Word, tomorrow at 10 p.m. ET.
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46.) BIZPAC REVIEW
47.) ABC
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48.) NBC MORNING RUNDOWN
To ensure delivery to your inbox add email@mail.nbcnews.com to your contacts Today’s Top Stories from NBC News THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 2022 Good morning, NBC News readers.
Today we look at how the retirement of a Supreme Court Justice has — yet again — changed politics in an election year. We also have the latest from the tense Russia-Ukraine standoff, and on Holocaust Memorial Day we share the story of a heroic housekeeper.
Here’s what we’re watching this Thursday morning. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer’s impending retirement upended the country’s political landscape Wednesday, once again entangling the supposedly nonpolitical judiciary in the partisan fervor of an election year.
“We are going to go straight to the politics of the Supreme Court in a way that has the potential to fundamentally change the midterms,” Jim Messina, who managed President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign, said on MSNBC.
“We were talking about the economy, we were talking about inflation — now we’re going to be talking about the Supreme Court.”
This year’s elections will now be the fourth in a row colored by a fight over a Supreme Court vacancy, from Obama’s pick of Merrick Garland in 2016 to then-President Donald Trump’s selections of Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 and Amy Coney Barrett in 2020, all of which produced some of the ugliest moments of partisan rancor in recent memory.
Read the full story here.
Also on this story, Jonathan Allen writes in this analysis that President Joe Biden should be able to win a Supreme Court fight. Thursday’s Top Stories
With the ball now back in the Kremlin’s court, the West was given little immediate sign that Moscow would seek to de-escalate tensions and allay fears of a deadly new conflict. “Without her, I wouldn’t be alive,” said Roman Haller, who was conceived while his parents were in hiding. Spotify said Wednesday that the streaming service regrets Young’s decision but hopes “to welcome him back soon.” OPINION Breyer is preventing another gridlocked crisis between a Democratic president and a Republican Senate that erodes the court’s legitimacy. Also in the News
Editor’s Pick
“This is SUPER wonderful! Everyone gets a happy ending in China!,” Chuck Palahniuk, who wrote the book on which the movie is based, said on Twitter. Select
Whether you’re a fervent jogger or a casual walker, a folding treadmill can help you get your workouts in without taking up too much space in your home. Long-running “Jeopardy!” champion Amy Schneider lost in an episode that aired Wednesday, ending the second-longest winning streak in the quiz show’s history.
Schneider, an engineering manager from Oakland, California, was defeated by Rhone Talsma, a librarian from Chicago, who raked in $29,600 in the latest game, besting Schneider, at $19,600.
She left the show with nearly $1.4 million in winnings and had no regrets about the streak’s end.
“I got about $1.2 million more than my best case scenario in my imagination,” a smiling Schneider said moments after the stunning defeat.
Read more here.
Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown.
If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — send me an email at: patrick.smith@nbcuni.com.
Thanks, Patrick Smith Want to receive NBC Breaking News and Special Alerts in your inbox? Get the NBC News Mobile App 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112 |
49.) NBC FIRST READ
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From NBC’s Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Bridget Bowman and Alexandra Marquez
FIRST READ: Supreme Court fight gives Biden the reset he’s been looking for
If it’s Thursday… President Biden is set to appear with retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer… DCCC adds seven more names to its “frontline” list, per NBC’s Ali Vitali and Haley Talbot… Sen. Raphael Warnock raises an eye-popping $9.8 million for the quarter and ended the year with $23 million in the bank…. There are two new Georgia polls to chew on… And Dem fundraising platform ActBlue says it helped raise $1.3 billion last year.
But FIRST… We told you that President Biden and congressional Democrats needed a reset, and it looks like they’re going to get it in the coming weeks as they get to fill a Supreme Court vacancy.
Need to improve the president’s declining poll numbers among Black voters? Fulfilling his promise to appoint a Black woman to the court can certainly help.
Want to get your party fired up ahead of the midterms as Republicans enjoy an enthusiasm advantage? A debate over the court – and especially one involving abortion – can do the trick.
Dustin Chambers/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Need to take some heat off Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz.? A court battle when they’ve always voted for Biden’s judicial nominations could be what the doctor ordered.
Want to give the “Build Back Better” negotiations a little breathing room? A Supreme Court nomination is going to dominate everything else on Capitol Hill.
And finally, need – in the worst way – to put a win on the political scoreboard? Confirming a new justice to a lifetime appointment on the U.S. Supreme Court would do exactly that.
That’s assuming, of course, that nothing goes wrong during the vetting and confirmation-hearing stages.
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Tweet of the Day: But is this coming a little too soon to help with midterms?
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Midterm roundup
With more states approving their congressional maps, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is shaking up its Frontline program for vulnerable incumbents, adding seven more lawmakers, and expanding its target list, NBC’s Ali Vitali and Haley Talbot report.
Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., raised a massive $9.8 million in the final quarter of 2021, ending the year with $23 million on hand, per a press release.
Meanwhile, a Quinnipiac poll released Thursday shows VERY competitive races in Georgia – whether it’s the GOP primary for governor, the gubernatorial general election and the likely Warnock-vs.-Herschel Walker Senate race.
And a new Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll also shows close contests in these races, but with President Biden’s approval rating way underwater.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., took sides in three House primaries yesterday, including backing Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga., and Rep. Andy Levin, D-Mich., in their primaries against fellow House members.
Ohio state Sen. Matt Dolan, the only GOP Senate candidate who isn’t hugging Trump in the primary, nabbed a local county party endorsement. NBC’s Henry Gomez pointed out the endorsement is notable given other candidates have longer relationships with party activists.
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Data Download: The number of the day is … $1.3 billion.
That’s how much money flowed to Democratic campaigns and groups through the online fundraising platform ActBlue in 2021, a record for an off-year, according to figures shared first with NBC News.
The 4.5 million donors who made contributions through ActBlue last year fueled nearly 18,000 Democratic organizations, according to figures shared first with NBC News. Nearly $353 million was raised through the platform in the last three months of the year alone. The 2021 figure is more than double the $523 million that flowed through the platform in 2017, as Democratic online fundraising exploded ahead of the 2018 midterms.
Republicans have tried to replicate Democrats’ online fundraising success, launching their own platform known as WinRed in 2019. Donors sent $559 million to GOP campaigns and organizations through WinRed in 2021, including $158 million in the final fundraising quarter of the year.
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Other numbers you need to know today
14.5 million: The number of people who have signed up for health insurance through government-run exchanges since November, which is a new record.
8: The number of Black women Biden has nominated to federal appeals courts, per NBC’s Mike Memoli.
39 percent: Biden’s approval rating in a new Monmouth University poll.
200: The number of people who have pleaded guilty to charges related to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, per Buzzfeed News.
$2.1 million: The share of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s $2.8 million haul that’s missing required donor information, according to the Dallas Morning News. Paxton’s campaign blamed the failure to disclose those donors on “technical issues.
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ICYMI: What ELSE is happening in the world
A Texas Republican state senator gave sworn testimony in court that his party violated federal voting rights laws when drawing one of the state’s legislative districts.
San Jose became the first city in the U.S. with insurance requirements for gun owners.
Advocates and judges allege that Black and Latino voters have been “shortchanged” in the redistricting process, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
A former classmate of Ketanji Brown Jackson, a potential pick to replace Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, told the Miami Herald “she was a star in the making,” at her Florida high school.
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50.) CBS
51.) REASON
52.) MANHATTAN INSTITUTE
53.) LOUDER WITH CROWDER
From the cornfields of Romeo, Michigan, the early morning stoned pimp of the nation, the Detroit City cowboy, and the American badass…Kid Rock just released a brand new single, “We the People.” … MORE |
54.) TOWNHALL
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55.) REALCLEARPOLITICS MORNING NOTE
56.) REALCLEARPOLITICS TODAY
57.) CENTER FOR SECURITY POLICY
58.) BERNARD GOLDBERG
59.) SARA A. CARTER
60.) TWITCHY
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62.) 1440 DAILY DIGEST
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73.) POPULIST PRESS
We cant allow him to put the extreme liberal on the court!
|
TOP STORIES:
-
SCOTUS ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT… NOMINEE ANNOUNCED
- CDC Gives Shocking Response After Accidental Release Of Infected Monkeys
-
Fox News Host Just Got The Best News Of His Life
-
US Military Gives Putin 300 Shocking Reasons Not to Invade Ukraine
-
Pelosi Gives Shocking Reason For Running AGAIN!
- United States’ Vulnerability Is Being Dangerously Tested Now
- Stop Using GoFundme!
- Wisconsin Advances Historic Bill To Strip Biden of Electoral Votes…
- Trump — ‘I’m the 45th and 47th President of the United States’….
- Biden Mandate Just Canceled… COVID Coming To An End…
- Cali-Born Olympic Skier Betrays USA Will Compete For CHINA… It Gets Worse…
- BREAKING: Pelosi Just Made It Official…
- New Bill Makes Crime Out Of Vaccination Status
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IN DEPTH…
|
- Stop Using GoFundme! 2 hours ago
- Another House Dem retiring 3 hours ago
- Kamala to attend inauguration of socialist Honduran 3 hours ago
- Kyle Rittenhouse With Candace Owens 3 hours ago
- Pelosi’s Stock Trades Attract Following 3 hours ago
- Biden Iran Negotiators Quit — ‘He’s Too Soft’ 3 hours ago
- F‑35s, Carriers Headed Towards Ukraine 3 hours ago
- Tucker: ‘Who Benefits From War Against Russia?’ 3 hours ago
- Sailors hurt in ‘mishap’ on Carrier 3 hours ago
- Biden Driving Nation to War & Collapse 3 hours ago
- Biden Family & the ‘Spy Chief of China’ 3 hours ago
- A Return of Forces to Europe 3 hours ago
- 2 U.S. Carriers in South China Sea 3 hours ago
- UK Cos plan biggest price hikes 3 hours ago
- Oregon Gov. — clemency for criminals 3 hours ago
- Acosta says Trump beat him up 3 hours ago
- Belarus hackers hit Russia 3 hours ago
- Rand Paul grills Fauci for GoF answers 3 hours ago
- Iran nuclear talks near impasse 3 hours ago
- GE/France/UK Tackle Channel Migrants 3 hours ago
- Vets’ group evacs 23 from Afghanistan 3 hours ago
- Cops Probe Boris Johnson’s Parties 3 hours ago
- Taiwan will boycott Beijing Olympics 3 hours ago
- Capitol Police Spying on Repubs? 3 hours ago
- Fauci Defends killing Monoclonal 3 hours ago
- States Sue Google over Location Tracking 3 hours ago
- NY Schools Disobey Court on Masks 4 hours ago
- Kid Rock’s FJB Song! 4 hours ago
- Biden’s Border Crisis Worsens 4 hours ago
- Elton John tests positive for COVID 4 hours ago
- Court kills AL House map over Voting Rights Act 4 hours ago
- Russia joins China in opposition to boycotts 4 hours ago
- Xi to Putin: Don’t Invade During Olympics? 4 hours ago
- Biden Hosting CEOs for BBB 4 hours ago
- Online Sales Grow 4 hours ago
- Inflation Explodes to Record-Breaking High 4 hours ago
- US Imports 1,000 Nurses a Month 4 hours ago
- Soros prosecutor lost to Just the News 4 hours ago
- Social Security scammer takes $220k 4 hours ago
- Trump offers endorsement to Morgan Ortagus 4 hours ago
- Milwaukee: Easy to hijack cars a crime 4 hours ago
- RATE HIKE MARCH? 5 hours ago
- Policy Pivot May Prove Late & Abrupt 5 hours ago
- Strategists Predict Trouble 5 hours ago
- Dalio: USA in Decline; Election Risk 5 hours ago
- Crypto plunge wipes out profits 5 hours ago
- BIDEN WITHDRAWS VAX MANDATE 5 hours ago
- America can’t quit polarizing pols 5 hours ago
- UK awaits ‘partygate’ report 5 hours ago
- Legal peril for Prince Andrew 5 hours ago
- SPOTIFY seizes Harry, Meghan podcast flop 5 hours ago
- TV News Joins Streaming’s Nostalgia 5 hours ago
- CNN Not Sure Who Will Replace Cuomo 5 hours ago
- A Titanic Hearing on Covid 12 hours ago
- Biden Inherited a Border Problem, Turned It into a Crisis 12 hours ago
- Solution to the Trucker Shortage 12 hours ago
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TOP STORIES:
-
Fight Breaks Out On Fox News… Geraldo Rivera Crossed The Line
-
SCOTUS ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT… NOMINEE ANNOUNCED
- CDC Gives Shocking Response After Accidental Release Of Infected Monkeys
-
Fox News Host Just Got The Best News Of His Life
-
US Military Gives Putin 300 Shocking Reasons Not to Invade Ukraine
-
Pelosi Gives Shocking Reason For Running AGAIN!
- United States’ Vulnerability Is Being Dangerously Tested Now
- Stop Using GoFundme!
- Wisconsin Advances Historic Bill To Strip Biden of Electoral Votes…
- Trump — ‘I’m the 45th and 47th President of the United States’….
- Biden Mandate Just Canceled… COVID Coming To An End…
- Cali-Born Olympic Skier Betrays USA Will Compete For CHINA… It Gets Worse…
- BREAKING: Pelosi Just Made It Official…
- New Bill Makes Crime Out Of Vaccination Status
|
IN DEPTH…
|
- YouTube permanently bans Bongino New
- Navy Discharges 23 over Vax Refusal 1 hour ago
- Bill to Stop Illegals from Using Arrest Warrants 1 hour ago
- Libs harassed Sinema & Manchin, and Surprise! 2 hours ago
- FED Hints Interest Rate Hike 2 hours ago
- Jim Acosta Thoughts About Soviet Union 2 hours ago
- US hands Russia written response to demands 3 hours ago
- Trade Deficit Tops $1T for First Time 3 hours ago
- US officials forced to do anal tests in China 3 hours ago
- House Response to China Competition 4 hours ago
- Many of Biden’s ‘free’ COVID tests made in China 4 hours ago
- Trump-Backed Morgan Ortagus/Biden Shock! 4 hours ago
- DHS Sec Disaster Meeting with Border Patrol 4 hours ago
- Russia Threatens U.S., NATO 4 hours ago
- SC Bill — Illegal to Ask for Vax Status 5 hours ago
- Stop Using GoFundme! 2 hours ago
- Another House Dem retiring 3 hours ago
- Kamala to attend inauguration of socialist Honduran 3 hours ago
- Kyle Rittenhouse With Candace Owens 3 hours ago
- Pelosi’s Stock Trades Attract Following 3 hours ago
- Biden Iran Negotiators Quit — ‘He’s Too Soft’ 3 hours ago
- F‑35s, Carriers Headed Towards Ukraine 3 hours ago
- Tucker: ‘Who Benefits From War Against Russia?’ 3 hours ago
- Sailors hurt in ‘mishap’ on Carrier 3 hours ago
- Biden Driving Nation to War & Collapse 3 hours ago
- Biden Family & the ‘Spy Chief of China’ 3 hours ago
- A Return of Forces to Europe 3 hours ago
- 2 U.S. Carriers in South China Sea 3 hours ago
- UK Cos plan biggest price hikes 3 hours ago
- Oregon Gov. — clemency for criminals 3 hours ago
- Acosta says Trump beat him up 3 hours ago
- Belarus hackers hit Russia 3 hours ago
- Rand Paul grills Fauci for GoF answers 3 hours ago
- Iran nuclear talks near impasse 3 hours ago
- GE/France/UK Tackle Channel Migrants 3 hours ago
- Vets’ group evacs 23 from Afghanistan 3 hours ago
- Cops Probe Boris Johnson’s Parties 3 hours ago
- Taiwan will boycott Beijing Olympics 3 hours ago
- Capitol Police Spying on Repubs? 3 hours ago
- Fauci Defends killing Monoclonal 3 hours ago
- States Sue Google over Location Tracking 3 hours ago
- NY Schools Disobey Court on Masks 4 hours ago
- Kid Rock’s FJB Song! 4 hours ago
- Biden’s Border Crisis Worsens 4 hours ago
- Elton John tests positive for COVID 4 hours ago
- Court kills AL House map over Voting Rights Act 4 hours ago
- Russia joins China in opposition to boycotts 4 hours ago
- Xi to Putin: Don’t Invade During Olympics? 4 hours ago
- Biden Hosting CEOs for BBB 4 hours ago
- Online Sales Grow 4 hours ago
- Inflation Explodes to Record-Breaking High 4 hours ago
- US Imports 1,000 Nurses a Month 4 hours ago
- Soros prosecutor lost to Just the News 4 hours ago
- Social Security scammer takes $220k 4 hours ago
- Trump offers endorsement to Morgan Ortagus 4 hours ago
- Milwaukee: Easy to hijack cars a crime 4 hours ago
- RATE HIKE MARCH? 5 hours ago
- Policy Pivot May Prove Late & Abrupt 5 hours ago
- Strategists Predict Trouble 5 hours ago
- Dalio: USA in Decline; Election Risk 5 hours ago
- Crypto plunge wipes out profits 5 hours ago
- BIDEN WITHDRAWS VAX MANDATE 5 hours ago
- America can’t quit polarizing pols 5 hours ago
- UK awaits ‘partygate’ report 5 hours ago
- Legal peril for Prince Andrew 5 hours ago
- SPOTIFY seizes Harry, Meghan podcast flop 5 hours ago
- TV News Joins Streaming’s Nostalgia 5 hours ago
- CNN Not Sure Who Will Replace Cuomo 5 hours ago
- A Titanic Hearing on Covid 12 hours ago
- Biden Inherited a Border Problem, Turned It into a Crisis 12 hours ago
- Solution to the Trucker Shortage 12 hours ago
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74.) THE POST MILLENNIAL
75.) BLACKLISTED NEWS
76.) THE DAILY DOT
Did a friend forward this? Subscribe here. Welcome to the Thursday edition of Internet Insider, where we explore identities online and off. TODAY:
BREAK THE INTERNET Andrea Galbreath, the owner of a California-based succulent business, says Nike is opposing the trademark she owns for her company, JustSuccIt. The shoe and athletic wear giant said it opposes her trademark because JustSuccIt could be “damaging to their brand,” according to a viral TikTok posted by Galbreath on Saturday.
“Nike is coming after me!” she says in the TikTok. “I’m just a small business in San Juan Capistrano, trying to plant happiness in the lives of others. So I’m doing my best to get ahead of this. Can you please help me tell Nike to leave me alone?”
In a phone interview with the Daily Dot, Galbreath said that her trademark for JustSuccIt was published on Jan. 4. She was notified of Nike’s opposition to her trademark on Jan. 18. (Galbreath started JustSuccIt in 2020.)
“Nobody’s gonna get online to order shoes and then accidentally order a succulent arrangement from me,” Galbreath says in her second TikTok about the trademark opposition.
Nike has triumphed over a handful of small businesses in recent years that have used plays on “just do it” in their marketing. Nike successfully opposed the trademarks for the slogans “Just Believe It” and “Just Drew It.” In April 2020, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board officially recognized that “just do it” is a “famous trademark.”
Galbreath is fearful of going up against a multi-million dollar corporation. When she first found out about the trademark opposition, she turned to social media as a resource for help.
“How does a small business protect itself from large corporations?” she said to the Daily Dot. “I really understand that Nike is doing what Nike does to protect their brand. And I have the right to do that myself, too.”
Read the whole story here. By Tricia Crimmins Contributing Writer SPONSORED In a busy world, eating healthy at every meal becomes impossible. Here’s some good news: You can get all the nutrients you’re missing with just one pill per day. Rainbow Light Women’s One and Men’s One are high-potency multivitamins that are non-GMO, vegetarian, and gluten free. Packed with nutrients, you can support your diet and boost your immune, bone, and brain health in one go. Get two or more items and get 30% off with code DAILYDOT22. VIRAL HIGHLIGHT Former Jeopardy! Teen Tournament contestant Claire Sattler (@clairesat) shared a glimpse of the “traumatic” aftermath of her 2018 win in a viral TikTok.
In the video, Sattler uses audio from “Pompeii” by Bastille edited to repeat the line “emotional damage.” She shares screenshots of an alleged stalker following her on Google+, a now-defunct social media platform, and photos from when she was a contestant with text explaining how she was cyberbullied.
Sattler wrote that she was “accused of having sex with a 79-year-old man, as a 16-year-old, for the answers,” referring to false allegations by cyberbullies that there was inappropriate conduct between her and the late Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek.
The video was posted on Jan. 6 and by Wednesday garnered over 188,000 views, with several former game show contestants commiserating in the comments.
“I was on Kids’ Jeopardy! and they really tried to sexualize me and diagnose me at age 11,” 2011 contestant Aria Gerson (@not_like_stark) wrote. “Really not ok. I’m sorry all this happened.”
Other Jeopardy! fans showed their support for Sattler in the comments of the video.
“My friend was on the show as a kid. His experience was different, likely because he is male,” user @cosmicdoll said. “People really go after teen girls for petty shit.”
Read the whole story here.
By Rebekah Harding Reporting Intern
DAILY DOT PICKS
SELF-CARE The big clean I recently learned that in Japan, the days leading up to Christmas and New Year’s are customarily a time for deep cleaning, a practice called o-suiji. In the U.S., we do our big clean (or at least talk about it) in the springtime. I prefer to do neither. The truth is, I’m often tidying, reorganizing, and cleaning. In the fall, I bought plastic bins and Lazy Susans to organize my pantry. The end-result isn’t Pinterest-worthy, but it’s better than the jumble of groceries it was before. Every few months, I donate my clothes that are either ill-fitting or outdated. I vacuum and dust regularly, thanks to our two cats.
Digital cleaning is important to me, too. Last week, I finally cut my email down to “inbox zero” for the first time in ages. I clear out my desktop and downloads folder every so often, always surprised at how fast the files pile up. And each week, I start a fresh to-do list—with some carryover from the previous week’s leftovers.
There’s not much method to my madness; you might even call it “intuitive cleaning.” But whether it’s haphazard or on an annual schedule, I love the occasional big clean.
By Kris Seavers Senior IRL Editor
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79.) POLITICHICKS
80.) BLACKPRESSUSA
81.) THE WESTERN JOURNAL
82.) CNN
Thursday 01.27.22 Houston, we have a [coffee] problem… A new study shows climate change will make it much harder to grow Arabica coffee in the coming years. Coffee prices have already been spiking due to bad weather, so you might want to savor that cup this morning. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. Supreme Court
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is expected to formally announce his plans to retire today, clearing the way for President Joe Biden to name his first nomination to the high court. Biden has vowed to fill the vacancy with an African American woman, which would represent a historic first. Currently, six of the nine justices are conservative, so Biden’s pick will not change the balance of the court, given that Breyer will almost certainly be replaced with a liberal. Still, it’s a consequential decision, considering that the president’s nominee is expected to be much younger than Breyer and could serve on the court for decades. As for the next steps in the process, Biden will now interview his short list of candidates. The White House will then make a decision and then a formal nomination will be made.
Ukraine
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators have agreed to continue ceasefire talks as concerns that Russia will invade Ukraine continue to escalate. The world has been on edge, fearing an invasion is imminent, but Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba lessened those concerns somewhat yesterday, stating Russia has not assembled sufficient forces to a launch full-scale invasion. Officials also say the latest four-way conversation between representatives from Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France has helped broker some hope for peace. Speaking after yesterday’s meeting, Moscow’s chief negotiator said the ceasefire must be observed “unconditionally” but that many other issues in eastern Ukraine remained unresolved. Ukraine’s negotiator said all parties were in support of a permanent ceasefire, adding they are ready to negotiate around the clock to prevent a war. Coronavirus
Moderna says it has given a Covid-19 booster shot specific to the Omicron variant to the first participant in their Phase 2 clinical trial. Research published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine found that a booster dose of the vaccine remained durable against the Omicron variant but did show signs of waning antibody protection. Pfizer and BioNTech, makers of the other major mRNA Covid-19 vaccine, announced earlier this week that they had also begun their own Omicron-specific vaccine trials. According to latest CDC data, Omicron currently accounts for 99.9% of all US Covid-19 infections, while the Delta variant makes up the remaining 0.1%. Federal Reserve
With inflation rising, the Federal Reserve said yesterday it is getting ready to raise interest rates — a move widely expected on Wall Street. “With inflation well above 2% and a strong labor market, the Committee expects it will soon be appropriate to raise the target range for the federal funds rate,” the Fed said a statement, with Fed Chairman Jerome Powell confirming in a press conference that March is probably the right time frame for a rate hike. Investors now expect the Fed to hike interest rates four times this year (or more) if inflation continues to be a problem. That’s encouraging them to dump stocks in companies that rely on borrowed cash, as well as the technology firms that have powered the recent bull market.
Cuba
Cuban officials are calling for the Biden administration to restore relations with the island in light of a recent CIA report that found most “Havana syndrome” cases were unlikely to have been caused by a foreign power. In 2016, US diplomats and undercover CIA officers in their homes and hotel rooms in Havana began complaining of unexplained symptoms, including dizziness, pounding headaches, and piercing noise that sounded as if metal was being scraped across a floor. Eventually, 24 diplomats were diagnosed with brain damage that ranged from mild impairment to severe injuries. US officials feared the unexplained illnesses might have been caused by “sonic attacks” from other countries. In a new study this week, the CIA determined the spate of mysterious health incidents can be explained by environmental causes, undiagnosed medical conditions and other factors. Sponsor Content by The Farmer’s Dog What’s a resolution only a dog can keep? Eating healthy food every, single, meal. This year, invest in your dog’s long-term health with human-grade food from The Farmer’s Dog. Get 50% off your first box of smarter, healthier pet food.
People are talking about these. Read up. Join in. ‘Jeopardy!’ champ’s impressive winning streak ends Amy Schneider is $1.3 million richer after closing out the second-longest winning streak in the quiz show’s history. You’re still #1 in our eyes, Amy!
Airbus to charter its popular Beluga XL ‘whale plane’ Just leaving this here in hopes it makes you smile. You’re whale-come.
One of the world’s most mysterious countries reopens trail for explorers Into the unknown! (Yes, that’s a “Frozen 2” reference.)
An unidentified space object is beaming out radio signals every 18 minutes Now, seriously… into the unknown. This celestial object is something astronomers have never seen before.
Makers of top food and consumer goods brands plan to raise prices The prices of Oscar Mayer hot dogs, Velveeta cheese, and Capri Sun drinks are all increasing this spring. Check out how much. $178,000 That’s how much Kansas City Chiefs fans donated to a children’s hospital in New York after their team beat the Buffalo Bills in an epic playoff game on Sunday. Bills fans are typically the ones making donations after a game, but Chiefs fans began donating this week in $13 increments — representing the 13-second drive the Chiefs made to send the game into overtime. The hospital thanked the Chiefs fans, tweeting that the donations will help ensure their medical team has the tools, training, and programs to care for kids in Western New York. It’s super stressful, I didn’t know that I really struggled with anxiety to be totally honest until the past couple of months.
US mogul skier Hannah Soar, on dealing with a plethora of Covid-19 countermeasures ahead of the the Winter Olympics in Beijing. In order to compete, athletes must record two negative tests before departing for Beijing and are then subject to daily tests upon arrival. Brought to you by CNN Underscored The best balance transfer credit cards to help you get out of debt If you’re like other Americans, you may have racked up a sizable amount of debt in the last few years. Rather than falling further behind, you should consider consolidating your debt with the balance transfer credit card that’s right for you. Million Dollar Koi Fish Meet the man who breeds world-class koi fish. Just last year, one fish fetched nearly $2 million at an auction. (Click here to view) Sponsor Content by Bankrate Ready to save up to $610 on auto insurance? Bankrate can find you the best deals from top carriers in your area. That way, you can pocket the extra cash or spend it on something you really want instead. Start saving today!
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83.) THE DAILY CALLER
84.) POWERLINE
Daily Digest |
- Woke ballet at Princeton, Part Two
- Vaccine Risk? What Vaccine Risk?
- Reports: Justice Breyer to retire
- Hall of Fame excludes Curt Schilling due to his politics
- Avenatti for the defense
Woke ballet at Princeton, Part Two
Posted: 26 Jan 2022 12:56 PM PST (Paul Mirengoff)In Part One of this series, I reported on the plan of student leaders of the Princeton University Ballet to (among other things) “decolonize” their practice of ballet, “deemphasize technique,” and exclude from membership Princeton ballet enthusiasts who are unwilling to engage in their brand of activism. In Part II, I want to consider Princeton’s stance on these matters. As I understand it, the EDI [equity, diversity, and inclusion] in the Arts Circuit is a group of Princeton alums that works with Princeton’s Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students and, as one would expect, Princeton’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion. The EDI Circuit has issued a document called “Action Plan Guidelines.” The document combines contemporary identity politics with old-fashioned Marxist-Leninist-Maoist demands for self criticism and struggle sessions. It’s a fusion of BLM, wokeness, and Marxism. The same is true of a dangerously large portion of contemporary American leftism. Given the EDI Circuit’s relationship with the university’s administration, I think it’s fair to view these Guidelines as a statement of Princeton’s position. As such, it is more harrowing than the infantile document written by the PUB’s student leadership. Here is what the Guidelines say:
(Emphasis added) I agree with Rod Dreher’s assessment: “No artist or performer who respects herself, her art, and liberty can possibly submit to the commissars’ questions, and live their creative lives under the yoke of the woke.” |
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Vaccine Risk? What Vaccine Risk?
Posted: 26 Jan 2022 10:01 AM PST (Steven Hayward)The advocates for mandatory vaccination ought to be brought up short by a study out today in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, which looked closely at the data on vaccines and incidents of myocarditis, with findings of special significance for young males. The study boasts 26 authors, including figures from the CDC and top medical schools. It hardly comes much more “mainstream” than this.
Don’t expect the media to ask Fauci or Jen Psaki about this finding. By all means let’s keep coercing people into taking a vaccine they don’t want. As Glenn Reynolds comments, “This is particularly significant since adolescent males and young men are at low risk of death or serious illness from Covid.” Chaser:
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Reports: Justice Breyer to retire
Posted: 26 Jan 2022 09:26 AM PST (Paul Mirengoff)Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will retire, according to multiple reports. Some liberals have been urging him to do so since Joe Biden was elected. Many more, I suspect, were hoping he would, so that Biden could appoint a relatively young left-liberal to replace him. Breyer is 83 years old. I suspect that Breyer would like to have stayed on the Court for a few more years. However, it now looks at least as likely as not that Republicans will regain control of the Senate in 2023. Thus, if Breyer hopes to be replaced by someone at least as liberal as he is, stepping down now is the right play. It gives Biden what may be his last opportunity to appoint a Justice. I have no doubt that Biden will nominate someone at least as liberal as Breyer. In all likelihood, his nominee will be even further to the left. And it probably will be a “person of color” — most likely a black female. Senate Republicans should fight hard to prevent any liberal Biden nominee from being confirmed. That’s the way the game is played these days, whether one likes it or not. However, unless Team Biden screws up its vetting, the nominee will almost certainly be confirmed. Elections have consequences, and one consequence of the 2020 election — including losing those two Georgia seats in early 2021 thanks in considerable part to Donald Trump — is that Joe Biden will be able to replace an 83 year-old liberal Justice, with an even more liberal jurist who likely will be about 30 years younger. STEVE adds: I think there is a non-trivial chance that Biden surprises us with an Asian nominee. There hasn’t been an Asian on the Supreme Court, so it would be a first, and politically important to shore up a constituency that is slipping away from Democrats. Also useful to have an Asian justice to participate in the oral arguments and potentially dissent on the Harvard admissions case that will be heard next term. JOHN adds: Steve Breyer was my antitrust professor in law school, and also my third-year paper adviser. He was no raving lefty at that time. In fact, a lot of what I know about free market economics I learned from Breyer. Paul is right, whoever succeeds him will be much, much worse. |
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Hall of Fame excludes Curt Schilling due to his politics
Posted: 26 Jan 2022 09:03 AM PST (Paul Mirengoff)Yesterday, a group of sportswriters voted David Ortiz into the Hall of Fame. They did this even though Ortiz tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in 2003, around the time he transformed himself from a below average hitter to a star. In other Hall of Fame news, Curt Schilling fell well short of the number of votes required for admission because woke sportswriters with ballots don’t like his politics. Here is what I wrote on the subject when Schilling — or rather the voters — fell short last year. Schilling should view his exclusion as a badge of honor, and there is reason to believe he might. After last year’s vote, he asked that his name be withdrawn from this year’s ballot — the last one he is eligible to appear on. Baseball’s Hall of Fame has become a joke. It’s a waste of time to discuss it. However, this is a good time to celebrate Curt Schilling’s accomplishments. His career WAR (wins above replacement player) is 80.5. That’s just behind Bob Gibson and just ahead of Tom Glavine and Carl Hubbell. All three are generally considered upper tier Hall of Famers. Like Gibson, Schilling boasts an exquisite post-season record. He went 11-2 with a 2.23 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP (walks plus hits over innings pitched) in 19 starts and 133.3 career playoff innings. Schilling won three World Series rings, was named MVP of the 1993 NLCS, and co-MVP of the 2001 World Series (with Randy Johnson). Schilling engaged in no baseball-related misconduct that could justify his exclusion. He didn’t throw games like Shoeless Joe Jackson. He didn’t bet on games like Pete Rose. There is no hint that he used performance enhancing drugs, as there is with Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and newly-elected Hall of Famer David Ortiz. The left has marched steadily through our institutions — academia, the media (including sports pages), the corporate world. Now it has marched through the Hall of Fame. Baseball fans should no longer take the Hall seriously. Conservative fans should ignore it entirely, except as a vehicle to remind ourselves once a year of Curt Schilling’s Hall of Fame-worthy career. |
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Avenatti for the defense
Posted: 26 Jan 2022 07:27 AM PST (Scott Johnson)At FOX News Tucker Carlson dubbed attorney Michael Avenatti Creepy Porn Lawyer. CNN and MSBNC couldn’t get enough of Avenatti trashing Trump. They treated him as a valued guest and highly credible critic of President Trump. Indeed, they all but invited to run for president. He fit right in to their nonstop Trump hatefest. Carlson has proved himself a better journalist and judge of character than everyone at CNN and MSNBC combined. David Rutz, then of the the Washington Free Beacon, thought to tote up the amount of airtime CNN and MSNBC devoted to Avenatti. As of May 2018, Rutz found that Avenatti had appeared 108 times and received nearly $175 million in free media during his appearances on the networks over the previous two months. The excitement was palpable. Avenatti has now been charged with crimes of dishonesty in courts from New York to California. Last year he was convicted on charges of attempted extortion and defrauding his client. He was sentenced to over two years on those convictions. Last year, however, Avenatti secured the dismissal of criminal charges that he cheated clients of millions of dollars. The judge held that the government improperly withheld relevant evidence. Avenatti is now on trial in the Southern District of New York on charges of fraud and identity theft resulting in the transfer of part of a book advance owed to his client Stormy Daniels (Stephanie Clifford). Yesterday Avenatti was granted permission to take over his own defense. The AP covers that development here. During yesterday’s proceeding Avenatti “gently cross examin[ed] Judy Regnier, his former longtime paralegal and office manager. Avenatti drew dozens of objections from prosecutors concerned he was coloring her testimony in his favor with lengthy questions meant to show how much work he’d done for Daniels in the year he represented her.” The AP story gives this example:
That is a classically nonresponsive answer to which objection should have been made, but the AP leaves us hanging.
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85.) THE POLITICAL INSIDER – WAKE UP EDITION
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90.) CONSERVATIVE TRIBUNE
91.) USA TODAY
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96.) NOT THE BEE
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99.) MARK LEVIN
January 26, 2022
On Wednesday’s Mark Levin Show, following the resignation of Justice Stephen Breyer, President Biden has said that he will nominate the first Black woman to be the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. The practice of hiring someone based on race or sex has been found to be unlawful for schools, businesses, and others but when Biden does it it’s no longer a problem. The perverse ideology of American Marxism has crept into every facet of our government including the judiciary. Then, Anthony Fauci has famously flip-flopped on the mask issue multiple times and now he’s getting called out in a new ad by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Fauci’s lack of commitment is shielded from the public by those in the media that carry water for the Democrats. Later, in response to a guest’s comment about racism being a war, MSNBC host Tiffany Cross said, ” everybody needs to pick up a weapon and get involved because this is for the safety and lasting of the country.” Afterward, author Julie Kelly calls in to discuss how one federal district judge, who is angling for a spot on Biden’s Supreme Court shortlist, is handing out very stiff sentences to the political prisoners of the January 6th riot at the capitol. Kelly added that previous reports that then-Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris was in the building have now been debunked.
THIS IS FROM:
The Post Millennial
Supreme Court Justice Breyer to retire
Independent Women’s Forum
Defiant Harvard Stubbornly Demands To Keep Shunning Asian Students
Newsbusters
MSNBC Bizarrely Pretends Retiring Stephen Breyer Is ‘Conservative or Moderate’
ABC News
Another violence interrupter killed in Baltimore as community reels from gun violence
Washington Examiner
GOP who’s who rallies for Liz Cheney, Romney leads
Washington Post
Va. Gov. Youngkin’s assertive first week in office leaves Republicans jubilant, Democrats fuming
American Greatness
Did the Justice Department Lie About Pence and Harris’ Location on January 6?
The podcast for this show can be streamed or downloaded from the Audio Rewind page.
Image used with permission of Getty Images / Washington Post
100.) WOLF DAILY
101.) THE GELLER REPORT
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102.) CNS
103.) RELIABLE NEWS
104.) INDEPENDENT SENTINEL
In Quebec, unvaxxed can only buy pharmaceuticals and food in Big Box stores — nothing else.
Breyer replacements are terrifying.
We now pick judges by skin color and gender.
Newsmax is being pulled from some cable networks.
Texas teen shoots girlfriend 22 times while she was on her back.
AMA study shows Myocarditis and Pericarditis after Pfizer vaccine.
Some cases of autoimmune hepatitis after vaccination are under investigation.
No Snow White and no Dwarfs in the new version of Snow White and 7 Dwarfs?
Nooooo! Fauci Sees 3 Doses of Vaccines for Kids Under 4Biden’s medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci has gone completely mad. Now he anticipates giving three doses of the vaccine to healthy children under four years of age. We don’t know… | |
Tapes Show Possible Botched Administration of COV Vaccine on KidsThe latest Project Veritas release, which came out Wednesday evening, shows medical staff and supervisors discussing mistakes they made administering COV vaccines to children. The tapes were given to Veritas… | |
Unvaxxed Can Only Buy Food & Meds in Big Box Stores in Quebec — They’ll Get Escorts TooIn Canada, unvaccinated people visiting large stores like Walmart and Costco will be escorted by employees to ensure they don’t buy anything other than food and pharmaceutical products under Quebec’s… | |
WH Buffoons Will Pick Next SCOTUS Justice by Skin Color & GenderThere is a lot of speculation that Kamala Harris will be sent to the Supreme Court so Biden can be rid of her. Democrats want to put in her place… | |
Dem Actor Seems Shocked by Thief in Rite-Aid – But It’s all OK in NYCDemocrat actor and all-around Trump hater, Michael Rapaport was a bit undone as he watched one of his fellow Democrats steal a whole host of goods from a New York… | |
TX Teen Out on Bail After Shooting Girlfriend 22 Times While She Was on Her BackA Texas teen who allegedly murdered his 15-year-old girlfriend by shooting her 22 times is out on bail. Frank Deleon, Jr., 17, is accused of killing Diamond Alvarez, 15, on… | |
Canadian Truck Protest Set to Become the Longest in HistoryThe truckers on their way to Ottawa for an anti-mandate protest on Saturday may well be the longest truck convoy in history. Will it matter to the Stalinists in charge… | |
Watch Harris Faulkner Skewer Inept John KirbyAfter a contentious interview about Russia with John Kirby this afternoon, Fox News host Harris Faulkner segued to Afghanistan. When the US left Afghanistan, the generals made it clear they… | |
Newsmax Is Being Pulled from Major Cable CarriersNewsmax, the conservative cable news network, starting December 31, is going to be pulled off pay-TV cable, including Atlantic Broadband, Central Pennsylvania’s Blue Ridge Communications, Cincinnati Bell, and Hargray Communications…. | |
Harris Off to Honduran President’s Inauguration –Think Castro, Maduro, Illegals to USAs the point person for Central America, Kamala Harris is attending the inauguration of the Honduran President-Elect Xiomara Castro. Castro is a socialist married to a communist with ties to… | |
Breyer to Retire and Possible Replacements Are FrighteningJustice Breyer will retire according to several media announcements today. Justice Breyer’s retirement is an opportunity for the Left. They will get to pick a younger, more radical replacement for… | |
3 of Biden’s Iran Team Quit Because US Put “National Security at Risk”Republican Rep. Michael Waltz of Florida on Tuesday was pleased to see three Biden administration officials walk away from their roles on the State Department’s nuclear talks with Iran. The… | |
Kid Rock’s New Anti-Biden, Anti-Fauci Song Will Whip You UpWarning! If you don’t want to hear cussin’ using the “f” word, don’t listen to Kid Rock’s new song. If you want to get the Biden-Fauci angst out of your… | |
NIH Report of Auto-Immune Hepatitis After Vaccination — in Rare CasesNIH reports that in rare cases, the quickly-developed COVID-19 ‘vaccines’ cause auto-immune hepatitis. I wonder if ‘vaccines’ should be mandated if they cause myocarditis, pericarditis, hepatitis, and other complicating issues…. | |
Biden Sinks Below 40% in Another Poll and on Almost Every IssueBiden sunk below 40% job approval in yet another poll this week. It’s a dangerous place for the Democrats, but they can always cheat in the elections. The media is… | |
Remake of Snow White & the 7 Short Guys Looks Like a Future FlopSooooooo you work at Disney and are sitting around a great big long table with lots of other big shot high rollers and someone says let’s redo “Snow White.” Do… | |
AMA Study Reveals Myocarditis and Pericarditis After mRNA VaxA new study released on Tuesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) revealed the development of myocarditis and pericarditis after mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination. It is highest in adolescent… | |
HUGE! WI Assembly Votes to Withdraw 10 Biden ElectorsThe Wisconsin Assembly has voted to pass a privileged resolution to withdraw the state’s 10 electors who were slated to have cast their votes for Joe Biden in the 2020… | |
Imagine Being the President Who Sends Out This Tweet as War LoomsBiden appears willing to go to war over Ukraine’s borders as he destroys ours. Okay then. He’s under the delusion NATO is running the show but NATO is in serious… | |
BLM’s Angry That Wounded Cops Are Called Heroes in “Tear Jerker” PressersBlack Lives Matter, which runs our nation’s capital is very angry that police officers who were shot in the line of duty were treated automatically as heroes. The shooting and… | |
San Jose Votes in Unconstitutional Gun Ownership RequirementsUPDATE: A GUN RIGHTS GROUP HAS ALREADY SUED. The San Jose, California, city council voted Tuesday night to adopt a first-in-the-nation ordinance requiring most gun owners to pay a fee… | |
Marie Antoinette Pelosi Is Running for Re-electionHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday announced she is running for reelection this year. There had been a glimmer of hope that she would retire but no such luck. She… |
105.) DC CLOTHESLINE
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106.) ARTICLE V LEGISLATORS’ CAUCUS
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108.) SONS OF LIBERTY
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112.) THE DAILY SHAPIRO
113.) INSURGENT CONSERVATIVES
Of the four restaurants Rick McQuaide owns across several counties in Western Pennsylvania, one is barely making a profit, two are losing money and the…
Sen. Rick Scott accused the Biden administration of supporting a ‘genocidal regime.’
It appears police were doing nothing as Babbitt confronted a violent rioter in the final moments of her life.
Democrats are up in arms over this move, claiming it was motivated by political retribution.
Insurgent Conservatives
PO Box 8161 Greenwood, IN 46142
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114.) WAKING TIMES
115.) UNCOVER DC
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116.) DC DIRTY LAUNDRY