thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-04--Mike Pence Gets Near-Instant Fact Check Over Mail-In Voting Hypocrisy

Vice President Mike Pence received a near-instant fact check on social media after he echoed President Donald Trump ’ s baseless claims about mail-in voter fraud to Fox News ’ Laura Ingraham on Monday night .
Pence promoted the use of absentee ballots , describing them as “ perfectly acceptable , ” while criticizing universal mail-in voting as “ ripe for fraud.
” The President made it clear , we ’ re headed to the courts .
The one person , one vote right is at the very center of our democracy & we ’ re not going to stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Governors use the backdrop of the Coronavirus to send millions of ballots across this Country .
pic.twitter.com/fxWC2BTQzW — Mike Pence ( @ Mike_Pence ) August 4 , 2020 Twitter users pointed out that mail-in voting and absentee ballots are pretty much one and the same — and that the same processes are used for both .
Others noted that Trump in March voted by mail in the Florida GOP primary and that there is no record of serious fraud resulting from mail-in voting .
How the hell does he think mail in ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of plan : apply for an ABSENTEE BALLOT , because those are completely different and totally fine .
*wink wink* — ChicaLoca ( @ HaschVivian ) August 4 , 2020 Omg @ VP does n't realize that absentee voting is the same as mail in voting and neither does @ FoxNews.🤦 # SoStupid https : //t.co/poup76JSqp — LadyGrinningSoul🌊 ( @ mbeavenhausen ) August 4 , 2020 Trump voted by mail .
And Pence .
And Ivanka and Jared .
And McEnany .
And Barr , and DeVos , and Kudlow , and Ross @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Padraig ( Blue Checkmark ) ( @ patrickmkcirtap ) August 4 , 2020 Ya know , Mike .
I ’ m not buying it .
Our signatures are checked every election here in Washington state .
All mail-in voting .
No fraud .
You are just afraid of the voters .
And you should be .
— Rob Huff ( @ RobertPHuff ) August 4 , 2020 It 's the GOP 's way of confusing the hell out of voters so that they 're forced to go to the polls .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Concern Trolling the GOP Since 1992 🌊🌊🌊 ( @ FallingDog ) August 4 , 2020 PolitiFact , the nonprofit U.S. political fact-checking site , notes “ there is no objective difference between absentee voting and voting by mail.
” “ All mail ballots , regardless of how they are requested , are treated the same once they ’ re cast .
They all require verification before being counted , ” PolitiFact states on its website .
Michael Steele , the former chair of the Republican National Committee , last week explained how “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump on Monday said he planned to take legal action in a bid to block Nevada from sending out ballots before the 2020 election .

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Pence promoted the use of absentee ballots, describing them as “perfectly acceptable,” while criticizing universal mail-in voting as “ripe for fraud.”
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The President made it clear, we’re headed to the courts. The one person, one vote right is at the very center of our democracy & we’re not going to stand idly by while Dem states & Dem Governors use the backdrop of the Coronavirus to send millions of ballots across this Country. pic.twitter.com/fxWC2BTQzW — Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) August 4, 2020
Twitter users pointed out that mail-in voting and absentee ballots are pretty much one and the same — and that the same processes are used for both.
Others noted that Trump in March voted by mail in the Florida GOP primary and that there is no record of serious fraud resulting from mail-in voting.
"I am a big fan of Fridays but absolutely hate the day after Thursday." https://t.co/w0ompUmfFf — Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) August 4, 2020
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How the hell does he think mail in ballots are processed?
Okay everyone, change of plan: apply for an ABSENTEE BALLOT, because those are completely different and totally fine. *wink wink* — ChicaLoca (@HaschVivian) August 4, 2020
Omg @VP doesn't realize that absentee voting is the same as mail in voting and neither does @FoxNews.🤦#SoStupid https://t.co/poup76JSqp — LadyGrinningSoul🌊 (@mbeavenhausen) August 4, 2020
Trump voted by mail.
And Pence.
And Ivanka and Jared.
And McEnany.
And Barr, and DeVos, and Kudlow, and Ross, and McDaniel, and Parscale... — Padraig (Blue Checkmark) (@patrickmkcirtap) August 4, 2020
Of course. Absentee ballots are returned by carrier pigeon. https://t.co/81gvh0DKze — Paulette Feeney (@PauletteParis1) August 4, 2020
Ya know, Mike. I’m not buying it. Our signatures are checked every election here in Washington state. All mail-in voting. No fraud. You are just afraid of the voters. And you should be. — Rob Huff (@RobertPHuff) August 4, 2020
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It's the GOP's way of confusing the hell out of voters so that they're forced to go to the polls. This will backfire spectacularly for them. — Concern Trolling the GOP Since 1992 🌊🌊🌊 (@FallingDog) August 4, 2020
They're the same thing 🙄 https://t.co/vvjGh9FTHD — Big Time Kris (@KrisWD40) August 4, 2020
Hate the six, love the half-dozen https://t.co/lPvggNGo0W — Prasad Jallepalli, MD, PhD (@jallepap) August 4, 2020
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PolitiFact, the nonprofit U.S. political fact-checking site, notes “there is no objective difference between absentee voting and voting by mail.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-04--Trump Tries To Recast Second Surge In COVID-19 Deaths As Achievement For U.S.

SWAN : If hospital rates were going down and deaths were going down I ’ d say ‘ terrific.
’ @ @ @ @ @ praised for testing .
But they ’ re all going up .
TRUMP : If @ @ @ @ @ read the papers they usually talk about new cases , new cases , new cases @ @ @ @ @ look at the death , death is way down from where it was .
SWAN @ @ @ @ @ thousand a day , it was two and a half thousand , it went down @ @ @ @ @ ’ s going up again .
TRUMP : Where it was is much higher than @ @ @ @ @ .
It spiked , but now it ’ s going down again .
TRUMP : @ @ @ @ @ in Arizona , it ’ s going down in Florida , it ’ s going @ @ @ @

SWAN: If hospital rates were going down and deaths were going down, I’d say “terrific.” You would deserve to be praised for testing. But they’re all going up.
TRUMP: If you watch the news or read the papers, they usually talk about new cases, new cases, new cases.
SWAN: I’m talking about death.
TRUMP: Well, you look at the death, death is way down from where it was.
SWAN: It’s a thousand a day, it was two and a half thousand, it went down to 500, now it’s going up again.
TRUMP: Where it was is much higher than where it is right now. It spiked, but now it’s going down again.
SWAN: It’s going up.
TRUMP: It’s going down in Arizona, it’s going down in Florida, it’s going down in Texas.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-03--George Conway Proposes How Trump Should Pay For His Attacks On Democracy

George Conway has laid out how Donald Trump should face redress for his efforts to sabotage democracy after the president suggested delaying November ’ s elections .
In an opinion article published in The Washington Post , the conservative attorney and husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway decried Trump ’ s vote delay suggestion as the “ ploy of a would-be dictator ” and called on people in America to sanction Trump “ at the polls , and beyond.
” On Thursday , amid tanking polling numbers and months of laying the groundwork to discredit unfavorable election results , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ universal mail-in voting ( necessitated by the deadly COVID-19 pandemic ) would lead to the “ most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history ” and proposed delaying Election Day .
In his piece , Conway nodded to conservative law professor Steven Calabresi , a co-founder of the conservative Federalist Society and former Trump supporter , who wrote later Thursday that the president ’ s tweet was “ fascistic and is itself grounds for the president ’ s immediate impeachment again.
” If Trump acted on his suggestion , and if there were still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would agree .
“ Trump should have been removed already twice over , for obstructing the Russia investigation and extorting Ukraine , ” he wrote .
“ His effort to sabotage a democratic system he swore to protect only confirms his unfitness for the job .
But it ’ s too late for impeachment now.
” Instead , Conway said , Trump must face retribution after he ’ s voted out of office .
“ For the sake of our constitutional republic , he must lose , and lose badly .
Yet that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should only honor former presidents who uphold and sustain our nation ’ s enduring democratic values .
There should be no schools , bridges or statues devoted to Trump .
His name should live in infamy , and he should be remembered , if at all , for precisely what he was — not a president , but a blundering cheat .
”

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George Conway has laid out how Donald Trump should face redress for his efforts to sabotage democracy after the president suggested delaying November’s elections.
In an opinion article published in The Washington Post, the conservative attorney and husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway decried Trump’s vote delay suggestion as the “ploy of a would-be dictator” and called on people in America to sanction Trump “at the polls, and beyond.”
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On Thursday, amid tanking polling numbers and months of laying the groundwork to discredit unfavorable election results, Trump baselessly claimed in a tweet that universal mail-in voting (necessitated by the deadly COVID-19 pandemic) would lead to the “most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history” and proposed delaying Election Day.
In his piece, Conway nodded to conservative law professor Steven Calabresi, a co-founder of the conservative Federalist Society and former Trump supporter, who wrote later Thursday that the president’s tweet was “fascistic and is itself grounds for the president’s immediate impeachment again.”
If Trump acted on his suggestion, and if there were still time for impeachment, Conway said he would agree.
“Trump should have been removed already twice over, for obstructing the Russia investigation and extorting Ukraine,” he wrote. “His effort to sabotage a democratic system he swore to protect only confirms his unfitness for the job. But it’s too late for impeachment now.”
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Instead, Conway said, Trump must face retribution after he’s voted out of office.
He wrote:
“For the sake of our constitutional republic, he must lose, and lose badly. Yet that should be just a start: We should only honor former presidents who uphold and sustain our nation’s enduring democratic values. There should be no schools, bridges or statues devoted to Trump. His name should live in infamy, and he should be remembered, if at all, for precisely what he was — not a president, but a blundering cheat.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-04--Ari Melber Dismantles Donald Trump Adviser’s ‘Greatest Economy’ Claim On Live TV

MSNBC ’ s Ari Melber came prepared on Monday when Steve Cortes , a senior adviser for the Trump 2020 campaign , falsely boasted about President Donald Trump building “ the greatest economy in American history ” prior to the coronavirus pandemic .
“ I thought you might go there , and let ’ s get into it because you ’ re making a claim , ” said Melber .
“ You ’ re making an empirical claim that this was the greatest jobs program ever.
” Melber asked Cortes if he knew “ roughly how many new jobs ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s time in office .
Cortes , seeking to clarify that he meant Trump had particularly boosted the prospects of blue-collar workers , said he “ wouldn ’ t play quiz show.
” “ It ’ s not a quiz show , Sir , but it is a news show , ” responded Melber .
“ We are going to play news show .
That ’ s where there are facts and there are questions.
” “ I will just tell you , because it sounds like you don ’ t want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 11 million jobs created , ” said Melber .
“ And let ’ s compare , pre-COVID , to be as fair as possible , it was about 6.7 million jobs created under the Trump administration .
“ So by that standard , I wouldn ’ t say greatest in history , I would say less than the prior administration , ” Melber concluded .

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MSNBC’s Ari Melber came prepared on Monday when Steve Cortes, a senior adviser for the Trump 2020 campaign, falsely boasted about President Donald Trump building “the greatest economy in American history” prior to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I thought you might go there, and let’s get into it because you’re making a claim,” said Melber. “You’re making an empirical claim that this was the greatest jobs program ever.”
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Melber asked Cortes if he knew “roughly how many new jobs” were created during former President Barack Obama’s time in office.
Cortes, seeking to clarify that he meant Trump had particularly boosted the prospects of blue-collar workers, said he “wouldn’t play quiz show.”
“It’s not a quiz show, Sir, but it is a news show,” responded Melber. “We are going to play news show. That’s where there are facts and there are questions.”
“I will just tell you, because it sounds like you don’t want to play news show, it was about 11 million jobs created,” said Melber. “And let’s compare, pre-COVID, to be as fair as possible, it was about 6.7 million jobs created under the Trump administration.
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“So by that standard, I wouldn’t say greatest in history, I would say less than the prior administration,” Melber concluded.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-04--Ex-Trump Aide Sebastian Gorka's Big Idea To Open Schools: ‘Body Condoms’ For Teachers

Right-wing radio host Sebastian Gorka railed against school closures during the coronavirus pandemic on his show Monday .
“ Put the bloody teachers in body condoms .
I don ’ t care , ” the former aide to President Donald Trump told Michael Knowles , a commentator for the right-wing website The Daily Wire .
Gorka left the Trump White House in 2017 .
He remains a staunch advocate for the president and has been tapped for a role on the National Security Education Board .
Despite the raging pandemic , Trump has repeatedly pushed for businesses and schools to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy ahead of the 2020 election , tweeting Monday night : Public health experts and education unions , however , say funding has to be in place to ensure the safety of students and teachers when in-person education resumes .
“ You mean the COVID burqas , the COVID masks ?
” said Gorka , who has made anti-Islamic remarks on previous occasions , while boasting about not covering his face during a visit to a post office .
Trump refused for months to wear a mask in public and mocked others who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks changed tack , even going so far in a new campaign email to say it was “ patriotic ” to do so .

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Right-wing radio host Sebastian Gorka railed against school closures during the coronavirus pandemic on his show Monday.
“Put the bloody teachers in body condoms. I don’t care,” the former aide to President Donald Trump told Michael Knowles, a commentator for the right-wing website The Daily Wire.
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“Put them in hazmat suits,” Gorka added. “I don’t care.”
Gorka left the Trump White House in 2017. He remains a staunch advocate for the president and has been tapped for a role on the National Security Education Board.
Despite the raging pandemic, Trump has repeatedly pushed for businesses and schools to reopen in a bid to boost the economy ahead of the 2020 election, tweeting Monday night:
OPEN THE SCHOOLS!!! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 4, 2020
Public health experts and education unions, however, say funding has to be in place to ensure the safety of students and teachers when in-person education resumes.
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In June, Gorka stoked controversy by describing face masks as “Democrat Islamo-Maoist masks.”
“You mean the COVID burqas, the COVID masks?” said Gorka, who has made anti-Islamic remarks on previous occasions, while boasting about not covering his face during a visit to a post office.
Trump refused for months to wear a mask in public and mocked others who did so. He has in recent weeks changed tack, even going so far in a new campaign email to say it was “patriotic” to do so.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-04--Republican Group Gives Trump's New Attack Ad A Scathing Makeover

President Donald Trump ’ s reelection campaign resumed advertising this week and one of its first new spots attacking former Vice President Joe Biden is already being trolled .
The ad , titled “ Cards , ” is one of two released on Monday , days after the campaign paused all advertising as it reevaluated its strategy amid sinking poll numbers and a change in leadership .
The spot shows a woman holding up cards calling Biden “ weak ” and claiming he has “ embraced the policies of the far left ” : But Republican Voters Against Trump ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president ’ s critics on the right ― gave those cards a makeover to change the message completely : The counter-ad is part of the organization ’ s $ 10 to $ 15 million campaign against Trump , with most of the spots using the words of rank-and-file members of the party who ’ ve turned against the president , saying they ’ ll vote for Biden .
Their website contains hundreds of testimonials , along with a form where voters can submit their own .
Last month , the group told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spots will air in swing states , including North Carolina , Arizona , Pennsylvania , Michigan , Wisconsin and possibly Florida .
Trump maintains consistently high approval levels within his own party .
Gallup ’ s July survey found that 91 percent of Republicans approved of the job he was doing , making it unclear how effective such ads will be in persuading voters .

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President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign resumed advertising this week and one of its first new spots attacking former Vice President Joe Biden is already being trolled.
The ad, titled “Cards,” is one of two released on Monday, days after the campaign paused all advertising as it reevaluated its strategy amid sinking poll numbers and a change in leadership. The spot shows a woman holding up cards calling Biden “weak” and claiming he has “embraced the policies of the far left”:
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"I’m afraid to say this out loud…" pic.twitter.com/4OzFPjSWMX — Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) August 3, 2020
But Republican Voters Against Trump (RVAT) ― a group comprised of the president’s critics on the right ― gave those cards a makeover to change the message completely:
The counter-ad is part of the organization’s $10 to $15 million campaign against Trump, with most of the spots using the words of rank-and-file members of the party who’ve turned against the president, saying they’ll vote for Biden. Their website contains hundreds of testimonials, along with a form where voters can submit their own.
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Last month, the group told The Washington Post that many of the spots will air in swing states, including North Carolina, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and possibly Florida.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-03--'Patriots' Wear Masks: Trump Campaign Touts Face Coverings Months Into COVID-19 Crisis

The Trump campaign sent an email to supporters on Wednesday urging them to wear face masks in public , saying doing so was “ patriotic ” ― after the president spent months demeaning the use of face coverings as a political act against him .
“ We are all in this together , and while I know there has been some confusion surrounding the usage of face masks , I think it ’ s something we should all try to do when we are not able to be socially distanced from others , ” the email , typically sent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t love wearing them either .
Masks may be good , they may be just okay , or they may be great.
” The missive doesn ’ t note that President Donald Trump himself had until recently added to that confusion even as the coronavirus pandemic surged around the nation following a spate of reopening measures .
The president has at times mocked presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden for wearing a mask and initially said in April that he just didn ’ t “ see it ” for himself when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that masks be worn in public .
Trump wore a mask in public for the first time last month during a visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center , which requires visitors to wear them when social distancing isn ’ t possible .
More than 155,000 people have died in the U.S. since the pandemic began , and more than 4.7 million have tested positive for COVID-19 .
Cases began to surge after many states , at Trump ’ s urging , reopened businesses and relaxed social distancing requirements .
Many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such measures amid skyrocketing rates of infection .
The nation ’ s top medical advisers have been urging citizens to wear masks in public when social distancing can ’ t be maintained .
The CDC last month said the coverings were a “ critical tool in the fight against COVID-19 ” last month , saying all Americans “ have a responsibility to protect themselves , their families , and their communities.
” “ We are not defenseless against COVID-19 , ” the agency ’ s director , Robert Redfield , said at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus ― particularly when used universally within a community setting .
Trump has been forced to acknowledge that he can ’ t rein in the pandemic through sheer force of will .
The president canceled the portion of the Republican National Convention scheduled to take place this month in Jacksonville , Florida , over concerns about the virus , and he has been wearing masks more frequently while out in public .
“ My feeling is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possibly everything to gain , including the next chapter to our country , ” the president said in the supporter email .
“ I recently tweeted that many view wearing a mask as a patriotic act , and there is no one more patriotic than me and you .
Why not give it a shot !
” We are United in our effort to defeat the Invisible China Virus , and many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can ’ t socially distance .
There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favorite President !
pic.twitter.com/iQOd1whktN — Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) July 20 , 2020

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The Trump campaign sent an email to supporters on Wednesday urging them to wear face masks in public, saying doing so was “patriotic” ― after the president spent months demeaning the use of face coverings as a political act against him.
“We are all in this together, and while I know there has been some confusion surrounding the usage of face masks, I think it’s something we should all try to do when we are not able to be socially distanced from others,” the email, typically sent to request contributions, said. “I don’t love wearing them either. Masks may be good, they may be just okay, or they may be great.”
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The missive doesn’t note that President Donald Trump himself had until recently added to that confusion even as the coronavirus pandemic surged around the nation following a spate of reopening measures. The president has at times mocked presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden for wearing a mask and initially said in April that he just didn’t “see it” for himself when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that masks be worn in public.
Trump wore a mask in public for the first time last month during a visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, which requires visitors to wear them when social distancing isn’t possible.
More than 155,000 people have died in the U.S. since the pandemic began, and more than 4.7 million have tested positive for COVID-19. Cases began to surge after many states, at Trump’s urging, reopened businesses and relaxed social distancing requirements. Many of those regions were forced to roll back such measures amid skyrocketing rates of infection.
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The nation’s top medical advisers have been urging citizens to wear masks in public when social distancing can’t be maintained. The CDC last month said the coverings were a “critical tool in the fight against COVID-19” last month, saying all Americans “have a responsibility to protect themselves, their families, and their communities.”
“We are not defenseless against COVID-19,” the agency’s director, Robert Redfield, said at the time. “Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus ― particularly when used universally within a community setting.
Trump has been forced to acknowledge that he can’t rein in the pandemic through sheer force of will. The president canceled the portion of the Republican National Convention scheduled to take place this month in Jacksonville, Florida, over concerns about the virus, and he has been wearing masks more frequently while out in public.
“My feeling is, we have nothing to lose, and possibly everything to gain, including the next chapter to our country,” the president said in the supporter email. “I recently tweeted that many view wearing a mask as a patriotic act, and there is no one more patriotic than me and you. Why not give it a shot!”
We are United in our effort to defeat the Invisible China Virus, and many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can’t socially distance. There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President! pic.twitter.com/iQOd1whktN — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 20, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-04--Newly Leaked Bodycam Footage Shows George Floyd’s Heartbreaking Plea To Police

Leaked footage shows George Floyd begging police not to shoot him minutes before his death by police officers in Minneapolis on May 25 .
“ OK , Mr .
Officer , please don ’ t shoot me .
Please , man , ” Floyd said when officers approached as he sat in his car .
One officer had a gun drawn and aimed at Floyd ’ s head .
“ I just lost my mom , man , ” Floyd said in the footage first obtained by The Daily Mail .
“ Please don ’ t shoot me , Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apologized throughout the video as the cops cursed at him .
“ Put your fucking hand up there , ” one officer ordered .
“ Jesus Christ , keep your fucking hands on the wheel.
” When the police attempted to put Floyd in the back of a police vehicle , he warned them that he was claustrophobic .
Floyd was eventually forced to the ground .
Then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin shoved a knee into his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds as Floyd cried out : “ I can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers at the scene to intervene , but they refused .
Floyd was pronounced dead a short time later , kicking off protests and unrest around the nation that continue to this day .
Chauvin and three other officers were fired and all are facing criminal charges .
Portions of the video also aired on MSNBC , above .

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Leaked footage shows George Floyd begging police not to shoot him minutes before his death by police officers in Minneapolis on May 25.
“OK, Mr. Officer, please don’t shoot me. Please, man,” Floyd said when officers approached as he sat in his car. One officer had a gun drawn and aimed at Floyd’s head.
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“I just lost my mom, man,” Floyd said in the footage first obtained by The Daily Mail. “Please don’t shoot me, Mr. Officer, please.”
Floyd also apologized throughout the video as the cops cursed at him.
“Put your fucking hand up there,” one officer ordered. “Jesus Christ, keep your fucking hands on the wheel.”
When the police attempted to put Floyd in the back of a police vehicle, he warned them that he was claustrophobic. Floyd was eventually forced to the ground. Then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin shoved a knee into his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds as Floyd cried out: “I can’t breathe.”
Bystanders urged other police officers at the scene to intervene, but they refused.
Floyd was pronounced dead a short time later, kicking off protests and unrest around the nation that continue to this day. Chauvin and three other officers were fired and all are facing criminal charges.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-04--Mary Trump Has Sold More Books Than 'Art Of The Deal' Sold In 29 Years

Mary Trump ’ s scathing takedown of her uncle , the president of the United States , sold more books in a single week than Donald Trump ’ s “ Art of the Deal ” sold in 29 years , according to sales stats .
“ Too Much and Never Enough : How My Family Created the World ’ s Most Dangerous Man ” sold an estimated 1.35 million copies its first week , per a statement from publisher Simon & Schuster .
The tell-all also debuted at the top of bestseller lists in the U.S. , Canada , Britain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sued to stop the release of his niece 's tell-all book , a New York Supreme Court ruled it could be published .
“ Mary Trump ’ s memoir has transcended the usual ceiling for political books to reach a larger audience of people who want to read stories about unusual families , ” Simon & Schuster CEO Jonathan Karp said in the statement .
He also noted that comparisons have been made to “ The Godfather , ” the novel by Mario Puzo about the rise of the mob in America .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Mary Trump ’ s book , “ The Art of Deal ” has become an annoyance for the president .
In recent years , Trump has been denounced by the book ’ s co-author , Tony Schwartz .
Schwartz was particularly mortified that the book helped elevate to the White House a man he considers a “ monster.
” “ I put lipstick on a pig , ” Schwartz told The New Yorker in 2016 , prior to the election .
“ I feel a deep sense of remorse that I contributed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought him wider attention and made him more appealing than he is .
I genuinely believe that if Trump wins and gets the nuclear codes there is an excellent possibility it will lead to the end of civilization .
”

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Mary Trump’s scathing takedown of her uncle, the president of the United States, sold more books in a single week than Donald Trump’s “Art of the Deal” sold in 29 years, according to sales stats.
“Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man” sold an estimated 1.35 million copies its first week, per a statement from publisher Simon & Schuster. The tell-all also debuted at the top of bestseller lists in the U.S., Canada, Britain and Ireland.
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Although President Donald Trump sued to stop the release of his niece's tell-all book, a New York Supreme Court ruled it could be published. Stephanie Keith via Getty Images
“The Art of the Deal” sold an estimated 1.1 million copies from 1987 to 2016, CBS News reported.
“Mary Trump’s memoir has transcended the usual ceiling for political books to reach a larger audience of people who want to read stories about unusual families,” Simon & Schuster CEO Jonathan Karp said in the statement. He also noted that comparisons have been made to “The Godfather,” the novel by Mario Puzo about the rise of the mob in America.
In addition to not selling as well as Mary Trump’s book, “The Art of Deal” has become an annoyance for the president. In recent years, Trump has been denounced by the book’s co-author, Tony Schwartz. Schwartz was particularly mortified that the book helped elevate to the White House a man he considers a “monster.”
“I put lipstick on a pig,” Schwartz told The New Yorker in 2016, prior to the election. “I feel a deep sense of remorse that I contributed to presenting Trump in a way that brought him wider attention and made him more appealing than he is. I genuinely believe that if Trump wins and gets the nuclear codes there is an excellent possibility it will lead to the end of civilization.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-04--The GOP Trainwreck in Kansas Won’t End Even If Kris Kobach Loses The Senate Primary

Mike Segar / reuters Senate GOP leaders failed to persuade President Donald Trump to join them in trying to thwart immigration hardliner Kris Kobach in Tuesday 's Senate primary in Kansas .
Trump almost hired Kobach into his administration , so he balked at directly opposing him .
Operatives in both parties say state Sen. Barbara Bollier , a one-time moderate Republican who switched parties in 2018 and is now the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate , would have a clear shot at defeating Kobach ― who lost the 2018 governor ’ s race to Democrat Laura Kelly .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chance against Marshall in a state that has rapidly become friendlier terrain for Democrats .
“ It ’ s substantially better for Republicans if Marshall is the nominee , ” said Josh Holmes , a former chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) .
“ But because the primary is so late and it ’ s been competitive , the Democrat has run totally unopposed right up until [ now ] .
No matter what the state looks like , if that ’ s the situation you ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it.
” Senate Majority PAC , which is controlled by allies of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y. ) and has a deep war chest , said it is likely to invest in the state regardless of who wins the GOP primary .
The pro-firearm control group Everytown for Gun Safety , bankrolled by billionaire former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg , also considering coming to Bollier ’ s aid after key Democratic victories in the state two years ago .
“ I think Kansas is just a really different place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cycles ago , ” said Charlie Kelly , the senior political advisor for Everytown .
“ Obviously the governor ’ s race ” was an indicator of that in 2018 , along with Democrat Sharice Davids capturing one of the state ’ s four House seats , he said .
The Republican nightmare in Kansas does not have a single cause .
If Kobach manages to win Tuesday ’ s primary , it would be fair to blame Democratic interference in the campaign , venture capitalist Peter Thiel or Secretary of State Mike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helping Kobach rise to the top of a field of weak Republican candidates in the race for the open Senate seat .
But the ultimate blame may go to President Donald Trump , who has not only alienated voters in Kansas ’ largest county and made Democratic statewide victories in this once bright-red state possible , but also resisted entreaties by GOP officials to take sides in the primary contest against Kobach .
These Republicans have repeatedly argued to Trump that , as a Senate candidate , Kobach would let him down as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s race despite the president ’ s endorsement .
The most recent attempt , according to a GOP source with knowledge of the situation , took place last week and ended when Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz , another strict conservative , reminded Trump during a trip on Air Force One that Marshall had endorsed former Ohio Gov .
John Kasich for president in the 2016 primaries .
Trump was more helpful when Republicans were courting Pompeo , who previously represented the Wichita area in the House of Representatives , to run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argued to Pompeo that he would be better positioned for a 2024 presidential run if he joined the Senate , but Pompeo ultimately rebuffed their pleas .
( Some Senate GOP operatives now jokingly refer to Pompeo as “ Cyrus Vance , ” “ Warren Christopher ” or other former secretaries of state who had little political impact after leaving office . )
Pompeo ’ s decision not to run left Republicans with a set of unattractive options around him to rally the anti-Kobach forces : Marshall , who started as the establishment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; Dave Lindstrom , a former defensive end on the NFL ’ s Kansas City Chiefs who has proved a poor fundraiser ; or Bob Hamilton , a plumbing company owner with a scant political profile but a willingness to put millions of dollars of his own money into the race .
In an odd couple pairing for the ages , it ’ s Schumer and Thiel who have teamed up to give Kobach the financial firepower necessary to fight back .
Thiel , a Silicon Valley billionaire whose authoritarian and anti-immigrant views @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four years ago , has given $ 850,000 to Free Forever , a group that has aired ads praising Kobach for his willingness to “ reject the political correctness.
” But Thiel ’ s donations pale in comparison to the more than $ 4 million spent by Sunflower State PAC , a group with ties to national Democrats that won ’ t have reveal its donors until after the primary .
Republican operatives all suspect Schumer ’ s political operation of running the PAC .
The group has aired ads labeling Kobach as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slamming Marshall as a creature of Washington .
Marshall is characterized as “ right at home in Washington , D.C. , a big spender of our tax dollars and a special interest lover.
” What ’ s Been Going Right For Democrats As the Republicans have battled amongst themselves , Bollier has been free to raise money and stake a claim for the middle of the electorate .
She has collected $ 7.8 million so far ― equal to two times as much as Kobach and Marshall have combined to raise ― and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She ’ s used the money to air ads with broadly appealing messages , highlighting her background as a doctor and promising to tackle surprise medical billing .
Major reasons persist for skepticism about Bollier ’ s viability : Trump won Kansas by 21 percentage points in 2016 , and GOP Sen. Jerry Moran won reelection by 30 percentage points that same year .
But Bollier and other Democrats are confident Joe Biden , their party ’ s presumed presidential nominee , can keep this year ’ s contest with Trump close enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s below 50 % here , ” Bollier said of his standing in some polls of Kansans .
Democratic hopes are fueled in large part by the political transformation of Johnson County , a diversifying and upscale suburb of Kansas City , Missouri .
In 2016 , GOP Rep. Kevin Yoder won the congressional district including Johnson County by an 11-point margin .
In 2018 , he lost it to Davids by nine points .
The county is full of moderates who rebelled against Trump , Brownback and Kobach in the same @ @ @ @

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National Republicans say anti-immigrant hard-liner Kris Kobach is now in a position to win the party’s Senate primary in Kansas on Tuesday, a result that would give Democrats a prime opportunity to pick up one of the nation’s most consistently GOP-held seats.
Kobach is neck-and-neck with Rep. Roger Marshall in Republican internal polls on the battle for the nomination to succeed retiring Sen. Pat Roberts. No Democrat has won a Senate race in Kansas since 1932, and overcoming that history could prove crucial to Democratic hopes of building a substantial and sustainable Senate majority.
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Operatives in both parties say state Sen. Barbara Bollier, a one-time moderate Republican who switched parties in 2018 and is now the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, would have a clear shot at defeating Kobach ― who lost the 2018 governor’s race to Democrat Laura Kelly. And they give her a puncher’s chance against Marshall in a state that has rapidly become friendlier terrain for Democrats.
“It’s substantially better for Republicans if Marshall is the nominee,” said Josh Holmes, a former chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). “But because the primary is so late and it’s been competitive, the Democrat has run totally unopposed right up until [now]. No matter what the state looks like, if that’s the situation you’ve got to keep an eye on it.”
Senate Majority PAC, which is controlled by allies of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and has a deep war chest, said it is likely to invest in the state regardless of who wins the GOP primary. The nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety, bankrolled by billionaire former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is also considering coming to Bollier’s aid after key Democratic victories in the state two years ago.
“I think Kansas is just a really different place politically than it was a couple of cycles ago,” said Charlie Kelly, the senior political adviser for Everytown. “Obviously the governor’s race” was an indicator of that in 2018, along with Democrat Sharice Davids capturing one of the state’s four House seats, he said.
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What’s Gone Wrong For Republicans
The Republican nightmare in Kansas does not have a single cause. If Kobach manages to win Tuesday’s primary, it would be fair to blame Democratic interference in the campaign, venture capitalist Peter Thiel or Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. All played key roles in helping Kobach rise to the top of a field of weak Republican candidates in the race for the open Senate seat.
But the ultimate blame may go to President Donald Trump, who has not only alienated voters in Kansas’s largest county and made Democratic statewide victories in this once bright-red state possible, but also resisted entreaties by GOP officials to take sides in the primary contest against Kobach. These Republicans have repeatedly argued to Trump that, as a Senate candidate, Kobach would let him down as he did when he lost the governor’s race despite the president’s endorsement. The most recent attempt, according to a GOP source with knowledge of the situation, took place last week and ended when Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), another strict conservative, reminded Trump during a trip on Air Force One that Marshall had endorsed former Ohio Gov. John Kasich for president in the 2016 GOP primaries.
Trump was more helpful when Republicans were courting Pompeo, who previously represented the Wichita area in the House of Representatives, to run for the Senate seat. Senate Republicans argued to Pompeo that he would be better positioned for a 2024 presidential run if he joined the Senate, but Pompeo ultimately rebuffed their pleas. (Some Senate GOP operatives now jokingly refer to Pompeo as “Cyrus Vance,” “Warren Christopher” or other former secretaries of state who had little political impact after leaving office.)
Pompeo’s decision not to run left Republicans with a set of unattractive options around him to rally the anti-Kobach forces: Marshall, who started as the establishment favorite but has struggled to raise money; Dave Lindstrom, a former defensive end on the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs who has proved a poor fundraiser; or Bob Hamilton, a plumbing company owner with a scant political profile but a willingness to put millions of dollars of his own money into the race.
After looking closely at Hamilton, national Republicans opted to rally behind Marshall, who is more of a known entity. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, American Bankers Association and the McConnell-controlled Senate Leadership Fund have collectively spent millions of dollars on ads supporting him and bashing Kobach.
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In an odd couple pairing for the ages, it’s Schumer and Thiel who have teamed up to give Kobach the financial firepower necessary to fight back. Thiel, a Silicon Valley billionaire whose authoritarian and anti-immigrant views led him to donate handsomely to Trump four years ago, has given $850,000 to Free Forever, a group that has aired ads praising Kobach for his willingness to “reject the political correctness.”
But Thiel’s donations pale in comparison to the more than $4 million spent by Sunflower State PAC, a group with ties to national Democrats that won’t have to reveal its donors until after the primary. Republican operatives all suspect Schumer’s political operation of running the PAC. The group has aired ads labeling Kobach as the “pro-Trump conservative leader” and slamming Marshall as a creature of Washington. Marshall is characterized as “right at home in Washington, D.C., a big spender of our tax dollars and a special-interest lover.”
KANSAS: New ad from Democratic super-PAC intervening in Republican Senate primary refers to Kris Kobach as "the pro-Trump conservative leader" and Roger Marshall as "the swamp creature." Mostly attacks Marshall. 7 days to primary. #kssen pic.twitter.com/VwDy8LQQB3 — Greg Giroux (@greggiroux) July 28, 2020
Republicans have put up their own ads painting Sunflower State as a Democratic plant and highlighting Marshall’s endorsement by former Sen. Bob Dole ― a venerated figure in Kansas. “Say no to the Democrats and yes to Roger Marshall,” the narrator instructs viewers at the end of a Senate Leadership Fund spot.
What’s Been Going Right For Democrats
As the Republicans have battled among themselves, Bollier has been free to raise money and stake a claim for the middle of the electorate. She has collected $7.8 million so far ― equal to two times as much as Kobach and Marshall combined have raised ― and has $4.1 million on hand. She’s used the money to air ads with broadly appealing messages, highlighting her background as a doctor and promising to tackle surprise medical billing.
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“None of my opponents bring something to the table like me: sensibility, willingness to follow the facts, willingness to work across party lines,” Bollier told HuffPost in a phone interview earlier this year. “They’re all about divisiveness and their own ideology.”
Bollier switched parties in 2018 after she endorsed Kelly over Kobach in the governor’s race. She described a slow realization that she was no longer a Republican during GOP Gov. Sam Brownback’s 2011-18 administration, which drastically cut education funding and pushed conservative positions on social issues.
EMILY’s List, which backs female Democrats who support abortion rights, helped recruit her into the Senate race. And last week she appeared at a digital event hosted by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), who has emerged as one of the nation’s leading gun-control advocates since surviving a 2011 assassination attempt.
Kansas long has been a GOP-dominated state. But Republican-turned-Democrat Barbara Bollier has a solid shot of delivering her new party a crucial Senate victory in November. Mark Reinstein /MediaPunch/MediaPunch/IPx
Major reasons persist for skepticism about Bollier’s viability: Trump won Kansas by 21 percentage points in 2016, and GOP Sen. Jerry Moran won reelection by 30 percentage points that same year. But Bollier and other Democrats are confident Joe Biden, their party’s presumed presidential nominee, can keep this year’s contest with Trump close enough for her to win. “Trump’s below 50% here,” Bollier said of his standing in some polls of Kansans.
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Democratic hopes are fueled in large part by the political transformation of Johnson County, a diversifying and upscale suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. In 2016, GOP Rep. Kevin Yoder won the congressional district including Johnson County by an 11-point margin. In 2018, he lost it to Davids by 9 points. The county is full of moderates who rebelled against Trump, Brownback and Kobach in the same way as Bollier.
“My values didn’t change, my votes didn’t change. The party changed,” she said.
Marshall represents Kansas’ 1st Congressional District, which sprawls over 69 counties and is heavily agricultural. While the district has historically produced senators ― both Moran and Dole represented the 1st District ― it’s a world away, both geographically and culturally, from Johnson County.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-04--Nevada To Mail All Voters Ballots; Trump Promises Lawsuit

The plan drew criticism from Trump after making its way through the Legislature over the weekend .
The president has long claimed that mail ballots would compromise the integrity of the election , but the consensus among experts is that all forms of voter fraud are rare .
At a Monday press conference , Trump said that he planned to file a lawsuit against Nevada as early as Tuesday .
He called universal mail ballots a disgrace and said they would be a great embarrassment to the United States .
He took aim at a provision that expands who can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said enabled individuals to “ take thousands of ballots , put them together and just dump them down on somebody ’ s desk after a certain period of time.
” He also targeted the provision that allows ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted up to a week later could create a circumstance where the race couldn ’ t be called in a timely manner .
Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske told lawmakers Friday that she wasn ’ t aware of any fraud in the June primary , when the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only opened a limited number of polling places to prevent the spread of coronavirus .
In the June primary , all counties had one polling place except for Clark County , which had three in the Las Vegas area .
The bill requires at least 140 polling places throughout the state in November , including 100 in Clark County , which had 179 in the November 2018 election .
In states such as Colorado and Oregon , which have mailed all voters ballots for years , the procedure is cheaper than holding an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent more than $ 4 million in federal relief money in the June primary , most of it funneled to counties .
More than $ 1 million went toward leasing counting and sorting machines to accommodate a greater number of absentee ballots .
Cegavske , the state ’ s top election official and only Republican to hold statewide office , opposed the revised procedures .
She blasted the Democratic-controlled Legislature for excluding her from discussions and said she saw a draft of the bill only a day before the vote in the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the power to command the secretary of state to adjust election procedures during a declared state of emergency .
It passed on a party-line vote through both the state Senate and Assembly , with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed .
Republicans were particularly distressed with provisions that expand who is allowed to collect and hand in ballots .
They and Trump say it enables a practice detractors call “ ballot harvesting , ” in which volunteers working for political groups collect and turn in large quantities of ballots to tip the scales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other than family members to return ballots would help groups like members of Nevada ’ s 32 Native American tribes , who have historically faced difficulty voting and live far form polling places , and seniors who may need assistance with voting and fear venturing to the polls .

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CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak signed legislation Monday to mail all of the state’s active voters ballots ahead of the November election, a move being criticized by President Donald Trump, who promised a lawsuit to block the action.
“This bill will enable election officials to continue to support the safest, most accessible election possible under these unprecedented circumstances,” Sisolak, a Democrat, said in a statement.
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Nevada joins seven states that plan to automatically send voters mail ballots amid the coronavirus pandemic, including California and Vermont, which moved earlier this summer to adopt automatic mail ballot policies.
The plan drew criticism from Trump after making its way through the Legislature over the weekend. The president has long claimed that mail ballots would compromise the integrity of the election, but the consensus among experts is that all forms of voter fraud are rare.
At a Monday press conference, Trump said that he planned to file a lawsuit against Nevada as early as Tuesday. He called universal mail ballots a disgrace and said they would be a great embarrassment to the United States.
He took aim at a provision that expands who can collect and return ballots, which he said enabled individuals to “take thousands of ballots, put them together and just dump them down on somebody’s desk after a certain period of time.”
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He also targeted the provision that allows ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted up to a week later could create a circumstance where the race couldn’t be called in a timely manner.
“You’ll never know who won that state,” he said.
Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid applauded the lawmakers’ decision and called Trump’s opposition desperate.
“He’s lying about our state leaders and threatening a bogus lawsuit simply because Democrats made it easier for people to vote,” Reid said in a statement.
Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske told lawmakers Friday that she wasn’t aware of any fraud in the June primary, when the state mailed all active voters absentee ballots and only opened a limited number of polling places to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Limited polling places in Reno and Las Vegas resulted in lines of up to eight hours.
In the June primary, all counties had one polling place except for Clark County, which had three in the Las Vegas area. The bill requires at least 140 polling places throughout the state in November, including 100 in Clark County, which had 179 in the November 2018 election.
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Christine Saunders of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada said the long waits in the June primary demonstrated why the state needs both mail and in-person voting opportunities.
“No one should have to choose between their health and voting,” she said.
Election workers process mail-in ballots during a nearly all-mail primary election on June 9, 2020, in Las Vegas. AP Photo/John Locher
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued election guidance to provide a variety of voting options and limit crowds at polling places.
In states such as Colorado and Oregon, which have mailed all voters ballots for years, the procedure is cheaper than holding an in-person election, officials said.
But Cegavske said the equipment, education, printing and postage would cost the state an additional $3 million, not including costs to counties, which distribute and tabulate ballots.
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Nevada spent more than $4 million in federal relief money in the June primary, most of it funneled to counties. More than $1 million went toward leasing counting and sorting machines to accommodate a greater number of absentee ballots.
Cegavske, the state’s top election official and only Republican to hold statewide office, opposed the revised procedures. She blasted the Democratic-controlled Legislature for excluding her from discussions and said she saw a draft of the bill only a day before the vote in the state Assembly.
“We were not involved in this bill’s writing at all,” she said Friday.
The bill gives the governor the power to command the secretary of state to adjust election procedures during a declared state of emergency. It passed on a party-line vote through both the state Senate and Assembly, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed.
Republicans were particularly distressed with provisions that expand who is allowed to collect and hand in ballots. They and Trump say it enables a practice detractors call “ballot harvesting,” in which volunteers working for political groups collect and turn in large quantities of ballots to tip the scales in elections.
Democrats argued allowing people other than family members to return ballots would help groups like members of Nevada’s 32 Native American tribes, who have historically faced difficulty voting and live far form polling places, and seniors who may need assistance with voting and fear venturing to the polls.
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For the June primary, all voters were mailed ballots and 1.6% voted in-person on election day, a tiny share compared to the 34.2% in the state who voted in-person in the November 2018 election.
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Sam Metz is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-04--Red State Democrats Aim To Win On Expanding Medicaid

Jacob Moscovitch via Getty Images Missouri GOP Gov .
Mike Parson opposes a referendum on expanding Medicaid in the state set for Tuesday .
His opponent for reelection , Democrat Nicole Galloway , hopes to make it a major issue ahead of November ’ s general election .
Democrats in crucial battleground and Republican-leaning states are hammering their GOP opponents for opposing expanding Medicaid to more residents in those states , a sign of how firmly the party has seized the political advantage on health care a decade after the passage of Obamacare .
Democrats in Senate races in North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Alabama all plan to make their support of Medicaid expansion a central part of their campaigns .
And though there are relatively few competitive governor ’ s races likely in 2020 , the issue is expected to play a major role in contests in North Carolina and Missouri .
Even before the coronavirus pandemic infected nearly 5 million Americans , public polling showed voters across the country continued to say health care was the most important issue in the 2020 election and showed they continued to trust Democrats more than Republicans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has proved to be popular even in red states : Voters have approved Medicaid expansion in referendums in the solidly Republican states of Utah , Idaho , Nebraska and Oklahoma .
The issue is now at center stage in Missouri , where voters on Tuesday will decide whether the state should expand Medicaid in a referendum .
Like in the other 38 states that have expanded coverage as part of the Affordable Care Act , adults making up to 133 % of the federal poverty level , about $ 16,612 annually for an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with the federal government picking up 90 % of the tab .
That could mean 460,000 additional Missourians would qualify for Medicaid .
“ He has no plan .
He has no vision .
He ’ s not talking about health care , ” Galloway said of Parson in a phone interview .
“ He ’ s not trying to address this with any policy proposal .
The contrast could not be more stark.
” In recent days , the 37-year-old Galloway has based almost her entire campaign on support for Medicaid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events with the doctor who started the petition drive that led to Tuesday ’ s referendum , with the St. Louis chapter of the NAACP and with a state House candidate who lost his Medicaid coverage during Parson ’ s administration .
Missouri has a recent history of adopting liberal policy positions through referendums only to then defeat the Democratic candidates who support those ideas at the ballot box .
In 2018 , voters overturned the state ’ s right-to-work law by a two-thirds margin in August , then ousted Democratic Sen. Claire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year will be different because voters won ’ t trust Parson to implement the law .
She noted that Republicans in recent years have undermined voter-passed initiatives to end gerrymandering , and Parson himself was the lead author of legislation that overturned a state ban on puppy mills put in place by voters in 2010 .
Parson ’ s reelection campaign did not respond to a request for comment .
Public polling of the race between him and Galloway has generally given the Republican a small lead , but his handling of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in recent weeks .
In Montana , Gov .
Steve Bullock , who is challenging GOP Sen. Steve Daines , is airing ads highlighting how his willingness to work with GOP legislators to pass Medicaid expansion has helped keep the state ’ s rural hospitals open and prove his bipartisan credentials .
And Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama , likely the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent in the country , has introduced legislation that would have the federal government fully reimburse states for the cost of the expansion for three years .
Jones and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pass the legislation via unanimous consent in the Senate last week but were denied .

Missouri GOP Gov. Mike Parson opposes a referendum on expanding Medicaid in the state set for Tuesday. His opponent for reelection, Democrat Nicole Galloway, hopes to make it a major issue ahead of November’s general election. Jacob Moscovitch via Getty Images
Democrats in crucial battleground and Republican-leaning states are hammering their GOP opponents for opposing expanding Medicaid to more residents in those states, a sign of how firmly the party has seized the political advantage on health care a decade after the passage of Obamacare.
Democrats in Senate races in North Carolina, Colorado, Kansas, Montana and Alabama all plan to make their support of Medicaid expansion a central part of their campaigns. And though there are relatively few competitive governor’s races likely in 2020, the issue is expected to play a major role in contests in North Carolina and Missouri.
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Even before the coronavirus pandemic infected nearly 5 million Americans, public polling showed voters across the country continued to say health care was the most important issue in the 2020 election and showed they continued to trust Democrats more than Republicans to handle the issue.
And the policy has proved to be popular even in red states: Voters have approved Medicaid expansion in referendums in the solidly Republican states of Utah, Idaho, Nebraska and Oklahoma.
The issue is now at center stage in Missouri, where voters on Tuesday will decide whether the state should expand Medicaid in a referendum. Like in the other 38 states that have expanded coverage as part of the Affordable Care Act, adults making up to 133% of the federal poverty level, about $16,612 annually for an individual, would qualify for the program, with the federal government picking up 90% of the tab. That could mean 460,000 additional Missourians would qualify for Medicaid.
Auditor Nicole Galloway, the Democrat challenging GOP Gov. Mike Parson, said she was confident Missourians would vote yes on Tuesday’s referendum, which Republicans intentionally scheduled for a lower-turnout primary day instead of for November’s general election.
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“He has no plan. He has no vision. He’s not talking about health care,” Galloway said of Parson in a phone interview. “He’s not trying to address this with any policy proposal. The contrast could not be more stark.”
In recent days, the 37-year-old Galloway has based almost her entire campaign on support for Medicaid expansion. She’s held virtual events with the doctor who started the petition drive that led to Tuesday’s referendum, with the St. Louis chapter of the NAACP and with a state House candidate who lost his Medicaid coverage during Parson’s administration.
Missouri has a recent history of adopting liberal policy positions through referendums only to then defeat the Democratic candidates who support those ideas at the ballot box. In 2018, voters overturned the state’s right-to-work law by a two-thirds margin in August, then ousted Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in November.
Galloway said this year will be different because voters won’t trust Parson to implement the law. She noted that Republicans in recent years have undermined voter-passed initiatives to end gerrymandering, and Parson himself was the lead author of legislation that overturned a state ban on puppy mills put in place by voters in 2010.
“He cannot be trusted to implement Medicaid expansion,” she said. “We can let history be our guide here.”
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Parson’s reelection campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Public polling of the race between him and Galloway has generally given the Republican a small lead, but his handling of the coronavirus pandemic has come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks.
Trump won Missouri by 19 percentage points in 2016, but some Democrats believe former Vice President Joe Biden can keep the race close enough to give Galloway a shot at victory.
In North Carolina, where Gov. Roy Cooper is favored to win reelection and Cal Cunningham is in a toss-up race with GOP Sen. Thom Tillis, both Democrats plan on hammering their opponents over Republicans’ long-standing opposition.
“When Thom Tillis had the chance to expand Medicaid to get more people health care coverage,” a narrator says in an ad from Majority Forward, a Democratic nonprofit group, attacking Tillis, “he voted no, leaving half a million North Carolinians without care.”
In Montana, Gov. Steve Bullock, who is challenging GOP Sen. Steve Daines, is airing ads highlighting how his willingness to work with GOP legislators to pass Medicaid expansion has helped keep the state’s rural hospitals open and prove his bipartisan credentials.
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“Washington plays politics with your health care, but Bullock does what’s right for Montana,” the narrator says in the 30-second spot.
And Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama, likely the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent in the country, has introduced legislation that would have the federal government fully reimburse states for the cost of the expansion for three years. Jones and Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) tried to pass the legislation via unanimous consent in the Senate last week but were denied.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-04--Trump Says U.S. Should Get A TikTok Deal Cut, Because 'That's The Way I Think'

President Donald Trump said Monday he expects a “ substantial ” government cut of any American TikTok deal , even though he has no apparent power to demand such an arrangement .
Trump said “ the Chinese ” or an American buyer should pay the Treasury .
Microsoft said it is negotiating to buy TikTok from ByteDance , the Chinese company that owns the video-sharing app popular with young people .
Trump threatened last week to issue an executive order shutting down TikTok , citing “ security ” concerns .
He said earlier Monday that TikTok would have to close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American operations to a U.S. company .
“ The United States should get a very large percentage of that price because we ’ re making it possible , ” Trump said at a news conference .
“ Whatever the number is , it would come from the sale , which nobody else would be thinking about but me .
But that ’ s the way I think .
And I think it ’ s very fair , ” he added .
( Check out the video above . )
“ Right now they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we give it to them .
So if we ’ re going to give them the rights , then ... it has to come into this country , ” Trump said explaining his demand .
“ It ’ s a great asset , but it ’ s not a great asset in the United States unless they have approval in the United States.
” It would be unprecedented for the U.S. government to take a cut of a private transaction involving an American company in which it has no investment , financial experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a president to propose that the U.S. take a cut of a business deal , especially a deal that he has orchestrated , ” Carl Tobias , a law professor at the University of Richmond , told The Wall Street Journal .
“ The idea also is probably illegal and unethical , ” he added .
Gary Hufbauer , a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics , called the president ’ s demand an “ extension of Trump ’ s generalized view that he can micromanage the industrial sphere.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ medieval kings who oversaw salt monopolies ” and would say : “ If you wanted to mine some salt , you put money into the royal Treasury.
” A Microsoft blog post Sunday noted that that the company was hoping to complete a deal to buy TikTok ’ s operations in the U.S. , as well as in Canada , Australia and New Zealand , by Sept. 15 .
Such a deal would likely be worth billions of dollars , according to the Journal .
The post noted that Microsoft is committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. , including the United States Treasury.
” But that referred to tax revenue and job creation , a source told Bloomberg .
Trump , however , noted he had spoken to Microsoft .
Perhaps not so coincidentally to Trump ’ s TikTok crackdown is that many users of the video app have forged a strong anti-Trump identity .
TikTok users in June flooded the Trump campaign with requests for seat reservations at the president ’ s Tulsa , Oklahoma , rally ― which they didn ’ t use ― and proudly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empty seats on the big day .

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President Donald Trump said Monday he expects a “substantial” government cut of any American TikTok deal, even though he has no apparent power to demand such an arrangement.
Trump said “the Chinese” or an American buyer should pay the Treasury. Microsoft said it is negotiating to buy TikTok from ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns the video-sharing app popular with young people.
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Trump threatened last week to issue an executive order shutting down TikTok, citing “security” concerns. He said earlier Monday that TikTok would have to close by Sept. 15 unless it sells its American operations to a U.S. company.
“The United States should get a very large percentage of that price because we’re making it possible,” Trump said at a news conference. “Whatever the number is, it would come from the sale, which nobody else would be thinking about but me. But that’s the way I think. And I think it’s very fair,” he added. (Check out the video above.)
“Right now they don’t have any rights unless we give it to them. So if we’re going to give them the rights, then ... it has to come into this country,” Trump said explaining his demand. “It’s a great asset, but it’s not a great asset in the United States unless they have approval in the United States.”
It would be unprecedented for the U.S. government to take a cut of a private transaction involving an American company in which it has no investment, financial experts noted.
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“It is completely unorthodox for a president to propose that the U.S. take a cut of a business deal, especially a deal that he has orchestrated,” Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond, told The Wall Street Journal. “The idea also is probably illegal and unethical,” he added.
Gary Hufbauer, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, called the president’s demand an “extension of Trump’s generalized view that he can micromanage the industrial sphere.” He said it reminded him of “medieval kings who oversaw salt monopolies” and would say: “If you wanted to mine some salt, you put money into the royal Treasury.”
Microsoft declined to comment.
A Microsoft blog post Sunday noted that that the company was hoping to complete a deal to buy TikTok’s operations in the U.S., as well as in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, by Sept. 15. Such a deal would likely be worth billions of dollars, according to the Journal.
The post noted that Microsoft is committed to “providing proper economic benefits to the U.S., including the United States Treasury.” But that referred to tax revenue and job creation, a source told Bloomberg. Trump, however, noted he had spoken to Microsoft.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-04--GOP Rep. Louie Gohmert's Daughter Calls Him Out For Ignoring Coronavirus Advice

Rep. Louie Gohmert ( R-Texas ) has been publicly called out by his daughter for ignoring medical expertise and refusing to wear a face mask before he tested positive for the coronavirus last week , according to multiple media outlets .
“ Wearing a mask is a non-partisan issue .
The advice of medical experts shouldn ’ t be politicized , ” wrote Caroline Gohmert , a singer who performs as BELLSAINT , in posts shared on social media Friday that were verified to CNN by her agent .
“ My father ignored medical expertise and now he has COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This has been a heartbreaking battle bc I love my dad and don ’ t want him to die.
” She concluded with a plea and a dig at President Donald Trump , who has faced widespread criticism for his administration ’ s catastrophic handling of the public health crisis that ’ s killed more than 150,000 people in the U.S. “ Please please listen to medical experts , ” Caroline Gohmert wrote .
“ It ’ s not worth following a president who has no remorse for leading his followers to an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he wouldn ’ t wear a face mask , despite medical experts ’ advice that masks curb the spread of the coronavirus .
He tested positive for the contagion on Wednesday , before he was to fly with Trump on Air Force One to take part in the president ’ s tour of and address at the Double Eagle Energy oil rig in Midland , Texas .
In a video announcing his diagnosis , Gohmert said he was asymptomatic and would self-isolate for 10 days .
He suggested a face mask actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way he adjusted it .
“ I can ’ t help wonder if that puts some germs in the mask , ” he said .
“ Now that I apparently have it , I will be very , very careful to make sure that I don ’ t give it to anybody else and we ’ ll see how it goes.
” “ There is something about having a different name that gives you more freedom to say what you truly feel , ” she told LaPalme Magazine in 2017 .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted something along the branding I was envisioning.
” According to the Capitol Hill publication Roll Call , her 2019 song “ Much Like My Father ” was , with its lyrics “ everybody loves you , but there ’ s poison in the water , you get away with everything , much like my father , ” interpreted as a dig at his political beliefs .

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Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) has been publicly called out by his daughter for ignoring medical expertise and refusing to wear a face mask before he tested positive for the coronavirus last week, according to multiple media outlets.
“Wearing a mask is a non-partisan issue. The advice of medical experts shouldn’t be politicized,” wrote Caroline Gohmert, a singer who performs as BELLSAINT, in posts shared on social media Friday that were verified to CNN by her agent.
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“My father ignored medical expertise and now he has COVID,” the musician continued. “This has been a heartbreaking battle bc I love my dad and don’t want him to die.”
She concluded with a plea and a dig at President Donald Trump, who has faced widespread criticism for his administration’s catastrophic handling of the public health crisis that’s killed more than 150,000 people in the U.S.
“Please please listen to medical experts,” Caroline Gohmert wrote. “It’s not worth following a president who has no remorse for leading his followers to an early grave.”
Caroline Gohmert did not immediately return HuffPost’s request for additional comment. Rep. Gohmert’s office didn’t respond to his daughter’s remarks.
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Check out her post here:
Rep. Gohmert in June said he wouldn’t wear a face mask, despite medical experts’ advice that masks curb the spread of the coronavirus. He tested positive for the contagion on Wednesday, before he was to fly with Trump on Air Force One to take part in the president’s tour of and address at the Double Eagle Energy oil rig in Midland, Texas.
In a video announcing his diagnosis, Gohmert said he was asymptomatic and would self-isolate for 10 days. He suggested a face mask actually may have caused his infection because of the way he adjusted it.
“I can’t help wonder if that puts some germs in the mask,” he said. “Now that I apparently have it, I will be very, very careful to make sure that I don’t give it to anybody else and we’ll see how it goes.”
He announced his positive test result to his congressional staff in person.
My statement about today's diagnosis: pic.twitter.com/qvf7zIcgdN — Louie Gohmert (@replouiegohmert) July 29, 2020
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Gohmert’s daughter changed her initial musical moniker of Caroline Brooks to BELLSAINT circa 2014, according to a Facebook post.
“There is something about having a different name that gives you more freedom to say what you truly feel,” she told LaPalme Magazine in 2017. “Caroline Brooks seemed too country, I wanted something along the branding I was envisioning.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-04--Stinging Obituary Blames Trump For Texas Man’s 'Needless' Death From Coronavirus

The newspaper obituary for David Nagy of Jefferson , Texas , makes it crystal clear who his family blames for his “ needless ” death from the coronavirus .
President Donald Trump , Texas Gov .
Greg Abbott ( R ) and other politicians who failed to take the pandemic seriously are responsible for the 79-year-old ’ s July 22 death , the family wrote in the obituary published by the Jefferson Jimplecute in East Texas on Thursday .
Also at fault were the “ many ignorant , self-centered and selfish people who refused to follow the advice of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ not to wear a mask was more important than killing innocent people , ” the obituary said .
Nagy contracted COVID-19 in a convalescent hospital , where he ’ d been recovering from illness , his wife of 20 years Stacey Nagy told Snopes , the fact-checking website .
He died alone , unable to receive visitors , after suffering “ greatly from the ravages of the COVID-19 virus , ” the family said in the obituary .
“ Dave did everything he was supposed to do , but you did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shame on all of you , and may Karma find you all !
” “ I miss my husband dearly , ” Stacey Nagy told Snopes .
“ I ’ m taking one day at a time to just try to keep going.
” “ When I wrote that thing it was because of him , ” she said .
“ I don ’ t want his death just to disappear .
I wrote that and partially , it keeps him alive for me .
”

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The newspaper obituary for David Nagy of Jefferson, Texas, makes it crystal clear who his family blames for his “needless” death from the coronavirus.
President Donald Trump, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and other politicians who failed to take the pandemic seriously are responsible for the 79-year-old’s July 22 death, the family wrote in the obituary published by the Jefferson Jimplecute in East Texas on Thursday.
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Also at fault were the “many ignorant, self-centered and selfish people who refused to follow the advice of the medical professionals, believing their ‘right’ not to wear a mask was more important than killing innocent people,” the obituary said.
Check out the obituary here:
Tel it like it is, people need to hear it! pic.twitter.com/IsQHJhnJur — concerned citizen (@concit1USA) August 3, 2020
Nagy contracted COVID-19 in a convalescent hospital, where he’d been recovering from illness, his wife of 20 years Stacey Nagy told Snopes, the fact-checking website.
He died alone, unable to receive visitors, after suffering “greatly from the ravages of the COVID-19 virus,” the family said in the obituary.
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“Dave did everything he was supposed to do, but you did not,” the obituary concluded. “Shame on all of you, and may Karma find you all!”
“I miss my husband dearly,” Stacey Nagy told Snopes. “I’m taking one day at a time to just try to keep going.”
“When I wrote that thing it was because of him,” she said. “I don’t want his death just to disappear. I wrote that and partially, it keeps him alive for me.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-04--Wave Of Evictions Expected As Moratoriums End In Many States

The Honduran immigrant got help from a local church to pay part of July ’ s rent but was still hundreds of dollars short and is now awaiting a three-day notice to vacate the apartment where she lives with her children .
She has no idea how she will meet her August rent .
“ Right now , I have nothing , ” said Yanez , who briefly got her bar job back when the establishment reopened , but lost it again when she and her 4-year-old daughter contracted the virus in June and had to quarantine .
The apartment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re sick , if you ’ re not well .
Nobody cares here .
They told me that I had to have the money.
” Yanez , who lives in the U.S. illegally , is among some 23 million people nationwide at risk of being evicted , according to The Aspen Institute , as moratoriums enacted because of the coronavirus expire and courts reopen .
Around 30 state moratoriums have expired since May , according to The Eviction Lab at Princeton University .
On top of that , some tenants were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moratoriums .
Now , tenants are crowding courtrooms — or appearing virtually — to detail how the pandemic has upended their lives .
Some are low-income families who have endured evictions before , but there are also plenty of wealthier families facing homelessness for the first time — and now being forced to navigate overcrowded and sometimes dangerous shelter systems amid the pandemic .
Experts predict the problem will only get worse in the coming weeks , with 30 million unemployed and uncertainty whether Congress will extend the extra $ 600 in weekly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal eviction moratorium that protects more than 12 million renters living in federally subsidized apartments or units with federally backed mortgages expired July 25 .
If it ’ s not extended , landlords can initiate eviction proceedings in 30 days .
“ It ’ s going to be a mess , ” said Bill Faith , executive director of Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio , referring to the Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey , which found last week that more than 23 % of Ohioans questioned said they weren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rent or mortgage payment or had little or no confidence they could pay next month ’ s .
“ We are getting calls to us from zip codes that we don ’ t typically serve , the part of the community that aren ’ t used to coming to us , ” she added .
“ It ’ s a reflection of the massive job loss and a lot of people facing eviction who aren ’ t used to not paying their rent.
” Natasha Blunt poses for a portrait in New Orleans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owes thousands of dollars in back rent after she lost her banquet porter job .
She has yet to receive her stimulus check and has not been approved for unemployment benefits .
Her family is getting by with food stamps and the charity of neighbors .
“ I can ’ t believe this happened to me because I work hard , ” said Blunt , whose eviction is at the mercy of the federal moratorium .
“ I don ’ t have any money coming in .
I don ’ t have nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do .
... My heart is so heavy.
” Amanda Wood , 23 , waits to fight an impending eviction notice on July 31 , 2020 , at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus , Ohio .
Wood lost her job at a claims management company in early April .
The following day , the mother of a 6-month-old found out she was pregnant again .
Now , she is two months behind rent and can ’ t figure out a way to make ends meet .

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BALTIMORE (AP) — Kelyn Yanez used to clean homes during the day and wait tables at night in the Houston area before the coronavirus. But the mother of three lost both jobs in March because of the pandemic and now is facing eviction.
The Honduran immigrant got help from a local church to pay part of July’s rent but was still hundreds of dollars short and is now awaiting a three-day notice to vacate the apartment where she lives with her children. She has no idea how she will meet her August rent.
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“Right now, I have nothing,” said Yanez, who briefly got her bar job back when the establishment reopened, but lost it again when she and her 4-year-old daughter contracted the virus in June and had to quarantine. The apartment owners “don’t care if you’re sick, if you’re not well. Nobody cares here. They told me that I had to have the money.”
Yanez, who lives in the U.S. illegally, is among some 23 million people nationwide at risk of being evicted, according to The Aspen Institute, as moratoriums enacted because of the coronavirus expire and courts reopen. Around 30 state moratoriums have expired since May, according to The Eviction Lab at Princeton University. On top of that, some tenants were already encountering illegal evictions even with the moratoriums.
Now, tenants are crowding courtrooms — or appearing virtually — to detail how the pandemic has upended their lives. Some are low-income families who have endured evictions before, but there are also plenty of wealthier families facing homelessness for the first time — and now being forced to navigate overcrowded and sometimes dangerous shelter systems amid the pandemic.
Annie Gordon, left, Gabrielle Rene, center, and Jenny Clark, right, rally for protection from evictions on June 27, 2020, in the Mattapan neighborhood of Boston. AP Photo/Michael Dwyer
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Experts predict the problem will only get worse in the coming weeks, with 30 million unemployed and uncertainty whether Congress will extend the extra $600 in weekly unemployment benefits that expired Friday. The federal eviction moratorium that protects more than 12 million renters living in federally subsidized apartments or units with federally backed mortgages expired July 25. If it’s not extended, landlords can initiate eviction proceedings in 30 days.
“It’s going to be a mess,” said Bill Faith, executive director of Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, referring to the Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey, which found last week that more than 23% of Ohioans questioned said they weren’t able to make last month’s rent or mortgage payment or had little or no confidence they could pay next month’s.
Nationally, the figure was 26.5% among adults 18 years or older, with numbers in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Nevada, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, New York, Tennessee and Texas reaching 30% or higher. The margins of error in the survey vary by state.
“I’ve never seen this many people poised to lose their housing in a such a short period of time,” Faith said. “This is a huge disaster that is beginning to unfold.”
Housing advocates fear parts of the country could soon look like Milwaukee, which saw a 21% spike in eviction filings in June, to nearly 1,500 after the moratorium was lifted in May. It’s more than 24% across the state.
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“We are sort of a harbinger of what is to come in other places,” said Colleen Foley, the executive director of the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee.
“We are getting calls to us from zip codes that we don’t typically serve, the part of the community that aren’t used to coming to us,” she added. “It’s a reflection of the massive job loss and a lot of people facing eviction who aren’t used to not paying their rent.”
In New Orleans, a legal aid organization saw its eviction-related caseload almost triple in the month since Louisiana’s moratorium ended in mid-June. Among those seeking help is Natasha Blunt, who could be evicted from her two-bedroom apartment where she lives with her two grandchildren.
Natasha Blunt poses for a portrait in New Orleans on July 31, 2020. Blunt owes thousands of dollars in back rent after she lost her banquet porter job. She has yet to receive her stimulus check and has not been approved for unemployment benefits. Her family is getting by with food stamps and the charity of neighbors. AP Photo/Dorthy Ray
Blunt, 50, owes thousands of dollars in back rent after she lost her banquet porter job. She has yet to receive her stimulus check and has not been approved for unemployment benefits. Her family is getting by with food stamps and the charity of neighbors.
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“I can’t believe this happened to me because I work hard,” said Blunt, whose eviction is at the mercy of the federal moratorium. “I don’t have any money coming in. I don’t have nothing. I don’t know what to do. ... My heart is so heavy.”
Along with exacerbating a housing crisis in many cities that have long been plagued by a shortage of affordable options, widespread discrimination and a lack of resources for families in need, the spike in filings is raising concerns that housing courts could spread the coronavirus.
Many cities are still running hearings virtually. But others, like New Orleans, have opened their housing courts. Masks and temperature checks are required, but maintaining social distance has been a challenge.
“The first couple of weeks, we were in at least two courts where we felt really quite unsafe,” said Hannah Adams, a staff attorney with Southeast Louisiana Legal Services.
In Columbus, Ohio, Amanda Wood was among some 60 people on the docket Friday for eviction hearings at a convention center converted into a courtroom.
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Amanda Wood, 23, waits to fight an impending eviction notice on July 31, 2020, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. Wood lost her job at a claims management company in early April. The following day, the mother of a 6-month-old found out she was pregnant again. Now, she is two months behind rent and can’t figure out a way to make ends meet. AP Photo/Farnoush Amiri
Wood, 23, lost her job at a claims management company in early April. The following day, the mother of a 6-month-old found out she was pregnant again. Now, she is two months behind rent and can’t figure out a way to make ends meet.
Wood managed to find a part-time job at FedEx, loading vans at night. But her pregnancy and inability to find stable childcare has left her with inconsistent paychecks.
“The whole process has been really difficult and scary,” said Wood, who is hoping to set up a payment scheduled after meeting with a lawyer Friday. “Not knowing if you’re going to have somewhere to live, when you’re pregnant and have a baby, is hard.”
Though the numbers of eviction filings in Ohio and elsewhere are rising and, in some places reaching several hundred a week, they are still below those in past years for July. Higher numbers are expected in August and September.
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Experts credit the slower pace to the federal eviction moratorium as well as states and municipalities that used tens of millions of dollars in federal stimulus funding for rental assistance. It also helped that several states, including Massachusetts and Arizona, have extended their eviction moratorium into the fall.
Still, experts argue more needs to be done at the state and federal level for tenants and landlords.
Negotiations between Congress and the White House over further assistance are ongoing. A $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill passed in May by Democrats in the House would provide about $175 billion to pay rents and mortgages, but the $1 trillion counter from Senate Republicans only has several billion in rental assistance. Advocacy groups are looking for over $100 billion.
“An eviction moratorium without rental assistance is still a recipe for disaster,” said Graham Bowman, staff attorney with the Ohio Poverty Law Center. “We need the basic economics of the housing market to continue to work. The way you do that is you need broad-based rental assistance available to families who have lost employment during this crisis.”
“The scale of this problem is enormous so it needs a federal response.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-04--California’s Apple Fire Grows, Officials Say Car Malfunction Sparked Blaze

Firefighters continued to battle a massive blaze in the mountains east of Los Angeles on Monday as thousands of local residents remain under evacuation orders .
The Apple Fire began burning July 31 in Riverside County , about 80 miles from Los Angeles .
It had already scorched more than 26,000 acres by Monday night and Cal Fire said it was just 7 % contained .
The agency estimated the blaze should be fully contained by Aug. 17 should current conditions continue , although it noted the fire was burning in an area with “ no recent fire history ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AppleFire off of Oak Glen Road and Apple Tree Lane , North of Cherry Valley in Riverside County is 26,850 acres and 7 % contained .
Evacuation Orders are in place .
Unified Command : @ CALFIRERRU , @ SanBernardinoNF , and Yucaipa City Fire pic.twitter.com/7XiUjAsjJr — CAL FIRE ( @ CAL_FIRE ) August 4 , 2020 Officials said the blaze was started by a car malfunction , noting “ a diesel-fueled vehicle emitting burning carbon from the exhaust system ” had sparked the fire .
“ As the fire burns into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire intensity , ” CalFire said Monday .
“ Fire activity is being driven primarily by record low moisture content of the vegetation combined with high temperatures and low relative humidity.
” The Los Angeles Times also noted that forecasters said wind could add to the challenges in bringing the fire under control .
The blaze was large enough to send a plume of smoke that was picked up by NASA satellites , the agency said .
Health officials have issued smoke advisories for some areas through Tuesday , telling those affected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The scale of the evacuations , which began Saturday , caused some concern amid the ongoing threat of the coronavirus pandemic .
About 8,000 people were forced to leave their homes .

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Firefighters continued to battle a massive blaze in the mountains east of Los Angeles on Monday as thousands of local residents remain under evacuation orders.
The Apple Fire began burning July 31 in Riverside County, about 80 miles from Los Angeles. It had already scorched more than 26,000 acres by Monday night and Cal Fire said it was just 7% contained. The agency estimated the blaze should be fully contained by Aug. 17 should current conditions continue, although it noted the fire was burning in an area with “no recent fire history” and a glut of fuel.
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More than 2,500 fire personnel were battling the flames.
#AppleFire off of Oak Glen Road and Apple Tree Lane, North of Cherry Valley in Riverside County is 26,850 acres and 7% contained. Evacuation Orders are in place. Unified Command: @CALFIRERRU, @SanBernardinoNF, and Yucaipa City Fire pic.twitter.com/7XiUjAsjJr — CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) August 4, 2020
Firefighters battle the Apple Fire in Banning, Calif., on Sunday. AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu
Officials said the blaze was started by a car malfunction, noting “a diesel-fueled vehicle emitting burning carbon from the exhaust system” had sparked the fire.
“As the fire burns into the wilderness the vegetation is becoming sparse limiting fire intensity,” CalFire said Monday. “Fire activity is being driven primarily by record low moisture content of the vegetation combined with high temperatures and low relative humidity.”
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The Los Angeles Times also noted that forecasters said wind could add to the challenges in bringing the fire under control.
The blaze was large enough to send a plume of smoke that was picked up by NASA satellites, the agency said. Health officials have issued smoke advisories for some areas through Tuesday, telling those affected to stay indoors and avoid physical activity.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-04--Seth Meyers Goes To Town On Jared Kushner’s ‘Evil’ Coronavirus Strategy

Seth Meyers on Monday used two words to sum up Jared Kushner ’ s reported role in the White House ’ s mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic — “ evil ” and “ stupid.
” The host of NBC ’ s “ Late Night ” responded to a Vanity Fair report that Kushner , who is President Donald Trump ’ s son-in-law and senior adviser , nixed a coordinated national testing strategy in the early stages of the crisis because states under Democratic governors were then being hit the hardest .
The White House has denied the report .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to learn that Jared Kushner is a sociopath , ” said Meyers .
“ I mean , look at him .
He looks like Hannibal Lecter in a CW reboot of ‘ Silence of the Lambs.
’ ” “ So they had a national testing plan and then scrapped it so they could blame the whole thing on Democratic governors , ” Meyers summarized .
“ Not only is that evil , it ’ s stupid .
This is an infectious disease .
This virus has traveled all over the world .
Did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ red states too ?
”

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Seth Meyers on Monday used two words to sum up Jared Kushner’s reported role in the White House’s mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic — “evil” and “stupid.”
The host of NBC’s “Late Night” responded to a Vanity Fair report that Kushner, who is President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, nixed a coordinated national testing strategy in the early stages of the crisis because states under Democratic governors were then being hit the hardest. The White House has denied the report.
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“I guess it’s not surprising to learn that Jared Kushner is a sociopath,” said Meyers. “I mean, look at him. He looks like Hannibal Lecter in a CW reboot of ‘Silence of the Lambs.’”
“So they had a national testing plan and then scrapped it so they could blame the whole thing on Democratic governors,” Meyers summarized. “Not only is that evil, it’s stupid. This is an infectious disease. This virus has traveled all over the world. Did they not realize it could travel to red states too?”