thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-30--Looks Like Trump's Consumer Product Safety Commission Nominee Is Toast

CSPAN Nancy Beck testifies during her nomination hearing before the Senate Commerce , Science and Transportation Committee on June 16 .
It ’ s just math .
Beck ’ s nomination doesn ’ t appear to have the votes to clear the Senate Committee on Commerce , Science and Transportation .
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito ( R-W.Va. ) , a committee member , announced her opposition earlier this month , which would put the vote count at a 13-13 tie if every other Republican voted yes and every Democrat voted no .
A tie means Beck almost certainly doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason to believe any Democrat on the committee would vote yes , given the strong objections to Beck ’ s nomination by virtually every environmental and consumer advocacy group you can think of .
HuffPost reached out to all 12 Democrats on the panel .
Some responded ; some didn ’ t .
Most have already publicly announced their opposition .
Beck , a former chemical industry lobbyist named to a high-level post at the Environmental Protection Agency under Trump , has been rewriting chemical safety rules to make them less protective of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She ’ s drawn particular criticism over her record on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances , or PFAS , a class of toxic chemicals found in many consumer products and in firefighting foam used at military bases .
They are linked to various cancers and other diseases , decreased fertility and birth defects .
According to documents obtained and released by Sen. Tom Carper ( D-Del . )
, Beck was the driving force behind a White House effort to weaken a final EPA rule on PFAS .
She even asked the agency to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PFAS-tainted products .
“ Dr .
Nancy Beck ’ s record as it relates to PFAS chemicals , as well as her responses to my questions and the questions of other Senators at yesterday ’ s Commerce Committee hearing have led me to conclude that she is not the right person to lead the Consumer Product Safety Commission , ” Capito said in a June 17 statement .
“ The CPSC chairman should be someone who applies the proper balance between protecting public health and the environment and the needs of our economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s confirmation in both the Commerce Committee and on the Senate floor.
” There ’ s a chance that another Republican or two on the committee , especially those in tight reelection campaigns ( like Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner ) , would vote no , too .
A spokeswoman for Sen. Roger Wicker ( R-Miss . )
, the chairman of the commerce committee , wouldn ’ t say when or if he will schedule a vote on Beck .
She said committee members are currently submitting follow-up questions to Beck and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which can add weeks to the proceedings .
Nominees aren ’ t considered for a committee vote until this process is over , said the spokeswoman .
If Beck doesn ’ t have the votes to advance , it ’ s possible the chairman could take the unusual route of reporting her nomination to the full Senate “ unfavorably ” or without any recommendation .
But it ’ s far more common for a committee to simply take no action on a nomination when the votes aren ’ t there .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t on the committee is already opposed to Beck , too : Susan Collins of Maine .
“ Based on her record at the Environmental Protection Agency and at the White House , I do not believe that Dr. Nancy Beck ’ s views on chemical safety , including on PFAS substances and asbestos , align with the Consumer Products Safety Commission ’ s mission , ” Collins said in a statement .
“ I plan to oppose her nomination to lead the CPSC .
”

Nancy Beck testifies during her nomination hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on June 16. CSPAN
WASHINGTON ― It looks like President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Nancy Beck, isn’t going anywhere.
It’s just math. Beck’s nomination doesn’t appear to have the votes to clear the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a committee member, announced her opposition earlier this month, which would put the vote count at a 13-13 tie if every other Republican voted yes and every Democrat voted no. A tie means Beck almost certainly doesn’t advance.
Advertisement
There’s no reason to believe any Democrat on the committee would vote yes, given the strong objections to Beck’s nomination by virtually every environmental and consumer advocacy group you can think of.
HuffPost reached out to all 12 Democrats on the panel. Some responded; some didn’t. Most have already publicly announced their opposition.
All told, 11 say they would oppose Beck: Sens. Maria Cantwell (Wash.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Gary Peters (Mich.), Ed Markey (Mass.), Jacky Rosen (Nev.), Jon Tester (Mont.), Brian Schatz (Hawaii), Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), Tom Udall (N.M.), Tammy Baldwin (Wis.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.). One hasn’t publicly said: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.).
There’s even a chance the committee won’t bother to vote on Beck’s nomination.
Beck, a former chemical industry lobbyist named to a high-level post at the Environmental Protection Agency under Trump, has been rewriting chemical safety rules to make them less protective of consumers and more friendly to businesses.
Advertisement
She’s drawn particular criticism over her record on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, a class of toxic chemicals found in many consumer products and in firefighting foam used at military bases. They are linked to various cancers and other diseases, decreased fertility and birth defects. According to documents obtained and released by Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Beck was the driving force behind a White House effort to weaken a final EPA rule on PFAS. She even asked the agency to create a special loophole for importers of PFAS-tainted products.
That’s why Capito is opposing her.
“Dr. Nancy Beck’s record as it relates to PFAS chemicals, as well as her responses to my questions and the questions of other Senators at yesterday’s Commerce Committee hearing have led me to conclude that she is not the right person to lead the Consumer Product Safety Commission,” Capito said in a June 17 statement. “The CPSC chairman should be someone who applies the proper balance between protecting public health and the environment and the needs of our economy. I will vote against Dr. Beck’s confirmation in both the Commerce Committee and on the Senate floor.”
There’s a chance that another Republican or two on the committee, especially those in tight reelection campaigns (like Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner), would vote no, too.
A Gardner spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.
A spokeswoman for Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the chairman of the commerce committee, wouldn’t say when or if he will schedule a vote on Beck. She said committee members are currently submitting follow-up questions to Beck and others who recently testified before the panel, which can add weeks to the proceedings. Nominees aren’t considered for a committee vote until this process is over, said the spokeswoman.
If Beck doesn’t have the votes to advance, it’s possible the chairman could take the unusual route of reporting her nomination to the full Senate “unfavorably” or without any recommendation. But it’s far more common for a committee to simply take no action on a nomination when the votes aren’t there.
Advertisement
At least one other Republican senator who isn’t on the committee is already opposed to Beck, too: Susan Collins of Maine.
“Based on her record at the Environmental Protection Agency and at the White House, I do not believe that Dr. Nancy Beck’s views on chemical safety, including on PFAS substances and asbestos, align with the Consumer Products Safety Commission’s mission,” Collins said in a statement. “I plan to oppose her nomination to lead the CPSC.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-30--Republicans Pushed To Reopen The Economy. Now Coronavirus Cases Are Spiking Again.

“ I would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 cases a day if this does not turn around , so I am very concerned , ” Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert , warned at a Senate hearing on the coronavirus on Tuesday .
Officials in Arizona , Texas , Florida , South Carolina and California are reporting record numbers of new cases each day , attributing the rise mostly to young people who are ignoring safety recommendations .
The situation is particularly concerning in Arizona , where health officials are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
The dramatic rise in infections comes on the heels of many states ― with governors of both parties ― relaxing restrictions on public gatherings and businesses like bars , gyms and salons .
Republicans in particular were vocal in calling on state officials to reopen the economy in order to help struggling businesses and to get people back to work .
“ Will some people be affected ?
Yes , ” Trump told reporters at an event in May .
“ Will some people be affected badly ?
Yes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ open and we have to get it open soon.
” “ Now that hopefully we ’ ve hit the peak ... we can think about in each of these circumstances , in each of these states , what the right set of protocols are to begin to open our economy and let people go back to work , ” Sen. John Cornyn ( R-Texas ) said in April .
The Trump administration led the way in pushing the economy to reopen in April and May .
The White House coronavirus task force , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ceased doing so .
Trump and Vice President Mike Pence , the leader of the task force , began venturing out of D.C. for public events to tout the nation ’ s response to the coronavirus .
The White House stopped checking the temperature of visitors to its grounds .
Trump even held a campaign rally with thousands of people in Tulsa , Oklahoma .
At the same time , White House officials dismissed the idea that there was an emerging second wave of cases in the U.S .
In an opinion piece @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks ago , Pence spun the data in a positive light , saying the nation was “ far better off than the media report ” and calling fears about a rise in cases “ overblown.
” Pence has since struck a markedly different tone , making a push to visibly wear a face mask after months of publicly not doing so .
The gesture is one Trump has not followed , nor has he echoed that message to the American public .
Public health experts have consistently warned that lifting stay-at-home orders too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatments or vaccines would risk extending the crisis .
But Republicans maintain the U.S. shouldn ’ t impose broad restrictions once again despite the recent spike in coronavirus cases across the country .
“ We can not go back to April , and we must not go back to normal .
We need new routines , new rhythms , and new strategies to build this new middle ground in between , ” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) said in a floor speech on Monday , urging the public to wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cruz ( R-Texas ) urged a similar approach .
His state of Texas was one of the first to begin reopening , but now officials there are putting plans to lift restrictions on pause and even shutting down some businesses again .
“ We need to continue to be guided by sound science and medical data .
At the same time , we need to allow people to get back to work , to allow small businesses to reopen , ” Cruz said , calling the relatively low death rate in Texas “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to open up the economy and stop mandating things .
Let people make decisions .
What the government ought to do is start giving people better information and let people make decisions , ” Scott , who previously served as the governor of Florida , said Tuesday .
The spread of the coronavirus around the globe has been aided in large part by asymptomatic carriers ― people who exhibit no symptoms even though they may have the disease .
Packed bars are often the perfect environment for asymptomatic spread .
The number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the past two weeks .
In that time , the state has crushed records for new infections daily .
Much of the increase appears to stem from the reopening of beaches , bars , restaurants and other social activities .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Republicans repeatedly urged states to lift their lockdown orders, arguing that a gradual return to normal was crucial to the long-term health and stability of the U.S. economy.
Now, coronavirus infections are surging nationwide, forcing some states to shutter all over again in hopes of containing the spread of a disease that has killed over 120,000 Americans and counting.
Advertisement
“I would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 cases a day if this does not turn around, so I am very concerned,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, warned at a Senate hearing on the coronavirus on Tuesday.
Officials in Arizona, Texas, Florida, South Carolina and California are reporting record numbers of new cases each day, attributing the rise mostly to young people who are ignoring safety recommendations. The situation is particularly concerning in Arizona, where health officials are reporting a surge in hospitalizations due to the virus.
The current outbreak in the U.S. looks like nothing in any other rich country: https://t.co/R849s69HzX pic.twitter.com/CEy8GTZsAX — David Leonhardt (@DLeonhardt) June 29, 2020
The dramatic rise in infections comes on the heels of many states ― with governors of both parties ― relaxing restrictions on public gatherings and businesses like bars, gyms and salons. Republicans in particular were vocal in calling on state officials to reopen the economy in order to help struggling businesses and to get people back to work.
Advertisement
“Will some people be affected? Yes,” Trump told reporters at an event in May. “Will some people be affected badly? Yes. But we have to get our country open and we have to get it open soon.”
“Now that hopefully we’ve hit the peak ... we can think about in each of these circumstances, in each of these states, what the right set of protocols are to begin to open our economy and let people go back to work,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said in April.
The Trump administration led the way in pushing the economy to reopen in April and May. The White House coronavirus task force, which initially held regular press briefings, ceased doing so. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, the leader of the task force, began venturing out of D.C. for public events to tout the nation’s response to the coronavirus. The White House stopped checking the temperature of visitors to its grounds. Trump even held a campaign rally with thousands of people in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
At the same time, White House officials dismissed the idea that there was an emerging second wave of cases in the U.S. In an opinion piece for The Wall Street Journal just two weeks ago, Pence spun the data in a positive light, saying the nation was “far better off than the media report” and calling fears about a rise in cases “overblown.”
Pence has since struck a markedly different tone, making a push to visibly wear a face mask after months of publicly not doing so. The gesture is one Trump has not followed, nor has he echoed that message to the American public.
Advertisement
“I think the president would be wise to make it clear that he is fully supportive of wearing masks. That would be very helpful,” Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said Tuesday.
Public health experts have consistently warned that lifting stay-at-home orders too soon and without adequate testing capacity, treatments or vaccines would risk extending the crisis. But Republicans maintain the U.S. shouldn’t impose broad restrictions once again despite the recent spike in coronavirus cases across the country.
“We cannot go back to April, and we must not go back to normal. We need new routines, new rhythms, and new strategies to build this new middle ground in between,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in a floor speech on Monday, urging the public to wear masks when going outside.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) urged a similar approach. His state of Texas was one of the first to begin reopening, but now officials there are putting plans to lift restrictions on pause and even shutting down some businesses again.
“We need to continue to be guided by sound science and medical data. At the same time, we need to allow people to get back to work, to allow small businesses to reopen,” Cruz said, calling the relatively low death rate in Texas “encouraging.”
Advertisement
But health experts say deaths tend to lag considerably behind cases, suggesting there is likely to be a higher rate of hospitalizations and deaths in the coming weeks.
In his testimony before the Senate health committee on Tuesday, Fauci singled out bars, in particular, as one type of establishment Americans should stop congregating in, calling such gatherings “bad news.”
But Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said members of the public should be free to make their own decisions regarding what establishments to visit, so long as people are aware of any potential health issues.
“We’ve got to open up the economy and stop mandating things. Let people make decisions. What the government ought to do is start giving people better information and let people make decisions,” Scott, who previously served as the governor of Florida, said Tuesday.
“If this bar has coronavirus, if you tell me, guess what, I’ll never go there. Stop dictating and give us better information,” Scott added.
Advertisement
The spread of the coronavirus around the globe has been aided in large part by asymptomatic carriers ― people who exhibit no symptoms even though they may have the disease. Packed bars are often the perfect environment for asymptomatic spread.
The number of coronavirus cases in Florida has increased fivefold in the past two weeks. In that time, the state has crushed records for new infections daily. Much of the increase appears to stem from the reopening of beaches, bars, restaurants and other social activities.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was even more skeptical about the advice of public health experts. Paul, who tested positive for the coronavirus in March, complained at Tuesday’s hearing with Fauci and other health officials about “people in Washington all telling us what to do and people blindly following like sheep.”
“We shouldn’t presume that a group of experts somehow knows what’s best for everyone,” Paul, who is an eye doctor, added, accusing the nation’s top infectious disease expert of creating “undue fear” with his public health recommendations.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-30--Democrats Just Flipped A Kentucky State Senate Seat The GOP Held For 25 Years

Dr. Karen Berg defeated Republican candidate Bill Ferko by 14 points to win the race to replace longtime GOP state Sen. Ernie Harris , who retired in April after holding the seat in suburban Louisville for 25 years .
Berg narrowly lost to Harris in the 2018 general election , but will now hold the seat until that term expires in 2022 .
The win marked the first time Kentucky Democrats have flipped a state Senate seat since 2010 .
Berg ’ s victory , which was announced Tuesday after officials finished counting absentee ballots in the June 23 election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Kentucky state Senate , where the GOP still holds a supermajority .
But it is the latest sign of trouble for the GOP in the suburbs of Kentucky ’ s largest city and may foreshadow further problems for the party in November as its suburban base continues to erode under President Donald Trump .
“ Nationwide , the Republicans are in great danger of losing the upper-status professionals who used to side with them , ” said Stephen Voss , a University of Kentucky political scientist who specializes in voter behavior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ realignment in those voters becomes permanent , then the Republican Party is in trouble.
” Democratic gains in the suburbs of Louisville , Lexington and Cincinnati have already helped the party maintain a foothold in the Bluegrass State , where suburban swings powered Gov .
Andy Beshear ’ s ( D ) victory over former GOP Gov .
Matt Bevin a year ago .
Nationwide , rapid shifts in the suburban electorate helped Democrats win back majority control of Congress and cut into Republican state legislative majorities in 2018 , especially as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to win over areas that have long favored the GOP .
Berg was drafted into the 2018 race by Emerge Kentucky , a chapter of a national organization that recruits and trains women to run for office .
The group has helped elect three dozen women in Kentucky , including seven state legislators who won races in 2018 and Lt. Gov .
Jacqueline Coleman , a former teacher who ran alongside Beshear last year .
Nationwide , the Republicans are in great danger of losing the upper-status professionals who used to side with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters becomes permanent , then the Republican Party is in trouble .
The suburbs have become an ever-larger source of success for Democrats , especially as women have abandoned the GOP during the Trump years .
Hillary Clinton carried the inner suburbs of cities nationwide in 2016 , even as Trump ’ s success in rural areas pushed him to victory .
In 2018 , 38 of the 41 seats Democrats flipped on their way to the House majority were in suburban districts .
The party won in places like Orange County , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rep. Kendra Horn shocked observers by winning a House seat the GOP had held for 44 years .
Suburban victories have also powered Democrats at the state legislative level , where they picked up 300 seats in 2018 and last year won control of the Virginia state legislature for the first time in more than two decades .
That success and Berg ’ s close loss two years ago helped turn Harris ’ seat into a Democratic target once the veteran lawmaker retired in April .
Berg focused her campaign on her experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University of Louisville ’ s school of medicine , arguing that “ healthcare is a right ” and that Kentucky needed to make investments to improve public education , two issues that have taken center stage in recent Kentucky elections .
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee , the party arm that focuses on statehouse elections , spotlighted Berg ’ s race as a key early contest in its aggressive push to build on 2018 ’ s wins .
Democrats across the board have also identified suburban areas as key to their 2020 hopes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expand its House majority , win back the U.S. Senate and flip state assemblies in Texas , Arizona , Pennsylvania and other key states before redistricting begins .
Berg was likely helped by record turnout among Kentucky Democrats , thanks to expanded mail-in voting amid the coronavirus pandemic and a contested Democratic primary in the race to face GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell this fall .
The special election took place alongside the primary , which was delayed more than a month due to the pandemic .
Results were announced Tuesday after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and certify absentee ballots , which made up more than three-quarters of the votes cast in Kentucky last week .
“ It shows that good candidates with the right resources who aren ’ t afraid to campaign on health care and public education can win in these suburban areas that have traditionally been Republican , even in Kentucky , ” state Senate Minority Leader Morgan McGarvey told HuffPost on Tuesday .
Democrats have a long road back to the majority in Kentucky , where the GOP still holds a 28-10 advantage in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state House .
But Berg ’ s victory will give the party at least a temporary boost in a state where it is trying to rebuild after losing total control of the legislature for the first time in a century four years ago .
And yet another win in a district like this one , especially in a supposedly deep-red state like Kentucky , will only further bolster Democrats ’ belief that they can score even bigger victories in suburbs nationwide later this year .
“ The unhappiness seen among affluent professionals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now for a couple of years , ” Voss said .
“ If it continues on to November , then prospects for the Democrats in terms of the Senate and the presidency are looking very good .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Democrats won a special election to fill a vacant Kentucky state Senate seat this week, flipping a district Republicans held for decades and signaling that the suburban shift that helped create a blue wave in 2018’s midterm elections may continue in 2020.
Dr. Karen Berg defeated Republican candidate Bill Ferko by 14 points to win the race to replace longtime GOP state Sen. Ernie Harris, who retired in April after holding the seat in suburban Louisville for 25 years. Berg narrowly lost to Harris in the 2018 general election, but will now hold the seat until that term expires in 2022. The win marked the first time Kentucky Democrats have flipped a state Senate seat since 2010.
Advertisement
Berg’s victory, which was announced Tuesday after officials finished counting absentee ballots in the June 23 election, will barely dent Republicans’ grip on the Kentucky state Senate, where the GOP still holds a supermajority. But it is the latest sign of trouble for the GOP in the suburbs of Kentucky’s largest city and may foreshadow further problems for the party in November as its suburban base continues to erode under President Donald Trump.
“Nationwide, the Republicans are in great danger of losing the upper-status professionals who used to side with them,” said Stephen Voss, a University of Kentucky political scientist who specializes in voter behavior and election patterns. “If that realignment in those voters becomes permanent, then the Republican Party is in trouble.”
Democratic gains in the suburbs of Louisville, Lexington and Cincinnati have already helped the party maintain a foothold in the Bluegrass State, where suburban swings powered Gov. Andy Beshear’s (D) victory over former GOP Gov. Matt Bevin a year ago. Nationwide, rapid shifts in the suburban electorate helped Democrats win back majority control of Congress and cut into Republican state legislative majorities in 2018, especially as the party turned to first-time candidates like Berg to win over areas that have long favored the GOP.
Berg was drafted into the 2018 race by Emerge Kentucky, a chapter of a national organization that recruits and trains women to run for office. The group has helped elect three dozen women in Kentucky, including seven state legislators who won races in 2018 and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, a former teacher who ran alongside Beshear last year.
Advertisement
“Nationwide, the Republicans are in great danger of losing the upper-status professionals who used to side with them. If that realignment in those voters becomes permanent, then the Republican Party is in trouble.” - Stephen Voss, University of Kentucky political scientist
The suburbs have become an ever-larger source of success for Democrats, especially as women have abandoned the GOP during the Trump years. Hillary Clinton carried the inner suburbs of cities nationwide in 2016, even as Trump’s success in rural areas pushed him to victory. In 2018, 38 of the 41 seats Democrats flipped on their way to the House majority were in suburban districts. The party won in places like Orange County, California, and central Oklahoma, where Rep. Kendra Horn shocked observers by winning a House seat the GOP had held for 44 years.
Suburban victories have also powered Democrats at the state legislative level, where they picked up 300 seats in 2018 and last year won control of the Virginia state legislature for the first time in more than two decades.
That success and Berg’s close loss two years ago helped turn Harris’ seat into a Democratic target once the veteran lawmaker retired in April. Berg focused her campaign on her experience as a physician and professor at the University of Louisville’s school of medicine, arguing that “healthcare is a right” and that Kentucky needed to make investments to improve public education, two issues that have taken center stage in recent Kentucky elections.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the party arm that focuses on statehouse elections, spotlighted Berg’s race as a key early contest in its aggressive push to build on 2018’s wins. Democrats across the board have also identified suburban areas as key to their 2020 hopes, particularly as the party tries to expand its House majority, win back the U.S. Senate and flip state assemblies in Texas, Arizona, Pennsylvania and other key states before redistricting begins.
Advertisement
Berg was likely helped by record turnout among Kentucky Democrats, thanks to expanded mail-in voting amid the coronavirus pandemic and a contested Democratic primary in the race to face GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell this fall. The special election took place alongside the primary, which was delayed more than a month due to the pandemic. Results were announced Tuesday after election officials took a week to count and certify absentee ballots, which made up more than three-quarters of the votes cast in Kentucky last week.
Berg’s victory excited Democratic leaders looking for signs that Beshear’s suburban gains in 2019 weren’t an aberration but the beginnings of a real and potentially lasting shift.
“It shows that good candidates with the right resources who aren’t afraid to campaign on health care and public education can win in these suburban areas that have traditionally been Republican, even in Kentucky,” state Senate Minority Leader Morgan McGarvey told HuffPost on Tuesday.
Democrats have a long road back to the majority in Kentucky, where the GOP still holds a 28-10 advantage in the state Senate and a 24-seat grip on the state House. But Berg’s victory will give the party at least a temporary boost in a state where it is trying to rebuild after losing total control of the legislature for the first time in a century four years ago.
And yet another win in a district like this one, especially in a supposedly deep-red state like Kentucky, will only further bolster Democrats’ belief that they can score even bigger victories in suburbs nationwide later this year.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-30--Judge Temporarily Blocks Release Of Tell-All Book By Trump's Niece

A tell-all book by President Donald Trump ’ s niece can not be published until a judge decides the merits of claims by the president ’ s brother that its publication would violate a pact among family members , a judge said Tuesday .
New York state Supreme Court Judge Hal B. Greenwald in Poughkeepsie , New York , issued an order requiring the niece , Mary Trump , and her publisher to explain why they should not be blocked from publishing the book : “ Too Much and Never Enough : How My Family Created the World ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set for July 10 .
The book , scheduled to be published in July , was written by Mary Trump , the daughter of Fred Trump Jr. , the president ’ s elder brother , who died in 1981 .
An online description of it says it reveals “ a nightmare of traumas , destructive relationships , and a tragic combination of neglect and abuse.
” The judge said no portion of the book can be distributed before he decides the validity of Robert Trump ’ s claims .
Robert Trump argues Mary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among family members that such a book can not be published without permission from other family members .
“ The trial court ’ s temporary restraining order is only temporary but it still is a prior restraint on core political speech that flatly violates the First Amendment , ” Boutrous said .
“ This book , which addresses matters of great public concern and importance about a sitting president in election year , should not be suppressed even for one day , ” Boutrous said in a statement .
Adam Rothberg , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publisher was disappointed but looks forward “ to prevailing in this case based on well-established precedents regarding prior restraint.
” He said in a statement that the actions by Mary Trump and her publisher were “ truly reprehensible.
” “ We look forward to vigorously litigating this case , and will seek the maximum remedies available by law for the enormous damages , ” he said .
“ Short of corrective action to immediately cease their egregious conduct , we will pursue this case to the very end.
” In court papers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a settlement nearly two decades ago that included a confidentiality clause explicitly saying they would not “ publish any account concerning the litigation or their relationship , ” unless they all agreed , the court papers said .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A tell-all book by President Donald Trump’s niece cannot be published until a judge decides the merits of claims by the president’s brother that its publication would violate a pact among family members, a judge said Tuesday.
New York state Supreme Court Judge Hal B. Greenwald in Poughkeepsie, New York, issued an order requiring the niece, Mary Trump, and her publisher to explain why they should not be blocked from publishing the book: “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man.” A hearing was set for July 10.
Advertisement
The book, scheduled to be published in July, was written by Mary Trump, the daughter of Fred Trump Jr., the president’s elder brother, who died in 1981. An online description of it says it reveals “a nightmare of traumas, destructive relationships, and a tragic combination of neglect and abuse.”
The judge said no portion of the book can be distributed before he decides the validity of Robert Trump’s claims. Robert Trump argues Mary Trump must comply with a written agreement among family members that such a book cannot be published without permission from other family members.
Mary Trump’s lawyer, Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., and her publisher, Simon & Schuster, promised an immediate appeal.
“The trial court’s temporary restraining order is only temporary but it still is a prior restraint on core political speech that flatly violates the First Amendment,” Boutrous said.
Advertisement
“This book, which addresses matters of great public concern and importance about a sitting president in election year, should not be suppressed even for one day,” Boutrous said in a statement.
Adam Rothberg, a Simon & Schuster spokesperson, said the publisher was disappointed but looks forward “to prevailing in this case based on well-established precedents regarding prior restraint.”
Charles Harder, an attorney for Robert Trump, said his client was “very pleased.”
He said in a statement that the actions by Mary Trump and her publisher were “truly reprehensible.”
“We look forward to vigorously litigating this case, and will seek the maximum remedies available by law for the enormous damages,” he said. “Short of corrective action to immediately cease their egregious conduct, we will pursue this case to the very end.”
In court papers, Robert Trump maintained Mary Trump was part of a settlement nearly two decades ago that included a confidentiality clause explicitly saying they would not “publish any account concerning the litigation or their relationship,” unless they all agreed, the court papers said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-07-01--As Democrats Unveil Ambitious Climate Goals, House Lawmakers Press For Green Stimulus

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi charted a course to zero out all of the United States ’ planet-heating emissions by 2050 , unveiling a Democratic proposal Tuesday that ’ s been hailed by experts as the “ most detailed climate plan in U.S. political history.
” Now nearly five dozen House Democrats want to see those principles applied to the next big piece of legislation coming down the pike .
At least 59 legislators signed on Wednesday to a letter demanding that party leaders add more climate provisions to the $ 1.5 trillion infrastructure bill slated for a vote as early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get this right .
There are no do-overs , ” said the letter , authored by Reps. Nanette Diaz Barragán ( D-Calif. ) , Jared Huffman ( D-Calif. ) , Alcee Hastings ( D-Fla. ) , Brenda Lawrence ( D-Mich. ) and Chellie Pingree ( D-Minn. ) .
“ We know the importance of listening to our impacted communities , workers , and scientists .
We must understand the consequences of acting too late .
This can not be a lost decade for our economy or our planet.
” The letter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was addressed to Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy ( R-Calif. ) .
By Monday , lawmakers had already submitted close to 350 amendments to the infrastructure bill , but Politico reported that many would not be allowed to be offered .
The first roughly $ 2 trillion stimulus package that Congress passed to ease the economic hardship of the coronavirus pandemic largely rebuffed activists ’ calls to mandate cuts in polluting emissions .
The Trump administration , meanwhile , loosened rules on federal aid to help deeply indebted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement and sold drilling leases on public lands for record-low prices .
“ There is also a risk that a traditional infrastructure bill could be filled with funding for projects that expand and subsidize high-emission transportation and energy infrastructure , failing to prepare our communities for the emerging risks and uncertainty posed by climate change , ” the letter says .
“ This response would not only hasten the climate crisis , but would worsen the air and water pollution that is exacerbating the impacts of COVID-19 , particularly for communities of color @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racism.
” Polling shows why Democrats are ramping up their rhetoric on the climate crisis .
Roughly 58 % of all registered voters support transitioning the country to 100 % clean energy , including 76 % of Democrats , 59 % of independents and 38 % of Republicans , according to a survey the think tank Data for Progress published in May .
Two-thirds of Americans say the federal government should do more to reduce the effects of climate change , according to a Pew Research Center poll released in June .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi charted a course to zero out all of the United States’ planet-heating emissions by 2050, unveiling a Democratic proposal Tuesday that’s been hailed by experts as the “most detailed climate plan in U.S. political history.”
Now nearly five dozen House Democrats want to see those principles applied to the next big piece of legislation coming down the pike. At least 59 legislators signed on Wednesday to a letter demanding that party leaders add more climate provisions to the $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill slated for a vote as early as this week.
Advertisement
“We have to get this right. There are no do-overs,” said the letter, authored by Reps. Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.) and Chellie Pingree (D-Maine). “We know the importance of listening to our impacted communities, workers, and scientists. We must understand the consequences of acting too late. This cannot be a lost decade for our economy or our planet.”
The letter, a copy of which HuffPost obtained, was addressed to Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). By Monday, lawmakers had already submitted close to 350 amendments to the infrastructure bill, but Politico reported that many would not be allowed to be offered.
The first roughly $2 trillion stimulus package that Congress passed to ease the economic hardship of the coronavirus pandemic largely rebuffed activists’ calls to mandate cuts in polluting emissions. The Trump administration, meanwhile, loosened rules on federal aid to help deeply indebted oil and gas drillers, halted environmental enforcement and sold drilling leases on public lands for record-low prices.
“There is also a risk that a traditional infrastructure bill could be filled with funding for projects that expand and subsidize high-emission transportation and energy infrastructure, failing to prepare our communities for the emerging risks and uncertainty posed by climate change,” the letter says. “This response would not only hasten the climate crisis, but would worsen the air and water pollution that is exacerbating the impacts of COVID-19, particularly for communities of color that have borne the brunt of environmental racism.”
Advertisement
Polling shows why Democrats are ramping up their rhetoric on the climate crisis. Roughly 58% of all registered voters support transitioning the country to 100% clean energy, including 76% of Democrats, 59% of independents and 38% of Republicans, according to a survey the think tank Data for Progress published in May. Two-thirds of Americans say the federal government should do more to reduce the effects of climate change, according to a Pew Research Center poll released in June.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-30--Amy McGrath Wins Kentucky Senate Primary Race To Face Mitch McConnell

The Associated Press declared McGrath the winner on Tuesday , a week after voters cast their ballots on June 23 in a primary election delayed and altered by the coronavirus pandemic .
McGrath led Booker by roughly 7,000 votes ― 44.9 % to 43.5 % ― with more than 90 % of ballots counted when the race was called .
Mike Broihier , a retired Marine and farmer who waged his own progressive campaign , finished a distant third , with about 5 % of the vote .
McGrath ’ s victory is the latest in a string of wins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates have repeatedly held off progressive insurgents like Booker in the 2020 election cycle .
But the results also demonstrate the first major challenge facing McGrath in November : She lost Kentucky ’ s two largest counties and will need to reenergize voters who preferred Booker in both locations to have any shot at ousting McConnell this fall .
McGrath will enter the general election armed with a massive campaign war chest after raising more than $ 40 million during the primary .
Her robust fundraising ability has helped fuel hopes among Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to unseat the six-term Republican senator who has long been the bane of Democrats and is now an even bigger target as one of President Donald Trump ’ s chief Washington allies .
Booker , who became Kentucky ’ s youngest Black state lawmaker elected in nearly a century in 2018 , ran on a slate of progressive proposals that included the Green New Deal and “ Medicare for All.
” He broke into the national conversation amid the protests , receiving numerous endorsements from state lawmakers and national progressive leaders ― including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Elizabeth Warren ( D-Mass . )
and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) and Ayanna Pressley ( D-Mass. )
.
Kentucky ’ s two largest newspapers also endorsed Booker in the contest ’ s closing stages .
“ Like so many Kentuckians , I was and am inspired by the powerful movement Charles Booker built toward the causes of defeating Mitch McConnell and fighting systemic racism and injustice in our country , ” McGrath said in the email to supporters .
“ He tapped into and amplified the energy and anger of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the status quo and are rightfully demanding long-overdue action and accountability from our government and institutions.
” The Kentucky primary was originally scheduled to take place on May 19 but was delayed for more than a month over concerns about COVID-19 .
After Kentucky Gov .
Andy Beshear ( D ) and Secretary of State Michael Adams ( R ) reached a bipartisan agreement to expand absentee voting with no-excuse mail-in ballots and to allow a week of early voting , the election drew record turnout for a Kentucky primary .
Total votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama dueled for the Democratic presidential nomination .
Although there were concerns about voter suppression due to most counties ’ decision to limit in-person voting to a single location , the expansion of mail-in voting proved largely successful in driving turnout .
Some voters , however , faced delays in receiving their ballots and there were notably long lines at the polls in Lexington , pointing to issues that Kentucky needs to address before November ’ s election .
“ Our campaign has heard from voters across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard , and their votes counted , ” Booker said in a statement that highlighted confusion among voters about whether their mailed-in ballots had been received and whether there had been problems with those ballots that rendered them unintentionally invalid .
“ I want to be clear : this isn ’ t about me and Amy , ” Booker said .
“ I accept the results of this election , and concede this race .
But we will push in the coming days to ensure transparency and accountability in our state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that every single Kentuckian has faith in our democracy as we go forward.
” Booker ’ s late surge in the race pushed him to the lead among Kentuckians who cast ballots in person on Election Day .
He won those voters by 65 percentage points in Louisville and 50 points in Lexington , the state ’ s two largest cities .
But McGrath ’ s advantage with mail-in votes , which made up roughly three-quarters of the ballots cast in the race , earned her the victory .
Booker ’ s final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , shrank to roughly 6 percentage points , and absentee ballots swung many of Kentucky ’ s rural counties sharply in McGrath ’ s favor .
But the enthusiasm around Booker may have dampened support for her among progressive voters , who ’ ve long wanted to see a candidate like him take on McConnell , and among Black voters , who form a small but potentially powerful bloc of support for Democratic candidates in Kentucky ’ s biggest cities .
Booker ’ s victories in Louisville and Lexington , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rural and suburban counties , show where McGrath needs to make up ground in the general election .
“ No one needs to convince me of the urgency to address the issues of equal pay and equal justice , affordable health care for all , real action on voting rights , and ending the corrosive grip that corporate special interests have on our federal government , ” she said in a statement .
“ But there can be no removal of Mitch McConnell without unity .
...
The differences that separate Democrats are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between us and the politics and actions of Mitch McConnell.
” McGrath outpaced her progressive challengers in two suburban northern Kentucky counties that are also vital in November , and she will be buoyed by the national Democratic interest in knocking off McConnell and wresting away his control of the Senate , which should help her continue to raise staggering amounts of cash .
She exited the primary with nearly $ 20 million left , and McGrath can point to polls to bolster hopes that she has a chance to pull off the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the primary , her campaign touted a May poll showing her running dead even with McConnell , although national observers still rate McConnell as the favorite to win re-election .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Former Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath won the Democratic nomination to take on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in November after holding off a late charge from progressive state Rep. Charles Booker in Kentucky’s Democratic Senate primary.
The Associated Press declared McGrath the winner on Tuesday, a week after voters cast their ballots on June 23 in a primary election delayed and altered by the coronavirus pandemic. McGrath led Booker by roughly 7,000 votes ― 44.9% to 43.5% ― with more than 90% of ballots counted when the race was called. Mike Broihier, a retired Marine and farmer who waged his own progressive campaign, finished a distant third, with about 5% of the vote.
Advertisement
McGrath claimed victory in an email to supporters Tuesday afternoon, saying that she was “humbled to be your nominee” against McConnell and that she “can’t wait to get started in sending him into retirement.”
Amy McGrath defeated Charles Booker to win Kentucky's Democratic Senate primary in June. She will now face Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in a high-profile November election. John Sommers II/Reuters
McGrath’s victory is the latest in a string of wins for Democratic establishment leaders, whose preferred candidates have repeatedly held off progressive insurgents like Booker in the 2020 election cycle. But the results also demonstrate the first major challenge facing McGrath in November: She lost Kentucky’s two largest counties and will need to reenergize voters who preferred Booker in both locations to have any shot at ousting McConnell this fall.
McGrath will enter the general election armed with a massive campaign war chest after raising more than $40 million during the primary. Her robust fundraising ability has helped fuel hopes among Democrats that McGrath can mount an aggressive bid to unseat the six-term Republican senator who has long been the bane of Democrats and is now an even bigger target as one of President Donald Trump’s chief Washington allies.
Advertisement
The primary victory gives McGrath a second chance to win a seat in Congress after she narrowly lost the race for a central Kentucky House seat to GOP Rep. Andy Barr in 2018.
McGrath emerged as a prominent and promising new face in Kentucky politics during that earlier Democratic primary. Her long-shot bid for a House seat focused heavily on her experience in the Marines and her status as an outsider.
This time, she had to hold off her own insurgent challenger. Booker, a freshman state legislator from Louisville, emerged as a real contender in the primary after taking a leading role in racial justice protests that broke out in his hometown and across Kentucky. Those demonstrations highlighted the March police killing of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman in Louisville.
Booker, who became Kentucky’s youngest Black state lawmaker elected in nearly a century in 2018, ran on a slate of progressive proposals that included the Green New Deal and “Medicare for All.” He broke into the national conversation amid the protests, receiving numerous endorsements from state lawmakers and national progressive leaders ― including Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.). Kentucky’s two largest newspapers also endorsed Booker in the contest’s closing stages.
“Like so many Kentuckians, I was and am inspired by the powerful movement Charles Booker built toward the causes of defeating Mitch McConnell and fighting systemic racism and injustice in our country,” McGrath said in the email to supporters. “He tapped into and amplified the energy and anger of so many who are fed up with the status quo and are rightfully demanding long-overdue action and accountability from our government and institutions.”
Advertisement
The Kentucky primary was originally scheduled to take place on May 19 but was delayed for more than a month over concerns about COVID-19. After Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) and Secretary of State Michael Adams (R) reached a bipartisan agreement to expand absentee voting with no-excuse mail-in ballots and to allow a week of early voting, the election drew record turnout for a Kentucky primary. Total votes surpassed the number cast in 2008, when Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama dueled for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Although there were concerns about voter suppression due to most counties’ decision to limit in-person voting to a single location, the expansion of mail-in voting proved largely successful in driving turnout. Some voters, however, faced delays in receiving their ballots and there were notably long lines at the polls in Lexington, pointing to issues that Kentucky needs to address before November’s election.
Booker noted concerns about the pandemic-driven voting setup as he conceded defeat late Tuesday afternoon.
“Our campaign has heard from voters across the state who had trouble making their voices heard, and their votes counted,” Booker said in a statement that highlighted confusion among voters about whether their mailed-in ballots had been received and whether there had been problems with those ballots that rendered them unintentionally invalid.
“I want to be clear: this isn’t about me and Amy,” Booker said. “I accept the results of this election, and concede this race. But we will push in the coming days to ensure transparency and accountability in our state’s electoral system, because it is essential that every single Kentuckian has faith in our democracy as we go forward.”
Advertisement
Booker’s late surge in the race pushed him to the lead among Kentuckians who cast ballots in person on Election Day. He won those voters by 65 percentage points in Louisville and 50 points in Lexington, the state’s two largest cities. But McGrath’s advantage with mail-in votes, which made up roughly three-quarters of the ballots cast in the race, earned her the victory. Booker’s final margin of victory in Lexington, for example, shrank to roughly 6 percentage points, and absentee ballots swung many of Kentucky’s rural counties sharply in McGrath’s favor.
McGrath's missteps allowed state Rep. Charles Booker to make a large charge in the Democratic Senate primary. Bryan Woolston/ASSOCIATED PRESS
McGrath’s entry into the race against McConnell last July generated an immediate wave of national interest in Kentucky’s Senate race. She smashed Kentucky fundraising records and sparked visions of a potential Democratic victory over the Senate leader, who ranks, by some measures, among the least popular lawmakers in the country.
Again, she leaned on her military experience and her outsider status. But early missteps ― including a waffling position on whether she would have supported Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court ― caused some angst among Democrats about her candidacy and helped create the atmosphere in which Booker’s progressive campaign later thrived.
Over the race’s final days, Booker hit McGrath for being a “pro-Trump Democrat,” an allegation based on an earlier comment in which she’d blamed McConnell for standing in the way of parts of Trump’s agenda, and for choosing not to attend protests over Taylor’s killing.
Advertisement
McGrath, who supports an Obamacare expansion to include a public option, legislation to lower the price of prescription drugs and federal infrastructure investments, particularly in Kentucky’s rural areas, came out late in the race to back existing Senate legislation to reform police. She also touted her Democratic bona fides in a late advertising push.
In the end, McGrath won handily in many of Kentucky’s rural counties, as well as in some suburban areas.
But the enthusiasm around Booker may have dampened support for her among progressive voters, who’ve long wanted to see a candidate like him take on McConnell, and among Black voters, who form a small but potentially powerful bloc of support for Democratic candidates in Kentucky’s biggest cities. Booker’s victories in Louisville and Lexington, as well as his better-than-expected performance in some key rural and suburban counties, show where McGrath needs to make up ground in the general election.
To beat McConnell in November, McGrath must rack up huge margins in Jefferson and Fayette counties, where Louisville and Lexington, respectively, are home to the state’s largest bases of reliable Democratic voters. Booker also won Warren County, a western Kentucky area that has begun to trend toward Democrats.
McGrath made efforts to appeal to Booker’s supporters as she declared victory.
“No one needs to convince me of the urgency to address the issues of equal pay and equal justice, affordable health care for all, real action on voting rights, and ending the corrosive grip that corporate special interests have on our federal government,” she said in a statement. “But there can be no removal of Mitch McConnell without unity. ... The differences that separate Democrats are nothing compared to the chasm that exists between us and the politics and actions of Mitch McConnell.”
Advertisement
Broihier called on his backers to support McGrath in a Tuesday afternoon tweet, while Booker urged his supporters to maintain their enthusiasm for ousting McConnell in November.
“We’ve proven Kentuckians are hungry for a new kind of leadership, one that puts working people and their struggles before corporate special interests and the corrupt politicians who serve them,” Booker said in his statement. “Let’s dedicate to the work of beating Mitch, so that we can get him out of the way.”
McGrath outpaced her progressive challengers in two suburban northern Kentucky counties that are also vital in November, and she will be buoyed by the national Democratic interest in knocking off McConnell and wresting away his control of the Senate, which should help her continue to raise staggering amounts of cash. She exited the primary with nearly $20 million left, and McGrath can point to polls to bolster hopes that she has a chance to pull off the upset. In the closing days of the primary, her campaign touted a May poll showing her running dead even with McConnell, although national observers still rate McConnell as the favorite to win re-election.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-30--GOP Governor Says There Won't Be Social Distancing At Major Event With Trump

Despite recent spikes in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations across the country , South Dakota Gov .
Kristi Noem ( R ) said Monday that the thousands of people planning to listen to President Donald Trump speak at Mount Rushmore this week will not be required to practice social distancing .
“ We will have a large event on July 3 , ” Noem told conservative TV host Laura Ingraham .
“ We told those folks that have concerns that they can stay home , but those who want to come and join us , we ’ ll be giving out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wear one .
But we will not be social distancing.
” South Dakota Gov .
Kristi Noem ( R ) and President Donald Trump at a meeting in December .
The president is planning to speak at Mount Rushmore this week , and Noem has said she will not require attendees to wear masks or practice social distancing .
Health officials across the country have advised that wearing a mask and practicing social distancing are imperative steps to take toward minimizing the spread of COVID-19 , which is highly infectious and spreads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump , who has led public opposition to health safety measures despite their widespread popularity , has refused to wear a mask in public .
The president is scheduled to deliver remarks in Keystone , South Dakota , the site of Mount Rushmore , for what has been billed as a celebration ahead of the Fourth of July .
There have been over 6,700 confirmed coronavirus cases and 91 deaths in South Dakota , according to data from Johns Hopkins .
Aiming to paint a picture of normalcy amid a global catastrophe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events during the pandemic in defiance of public health guidance from officials .
At least six members of Trump ’ s own campaign staff tested positive for coronavirus while preparing for an indoor rally in Oklahoma , where Trump spoke to thousands who refused to wear masks .
Trump later held a similar event in Arizona , and hundreds packed into a church ― without donning masks ― to listen to him speak .
As infections and hospitalizations increase , even some Republicans often in lockstep with Trump have had to come to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stance .
Sen. Lamar Alexander , a Republican from Tennessee who will retire at the end of the year , on Sunday carefully embedded his criticism in praise for Trump .
“ I wish the president would wear a mask when it ’ s appropriate because millions of Americans admire him , and they would follow his lead , ” Alexander said .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Despite recent spikes in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations across the country, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) said Monday that the thousands of people planning to listen to President Donald Trump speak at Mount Rushmore this week will not be required to practice social distancing.
“We will have a large event on July 3,” Noem told conservative TV host Laura Ingraham. “We told those folks that have concerns that they can stay home, but those who want to come and join us, we’ll be giving out free face masks, if they choose to wear one. But we will not be social distancing.”
Advertisement
“In South Dakota, we’ve told people to focus on personal responsibility,” Noem said.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) and President Donald Trump at a meeting in December. The president is planning to speak at Mount Rushmore this week, and Noem has said she will not require attendees to wear masks or practice social distancing. Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Health officials across the country have advised that wearing a mask and practicing social distancing are imperative steps to take toward minimizing the spread of COVID-19, which is highly infectious and spreads most easily among people in close proximity.
Trump, who has led public opposition to health safety measures despite their widespread popularity, has refused to wear a mask in public.
The president is scheduled to deliver remarks in Keystone, South Dakota, the site of Mount Rushmore, for what has been billed as a celebration ahead of the Fourth of July. There have been over 6,700 confirmed coronavirus cases and 91 deaths in South Dakota, according to data from Johns Hopkins.
Advertisement
Aiming to paint a picture of normalcy amid a global catastrophe, Trump has continued hosting in-person campaign events during the pandemic in defiance of public health guidance from officials.
At least six members of Trump’s own campaign staff tested positive for coronavirus while preparing for an indoor rally in Oklahoma, where Trump spoke to thousands who refused to wear masks. Trump later held a similar event in Arizona, and hundreds packed into a church ― without donning masks ― to listen to him speak.
As infections and hospitalizations increase, even some Republicans often in lockstep with Trump have had to come to terms with the absurdity of his anti-mask stance.
Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Republican from Tennessee who will retire at the end of the year, on Sunday carefully embedded his criticism in praise for Trump.
“I wish the president would wear a mask when it’s appropriate because millions of Americans admire him, and they would follow his lead,” Alexander said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-30--The Facebook Ad Boycott Keeps Growing

The Facebook Ad Boycott Keeps Growing

A boycott that ’ s encouraging advertisers to “ Stop Hate for Profit ” by pulling ads from Facebook-owned properties for the month of July has grown to at least 270 companies as of June 30 , the day before the boycott takes effect .
The effort , organized by a consortium of civil rights groups like the Anti-Defamation League , NAACP and Color of Change , specifically calls out Facebook for failing to adequately address the “ vast proliferation ” of hate speech and misinformation on the platform .
Organizers also say Facebook permits “ incitement to violence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s “ looting ... shooting ” post , which Facebook did nothing to address .
Another point of contention , according to the Stop Hate for Profit website , is that Facebook “ named Breitbart News a ‘ trusted news source ’ and made The Daily Caller a ‘ fact checker ’ despite both publications having records of working with known white nationalists.
” The group has released a list of recommendations that includes better moderation of content that targets people because of their race or religion , moderation of private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideologies , and notifying advertisers when their ads are shown next to content that ’ s later removed for misinformation or hate .
Some big names are involved in the boycott , including Starbucks , Adidas , Reebok , Best Buy , Clorox , Coca-Cola , Conagra , the beverage company Diageo , Ford , HP , Honda , Hershey ’ s , The North Face , Puma , REI , Unilever , Verizon , Levi ’ s , Patagonia , Pepsi , Pfizer and more .
( Verizon owns HuffPost ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Microsoft hasn ’ t joined the boycott , but according to an internal chat transcript obtained by Axios , it hasn ’ t advertised on Facebook or Instagram since May over concerns about the content its ads were running against .
In a bid to staunch the bleeding , Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg held a town hall last Friday where he renewed pledges to do a better job combating hate speech in ads and labeling posts from politicians .
“ Unfortunately , the sum total of these exercises reveal that Facebook has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than addressing the underlying problems on the platform , ” Stop Hate for Profit said in a statement .
Facebook earlier suggested that this would be the case .
“ We do not make policy changes tied to revenue pressure , ” Facebook Vice President Carolyn Everson wrote in a memo to advertisers last week .
“ We set our policies based on principles rather than business interests.
” However successful the boycott may be in applying political pressure to Facebook , it ’ s unlikely to significantly affect the company ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 70 billion in revenue last year , almost all of it from ad sales via 8 million different advertisers .
But Sleeping Giants , an organization involved in the campaign , says that isn ’ t really the point .
“ Remember that the Stop Hate for Profit campaign is not about damaging Facebook ’ s bottom line , it ’ s about a broader reckoning around the platform ’ s lack of moderation of hate and disinformation , ” the organization tweeted .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
A boycott that’s encouraging advertisers to “Stop Hate for Profit” by pulling ads from Facebook-owned properties for the month of July has grown to at least 270 companies as of June 30, the day before the boycott takes effect.
The effort, organized by a consortium of civil rights groups like the Anti-Defamation League, NAACP and Color of Change, specifically calls out Facebook for failing to adequately address the “vast proliferation” of hate speech and misinformation on the platform.
Advertisement
Organizers also say Facebook permits “incitement to violence,” an example of which is President Trump’s “looting ... shooting” post, which Facebook did nothing to address.
Another point of contention, according to the Stop Hate for Profit website, is that Facebook “named Breitbart News a ‘trusted news source’ and made The Daily Caller a ‘fact checker’ despite both publications having records of working with known white nationalists.”
The group has released a list of recommendations that includes better moderation of content that targets people because of their race or religion, moderation of private groups that often harbor and promote extremist ideologies, and notifying advertisers when their ads are shown next to content that’s later removed for misinformation or hate.
Some big names are involved in the boycott, including Starbucks, Adidas, Reebok, Best Buy, Clorox, Coca-Cola, Conagra, the beverage company Diageo, Ford, HP, Honda, Hershey’s, The North Face, Puma, REI, Unilever, Verizon, Levi’s, Patagonia, Pepsi, Pfizer and more. (Verizon owns HuffPost’s parent company, Verizon Media.)
Advertisement
Microsoft hasn’t joined the boycott, but according to an internal chat transcript obtained by Axios, it hasn’t advertised on Facebook or Instagram since May over concerns about the content its ads were running against.
In a bid to staunch the bleeding, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg held a town hall last Friday where he renewed pledges to do a better job combating hate speech in ads and labeling posts from politicians.
The address did little to appease anyone.
“Unfortunately, the sum total of these exercises reveal that Facebook has been spending more time on their messaging rather than addressing the underlying problems on the platform,” Stop Hate for Profit said in a statement.
Color of Change President Rashad Robinson called the town hall “11 minutes of wasted opportunity to commit to change.”
Facebook earlier suggested that this would be the case. “We do not make policy changes tied to revenue pressure,” Facebook Vice President Carolyn Everson wrote in a memo to advertisers last week. “We set our policies based on principles rather than business interests.”
Advertisement
However successful the boycott may be in applying political pressure to Facebook, it’s unlikely to significantly affect the company’s bottom line. Facebook generated more than $70 billion in revenue last year, almost all of it from ad sales via 8 million different advertisers.
But Sleeping Giants, an organization involved in the campaign, says that isn’t really the point.
“Remember that the Stop Hate for Profit campaign is not about damaging Facebook’s bottom line, it’s about a broader reckoning around the platform’s lack of moderation of hate and disinformation,” the organization tweeted.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-30--People Are Peeing And Pooping All Over The Queen’s Balmoral Estate Because Of Lockdown

With public toilets closed during the coronavirus lockdown , some people have taken to peeing and pooping near busy walkways and monuments .
Staff at the British monarch ’ s 50,000-acre property in Aberdeenshire were forced to tweet guidance over the weekend on where and how visitors should go to the bathroom outdoors .
“ If you need to pee , please do so at least 30 meters from lochs or streams , ” they advised in one tweet .
“ If you need to defecate , do so as far away as possible from buildings , paths , water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a shallow hole and replace the turf.
” Whilst toilets are closed .
If you need to pee , please do so at least 30 metres from lochs or streams .
If you need to defecate , do so as far away as possible from buildings , paths , water courses and farm animals .
Bury faeces in a shallow hole and replace the turf .
pic.twitter.com/K4EfGGuAFf — balmoralcastle.com ( @ Balmoral_Castle ) June 28 , 2020 “ Part of the problem is that we are seeing a lot of non biodegradable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” staff wrote in another post , noting how “ people are choosing to relieve themselves right next to busy paths or monuments rather than move a little bit further away to avoid contamination.
” Disappointed to see so many wipes discarded on the Estate today .
Next to paths and monuments .
Please remember there are no public toilets open for miles around at the moment .
pic.twitter.com/QRXixXWZRL — balmoralcastle.com ( @ Balmoral_Castle ) June 27 , 2020 Part of the problem is that we are seeing a lot of non biodegradable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Also , people are choosing to relieve themselves right next to busy paths or monuments rather than move a little bit further away to avoid contamination .
— balmoralcastle.com ( @ Balmoral_Castle ) June 27 , 2020 Visitors were also cautioned against using authority-run public toilets near Lock Muick .
The bathrooms are currently closed .
“ Unfortunately , people have been breaking into them and conditions inside are becoming unsanitary , ” the estate wrote on Facebook : The grounds and gardens of Balmoral Castle , where the queen usually stays in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visitors .
The queen has been isolating during the pandemic some 500 miles away at Windsor Castle with Prince Philip .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Beware of the pathways on Queen Elizabeth II’s Balmoral estate in Scotland.
With public toilets closed during the coronavirus lockdown, some people have taken to peeing and pooping near busy walkways and monuments.
Staff at the British monarch’s 50,000-acre property in Aberdeenshire were forced to tweet guidance over the weekend on where and how visitors should go to the bathroom outdoors.
Advertisement
“If you need to pee, please do so at least 30 meters from lochs or streams,” they advised in one tweet. “If you need to defecate, do so as far away as possible from buildings, paths, water courses and farm animals. Bury faeces in a shallow hole and replace the turf.”
Whilst toilets are closed. If you need to pee, please do so at least 30 metres from lochs or streams. If you need to defecate, do so as far away as possible from buildings, paths, water courses and farm animals. Bury faeces in a shallow hole and replace the turf. pic.twitter.com/K4EfGGuAFf — balmoralcastle.com (@Balmoral_Castle) June 28, 2020
“Part of the problem is that we are seeing a lot of non biodegradable wipes being discarded in the countryside,” staff wrote in another post, noting how “people are choosing to relieve themselves right next to busy paths or monuments rather than move a little bit further away to avoid contamination.”
Disappointed to see so many wipes discarded on the Estate today. Next to paths and monuments. Please remember there are no public toilets open for miles around at the moment. pic.twitter.com/QRXixXWZRL — balmoralcastle.com (@Balmoral_Castle) June 27, 2020
Advertisement
Part of the problem is that we are seeing a lot of non biodegradable wipes being discarded in the countryside. Also, people are choosing to relieve themselves right next to busy paths or monuments rather than move a little bit further away to avoid contamination. — balmoralcastle.com (@Balmoral_Castle) June 27, 2020
Visitors were also cautioned against using authority-run public toilets near Lock Muick. The bathrooms are currently closed.
“Unfortunately, people have been breaking into them and conditions inside are becoming unsanitary,” the estate wrote on Facebook:
The grounds and gardens of Balmoral Castle, where the queen usually stays in the summer, are currently closed to visitors.
Advertisement
The estate’s public pathways are still open to the public.
The queen has been isolating during the pandemic some 500 miles away at Windsor Castle with Prince Philip.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-30--Officials Trace More Than 100 Coronavirus Cases To Michigan Bar

At least 107 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus have been linked to a bar in Michigan .
Some 95 people who visited Harper ’ s Restaurant & Brewpub in East Lansing June 12-20 have now tested positive for COVID-19 , Ingham County Health Department announced Monday .
A further 12 people “ who were in contact with a primary case but did not go to Harper ’ s themselves ” have also been infected with the virus , per a statement released by the department .
The rising numbers from the outbreak prompted Ingham County to issue “ an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % or no more than 75 people , whichever is less.
” The patrons who tested positive for the coronavirus were aged 16 to 28 .
None were hospitalized .
Most showed mild symptoms and 28 were asymptomatic .
Forty percent were students at or recent graduates of Michigan State University .
Ingham Country Health officials urged people who attended the venue during the nine-day period to get tested for the coronavirus and self-quarantine for 14 days following the date of their last visit .
“ There are likely more people infected with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County Health officer Linda Vail warned last week when the case count from the outbreak stood at 34 .
The 950-capacity venue had reopened at 50 % capacity on June 8 and was “ following appropriate safety procedures related to employees , restaurant capacity and table spacing , ” per the department ’ s inspectors .
Harper ’ s announced its temporary closure — in order to modify its air conditioning system and further improve social distancing measures — via a lengthy post on Facebook on Jun .
23 .
“ We have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wear face coverings and practice social distancing through signage on the public sidewalk and with a banner on our railing , ” the venue wrote .
“ Our oversight of the line on our stairs has been successful , but trying to get customers to follow our recommendations on the public sidewalk has been challenging , ” it added .
“ Because we have no authority to control lines on public property , we are left with the dilemma of staying open and letting this situation continue , or closing until we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lines altogether .
”

LOADING ERROR LOADING
At least 107 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus have been linked to a bar in Michigan.
Some 95 people who visited Harper’s Restaurant & Brewpub in East Lansing June 12-20 have now tested positive for COVID-19, Ingham County Health Department announced Monday.
A further 12 people “who were in contact with a primary case but did not go to Harper’s themselves” have also been infected with the virus, per a statement released by the department.
Advertisement
The rising numbers from the outbreak prompted Ingham County to issue “an emergency order reducing restaurant capacity to 50% or no more than 75 people, whichever is less.”
Ingham County has issued an emergency order to reduce restaurant capacity as outbreak linked to local bar grows to 107. https://t.co/sWvUINaFAJ — Ingham Health Dept. (@InghamHealth) June 29, 2020
The patrons who tested positive for the coronavirus were aged 16 to 28.
None were hospitalized. Most showed mild symptoms and 28 were asymptomatic. Forty percent were students at or recent graduates of Michigan State University.
Ingham Country Health officials urged people who attended the venue during the nine-day period to get tested for the coronavirus and self-quarantine for 14 days following the date of their last visit.
Advertisement
“There are likely more people infected with COVID-19 not yet identified,” Ingham County Health officer Linda Vail warned last week when the case count from the outbreak stood at 34.
The 950-capacity venue had reopened at 50% capacity on June 8 and was “following appropriate safety procedures related to employees, restaurant capacity and table spacing,” per the department’s inspectors.
Harper’s announced its temporary closure — in order to modify its air conditioning system and further improve social distancing measures — via a lengthy post on Facebook on Jun. 23.
“We have attempted to instruct customers waiting in line to wear face coverings and practice social distancing through signage on the public sidewalk and with a banner on our railing,” the venue wrote.
Advertisement
“Our oversight of the line on our stairs has been successful, but trying to get customers to follow our recommendations on the public sidewalk has been challenging,” it added. “Because we have no authority to control lines on public property, we are left with the dilemma of staying open and letting this situation continue, or closing until we can devise a strategy that eliminates the lines altogether.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-06-30--Supreme Court Rules State's Denial Of Funding For Religious Schools Violates Constitution

At the center of the case is an issue that President Donald Trump and his appointees have long championed : private school choice , which includes voucher and tax-credit programs .
Private school choice programs , which exist in 29 states and the District of Columbia , typically provide publicly funded scholarships for children from lower-income families to attend private schools .
A 2017 HuffPost investigation found that over 75 % of schools that participate in these programs are religious and overwhelmingly Christian .
In some places , these programs push up against constitutional provisions called the Blaine Amendments , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religious entities .
The Blaine Amendments were born out of anti-Catholic hostility , though in Montana , the state reaffirmed its commitment to the provision in the 1970s for reasons unrelated to anti-Catholic sentiment .
Still , Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue acts as a larger referendum on private school choice , which U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has tried vigorously to expand .
Indeed , DeVos has spoken out against the Blaine Amendments in the context of school choice , saying in a previous statement to The New York Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too many children away from a better education.
” Under the Trump administration , the Supreme Court has already worked to unravel some of the firewalls between church and state .
In a 2017 case , Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer , the Supreme Court said that Missouri could not prohibit a church from participating in a state-funded program designed to fix up playgrounds simply because it was religious .
Both public school choice and church-state separation advocates rang the alarm on the potential impact of this case .
Public school choice advocates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ credit programs , which they say serve to drain funds from public schools .
When students leave public schools to attend private schools through these programs , per-pupil funding follows them .
However , the onerous costs of maintaining a school system remain .
Critics said they feared the court ’ s ruling could open the gate for a legion of litigation against the Blaine Amendments across the country , opening a Pandora ’ s box that could unravel long-held protections .
They also said they feared the case would expand public funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Supreme Court has opened the door for voucher proponents in states to aggressively pursue the diversion of taxpayer dollars to private schools — schools that can pick and choose who they educate and are not accountable to taxpayers , ” said a statement from the National Coalition for Public Education , a coalition of groups united against voucher programs .
“ Espinoza will strike a death blow to discriminatory Blaine amendments found in more than 30 state constitutions , which may restrict participation of religiously affiliated schools in publicly funded educational choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EdChoice Vice President of Legal Affairs Leslie Hiner .
“ Once an obstacle to parents and state legislators who value the right of parents to choose any school for their children ’ s education , today the Blaine obstacle has suffered defeat !
” The 2017 HuffPost investigation found that at least 14 % of religious schools participating in voucher or tax credit programs maintain policies that advertise anti-gay policies or bar LGBTQ students and staff from admission and employment .
A more recent HuffPost investigation found that some of these schools go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to attend conversion therapy .
HuffPost found that of the 13 schools that originally signed up to participate in the Montana tax credit program , four had anti-LGBTQ policies on the books , including the school at the center of the case .
The case was initiated by Kendra Espinoza , a mother who wanted to use the program to help pay for her daughters to attend a local Christian school .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The Supreme Court dealt a victory to private school choice advocates on Tuesday in its ruling on a landmark case that could open the floodgates for allowing public dollars to fund religious institutions.
The case, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, centered around a school tax credit program in Montana that provided financial incentives for individuals and corporations to donate to private school tuition scholarships. Most of the schools that signed up to participate were religious.
Advertisement
In 2018, the Montana Supreme Court found this in violation of a state constitutional provision barring public dollars for religious schools. The state disbanded the entire program in response, a decision that affected both the religious and secular schools in the program.
In a 5-4 ruling that will likely reverberate around the nation, the Supreme Court has reversed the state court’s decision.
The plaintiffs and their supporters argued that the state had discriminated against religious institutions, and the majority of Supreme Court justices agreed, determining that the Montana court’s decision specifically singled out religious schools due to their religiosity, in violation of the Constitution.
“When otherwise eligible recipients are disqualified from a public benefit ‘solely because of their religious character,’ we must apply strict scrutiny,” Chief Justice Roberts wrote in the majority opinion.
Advertisement
“A State need not subsidize private education. But once a State decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious.”
People gather outside the Supreme Court during oral arguments in the Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue case on Jan. 22. Sarah Silbiger / Reuters
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who wrote one of the case’s dissenting opinions, argued that the state did not discriminate in its treatment of religious schools because it disbanded the entire program, rather than single out religious participants.
“Neither giving up their faith, nor declining to send their children to sectarian schools, would affect their entitlement to scholarship funding. There simply are no scholarship funds to be had,” she wrote.
Also dissenting, Justice Sonia Sotomayor called the decision “perverse,” by appearing “to require a State to reinstate a tax-credit program that the Constitution did not demand in the first place.”
Advertisement
At the center of the case is an issue that President Donald Trump and his appointees have long championed: private school choice, which includes voucher and tax-credit programs. Private school choice programs, which exist in 29 states and the District of Columbia, typically provide publicly funded scholarships for children from lower-income families to attend private schools. A 2017 HuffPost investigation found that over 75% of schools that participate in these programs are religious and overwhelmingly Christian.
In some places, these programs push up against constitutional provisions called the Blaine Amendments, which bar public funding from going to religious entities. The Blaine Amendments were born out of anti-Catholic hostility, though in Montana, the state reaffirmed its commitment to the provision in the 1970s for reasons unrelated to anti-Catholic sentiment.
The Supreme Court did not rule on the constitutionality of such provisions overall, but rather whether such provisions can be used to exclude religious schools from state voucher or tax credit programs.
Still, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue acts as a larger referendum on private school choice, which U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has tried vigorously to expand. Indeed, DeVos has spoken out against the Blaine Amendments in the context of school choice, saying in a previous statement to The New York Times that they “only serve to keep too many children away from a better education.”
The outcome of this case constitutes a major victory for DeVos, who has staked her entire career in education on this issue.
Advertisement
DeVos immediately applauded the decision in a statement, calling it “a turning point in the sad and static history of American education.” She encouraged states to seize the opportunity to expand school choice options for their students.
“Montana and other states should be very clear about this historic decision: your bigoted Blaine Amendments and other restrictions like them are unconstitutional, dead, and buried,” she said.
Notably, the Espinoza decision did not rule on the constitutionality of Blaine amendments overall.
Under the Trump administration, the Supreme Court has already worked to unravel some of the firewalls between church and state. In a 2017 case, Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer, the Supreme Court said that Missouri could not prohibit a church from participating in a state-funded program designed to fix up playgrounds simply because it was religious.
Both public school choice and church-state separation advocates rang the alarm on the potential impact of this case. Public school choice advocates have long stood against voucher and tax credit programs, which they say serve to drain funds from public schools. When students leave public schools to attend private schools through these programs, per-pupil funding follows them. However, the onerous costs of maintaining a school system remain.
Advertisement
Critics said they feared the court’s ruling could open the gate for a legion of litigation against the Blaine Amendments across the country, opening a Pandora’s box that could unravel long-held protections. They also said they feared the case would expand public funding for schools that openly discriminate.
“The Supreme Court has opened the door for voucher proponents in states to aggressively pursue the diversion of taxpayer dollars to private schools — schools that can pick and choose who they educate and are not accountable to taxpayers,” said a statement from the National Coalition for Public Education, a coalition of groups united against voucher programs.
Indeed, school choice advocates are already cheering the impact the decision could have around the country.
“Espinoza will strike a death blow to discriminatory Blaine amendments found in more than 30 state constitutions, which may restrict participation of religiously affiliated schools in publicly funded educational choice programs,” said a statement from EdChoice Vice President of Legal Affairs Leslie Hiner. “Once an obstacle to parents and state legislators who value the right of parents to choose any school for their children’s education, today the Blaine obstacle has suffered defeat!”
The 2017 HuffPost investigation found that at least 14% of religious schools participating in voucher or tax credit programs maintain policies that advertise anti-gay policies or bar LGBTQ students and staff from admission and employment. A more recent HuffPost investigation found that some of these schools go so far as to push LGBTQ children to attend conversion therapy.
Advertisement
HuffPost found that of the 13 schools that originally signed up to participate in the Montana tax credit program, four had anti-LGBTQ policies on the books, including the school at the center of the case. The case was initiated by Kendra Espinoza, a mother who wanted to use the program to help pay for her daughters to attend a local Christian school.
“It’s very concerning to divert public funds to private religious schools. We all know our public schools are already hurting across the country,” Rachel Laser, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, told HuffPost in January.