thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-01--Judge Tosses Out U.S. Women's Soccer Team's Unequal Pay Claim From Lawsuit

A federal judge said Friday that members of the U.S. women ’ s national soccer team did not have enough evidence to support their claim that they weren ’ t being paid equally by the U.S. Soccer Federation .
U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner dismissed the women ’ s claim of inequity , a cornerstone of their lawsuit , and granted U.S. Soccer ’ s motion to dismiss the allegation that the federation violated the Equal Pay Act .
The women ’ s team has won the World Cup championship four times and were back-to-back champions in 2015 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ players claimed that they were paid less than the U.S. men ’ s team despite doing the same amount of work .
Klausner denied that claim , saying that the U.S. Soccer Federation has provided evidence that the women ’ s team was paid more cumulatively and on “ an average per-game basis.
” “ The WNT [ Women ’ s National Team ] has been paid more on both a cumulative and an average per-game basis than the MNT [ Men ’ s National Team ] over the class period , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Klausner said that the women ’ s team “ rejected an offer to be paid under the same pay-to-play structure as the MNT , and the WNT was willing to forgo higher bonuses for benefits , such as greater base compensation and the guarantee of a higher number of contracted players.
” “ Accordingly , plaintiffs can not now retroactively deem their CBA [ collective bargaining agreement ] worse than the MNT CBA by reference to what they would have made had they been paid under the MNT ’ s pay-to-play terms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ structure , ” Klausner wrote in the order .
In March , the women ’ s team drew attention to its protest against the U.S. Soccer Federation by wearing their warmup jerseys inside out , blocking the federation ’ s logo , during the national anthem before a match against Japan .
Looking at ISI Photos and saw that # USWNT players have all taken the field wearing their warm-up jerseys inside out , hiding the U.S. Soccer crest ... but not the four stars .
Yeah , that feels intentional .
📸 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itsmeglinehan ) March 11 , 2020 Molly Levinson , the women ’ s team ’ s spokesperson , said in a statement that the players were “ shocked ” by the judge ’ s decision and vowed to keep fighting for equal pay .
“ We are shocked and disappointed with today ’ s decision , but we will not give up our hard work for equal pay , ” Levinson said .
“ We are confident in our case and steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that girls and women who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as lesser just because of their gender.
” 1/2 We are shocked and disappointed with today 's decision , but we will not give up our hard work for equal pay .
We are confident in our case and steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that girls and women will not be valued as lesser just because of their gender .
— mollylevinson ( @ mollylevinson ) May 1 , 2020 2/2 We have learned that there are tremendous obstacles to change ; we know that it takes bravery and courage and perseverance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will appeal and press on .
Words can not express our gratitude to all who support us .
— mollylevinson ( @ mollylevinson ) May 1 , 2020

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A federal judge said Friday that members of the U.S. women’s national soccer team did not have enough evidence to support their claim that they weren’t being paid equally by the U.S. Soccer Federation.
U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner dismissed the women’s claim of inequity, a cornerstone of their lawsuit, and granted U.S. Soccer’s motion to dismiss the allegation that the federation violated the Equal Pay Act.
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The women’s team has won the World Cup championship four times and were back-to-back champions in 2015 and 2019. In their lawsuit, the players claimed that they were paid less than the U.S. men’s team despite doing the same amount of work.
Klausner denied that claim, saying that the U.S. Soccer Federation has provided evidence that the women’s team was paid more cumulatively and on “an average per-game basis.”
“The WNT [Women’s National Team] has been paid more on both a cumulative and an average per-game basis than the MNT [Men’s National Team] over the class period,” the court said in its summary judgment.
Klausner said that the women’s team “rejected an offer to be paid under the same pay-to-play structure as the MNT, and the WNT was willing to forgo higher bonuses for benefits, such as greater base compensation and the guarantee of a higher number of contracted players.”
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“Accordingly, plaintiffs cannot now retroactively deem their CBA [collective bargaining agreement] worse than the MNT CBA by reference to what they would have made had they been paid under the MNT’s pay-to-play terms structure when they themselves rejected such a structure,” Klausner wrote in the order.
The lawsuit’s claim that U.S. Soccer violated the women’s rights under the Civil Rights Act remains.
In March, the women’s team drew attention to its protest against the U.S. Soccer Federation by wearing their warmup jerseys inside out, blocking the federation’s logo, during the national anthem before a match against Japan.
Looking at ISI Photos and saw that #USWNT players have all taken the field wearing their warm-up jerseys inside out, hiding the U.S. Soccer crest... but not the four stars.
Yeah, that feels intentional.
📸 Brad Smith/ISI pic.twitter.com/rGEiYghZfb — Meg Linehan (@itsmeglinehan) March 11, 2020
Molly Levinson, the women’s team’s spokesperson, said in a statement that the players were “shocked” by the judge’s decision and vowed to keep fighting for equal pay.
“We are shocked and disappointed with today’s decision, but we will not give up our hard work for equal pay,” Levinson said. “We are confident in our case and steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that girls and women who play this sport will not be valued as lesser just because of their gender.”
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The team’s co-captain Megan Rapinoe echoed Levinson’s call to continue pushing forward.
“We will never stop fighting for EQUALITY,” Rapinoe tweeted Friday night.”
We will never stop fighting for EQUALITY. — Megan Rapinoe (@mPinoe) May 2, 2020
1/2 We are shocked and disappointed with today's decision, but we will not give up our hard work for equal pay. We are confident in our case and steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that girls and women will not be valued as lesser just because of their gender. — mollylevinson (@mollylevinson) May 1, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-02--Mississippi Gov Walks Back Plans To Reopen Economy As Coronavirus Cases Spike

Gov .
Tate Reeves ( R ) is reconsidering his plans to reopen Mississippi after the state saw the largest spike in coronavirus cases and deaths on Friday .
State health officials on Friday announced that there were 397 new cases of COVID-19 in Mississippi and 20 deaths .
Reeves was going to begin slowly rolling out a plan to get residents back to work on Friday , though he decided against announcing those plans because of the increase in cases .
“ Things can change quickly .
We have to stay flexible .
Today , I was prepared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a press conference Friday .
“ That was the plan and I was excited to get more of our people back to work.
” “ This is a large enough change to make me take a step back and want to look at the board , to reexamine things and I ’ ve come to the conclusion that I must hold on , for now , and reconsider it at least over the weekend.
” The governor continued , “ Not to recklessly put people in harms way.
” Reeves originally signed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which laid out a strategy to allow people to go back to work .
The order would have allowed retail businesses to open temporarily for two weeks , as long as they impose social distancing rules , only allow 50 % capacity into stores and provide hand sanitizer .
As of Friday , there were 7,441 total cases of the virus and 291 deaths in Mississippi .
State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said at the press conference that that was “ the largest number of cases we ’ ve reported in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several governors who is working to reopen state economies and allow people back into the public , despite health officials fears that relaxing guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 would cause another surge in cases .
Alabama Gov .
Kay Ivey enacted her own “ safer-at-home ” orders , allowing some businesses to open their doors , with sanitation and social distancing guidelines , on the evening of April 30 .
In Montana , restaurants and bars can start opening its doors for dining in on Monday .
Texas ’ stay-at-home orders @ @ @ @

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Gov. Tate Reeves (R) is reconsidering his plans to reopen Mississippi after the state saw the largest spike in coronavirus cases and deaths on Friday.
State health officials on Friday announced that there were 397 new cases of COVID-19 in Mississippi and 20 deaths. Reeves was going to begin slowly rolling out a plan to get residents back to work on Friday, though he decided against announcing those plans because of the increase in cases.
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“Things can change quickly. We have to stay flexible. Today, I was prepared to announce further reopenings,” Reeves said at a press conference Friday. “That was the plan and I was excited to get more of our people back to work.”
“This is a large enough change to make me take a step back and want to look at the board, to reexamine things and I’ve come to the conclusion that I must hold on, for now, and reconsider it at least over the weekend.” The governor continued, “Not to recklessly put people in harms way.”
Reeves originally signed a “Safer At Home” order which laid out a strategy to allow people to go back to work. The order would have allowed retail businesses to open temporarily for two weeks, as long as they impose social distancing rules, only allow 50% capacity into stores and provide hand sanitizer.
As of Friday, there were 7,441 total cases of the virus and 291 deaths in Mississippi. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said at the press conference that that was “the largest number of cases we’ve reported in a single day.”
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Reeves was one of several governors who is working to reopen state economies and allow people back into the public, despite health officials fears that relaxing guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 would cause another surge in cases.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey enacted her own “safer-at-home” orders, allowing some businesses to open their doors, with sanitation and social distancing guidelines, on the evening of April 30.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-02--Congress Will Extend Unemployment Boost 'Over Our Dead Bodies,' Vows Lindsey Graham

Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-S.C. ) promised business leaders that Congress would not extend enhanced unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 crisis , saying such a continuation would only happen “ over our dead bodies.
” He made the comment on Wednesday at a state task force panel about re-opening South Carolina businesses .
“ Our ” was a reference to himself and fellow Republican Sen. Tim Scott , who was also on the panel .
Wednesday was the day the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus passed 60,000 .
Graham insisted that extending enhanced benefits would incentivize people to stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In March , Congress voted to give an additional $ 600 per week to those collecting unemployment through July 25 , as the coronavirus outbreak continues to trigger massive layoffs .
“ I promise you , over our dead bodies will this get reauthorized , ” Graham said .
“ We ’ ve got to stop this .
You can not turn on the economy until you get this aberration of the law of fixed.
” Some 30.3 million Americans have applied for unemployment benefits since the COVID-19 outbreak took hold .
Economists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which will be announced next week , could be as high as 20 % .
Graham ’ s criticism of worker benefits comes as another coronavirus-related fiscal measure is facing blowback .
The Paycheck Protection Program , part of the $ 2.2 trillion economic relief act passed in March , was supposed to aid small businesses .
In the first round of funding for the program , nearly 300 publicly traded corporations received $ 1 billion in forgivable loans .

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) promised business leaders that Congress would not extend enhanced unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 crisis, saying such a continuation would only happen “over our dead bodies.”
He made the comment on Wednesday at a state task force panel about re-opening South Carolina businesses. “Our” was a reference to himself and fellow Republican Sen. Tim Scott, who was also on the panel.
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Wednesday was the day the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus passed 60,000.
Graham insisted that extending enhanced benefits would incentivize people to stay home rather than return to work.
In March, Congress voted to give an additional $600 per week to those collecting unemployment through July 25, as the coronavirus outbreak continues to trigger massive layoffs.
“I promise you, over our dead bodies will this get reauthorized,” Graham said. “We’ve got to stop this. You cannot turn on the economy until you get this aberration of the law of fixed.”
Some 30.3 million Americans have applied for unemployment benefits since the COVID-19 outbreak took hold. Economists predict that April’s unemployment rate, which will be announced next week, could be as high as 20%.
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Graham’s criticism of worker benefits comes as another coronavirus-related fiscal measure is facing blowback. The Paycheck Protection Program, part of the $2.2 trillion economic relief act passed in March, was supposed to aid small businesses. In the first round of funding for the program, nearly 300 publicly traded corporations received $1 billion in forgivable loans.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-02--George W. Bush Message Urges 'Unity' As Trump Exploits Division Amid COVID-19

In a video message Saturday , former president George W. Bush appealed for national unity in this “ challenging and solemn time ” of the COVID-19 pandemic — and invoked Americans ’ better selves of “ service and sacrifice ” amid the crushing crisis .
The message — entitled the “ The Call to Unite ” and posted by the George W. Bush Presidential Center — was a striking contrast between a former Republican president and Donald Trump , who has fueled increasing division .
Trump has urged his supporters to “ liberate ” Democratic states — and threatened not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they “ give us a lot.
” “ Let us remember how small our differences are in the face of this shared threat , ” Bush said .
“ In the final analysis , we are not partisan combatants .
We are human beings , equally vulnerable and equally wonderful in the sight of God.
” But he also reminded people that the COVID-19 toll will not fall equally on everyone — and that it ’ s up to the generosity of the American spirit to help those most in need .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be especially important to care in practical ways for the elderly , the ill and the unemployed , ” Bush said .
He also urged everyone to do their part in following safety measures to protect people from infection .
Some hailed Bush ’ s sentiments as those from a real leader in times of crisis .
But other critics on Twitter weren ’ t about to rewrite history just because Bush looks better now compared to Trump .
They skewered his administration ’ s big lie of Saddam Hussein ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq War in 2003 and his badly botched response to Hurricane Katrina .
Please listen to every word of this message from our former President George W. Bush .
What a thoughtful and inspiring message .
This is how a leader speaks and what a leader says .
https : //t.co/DwWZapyfOc — Fred Guttenberg ( @ fred_guttenberg ) May 2 , 2020 I defer to no one in my loathing for George W Bush - who one day I hope will face justice for his lies , war crimes , and torture !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ but , ’ sorry ... ... can you imagine Donald Trump putting out a message or video like this ?
Can you ?
?
https : //t.co/hBZ8wnlUhy — Mehdi Hasan ( @ mehdirhasan ) May 3 , 2020 I don ’ t know if we realize how far the Overton Window has moved .
We went from “ George Bush doesn ’ t care about Black people ” to “ yeah but he wouldn ’ t have implied we should drink disinfectant either ” in just 11 years .
https : //t.co/pHgTmBmXZM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remixes .
( @ MsPackyetti ) May 2 , 2020 George W. Bush is one of the most evil war criminals of the last 100 years .
He and his administration are responsible for more bloodshed than the current administration- but go off liberals & praise him , tell us how you ’ re crying & wishing he was president .
— Sana Saeed ( @ SanaSaeed ) May 3 , 2020

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In a video message Saturday, former president George W. Bush appealed for national unity in this “challenging and solemn time” of the COVID-19 pandemic — and invoked Americans’ better selves of “service and sacrifice” amid the crushing crisis.
The message — entitled the “The Call to Unite” and posted by the George W. Bush Presidential Center — was a striking contrast between a former Republican president and Donald Trump, who has fueled increasing division. Trump has urged his supporters to “liberate” Democratic states — and threatened not to aid financially struggling blue states unless they “give us a lot.”
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Bush cautioned in his three-minute video: “We rise or fall together.”
“Let us remember how small our differences are in the face of this shared threat,” Bush said. “In the final analysis, we are not partisan combatants. We are human beings, equally vulnerable and equally wonderful in the sight of God.”
But he also reminded people that the COVID-19 toll will not fall equally on everyone — and that it’s up to the generosity of the American spirit to help those most in need.
“In the days to come, it will be especially important to care in practical ways for the elderly, the ill and the unemployed,” Bush said.
He also urged everyone to do their part in following safety measures to protect people from infection.
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Some hailed Bush’s sentiments as those from a real leader in times of crisis.
But other critics on Twitter weren’t about to rewrite history just because Bush looks better now compared to Trump. They skewered his administration’s big lie of Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction that launched the Iraq War in 2003 and his badly botched response to Hurricane Katrina.
Please listen to every word of this message from our former President George W. Bush. What a thoughtful and inspiring message. This is how a leader speaks and what a leader says. https://t.co/DwWZapyfOc — Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) May 2, 2020
I defer to no one in my loathing for George W Bush - who one day I hope will face justice for his lies, war crimes, and torture! - but... and there is a ‘but,’ sorry...
...can you imagine Donald Trump putting out a message or video like this? Can you?? https://t.co/hBZ8wnlUhy — Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) May 3, 2020
God bless him. A reminder that every single president was better than the current one — Jennifer Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) May 3, 2020
It really took Donald Trump to make George W Bush not look like our worst President. — ⛰🌹 Jon Munitz 💡🧢 (@MyLifeIsMunitz) May 3, 2020
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We’ll never forget you started the War in Iraq based on lies that then gave birth to ISIS. — Mark Dice (@MarkDice) May 2, 2020
I don’t know if we realize how far the Overton Window has moved.
We went from “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people” to “yeah but he wouldn’t have implied we should drink disinfectant either” in just 11 years. https://t.co/pHgTmBmXZM — brittany packnett cunningham does not do remixes. (@MsPackyetti) May 2, 2020
George W. Bush is one of the most evil war criminals of the last 100 years. He and his administration are responsible for more bloodshed than the current administration- but go off liberals & praise him, tell us how you’re crying & wishing he was president. — Sana Saeed (@SanaSaeed) May 3, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-02--Auschwitz Museum Condemns Use Of Nazi Slogan At Illinois COVID-19 Protest

The Auschwitz Museum issued a scathing attack on the use of a notorious Nazi slogan on a sign at an Illinois protest against COVID-19 safety measures .
The German phrase on the protest sign , “ Arbeit Macht Frei , ” was written in the gates at Auschwitz and other Nazi death camps .
It means “ work sets you free , ” darkly referring to starving Jews at the camp who were forced to work until they dropped dead — or were killed .
The sign at the Re-Open Illinois protest Friday in Chicago also included the initials “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
J.B. Pritzker , who is Jewish .
″ ‘ Arbeit macht frei ’ was a false , cynical illusion the SS gave to prisoners of Auschwitz , ” said a statement from the museum , located at the death camp site in Poland .
“ Those words became one of the icons of human hatred .
It ’ s painful to see this symbol instrumentalized & used again to spread hate .
It ’ s a symptom of moral & intellectual degeneration.
” '' Arbeit macht frei '' was a false , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of # Auschwitz .
Those words became one of the icons of human hatred .
It 's painful to see this symbol instrumentalized & used again to spread hate .
It 's a symptom of moral & intellectual degeneration .
https : //t.co/ZRxja8x6eS — Auschwitz Memorial ( @ AuschwitzMuseum ) May 2 , 2020 The photo of the sign was taken and tweeted by a nurse , Dennis Kosuth , a counterprotester on the scene to demonstrate for continued safety measures to protect the public from COVID-19 , The Hill reported .
Hundreds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following social distancing guidelines , called for loosening of restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Illinois reported the largest one-day spike in coronavirus cases on Friday .
The state has reported more than 56,000 cases and 2,457 deaths .
Pritzker ’ s chief of staff Anna Caprara said protesters armed with such signs have no standing calling for liberty .
She also criticized other signs portraying Pritzker as Hitler , particularly since his family fled to Chicago to escape pogroms , another chapter in violent anti-semitism .
“ You can protest a policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ragingly bigoted , ” she noted .
Don ’ t want to hear about “ liberty ” when these signs along with the ones portraying Illinois ’ Jewish Gov , whose family came to Chicago fleeing pogroms , as Hitler seem to be a staple at today ’ s protests .
You can protest a policy you don ’ t like without being ragingly bigoted .
https : //t.co/sKTrUv5vC3 — Anne Caprara ( @ anacaprana ) May 1 , 2020 David Harris , CEO of the American Jewish Committee , called use of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sickening.
” He characterized the phrase as a “ savage Nazi hoax for slave labor & gas chambers.
” An earlier sign appearing to feature the same slogan at a similar protest in Pittsburg nearly two weeks ago was inaccurately altered in a photograph , according to a fact check by the Associated Press .
The Illinois sign was authenticated by the photographer and a witness , who saw the protester with the sign and argued with her , she told The Hill .

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The Auschwitz Museum issued a scathing attack on the use of a notorious Nazi slogan on a sign at an Illinois protest against COVID-19 safety measures.
The German phrase on the protest sign, “Arbeit Macht Frei,” was written in the gates at Auschwitz and other Nazi death camps.
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It means “work sets you free,” darkly referring to starving Jews at the camp who were forced to work until they dropped dead — or were killed. The sign at the Re-Open Illinois protest Friday in Chicago also included the initials “JB,” referring to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who is Jewish.
″‘Arbeit macht frei’ was a false, cynical illusion the SS gave to prisoners of Auschwitz,” said a statement from the museum, located at the death camp site in Poland. “Those words became one of the icons of human hatred. It’s painful to see this symbol instrumentalized & used again to spread hate. It’s a symptom of moral & intellectual degeneration.”
"Arbeit macht frei" was a false, cynical illusion the SS gave to prisoners of #Auschwitz. Those words became one of the icons of human hatred. It's painful to see this symbol instrumentalized & used again to spread hate. It's a symptom of moral & intellectual degeneration. https://t.co/ZRxja8x6eS — Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) May 2, 2020
The photo of the sign was taken and tweeted by a nurse, Dennis Kosuth, a counterprotester on the scene to demonstrate for continued safety measures to protect the public from COVID-19, The Hill reported.
Hundreds of protesters in Illinois, most not following social distancing guidelines, called for loosening of restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic. Illinois reported the largest one-day spike in coronavirus cases on Friday. The state has reported more than 56,000 cases and 2,457 deaths.
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Pritzker’s chief of staff Anna Caprara said protesters armed with such signs have no standing calling for liberty. She also criticized other signs portraying Pritzker as Hitler, particularly since his family fled to Chicago to escape pogroms, another chapter in violent anti-semitism. “You can protest a policy you don’t like without being ragingly bigoted,” she noted.
Don’t want to hear about “liberty” when these signs along with the ones portraying Illinois’ Jewish Gov, whose family came to Chicago fleeing pogroms, as Hitler seem to be a staple at today’s protests. You can protest a policy you don’t like without being ragingly bigoted. https://t.co/sKTrUv5vC3 — Anne Caprara (@anacaprana) May 1, 2020
David Harris, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, called use of the phrase “Shocking. Shameful. Sickening.” He characterized the phrase as a “savage Nazi hoax for slave labor & gas chambers.”
An Illinois resident protests #COVID restrictions w/ the 3 words at #Auschwitz entrance—Arbeit Macht Frei.
Those words—Work Sets You Free—were a savage Nazi hoax for slave labor & gas chambers.
JB in the sign refers to state’s Jewish governor.
Shameful. Shocking. Sickening. pic.twitter.com/TnDQFFYJHD — David Harris (@DavidHarrisAJC) May 2, 2020
Former U.S. ambassador to Israel and Illinois native Daniel Shapiro called the sign “disgusting.”
Pro-tip: Try to argue your case (about post-COVID-19 reopening or anything else) without quoting Nazi slogans.
Seriously, this is disgusting. pic.twitter.com/mXIh2hWf6M — Dan Shapiro (@DanielBShapiro) May 2, 2020
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An earlier sign appearing to feature the same slogan at a similar protest in Pittsburg nearly two weeks ago was inaccurately altered in a photograph, according to a fact check by the Associated Press. The Illinois sign was authenticated by the photographer and a witness, who saw the protester with the sign and argued with her, she told The Hill.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-03--Oregon Has Been Voting By Mail For Decades. Now It Will Save Lives.

Shannon Finney via Getty Images Oregon Gov .
Kate Brown speaks at the Axios News Shapers event on the U.S. education system on Feb. 22 , 2019 , in Washington , D.C. WASHINGTON ― Imagine that voting for president was so easy you could do it from your couch , in the same clothes you ’ ve been wearing for days because you ’ re in the middle of a pandemic and you ’ ve kind of let yourself go , in between back-to-back episodes of the best show on television , “ Love Is Blind.
” You can do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conducting all of its statewide elections entirely by mail since 1998 .
The process is simple .
It ’ s secure .
And it means residents don ’ t have to worry about leaving their houses and risk getting the coronavirus in order to vote .
They don ’ t even have to worry about putting a stamp on their ballots ; Gov .
Kate Brown ( D ) signed a law last year that requires the state to pay for ballot postage .
This is a far safer system than what Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , the Republican-led state Legislature refused to agree to the Democratic governor ’ s request to mail absentee ballots to all voters or move the state ’ s April 7 primary to June .
When the governor issued an executive order pushing back the date , the state Supreme Court , also controlled by conservatives , overturned it .
The resulting election was “ the most undemocratic in the state ’ s history , ” as Wisconsin ’ s largest newspaper put it : mask-wearing residents had to wait in long lines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are so many benefits to Oregon ’ s vote-by-mail system that it ’ s a wonder why other states haven ’ t already made mail-in voting an option for every voter , never mind during a public health emergency .
The system is simple : Ballots are mailed to all registered voters ’ addresses three weeks before each election , along with a pamphlet of information on candidates and issues .
Voters mark them , sign them and drop them in a mailbox .
Election officials verify every signature ― clerks are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if your signature doesn ’ t match ― and tally the results , which are easy to reproduce for recounts .
They ’ re also hard to manipulate , which reduces the risk of foreign interference in U.S. elections .
It ’ s also cost-effective .
Brown said while her state still operates some polling stations , its vote-by-mail elections cost 20 % to 30 % less than in-person voting because of reduced costs from staffing polling stations and ballot counting systems .
Beyond that , Oregon has one of the highest voter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other states conduct their elections entirely by mail : Colorado , Hawaii , Utah and Washington .
But every state anticipates a surge in mailed ballots this year due to the coronavirus pandemic , with anywhere from a doubling of vote-by-mail rates to a nearly 100 % replacement of in-person voting .
Brown said she ’ s been working with governors in Democratic and Republican states who have expressed interest in using mail-in voting this year .
They essentially need to tweak and expand their absentee voting systems .
“ My team and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assist governors that want to move in this direction , that literally ... want to make sure they actually keep people healthy and save lives , ” she said .
Trump , of course , voted by mail in the Florida primary in March .
He also voted absentee in New York in the 2018 election .
Asked at a White House press briefing in April how he reconciles his criticisms of mail-in voting with the fact that he does it himself , he said , “ Because I ’ m allowed to.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ doesn ’ t work out well for Republicans ” isn ’ t necessarily true , either .
But his new attacks on expanded voting options echo Republicans ’ decadeslong campaign to impose voting restrictions that disproportionately affect certain groups of people ― namely people of color , the economically disadvantaged and young people ― by saying the restrictions are necessary to combat voter fraud , which is incredibly rare .
Democrats have more core supporters in disenfranchised communities , and the conventional wisdom , at least , is that easier voting measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s complaints about mail-in voting come at a time when he seems willing to let the U.S .
Postal Service fail .
The independent agency predicts it will run out of money in late summer or early fall because of the drop in mail volume due to the pandemic .
It has asked Congress for $ 75 billion in aid to stay afloat .
Without a functioning Postal Service this fall , states risk not being able to deliver ballots by mail in a timely manner and voters risk delays in returning their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paul Blumenthal reported , the nation ’ s ability to hold fair and free elections would be threatened , as would millions of Americans who would be forced to go to the polls during a pandemic if they wanted to vote .
As it stands , a significant number of voters already rely on the Postal Service for voting .
Thirty-three million Americans voted by mail in the 2016 election , using either absentee , military or mail-in ballots .
Democratic Sens .
Amy Klobuchar ( Minn. ) and Ron Wyden ( Ore. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act , that would ensure voters in every state have the option to request absentee ballots and have 20 days of early voting .
It would provide $ 3 million to the Election Assistance Commission to begin implementing some of the bill ’ s requirements and reimburse states for doing the same .

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WASHINGTON ― Imagine that voting for president was so easy you could do it from your couch, in the same clothes you’ve been wearing for days because you’re in the middle of a pandemic and you’ve kind of let yourself go, in between back-to-back episodes of the best show on television, “Love Is Blind.”
Imagine that it could save your life, too.
Why wouldn’t you do this?
You can do this in Oregon, which has been conducting all of its statewide elections entirely by mail since 1998. The process is simple. It’s secure. And it means residents don’t have to worry about leaving their houses and risk getting the coronavirus in order to vote. They don’t even have to worry about putting a stamp on their ballots; Gov. Kate Brown (D) signed a law last year that requires the state to pay for ballot postage.
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This is a far safer system than what Wisconsin just put its voters through. Last month, the Republican-led state Legislature refused to agree to the Democratic governor’s request to mail absentee ballots to all voters or move the state’s April 7 primary to June. When the governor issued an executive order pushing back the date, the state Supreme Court, also controlled by conservatives, overturned it. The resulting election was “the most undemocratic in the state’s history,” as Wisconsin’s largest newspaper put it: mask-wearing residents had to wait in long lines for hours at limited voting sites.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown speaks at the Axios News Shapers event on the U.S. education system on Feb. 22, 2019, in Washington, D.C. Shannon Finney via Getty Images
As of Thursday, 52 people who worked at polling stations or voted in the Wisconsin election have tested positive for COVID-19.
“I was horrified by what happened in Wisconsin,” Brown said in an interview late last month. “That folks should have to risk their health or their lives to vote is absolutely outrageous in this country.”
There are so many benefits to Oregon’s vote-by-mail system that it’s a wonder why other states haven’t already made mail-in voting an option for every voter, never mind during a public health emergency. The system is simple: Ballots are mailed to all registered voters’ addresses three weeks before each election, along with a pamphlet of information on candidates and issues. Voters mark them, sign them and drop them in a mailbox. Election officials verify every signature ― clerks are trained in forensics and will contact you if your signature doesn’t match ― and tally the results, which are easy to reproduce for recounts. They’re also hard to manipulate, which reduces the risk of foreign interference in U.S. elections.
“You can’t hack paper,” said the governor. “You can replicate and verify the results.”
It’s also cost-effective. Brown said while her state still operates some polling stations, its vote-by-mail elections cost 20% to 30% less than in-person voting because of reduced costs from staffing polling stations and ballot counting systems. Beyond that, Oregon has one of the highest voter participation rates in the country.
“That folks should have to risk their health or their lives to vote is absolutely outrageous in this country.” - Oregon Gov. Kate Brown
Four other states conduct their elections entirely by mail: Colorado, Hawaii, Utah and Washington. But every state anticipates a surge in mailed ballots this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, with anywhere from a doubling of vote-by-mail rates to a nearly 100% replacement of in-person voting. Brown said she’s been working with governors in Democratic and Republican states who have expressed interest in using mail-in voting this year. They essentially need to tweak and expand their absentee voting systems.
Asked which GOP governors have shown interest, Brown said South Dakota and Nebraska state officials “are actually very serious” about it.
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“My team and I are very, very willing to assist governors that want to move in this direction, that literally ... want to make sure they actually keep people healthy and save lives,” she said.
President Donald Trump last month went on a tirade about voting by mail, falsely claiming in White House briefings and on Twitter that statewide mail-in voting is “corrupt” and has “tremendous potential for voter fraud.”
Republicans should fight very hard when it comes to state wide mail-in voting. Democrats are clamoring for it. Tremendous potential for voter fraud, and for whatever reason, doesn’t work out well for Republicans. @foxandfriends — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2020
Trump, of course, voted by mail in the Florida primary in March. He also voted absentee in New York in the 2018 election. Asked at a White House press briefing in April how he reconciles his criticisms of mail-in voting with the fact that he does it himself, he said, “Because I’m allowed to.”
His claim that voting by mail “doesn’t work out well for Republicans” isn’t necessarily true, either. But his new attacks on expanded voting options echo Republicans’ decades-long campaign to impose voting restrictions that disproportionately affect certain groups of people ― namely people of color, the economically disadvantaged and young people ― by saying the restrictions are necessary to combat voter fraud, which is incredibly rare. Democrats have more core supporters in disenfranchised communities, and the conventional wisdom, at least, is that easier voting measures will help Democrats.
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Brown said it makes her blood boil to hear Trump’s fearmongering about voter fraud when it is “virtually nonexistent.”
“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” she said. “We should be making it easy for everyone to exercise their fundamental rights.”
The president’s complaints about mail-in voting come at a time when he seems willing to let the U.S. Postal Service fail. The independent agency predicts it will run out of money in late summer or early fall because of the drop in mail volume due to the pandemic. It has asked Congress for $75 billion in aid to stay afloat.
Trump responded by calling the Postal Service “a joke” and said he wouldn’t approve any federal relief unless it dramatically increases its prices.
Without a functioning Postal Service this fall, states risk not being able to deliver ballots by mail in a timely manner and voters risk delays in returning their completed ballots. As HuffPost’s Paul Blumenthal reported, the nation’s ability to hold fair and free elections would be threatened, as would millions of Americans who would be forced to go to the polls during a pandemic if they wanted to vote. As it stands, a significant number of voters already rely on the Postal Service for voting. Thirty-three million Americans voted by mail in the 2016 election, using either absentee, military or mail-in ballots.
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Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and Ron Wyden (Ore.) are currently pushing a bill, the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act, that would ensure voters in every state have the option to request absentee ballots and have 20 days of early voting. It would provide $3 million to the Election Assistance Commission to begin implementing some of the bill’s requirements and reimburse states for doing the same.
Brown said it is crucial that Congress give money to states this year to help make mail-in voting available to all voters. Not only will it save lives, she said, but it will ensure that people’s most fundamental right to vote isn’t eroded because of a pandemic.
“Literally, you know this is all about power, right?” said the governor. “This is about power.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-03--White House Coronavirus Official: Michigan Lockdown Protest 'Devastatingly Worrisome'

Dr. Deborah Birx , a leading infectious disease expert on the White House ’ s coronavirus task force , said Sunday that the actions of people ignoring social distancing guidelines while protesting stay-at-home orders are “ devastatingly worrisome.
” During an appearance on “ Fox News Sunday , ” host Chris Wallace asked Birx to weigh in from a public health perspective on the anti-lockdown protest at Michigan ’ s state capitol on Thursday .
Videos showed hundreds of protesters without masks crammed inside the building .
“ It ’ s devastatingly worrisome to me personally , ” Birx said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and infect their grandmother or their grandfather who has a comorbid condition and they have a serious or an unfortunate outcome , they will feel guilty for the rest of our lives.
” “ We need to protect each other at the same time we ’ re voicing our discontent , ” she added .
President Donald Trump has offered mixed messages on the protests .
On April 16 , he announced a three-phase set of guidelines for reopening the country , which in part require state and local officials to confirm a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward .
A day later , the president encouraged people protesting statewide stay-at-home orders in Democratic-led states , even though the states had not yet met the criteria for reopening outlined in the federal guidelines .
Less than a week later , Trump blasted Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp ( R ) for announcing plans to reopen parts of his state .
And then last week , the president advised Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ( D ) to “ give a little ” and “ make a deal ” with the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s capitol .
Asked Sunday if there should be a “ firm ” national policy on when states can reopen , Birx said that ’ s what the current plan is .
“ I think federal guidelines are a pretty firm policy of what we think is important from a public health standpoint , ” Birx said .
“ As states reopen , we really want want them to follow the gating criteria.
” “ We also made it very clear to the American people this is what you need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You need to continue to social distance , you need to continue to practice scrupulous hand-washing , ” she continued .
“ Most importantly , if you have any preexisting condition , through phase one and phrase two of reopening , we have asked you to continue to shelter in place.
” Some states , such as Arkansas and Colorado , have allowed hair salons and barbershops to reopen as they begin to ease coronavirus restrictions .
But Birx warned that it ’ s too early to do so given the close proximity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both parties are wearing masks .

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Dr. Deborah Birx, a leading infectious disease expert on the White House’s coronavirus task force, said Sunday that the actions of people ignoring social distancing guidelines while protesting stay-at-home orders are “devastatingly worrisome.”
During an appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” host Chris Wallace asked Birx to weigh in from a public health perspective on the anti-lockdown protest at Michigan’s state capitol on Thursday. Videos showed hundreds of protesters without masks crammed inside the building.
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“It’s devastatingly worrisome to me personally,” Birx said, “because if they go home and infect their grandmother or their grandfather who has a comorbid condition and they have a serious or an unfortunate outcome, they will feel guilty for the rest of our lives.”
“We need to protect each other at the same time we’re voicing our discontent,” she added.
Watch: Dr. Birx says on Fox News Sunday that protesters gathering without face masks in Michigan is "devastatingly worrisome" pic.twitter.com/crUn4NRInM — TV News HQ (@TVNewsHQ) May 3, 2020
President Donald Trump has offered mixed messages on the protests. On April 16, he announced a three-phase set of guidelines for reopening the country, which in part require state and local officials to confirm a two-week decline in new cases before moving forward.
A day later, the president encouraged people protesting statewide stay-at-home orders in Democratic-led states, even though the states had not yet met the criteria for reopening outlined in the federal guidelines.
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Less than a week later, Trump blasted Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) for announcing plans to reopen parts of his state. And then last week, the president advised Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) to “give a little” and “make a deal” with the “very good people” protesting in the state’s capitol.
Asked Sunday if there should be a “firm” national policy on when states can reopen, Birx said that’s what the current plan is.
“I think federal guidelines are a pretty firm policy of what we think is important from a public health standpoint,” Birx said. “As states reopen, we really want want them to follow the gating criteria.”
“We also made it very clear to the American people this is what you need to continue to do to protect yourself: You need to continue to social distance, you need to continue to practice scrupulous hand-washing,” she continued. “Most importantly, if you have any preexisting condition, through phase one and phrase two of reopening, we have asked you to continue to shelter in place.”
Some states, such as Arkansas and Colorado, have allowed hair salons and barbershops to reopen as they begin to ease coronavirus restrictions. But Birx warned that it’s too early to do so given the close proximity between stylists and customers ― even if both parties are wearing masks.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-03--New Hampshire State Rep. Resigns After Graphic Tweet About Tara Reade Allegation

“ I am by this email offering my resignation as a member of the New Hampshire House , ” Komi @ @ @ @ @ also want to offer my sincere apologies to anybody whose feelings may have been hurt @ @ @ @ @ am and will continue to be a supporter of victims of sexual and domestic assault @ @ @ @ @ poorly worded and do not reflect who I am and what I stand for .
@ @ @ @ @ of all who have been a victim of sexual or any other kind of assault @ @ @ @ @ excuse my poor judgment on this matter and hope that every one will know that @ @ @ @ @ my mistakes .
Komi , who endorsed Biden for president in July 2019 , faced @ @ @ @ @ liberal activists and state party leaders , including Shurtleff , following his bizarre defense of @ @ @ @ @ .

“I am by this email offering my resignation as a member of the New Hampshire House,” Komi reportedly wrote. “I also want to offer my sincere apologies to anybody whose feelings may have been hurt by the tweets.”
He continued:
I am and will continue to be a supporter of victims of sexual and domestic assault. The tweets were very poorly worded and do not reflect who I am and what I stand for. I ask for the forgiveness of all who have been a victim of sexual or any other kind of assault. I in no way excuse my poor judgment on this matter and hope that every one will know that I am truly sorry for my mistakes.
Komi, who endorsed Biden for president in July 2019, faced calls for his resignation from liberal activists and state party leaders, including Shurtleff, following his bizarre defense of Biden in a tweet Friday.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-03--Michigan Gov. Decries Confederate Flags, Swastikas Seen At Anti-Lockdown Protest

Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ( D ) on Sunday forcefully condemned the racist symbols , including Confederate flags and swastikas , displayed by some attendees of an anti-lockdown protest at the state ’ s Capitol building last week .
Photos from the protest showed hundreds of participants crammed inside the building , many of whom were not wearing masks and flouted federal social distancing guidelines .
The protest ’ s stated purpose was to demand Whitmer ease coronavirus restrictions in the state , though some protesters were seen holding up racist and anti-Semitic symbols during the event .
During @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State of the Union , ” host Jake Tapper asked Whitmer if the stay-at-home order protests that have popped up across the country are in the same “ vein ” as the deadly 2017 rally in Charlottesville , Virginia , attended in part by neo-Nazis .
“ Some of the outrageousness of what happened at our Capitol this week depicted some of the worst racism and awful parts of our history in this country , ” Whitmer said .
“ The Confederate flags and nooses , the swastikas , the behavior that you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clips is not representative of who we are in Michigan.
” CNN 's Jake Tapper asks if the Stay at Home protesters at the Capitol are in the same `` vein '' as the Charlottesville Neo-Nazis .
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer says the protesters `` depicted some of the worst racism and awful parts of our history in this country . ''
pic.twitter.com/gImo4ebIIk — Benny ( @ bennyjohnson ) May 3 , 2020 Whitmer is one of more than 40 governors who have implemented statewide stay-at-home orders amid the pandemic .
As of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of confirmed COVID-19 deaths per capita , with 40 for every 100,000 people .
President Donald Trump last month released a three-phase set of guidelines for reopening parts of the country , which recommends state and local officials confirm a two-week downward trend of new cases and as well as adequate hospital capacity and testing procedures .
Whitmer has said Michigan has not yet met the criteria for a sweeping reopening of the state ’ s economy .
Trump nonetheless tweeted Friday that the governor should “ give a little ” and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very good people ” who protested at the state ’ s Capitol a day earlier .
“ The fact of the matter is , we ’ re in a global pandemic , ” she said .
“ This isn ’ t something we just negotiate ourselves out of .
...
This is a public health crisis that has taken the lives of over 70,000 Americans , has put 30 million people into unemployment .
We ’ ve lost in the last 24 hours almost the same number of Americans that were killed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me or not , I ’ m working to protect your life if you live in the state of Michigan , ” she added .
“ We ’ re going to listen to facts and science because we ’ ve got get this right .
”

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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) on Sunday forcefully condemned the racist symbols, including Confederate flags and swastikas, displayed by some attendees of an anti-lockdown protest at the state’s Capitol building last week.
Photos from the protest showed hundreds of participants crammed inside the building, many of whom were not wearing masks and flouted federal social distancing guidelines. The protest’s stated purpose was to demand Whitmer ease coronavirus restrictions in the state, though some protesters were seen holding up racist and anti-Semitic symbols during the event.
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During an interview with CNN’s “State of the Union,” host Jake Tapper asked Whitmer if the stay-at-home order protests that have popped up across the country are in the same “vein” as the deadly 2017 rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, attended in part by neo-Nazis.
“Some of the outrageousness of what happened at our Capitol this week depicted some of the worst racism and awful parts of our history in this country,” Whitmer said. “The Confederate flags and nooses, the swastikas, the behavior that you’ve seen in all of the clips is not representative of who we are in Michigan.”
CNN's Jake Tapper asks if the Stay at Home protesters at the Capitol are in the same "vein" as the Charlottesville Neo-Nazis.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer says the protesters "depicted some of the worst racism and awful parts of our history in this country." pic.twitter.com/gImo4ebIIk — Benny (@bennyjohnson) May 3, 2020
Whitmer is one of more than 40 governors who have implemented statewide stay-at-home orders amid the pandemic. As of Sunday, Michigan has the sixth-highest number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths per capita, with 40 for every 100,000 people.
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President Donald Trump last month released a three-phase set of guidelines for reopening parts of the country, which recommends state and local officials confirm a two-week downward trend of new cases as well as adequate hospital capacity and testing procedures.
Whitmer has said Michigan has not yet met the criteria for a sweeping reopening of the state’s economy. Trump nonetheless tweeted Friday that the governor should “give a little” and “make a deal” with the “very good people” who protested at the state’s Capitol a day earlier.
Whitmer on Sunday threw cold water on Trump’s suggestion and the protesters’ demands.
“The fact of the matter is, we’re in a global pandemic,” she said. “This isn’t something we just negotiate ourselves out of. ... This is a public health crisis that has taken the lives of over 70,000 Americans, has put 30 million people into unemployment. We’ve lost in the last 24 hours almost the same number of Americans that were killed on 9/11.”
“Whether you agree with me or not, I’m working to protect your life if you live in the state of Michigan,” she added. “We’re going to listen to facts and science because we’ve got get this right.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-03--Larry Kudlow Defends February Claim That U.S. Coronavirus Outbreak Was 'Contained'

“ This is a human tragedy , ” he added .
“ That ’ s the worst part of this @ @ @ @ @ the economic side ― I don ’ t think it ’ s going to be @ @ @ @ @ ” Of course , Kudlow was wrong about both the virus ’ s spread and @ @ @ @ @ of Sunday , more than 1.1 million people in the U.S. are known to have @ @ @ @ @ least 67,000 have died .
Roughly 30 million Americans have applied for unemployment since mid-March @ @ @ @ @ During an interview with CNN ’ s “ State of the Union , ” host @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a disconnect between Trump administration officials who want to reopen the economy and @ @ @ @ @ so too early could be disastrous .
Tapper pointed to Kudlow ’ s eyebrow-raising comments @ @ @

“This is a human tragedy,” he added. “That’s the worst part of this. The business side and the economic side ― I don’t think it’s going to be an economic tragedy at all.”
Of course, Kudlow was wrong about both the virus’s spread and its economic impact. As of Sunday, more than 1.1 million people in the U.S. are known to have contracted the virus and at least 67,000 have died. Roughly 30 million Americans have applied for unemployment since mid-March amid sweeping business closures.
During an interview with CNN’s “State of the Union,” host Tapper asked Kudlow if there’s a disconnect between Trump administration officials who want to reopen the economy and medical experts who warn doing so too early could be disastrous. Tapper pointed to Kudlow’s eyebrow-raising comments from February.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-03--Marco Rubio Slams Stonewalling By Trump Administration On Latest Stimulus Payouts

Sen. Marco Rubio ( R-Fla. ) on Saturday ripped the Trump administration ’ s Small Business Association for failing to provide any information about outgoing funds in the second round of the increasingly controversial Paycheck Protection Program .
The program , part of the $ 2.2 trillion CARES Act to help the economy through the COVID-19 crisis , was touted as an aid to small businesses .
But nearly 300 publicly traded corporations grabbed $ 1 billion in aid before the first round of spending ran out of money last month in just two weeks , shutting out countless small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ round of taxpayer aid , the SBA is refusing to reveal payment information , Rubio said in a video message he posted on Twitter .
“ The last 48 hours have been very troubling , ” he said .
“ In the last 48 hours , we have not been able to get anybody at SBA to provide us any information about round two — about how much money is left , about who ’ s getting it , about the application process .
The SBA , for whatever reason , has decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information with us , ” he added .
Rubio promised to get to the bottom of the program run by a Republican administration and passed by GOP lawmakers , an irony not missed by Twitter critics .
Walter Shaub , former head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics , also pointed out that Rubio and his fellow GOP senators have “ taught Trump ” that the president can ignore congressional oversight .
Sen. Rubio is finding out the hard way that the lesson he and the other Senators taught Trump is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
just like Rubio is ignoring the fact that Trump will fire the Intelligence Community Inspector General 9 and a half hours from now .
https : //t.co/0VqQUK0YVB — Walter Shaub ( @ waltshaub ) May 2 , 2020 Members of the Trump administration have been left to plead with companies to return the funds if they don ’ t need them .
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told the Wall Street Journal Tuesday that not only should companies give back the money , they should also “ apologize.
” After news emerged that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s son Barron attends — St. Andrew ’ s Episcopal School in Maryland — is receiving taxpayer stimulus funds , Mnuchin tweeted that such institutions should also return the money .
The elite Los Angeles school where Mnuchin ’ s children are students is also receiving public funds .
In the short “ self-certification ” application for the Payment Protection Program loans , applicants merely have to attest that they are not insolvent , and that they are “ unable to secure adequate credit accommodations from other banking institutions ” — which would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traded corporations that received money in the first round .
Payment Protection loans are forgiven — essentially turning them into taxpayer grants — if the money is used on certain expenses such as wages and rent .

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Saturday ripped the Trump administration’s Small Business Association for failing to provide any information about outgoing funds in the second round of the increasingly controversial Paycheck Protection Program.
The program, part of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act to help the economy through the COVID-19 crisis, was touted as an aid to small businesses. But nearly 300 publicly traded corporations grabbed $1 billion in aid before the first round of spending ran out of money last month in just two weeks, shutting out countless small businesses.
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Now, during the second round of taxpayer aid, the SBA is refusing to reveal payment information, Rubio said in a video message he posted on Twitter.
“The last 48 hours have been very troubling,” he said. “In the last 48 hours, we have not been able to get anybody at SBA to provide us any information about round two — about how much money is left, about who’s getting it, about the application process. The SBA, for whatever reason, has decided to lock down and not share that information with us,” he added.
Rubio promised to get to the bottom of the program run by a Republican administration and passed by GOP lawmakers, an irony not missed by Twitter critics. Walter Shaub, former head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, also pointed out that Rubio and his fellow GOP senators have “taught Trump” that the president can ignore congressional oversight.
Sen. Rubio is finding out the hard way that the lesson he and the other Senators taught Trump is that congressional oversight can be ignored . . . just like Rubio is ignoring the fact that Trump will fire the Intelligence Community Inspector General 9 and a half hours from now. https://t.co/0VqQUK0YVB — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) May 2, 2020
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The SBA could not immediately be reached by HuffPost for comment.
Word of the stonewalling comes amid growing public anger about wealthy companies getting funds intended for struggling operations.
Members of the Trump administration have been left to plead with companies to return the funds if they don’t need them. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told the Wall Street Journal Tuesday that not only should companies give back the money, they should also “apologize.”
After news emerged that the wealthy private school Donald Trump’s son Barron attends — St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Maryland — is receiving taxpayer stimulus funds, Mnuchin tweeted that such institutions should also return the money. The elite Los Angeles school where Mnuchin’s children are students is also receiving public funds.
It has come to our attention that some private schools with significant endowments have taken #PPP loans. They should return them. @SBAgov #CARESAct #PPPLoans — Steven Mnuchin (@stevenmnuchin1) May 1, 2020
In the short “self-certification” application for the Payment Protection Program loans, applicants merely have to attest that they are not insolvent, and that they are “unable to secure adequate credit accommodations from other banking institutions” — which would seem unlikely for the nearly 300 publicly traded corporations that received money in the first round.
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Part of the statement required by applicants in the Paycheck Protection Program. Paycheck Protection Program document
Payment Protection loans are forgiven — essentially turning them into taxpayer grants — if the money is used on certain expenses such as wages and rent.
A HuffPost Guide To Coronavirus


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-03--Here’s How We Can Deal With COVID-19 In Nursing Homes Right Away

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The first COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. was at a Seattle-area nursing home, where 37 residents and staff died. It was an almost unthinkable tragedy ― the kind that shakes a nation’s conscience and prompts immediate action, so that it doesn’t happen again.
Instead, the ensuing weeks have produced even more stories and even more horrific death tallies: 47 at a Minneapolis nursing home, 52 at a facility outside Pittsburgh, 70 at a New Jersey home where, notoriously, full body bags were piled in a holding room.
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The aggregate numbers are just as arresting. At least 16,000 nursing home residents and workers in the U.S. have died, which works out to about 1 in 4 of all COVID-19 deaths, according to the latest tally by USA Today. The real number may be even higher because of inconsistent testing, autopsy and reporting practices.
The pandemic’s heavy toll on nursing homes is not surprising. Residents are elderly, have significant physical or mental limitations, suffer from serious chronic conditions ― or some combination of the three. That makes them especially susceptible to severe, potentially lethal effects of the novel coronavirus.
Residents also require at least some assistance with daily life functions, including feeding, bathing and toileting, and they are typically in relatively close quarters. Infectious disease spreads easily in those environments.
All of this makes it easy to think nothing could have been done to reduce the level of suffering and that nothing can be done now.
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Both of those assumptions are wrong.
The biggest problems at nursing homes include three clearly identifiable deficiencies: not enough testing, not enough protective gear, and not enough workers. Fixing these would not put a stop to nursing home COVID-19 deaths. But it would almost certainly reduce them and, along the way, it would make an increasingly miserable experience for residents and workers a lot more tolerable.
A handful of states are already taking such action. Prominent among them is Maryland, where nursing homes have accounted for roughly half of all state deaths and where the administration of Larry Hogan, the Republican governor, has responded with a series of initiatives to help facilities as soon as possible.
But states can do only so much on their own. What nursing homes really need is more federal intervention along with more federal money. And they need these things right away.
Problem #1: Testing
A shortage of tests has bedeviled the nationwide COVID-19 response from the beginning, and nursing homes were among the places where the shortage had the most detrimental effects.
Forced to ration limited supplies, facilities typically tested and isolated only those patients who were symptomatic ― which was a huge problem, said Morgan Katz, an infectious disease specialist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, because so many patients were carrying the disease and spreading it even as they showed no symptoms.
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Katz has been leading Hopkins’ efforts, in coordination with the state of Maryland, to identify and address outbreaks at long-term care facilities. Early on, she said, she discovered that about half the residents and workers with positive results had no symptoms at the time of testing.
“It was really astounding,” Katz said. “They were shedding virus at that time, and no one had any idea. … We are not capturing this picture by only testing symptomatic residents.”
About half of Maryland's COVID-19 deaths have been in nursing homes. Gov. Larry Hogan (R) has responded by vowing to test all nursing home residents statewide, and to deploy "bridge teams" of health workers that can provide temporary help for facilities with overwhelmed staff. Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
As testing supplies have finally become more available, several states have moved to test nursing home residents and staff more aggressively.
Maryland, for example, now plans to test all nursing home residents and it won’t be just a one-time thing, Fran Phillips, the deputy secretary of health, told HuffPost. The state is figuring out a schedule for return visits, in order to catch new cases and stop them from turning into outbreaks, and Phillips said she expects that will mean repeat testing every few weeks.
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“I can’t give you a frequency now, but we want to stay on top of this,” Phillips said.
One reason Maryland can make the guarantee is that it appears to have test supplies in hand. Officials acquired 500,000 of the kits directly from South Korea, and Hogan has said he has National Guard troops protecting them at a secret location.
But many states don’t have that capacity, which means they cannot make the same promise and likely won’t be able to until the federal government provides more testing supplies.
“Our profession has been sounding the alarm for weeks and weeks,” Mark Parkinson, president of the American Health Care Association, a trade group representing long-term care facilities, said in a prepared statement earlier this week. “If we are not made a top priority, this situation will get worse with the most vulnerable in our society being lost.”
Problem #2: Gear
Personal protective equipment, or PPE, is another, all-too-familiar challenge.
Pearl Gooden, a certified nursing assistant at a Florida nursing home, told HuffPost this week she and her colleagues still get just one mask a day ― a standard surgical mask, not one of the more protective N95 versions ― and just one gown, as well. (HuffPost agreed not to identify the name of the nursing home, because workers speaking out have been subject to employer retribution.)
“You’re going from room to room, with the same stuff on,” she said, with no changes between the start of her shift at 7:00 a.m. and the end, at 3:15 p.m. “A surgical mask was not meant to be worn for an entire day, to be worn in one patient room and then another, over and over again.”
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Her story is by no means atypical, David Grabowski, a health policy professor at Harvard, said in an interview. Although facilities may be satisfying official guidelines for adequate protection, Grabowski said, that’s misleading because the federal government relaxed those guidelines to allow for reuse, as new gear was so hard to obtain.
“We are not capturing this picture by only testing symptomatic residents.” - Morgan Katz, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
“They don’t have the N95 masks ― they have lower-grade masks ― and so it sounds like they have, quote-unquote, adequate PPE, but it’s not up to high quality infection control standards,” Grabowski said.
And although nursing home operators have tried to find gear, it hasn’t been easy, Grabowski said, because hospitals have been grabbing up the limited supply.
“It’s a really desperate situation,” Grabowski said.
Just this past week, the Trump administration announced that it is shipping protective gear to more than 15,400 nursing homes around the country. That will help, but it’s only a week’s supply. And it’s not for other types of facilities, such as assisted living communities, that have reported their own PPE shortages.
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“It is now all too clear that states can’t possibly manage a pandemic of this magnitude, if they lack basic supplies to protect residents and staff,” Tricia Neuman, senior vice president at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, told HuffPost.
Problem #3: Worker Shortages
Even if the testing and supply situations improve substantially, nursing homes are still likely to struggle with insufficient staff.
Researchers have found previously that facilities with fewer workers were more likely to have problems with infections, in part because the best way to prevent the spread of disease is careful, thorough adherence to safety measures ― especially hand-washing ― and staff who are rushing between patients have less time for those practices.
The COVID-19 crisis has only increased the strain on staff. In order to slow the spread of the disease, nursing homes have now reduced or eliminated group activities. Instead of eating together in dining rooms or getting together in communal areas for music and physical activity, residents largely remain in their rooms, where they get everything from meals to physical and verbal therapy.
As a result, workers spend a lot more time going in and out of rooms, if not to deliver food or provide therapy, then just to check in on residents. That’s especially true for the CNAs like Pearl Gooden in Florida, who are the backbone of the nursing home workforce.
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“We had a real problem way before COVID struck. These folks have very tough jobs at very low wages.” - Richard Frank, Harvard Medical School
At the same time, nursing homes are dealing with unusually large numbers of absences, because workers who get exposed to COVID-19 ― as so many do ― end up self-isolating or, if they get sick, end up in quarantine. There are also some staying home because, given the risks of working without protective gear, they fear they will get sick and bring the virus home to their families.
Making matters even worse, nursing homes can’t rely on visitors to pick up slack ― say, by helping with feeding or simply providing companionship ― because COVID-19 safety protocols require excluding visitors except in extreme circumstances, such as visitors for a resident who is about to die.
“They don’t have any family members to come and talk to them,” Margaret Boyce, a CNA from a New Jersey nursing home, explained. She described one resident in particular who told her he watches the clock every day to wait for her arrival, and how heartbroken she is that she can’t stay long anymore.
“They are just there, and they want to talk to you, they want to tell you, ‘This is what I did when I was young,’ and to give you some nice stories,” Boyce said. “And I love to listen to them, but now you don’t have time to do that because now you have to rush.”
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Gooden, who says she prefers the title “caregiver” to CNA because she takes pride in that role, said she doesn’t have as much time to console residents who are “crying or looking like they’re worried.”
“I can’t do any of that,” she said, “because I have to rush in, do what I’ve got to do, and leave them and move on to the next one.”
The underlying problem: money
The surest solution to the staff shortages would be to hire more workers. But nursing homes were having trouble filling spots even before the pandemic, in part because of the pay they were offering.
Median pay for nursing assistants today is $14.25 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But that’s for all nursing assistants, and pay in nursing homes tends to be lower, with fewer benefits, experts say.
“We had a real problem way before COVID struck,” Richard Frank, a health economist at Harvard, said in an interview. “These folks have very tough jobs at very low wages.”
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Many facilities lean heavily on part-time staff who work at multiple sites in a week or even a day — in part, because part-time workers frequently aren’t eligible for benefits like health insurance or sick leave. Such arrangements are especially problematic in a pandemic because workers are more likely to carry the disease from one nursing home to another.
Medical workers load a deceased body into an ambulance outside a New Jersey nursing home. Eduardo Munoz Alvarez via Getty Images
Labor groups like the Service Employees International Union (to which both Boyce and Gooden belong) have long called for higher pay and better benefits, especially when it comes to paid sick leave. So have national advocacy organizations.
Industry officials say they can’t pay more. Unions and advocates say the industry is plenty profitable, especially for some private equity companies that have run facilities with histories of quality and safety problems.
In the future, many advocates hope, the federal government will require that nursing home operators spend more money on patient care, just as the federal government now requires health insurance companies to do.
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But that’s a long-term reform project. It’s not going to bring more workers into the facilities right now. It’s also not clear how much owners can do to raise pay at this particular moment, given the financial pressures they face because of the pandemic.
Like hospitals, which have lost revenue because of a sharp decline in moneymaking elective procedures, nursing homes have lost out on a big source of income: patients who will stay for only a short time while they recover from procedures or treatment. Payment for those patients comes from Medicare, which pays more than Medicaid, the primary financier of long-term care.
With those Medicare dollars in decline, Grabowski says, smaller, independently operated nursing homes in particular may have a harder time finding the extra money it would take to attract staff.
An idea for state action: ‘bridge teams’
State governments are starting to act on their own. Several are already using “strike teams” they dispatch to nursing homes where outbreaks have started in order to help test more residents, assess equipment needs, and make whatever arrangements are necessary (like moving residents to different parts of facilities) to isolate the sick.
Typically these strike teams include some combination of infectious disease specialists, nurses and National Guard troops.
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But Maryland, which has had these strike teams operating since early April, announced this week that it has also started deploying “bridge teams” that can provide supplemental, temporary staff for nursing homes that don’t have enough workers.
“Seniors think we have just decided their lives are not worth saving ― that is not and cannot ever be true.” - Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.)
Each of Maryland’s new bridge teams will include at least one registered nurse plus between five and seven CNAs, according to Phillips, the deputy health secretary, with a goal of providing care for up to 100 residents at a time. One reason for the teams, she said, was a recognition that more testing would likely yield more positives among existing staff, creating even more absences.
“We did not want the last resort, which would be for the nursing home to have to transfer these patients to a hospital simply because they didn’t have adequate nursing home care,” Phillips explained. “The patients themselves are stable … they don’t need to be hospitalized. And these are folks that don’t travel very well ― it’s very disruptive to put them in an ambulance.”
Even Maryland’s initiative has its limits. As of now, bridge teams will be available only for four days at a time, because, as the name implies, they are supposed to be an interim solution while nursing homes hire more workers on their own.
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That can’t happen without offering workers a lot more money, which many nursing homes simply don’t have right now and the states, constrained by balanced budget agreements, cannot provide on their own.
Ideas for federal action: hazard pay and a ‘care corps’
The federal government, on the other hand, can borrow at will. And there’s already a proposal under discussion that could help nursing homes immediately. That proposal is for hazard pay.
Under the “Heroes Fund” initiative that Senate Democrats put forward a few weeks ago, wages for nursing home workers could nearly double and the newly hired could get bonuses of up to $15,000. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) this week introduced a similar, if less generous, proposal.
Money alone might not be enough to lure workers, simply because nursing home work is so difficult and hazardous in the current environment. Experienced health care workers on furlough or getting laid off, as so many have been in the past few weeks, may feel they are better off staying on unemployment, at least for the time being.
A member of Georgia's National Guard cleans and sanitizes a nursing home room. Some states are using troops to help with infection control and staff shortages. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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But it might be possible to target an additional labor pool: students and new graduates of colleges and health care training programs. Under a proposal now being developed by a pair of economists, Harvard’s Frank and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Jonathan Gruber, the federal government would offer free training for caregiving jobs and then match those who complete the training with openings. They’re tentatively calling it a “care corps.”
The training wouldn’t take long. Even CNAs normally need only 75 hours of instruction, and federal regulators, in response to the crisis, are allowing nursing homes to hire temporary workers who complete shorter online courses. For many graduating students, the chance to get some early-career experience, along with hazard pay, could be appealing.
“Students make particular sense because right now, unlike other workers, students aren’t getting unemployment insurance,” Gruber said. “They are graduating with no prospect of a job, but no government support either. … And so it’s a good group to target, particularly students who were trained in the caring professions.”
The proposal is very much in its embryonic stages and could, for example, include an offer of debt forgiveness for students and new graduates carrying large tuition loans. Under the proposal, the program would also be open to the more than 7,000 Peace Corps workers that the government brought home and fired last month.
It’s a question of political will
Any serious initiative to bolster nursing home staff is going to require a lot of new government spending.
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Democrats never put a price tag on the Heroes Fund, but it would likely run into the tens of billions of dollars, and already Republican leaders in Congress like Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader from Kentucky, are saying the government is taking on too much debt.
But even tens of billions of dollars is not a lot of money in the context of a relief spending effort that is now, cumulatively, well into the trillions ― especially when a lot of that spending has gone to large corporations. Besides, any new spending on nursing homes is arguably money that should have been spent already, if residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities were getting the care they needed all along.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-03--DNC Chair Brushes Off Calls To Investigate Tara Reade Claim: 'I Trust Joe Biden'

Biden ’ s record has already been subjected to a thorough review , Perez told ABC ’ s “ This Week , ” citing the vice presidential vetting process conducted by Barack Obama ’ s presidential campaign in 2008 .
“ There ’ s been so many investigations of the vice president , ” Perez said .
“ The most comprehensive investigation of the vice president was when he was vetted by Barack Obama in 2008.
” On Saturday , The New York Times ’ editorial board called Biden ’ s denial of the sexual assault allegation “ insufficient ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ unbiased , apolitical panel ” to look into the matter .
A spokesperson for the DNC called the suggestion “ absurd.
” “ If Barack Obama had any indication there was an issue , Barack Obama would not have had him as his vice president , ” Perez told host Martha Raddatz when asked about the DNC ’ s apparent refusal to investigate the allegation .
Reade alleged Biden pushed her up against a wall and penetrated her with his fingers when she worked as a staff assistant in his Senate office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a formal complaint with the Senate that year about Biden ’ s behavior toward her .
Biden , the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee , has denied Reade ’ s sexual assault claim .
During an interview Friday with MSNBC ’ s “ Morning Joe , ” Biden said any such complaint would be in the National Archives .
He called on the Archives to “ identify any record of the complaint she alleges she filed and make available to the press any such document.
” The Archives said later Friday that it does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since said he ’ s asked the secretary of the Senate to search for any documents that relate to the allegation .
In their op-ed , the Times ’ editorial board members acknowledged that an “ apolitical ” investigation into the allegation directed by the DNC would be a “ major undertaking.
” “ Mr .
Biden served 36 years in the Senate , ” the editorial board wrote .
“ He turned over nearly 2,000 boxes and more than 400 gigabytes of data to the University of Delaware ; most of it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question at hand is no less than Mr. Biden ’ s fitness for the presidency .
No relevant memo should be left unexamined.
” “ The fact of the matter is that ... the former president Barack Obama conducted an exhaustive search , ” he added .
“ Joe Biden has been an open book .
”

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Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez on Sunday brushed off calls to convene a panel to investigate former Senate staffer Tara Reade’s sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden.
Biden’s record has already been subjected to a thorough review, Perez told ABC’s “This Week,” citing the vice presidential vetting process conducted by Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2008.
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“There’s been so many investigations of the vice president,” Perez said. “The most comprehensive investigation of the vice president was when he was vetted by Barack Obama in 2008.”
“They looked at the entire history of Joe Biden … Barack Obama trusted Joe Biden, I trust Joe Biden,” DNC Chairman Tom Perez tells @marthaRaddatz when asked why the DNC won’t convene an independent panel.
Joe Biden denied the sexual assault allegation. https://t.co/IKnZgw8Pyn pic.twitter.com/UwYJZ1F1Q0 — This Week (@ThisWeekABC) May 3, 2020
On Saturday, The New York Times’ editorial board called Biden’s denial of the sexual assault allegation “insufficient” and urged the DNC to form an “unbiased, apolitical panel” to look into the matter. A spokesperson for the DNC called the suggestion “absurd.”
“If Barack Obama had any indication there was an issue, Barack Obama would not have had him as his vice president,” Perez told host Martha Raddatz when asked about the DNC’s apparent refusal to investigate the allegation.
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“Barack Obama trusted Joe Biden,” he added. “I trust Joe Biden. And those investigations have been done.”
Reade alleged Biden pushed her up against a wall and penetrated her with his fingers when she worked as a staff assistant in his Senate office in 1993. She said she filed a formal complaint with the Senate that year about Biden’s behavior toward her.
Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has denied Reade’s sexual assault claim. During an interview Friday with MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Biden said any such complaint would be in the National Archives. He called on the Archives to “identify any record of the complaint she alleges she filed and make available to the press any such document.”
The Archives said later Friday that it does not have personnel records. Biden has since said he’s asked the secretary of the Senate to search for any documents that relate to the allegation.
In their op-ed, the Times’ editorial board members acknowledged that an “apolitical” investigation into the allegation directed by the DNC would be a “major undertaking.”
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“Mr. Biden served 36 years in the Senate,” the editorial board wrote. “He turned over nearly 2,000 boxes and more than 400 gigabytes of data to the University of Delaware; most of it has not been cataloged. But the question at hand is no less than Mr. Biden’s fitness for the presidency. No relevant memo should be left unexamined.”
Perez on Sunday compared the interest in Biden’s personnel records to the Republican Party’s obsession with Hillary Clinton’s emails in 2016.
“There was nothing there,” Perez said.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-05-03--Joe Biden Wins Kansas Primary Conducted Exclusively By Mail

ASSOCIATED PRESS In this Sunday , March 15 , 2020 , photo , former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a Democratic presidential primary debate at CNN Studios in Washington .
( AP Photo/Evan Vucci ) TOPEKA , Kan. ( AP ) — Joe Biden has overwhelmingly won a Democratic presidential primary in Kansas that the state party conducted exclusively by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The former vice president had been expected to prevail in Saturday ’ s vote and capture a majority of the state ’ s delegates to the Democrats ’ national nominating commission .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was still in the race when the Kansas party began mailing ballots at the end of March , but he suspended his campaign and endorsed Biden .
Sanders easily won Kansas ’ caucuses in 2016 over former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , riding a surge of enthusiasm among liberal voters and first-time caucus-goers .
But the state party mailed ballots this year to more than 400,000 registered Democrats to get a far larger turnout than the 39,000 who voted four years ago .
The primary determined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 45 national convention delegates would be allocated .
The remaining six are party leaders , including Gov .
Laura Kelly and U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids .
Besides Biden and Sanders , Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard also were on the Kansas ballot .
Voters also could choose to be uncommitted .
The contest also featured ranked-choice voting , allowing voters to pick more than one candidate and rank them .
A candidate who failed to get 15 % in the first round of voting had his or her votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the process continued until the only remaining candidates all had at least 15 % .
Democratic leaders originally had planned to set up polling places across the state in addition to allowing mail balloting .
But they scrapped plans for in-person voting at the end of March after Kelly issued a statewide stay-at-home order .
Many Democrats hoped a smooth primary would encourage greater reliance on mail balloting in Kansas ’ regular primary in August and its November general election .

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Joe Biden has overwhelmingly won a Democratic presidential primary in Kansas that the state party conducted exclusively by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The former vice president had been expected to prevail in Saturday’s vote and capture a majority of the state’s delegates to the Democrats’ national nominating commission. Biden took 77% of the vote.
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Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was still in the race when the Kansas party began mailing ballots at the end of March, but he suspended his campaign and endorsed Biden.
Sanders easily won Kansas’ caucuses in 2016 over former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, riding a surge of enthusiasm among liberal voters and first-time caucus-goers. But the state party mailed ballots this year to more than 400,000 registered Democrats to get a far larger turnout than the 39,000 who voted four years ago.
In this Sunday, March 15, 2020, photo, former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a Democratic presidential primary debate at CNN Studios in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) ASSOCIATED PRESS
The primary determined how 39 of the state’s 45 national convention delegates would be allocated. The remaining six are party leaders, including Gov. Laura Kelly and U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids.
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Besides Biden and Sanders, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard also were on the Kansas ballot. Voters also could choose to be uncommitted.
The contest also featured ranked-choice voting, allowing voters to pick more than one candidate and rank them. A candidate who failed to get 15% in the first round of voting had his or her votes reallocated to voters’ second choices, and the process continued until the only remaining candidates all had at least 15%.
Democratic leaders originally had planned to set up polling places across the state in addition to allowing mail balloting. But they scrapped plans for in-person voting at the end of March after Kelly issued a statewide stay-at-home order.
Many Democrats hoped a smooth primary would encourage greater reliance on mail balloting in Kansas’ regular primary in August and its November general election.