shareblue--2020-03-07--US prisons and jails on high alert over coronavirus

The nation 's jails and prisons are on high alert , stepping up inmate screenings , sanitizing jail cells , and urging lawyers to scale back in-person visits to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading through their vast inmate populations .
There have been no reports of COVID-19 inside U.S. jails or prisons .
But more people are incarcerated per capita here than in any other country in the world and prisons have become hot spots in other nations touched by the outbreak .
Coronavirus suddenly exploded in China ’ s prisons last week , with reports of more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three provinces .
Earlier this week in Iran , 54,000 inmates were temporarily released back into the country amid virus fears .
Jail operators in the U.S. are coming to the growing realization that it ’ s only a matter of time before it strikes here .
“ Jails are , you know , just prime opportunities for something like this to spread , ” said Bossier Parish Sheriff Julian Whittington , the president of the Louisiana Sheriff ’ s Association .
“ I ’ m a realist and I suspect more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pop up in somebody ’ s jail.
” Health officials have been warning for more than a decade about the dangers of outbreaks in jails and prisons , which are ideal environments for virus outbreaks : Inmates share small cells with total strangers , use toilets just a few feet from their beds , and are herded into day rooms where they spend hours at a time together .
Practicing even the most simple hygiene , such as washing hands , is not a given in such environments .
Hand sanitizer is often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Inmates go in groups to court , where they wait together in cramped holding areas .
Many are poor , meaning that when they 're released they often must get on public buses or trains to get home .
Reports of illness spreading in a jail are fairly common , and occasionally outbreaks of influenza have required quarantine .
Most often , the numbers of inmates who come down with the flu at the same time don ’ t climb higher than a couple of dozen , but there have been exceptions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stomach flu at Cook County Jail in Chicago , the largest single site jail in the U.S. , prompted the quarantine of 700 inmates .
“ We are used to dealing with this kind of thing like flu outbreaks that a lot of places aren ’ t , '' said Brad Curry , the chief of staff for the Cook County Sheriff ’ s Office , which operates the jail .
After the swine flu outbreak in 2009 , which infected hundreds of prisoners across the country , most prison systems did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus , the Philadelphia Prisons Department had a medical quarantine for inmates coming into its system , which houses about 4,600 inmates .
New detainees go through a medical screening and are segregated for at least 10 to 14 days while they wait for the results of any medical tests , said James Garrow , a spokesman for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health .
The screening has since been updated to include COVID-19 , not only in Philadelphia , but also in Dallas , Houston , Miami , Chicago and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obtained the medical kits to test for the virus , however .
The Federal Bureau of Prisons has instituted a new screening tool that includes question about whether inmates or staff members have traveled through any risk countries , had close contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 or been deployed to areas with the virus within two weeks .
The tool , obtained by The Associated Press , also looks to assess possible symptoms , including fever , cough and shortness of breath .
But only about 175,000 of the nation 's more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in federally run facilities .
The rest are held in hundreds of prisons , jails and immigration detention centers around the country .
Local city and county correctional facilities bear the brunt of screening incoming prisoners because those facilities are often the first stop while someone awaits court hearings or arraignments on local , state or federal charges .
Local corrections officials realize they 're on the front lines of possible outbreaks and are working on protective measures .
In New York City , the Department of Correction is cleaning and sanitizing cells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buses more regularly .
Anyone sick at Rikers Island , the notorious New York City jail where Harvey Weinstein is being held , is screened and could be sent to an area hospital or the department 's communicable disease unit .
In Miami , any newly arrested person suspected of having the virus will be diverted to a hospital , said Corrections and Rehabilitation Department spokeswoman Dominique Moody .
She said the department has also secured space for a medical quarantine for any of the 3,900 inmates already in custody if it becomes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in many facilities on how to recognize symptoms and are being given supplies for protection , such as masks , gloves and eye protection .
Officials in Philadelphia , meanwhile , are working to secure more money to cover costs if city employees , including jail guards , need to stay home sick .
The precautions have extended outside prison walls to the legal community .
Throughout the country , criminal attorneys are meeting with clients via video conference and exercising caution over how they handle and exchange legal documents with inmates .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ judges there have encouraged attorneys to postpone routine courthouse appearances for cases that are not nearing trial to avoid having to bring prisoners to the courthouse .
“ We are not going to any jails , ” he said .
“ That would be the first population where it would spread .
And they would get the worst medical care.
” In New York City on Friday , U.S. District Court Judge Colleen McMahon quietly ordered all inmates at the nearby federal jail to be screened for fevers , and said they should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher .

The nation’s jails and prisons are on high alert, stepping up inmate screenings, sanitizing jail cells, and urging lawyers to scale back in-person visits to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading through their vast inmate populations.
There have been no reports of COVID-19 inside U.S. jails or prisons. But more people are incarcerated per capita here than in any other country in the world and prisons have become hot spots in other nations touched by the outbreak.
Coronavirus suddenly exploded in China’s prisons last week, with reports of more than 500 cases spreading across five facilities in three provinces. Earlier this week in Iran, 54,000 inmates were temporarily released back into the country amid virus fears.
Jail operators in the U.S. are coming to the growing realization that it’s only a matter of time before it strikes here.
“Jails are, you know, just prime opportunities for something like this to spread,” said Bossier Parish Sheriff Julian Whittington, the president of the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association. “I’m a realist and I suspect more than likely sometime it’s going to pop up in somebody’s jail.”
Health officials have been warning for more than a decade about the dangers of outbreaks in jails and prisons, which are ideal environments for virus outbreaks: Inmates share small cells with total strangers, use toilets just a few feet from their beds, and are herded into day rooms where they spend hours at a time together.
Practicing even the most simple hygiene, such as washing hands, is not a given in such environments. Hand sanitizer is often treated as contraband because it contains alcohol.
Inmates go in groups to court, where they wait together in cramped holding areas. Many are poor, meaning that when they’re released they often must get on public buses or trains to get home.
Reports of illness spreading in a jail are fairly common, and occasionally outbreaks of influenza have required quarantine. Most often, the numbers of inmates who come down with the flu at the same time don’t climb higher than a couple of dozen, but there have been exceptions. In 2013, an outbreak of the stomach flu at Cook County Jail in Chicago, the largest single site jail in the U.S., prompted the quarantine of 700 inmates.
“We are used to dealing with this kind of thing like flu outbreaks that a lot of places aren’t,” said Brad Curry, the chief of staff for the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, which operates the jail.
After the swine flu outbreak in 2009, which infected hundreds of prisoners across the country, most prison systems did create pandemic preparation plans.
Before worries of the coronavirus, the Philadelphia Prisons Department had a medical quarantine for inmates coming into its system, which houses about 4,600 inmates. New detainees go through a medical screening and are segregated for at least 10 to 14 days while they wait for the results of any medical tests, said James Garrow, a spokesman for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.
The screening has since been updated to include COVID-19, not only in Philadelphia, but also in Dallas, Houston, Miami, Chicago and other cities. No prisons have yet obtained the medical kits to test for the virus, however.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons has instituted a new screening tool that includes question about whether inmates or staff members have traveled through any risk countries, had close contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 or been deployed to areas with the virus within two weeks. The tool, obtained by The Associated Press, also looks to assess possible symptoms, including fever, cough and shortness of breath.
But only about 175,000 of the nation’s more than 2 million incarcerated people are detained in federally run facilities. The rest are held in hundreds of prisons, jails and immigration detention centers around the country.
Local city and county correctional facilities bear the brunt of screening incoming prisoners because those facilities are often the first stop while someone awaits court hearings or arraignments on local, state or federal charges.
Local corrections officials realize they’re on the front lines of possible outbreaks and are working on protective measures.
In New York City, the Department of Correction is cleaning and sanitizing cells, common spaces, showers and transport buses more regularly. Anyone sick at Rikers Island, the notorious New York City jail where Harvey Weinstein is being held, is screened and could be sent to an area hospital or the department’s communicable disease unit.
In Miami, any newly arrested person suspected of having the virus will be diverted to a hospital, said Corrections and Rehabilitation Department spokeswoman Dominique Moody. She said the department has also secured space for a medical quarantine for any of the 3,900 inmates already in custody if it becomes necessary.
Prison staff are being trained in many facilities on how to recognize symptoms and are being given supplies for protection, such as masks, gloves and eye protection. Officials in Philadelphia, meanwhile, are working to secure more money to cover costs if city employees, including jail guards, need to stay home sick.
The precautions have extended outside prison walls to the legal community. Throughout the country, criminal attorneys are meeting with clients via video conference and exercising caution over how they handle and exchange legal documents with inmates.
San Antonio-based attorney Joseph Hoelscher said several judges there have encouraged attorneys to postpone routine courthouse appearances for cases that are not nearing trial to avoid having to bring prisoners to the courthouse.
“We are not going to any jails,” he said. “That would be the first population where it would spread. And they would get the worst medical care.”
In New York City on Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen McMahon quietly ordered all inmates at the nearby federal jail to be screened for fevers, and said they should not appear in court if they have a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.


shareblue--2020-03-07--Russia using social media to create election chaos — again

Four years after Russia-linked groups stoked divisions in the U.S. presidential election on social media platforms , a new report shows that Moscow 's campaign has n't let up and has become harder to detect .
The report from University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Young Mie Kim found that Russia-linked social media accounts are posting about the same divisive issues — race relations , gun laws , and immigration — as they did in 2016 , when the Kremlin polluted American voters ’ feeds with messages about the presidential election .
Facebook has since removed the accounts .
Since then , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at imitating U.S. campaigns and political fan pages online , said Kim , who analyzed thousands of posts .
She studied more than 5 million Facebook ads during the 2016 election , identifying Russia ’ s fingerprints on some of the messages through an ad-tracking app .
Her review is co-published by the Brennan Center for Justice , a law and policy institute , where she is a scholar .
The Russian improvements make it harder for voters and social media platforms to identify the foreign interference , Kim said .
“ For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to discern the differences , ” Kim said .
“ By mimicking domestic actors , with similar logos ( and ) similar names , they are trying to avoid verification.
” Kim ’ s report comes weeks after U.S. intelligence officials briefed lawmakers on Russian efforts to stir chaos in American politics and undermine public confidence in this year ’ s election .
The classified briefing detailed Russian efforts to boost the White House bids of both Donald Trump and Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders .
Last month , FBI Director Christopher Wray warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warfare ” with an army of fictional social media personas and bots that spread disinformation .
In a rare , joint statement Monday , the leaders of America ’ s intelligence agencies cautioned that foreign actors were spreading false information ahead of Super Tuesday to `` cause confusion and create doubt in our system.
” But intelligence officials have not released any details about the type of disinformation or explained how Americans should protect themselves from it .
Russia has repeatedly denied interfering in the U.S. elections , and did again on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeat again that we have nothing to do with the U.S. elections , ” Russia 's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said .
Russia has refined its techniques since 2016 and new foreign actors have joined the game , making it harder to identify Kremlin-backed disinformation said Thomas Rid , a national security expert who has written a book about the Kremlin ’ s history of spreading disinformation .
“ I do pick up some chatter that the visibility into Russian operations is not as good as it may appear , ” Rid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult to spot Russian interference today.
” Still , it ’ s unclear how much impact — if any — Russian disinformation tactics have had on voters .
Some of Russia ’ s social media ads in the 2016 U.S. presidential election were seen by only a handful of people and their impact has been “ vastly overstated , ” Rid said .
But Kim ’ s report pulls back the curtain on some of the online techniques Russia has already used in this year ’ s presidential race , including targeting battleground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ review identified thousands of posts last year from more than 30 Instagram accounts , which Facebook removed from the site in October after concluding that they originated from Russia and had links to the Internet Research Agency , a Russian operation that targeted U.S. audiences in 2016 .
Facebook owns Instagram .
Analysis from Graphika , a disinformation security firm , also concluded at the time that the accounts went to “ great lengths to hide their origins . ''
“ We will keep evolving our defenses and announcing these influence campaigns , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year , '' Facebook said in an email .
After getting caught off-guard with Russia 's 2016 election interference attempts , Facebook , Google , Twitter , and others put safeguards in place to prevent it from happening again .
This includes taking down posts , groups , and accounts that engage in “ coordinated inauthentic behavior , ” and strengthening verification procedures for political ads .
Kim 's analysis found the accounts appeared to mimic existing political ones , including one called “ Bernie.2020_ ” that used campaign logos to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders ' campaign or was a fan page for his supporters , Kim said .
Some presidential candidates also were targeted directly .
An account called Stop.Trump2020 posted anti-Trump content .
Other Instagram accounts pushed negative messages about Democrat Joe Biden .
“ Like for Trump 2020 , ” said one meme featuring a portrait photo of Trump and a photo of Biden .
“ Ignore for Biden 2020.
” It was posted by an Instagram account called Iowa.Patriot , one of several accounts that targeted specific communities in crucial swing states like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ messaging .
The accounts also appeared to capitalize on other divisive American issues that emerged after the 2016 election .
Some Instagram accounts pretended to be liberal , feminist groups as fallout from the # MeToo movement , which has exposed sexual misconduct allegations against high-profile public figures .
Others targeted conservative women with posts that criticized abortions .
“ I do n't need feminism , because real feminism is about equal opportunity and respect for women .
NOT about abortions , free birth control ... .
” a meme on one account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often they posted , the size of their following and the traction the posts received .
But they carried the hallmarks of a Russian-backed online disinformation campaign , Kim said .
“ They ’ re clearly adapting to current affairs , ” Kim said .
“ Targeting both sides with messages is very unique to Russia .
”

Four years after Russia-linked groups stoked divisions in the U.S. presidential election on social media platforms, a new report shows that Moscow’s campaign hasn’t let up and has become harder to detect.
The report from University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Young Mie Kim found that Russia-linked social media accounts are posting about the same divisive issues — race relations, gun laws, and immigration — as they did in 2016, when the Kremlin polluted American voters’ feeds with messages about the presidential election. Facebook has since removed the accounts.
Since then, however, the Russians have grown better at imitating U.S. campaigns and political fan pages online, said Kim, who analyzed thousands of posts. She studied more than 5 million Facebook ads during the 2016 election, identifying Russia’s fingerprints on some of the messages through an ad-tracking app. Her review is co-published by the Brennan Center for Justice, a law and policy institute, where she is a scholar.
The Russian improvements make it harder for voters and social media platforms to identify the foreign interference, Kim said.
“For normal users, it is too subtle to discern the differences,” Kim said. “By mimicking domestic actors, with similar logos (and) similar names, they are trying to avoid verification.”
Kim’s report comes weeks after U.S. intelligence officials briefed lawmakers on Russian efforts to stir chaos in American politics and undermine public confidence in this year’s election. The classified briefing detailed Russian efforts to boost the White House bids of both Donald Trump and Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Last month, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that Russia was still waging “information warfare” with an army of fictional social media personas and bots that spread disinformation.
In a rare, joint statement Monday, the leaders of America’s intelligence agencies cautioned that foreign actors were spreading false information ahead of Super Tuesday to “cause confusion and create doubt in our system.”
But intelligence officials have not released any details about the type of disinformation or explained how Americans should protect themselves from it.
Russia has repeatedly denied interfering in the U.S. elections, and did again on Thursday.
“You just want us to repeat again that we have nothing to do with the U.S. elections,” Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
Russia has refined its techniques since 2016 and new foreign actors have joined the game, making it harder to identify Kremlin-backed disinformation said Thomas Rid, a national security expert who has written a book about the Kremlin’s history of spreading disinformation.
“I do pick up some chatter that the visibility into Russian operations is not as good as it may appear,” Rid said. “It’s very difficult to spot Russian interference today.”
Still, it’s unclear how much impact — if any — Russian disinformation tactics have had on voters. Some of Russia’s social media ads in the 2016 U.S. presidential election were seen by only a handful of people and their impact has been “vastly overstated,” Rid said.
But Kim’s report pulls back the curtain on some of the online techniques Russia has already used in this year’s presidential race, including targeting battleground states with its divisive messaging.
Her review identified thousands of posts last year from more than 30 Instagram accounts, which Facebook removed from the site in October after concluding that they originated from Russia and had links to the Internet Research Agency, a Russian operation that targeted U.S. audiences in 2016. Facebook owns Instagram. Analysis from Graphika, a disinformation security firm, also concluded at the time that the accounts went to “great lengths to hide their origins.”
“We will keep evolving our defenses and announcing these influence campaigns, as we did more than 50 times last year,” Facebook said in an email.
After getting caught off-guard with Russia’s 2016 election interference attempts, Facebook, Google, Twitter, and others put safeguards in place to prevent it from happening again. This includes taking down posts, groups, and accounts that engage in “coordinated inauthentic behavior,” and strengthening verification procedures for political ads.
Kim’s analysis found the accounts appeared to mimic existing political ones, including one called “Bernie.2020_” that used campaign logos to make it seem like it was connected to Sanders’ campaign or was a fan page for his supporters, Kim said.
Some presidential candidates also were targeted directly.
An account called Stop.Trump2020 posted anti-Trump content. Other Instagram accounts pushed negative messages about Democrat Joe Biden.
“Like for Trump 2020,” said one meme featuring a portrait photo of Trump and a photo of Biden. “Ignore for Biden 2020.”
It was posted by an Instagram account called Iowa.Patriot, one of several accounts that targeted specific communities in crucial swing states like Michigan, Ohio, and Iowa with messaging.
The accounts also appeared to capitalize on other divisive American issues that emerged after the 2016 election.
Some Instagram accounts pretended to be liberal, feminist groups as fallout from the #MeToo movement, which has exposed sexual misconduct allegations against high-profile public figures. Others targeted conservative women with posts that criticized abortions.
“I don’t need feminism, because real feminism is about equal opportunity and respect for women. NOT about abortions, free birth control ….” a meme on one account read.
The accounts varied in how often they posted, the size of their following and the traction the posts received. But they carried the hallmarks of a Russian-backed online disinformation campaign, Kim said.
“They’re clearly adapting to current affairs,” Kim said. “Targeting both sides with messages is very unique to Russia.”


shareblue--2020-03-08--Florida mothers push lawmakers to act after losing children to tragedy

For months , Laurie Giordano had been telling the story of her son to anyone who would listen — of how her Zach , a strapping 16-year-old football player , should never have collapsed in the sweltering Florida heat nearly three years ago .
He died days later .
For weeks , Giordano has been driving six hours each way to meet with lawmakers in the state Capitol to push them to act , to understand the unbearable grief of a parent trying to bring meaning to a child 's death .
At the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee , Giordano @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who lost her 14-year-old daughter Alyssa in the Parkland school shooting .
Both spoke about how tragedy and loss is motivating them to lobby for legislation meant to save other children and other parents from suffering .
Giordano and Alhadeff are linked over their grief of losing children and working to get lawmakers to make schools safer , albeit in different ways .
Alhadeff was back to urge lawmakers to require panic buttons at schools to more quickly summon for help .
That was one of many school safety measures spawned by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 .
The bill , known as “ Alyssa ’ s Law , ” requires each public elementary , middle , and high school campus , including charter schools , to put in place a mobile system to alert authorities of emergencies .
And Giordano was again at the Capitol to take a seat at the public gallery overlooking the Senate floor , where lawmakers unanimously approved a bill renamed the “ Zachary Martin Act.
” The legislation would require public schools across Florida to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths .
For a few minutes , they spoke about their children and their shared mission .
Giordano admired the pendant hanging from Alhadeff 's neck that bears Alyssa 's smiling face .
“ I do n't know how everything went down in your tragedy , but I just kept thinking that help was on the way , '' Alhadeff told Giordano about that fateful day in February 2018 .
“ And help was not on the way , ” Giordano interrupted , finishing Alhadeff 's thought .
Another Florida mother suffering a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Capitol on Thursday to begin lobbying for a new law in the name of her daughter Terissa Gautney , who died on a school bus in 2018 .
Since losing their daughter , Williams and her husband have been pushing school boards and seeking the help of lawmakers to require life-saving training for school bus drivers and better communications equipment on school buses .
She drove 250 miles ( 400 kilometers ) from her home in Clearwater to the Capitol , describing the trip as a spur-of-the-moment decision .
She sat watching the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she took in whatever she could to plan her next steps to bring about change .
“ I came here to see what I could do , ” Williams said .
Williams would later cross paths with Alhadeff at the Capitol .
She said she wanted to learn from Alhadeff , who is now a member of the Broward County School Board .
“ Our children were lost in a traumatic situation , and my heart breaks for any other mother .
And I can feel the pain that they feel , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Even if it was different kinds of tragedies , it 's still the pain of losing a child.
” Giordano 's son died in the summer of 2017 after collapsing in the Florida heat during practice .
After her son 's death , Giordano founded the Zach Martin Memorial Foundation , which has worked to raise awareness about the dangers of heat-related stresses .
As part of its work , the foundation has donated 40 cooling tubs to schools across Florida .
Her son , she said , would still be alive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during practice — perhaps a water-filled tub — to immediately cool down his body .
“ I 'm exhausted , but it 's OK. Once this is over , I 'm going to collapse for a week , '' Giordano said while waiting for lawmakers to take action on her bill .
“ A six-hour drive is a long time to be alone with your thoughts , '' she said , `` that 's when the emotions is really hard .
That 's when the tears flow . ''
If passed by Legislature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , public schools would be required to have a tub or other large container filled with cold water at the sidelines during all games and practices .
Schools also would be required to have defibrillators to resuscitate stricken athletes .
The proposed law would also require schools to train personnel on how to recognize signs of heat-related ailments , including potentially deadly heat strokes , and to take life-saving actions .
But even at the brink of success , Giordano said there is little comfort .
“ I still cry every day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no consoling .
No , it does n't get better .
”

For months, Laurie Giordano had been telling the story of her son to anyone who would listen — of how her Zach, a strapping 16-year-old football player, should never have collapsed in the sweltering Florida heat nearly three years ago. He died days later.
For weeks, Giordano has been driving six hours each way to meet with lawmakers in the state Capitol to push them to act, to understand the unbearable grief of a parent trying to bring meaning to a child’s death.
At the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee, Giordano crossed paths Thursday with Lori Alhadeff, who lost her 14-year-old daughter Alyssa in the Parkland school shooting. Both spoke about how tragedy and loss is motivating them to lobby for legislation meant to save other children and other parents from suffering.
Giordano and Alhadeff are linked over their grief of losing children and working to get lawmakers to make schools safer, albeit in different ways.
Alhadeff was back to urge lawmakers to require panic buttons at schools to more quickly summon for help. That was one of many school safety measures spawned by the shootings on Feb. 14, 2018, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17. The bill, known as “Alyssa’s Law,” requires each public elementary, middle, and high school campus, including charter schools, to put in place a mobile system to alert authorities of emergencies.
And Giordano was again at the Capitol to take a seat at the public gallery overlooking the Senate floor, where lawmakers unanimously approved a bill renamed the “Zachary Martin Act.” The legislation would require public schools across Florida to do more to prevent heat-related injuries and deaths.
For a few minutes, they spoke about their children and their shared mission. Giordano admired the pendant hanging from Alhadeff’s neck that bears Alyssa’s smiling face.
“I don’t know how everything went down in your tragedy, but I just kept thinking that help was on the way,” Alhadeff told Giordano about that fateful day in February 2018.
“And help was not on the way,” Giordano interrupted, finishing Alhadeff’s thought.
Another Florida mother suffering a loss, Denise Williams, roamed the Capitol on Thursday to begin lobbying for a new law in the name of her daughter Terissa Gautney, who died on a school bus in 2018.
Since losing their daughter, Williams and her husband have been pushing school boards and seeking the help of lawmakers to require life-saving training for school bus drivers and better communications equipment on school buses.
She drove 250 miles (400 kilometers) from her home in Clearwater to the Capitol, describing the trip as a spur-of-the-moment decision. She sat watching the Senate and House conducting business, and she took in whatever she could to plan her next steps to bring about change.
“I came here to see what I could do,” Williams said.
Williams would later cross paths with Alhadeff at the Capitol. She said she wanted to learn from Alhadeff, who is now a member of the Broward County School Board.
“Our children were lost in a traumatic situation, and my heart breaks for any other mother. And I can feel the pain that they feel,” Alhadeff said of Williams and Giordano. “Even if it was different kinds of tragedies, it’s still the pain of losing a child.”
Giordano’s son died in the summer of 2017 after collapsing in the Florida heat during practice.
After her son’s death, Giordano founded the Zach Martin Memorial Foundation, which has worked to raise awareness about the dangers of heat-related stresses. As part of its work, the foundation has donated 40 cooling tubs to schools across Florida.
Her son, she said, would still be alive if life-saving equipment were at the sidelines during practice — perhaps a water-filled tub — to immediately cool down his body.
“I’m exhausted, but it’s OK. Once this is over, I’m going to collapse for a week,” Giordano said while waiting for lawmakers to take action on her bill.
“A six-hour drive is a long time to be alone with your thoughts,” she said, “that’s when the emotions is really hard. That’s when the tears flow.”
If passed by Legislature and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, public schools would be required to have a tub or other large container filled with cold water at the sidelines during all games and practices. Schools also would be required to have defibrillators to resuscitate stricken athletes. The proposed law would also require schools to train personnel on how to recognize signs of heat-related ailments, including potentially deadly heat strokes, and to take life-saving actions.
But even at the brink of success, Giordano said there is little comfort.
“I still cry every day,” she said. “There is no consoling. No, it doesn’t get better.”


shareblue--2020-03-08--White House briefing room once again in use thanks to coronavirus

The White House briefing room is back in business .
The historic White House setting had fallen into something of a state of neglect during the era of Donald Trump , who prefers to act as his own spokesman rather than send out his press secretary to brief reporters in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room .
In recent months , it 's become a storage place for piles of journalists ' gear , step ladders and other equipment .
But with the arrival of the coronavirus threat in the U.S. , Trump himself has made two appearances in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Mike Pence and other officials briefed the press from the podium there on Monday .
“ We will be back here every day .
Get used to seeing us , '' Pence said .
The room inside the West Wing was constructed in 1970 during the Nixon administration .
Press secretaries appeared there to shape the message that administrations wanted to convey on important topics on the day .
In turn , reporters asked a barrage of questions during sessions that often lasted for an hour or more and , in later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the last formal briefing from a White House press secretary took place there nearly a year ago .
Trump on Jan. 22 , 2019 , tweeted that he told then-press secretary Sarah Sanders `` not to bother '' with press briefings because “ most will never cover us fairly.
” Trump prefers to take questions from reporters during Oval Office meetings with world leaders and in front of the presidential helicopter , Marine 1 , before departing the White House .
That has changed in the last week .
Trump held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the briefing room to discuss how his administration was confronting the threat of the coronavirus , opine on a potentially historic peace accord with the Taliban in Afghanistan and continue his unyielding criticism of the Federal Reserve .
Most of all , he sought to calm the American people and markets .
“ It ’ s really nice to talk to you without the helicopter .
I got to say that , ” a reporter told Trump .
Another reporter asked if the briefings could become a trend .
“ If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , ” Trump said .
Three days later , Trump was back in the briefing room for a news conference he had announced on Twitter with only about 90 minutes ' warning , leaving aides and reporters to scramble to get to the White House in time .
Trump 's Saturday news conference came on the same day that health officials confirmed the death of the first U.S. patient on American soil .
“ We ’ re going to be very transparent , ” Trump said .
“ We ’ ll be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
We ’ ll keep you abreast.
” The sudden flurry of activity in the briefing room came with one downside — the need to clean house .
“ The bad news is that during this period of fallow , many of us started using the briefing room for storage , standups and as work space , '' NPR ’ s Tamara Keith , a member of the White House Correspondents ' Association , told members in an email on Monday .
“ With the resumption of briefings , we need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe to have gear , step ladders , cables , boxes of batteries , coats and backpacks all over the briefing room , ” she wrote , `` and we would all appreciate your cooperation in tidying up . ''

The White House briefing room is back in business.
The historic White House setting had fallen into something of a state of neglect during the era of Donald Trump, who prefers to act as his own spokesman rather than send out his press secretary to brief reporters in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room.
In recent months, it’s become a storage place for piles of journalists’ gear, step ladders and other equipment.
But with the arrival of the coronavirus threat in the U.S., Trump himself has made two appearances in the briefing room in the past week and Mike Pence and other officials briefed the press from the podium there on Monday.
“We will be back here every day. Get used to seeing us,” Pence said.
The room inside the West Wing was constructed in 1970 during the Nixon administration. Press secretaries appeared there to shape the message that administrations wanted to convey on important topics on the day. In turn, reporters asked a barrage of questions during sessions that often lasted for an hour or more and, in later years, were carried live on C-SPAN.
But the last formal briefing from a White House press secretary took place there nearly a year ago. Trump on Jan. 22, 2019, tweeted that he told then-press secretary Sarah Sanders “not to bother” with press briefings because “most will never cover us fairly.”
Trump prefers to take questions from reporters during Oval Office meetings with world leaders and in front of the presidential helicopter, Marine 1, before departing the White House.
That has changed in the last week. Trump held wide-ranging news conferences on Wednesday and Saturday in the briefing room to discuss how his administration was confronting the threat of the coronavirus, opine on a potentially historic peace accord with the Taliban in Afghanistan and continue his unyielding criticism of the Federal Reserve.
Most of all, he sought to calm the American people and markets.
“Whatever happens, we’re totally prepared,” Trump said Wednesday.
“It’s really nice to talk to you without the helicopter. I got to say that,” a reporter told Trump.
Another reporter asked if the briefings could become a trend.
“If you like it, we’ll do it,” Trump said.
Three days later, Trump was back in the briefing room for a news conference he had announced on Twitter with only about 90 minutes’ warning, leaving aides and reporters to scramble to get to the White House in time.
Trump’s Saturday news conference came on the same day that health officials confirmed the death of the first U.S. patient on American soil.
“We’re going to be very transparent,” Trump said. “We’ll be meeting you probably tomorrow or the next day. We’ll keep you abreast.”
The sudden flurry of activity in the briefing room came with one downside — the need to clean house.
“The bad news is that during this period of fallow, many of us started using the briefing room for storage, standups and as work space,” NPR’s Tamara Keith, a member of the White House Correspondents’ Association, told members in an email on Monday.
“With the resumption of briefings, we need to clean house. It isn’t safe to have gear, step ladders, cables, boxes of batteries, coats and backpacks all over the briefing room,” she wrote, “and we would all appreciate your cooperation in tidying up.”


shareblue--2020-03-09--'I think Trump is in trouble': Michigan primary could expose GOP vulnerabilities

Ask Arlene Williams about Donald Trump 's promises to bring back auto industry jobs that have evaporated across Michigan and she 'll point with irony to the Chevy Blazer .
General Motors is now remaking the iconic American SUV after a lengthy hiatus — but building parts of it in Mexico and elsewhere overseas .
“ These are some of the staple brands and yes , they 're back , ” said Williams , 49 , who works at a GM plant in Romulus , Michigan , southwest of Detroit .
“ They 're just not being made in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting Tuesday , Michigan could redefine a Democratic primary that has become a showdown between former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders .
But many voters are already looking ahead to November and whether Trump can again win in the state that perhaps more than any other catapulted him into the White House in 2016 .
For Sanders , the stakes could hardly be higher .
He defeated Hillary Clinton in Michigan in 2016 , emboldening his argument that he could win with a diverse coalition that drew well from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African Americans .
But it is the kind of victory he has not been able to replicate this time , and if he does not on Tuesday , any chances at the Democratic nomination may be greatly diminished .
Biden has been emphasizing the Obama administration 's bailout of the auto industry , which provided an economic lifeline for GM and Chrysler and federal loans for Ford , likely saving thousands of jobs .
He is also counting on continued strong support among African American voters .
How Michigan votes will also be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' sweeping promises to cancel student debt and provide health care for all potentially energizing young voters but not older ones wary of his democratic socialist ideology .
Centrist and safe , Biden could do exactly the opposite , though .
Others worry that both candidates are taking black Democrats for granted .
All that may add up to neither being able to carry the state against Trump .
“ There 's not a lot of energy , not enough energy , I would say , even for the primary , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district includes a large swath of northwest Detroit .
She said the Democratic Party continues to use the same playbook of waiting until the last minute to do intensive community outreach — which crippled it in 2016 .
Indeed , major party turnout in Wayne County , which encompasses Detroit and is strongly African American , fell by more than 64,000 votes in 2016 as compared to 2012 .
That 's especially important since Trump leveled the Democrats ' famed “ blue wall ” with narrow wins in states that were supposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Wisconsin and Michigan , which he won by just 10,704 votes out more than 4.8 million cast .
Tuesday will be the first test of Democrats ' ability to take them back .
They already can point to hopeful signs .
Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , who has endorsed Biden and been mentioned as a possible vice presidential pick , won in 2018 , as fellow Democrat and Sen. Debbie Stabenow was cruising to re-election .
Veteran Michigan pollster Bernie Porn said Trump remains unpopular with independents and Republican women , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's standing has recovered some in the wake of impeachment .
“ I think Trump is in trouble , '' Porn said .
Flipping the state back could be built on gains in places like Grand Rapids , childhood home of Gerald Ford and long the epitome of country club Republicans , often most interested in fiscal conservatism but also closely watching social issues .
It has begun moving to the left amid an influx of jobs bringing new residents from other parts of the state and the country , Porn said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grand Rapids and — vowing to grow the Democratic electorate by winning over young , minority and working-class voters — hit the University of Michigan and blue-collar Flint and Dearborn , home to a large concentration of Arab Americans .
It is a promise he has made in other states during the primaries , but so far has largely failed to deliver .
“ I am more than aware that Trump in 2016 won the state of Michigan by a small vote , '' Sanders said .
“ I do believe the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make that mistake again.
” Sanders canceled a planned trip to Mississippi to spend more time in the state this past weekend .
But he has struggled to broaden his appeal with black voters , as evidenced by Biden 's wipe-out win in South Carolina and across many other Southern states on Super Tuesday .
Activist Monica Lewis-Patrick , president and CEO of We the People Detroit , said the eventual nominee will need a strong ground game in Detroit to prevent the same mistakes the party made in 2016 , when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She has endorsed Sanders .
Citing the ongoing water crisis in Flint and Detroit 's aggressive water shutoff campaign that has disrupted service for 100,000-plus residential accounts across the city since 2014 , Lewis-Patrick said the party needs to speak to issues that are impacting lives on a daily basis .
“ We 've told every candidate before we got down to the final two that we noticed in the debates when they came to Detroit that was missing from the conversation , '' she said , referring to when the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` What we 're seeing is that many campaigns are treating black and brown communities as sort of a drive-by vote.
” Sanders has spoken to Flint 's water problems and the shutoff issue , asking with exasperation , “ How is it possible ” that people in parts of the state `` don ’ t have water coming out of the tap ?
” In an attempt to shore up its position no matter who wins the nomination , the Michigan Democratic Party has had staff on the ground since 2017 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2012 but went to Trump last presidential cycle .
It also has led campaigns highlighting Trump 's “ broken promises '' when it comes to issues like restoring lost manufacturing jobs .
Still , Gay-Dagnogo said that , though the state Democratic Party opened 15 offices around Michigan , `` it 's no secret '' Trump 's reelection campaign has stood up its own operations in the same areas .
`` I think sometimes we just wait for something magical to happen , opposed to making sure that there are financial resources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she said .
Trump , meanwhile , has visited Michigan several times and points to a strong national economy as proof he kept his kept his promises to restore the state 's lost jobs .
Manufacturing jobs in Michigan grew from 616,800 when Trump took office to 628,900 last December , according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics .
But some counties that Trump won have experienced job losses , and the state faces the prospect of further downturns as coronavirus reverberates through the economy .
While top union leaders have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders , many of their rank-and-file members continue to back Trump because of his views on social issues like guns and abortion .
“ A number of union households who voted for Trump and voted against their own economic interests , I think , may do that again , ” said Matt Vitiote , Democratic Party chairman in Monroe County near the Michigan-Ohio border , which twice supported Obama but voted for Trump in 2016 .
Williams , who noted the Chevy Blazer 's international flavor , is backing Sanders and his promise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concedes that Michigan 's economy has grown under Trump but hopes it wo n't be enough for him to win the state again .
“ I do n't see that there has been real growth in higher-paying jobs , ” Williams said .
“ There have been jobs created , but they ’ re low-paying jobs and you ’ ve got to have two or three of them in order to raise your family .
”

Ask Arlene Williams about Donald Trump’s promises to bring back auto industry jobs that have evaporated across Michigan and she’ll point with irony to the Chevy Blazer.
General Motors is now remaking the iconic American SUV after a lengthy hiatus — but building parts of it in Mexico and elsewhere overseas.
“These are some of the staple brands and yes, they’re back,” said Williams, 49, who works at a GM plant in Romulus, Michigan, southwest of Detroit. “They’re just not being made in the U.S.”
The largest of six states voting Tuesday, Michigan could redefine a Democratic primary that has become a showdown between former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. But many voters are already looking ahead to November and whether Trump can again win in the state that perhaps more than any other catapulted him into the White House in 2016.
For Sanders, the stakes could hardly be higher. He defeated Hillary Clinton in Michigan in 2016, emboldening his argument that he could win with a diverse coalition that drew well from young voters, working-class whites, and African Americans. But it is the kind of victory he has not been able to replicate this time, and if he does not on Tuesday, any chances at the Democratic nomination may be greatly diminished.
Biden has been emphasizing the Obama administration’s bailout of the auto industry, which provided an economic lifeline for GM and Chrysler and federal loans for Ford, likely saving thousands of jobs. He is also counting on continued strong support among African American voters.
How Michigan votes will also be clarifying for November. Some see Sanders’ sweeping promises to cancel student debt and provide health care for all potentially energizing young voters but not older ones wary of his democratic socialist ideology. Centrist and safe, Biden could do exactly the opposite, though.
Others worry that both candidates are taking black Democrats for granted. All that may add up to neither being able to carry the state against Trump.
“There’s not a lot of energy, not enough energy, I would say, even for the primary,” said Michigan state Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo, whose district includes a large swath of northwest Detroit. She said the Democratic Party continues to use the same playbook of waiting until the last minute to do intensive community outreach — which crippled it in 2016.
Indeed, major party turnout in Wayne County, which encompasses Detroit and is strongly African American, fell by more than 64,000 votes in 2016 as compared to 2012. That’s especially important since Trump leveled the Democrats’ famed “blue wall” with narrow wins in states that were supposed to comfortably go to Hillary Clinton: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, which he won by just 10,704 votes out more than 4.8 million cast.
Tuesday will be the first test of Democrats’ ability to take them back.
They already can point to hopeful signs. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has endorsed Biden and been mentioned as a possible vice presidential pick, won in 2018, as fellow Democrat and Sen. Debbie Stabenow was cruising to re-election.
Veteran Michigan pollster Bernie Porn said Trump remains unpopular with independents and Republican women, especially in the suburbs — though he said Trump’s standing has recovered some in the wake of impeachment.
“I think Trump is in trouble,” Porn said.
Flipping the state back could be built on gains in places like Grand Rapids, childhood home of Gerald Ford and long the epitome of country club Republicans, often most interested in fiscal conservatism but also closely watching social issues. It has begun moving to the left amid an influx of jobs bringing new residents from other parts of the state and the country, Porn said.
Sanders staged a rally Sunday in Grand Rapids and — vowing to grow the Democratic electorate by winning over young, minority and working-class voters — hit the University of Michigan and blue-collar Flint and Dearborn, home to a large concentration of Arab Americans. It is a promise he has made in other states during the primaries, but so far has largely failed to deliver.
“I am more than aware that Trump in 2016 won the state of Michigan by a small vote,” Sanders said. “I do believe the people of Michigan aren’t going to make that mistake again.”
Sanders canceled a planned trip to Mississippi to spend more time in the state this past weekend. But he has struggled to broaden his appeal with black voters, as evidenced by Biden’s wipe-out win in South Carolina and across many other Southern states on Super Tuesday.
Activist Monica Lewis-Patrick, president and CEO of We the People Detroit, said the eventual nominee will need a strong ground game in Detroit to prevent the same mistakes the party made in 2016, when the black community felt largely unseen and ignored. She has endorsed Sanders.
Citing the ongoing water crisis in Flint and Detroit’s aggressive water shutoff campaign that has disrupted service for 100,000-plus residential accounts across the city since 2014, Lewis-Patrick said the party needs to speak to issues that are impacting lives on a daily basis.
“We’ve told every candidate before we got down to the final two that we noticed in the debates when they came to Detroit that was missing from the conversation,” she said, referring to when the city hosted Democratic presidential debates last summer. “What we’re seeing is that many campaigns are treating black and brown communities as sort of a drive-by vote.”
Sanders has spoken to Flint’s water problems and the shutoff issue, asking with exasperation, “How is it possible” that people in parts of the state “don’t have water coming out of the tap?”
In an attempt to shore up its position no matter who wins the nomination, the Michigan Democratic Party has had staff on the ground since 2017 in “pivot” counties that supported Obama in 2012 but went to Trump last presidential cycle. It also has led campaigns highlighting Trump’s “broken promises” when it comes to issues like restoring lost manufacturing jobs.
Still, Gay-Dagnogo said that, though the state Democratic Party opened 15 offices around Michigan, “it’s no secret” Trump’s reelection campaign has stood up its own operations in the same areas.
“I think sometimes we just wait for something magical to happen, opposed to making sure that there are financial resources in the community to get people out,” she said.
Trump, meanwhile, has visited Michigan several times and points to a strong national economy as proof he kept his kept his promises to restore the state’s lost jobs.
Manufacturing jobs in Michigan grew from 616,800 when Trump took office to 628,900 last December, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But some counties that Trump won have experienced job losses, and the state faces the prospect of further downturns as coronavirus reverberates through the economy.
While top union leaders have lined up to support either Biden or Sanders, many of their rank-and-file members continue to back Trump because of his views on social issues like guns and abortion.
“A number of union households who voted for Trump and voted against their own economic interests, I think, may do that again,” said Matt Vitiote, Democratic Party chairman in Monroe County near the Michigan-Ohio border, which twice supported Obama but voted for Trump in 2016.
Williams, who noted the Chevy Blazer’s international flavor, is backing Sanders and his promise to strengthen union membership nationwide. She concedes that Michigan’s economy has grown under Trump but hopes it won’t be enough for him to win the state again.
“I don’t see that there has been real growth in higher-paying jobs,” Williams said. “There have been jobs created, but they’re low-paying jobs and you’ve got to have two or three of them in order to raise your family.”


shareblue--2020-03-09--GOP senator admits 'Republicans don't have a health care message'

Sen. Chuck Grassley said Republicans in the Senate are n't doing their job when it comes to health care .
@ @ @ @ @ of Breitbart News Saturday : SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY ( R-IA ) : And it happens @ @ @ @ @ a health care message .
That came out strongly and a lot of resentment expressed @ @ @ @ @ caucus in our retreat a week ago Wednesday .
Democrats have a very strong message @ @ @ @ @ read where the president was irritated in the Oval Office to Secretary Azar because the @ @ @ @ @ numbers on health .
And the reason the president has poor poll numbers on it @ @ @ @ @ United States Senate are n't working to back him .

From the March 7 edition of Breitbart News Saturday:
SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R-IA): And it happens that Republicans don’t have a health care message. That came out strongly and a lot of resentment expressed to the leadership of our caucus in our retreat a week ago Wednesday.
Democrats have a very strong message, and you may have read where the president was irritated in the Oval Office to Secretary Azar because the president had such poor poll numbers on health.
And the reason the president has poor poll numbers on it is because Republicans in the United States Senate aren’t working to back him.


shareblue--2020-03-09--Racist GOP voter suppression effort defeated in Georgia

Voters in Georgia scored a `` huge victory '' over the weekend , after state officials and Democratic groups announced they had reached a settlement over a lawsuit regarding absentee ballots .
Georgia election officials will now be required to quickly notify any voter if their absentee ballot is rejected , the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported .
Ballot issues could include missing information or an election official rejecting a ballot because the official does not believe the signature on the ballot matches the signature on file .
Under the settlement , state officials must contact voters within three business days — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — to notify them if there is an issue with their absentee ballot .
A voter would then be given the opportunity to correct the issue .
If officials reject a ballot within 11 days of Election Day , voters must be notified within one business day .
Georgia 's previous law lacked standards for notifying voters when there was an issue with absentee ballots , and the impact of the discrepancy `` disproportionately impact [ ed ] African-American and other minority voters , '' according to the lawsuit .
The lawsuit was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee , and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee .
The settlement `` will give Georgians peace of mind that their votes will be counted and that they wo n't lose their voices because of flawed state election laws , '' Rep. Cheri Bustos ( D-IL ) , chair of the DCCC , said in a statement .
`` While Georgia Republicans continue to try and deny law-abiding citizens their right to vote , Georgia Democrats will keep fighting to make sure every Georgian can make their voice heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , chair of the DPG , said in a statement .
Williams described the settlement as a `` huge victory for all Georgians . ''
The 2018 gubernatorial election in Georiga was rife with voter suppression issues .
Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams accused Republican Brian Kemp — who was both secretary of state and a gubernatorial candidate at the time — of intentionally suppressing black voters in the state .
`` As he has done for years , Brian Kemp is maliciously wielding the power of his office to suppress the vote for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of eligible voters — the majority of them people of color , '' Abigail Collazo , Abrams ' spokesperson , said in an October statement .
The comment came after the Associated Press revealed Kemp 's office was holding up voter registration forms of more than 50,000 Georgians , most of them African Americans .
A month before the election , Kemp , in his capacity as secretary of state , was sued by several civil rights organizations over efforts to suppress minority voters .
Days before the election , Kemp falsely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter registration system .
An investigation found no evidence to back up Kemp 's claims .
Kemp narrowly defeated Abrams , and denied all accusations of voter suppression .
Georgia will face two Senate races in 2020 , following Sen. Johnny Isakson 's retirement .
Republican Sen. David Perdue is also up for reelection .
Additionally , the state is shaping up to be a presidential battleground state .
`` We will continue to stand up for voting rights and win these fights so voters can make their voices heard and every ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto ( D-NV ) , chair of the DSCC , said about the settlement .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Voters in Georgia scored a “huge victory” over the weekend, after state officials and Democratic groups announced they had reached a settlement over a lawsuit regarding absentee ballots.
Georgia election officials will now be required to quickly notify any voter if their absentee ballot is rejected, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Ballot issues could include missing information or an election official rejecting a ballot because the official does not believe the signature on the ballot matches the signature on file.
Under the settlement, state officials must contact voters within three business days — by email, phone, and mail — to notify them if there is an issue with their absentee ballot. A voter would then be given the opportunity to correct the issue.
If officials reject a ballot within 11 days of Election Day, voters must be notified within one business day.
Georgia’s previous law lacked standards for notifying voters when there was an issue with absentee ballots, and the impact of the discrepancy “disproportionately impact[ed] African-American and other minority voters,” according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed by the Democratic Party of Georgia, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
The settlement “will give Georgians peace of mind that their votes will be counted and that they won’t lose their voices because of flawed state election laws,” Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL), chair of the DCCC, said in a statement.
“While Georgia Republicans continue to try and deny law-abiding citizens their right to vote, Georgia Democrats will keep fighting to make sure every Georgian can make their voice heard in this election,” Nikema Williams, chair of the DPG, said in a statement.
Williams described the settlement as a “huge victory for all Georgians.”
The 2018 gubernatorial election in Georiga was rife with voter suppression issues. Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams accused Republican Brian Kemp — who was both secretary of state and a gubernatorial candidate at the time — of intentionally suppressing black voters in the state.
“As he has done for years, Brian Kemp is maliciously wielding the power of his office to suppress the vote for political gain and silence the voices of thousands of eligible voters — the majority of them people of color,” Abigail Collazo, Abrams’ spokesperson, said in an October statement.
The comment came after the Associated Press revealed Kemp’s office was holding up voter registration forms of more than 50,000 Georgians, most of them African Americans.
A month before the election, Kemp, in his capacity as secretary of state, was sued by several civil rights organizations over efforts to suppress minority voters.
Days before the election, Kemp falsely accused Georgia Democrats of hacking into the voter registration system. An investigation found no evidence to back up Kemp’s claims.
Kemp narrowly defeated Abrams, and denied all accusations of voter suppression.
Georgia will face two Senate races in 2020, following Sen. Johnny Isakson’s retirement. Republican Sen. David Perdue is also up for reelection.
Additionally, the state is shaping up to be a presidential battleground state.
“We will continue to stand up for voting rights and win these fights so voters can make their voices heard and every ballot is counted fairly in 2020,” Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), chair of the DSCC, said about the settlement.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-03-09--Right-wing media keeps pushing 'manipulated' Biden video they know is misleading

The Trump administration and its right-wing media allies have been circulating a deceptively cropped video of Joe Biden from Saturday even after social media sites flagged the video as deceptive .
Dan Scavino , the White House director of social media , shared the video on Saturday of Biden speaking at an event in St. Louis , Missouri .
The clip cuts off Biden mid-sentence , making his actual comment — `` We can only reelect Donald Trump if in fact we get engaged in this circular firing squad here .
It 's got ta be a positive campaign '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We can only reelect Donald Trump . ''
Trump himself retweeted the video on Saturday , as did his campaign war room .
The video quickly made its way across right-wing media .
Radio host Todd Starnes posted it with the headline `` We agree , Joe ! ''
The Blaze shared it , calling Biden 's `` latest slip one of his best . ''
Mark Levin , the Right Scoop , Town Hall , and RedState also shared the misleading video .
Twitter labelled the video `` manipulated media '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that designation .
Facebook on Monday marked it as `` Partly false information checked by independent fact-checkers . ''
But rather than back down , Team Trump stood by the video .
`` The video was NOT manipulated , '' Scavino tweeted on early on Monday .
He also retweeted Turning Point USA 's Benny Johnson , who claimed that the video was `` simply shortened '' and that `` every single clip on Twitter is 'Manipulated ' . ''
One of Trump 's handpicked federal communications commissioners , Brendan Carr , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' is the new disinformation , '' he tweeted .
`` We 're seeing an intentional and coordinated effort by established gatekeepers to equate political speech they do n't like with the entirely separate categories of doctored deep fakes , illegal content , and deceptive cheap fakes . ''
A spokesman for Trump 's 2020 campaign told the New York Times , `` The video was not manipulated .
Joe Biden really is that bad . ''
On Monday morning , Fox News transcribed Scavino 's argument as a news story .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says , '' the outlet said in a headline .
And as of Monday afternoon , none of the sites have taken down or retracted the misleading claims , though a few had posted updates noting the full text .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

The Trump administration and its right-wing media allies have been circulating a deceptively cropped video of Joe Biden from Saturday even after social media sites flagged the video as deceptive.
Dan Scavino, the White House director of social media, shared the video on Saturday of Biden speaking at an event in St. Louis, Missouri. The clip cuts off Biden mid-sentence, making his actual comment — “We can only reelect Donald Trump if in fact we get engaged in this circular firing squad here. It’s gotta be a positive campaign” — sound like he was saying, “We can only reelect Donald Trump.”
Trump himself retweeted the video on Saturday, as did his campaign war room.
The video quickly made its way across right-wing media.
Radio host Todd Starnes posted it with the headline “We agree, Joe!”
The Blaze shared it, calling Biden’s “latest slip one of his best.”
Sean Hannity announced, “I finally agree with Crazy Uncle Joe.”
Mark Levin, the Right Scoop, Town Hall, and RedState also shared the misleading video.
Twitter labelled the video “manipulated media” on Sunday, its ever first use of that designation. Facebook on Monday marked it as “Partly false information checked by independent fact-checkers.”
But rather than back down, Team Trump stood by the video.
“The video was NOT manipulated,” Scavino tweeted on early on Monday. He also retweeted Turning Point USA’s Benny Johnson, who claimed that the video was “simply shortened” and that “every single clip on Twitter is ‘Manipulated’.”
One of Trump’s handpicked federal communications commissioners, Brendan Carr, also defended the video.
“‘Disinformation’ is the new disinformation,” he tweeted. “We’re seeing an intentional and coordinated effort by established gatekeepers to equate political speech they don’t like with the entirely separate categories of doctored deep fakes, illegal content, and deceptive cheap fakes.”
A spokesman for Trump’s 2020 campaign told the New York Times, “The video was not manipulated. Joe Biden really is that bad.”
On Monday morning, Fox News transcribed Scavino’s argument as a news story. “Biden video was not manipulated, Scavino says,” the outlet said in a headline.
And as of Monday afternoon, none of the sites have taken down or retracted the misleading claims, though a few had posted updates noting the full text.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-03-09--Trump's trade war is crushing Midwest farmers — and their suicide rate is going up

Donald Trump 's trade war with China contributed to a spike in farmer suicides across the Midwest in recent years , according to an investigation by USA Today and the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting .
On Monday , USA Today reported that more than 450 farmers killed themselves between 2014 and 2018 .
However , investigators cautioned that the true number is likely higher because several states did not share complete data with the investigative team .
More than 150 of the suicides were committed during 2017 and 2018 .
`` We like to identify something as the cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who works with Minnesota farm families , told USA Today .
`` Right now , they talk about commodity prices being the cause , and it 's definitely a cause , but it is not the only one by any stretch . ''
The investigation found several key factors that contributed to the suicide crisis , including the drop in commodity prices since 2012 , as well as increased farmer debt , bad weather that prevented planting , and a severe drop in exports to China `` amid festering trade tensions . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ when running for office , and started taking some actions in 2017 in an attempt to reduce the U.S. trade deficit with China .
In March 2018 , Trump officially announced $ 50 billion in tariffs against China , setting off an extended trade war between the two countries .
Since Trump 's trade war began , farmer bankruptcies in the Midwest have been on the rise .
Bankruptcies for Midwest farmers increased by 19 % in 2018 compared to the year before , according to the Farm Bureau .
In 2019 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17 % compared to 2018 .
Across the country , the Farm Bureau reported a 20 % increase in farm bankruptcies in 2019 compared to 2018 .
Wisconsin , famous for its dairy products , saw a loss of 10 % of its dairy farms in 2019 , the largest decline in state history .
Trump has `` undermined our health care system at every turn , directly impacting farmers ' ability to get the mental health services they need , '' Philip Shulman , spokesperson for the Wisconsin Democratic Party , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the USA Today that `` devastating economic events '' are not solely responsible for suicides , but such events `` can be the last straw for a person already suffering from depression or under long-term stress . ''
`` Trump pursued reckless trade policies that caused Wisconsin farm bankruptcies to spike and exacerbated the financial strain on farming families across the country , '' Maddie McComb , spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee , said in an email this week .
`` Instead of obsessively tweeting , trying to slash Medicare , Medicaid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to farmers about unfulfilled trade deals , Trump should focus on finding real solutions to this growing crisis . ''
In 2018 , Farm Aid , a nonprofit group focused on helping farmers , saw a spike in calls to its crisis hotline , spokesperson Jennifer Fahy said in an email .
The hotline worked with 1,034 farmers that year , and another 864 farmers in 2019 .
`` Farm Aid stresses that while the trade wars have further damaged farmers , there is no one cause of this farm crisis , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suicides .
`` The long term answer is not continued federal payouts to farmers , but a shift in farm policy to deliver fair prices and reward farmers for practices that increase farm resiliency and mitigate climate change . ''
The Trump administration has spent twice as much to bail out farmers hurt by its trade policies ( $ 28 billion ) as the Obama administration spent to rescue the auto industry during the Great Recession ( $ 12 billion ) .
In addition to Farm Aid , many farmers have said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This [ bailout ] was supposed to make sure farmers were not the victims of this trade policy , '' Jim Mulhern , president of the National Milk Producers Federation , told the New York Times in November 2018 .
`` I think most agriculture producers feel that the payments have not come close to making up for the damage for the tariffs . ''
In December 2019 , the Trump administration announced a Phase I trade deal with China meant to bring an end to the trade war , but many farmers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump announced China would soon purchase $ 50 billion worth of American agricultural products per year , despite the fact that the U.S. has never exported more than $ 26 billion in agricultural exports to China in a single year .
`` I think it 's a lot of false promises again , '' Bob Kuylen , a wheat and sunflower farmer who also and raises cattle in North Dakota , told the Associated Press in December .
Farmers looking for assistance can Farm Aid 's hotline at 1-800-FARM-AID ( 1-800-327-6243 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Suicide Prevention Hotline ( 1-800-273-8255 ) for free help and support 24 hours a day , seven days a week .
This story has been updated to include additional comment from the Democratic National Committee .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump’s trade war with China contributed to a spike in farmer suicides across the Midwest in recent years, according to an investigation by USA Today and the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting.
On Monday, USA Today reported that more than 450 farmers killed themselves between 2014 and 2018. However, investigators cautioned that the true number is likely higher because several states did not share complete data with the investigative team.
More than 150 of the suicides were committed during 2017 and 2018.
“We like to identify something as the cause,” Ted Matthews, a psychologist who works with Minnesota farm families, told USA Today. “Right now, they talk about commodity prices being the cause, and it’s definitely a cause, but it is not the only one by any stretch.”
The investigation found several key factors that contributed to the suicide crisis, including the drop in commodity prices since 2012, as well as increased farmer debt, bad weather that prevented planting, and a severe drop in exports to China “amid festering trade tensions.”
Trump often complained about U.S. trade policies when running for office, and started taking some actions in 2017 in an attempt to reduce the U.S. trade deficit with China. In March 2018, Trump officially announced $50 billion in tariffs against China, setting off an extended trade war between the two countries.
Since Trump’s trade war began, farmer bankruptcies in the Midwest have been on the rise. Bankruptcies for Midwest farmers increased by 19% in 2018 compared to the year before, according to the Farm Bureau. In 2019, Midwest farmers saw bankruptcies increase by another 17% compared to 2018.
Across the country, the Farm Bureau reported a 20% increase in farm bankruptcies in 2019 compared to 2018.
Wisconsin, famous for its dairy products, saw a loss of 10% of its dairy farms in 2019, the largest decline in state history.
Trump has “undermined our health care system at every turn, directly impacting farmers’ ability to get the mental health services they need,” Philip Shulman, spokesperson for the Wisconsin Democratic Party, said in a Monday email.
Experts told the USA Today that “devastating economic events” are not solely responsible for suicides, but such events “can be the last straw for a person already suffering from depression or under long-term stress.”
“Trump pursued reckless trade policies that caused Wisconsin farm bankruptcies to spike and exacerbated the financial strain on farming families across the country,” Maddie McComb, spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee, said in an email this week. “Instead of obsessively tweeting, trying to slash Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, and lying to farmers about unfulfilled trade deals, Trump should focus on finding real solutions to this growing crisis.”
In 2018, Farm Aid, a nonprofit group focused on helping farmers, saw a spike in calls to its crisis hotline, spokesperson Jennifer Fahy said in an email. The hotline worked with 1,034 farmers that year, and another 864 farmers in 2019.
“Farm Aid stresses that while the trade wars have further damaged farmers, there is no one cause of this farm crisis,” Fahy said about the recent spike in suicides. “The long term answer is not continued federal payouts to farmers, but a shift in farm policy to deliver fair prices and reward farmers for practices that increase farm resiliency and mitigate climate change.”
The Trump administration has spent twice as much to bail out farmers hurt by its trade policies ($28 billion) as the Obama administration spent to rescue the auto industry during the Great Recession ($12 billion).
In addition to Farm Aid, many farmers have said that the bailouts are not enough.
“This [bailout] was supposed to make sure farmers were not the victims of this trade policy,” Jim Mulhern, president of the National Milk Producers Federation, told the New York Times in November 2018. “I think most agriculture producers feel that the payments have not come close to making up for the damage for the tariffs.”
In December 2019, the Trump administration announced a Phase I trade deal with China meant to bring an end to the trade war, but many farmers are skeptical that it will be sufficient. Trump announced China would soon purchase $50 billion worth of American agricultural products per year, despite the fact that the U.S. has never exported more than $26 billion in agricultural exports to China in a single year.
“I think it’s a lot of false promises again,” Bob Kuylen, a wheat and sunflower farmer who also and raises cattle in North Dakota, told the Associated Press in December.
Farmers looking for assistance can Farm Aid’s hotline at 1-800-FARM-AID (1-800-327-6243). And anyone can call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) for free help and support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
This story has been updated to include additional comment from the Democratic National Committee.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-03-09--Coronavirus is forcing universities in the US to close their doors

A growing number of colleges and universities have begun announcing they will be temporarily suspending classes or other events due to mounting community spread of COVID-19 and the strain of coronavirus that causes it .
Across the country , in states like California , North Carolina , New York , and Texas , school officials have asked that students remain at home as cases of infected individuals grow .
Some universities have also canceled study abroad programs in countries that have experienced aggressive outbreaks of the virus .
Stanford University announced Monday that it would move to online programs for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarter .
At least one faculty member contracted the virus .
Harvard University in Massachusetts said Friday it would cancel its annual `` Visitas '' weekend for admitted high school students and would replace it with a series of online videos and events .
On Sunday , Columbia University canceled classes for Monday and Tuesday and announced online classes for the rest of the week after a community member was quarantined following exposure .
It said `` non-classroom activities , including research , '' will continue .
Yeshiva University also canceled classes at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 10 .
In a statement Monday , Hofstra University also announced it would be canceling all in-person classes out of `` an abundance of caution , through March 14 when spring break begins .
`` On Sunday , March 8 , a student contacted the Student Health and Counseling Center reporting flu-like symptoms , after attending an off-campus conference where an attendee has tested positive for Novel Coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) .
The student is being tested , and is in isolation , '' the university wrote .
Six others who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been asked to self-quarantine .
On Monday , Princeton University urged students not to return to campus after spring break and announced it would move to virtual-only instruction from March 23 until at least April 5 .
`` We encourage you to stay home after spring break — the University will make sure you are able to meet your academic requirements remotely , '' officials tweeted .
`` ... [ This ] will cause significant disruption and inconvenience , but we strongly believe that actions taken now will help decrease risk , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could far outweigh these short-term disruptions . ''
Rice University announced Sunday that it would cancel in-person classes for the week after an employee tested positive .
`` During the week of March 9-13 , faculty can provide material that can be completed remotely and does not require group interaction , '' the university said in a statement .
According to the Texas Tribune , `` research , limited to small groups , will continue on campus , but all events , gatherings and parties of more than 100 people are prohibited through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington on Friday announced that it would have its students take classes and exams remotely , amid multiple COVID-19 cases in the Seattle area .
The school said it will continue to be online-only through at least March 20 .
Other Seattle-area schools quickly followed , including Seattle University , Northeastern University 's Seattle campus , and Everett Community College .
Lake Washington Institute of Technology also announced it would move to `` remote operations '' until March 20 after a member of the faculty tested positive .
UNC Chapel Hill has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thus far shuttered a number of planned study abroad and immersion programs , including all of its spring 2020 semester study abroad programs in Italy , which has reported an astounding 5,883 cases of COVID-19 thus far , and at least 234 deaths .
The university has also restricted travel to places like China and South Korea and has advised all students and faculty returning from affected regions of the world to self-quarantine off campus .
A planned business school summit in Vancouver originally set for this week was canceled last minute on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-quarantine protocol should work with their supervisor to determine remote working options , and supervisors are encouraged to be flexible with remote working arrangements and use of sick leave , '' officials wrote in a statement last week .
`` This is an evolving and fluid situation . ''
Other schools across the country have similarly canceled spring break trips , study abroad programs , university-affiliated travel , and large events .
Some colleges have canceled athletic events and the NCAA is considering whether to allow spectators at its upcoming basketball tournaments .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from public health experts over its botched handling of the outbreak .
Despite claims from Donald Trump and his team that the virus was a `` hoax '' and `` totally under control , '' the number of Americans diagnosed with COVID-19 , as well as the related death toll , continues to climb .
The administration also fell short of promises to make available 1 million coronavirus test kits last week .
Just a few thousand people in the United States have actually been tested .
Stock markets have not responded well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dow Jones was down more than 1,700 points , likely due to oil prices and fears over the coronavirus .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

A growing number of colleges and universities have begun announcing they will be temporarily suspending classes or other events due to mounting community spread of COVID-19 and the strain of coronavirus that causes it.
Across the country, in states like California, North Carolina, New York, and Texas, school officials have asked that students remain at home as cases of infected individuals grow.
Some universities have also canceled study abroad programs in countries that have experienced aggressive outbreaks of the virus.
California
Stanford University announced Monday that it would move to online programs for the final two weeks of the winter quarter. At least one faculty member contracted the virus.
Massachusetts
Harvard University in Massachusetts said Friday it would cancel its annual “Visitas” weekend for admitted high school students and would replace it with a series of online videos and events.
New York
On Sunday, Columbia University canceled classes for Monday and Tuesday and announced online classes for the rest of the week after a community member was quarantined following exposure. It said “non-classroom activities, including research,” will continue.
Barnard College, an independent but affiliated institution announced a similar plan.
Yeshiva University also canceled classes at two campuses last week until at least March 10.
In a statement Monday, Hofstra University also announced it would be canceling all in-person classes out of “an abundance of caution, through March 14 when spring break begins.
“On Sunday, March 8, a student contacted the Student Health and Counseling Center reporting flu-like symptoms, after attending an off-campus conference where an attendee has tested positive for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). The student is being tested, and is in isolation,” the university wrote.
Six others who had contact with the infected student have also been asked to self-quarantine.
New Jersey
On Monday, Princeton University urged students not to return to campus after spring break and announced it would move to virtual-only instruction from March 23 until at least April 5.
“We encourage you to stay home after spring break — the University will make sure you are able to meet your academic requirements remotely,” officials tweeted. “… [This] will cause significant disruption and inconvenience, but we strongly believe that actions taken now will help decrease risk, and that the potential consequences of not acting could far outweigh these short-term disruptions.”
Texas
Rice University announced Sunday that it would cancel in-person classes for the week after an employee tested positive.
“During the week of March 9-13, faculty can provide material that can be completed remotely and does not require group interaction,” the university said in a statement.
According to the Texas Tribune, “research, limited to small groups, will continue on campus, but all events, gatherings and parties of more than 100 people are prohibited through April 30.”
Washington
The University of Washington on Friday announced that it would have its students take classes and exams remotely, amid multiple COVID-19 cases in the Seattle area. The school said it will continue to be online-only through at least March 20.
Other Seattle-area schools quickly followed, including Seattle University, Northeastern University’s Seattle campus, and Everett Community College. Lake Washington Institute of Technology also announced it would move to “remote operations” until March 20 after a member of the faculty tested positive.
North Carolina
UNC Chapel Hill has not yet canceled its in-person classes but has thus far shuttered a number of planned study abroad and immersion programs, including all of its spring 2020 semester study abroad programs in Italy, which has reported an astounding 5,883 cases of COVID-19 thus far, and at least 234 deaths.
The university has also restricted travel to places like China and South Korea and has advised all students and faculty returning from affected regions of the world to self-quarantine off campus. A planned business school summit in Vancouver originally set for this week was canceled last minute on Thursday.
“Employees in a 14-day self-quarantine protocol should work with their supervisor to determine remote working options, and supervisors are encouraged to be flexible with remote working arrangements and use of sick leave,” officials wrote in a statement last week. “This is an evolving and fluid situation.”
Other schools across the country have similarly canceled spring break trips, study abroad programs, university-affiliated travel, and large events.
Some colleges have canceled athletic events and the NCAA is considering whether to allow spectators at its upcoming basketball tournaments.
The Trump administration is facing widespread criticism from public health experts over its botched handling of the outbreak. Despite claims from Donald Trump and his team that the virus was a “hoax” and “totally under control,” the number of Americans diagnosed with COVID-19, as well as the related death toll, continues to climb.
The administration also fell short of promises to make available 1 million coronavirus test kits last week. Just a few thousand people in the United States have actually been tested.
Stock markets have not responded well. As of Monday morning, the Dow Jones was down more than 1,700 points, likely due to oil prices and fears over the coronavirus.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-03-09--Democrats' odds of retaking the Senate just got a big boost

Mitch McConnell 's grip on the Senate majority weakened Monday after Montana 's Democratic Gov .
Steve Bullock announced he would run for Senate in 2020 .
The announcement increases the odds Democrats could win control of the upper chamber this November .
`` I 've always fought for the people of Montana .
Together , we expanded health care , protected public lands , banned dark money in politics & more .
Now I 'm taking that fight to the US Senate , '' Bullock tweeted Monday morning announcing his bid .
Bullock is a top Democratic recruit who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incumbent as the party looks to pry the majority leader spot from McConnell 's hands .
Bullock won reelection as governor of the state in 2016 by a more than 4-point margin over now-GOP Rep. Greg Gianforte — even as Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the state , 55 % to 35 % .
That means he has crossover appeal in an otherwise deep red state .
Nonpartisan political handicappers already moved the race into more competitive territory , saying the race now leans Republican , rather than being a safe GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daines won ’ t be easy for the Democrats but , at a minimum , Bullock 's entry changes the math for control of the Senate and puts Republicans further on the defensive , '' Inside Elections ' Nathan L. Gonzales wrote Monday .
Democrats need to net three seats to win back the Senate majority if they also win the White House .
If Trump wins reelection , Democrats would need to net four seats .
A spate of new polling last week from Public Policy Polling found Democrats were already in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senators .
The poll found the likely Democratic nominees in each state are currently beating incumbent Sens .
Martha McSally of Arizona , Cory Gardner of Colorado , Susan Collins of Maine , and Thom Tillis of North Carolina .
Bullock 's entrance now puts another competitive race on the map .
Of course , Democrats must also defend one of their own in heavily Republican territory .
Sen. Doug Jones ( D-AL ) will be on the ballot in November , and will either face former Sen. Jeff Sessions or former Auburn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are locked in a runoff for the Republican nomination .
Jones barely won a special election in the state in 2017 against Roy Moore , who was credibly accused of being a pedophile .
But Bullock 's entrance is undoubtedly good news for Democrats , who were trying to convince Bullock to run after he dropped out of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary .
`` Bullock 's entrance gives Democrats more possible paths to a Senate majority , '' Jessica Taylor , a nonpartisan political analyst at the Cook Political Report , wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Independent Foundation .

Mitch McConnell’s grip on the Senate majority weakened Monday after Montana’s Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock announced he would run for Senate in 2020.
The announcement increases the odds Democrats could win control of the upper chamber this November.
“I’ve always fought for the people of Montana. Together, we expanded health care, protected public lands, banned dark money in politics & more. Now I’m taking that fight to the US Senate,” Bullock tweeted Monday morning announcing his bid.
“Let’s make Washington work more like Montana.”
I've always fought for the people of Montana. Together, we expanded health care, protected public lands, banned dark money in politics & more. Now I'm taking that fight to the US Senate. Let’s make Washington work more like Montana. Join us: https://t.co/vyPPioB0tJ #MTSen #MTpol pic.twitter.com/6VuCKsNTeW — Steve Bullock (@stevebullockmt) March 9, 2020
Bullock is a top Democratic recruit who could help Democrats pick off a GOP incumbent as the party looks to pry the majority leader spot from McConnell’s hands.
Bullock won reelection as governor of the state in 2016 by a more than 4-point margin over now-GOP Rep. Greg Gianforte — even as Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the state, 55% to 35%. That means he has crossover appeal in an otherwise deep red state.
Nonpartisan political handicappers already moved the race into more competitive territory, saying the race now leans Republican, rather than being a safe GOP seat.
“Defeating GOP Sen. Steve Daines won’t be easy for the Democrats but, at a minimum, Bullock’s entry changes the math for control of the Senate and puts Republicans further on the defensive,” Inside Elections’ Nathan L. Gonzales wrote Monday.
Democrats need to net three seats to win back the Senate majority if they also win the White House. If Trump wins reelection, Democrats would need to net four seats.
A spate of new polling last week from Public Policy Polling found Democrats were already in good shape to oust four incumbent Republican senators.
The poll found the likely Democratic nominees in each state are currently beating incumbent Sens. Martha McSally of Arizona, Cory Gardner of Colorado, Susan Collins of Maine, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
Bullock’s entrance now puts another competitive race on the map.
Of course, Democrats must also defend one of their own in heavily Republican territory.
Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) will be on the ballot in November, and will either face former Sen. Jeff Sessions or former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville, who are locked in a runoff for the Republican nomination. Jones barely won a special election in the state in 2017 against Roy Moore, who was credibly accused of being a pedophile.
But Bullock’s entrance is undoubtedly good news for Democrats, who were trying to convince Bullock to run after he dropped out of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary.
“Bullock’s entrance gives Democrats more possible paths to a Senate majority,” Jessica Taylor, a nonpartisan political analyst at the Cook Political Report, wrote.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-03-09--Biden: Trump should 'be quiet' about coronavirus and 'let the experts speak'

Donald Trump has tried to blame the media and Democrats for widespread concerns about coronavirus .
From the March 9 edition of MSNBC 's `` The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell '' : LAWRENCE O'DONNELL : Do you think the market reaction is a reaction to the markets realizing the president simply does not tell them or the world or this country the truth about this situation ?
And a market needs clear information .
JOE BIDEN : I believe that 's the case .
Now , it does n't mean the market would n't still go down , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't think .
Now , who can say ?
But I think there 's no confidence in the president and anything he says or does .
He turns everything into what he thinks is a political benefit for himself , but he 's actually imploding in the process .
But there 's a lot of innocent bystanders that are being badly hurt .
I just think — I mean , I wish he would just be quiet .
I really mean it , I 'm not — that 's an awful thing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'd be quiet .
Just let the experts speak and acknowledge whatever they suggest to him is what we should be doing .

From the March 9 edition of MSNBC’s “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell”:
LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: Do you think the market reaction is a reaction to the markets realizing the president simply does not tell them or the world or this country the truth about this situation? And a market needs clear information.
JOE BIDEN: I believe that’s the case. Now, it doesn’t mean the market wouldn’t still go down, but it wouldn’t collapse, I don’t think. Now, who can say?
But I think there’s no confidence in the president and anything he says or does. He turns everything into what he thinks is a political benefit for himself, but he’s actually imploding in the process. But there’s a lot of innocent bystanders that are being badly hurt.
I just think — I mean, I wish he would just be quiet. I really mean it, I’m not — that’s an awful thing to say about a president — wish he’d be quiet.
Just let the experts speak and acknowledge whatever they suggest to him is what we should be doing.