thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--CDC Warns Of Seasonal Outbreak Of Polio-Like Illness Among Kids

Federal health officials are asking parents and health care workers to be on the lookout for symptoms of a mysterious paralyzing illness among children ahead of an anticipated seasonal outbreak over the next several months .
The polio-like illness is called acute flaccid myelitis , or AFM , and tends to peak every other year in the U.S .
The last surge in cases was in 2018 when a record 238 cases were reported in 42 states , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
In that year , 35 % of patients weren ’ t hospitalized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signs of limb weakness , hindering the chances of early detection and of children making a full recovery , the CDC said .
“ AFM can progress rapidly over the course of hours or days , leading to permanent paralysis and/or the life-threatening complication of respiratory failure in previously healthy patients , so delays in care can be serious , ” the CDC said in an advisory released Tuesday .
“ Parents and doctors should suspect AFM in patients with sudden limb weakness , especially during August through November , ” the CDC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fever and the presence of neck or back pain or any neurologic symptom should heighten their concern.
” There is no proven treatment , test or prevention method for AFM , which had its first known peak of 120 cases in the U.S. only in 2014 .
Most patients have had a fever and/or respiratory illness approximately six days before showing signs of limb weakness .
Nearly all patients , or 98 % , were hospitalized , and just over half were admitted to an intensive care unit .
Of those hospitalized , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CDC said .
Enteroviruses , which enter through the intestine , are suspected as being responsible for the increase in cases every other year .
The most common virus identified among patients is EV-D68 , but other viruses can cause the condition .
Though AFM ’ s symptoms resemble polio , all specimens taken from patients have tested negative for that virus , the CDC said .
Researchers have said that more information is needed , particularly in determining whether the condition is related to a virus directly attacking the central nervous system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role .
The CDC ’ s guidelines to prevent an enterovirus infection include washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds ; avoiding touching eyes , noses and mouth with unwashed hands ; avoiding close contact with people who are sick ; covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or shirt sleeve ; cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces ; and staying home when sick .
Braden Scott , who was diagnosed with AFM in 2016 and was almost completely paralyzed , gives a thumbs-up as he pauses while practicing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in March 2019 .
Rachel Scott — whose son , Braden , was 5 when diagnosed in 2016 with AFM — formed the nonprofit advocacy group Acute Flaccid Myelitis Association in early 2019 .
She recently spoke out about his diagnosis and ongoing recovery to inform other parents and medical professionals about the condition and the importance of early detection .
“ I truly believe that awareness about AFM will save children in the coming months .
Even in our current pandemic , parents must know that any form of limb weakness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said at the CDC ’ s AFM presentation last month .
Her son is one of the earliest known examples of the condition .
He became almost entirely paralyzed after contracting what appeared to be a common cold ― something that Rachel Scott said her other children contracted and recovered from .
“ I attributed everything to what I believed was a sore throat .
In my mind , he was weak because he wasn ’ t eating , and he wasn ’ t eating because his throat hurt .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ perhaps his swallowing muscles were paralyzed , and paralysis was slowly spreading through his body , ” she said .
Because of uncertainty about his condition , Braden wasn ’ t immediately hospitalized , and he wasn ’ t properly diagnosed by doctors .
Rachel Scott said she wonders how different his life would be today if she had known what to look for at the time .

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Federal health officials are asking parents and health care workers to be on the lookout for symptoms of a mysterious paralyzing illness among children ahead of an anticipated seasonal outbreak over the next several months.
The polio-like illness is called acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM, and tends to peak every other year in the U.S. The last surge in cases was in 2018 when a record 238 cases were reported in 42 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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In that year, 35% of patients weren’t hospitalized until two or more days after showing signs of limb weakness, hindering the chances of early detection and of children making a full recovery, the CDC said.
“AFM can progress rapidly over the course of hours or days, leading to permanent paralysis and/or the life-threatening complication of respiratory failure in previously healthy patients, so delays in care can be serious,” the CDC said in an advisory released Tuesday.
These are some of the signs and symptoms to watch out for. Acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM, generally causes fever and/or respiratory illness before limb weakness sets in. CDC
“Parents and doctors should suspect AFM in patients with sudden limb weakness, especially during August through November,” the CDC added. “Recent respiratory illness or fever and the presence of neck or back pain or any neurologic symptom should heighten their concern.”
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There is no proven treatment, test or prevention method for AFM, which had its first known peak of 120 cases in the U.S. only in 2014.
Most patients have had a fever and/or respiratory illness approximately six days before showing signs of limb weakness. Nearly all patients, or 98%, were hospitalized, and just over half were admitted to an intensive care unit. Of those hospitalized, a quarter required a ventilator, the CDC said.
“Recognition and early diagnosis are critical,” said CDC Director Robert Redfield in a statement. “CDC and public health partners have strengthened early disease detection systems, a vital step toward rapid treatment and rehabilitation for children with AFM.”
Enteroviruses, which enter through the intestine, are suspected as being responsible for the increase in cases every other year. The most common virus identified among patients is EV-D68, but other viruses can cause the condition. Though AFM’s symptoms resemble polio, all specimens taken from patients have tested negative for that virus, the CDC said.
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Researchers have said that more information is needed, particularly in determining whether the condition is related to a virus directly attacking the central nervous system or whether an immune response plays a role.
“Additional studies are needed to assess risk factors, establish causality and develop a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that lead to AFM,” researchers said in a study published last fall.
The CDC’s guidelines to prevent an enterovirus infection include washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; avoiding touching eyes, noses and mouth with unwashed hands; avoiding close contact with people who are sick; covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or shirt sleeve; cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces; and staying home when sick.
Braden Scott, who was diagnosed with AFM in 2016 and was almost completely paralyzed, gives a thumbs-up as he pauses while practicing on the piano in Tomball, Texas, in March 2019. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Health officials have expressed uncertainty as to whether the current COVID-19 pandemic will complicate early detection among patients or whether social distancing efforts and improved hand-washing will reduce the risk of occurrence.
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“These practices may result in a decreased circulation of other viruses, including enteroviruses, and therefore either decrease or delay AFM this year,” Dr. Janell Routh, a CDC medical officer and AFM team lead, said at a presentation last month.
Rachel Scott — whose son, Braden, was 5 when diagnosed in 2016 with AFM — formed the nonprofit advocacy group Acute Flaccid Myelitis Association in early 2019. She recently spoke out about his diagnosis and ongoing recovery to inform other parents and medical professionals about the condition and the importance of early detection.
“I truly believe that awareness about AFM will save children in the coming months. Even in our current pandemic, parents must know that any form of limb weakness following a cold must be taken seriously,” she said at the CDC’s AFM presentation last month.
Her son is one of the earliest known examples of the condition. He became almost entirely paralyzed after contracting what appeared to be a common cold ― something that Rachel Scott said her other children contracted and recovered from.
Braden Scott uses a device to support his left arm as he practices on the piano. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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“I attributed everything to what I believed was a sore throat. In my mind, he was weak because he wasn’t eating, and he wasn’t eating because his throat hurt. We never once entertained the possibility that perhaps his swallowing muscles were paralyzed, and paralysis was slowly spreading through his body,” she said.
Because of uncertainty about his condition, Braden wasn’t immediately hospitalized, and he wasn’t properly diagnosed by doctors. Rachel Scott said she wonders how different his life would be today if she had known what to look for at the time.
Today, after years of daily physical therapy and undergoing a nerve transfer and decompression, Braden is able to walk short distances independently and has regained some ability to swallow on his own, she said.
“Our battle is unending,” Rachel Scott said. “We are so desperate for more awareness and more research so kids can be quickly and effectively treated.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly misquoted Dr. Janell Routh saying that COVID-19 practices could potentially increase or delay AFM cases. She said they could decrease or delay AFM cases.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--Jerry Falwell Apologizes For Pic Of Him With Unzipped Pants In Head-Scratching Interview

Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr. is apologizing for a photo that shows him and a woman posing with their pants unzipped .
The photo , which appears to have been posted to Falwell ’ s Instagram account , has since been deleted .
The influential evangelical leader called Lynchburg , Virginia radio station WLNI on Wednesday in an attempt to explain the photo .
“ You know it was weird , ’ cause she was , she ’ s pregnant , she couldn ’ t get her pants up , and I was , trying to like — my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jeans I haven ’ t worn in a long time so I couldn ’ t get mine zipped either , ” he said .
“ And so I just put my belly — I just put my belly out like hers , ” he added , explaining that the woman in the photo is his wife ’ s assistant and “ a sweetheart.
” “ I should never have put it up and embarrassed her because , um , anyway , I ’ ve apologized to everybody and I promised my kids , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a good boy from here on out.
” You can hear the exchange below .
A few Twitter users noted that Falwell ’ s voice sounds slurred throughout the interview .
HuffPost reached out for comment , but no one immediately responded .
Also , is it just me or does Jerry Falwell Jr. sound drunk in this interview ?
https : //t.co/BHy36LcEVc — Christian Nightmares ( @ ChristnNitemare ) August 5 , 2020 @ JerryFalwellJr so appearing on an interview show drunk , while trying to ‘ explain ’ unzipped pants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
is not a great look .
IMHO https : //t.co/Uz9cpzVCwL — Roberta PPool ( @ winnipegbaby ) August 5 , 2020 It seems he 's lying in this interview .
@ JerryFalwellJr says that in the photo he is wearing a pair of jeans that he has n't worn in a while and could n't get them zipped , but in the video the pants seem to be zipped .
— Amy Smith ( @ watchkeep ) August 5 , 2020

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Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr. is apologizing for a photo that shows him and a woman posing with their pants unzipped.
The photo, which appears to have been posted to Falwell’s Instagram account, has since been deleted.
Robert Downen/Twitter
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The influential evangelical leader called Lynchburg, Virginia radio station WLNI on Wednesday in an attempt to explain the photo.
“You know it was weird, ’cause she was, she’s pregnant, she couldn’t get her pants up, and I was, trying to like — my, I had on a pair of jeans I haven’t worn in a long time so I couldn’t get mine zipped either,” he said.
“And so I just put my belly — I just put my belly out like hers,” he added, explaining that the woman in the photo is his wife’s assistant and “a sweetheart.” “I should never have put it up and embarrassed her because, um, anyway, I’ve apologized to everybody and I promised my kids, I’m gonna try to be a good boy from here on out.”
You can hear the exchange below.
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A few Twitter users noted that Falwell’s voice sounds slurred throughout the interview.
HuffPost reached out for comment, but no one immediately responded.
Also, is it just me or does Jerry Falwell Jr. sound drunk in this interview? https://t.co/BHy36LcEVc — Christian Nightmares (@ChristnNitemare) August 5, 2020
@JerryFalwellJr so appearing on an interview show drunk, while trying to ‘explain’ unzipped pants & ‘black water’ drinks.... is not a great look. IMHO https://t.co/Uz9cpzVCwL — Roberta PPool (@winnipegbaby) August 5, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--DNC Delegates Call Biden Foreign Policy Team 'A Horror Show' And Ask For New Hires

One of Joe Biden ’ s strongest pitches to voters as he seeks the presidency is his breadth of foreign policy experience , from his time as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to his extensive diplomacy as vice president .
But a new letter that ’ s being circulated among delegates to the Democratic National Convention is raising alarm bells about the circle of advisers who would likely form Biden ’ s foreign policy team if he becomes president .
A widely circulated message promoting the letter , which is already signed by more than 275 delegates — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) — says Biden ’ s current circle is “ a horror show ” of advisers with track records of supporting “ disastrous ” U.S. military interventions .
The letter , obtained by HuffPost , attacks the “ poor judgment ” of former Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice , who ’ s rumored to be on Biden ’ s short list of vice presidential candidates , and Antony Blinken , Biden ’ s long-time chief aide on foreign affairs , as well as several other prominent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for cabinet-level appointments in a Biden administration .
“ We ask you not to rely on foreign policy advice from those who may have a conflict of interest as a result of their relationships and lobbying on behalf of merchants selling weapons and surveillance technology , ” the letter says .
“ We ask you to appoint top foreign policy advisors whose records reflect good judgment and an understanding of the importance of diplomacy and international cooperation , particularly in the face of global climate catastrophe.
” The message notes that Blinken co-founded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was involved in a Pentagon effort to enhance drone warfare , and that another Biden advisor , former Defense Department official Michèle Flournoy , worked at Boston Consulting Group for years , during which the firm increased its contracts with the military by many millions of dollars .
It also highlights Avril Haines , a former CIA deputy director who is unpopular on the left for her role in redacting a report on President George W. Bush ’ s use of torture and her role in President Barack Obama ’ s program of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Power and Jake Sullivan , who supported the president ’ s intervention in Libya ’ s civil war ; Nicholas Burns , a former diplomat in the running for secretary of state , for supporting the invasion of Iraq and condemning whistleblower Edward Snowden ; and Amit Jani , who runs Asian American outreach for Biden and has links to right-wing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi .
The organizers of the letter are hoping to gather more signatures from delegates before August 17 , the start of the convention at which Biden will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signatories include roughly a third of those delegates pledged to Sanders .
The effort is unlikely to force the former vice president to change his national security staff , most of whom he has worked with and respected for some time .
But it shows he will continue to face pressure from some liberals who want a less hawkish foreign policy under a future Democratic president .
“ Progressives want to see a strong commitment from the Biden team on advancing a more principled foreign policy that prioritizes diplomacy and multilateralism , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advising Vice President Biden on foreign policy have a consistent record of opposing regime-change interventions , rejecting the whitewashing of torture , and opposing arming authoritarian governments engaging in systematic human rights violations , ” said Yasmine Taeb , senior policy counsel at the advocacy group Demand Progress .
Sanders was Biden ’ s chief rival in the Democratic presidential primary and emphasized a more progressive foreign policy in his pitch to voters , often citing America ’ s past mistakes abroad .
After he dropped out , Biden and Sanders developed joint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ range of issues in order to reflect the diversity of views within the party .
Notably , they did not form a task force on national security .
Biden ’ s team has signaled that it is open to hearing from left-wing voices on foreign policy , regularly reaching out to grassroots activists who have rallied Democratic campaigners and lawmakers against policies like U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen , and unquestioned American assistance to Israel despite its suppression of Palestinians .
But Biden ’ s camp has also been wary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choices that could be perceived as controversial — a tendency that most recently caused an intra-party split on whether to call Israel ’ s control of territory integral to a future Palestinian state an “ occupation ” in the Democrats ’ 2020 platform .
Biden staffers left out the term over objections from Sanders ’ supporters and it is unlikely to be used in the platform , which is currently being finalized .
The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment , but later on Wednesday , former Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s circle has deep faith in the figures the delegates are hoping to remove .
Rice , Blinken and Haines “ are perhaps the smartest , most dedicated and principled people I have ever met , ” Wolfsthal , who is now with the anti-nuclear weapons group Global Zero , wrote on Twitter .
I would trust no one to more honestly and doggedly guide American foreign policy .
Should they have the chance to serve , we will all be better off .
”

One of Joe Biden’s strongest pitches to voters as he seeks the presidency is his breadth of foreign policy experience, from his time as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to his extensive diplomacy as vice president.
But a new letter that’s being circulated among delegates to the Democratic National Convention is raising alarm bells about the circle of advisers who would likely form Biden’s foreign policy team if he becomes president. A widely circulated message promoting the letter, which is already signed by more than 275 delegates — almost all of whom were pledged to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) — says Biden’s current circle is “a horror show” of advisers with track records of supporting “disastrous” U.S. military interventions.
The letter, obtained by HuffPost, attacks the “poor judgment” of former Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, who’s rumored to be on Biden’s short list of vice presidential candidates, and Antony Blinken, Biden’s long-time chief aide on foreign affairs, as well as several other prominent advisers who would likely be in line for cabinet-level appointments in a Biden administration.
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“We ask you not to rely on foreign policy advice from those who may have a conflict of interest as a result of their relationships and lobbying on behalf of merchants selling weapons and surveillance technology,” the letter says. “We ask you to appoint top foreign policy advisors whose records reflect good judgment and an understanding of the importance of diplomacy and international cooperation, particularly in the face of global climate catastrophe.”
The message notes that Blinken co-founded a company called WestExec Advisors, which was involved in a Pentagon effort to enhance drone warfare, and that another Biden advisor, former Defense Department official Michèle Flournoy, worked at Boston Consulting Group for years, during which the firm increased its contracts with the military by many millions of dollars.
It also highlights Avril Haines, a former CIA deputy director who is unpopular on the left for her role in redacting a report on President George W. Bush’s use of torture and her role in President Barack Obama’s program of targeted killing; former Obama aides Samantha Power and Jake Sullivan, who supported the president’s intervention in Libya’s civil war; Nicholas Burns, a former diplomat in the running for secretary of state, for supporting the invasion of Iraq and condemning whistleblower Edward Snowden; and Amit Jani, who runs Asian American outreach for Biden and has links to right-wing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The organizers of the letter are hoping to gather more signatures from delegates before August 17, the start of the convention at which Biden will be formally nominated. So far its signatories include roughly a third of those delegates pledged to Sanders.
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The effort is unlikely to force the former vice president to change his national security staff, most of whom he has worked with and respected for some time. But it shows he will continue to face pressure from some liberals who want a less hawkish foreign policy under a future Democratic president.
“Progressives want to see a strong commitment from the Biden team on advancing a more principled foreign policy that prioritizes diplomacy and multilateralism, but also a level of assurance that those advising Vice President Biden on foreign policy have a consistent record of opposing regime-change interventions, rejecting the whitewashing of torture, and opposing arming authoritarian governments engaging in systematic human rights violations,” said Yasmine Taeb, senior policy counsel at the advocacy group Demand Progress.
Sanders was Biden’s chief rival in the Democratic presidential primary and emphasized a more progressive foreign policy in his pitch to voters, often citing America’s past mistakes abroad. After he dropped out, Biden and Sanders developed joint task forces to craft policies on a range of issues in order to reflect the diversity of views within the party. Notably, they did not form a task force on national security.
A Sanders aide declined to comment on the letter.
Biden’s team has signaled that it is open to hearing from left-wing voices on foreign policy, regularly reaching out to grassroots activists who have rallied Democratic campaigners and lawmakers against policies like U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, and unquestioned American assistance to Israel despite its suppression of Palestinians. But Biden’s camp has also been wary of pledging big changes or of making choices that could be perceived as controversial — a tendency that most recently caused an intra-party split on whether to call Israel’s control of territory integral to a future Palestinian state an “occupation” in the Democrats’ 2020 platform. Biden staffers left out the term over objections from Sanders’ supporters and it is unlikely to be used in the platform, which is currently being finalized.
The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but later on Wednesday, former Biden aide Jon Wolfsthal indicated that the candidate’s circle has deep faith in the figures the delegates are hoping to remove.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--Donald Trump Repeats False Claim About Black Lives Matter Origins

President Donald Trump on Wednesday peddled disinformation about the origin of the Black Lives Matter movement , falsely claiming it began with a group of marchers chanting that police officers should “ fry like bacon.
” During an interview with “ Fox & Friends , ” Trump called athletes who kneel in support of Black Lives Matter during the national anthem “ disgraceful ” and declared he ’ s done more for Black Americans than almost anyone .
“ Black Lives Matter ― where did it start ?
” Trump said .
“ Marching down streets screaming ‘ Pigs in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bacon.
’ They were talking about policemen.
” He continued : “ So all of a sudden , this has taken on this air of great respectability .
Well , how does it start there ?
It ’ s a Marxist group .
It ’ s a Marxist group that is not looking for good things for our country.
” Trump and his allies , including White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany , have been pushing this false Black Lives Matter origin story for weeks .
Though the movement has been around for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following George Floyd ’ s death at the hands of Minneapolis police in May .
The chant Trump cited can be heard in a 2015 video of a Black Lives Matter protest in St. Paul , Minnesota .
The group was not an official chapter of the national Black Lives Matter organization , according to CNN .
Rashad Turner , a founder of the St. Paul Black Lives Matter group , told CNN that the chant wasn ’ t intended to promote violence and was only used that one time .
Black Lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against police brutality and racial injustice , began two years earlier with a hashtag .
# BlackLivesMatter was created by three Black activists in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Black teenager Trayvon Martin .
Over the years , the movement morphed into the Black Lives Matter Global Network and created guiding principles for other official chapters to adopt in an effort to end state-sanctioned violence and racism .
Principles include acknowledging , respecting and celebrating differences and commonalities , as well as being “ unapologetically Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its website .
As CNN stated , there ’ s no way to say with certainty that the “ fry like bacon ” chant was never again used by protesters who align themselves with Black Lives Matter , but it ’ s certainly not an official or prominent slogan associated with the movement .
But that hasn ’ t stopped Trump and Fox News from linking the chant to the entire Black Lives Matter movement ― the largest protest movement in U.S. history , according to The New York Times .
But Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him when it comes to athletes kneeling in solidarity .
“ We ’ ve got to stand up for our flag , we have to stand up for our country , we have to stand up for our anthem , ” Trump said .
“ And a lot of people agree with me .
Hey , if I ’ m wrong I ’ m going to lose an election , OK ?
And that ’ s OK with me .
”

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President Donald Trump on Wednesday peddled disinformation about the origin of the Black Lives Matter movement, falsely claiming it began with a group of marchers chanting that police officers should “fry like bacon.”
During an interview with “Fox & Friends,” Trump called athletes who kneel in support of Black Lives Matter during the national anthem “disgraceful” and declared he’s done more for Black Americans than almost anyone.
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“Black Lives Matter ― where did it start?” Trump said. “Marching down streets screaming ‘Pigs in a blanket, fry ‘em like bacon.’ They were talking about policemen.”
He continued: “So all of a sudden, this has taken on this air of great respectability. Well, how does it start there? It’s a Marxist group. It’s a Marxist group that is not looking for good things for our country.”
Trump and his allies, including White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, have been pushing this false Black Lives Matter origin story for weeks. Though the movement has been around for several years, it garnered mainstream support following George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police in May.
The chant Trump cited can be heard in a 2015 video of a Black Lives Matter protest in St. Paul, Minnesota. The group was not an official chapter of the national Black Lives Matter organization, according to CNN.
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Rashad Turner, a founder of the St. Paul Black Lives Matter group, told CNN that the chant wasn’t intended to promote violence and was only used that one time.
Black Lives Matter, a massive, decentralized movement against police brutality and racial injustice, began two years earlier with a hashtag. #BlackLivesMatter was created by three Black activists in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Black teenager Trayvon Martin.
Over the years, the movement morphed into the Black Lives Matter Global Network and created guiding principles for other official chapters to adopt in an effort to end state-sanctioned violence and racism. Principles include acknowledging, respecting and celebrating differences and commonalities, as well as being “unapologetically Black in our positioning,” according to its website.
Anyone can start a Black Lives Matter group, though that doesn’t make it an official chapter of the national organization.
As CNN stated, there’s no way to say with certainty that the “fry like bacon” chant was never again used by protesters who align themselves with Black Lives Matter, but it’s certainly not an official or prominent slogan associated with the movement.
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But that hasn’t stopped Trump and Fox News from linking the chant to the entire Black Lives Matter movement ― the largest protest movement in U.S. history, according to The New York Times.
An ABC News/Washington Post poll conducted in July found 63% of Americans support the Black Lives Matter movement.
But Trump claimed Wednesday that most Americans agree with him when it comes to athletes kneeling in solidarity.
“We’ve got to stand up for our flag, we have to stand up for our country, we have to stand up for our anthem,” Trump said. “And a lot of people agree with me. Hey, if I’m wrong I’m going to lose an election, OK? And that’s OK with me.”
Watch Trump’s full interview with “Fox & Friends” below. His comments about Black Lives Matter begin around the 49-minute mark.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--Rep. Rashida Tlaib Wins Democratic Primary Challenge In Michigan

Rep. Rashida Tlaib , an outspoken Michigan progressive , defeated Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones in the Democratic primary for Michigan ’ s 13th Congressional District on Tuesday .
Her primary win in one of the most Democratic House districts in the country all but officially confirms that Tlaib will be returning to Washington .
“ I ’ m confident in the movement that we started , ” Tlaib told supporters on a video livestream as results came in Tuesday night .
“ Our country is ready ― is ready for someone like me and others that are saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , enough with the assault on our families.
” In two short years , Tlaib , an attorney and former Michigan state representative , has gone from an upstart contender who took advantage of a crowded 2018 primary field to an established force in local and national Democratic politics against whom future adversaries will likely think twice about running .
Tlaib barely won in the August 2018 Democratic primary that ensured her control of the seat .
She bested Jones by a single percentage point , even as Jones won a special election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the final weeks of Conyers ’ term .
( Conyers resigned in December 2017 amid sexual harassment allegations from former aides . )
But rather than keep a low profile , Tlaib almost instantaneously developed a reputation as an unabashed progressive brawler .
The day she was sworn into office in January 2019 , she made waves for declaring her intention to “ impeach the motherfucker ” ― a reference to President Donald Trump .
More recently , she raised eyebrows with her refusal to explicitly endorse former Vice President Joe Biden in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that by focusing on turnout in her own race , she would help “ deliver Michigan for Joe Biden ” ) .
Many of the qualities that have prompted those from the political center to criticize Tlaib have endeared her to a base of working-class Detroiters and progressive activists .
Tlaib , the first Palestinian American woman in Congress and one of the body ’ s first two Muslim women , has steadfastly defended her support for the Boycott , Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel and the creation of a single , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cost Tlaib the support of J Street PAC , a liberal pro-Israel group .
But when the Israeli government publicly denied her entry to the country based on its blanket prohibition of BDS proponents , even many of her critics took her side .
In a May interview , Tlaib told HuffPost that she sees the fight against racism and poverty in Detroit as part of a struggle for dignity taking place across the globe , including in the occupied Palestinian territories where her grandmother lives .
“ I just have this connection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and what ’ s happening in Palestine , ” she said .
“ And for me , it just makes me more of a warrior when it comes to these issues and speaking the truth about it.
” Tlaib has worked hard to improve public health and living standards in her high-poverty district .
She successfully sponsored an amendment to a July spending bill that would increase federal funding for lead pipe replacement from $ 20 million a year to $ 1 billion .
The bill passed in the Democratic-controlled House and now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She has also erected four neighborhood service centers across the district to handle requests from her constituents .
Those centers became triage hubs when Detroit and its surrounding communities got hammered by the COVID-19 pandemic in March and April .
“ Unless there ’ s voting and committee hearings , I ’ m here at home and staying as close to my residents as possible , ” Tlaib told HuffPost .
“ I actually think that it makes sure that I don ’ t become numb.
” Jones did have the support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Michigan , which spent over $ 87,000 on pro-Jones digital ads and campaign literature .
The super PAC is funded in part by Donald Foss , the founder of one of the country ’ s most notorious subprime auto lenders , who typically gives to Republicans .
Foss contributed $ 100,000 to a super PAC supporting the unsuccessful 2018 Senate bid of Republican John James .

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Rep. Rashida Tlaib, an outspoken Michigan progressive, defeated Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones in the Democratic primary for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District on Tuesday. Her primary win in one of the most Democratic House districts in the country all but officially confirms that Tlaib will be returning to Washington.
“I’m confident in the movement that we started,” Tlaib told supporters on a video livestream as results came in Tuesday night. “Our country is ready ― is ready for someone like me and others that are saying, enough, enough with corporate greed, enough with the assault on our families.”
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Tlaib’s victory dashes the hopes of some moderate Democrats, who were eager to humble the activist left by unseating a member of the progressive “Squad” of freshman House women.
The first-term congresswoman, a Palestinian American, also overcame some constituents’ skepticism that she could adequately represent a majority-Black seat held for decades by the late civil rights leader John Conyers.
“She’s smart, she’s a fighter and most importantly, she’s the incumbent,” said Dr. Jimmy Womack, a Detroit pastor, physician and former state representative.
Womack, who does not live in Tlaib’s district and counts both Tlaib and Jones as friends, noted that local Democratic Party institutions, including the 13th Congressional District Democratic Party, rallied to Tlaib’s side.
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“Clearly they feel she’s served the community in a capacity that would allow them to endorse her reelection,” he said.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) held on to a majority-Black Michigan district despite some Democrats' skepticism of her outspoken progressive views. Scott Morgan/Reuters
In two short years, Tlaib, an attorney and former Michigan state representative, has gone from an upstart contender who took advantage of a crowded 2018 primary field to an established force in local and national Democratic politics against whom future adversaries will likely think twice about running.
Tlaib barely won in the August 2018 Democratic primary that ensured her control of the seat. She bested Jones by a single percentage point, even as Jones won a special election on the same day to fill out the final weeks of Conyers’ term. (Conyers resigned in December 2017 amid sexual harassment allegations from former aides.)
But rather than keep a low profile, Tlaib almost instantaneously developed a reputation as an unabashed progressive brawler. The day she was sworn into office in January 2019, she made waves for declaring her intention to “impeach the motherfucker” ― a reference to President Donald Trump. More recently, she raised eyebrows with her refusal to explicitly endorse former Vice President Joe Biden in a Newsweek interview (she also said that by focusing on turnout in her own race, she would help “deliver Michigan for Joe Biden”).
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Many of the qualities that have prompted those from the political center to criticize Tlaib have endeared her to a base of working-class Detroiters and progressive activists.
Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman in Congress and one of the body’s first two Muslim women, has steadfastly defended her support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel and the creation of a single, binational state in Israel-Palestine.
Those stances cost Tlaib the support of J Street PAC, a liberal pro-Israel group. But when the Israeli government publicly denied her entry to the country based on its blanket prohibition of BDS proponents, even many of her critics took her side.
In a May interview, Tlaib told HuffPost that she sees the fight against racism and poverty in Detroit as part of a struggle for dignity taking place across the globe, including in the occupied Palestinian territories where her grandmother lives.
“I just have this connection of what’s happening in Detroit and what’s happening in Palestine,” she said. “And for me, it just makes me more of a warrior when it comes to these issues and speaking the truth about it.”
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Tlaib has worked hard to improve public health and living standards in her high-poverty district. She successfully sponsored an amendment to a July spending bill that would increase federal funding for lead pipe replacement from $20 million a year to $1 billion. The bill passed in the Democratic-controlled House and now heads to the Republican Senate for consideration.
She has also erected four neighborhood service centers across the district to handle requests from her constituents. Those centers became triage hubs when Detroit and its surrounding communities got hammered by the COVID-19 pandemic in March and April.
“Unless there’s voting and committee hearings, I’m here at home and staying as close to my residents as possible,” Tlaib told HuffPost. “I actually think that it makes sure that I don’t become numb.”
Tlaib’s attention to her district apparently lessened donors’ appetite to fund a challenge against her. Unlike their mobilization against Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), right-leaning pro-Israel groups have not bundled significant cash for Jones.
In the end, Tlaib out-fundraised Jones by a margin of 18-to-1. The Working Families Party also spent just under $33,000 on a paid phone-banking operation in support of Tlaib.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--Facebook Removes Video Posted By Trump Over 'Violation Of Platform Rules'

( Reuters ) ― Facebook Inc on Wednesday took down a post by U.S. President Donald Trump , which the company said violated its rules against sharing misinformation about the coronavirus .
The post contained a video clip , from an interview with Fox & Friends earlier in the day , in which Trump claimed that children are “ almost immune ” to COVID-19 .
“ This video includes false claims that a group of people is immune from COVID-19 , which is a violation of our policies around harmful COVID misinformation , ” a Facebook spokesman said .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Trump campaign ’ s @ TeamTrump account and shared by the president was also later hidden by Twitter Inc for breaking its COVID-19 misinformation rules .
A Twitter spokesman said the @ TeamTrump account owner would be required to remove the tweet before they could tweet again .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) has said that while adults make up most of the known COVID-19 cases to date , some children and infants have been sick with the disease and they can also transmit it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment .
During a briefing at the White House , Trump repeated his claim that the virus had little impact on children .
“ Children handle it very well , ” he told reporters .
“ If you look at the numbers , in terms of mortality , fatalities ... for children under a certain age ... their immune systems are very very strong and very powerful .
They seem to be able to handle it very well and that ’ s according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first time Facebook had removed a Trump post for coronavirus misinformation , the company ’ s spokesman said .
It also appeared to be the first reported instance of the social media company taking down a post from the president for breaching its misinformation rules .
This is the first time a Trump post has been removed for COVID-19 misinformation .
Facebook has also in the past removed posts by the Trump campaign which used symbols also used by Nazis .
https : //t.co/dH75PjB0J2 — Yamiche Alcindor ( @ Yamiche ) August 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers and its own employees in recent months for not taking action on inflammatory posts by Trump .
The company has previously removed ads from Trump ’ s election campaign for breaking misinformation rules , in that case around a national census .
It also took down both Trump posts and campaign ads that showed a red inverted triangle , a symbol the Nazis used to identify political prisoners , for violating its policy against organized hate .

(Reuters) ― Facebook Inc on Wednesday took down a post by U.S. President Donald Trump, which the company said violated its rules against sharing misinformation about the coronavirus.
The post contained a video clip, from an interview with Fox & Friends earlier in the day, in which Trump claimed that children are “almost immune” to COVID-19.
“This video includes false claims that a group of people is immune from COVID-19, which is a violation of our policies around harmful COVID misinformation,” a Facebook spokesman said.
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A tweet containing the video that was posted by the Trump campaign’s @TeamTrump account and shared by the president was also later hidden by Twitter Inc for breaking its COVID-19 misinformation rules.
A Twitter spokesman said the @TeamTrump account owner would be required to remove the tweet before they could tweet again.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that while adults make up most of the known COVID-19 cases to date, some children and infants have been sick with the disease and they can also transmit it to others.
The White House and the Trump campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment. During a briefing at the White House, Trump repeated his claim that the virus had little impact on children.
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“Children handle it very well,” he told reporters. “If you look at the numbers, in terms of mortality, fatalities ... for children under a certain age ... their immune systems are very very strong and very powerful. They seem to be able to handle it very well and that’s according to every statistical claim.”
It was the first time Facebook had removed a Trump post for coronavirus misinformation, the company’s spokesman said.
It also appeared to be the first reported instance of the social media company taking down a post from the president for breaching its misinformation rules.
This is the first time a Trump post has been removed for COVID-19 misinformation.
Facebook has also in the past removed posts by the Trump campaign which used symbols also used by Nazis. https://t.co/dH75PjB0J2 — Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) August 5, 2020
Facebook has taken heat from lawmakers and its own employees in recent months for not taking action on inflammatory posts by Trump.
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The company has previously removed ads from Trump’s election campaign for breaking misinformation rules, in that case around a national census.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--Trump Finds A Big-Dollar Underwriter For His Campaign: The American Taxpayer

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images President Donald Trump 's speech last week in Texas was an example of how he uses `` official '' trips paid for by tax dollars to deliver blatantly political messages .
“ I don ’ t think Biden is going to do too well in Texas .
He ’ s already written it off .
It ’ s gone , ” Trump said , a stack of oil barrels arranged behind him for the camera shot .
“ If these far-left politicians ever get into power , they will demolish not only your industry , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week ’ s foray into partisan politics at an “ official ” event was , for Trump , hardly unusual .
More than any president in modern times , he has openly conscripted American taxpayers into underwriting the costs of his reelection campaign , from travel aboard $ 273,000-an-hour Air Force 1 to the dozens of staff who arrange his trips to the salaries of his own White House employees who regularly ― and illegally ― engage in politics on his behalf .
“ Between ethics laws , respect for the office and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidents go out of their way not to do this , ” said Jordan Libowitz , spokesman for the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington .
“ Donald Trump , on the other hand , has thrown his lot in with tin-pot dictators who use every opportunity to attack their perceived enemies and political opponents .
When it comes to President Trump , what ’ s good for Trump comes above all else.
” At a May 14 “ official ” speech at a medical supplies warehouse in Allentown , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s out-of-town events featured his campaign rally playlist ― mocked Biden for once referring to the 2009 H1N1 flu as the “ N1H1 ” strain .
“ Who says that ?
Sleepy Joe Biden , ” Trump said , before falsely accusing the former vice president and former President Barack Obama of depleting the national medical stockpile as well as the entire U.S. military .
On July 20 , from the Oval Office , Trump claimed that the violence in Chicago was worse than Afghanistan , and would get worse still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And you know what ?
If Biden got in , that would be true for the country .
The whole country would go to hell , ” he said .
And in the White House Cabinet Room 11 days later , Trump claimed Biden ’ s policies were even more radical than those of Vermont ’ s Bernie Sanders .
“ Biden has been taken further left than Bernie ever was .
Bernie was never this .
I mean , totally open borders , and the sanctuary city stuff that — he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of , ” Trump said .
The White House Twitter account routinely posts clips attacking Democrats and campaign-ad-style videos featuring Trump .
Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany regularly attacks Democrats , including Biden by name , from the briefing room .
Economic adviser Larry Kudlow , featured in a White House video shot on White House grounds , urged people to vote for Trump .
And top aide Kellyanne Conway , whom the federal ethics office actually recommended to be fired for violating the Hatch Act that prohibits such political activity by federal workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Let me know when the jail sentence starts , ” she said .
“ They don ’ t care .
I mean really , it ’ s just that simple , ” said Joe Walsh , a former GOP congressman who unsuccessfully challenged Trump for the 2020 nomination .
“ You work every day for a guy who doesn ’ t care about rules and norms and traditions and laws , and eventually you begin to say , ‘ Fuck it , ’ and you don ’ t care.
” Any presidential speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newsworthy , and merely having the ability to get a message out is well over half the battle .
Wherever a president travels , it is aboard the distinctively painted Air Force 1 , which for the past 30 years has been an enormous Boeing 747 , a plane far bigger than most challengers could afford to charter .
“ The president simply doesn ’ t care about the rules , never has , and there are few if any consequences , ” said Rory Cooper , a top aide to former House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and , before that , a staffer in the George W. Bush White House .
“ We ’ re in a world where shattering rules is called shattering norms and it ’ s celebrated by the president ’ s base .
But these rules exist for a reason .
But we all know nothing is going to change while President Trump is in office.
” In Midland , for instance , the cost for taxpayers of flying in Trump ’ s motorcade , planning out his visit to the oil rig ― the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and setting up two stages , an air-conditioned tent and a secure barrier totaled at least several million dollars , with the bulk of that in travel and logistics .
The bottom line for Air Force 1′s six-hour round-trip was more than $ 1.6 million , and Air Force cargo jets each cost $ 15,000 an hour to fly .
In responses to HuffPost over a number of months , White House officials have made no attempt to deny that Trump uses official events for campaigning .
Instead , they have repeatedly pointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apply to the president .
They also claim that White House staffers do not help draft Trump ’ s political remarks .
“ White House staff and personnel do not use official resources to produce campaign speeches , ” said one official on condition of anonymity , adding that Trump ’ s prepared remarks for official events are vetted to make sure staff has not written political statements for him to read .
On July 14 , from a Rose Garden event billed as a press conference , Trump launched into an extended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record as vice president .
“ So Joe Biden and President Obama freely allowed China to pillage our factories , plunder our communities , and steal our most precious secrets , ” Trump said , reading off prepared remarks from his lectern .
“ Now Joe Biden is pushing a platform that would demolish the U.S. economy — totally demolish it .
”

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MIDLAND, Texas – Air Force cargo jets hauled in armored SUVs and White House advance teams spent weeks preparing a remote oil rig site for a presidential visit, at a total cost of millions, so that Donald Trump could get on stage and attack Democratic rival Joe Biden.
And who picked up tab? If you pay U.S. taxes, you did.
“I don’t think Biden is going to do too well in Texas. He’s already written it off. It’s gone,” Trump said, a stack of oil barrels arranged behind him for the camera shot. “If these far-left politicians ever get into power, they will demolish not only your industry, but the entire U.S. economy.”
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Last week’s foray into partisan politics at an “official” event was, for Trump, hardly unusual. More than any president in modern times, he has openly conscripted American taxpayers into underwriting the costs of his reelection campaign, from travel aboard $273,000-an-hour Air Force 1 to the dozens of staff who arrange his trips to the salaries of his own White House employees who regularly ― and illegally ― engage in politics on his behalf.
And on Wednesday, Trump told Fox News he was “thinking about” holding his renomination speech later this month on the South Lawn of the White House ― which is government property.
“Between ethics laws, respect for the office and a commitment to American democracy, American presidents go out of their way not to do this,” said Jordan Libowitz, spokesman for the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. “Donald Trump, on the other hand, has thrown his lot in with tin-pot dictators who use every opportunity to attack their perceived enemies and political opponents. When it comes to President Trump, what’s good for Trump comes above all else.”
At a May 14 “official” speech at a medical supplies warehouse in Allentown, Pennsylvania ― which, like most of Trump’s out-of-town events featured his campaign rally playlist ― mocked Biden for once referring to the 2009 H1N1 flu as the “N1H1” strain. “Who says that? Sleepy Joe Biden,” Trump said, before falsely accusing the former vice president and former President Barack Obama of depleting the national medical stockpile as well as the entire U.S. military.
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On July 20, from the Oval Office, Trump claimed that the violence in Chicago was worse than Afghanistan, and would get worse still if he lost in November. “And you know what? If Biden got in, that would be true for the country. The whole country would go to hell,” he said.
And in the White House Cabinet Room 11 days later, Trump claimed Biden’s policies were even more radical than those of Vermont’s Bernie Sanders. “Biden has been taken further left than Bernie ever was. Bernie was never this. I mean, totally open borders, and the sanctuary city stuff that — he’s approving things that Bernie never thought of,” Trump said.
White House staff, all of whom are government employees paid with tax money, push that same political message on government property and government time.
The White House Twitter account routinely posts clips attacking Democrats and campaign-ad-style videos featuring Trump. Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany regularly attacks Democrats, including Biden by name, from the briefing room. Economic adviser Larry Kudlow, featured in a White House video shot on White House grounds, urged people to vote for Trump. And top aide Kellyanne Conway, whom the federal ethics office actually recommended to be fired for violating the Hatch Act that prohibits such political activity by federal workers, has openly mocked it. “Let me know when the jail sentence starts,” she said.
“They don’t care. I mean really, it’s just that simple,” said Joe Walsh, a former GOP congressman who unsuccessfully challenged Trump for the 2020 nomination. “You work every day for a guy who doesn’t care about rules and norms and traditions and laws, and eventually you begin to say, ‘Fuck it,’ and you don’t care.”
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Presidents running for re-election have always had huge advantages over challengers, perhaps even more so in the age of television and jet travel.
Any presidential speech is by the fact of its existence newsworthy, and merely having the ability to get a message out is well over half the battle. Wherever a president travels, it is aboard the distinctively painted Air Force 1, which for the past 30 years has been an enormous Boeing 747, a plane far bigger than most challengers could afford to charter.
These advantages, combined with voters’ reluctance to switch horses midstream, helps explain why the vast majority of presidents have won a second term in contemporary times.
““The president simply doesn’t care about the rules, never has, and there are few if any consequences,” - Rory Cooper, a top aide to former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.).
Yet Trump has pushed for an advantage that his predecessors scrupulously avoided: literally making campaign remarks during events that are purportedly part of his official duties.
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“The president simply doesn’t care about the rules, never has, and there are few if any consequences,” said Rory Cooper, a top aide to former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and, before that, a staffer in the George W. Bush White House. “We’re in a world where shattering rules is called shattering norms and it’s celebrated by the president’s base. But these rules exist for a reason. But we all know nothing is going to change while President Trump is in office.”
In Midland, for instance, the cost for taxpayers of flying in Trump’s motorcade, planning out his visit to the oil rig ― the final portion over a gravel road ― and setting up two stages, an air-conditioned tent and a secure barrier totaled at least several million dollars, with the bulk of that in travel and logistics. The bottom line for Air Force 1′s six-hour round-trip was more than $1.6 million, and Air Force cargo jets each cost $15,000 an hour to fly.
In responses to HuffPost over a number of months, White House officials have made no attempt to deny that Trump uses official events for campaigning. Instead, they have repeatedly pointed out that the Hatch Act does not apply to the president. They also claim that White House staffers do not help draft Trump’s political remarks.
“White House staff and personnel do not use official resources to produce campaign speeches,” said one official on condition of anonymity, adding that Trump’s prepared remarks for official events are vetted to make sure staff has not written political statements for him to read.
That claim, though, is belied by examples at such events where Trump clearly is reading from prepared text that includes political commentary.
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On July 14, from a Rose Garden event billed as a press conference, Trump launched into an extended campaign speech, attacking Biden and his record as vice president. “So Joe Biden and President Obama freely allowed China to pillage our factories, plunder our communities, and steal our most precious secrets,” Trump said, reading off prepared remarks from his lectern. “Now Joe Biden is pushing a platform that would demolish the U.S. economy — totally demolish it.”
And in Midland ― where his trip included a meticulously staged “tour” of Double Eagle Energy’s drilling rig which Trump truncated to climbing up onto a stage for a quick photo and then immediately returning to his air-conditioned SUV ― Trump was plainly reading off his teleprompter when he began attacking Democrats.
“Washington Democrats have embraced Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s nearly $100 trillion Green New Deal disaster — I’ve added the fourth word; it’s a “disaster” — which would ban oil and gas leasing on all federal lands,” he said, referring to New York Democrat Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez.
“I think we see from their actions that (Trump and his staff) don’t care” about transforming “official” events into partisan ones and ignoring the Hatch Act, said Anthony Scaramucci, a longtime Trump supporter, briefly a White House aide, and now a fierce critic. He added that they have no reason to fear any consequence. “They control the Department of Justice.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--GOP Senator Kevin Cramer: 'Stop Being So Afraid' Of Coronavirus And Vote In Person

Sen. Kevin Cramer ( R-N.D. ) said Tuesday that voters should “ stop being so afraid ” of voting in person in November despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
Cramer , who voted by mail in his state ’ s primary in June , suggested that giving voters three days to cast their ballots would avoid crowding at polling locations and help mitigate the risks of contracting the virus , which has so far resulted in the deaths of at least 156,000 Americans .
“ I know there are people that will have concerns ― it ’ s going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cost to counties ― but if we want to get creative , I ’ d prefer to still encourage as much in-person voting as possible rather than universal mail , ” Cramer told reporters on Capitol Hill .
The debate over voting by mail has intensified in recent weeks after some states moved to expand mail-in voting eligibility because of the coronavirus outbreak .
Even North Dakota ’ s Republican governor , Doug Burgum , moved to expand vote-by-mail for his state ’ s primary .
Most counties in the state voted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has continued to attack expanded vote-by-mail systems , falsely calling them “ corrupt ” or “ fraudulent.
” Democrats suspect Trump is attempting to lay the groundwork to contest the legitimacy of the presidential election if he loses to presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden , who currently leads in most polls .
There is no evidence of widespread fraud in U.S. elections involving mail-in voting .
But election officials have reported some difficulties processing ballots quickly due to the historically large number of ballots voters are casting by mail this year .
Ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for example , election officials reported 2,066,000 absentee ballots had been sent to voters , compared with about 575,000 at the same point in August 2016 .
The trend is reflected nationally and seems to suggest voters would prefer not to vote in person during a pandemic .
Asked Tuesday if people should vote in person despite rising death rates , Cramer suggested the mortality data may be inflated because some deaths are being misattributed to the virus .
“ I know of several where coronavirus was not the case of death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Cramer said .
There ’ s no evidence that the death tally is being systematically inflated or miscounted .
Public health experts have said that undercounting is actually more likely .
“ I don ’ t know exactly what percent higher , but almost certainly it is higher , ” Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation ’ s top infectious disease expert , told Congress earlier this year .

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Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said Tuesday that voters should “stop being so afraid” of voting in person in November despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Cramer, who voted by mail in his state’s primary in June, suggested that giving voters three days to cast their ballots would avoid crowding at polling locations and help mitigate the risks of contracting the virus, which has so far resulted in the deaths of at least 156,000 Americans.
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“I know there are people that will have concerns ― it’s going to take more people at the polls, the cost to counties ― but if we want to get creative, I’d prefer to still encourage as much in-person voting as possible rather than universal mail,” Cramer told reporters on Capitol Hill.
GOP Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota tells @nancycordes that voters should “stop being so afraid” to vote in person, before suggesting that the coronavirus death toll might be inflated https://t.co/2YaaMmDurh pic.twitter.com/Tmr764mskm — CBS News (@CBSNews) August 4, 2020
The debate over voting by mail has intensified in recent weeks after some states moved to expand mail-in voting eligibility because of the coronavirus outbreak. Even North Dakota’s Republican governor, Doug Burgum, moved to expand vote-by-mail for his state’s primary. Most counties in the state voted by mail.
But President Donald Trump has continued to attack expanded vote-by-mail systems, falsely calling them “corrupt” or “fraudulent.” Democrats suspect Trump is attempting to lay the groundwork to contest the legitimacy of the presidential election if he loses to presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, who currently leads in most polls.
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There is no evidence of widespread fraud in U.S. elections involving mail-in voting. But election officials have reported some difficulties processing ballots quickly due to the historically large number of ballots voters are casting by mail this year.
Ahead of Tuesday’s primary in Michigan, for example, election officials reported 2,066,000 absentee ballots had been sent to voters, compared with about 575,000 at the same point in August 2016. The trend is reflected nationally and seems to suggest voters would prefer not to vote in person during a pandemic.
Asked Tuesday if people should vote in person despite rising death rates, Cramer suggested the mortality data may be inflated because some deaths are being misattributed to the virus.
“I know of several where coronavirus was not the case of death but yet they counted as one,” Cramer said.
There’s no evidence that the death tally is being systematically inflated or miscounted. Public health experts have said that undercounting is actually more likely.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--Unemployment Recipients Might Not Be 'Overpaid' After All

Most unemployment claimants are probably earning less on unemployment than they did at their previous jobs , according to a new data analysis by the liberal advocacy group Groundwork Collaborative and the National Employment Law Project .
A previous study by University of Chicago economists found that more than two-thirds of unemployment claimants received more in benefits than they did from work , thanks to an extra $ 600 weekly payment Congress created in March to help people who lost jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic .
“ According to studies that have been done , including by the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people on unemployment insurance are making more money on unemployment insurance than they were making at work , ” Sen .
Rob Portman ( R-Ohio ) said Tuesday on the Senate floor .
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin , one of the lead Republican negotiators on the next big pandemic relief bill , also cited the University of Chicago study on Sunday in an interview in which he lamented that jobless claimants are “ overpaid.
” There ’ s no question that some percentage of laid-off workers received more in unemployment than from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ findings have been echoed by the Congressional Budget Office and a great many anecdotes from employers and employees themselves .
The new paper , by Groundwork Collaborative ’ s Marokey Sawo and the National Employment Law Project ’ s Michele Evermore , similarly compares unemployment payments with what workers likely earned in their previous jobs , according to industry-level wage compensation data .
The big difference , however , is that the new paper includes non-wage benefits in its comparison , which amounted to 28 % of unemployment claimants ’ total work compensation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-wage compensation is driven by our concern that measures of wage compensation do not paint a complete picture of all that workers lose when they are laid off , ” Sawo and Evermore write .
“ Many workers lose more than just wages in unemployment ― they lose employer contributions to health insurance , paid leave , and retirement benefits as well.
” “ These individuals are likely receiving less , not more , in unemployment than they were in their former jobs , even after accounting for the $ 600 per week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Jobless pay surpassed wages for the other 40 % of workers partly because they had previously worked part time .
The extra $ 600 applied to everyone who received a benefit , even if it was a partial one for a part-time job .
Both papers extrapolated from economic datasets that did not contain up-to-the-minute information on the actual people receiving jobless benefits over the past few months .
The Chicago study ’ s authors acknowledged that they ignored non-wage compensation in their findings , and that including such benefits would reduce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compensation .
Joseph Vavra , one of the co-authors of the University of Chicago study , said they ’ ve been updating their research to account for non-wage benefits and that the results haven ’ t changed their conclusion .
Vavra said in an email that the “ key difference ” between their paper and the Groundwork Collaborative paper is that “ we account for the individual level distribution of earnings and benefits while their analysis focuses on industry averages.
” Democrats originally wanted to supplement state benefits so that total jobless pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous wages .
They went with a flat sum instead because state workforce agencies , which actually pay the benefits , couldn ’ t quickly handle the calculation .
They settled on $ 600 because it ’ s roughly the difference between the average unemployment benefit and the average wage , though benefit amounts vary from state to state .
The benefits stopped last week as Republicans insist on a lower number , while Democratic negotiators say they ’ re holding out for the full $ 600 .
Both sides have said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks .

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One of the top talking points in the Capitol Hill debate over unemployment benefits might be wrong.
Most unemployment claimants are probably earning less on unemployment than they did at their previous jobs, according to a new data analysis by the liberal advocacy group Groundwork Collaborative and the National Employment Law Project.
A previous study by University of Chicago economists found that more than two-thirds of unemployment claimants received more in benefits than they did from work, thanks to an extra $600 weekly payment Congress created in March to help people who lost jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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The extra $600 expired last week, and lawmakers are at an impasse over whether to replace the supplemental payments, which topped off workers’ ongoing state-funded jobless pay.
Republicans think $600 is too much, and they have repeatedly cited the University of Chicago study.
“According to studies that have been done, including by the University of Chicago, about 68% of the people on unemployment insurance are making more money on unemployment insurance than they were making at work,” Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said Tuesday on the Senate floor.
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, one of the lead Republican negotiators on the next big pandemic relief bill, also cited the University of Chicago study on Sunday in an interview in which he lamented that jobless claimants are “overpaid.”
There’s no question that some percentage of laid-off workers received more in unemployment than from work. The Chicago study’s findings have been echoed by the Congressional Budget Office and a great many anecdotes from employers and employees themselves.
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The new paper, by Groundwork Collaborative’s Marokey Sawo and the National Employment Law Project’s Michele Evermore, similarly compares unemployment payments with what workers likely earned in their previous jobs, according to industry-level wage compensation data. The big difference, however, is that the new paper includes non-wage benefits in its comparison, which amounted to 28% of unemployment claimants’ total work compensation on average.
“Our inclusion of non-wage compensation is driven by our concern that measures of wage compensation do not paint a complete picture of all that workers lose when they are laid off,” Sawo and Evermore write. “Many workers lose more than just wages in unemployment ― they lose employer contributions to health insurance, paid leave, and retirement benefits as well.”
By their reckoning, 60% of unemployment claimants worked in industries where average total compensation exceeded what the former employees could receive in unemployment benefits.
“These individuals are likely receiving less, not more, in unemployment than they were in their former jobs, even after accounting for the $600 per week
benefits boost,” the paper says.
Jobless pay surpassed wages for the other 40% of workers partly because they had previously worked part time. The extra $600 applied to everyone who received a benefit, even if it was a partial one for a part-time job.
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Both papers extrapolated from economic datasets that did not contain up-to-the-minute information on the actual people receiving jobless benefits over the past few months. The Chicago study’s authors acknowledged that they ignored non-wage compensation in their findings, and that including such benefits would reduce the percentage of wages replaced by unemployment compensation.
Joseph Vavra, one of the co-authors of the University of Chicago study, said they’ve been updating their research to account for non-wage benefits and that the results haven’t changed their conclusion.
Vavra said in an email that the “key difference” between their paper and the Groundwork Collaborative paper is that “we account for the individual level distribution of earnings and benefits while their analysis focuses on industry averages.”
Either way, there’s no doubt some workers got more from unemployment. It was not a surprise that they did.
Democrats originally wanted to supplement state benefits so that total jobless pay would replace 100% of workers’ previous wages. They went with a flat sum instead because state workforce agencies, which actually pay the benefits, couldn’t quickly handle the calculation. They settled on $600 because it’s roughly the difference between the average unemployment benefit and the average wage, though benefit amounts vary from state to state.
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The extra $600 was an unprecedented increase to weekly jobless pay, with Democrats and Republicans alike acknowledging that workers are blameless for job losses caused by the pandemic.
But Republicans have consistently complained that higher jobless pay will wreck the economic recovery by discouraging people from returning to work. Economists who’ve looked at job growth since March, however, haven’t noticed.
The benefits stopped last week as Republicans insist on a lower number, while Democratic negotiators say they’re holding out for the full $600. Both sides have said they want a deal within the next two weeks.
Since the coronavirus pandemic is still raging, schools aren’t opening and many workers couldn’t return to their jobs even if they wanted, putting the economic livelihood of millions of workers in lawmakers’ hands.
HuffPost readers: Are you on unemployment and facing eviction? Tell us about it ― email arthur@huffpost.com. Please include your phone number if you’re willing to be interviewed.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--Biden Won't Go To Milwaukee For Acceptance Speech

Joe Biden will not travel to Milwaukee to accept the Democratic presidential nomination because of concerns over the coronavirus , party officials said Wednesday , signaling a move to a convention that essentially has become entirely virtual .
It is the latest example of the pandemic ’ s sweeping effects on the 2020 presidential election and the latest blow to traditional party nominating conventions that historically have marked the start of fall general election campaigns .
“ From the very beginning of this pandemic , we put the health and safety of the American people first , ” said Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We followed the science , listened to doctors and public health experts , and we continued making adjustments to our plans in order to protect lives .
That ’ s the kind of steady and responsible leadership America deserves .
And that ’ s the leadership Joe Biden will bring to the White House.
” Neither the Biden campaign nor DNC officials offered details about how Biden might accept the nomination , which even in the pandemic could be a made-for-screen event that reaches tens of millions of voters via television and online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and presenters for the Aug. 17-24 convention are now expected to speak from remote locations .
“ The upcoming Democratic convention is different than we ’ d imagined .
A lot has changed since we set out on this journey more than a year ago now , but the one thing that hasn ’ t is Democrats ’ commitment to putting health and safety first , ” Evers said in a statement .
“ It has never been more important for elected officials to lead by example — that ’ s the kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the kind of president we need .
I know he will continue to have a presence in Wisconsin , virtually or otherwise , and I look forward to doing everything we can to win Wisconsin.
” President Donald Trump has abandoned his own plans to accept the Republican nomination in person .
On Wednesday , he mused about potentially making his acceptance speech from the White House .
Biden and Democrats for months have moved toward a virtual convention , first by delaying the convention from its original mid-July date to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Charlotte , North Carolina .
DNC officials later authorized organizers to plan for virtual proceedings , then added an explicit call for delegates not to travel to Milwaukee .
More than 4,000 delegates already were casting mail ballots for Biden ’ s nomination and a platform that had been written and approved in meetings conducted online .
But until Wednesday , it was expected that Biden and his running mate would speak from Milwaukee .
Biden is in the final days of deciding on a vice president , who he has said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far more reluctant than Biden to alter his convention plans , as he sought to downplay the pandemic ’ s significance and push the country to return to normal operations .
Trump jousted with North Carolina Gov .
Roy Cooper , a Democrat , because Cooper wouldn ’ t guarantee the president that he ’ d lift restrictions on large public gatherings so that Trump could pack Charlotte ’ s NBA arena .
Trump then said he ’ d travel to Jacksonville , Florida , to make his address , a decision welcomed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ron DeSantis .
Florida has since seen its COVID-19 cases spike , part of a national trend that led Trump to yield to public health experts and cancel the event .

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Joe Biden will not travel to Milwaukee to accept the Democratic presidential nomination because of concerns over the coronavirus, party officials said Wednesday, signaling a move to a convention that essentially has become entirely virtual.
It is the latest example of the pandemic’s sweeping effects on the 2020 presidential election and the latest blow to traditional party nominating conventions that historically have marked the start of fall general election campaigns.
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“From the very beginning of this pandemic, we put the health and safety of the American people first,” said Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez. “We followed the science, listened to doctors and public health experts, and we continued making adjustments to our plans in order to protect lives. That’s the kind of steady and responsible leadership America deserves. And that’s the leadership Joe Biden will bring to the White House.”
Neither the Biden campaign nor DNC officials offered details about how Biden might accept the nomination, which even in the pandemic could be a made-for-screen event that reaches tens of millions of voters via television and online.
A DNC official said all speakers and presenters for the Aug. 17-24 convention are now expected to speak from remote locations.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, praised Biden for leading by example.
“The upcoming Democratic convention is different than we’d imagined. A lot has changed since we set out on this journey more than a year ago now, but the one thing that hasn’t is Democrats’ commitment to putting health and safety first,” Evers said in a statement. “It has never been more important for elected officials to lead by example — that’s the kind of leader Joe is, and that’s the kind of president we need. I know he will continue to have a presence in Wisconsin, virtually or otherwise, and I look forward to doing everything we can to win Wisconsin.”
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President Donald Trump has abandoned his own plans to accept the Republican nomination in person. On Wednesday, he mused about potentially making his acceptance speech from the White House.
Biden and Democrats for months have moved toward a virtual convention, first by delaying the convention from its original mid-July date to the week before Republicans’ scheduled convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
DNC officials later authorized organizers to plan for virtual proceedings, then added an explicit call for delegates not to travel to Milwaukee. More than 4,000 delegates already were casting mail ballots for Biden’s nomination and a platform that had been written and approved in meetings conducted online. But until Wednesday, it was expected that Biden and his running mate would speak from Milwaukee.
Biden is in the final days of deciding on a vice president, who he has said will be a woman.
Trump was far more reluctant than Biden to alter his convention plans, as he sought to downplay the pandemic’s significance and push the country to return to normal operations. Trump jousted with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, because Cooper wouldn’t guarantee the president that he’d lift restrictions on large public gatherings so that Trump could pack Charlotte’s NBA arena.
Trump then said he’d travel to Jacksonville, Florida, to make his address, a decision welcomed at the time by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Florida has since seen its COVID-19 cases spike, part of a national trend that led Trump to yield to public health experts and cancel the event.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--State Department Watchdog Resigns After Predecessor's Ouster

Stephen Akard announced his resignation just two days after Democrats issued subpoenas for several of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ’ s top aides to answer questions about the shakeup in the watchdog ’ s office .
The department said Akard would return to the private sector but offered no other reason for his departure .
“ We appreciate his dedication to the department and to our country , ” the department said in a statement .
Akard ’ s deputy , Diana Shaw , will serve as the new acting inspector general once Akard leaves on Friday .
Although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the permanent inspector general , his departure underscores the tumult and uncertainty in the office , which has been wracked by Republican charges of leaks and politically biased investigations .
Pompeo has denied the allegations but acknowledged he asked President Donald Trump to fire Linick for poor performance .
Akard , who had also served as the director of the Office of Foreign Missions at the State Department , had withdrawn from those investigations .
Inspectors general are independent watchdogs empowered by Congress to evaluate the performance of executive branch agencies and investigate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump has taken exception to the work of several of the inspectors general and removed them despite congressional objections .
On Monday , congressional Democrats subpoenaed four senior Pompeo aides for interviews , saying the Trump administration was stonewalling their investigation into Linick ’ s firing in May .
Akard was not among those subpoenaed .
Linick had appeared before investigators in June and said top department officials tried to bully him and dissuade his office from conducting a review of a multibillion dollar arms sale to Saudi Arabia before he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office was looking into allegations that Pompeo and his wife may have misused government staff to run personal errands and several other matters .
The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey , said the investigation will not end and he expressed concern about Akard ’ s departure .
“ I do not believe he was the right choice to lead the office , but I am concerned that his sudden resignation leaves another opportunity for the Trump qdministration to try to weaken oversight and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The ongoing bicameral investigation into the abrupt and unexplained dismissal of IG Linick will continue full speed ahead.
” The department flatly rejected the Democrats ’ allegations as “ egregiously inaccurate ” but did not say whether the officials would comply with the subpoenas .
Pompeo has rejected allegations that Linick was fired for investigating alleged impropriety and Pompeo has denied he was aware of any such probe into his or his wife ’ s matters .
He has said Linick was removed for not doing his job .
Linick , who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was in a “ state of shock ” when he was fired .
He told congressional investigators that he had opened a review of last year ’ s $ 8 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia at the request of lawmakers who claimed Pompeo had inappropriately circumvented Congress to approve the deal .
He said Bulatao and String then tried to stop him .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department’s acting inspector general resigned abruptly on Wednesday following the firing of his predecessor in circumstances now being investigated by Congress.
Stephen Akard announced his resignation just two days after Democrats issued subpoenas for several of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s top aides to answer questions about the shakeup in the watchdog’s office. The department said Akard would return to the private sector but offered no other reason for his departure.
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“We appreciate his dedication to the department and to our country,” the department said in a statement. Akard’s deputy, Diana Shaw, will serve as the new acting inspector general once Akard leaves on Friday.
Although Akard had not been expected to become the permanent inspector general, his departure underscores the tumult and uncertainty in the office, which has been wracked by Republican charges of leaks and politically biased investigations.
Democrats have alleged that Pompeo sought the ouster of Akard’s predecessor, Stephen Linick, because Linick was investigating allegations of impropriety by Pompeo.
Pompeo has denied the allegations but acknowledged he asked President Donald Trump to fire Linick for poor performance. Akard, who had also served as the director of the Office of Foreign Missions at the State Department, had withdrawn from those investigations.
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Inspectors general are independent watchdogs empowered by Congress to evaluate the performance of executive branch agencies and investigate allegations of wrongdoing by government officials. President Donald Trump has taken exception to the work of several of the inspectors general and removed them despite congressional objections.
On Monday, congressional Democrats subpoenaed four senior Pompeo aides for interviews, saying the Trump administration was stonewalling their investigation into Linick’s firing in May. Akard was not among those subpoenaed.
Linick had appeared before investigators in June and said top department officials tried to bully him and dissuade his office from conducting a review of a multibillion dollar arms sale to Saudi Arabia before he was fired. He also said his office was looking into allegations that Pompeo and his wife may have misused government staff to run personal errands and several other matters.
The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, said the investigation will not end and he expressed concern about Akard’s departure.
“I do not believe he was the right choice to lead the office, but I am concerned that his sudden resignation leaves another opportunity for the Trump qdministration to try to weaken oversight and accountability,” Menendez said. “The ongoing bicameral investigation into the abrupt and unexplained dismissal of IG Linick will continue full speed ahead.”
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The subpoenas for closed-door depositions are for Undersecretary of State for Management Brian Bulatao, acting State Department legal adviser Marik String, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Michael Miller and senior adviser Toni A. Porter.
The department flatly rejected the Democrats’ allegations as “egregiously inaccurate” but did not say whether the officials would comply with the subpoenas. Pompeo has rejected allegations that Linick was fired for investigating alleged impropriety and Pompeo has denied he was aware of any such probe into his or his wife’s matters. He has said Linick was removed for not doing his job.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-05--Iowa Restores Voting Rights To Thousands With Felony Convictions

Iowa Gov .
Kim Reynolds signed an executive order on Wednesday restoring the right to vote to many state residents with felony convictions .
Her action should render some 40,000 Iowans eligible to vote ahead of the 2020 general election .
The executive order automatically restores voting rights for people who have completed most felony sentences , including prison , probation and parole time .
However , those with felony homicide convictions still have to individually apply to have their rights restored .
At the signing event on Wednesday , the Republican governor credited advocates from the NAACP , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had long fought to restore full voting rights for those formerly incarcerated .
“ It boils down to our fundamental belief in redemption and second chances , ” Reynolds said .
“ When someone serves their sentence ... they should have their right to vote restored automatically , plain and simple.
” The governor , who is white , also noted that the previous voting rights restrictions disproportionately impacted people of color .
Iowa imprisons Black people at a rate over 10 times higher than white people , per the Prison Policy Initiative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two months of nationwide protests against racism and police violence .
Iowa had been the only state that still barred people with felony convictions from voting or holding public office for life , unless they petitioned the governor .
Florida voted to restore voting rights to people with felony convictions in 2018 , and Kentucky ’ s governor signed an executive order to do so in 2019 .
Reynolds warned that her executive order is “ at best a temporary solution , ” noting that any subsequent governor could reverse the decision with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawmakers to make the change permanent by amending the state constitution .
At Wednesday ’ s signing , Democratic state Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad , who is Black , wore a T-shirt with the image of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis , a civil rights legend who fought for Black people ’ s voting rights for decades .
Abdul-Samad credited this shift in Iowa to “ what John Lewis has fought for ... what the NAACP has fought for , what Black Lives Matter has fought for.
” “ It is imperative for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vote , ” he said .
“ This comes at a time where this is seriously a tribute to the legacy of Congressman Lewis .
So , thank you very much .
”

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Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed an executive order on Wednesday restoring the right to vote to many state residents with felony convictions.
Her action should render some 40,000 Iowans eligible to vote ahead of the 2020 general election. The executive order automatically restores voting rights for people who have completed most felony sentences, including prison, probation and parole time.
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However, those with felony homicide convictions still have to individually apply to have their rights restored.
At the signing event on Wednesday, the Republican governor credited advocates from the NAACP, the American Civil Liberties Union and others who had long fought to restore full voting rights for those formerly incarcerated.
“It boils down to our fundamental belief in redemption and second chances,” Reynolds said. “When someone serves their sentence ... they should have their right to vote restored automatically, plain and simple.”
She called voting “one of the most basic rights of citizenship.”
The governor, who is white, also noted that the previous voting rights restrictions disproportionately impacted people of color. Iowa imprisons Black people at a rate over 10 times higher than white people, per the Prison Policy Initiative.
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This change comes after more than two months of nationwide protests against racism and police violence.
Iowa had been the only state that still barred people with felony convictions from voting or holding public office for life, unless they petitioned the governor. Florida voted to restore voting rights to people with felony convictions in 2018, and Kentucky’s governor signed an executive order to do so in 2019.
Reynolds warned that her executive order is “at best a temporary solution,” noting that any subsequent governor could reverse the decision with their own order. She urged Iowa lawmakers to make the change permanent by amending the state constitution.
At Wednesday’s signing, Democratic state Rep. Ako Abdul-Samad, who is Black, wore a T-shirt with the image of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights legend who fought for Black people’s voting rights for decades. Abdul-Samad credited this shift in Iowa to “what John Lewis has fought for ... what the NAACP has fought for, what Black Lives Matter has fought for.”
“It is imperative for the rights for everyone to be able to vote,” he said. “This comes at a time where this is seriously a tribute to the legacy of Congressman Lewis. So, thank you very much.”