shareblue--2020-09-23--Senator who says it's 'radical' to lower drug prices got over $100k from pharma

Democratic Georgia Senate candidate Jon Ossoff on Tuesday called for allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices — but his Republican opponent 's campaign attacked the idea as `` radical '' and `` dangerous '' move toward socialism .
Ossoff , who is challenging Sen. David Perdue ( R-GA ) in November 's elections , made the proposal in a new ad .
`` Too many are struggling to afford prescriptions .
One change in the law could make a huge difference , '' he tells viewers .
`` See , Medicare is America 's biggest buyer of prescriptions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress , and they made it illegal for Medicare to negotiate lower prices .
It 's straight-up corruption . ''
Ossoff adds that he 's not taking donations from corporate political action committees and `` wo n't let the drug companies rip us off anymore . ''
The Perdue campaign did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story .
But John Burke , Perdue 's communications director , told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday that letting the government negotiate with private companies somehow amounted to supporting `` socialized '' health care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pandemic is n't just radical , it 's dangerous , '' Burke charged .
Unlike Ossoff , Perdue has accepted a lot of corporate PAC money from the pharmaceutical industry .
According to the Center for Responsive Politics , he has received at least $ 113,500 from pharmaceutical and health product industry PACs since he became a senator in 2015 .
The industry has opposed negotiating lower drug prices , arguing that lower profits would drive companies to spend less on research and development of new treatments .
But while Perdue now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he had no such objections four years ago when another candidate ran on the same idea .
Donald Trump said in January 2016 that he would `` bid out '' drugs for the program and that doing so would save $ 300 billion .
`` We would save $ 300 billion a year .
Think of it , one simple thing , '' Trump told supporters the following month .
`` But we can ’ t negotiate with the drug companies because all these guys that I ’ m running against and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that to happen .
Because the big drug companies have a lobby.
” Perdue enthusiastically endorsed Trump as an `` outsider '' that June .
Trump continued to promise to lower drug prices through Medicare negotiations after taking office in 2017 .
Though he caved on the issue in 2018 , House Democrats passed a bill last December , on a mostly party-line vote that would incorporate the change .
An analysis by the progressive Center for American Progress found that , because the lower prices would be available to all consumers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by thousands of dollars .
Perdue and the Republican majority in the Senate have thus far refused to even bring the House-passed bill up for a vote .
Polls show the race between Ossoff and Perdue to be close .
On Tuesday , a Morning Consult poll showed Ossoff ahead 44 % to 43 % , while a University of Georgia poll found Perdue up by 2 points .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Democratic Georgia Senate candidate Jon Ossoff on Tuesday called for allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices — but his Republican opponent’s campaign attacked the idea as “radical” and “dangerous” move toward socialism.
Ossoff, who is challenging Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) in November’s elections, made the proposal in a new ad.
“Too many are struggling to afford prescriptions. One change in the law could make a huge difference,” he tells viewers. “See, Medicare is America’s biggest buyer of prescriptions, but the drug companies bought off Congress, and they made it illegal for Medicare to negotiate lower prices. It’s straight-up corruption.”
Ossoff adds that he’s not taking donations from corporate political action committees and “won’t let the drug companies rip us off anymore.”
The Perdue campaign did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story. But John Burke, Perdue’s communications director, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday that letting the government negotiate with private companies somehow amounted to supporting “socialized” health care.
“This kind of agenda during a pandemic isn’t just radical, it’s dangerous,” Burke charged.
Unlike Ossoff, Perdue has accepted a lot of corporate PAC money from the pharmaceutical industry. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, he has received at least $113,500 from pharmaceutical and health product industry PACs since he became a senator in 2015. The industry has opposed negotiating lower drug prices, arguing that lower profits would drive companies to spend less on research and development of new treatments.
But while Perdue now views Medicare price negotiation as radical socialism, he had no such objections four years ago when another candidate ran on the same idea. Donald Trump said in January 2016 that he would “bid out” drugs for the program and that doing so would save $300 billion.
“We would save $300 billion a year. Think of it, one simple thing,” Trump told supporters the following month. “But we can’t negotiate with the drug companies because all these guys that I’m running against and others and others won’t allow that to happen. Because the big drug companies have a lobby.”
Perdue enthusiastically endorsed Trump as an “outsider” that June.
Trump continued to promise to lower drug prices through Medicare negotiations after taking office in 2017. Though he caved on the issue in 2018, House Democrats passed a bill last December, on a mostly party-line vote that would incorporate the change.
An analysis by the progressive Center for American Progress found that, because the lower prices would be available to all consumers, the bill could lower patients’ costs by thousands of dollars.
Perdue and the Republican majority in the Senate have thus far refused to even bring the House-passed bill up for a vote.
Polls show the race between Ossoff and Perdue to be close. On Tuesday, a Morning Consult poll showed Ossoff ahead 44% to 43%, while a University of Georgia poll found Perdue up by 2 points.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-09-23--What another Trump Supreme Court pick would mean for LGBTQ rights

Donald Trump and Senate Republicans are moving quickly to get another one of his Supreme Court nominees confirmed , following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday .
Trump has said he will announce his pick on Saturday , and that the nominee will be a woman .
Trump 's previously announced Supreme Court shortlist is chock full of potential nominees with ties to anti-LGBTQ groups , who have opposed LGBTQ equality publicly , or those who have argued against LGBTQ rights in court .
Senate Republicans currently have the votes they need to confirm whoever Trump selects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are a number of ways any Trump-chosen justice could imperil progress on LGBTQ equality .
The religious right could more effectively weaponize arguments claiming to protect religious freedom to tear down LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections , they say .
The court could also undermine Americans ' right to protest , which would damage the LGBTQ movement 's effectiveness .
And the court could take up cases relating to LGBTQ married couples ' rights .
One major LGBTQ rights case is scheduled to come before the court right after Election Day .
Arguments for Fulton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Nov. 4 .
At issue is whether private agencies that receive taxpayer funding , which includes foster care providers , homeless shelters , and food banks , can opt out of nondiscrimination requirements .
The case involves a group of foster parents and Catholic Social Services who have challenged a policy by the city of Philadelphia to stop referrals of foster children to the group due to its refusal to certify same-sex couples as foster parents .
Leslie Cooper , deputy director of the ACLU 's LGBT & HIV Project , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high .
`` What the other side is asking for in this case , if accepted by the court , means that any future government at the federal level or state or local level would not constitutionally be permitted to enact those nondiscrimination protections , '' she said .
Sharita Gruberg , senior director for the LGBTQ research and communications project at the Center for American Progress , said she 's worried about another upcoming case that challenges the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act and a case that involves the imprisonment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Sixty-five percent of LGBTQ people have pre-existing conditions .
And for folks who had COVID-19 , they now have a pre-existing condition even if they didn ’ t before , '' Gruberg said .
`` The ACA helped us significantly close the un-insurance gap for LGBTQ people but cost and discrimination continue to be barriers to accessing needed care .
The thought that the Supreme Court could eliminate this progress in the midst of a global pandemic is truly terrifying . ''
Gruberg added that she is similarly concerned about Jones v. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Eighth Amendment and whether juveniles can be imprisoned for life without parole , since LGBTQ people are overrepresented throughout the criminal justice system and nearly 60 % of incarcerated girls are sexual minorities .
As for voting rights , it 's unclear when the Supreme Court will take up a such a case .
Still , transgender people already face numerous barriers to cast their ballot and their ability to vote could be further harmed by justices that would limit voting rights , said Jenny Pizer , law and policy director for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. circuit judge on the Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit , is on Trump 's shortlist and has supported poll taxes in the past .
In that case , people with felonies were required to pay fines and fees associated with their sentence before voting .
For this reason , Pizer said she is worried about a potential Lagoa nomination .
There are many other issues involving the LGBTQ community on which the Supreme Court could soon make crucial decisions , Gruberg said .
Although the landmark Bostock v. Clayton County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win for LGBTQ equality , prohibiting employee discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity , there are still many outstanding issues for justices to consider .
`` While we won protections in employment , there are still cases winding their way up on protections under other sex discrimination laws , like in education and health care , '' Gruberg said .
`` We can ’ t assume the Court will extend protections to LGBTQ people in all of these arenas .
And again , all of these protections could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permitting discriminatory treatment of transgender people . ''
She added that she will be watching reproductive rights cases closely as well , since LGBTQ people also use birth control , can also become pregnant , and get abortions .
Trump 's new pick could also rule on cases relating to marriage equality .
Although Pizer said she does n't think the Supreme Court would overturn marriage equality , that does n't mean the issue has been resolved entirely .
Many queer couples still struggle to receive survivor 's benefits , for example .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ couples be married for nine months to receive survivor 's benefits means that some couples in states with same-sex marriage bans who married quickly after the court 's 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling were still unable to receive benefits , as their spouses died before their marriages reached the nine-month mark .
While a federal district court ruled in favor of these couples in May , there are still other similar cases in the pipeline .
The Trump administration has also fought cases involving married same-sex couples who have requested U.S. passports for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A federal judge recently ruled that the State Department must recognize the U.S. citizenship of those children , but there is a possibility these cases could still come before the court .
Pizer is also concerned about the court taking up ministerial exception cases , which would also expand so-called religious liberty at the cost of LGBTQ people and other marginalized people 's rights .
A proposed rule that would raise the standard for immigration judges to grant asylum claims , for instance , would greatly harm LGBTQ people seeking asylum , Pizer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take up .
The movement for LGBTQ equality could face other obstacles from a more conservative Supreme Court .
After months of protests against police violence , there are many new cases for courts to consider on the issue of protesters ' rights and the suppression of such demonstrations , Politico reported .
`` We 're looking at a moment where there may be no effective check on reactionary impulses and uses of power that we have n't seen for a very long time , '' Pizer said .
`` So when we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right to organize , the right to petition the government for redress of grievances , the right to speak , this is the foremost reason the LGBTQ movement has been able to organize and grow from earliest days . ''
She added , `` We may be a whisper from effectively losing the right to have a civil rights movement or to have an environmental justice movement or health care rights or anything .
We really may be a whisper from a totalitarian state . ''
Amy Coney Barrett , a judge on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seventh Circuit , is reportedly Trump 's favored choice for the court , which concerns LGBTQ advocates .
Among those concerns is Barrett 's support for the idea that `` marriage and family are founded on the indissoluble commitment of a man and a woman '' and `` the significance of sexual difference and complementarity of men and women , '' Gruberg said .
She said Barrett 's silence on whether she will set aside her personal views to uphold landmark decisions is also worrisome .
Barrett has also spoken at the Blackstone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alliance Defending Freedom , an anti-LGBTQ group .
In 2017 , 27 LGBTQ organizations sent a letter to the chair and ranking member on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary to oppose Barrett 's confirmation as a circuit court judge .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump and Senate Republicans are moving quickly to get another one of his Supreme Court nominees confirmed, following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday.
Trump has said he will announce his pick on Saturday, and that the nominee will be a woman.
Trump’s previously announced Supreme Court shortlist is chock full of potential nominees with ties to anti-LGBTQ groups, who have opposed LGBTQ equality publicly, or those who have argued against LGBTQ rights in court. Senate Republicans currently have the votes they need to confirm whoever Trump selects as his nominee.
Experts say there are a number of ways any Trump-chosen justice could imperil progress on LGBTQ equality.
The religious right could more effectively weaponize arguments claiming to protect religious freedom to tear down LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections, they say. The court could also undermine Americans’ right to protest, which would damage the LGBTQ movement’s effectiveness. And the court could take up cases relating to LGBTQ married couples’ rights.
One major LGBTQ rights case is scheduled to come before the court right after Election Day.
Arguments for Fulton v. City of Philadelphia will be heard on Nov. 4. At issue is whether private agencies that receive taxpayer funding, which includes foster care providers, homeless shelters, and food banks, can opt out of nondiscrimination requirements. The case involves a group of foster parents and Catholic Social Services who have challenged a policy by the city of Philadelphia to stop referrals of foster children to the group due to its refusal to certify same-sex couples as foster parents.
Leslie Cooper, deputy director of the ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project, said the stakes in this case are very high.
“What the other side is asking for in this case, if accepted by the court, means that any future government at the federal level or state or local level would not constitutionally be permitted to enact those nondiscrimination protections,” she said.
Sharita Gruberg, senior director for the LGBTQ research and communications project at the Center for American Progress, said she’s worried about another upcoming case that challenges the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act and a case that involves the imprisonment of young people for life without parole.
“Sixty-five percent of LGBTQ people have pre-existing conditions. And for folks who had COVID-19, they now have a pre-existing condition even if they didn’t before,” Gruberg said. “The ACA helped us significantly close the un-insurance gap for LGBTQ people but cost and discrimination continue to be barriers to accessing needed care. The thought that the Supreme Court could eliminate this progress in the midst of a global pandemic is truly terrifying.”
Gruberg added that she is similarly concerned about Jones v. Mississippi, a case that centers around the Eighth Amendment and whether juveniles can be imprisoned for life without parole, since LGBTQ people are overrepresented throughout the criminal justice system and nearly 60% of incarcerated girls are sexual minorities.
As for voting rights, it’s unclear when the Supreme Court will take up a such a case. Still, transgender people already face numerous barriers to cast their ballot and their ability to vote could be further harmed by justices that would limit voting rights, said Jenny Pizer, law and policy director for Lambda Legal.
Barbara Lagoa, a U.S. circuit judge on the Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, is on Trump’s shortlist and has supported poll taxes in the past. In that case, people with felonies were required to pay fines and fees associated with their sentence before voting. For this reason, Pizer said she is worried about a potential Lagoa nomination.
There are many other issues involving the LGBTQ community on which the Supreme Court could soon make crucial decisions, Gruberg said. Although the landmark Bostock v. Clayton County decision earlier this year was a huge win for LGBTQ equality, prohibiting employee discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, there are still many outstanding issues for justices to consider.
“While we won protections in employment, there are still cases winding their way up on protections under other sex discrimination laws, like in education and health care,” Gruberg said. “We can’t assume the Court will extend protections to LGBTQ people in all of these arenas. And again, all of these protections could be gutted by overly expansive religious exemptions and permitting discriminatory treatment of transgender people.”
She added that she will be watching reproductive rights cases closely as well, since LGBTQ people also use birth control, can also become pregnant, and get abortions.
Trump’s new pick could also rule on cases relating to marriage equality. Although Pizer said she doesn’t think the Supreme Court would overturn marriage equality, that doesn’t mean the issue has been resolved entirely.
Many queer couples still struggle to receive survivor’s benefits, for example. The Social Security Administration’s requirement that couples be married for nine months to receive survivor’s benefits means that some couples in states with same-sex marriage bans who married quickly after the court’s 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling were still unable to receive benefits, as their spouses died before their marriages reached the nine-month mark.
While a federal district court ruled in favor of these couples in May, there are still other similar cases in the pipeline.
The Trump administration has also fought cases involving married same-sex couples who have requested U.S. passports for their children who were born overseas. A federal judge recently ruled that the State Department must recognize the U.S. citizenship of those children, but there is a possibility these cases could still come before the court.
Pizer is also concerned about the court taking up ministerial exception cases, which would also expand so-called religious liberty at the cost of LGBTQ people and other marginalized people’s rights. A proposed rule that would raise the standard for immigration judges to grant asylum claims, for instance, would greatly harm LGBTQ people seeking asylum, Pizer added, another issue the court could take up.
The movement for LGBTQ equality could face other obstacles from a more conservative Supreme Court. After months of protests against police violence, there are many new cases for courts to consider on the issue of protesters’ rights and the suppression of such demonstrations, Politico reported.
“We’re looking at a moment where there may be no effective check on reactionary impulses and uses of power that we haven’t seen for a very long time,” Pizer said. “So when we think about the First Amendment, the right to organize, the right to petition the government for redress of grievances, the right to speak, this is the foremost reason the LGBTQ movement has been able to organize and grow from earliest days.”
She added, “We may be a whisper from effectively losing the right to have a civil rights movement or to have an environmental justice movement or health care rights or anything. We really may be a whisper from a totalitarian state.”
Amy Coney Barrett, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, is reportedly Trump’s favored choice for the court, which concerns LGBTQ advocates.
Among those concerns is Barrett’s support for the idea that “marriage and family are founded on the indissoluble commitment of a man and a woman” and “the significance of sexual difference and complementarity of men and women,” Gruberg said. She said Barrett’s silence on whether she will set aside her personal views to uphold landmark decisions is also worrisome.
Barrett has also spoken at the Blackstone Legal Fellowship, which is run by Alliance Defending Freedom, an anti-LGBTQ group. In 2017, 27 LGBTQ organizations sent a letter to the chair and ranking member on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary to oppose Barrett’s confirmation as a circuit court judge.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-09-23--House Democrats debut bill that would rein in Trump's abuse of power

House Democrats called out Donald Trump directly this week while introducing a number of broad , sweeping reforms aimed at presidential corruption and abuse of power .
The 158-page bill called Protecting Our Democracy Act aims `` to restore our system of checks and balances , '' according to a press release from the House oversight committee .
“ Since taking office , President Trump has placed his own personal and political interests above the national interest by protecting and enriching himself , targeting his political opponents , seeking foreign interference in our elections , eroding transparency , seeking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power of his office , ” seven House committee chairs said in a joint statement .
The Democratic lawmakers intended to expand on the laws and reforms enacted after the Watergate scandal and other Nixon administration abuses of power .
`` Those measures have stood the test of time — limits to prevent executive abuses , sweeping reforms to increase transparency and ethics , campaign finance reform , enhanced Congressional oversight , and more , '' a fact sheet of the bill reads .
`` Until now . ''
The measure specifically seeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , requiring congressional review of materials if the pardon is for the president 's relatives or is related to obstruction of Congress .
The bill would also prohibit the president from granting self-pardons .
The proposal would also empower courts to fine government officials who fail to comply with congressional subpoenas .
In light of the recent Trump administration 's Hatch Act violations , the measure would additionally authorize the Office of Special Counsel to investigate and issue civil fines .
Another provision requires that political committees report certain foreign contacts in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and prevent foreign interference in elections .
With Republicans in control of the Senate , the bill is not likely to pass Congress before the Nov. 3 presidential election .
But Democrats , hoping for a Biden victory , are looking to close gaps in democracy exposed by Trump 's abuses of power .
Since taking office , Trump has withheld crucial military aid to pressure Ukraine to investigate a political opponent — a move that led to his eventual impeachment in the House — and has come under heavy criticism for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself and his allies .
Among those are several pardons and commutations he has granted to associates charged with obstruction , lying to federal authorities and Congress , and campaign finance violations , as well as a variety of other crimes .
Trump has also prevented former staffers from testifying in various investigations , and has been rebuked for profiting off of the presidency , pushing administration officials including Vice President Mike Pence to stay at Trump branded properties across the globe .
`` It is our responsibility to ensure that our democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the House chairs said this week in their press release .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

House Democrats called out Donald Trump directly this week while introducing a number of broad, sweeping reforms aimed at presidential corruption and abuse of power.
The 158-page bill called Protecting Our Democracy Act aims “to restore our system of checks and balances,” according to a press release from the House oversight committee.
“Since taking office, President Trump has placed his own personal and political interests above the national interest by protecting and enriching himself, targeting his political opponents, seeking foreign interference in our elections, eroding transparency, seeking to end accountability, and otherwise abusing the power of his office,” seven House committee chairs said in a joint statement.
The Democratic lawmakers intended to expand on the laws and reforms enacted after the Watergate scandal and other Nixon administration abuses of power.
“Those measures have stood the test of time — limits to prevent executive abuses, sweeping reforms to increase transparency and ethics, campaign finance reform, enhanced Congressional oversight, and more,” a fact sheet of the bill reads. “Until now.”
The measure specifically seeks to curb abuse of the pardon power, requiring congressional review of materials if the pardon is for the president’s relatives or is related to obstruction of Congress. The bill would also prohibit the president from granting self-pardons.
The proposal would also empower courts to fine government officials who fail to comply with congressional subpoenas.
In light of the recent Trump administration’s Hatch Act violations, the measure would additionally authorize the Office of Special Counsel to investigate and issue civil fines.
Another provision requires that political committees report certain foreign contacts in an effort to “protect our elections” and prevent foreign interference in elections.
With Republicans in control of the Senate, the bill is not likely to pass Congress before the Nov. 3 presidential election. But Democrats, hoping for a Biden victory, are looking to close gaps in democracy exposed by Trump’s abuses of power.
Since taking office, Trump has withheld crucial military aid to pressure Ukraine to investigate a political opponent — a move that led to his eventual impeachment in the House — and has come under heavy criticism for a number of other maneuvers meant to shield himself and his allies. Among those are several pardons and commutations he has granted to associates charged with obstruction, lying to federal authorities and Congress, and campaign finance violations, as well as a variety of other crimes.
Trump has also prevented former staffers from testifying in various investigations, and has been rebuked for profiting off of the presidency, pushing administration officials including Vice President Mike Pence to stay at Trump branded properties across the globe.
“It is our responsibility to ensure that our democracy carries on for generations to come,” the House chairs said this week in their press release.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-09-23--Grand jury refuses to charge officers for Breonna Taylor's death

A Kentucky grand jury on Wednesday indicted a single former police officer for shooting into neighboring apartments but did not move forward with charges against any officers for their role in Breonna Taylor 's death .
The jury announced that fired Officer Brett Hankison was charged with three counts of wanton endangerment in connection to the police raid of Taylor 's home on the night of March 13 .
Neither the grand jury nor the presiding judge elaborated on the charges .
Immediately after the announcement , people were expressing frustration that the grand jury did not do more .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' tweeted Linda Sarsour of Until Freedom , a group that has pushed for charges in the case .
`` Rise UP .
All across this country .
Everywhere .
Rise up for # BreonnaTaylor . ''
Protesters have consistently pressured state Attorney General Daniel Cameron to act , and celebrities and pro athletes had joined them in calling on the attorney general to charge the police who shot Taylor .
At one point , demonstrators converged on his house and were charged with felonies for trying to intimidate the prosecutor .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first Black state attorney general and a protege of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who has been tagged by some as his heir apparent .
His was also one of 20 names on Donald Trump 's list to fill a future Supreme Court vacancy .
Taylor , an emergency medical worker , was shot multiple times by officers who entered her home using a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation .
The warrant used to search her home was connected to a suspect who did not live there , and no drugs were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warrants has since been banned by Louisville 's Metro Council .
Cameron 's office had been receiving materials from the Louisville Police Department 's public integrity unit while they tried to determine whether state charges would be brought against the three officers involved , he said .
Before charges were brought , Hankison was fired from the city 's police department on June 23 .
A termination letter sent to him by interim Louisville Police Chief Robert Schroeder said the white officer had violated procedures by showing `` extreme indifference to the value @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wantonly and blindly '' shot 10 rounds of gunfire into Taylor 's apartment in March .
Hankison , Sgt .
Johnathan Mattingly , Officer Myles Cosgrove , and the detective who sought the warrant , Joshua Jaynes , were placed on administrative reassignment after the shooting .
Taylor 's boyfriend , Kenneth Walker , opened fire when police burst in , hitting Mattingly .
Walker was charged with attempted murder of a police officer , but prosecutors later dropped the charge .
Walker told police he heard knocking but did n't know who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in self-defense .
On Sept. 15 , the city settled a lawsuit against the three officers brought by Taylor 's mother , Tamika Palmer , agreeing to pay her $ 12 million and enact police reforms .
Protesters in Louisville and across the country have demanded justice for Taylor and other Black people killed by police in recent months .
The release in late May of a 911 call by Taylor 's boyfriend marked the beginning of days of protests in Louisville , fueled by her shooting and the violent death of George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on May 25 .
Several prominent African American celebrities including Oprah and Beyoncé have joined those urging that the officers be charged .

A Kentucky grand jury on Wednesday indicted a single former police officer for shooting into neighboring apartments but did not move forward with charges against any officers for their role in Breonna Taylor’s death.
The jury announced that fired Officer Brett Hankison was charged with three counts of wanton endangerment in connection to the police raid of Taylor’s home on the night of March 13.
Neither the grand jury nor the presiding judge elaborated on the charges.
Immediately after the announcement, people were expressing frustration that the grand jury did not do more.
“Justice has NOT been served,” tweeted Linda Sarsour of Until Freedom, a group that has pushed for charges in the case. “Rise UP. All across this country. Everywhere. Rise up for #BreonnaTaylor.”
Protesters have consistently pressured state Attorney General Daniel Cameron to act, and celebrities and pro athletes had joined them in calling on the attorney general to charge the police who shot Taylor. At one point, demonstrators converged on his house and were charged with felonies for trying to intimidate the prosecutor.
A Republican, he is the state’s first Black state attorney general and a protege of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who has been tagged by some as his heir apparent. His was also one of 20 names on Donald Trump’s list to fill a future Supreme Court vacancy.
Taylor, an emergency medical worker, was shot multiple times by officers who entered her home using a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation. The warrant used to search her home was connected to a suspect who did not live there, and no drugs were found inside. The use of no-knock warrants has since been banned by Louisville’s Metro Council.
Cameron’s office had been receiving materials from the Louisville Police Department’s public integrity unit while they tried to determine whether state charges would be brought against the three officers involved, he said.
Before charges were brought, Hankison was fired from the city’s police department on June 23. A termination letter sent to him by interim Louisville Police Chief Robert Schroeder said the white officer had violated procedures by showing “extreme indifference to the value of human life” when he “wantonly and blindly” shot 10 rounds of gunfire into Taylor’s apartment in March.
Hankison, Sgt. Johnathan Mattingly, Officer Myles Cosgrove, and the detective who sought the warrant, Joshua Jaynes, were placed on administrative reassignment after the shooting.
Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, opened fire when police burst in, hitting Mattingly. Walker was charged with attempted murder of a police officer, but prosecutors later dropped the charge.
Walker told police he heard knocking but didn’t know who was coming into the home and fired in self-defense.
On Sept. 15, the city settled a lawsuit against the three officers brought by Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, agreeing to pay her $12 million and enact police reforms.
Protesters in Louisville and across the country have demanded justice for Taylor and other Black people killed by police in recent months. The release in late May of a 911 call by Taylor’s boyfriend marked the beginning of days of protests in Louisville, fueled by her shooting and the violent death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25.
Several prominent African American celebrities including Oprah and Beyoncé have joined those urging that the officers be charged.


shareblue--2020-09-23--20,000 Christians sign letter to cancel 'scandalous' Barr award amid executions

Attorney General William Barr received an award at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast this morning for Christian faithfulness , amid widespread condemnation by Catholic leaders and mounting tensions among American Catholic voters .
Barr received the award the day between two federal executions at his directive , the sixth and seventh federal executions enacted since July .
According to the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast 's site , the Christifideles Laici award , established in 2019 , is bestowed for `` Honor and Gratitude for Fidelity to the Church , Exemplary Selfless and Steadfast Service in the Lord 's Vineyard .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ As of Tuesday morning , 20,000 Christians had signed a petition protesting Barr 's award .
Spearheaded by Faithful America , a Christian online community focusing on social justice issues , the petition reads in part : `` Attorney General William Barr 's work— which includes teargassing peaceful protesters in front of the White House , defending the president 's lawless corruption and attacks on American elections , and reinstating federal executions — has nothing to do with service to the Lord , and can not be described as fidelity to the Church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests decried Barr 's award as `` shocking , incomprehensible , and scandalous , '' and his recent actions — including reinstating federal executions — as `` abhorrent in the context of Catholic faith . ''
Two chairmen of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a joint statement Tuesday morning with a message for Trump and Barr : `` Enough .
Stop these executions . ''
Helen Prejean , a Catholic nun and prominent death penalty abolitionist , tweeted Tuesday night that presenting the award to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Church . ''
`` A.G. Barr has ordered the executions of six men with at least one more on the calendar , '' she tweeted .
`` What is Christlike about using discretionary power to kill ? ''
Conflict is escalating among American Catholics in the 2020 election season , with Barr 's award simply the latest in a long line of examples of political animus .
A controversial video featuring Father James Altman , a priest at the Roman Catholic Church of St. James the Less in La Crosse , Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aug. 30 and has racked up close to 900,000 views on YouTube .
In the video , titled , `` You can not be Catholic & a Democrat .
Period , '' and endorsed by a Texas bishop , Altman labels Democratic presidential nominee Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi `` godless , '' calls any Catholic who voted for former President Barack Obama an `` imposter , '' describes climate change as a hoax , depicts Black Lives Matter activists as Marxists , and claims Planned Parenthood was founded to `` wipe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse , William Patrick Callahan , called the video 's tone `` angry and judgmental , '' he said that he would correct and counsel Altman privately before considering any penalties against him .
But such attacks are nothing new ; Biden 's Catholic credentials have long been questioned by conservative Catholic leaders and pundits .
At the Republican National Convention , former University of Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz called Biden `` Catholic in name only . ''
Last October , Biden was denied communion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his abortion-rights stance .
And Catholics are , politically , a house divided .
Pew Research polls indicate that American Catholic registered voters are fairly evenly split between major parties ( 47 % Democrat and 46 % Republican ) , with white Catholics in 2016 tending to vote Republican and Latinx Catholics tending to support Democrats .
Exit polls during the 2018 midterms indicated 50 % of Catholics voted for Democrats and 49 % for Republicans .
According to the Associated Press , more than 20 % of adults in several battleground states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania are Catholic , making Catholics a critical swing vote in this year 's election .
But Barr 's accolades may not sway the election outcome : An EWTN News/RealClear Opinion poll , taken before the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and released Monday , indicated that Biden holds a 12-point lead over Donald Trump among Catholic voters .
Trump leads among white Catholics and those who characterize themselves as devout , while Biden is backed strongly by Latinx Catholics as well as less frequent churchgoers .
John Gehring , a Catholic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public Life , recently commented in Commonweal Magazine that attacks on Biden 's faith amount to `` religious slander , '' and that `` conveniently ignoring or downplaying Church teachings on racism , the dignity of immigrants , and economic inequality '' is `` selective theology . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Attorney General William Barr received an award at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast this morning for Christian faithfulness, amid widespread condemnation by Catholic leaders and mounting tensions among American Catholic voters.
Barr received the award the day between two federal executions at his directive, the sixth and seventh federal executions enacted since July.
According to the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast’s site, the Christifideles Laici award, established in 2019, is bestowed for “Honor and Gratitude for Fidelity to the Church, Exemplary Selfless and Steadfast Service in the Lord’s Vineyard.” Barr is its second recipient.
As of Tuesday morning, 20,000 Christians had signed a petition protesting Barr’s award. Spearheaded by Faithful America, a Christian online community focusing on social justice issues, the petition reads in part: “Attorney General William Barr’s work— which includes teargassing peaceful protesters in front of the White House, defending the president’s lawless corruption and attacks on American elections, and reinstating federal executions — has nothing to do with service to the Lord, and cannot be described as fidelity to the Church.”
In a recent statement, the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests decried Barr’s award as “shocking, incomprehensible, and scandalous,” and his recent actions — including reinstating federal executions — as “abhorrent in the context of Catholic faith.”
Two chairmen of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a joint statement Tuesday morning with a message for Trump and Barr: “Enough. Stop these executions.”
Helen Prejean, a Catholic nun and prominent death penalty abolitionist, tweeted Tuesday night that presenting the award to Barr was a “grievous scandal for the Church.”
“A.G. Barr has ordered the executions of six men with at least one more on the calendar,” she tweeted. “What is Christlike about using discretionary power to kill?”
Conflict is escalating among American Catholics in the 2020 election season, with Barr’s award simply the latest in a long line of examples of political animus.
A controversial video featuring Father James Altman, a priest at the Roman Catholic Church of St. James the Less in La Crosse, Wisconsin, spouting right-wing talking points went viral Aug. 30 and has racked up close to 900,000 views on YouTube.
In the video, titled, “You cannot be Catholic & a Democrat. Period,” and endorsed by a Texas bishop, Altman labels Democratic presidential nominee Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “godless,” calls any Catholic who voted for former President Barack Obama an “imposter,” describes climate change as a hoax, depicts Black Lives Matter activists as Marxists, and claims Planned Parenthood was founded to “wipe out Black babies.”
“(The Democratic) party platform absolutely is against everything the Catholic Church teaches,” Altman says in the video. “So just quit pretending that you’re Catholic and vote Democrat. Repent of your support of that party and its platform, or face the fires of hell.”
While the bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse, William Patrick Callahan, called the video’s tone “angry and judgmental,” he said that he would correct and counsel Altman privately before considering any penalties against him.
But such attacks are nothing new; Biden’s Catholic credentials have long been questioned by conservative Catholic leaders and pundits. At the Republican National Convention, former University of Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz called Biden “Catholic in name only.” Last October, Biden was denied communion at a South Carolina Catholic church over his abortion-rights stance.
And Catholics are, politically, a house divided. Pew Research polls indicate that American Catholic registered voters are fairly evenly split between major parties (47% Democrat and 46% Republican), with white Catholics in 2016 tending to vote Republican and Latinx Catholics tending to support Democrats. Exit polls during the 2018 midterms indicated 50% of Catholics voted for Democrats and 49% for Republicans.
According to the Associated Press, more than 20% of adults in several battleground states such as Wisconsin, Florida, and Pennsylvania are Catholic, making Catholics a critical swing vote in this year’s election.
But Barr’s accolades may not sway the election outcome: An EWTN News/RealClear Opinion poll, taken before the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and released Monday, indicated that Biden holds a 12-point lead over Donald Trump among Catholic voters.
Trump leads among white Catholics and those who characterize themselves as devout, while Biden is backed strongly by Latinx Catholics as well as less frequent churchgoers.
John Gehring, a Catholic commentator and program director at Faith in Public Life, recently commented in Commonweal Magazine that attacks on Biden’s faith amount to “religious slander,” and that “conveniently ignoring or downplaying Church teachings on racism, the dignity of immigrants, and economic inequality” is “selective theology.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-09-23--CDC director contradicts Trump: 90% of Americans 'still susceptible' to coronavirus

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield testified on Wednesday that `` more than 90 % of the population '' in the United States is `` still susceptible '' to the COVID-19 virus .
Redfield cited an ongoing study across the country , which he said he expects to be published soon .
His comments are in stark contrast to those of Donald Trump , who has continued to push for the country to reopen despite the rising death toll of the virus , which has claimed over 200,000 lives .
In response to reports that the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection rates there , Trump told a local television station on Tuesday , `` We 're not going to be doing that . ''
Trump also told rally attendees on Monday that `` virtually nobody '' has been affected by the virus .
His senior economic advisor , Larry Kudlow , also recently told reporters , `` We 've regained control of the virus . ''
From a Sept. 23 hearing of the Senate Committee on Health , Education , Labor and Pensions : SEN. LAMAR ALEXANDER ( R-TN ) : Dr. Redfield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that government studies in the United Kingdom said that based on serology testing that 5 to 25 % of their country 's population , depending on the location , has been exposed to COVID-19 .
What does — what about the American population ?
How many of us have been infected by COVID-19 ?
ROBERT REDFIELD : Thank you Mr. Chairman .
CDC 's in the process of a very large sequential study across the entire United States , measuring serology , as I mentioned the preliminary results in the first round show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 90 % of the population remains susceptible .
It varies in different geographic parts , from states that have less than 1 % with evidence of previous infections , to some that have more than 15 , 20 , and one is as high as 24 % .
We 'll have that finalized and probably published in the next week or so , but it does show that a majority of Americans are still susceptible to this virus .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield testified on Wednesday that “more than 90% of the population” in the United States is “still susceptible” to the COVID-19 virus.
Redfield cited an ongoing study across the country, which he said he expects to be published soon.
His comments are in stark contrast to those of Donald Trump, who has continued to push for the country to reopen despite the rising death toll of the virus, which has claimed over 200,000 lives.
In response to reports that the United Kingdom is shutting down due to rising infection rates there, Trump told a local television station on Tuesday, “We’re not going to be doing that.”
Trump also told rally attendees on Monday that “virtually nobody” has been affected by the virus. His senior economic advisor, Larry Kudlow, also recently told reporters, “We’ve regained control of the virus.”
From a Sept. 23 hearing of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions:
SEN. LAMAR ALEXANDER (R-TN): Dr. Redfield, the British ambassador told me yesterday that government studies in the United Kingdom said that based on serology testing that 5 to 25% of their country’s population, depending on the location, has been exposed to COVID-19. What does — what about the American population? How many of us have been infected by COVID-19? ROBERT REDFIELD: Thank you Mr. Chairman. CDC’s in the process of a very large sequential study across the entire United States, measuring serology, as I mentioned the preliminary results in the first round show that a majority of our nation, more than 90% of the population remains susceptible. It varies in different geographic parts, from states that have less than 1% with evidence of previous infections, to some that have more than 15, 20, and one is as high as 24%. We’ll have that finalized and probably published in the next week or so, but it does show that a majority of Americans are still susceptible to this virus.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-09-24--Young women are rushing to register to vote following Justice Ginsburg's death

As the nation mourned Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s death last Friday , a surge of women and young people registered to vote over the weekend , according to voting groups .
More than 62 % of voters who registered were female , according to a spokesman for the nonpartisan platform Vote.org .
By age group , young adults between 25 to 34 made up the largest bloc of new registrations with close to 31 % , the nonprofit voting group said .
Meanwhile , nearly 25 % of the voter registrations came from the 18-to-24 age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people and women registering and making a plan to vote through Vote.org is a positive sign for increased turnout this fall .
In 2016 , 100 million Americans sat out the election , and too many of them were young people .
Their participation matters , '' said Andrea Hailey , the CEO of Vote.org .
Ginsburg was a fierce champion of women 's rights who also fought for the rights of minorities .
The formidable justice , a mother of two , was a revered idol for young women .
She died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Washington , D.C .
Throughout the solemn weekend , voter registration as a whole also surged .
Vote.org processed more than 40,000 new voter registrations on Saturday and Sunday , a 68 % increase from the previous weekend .
The nonprofit ’ s website also saw over 35,000 mail ballot requests over the weekend , a 42 % increase from the prior week .
The nonprofit had more than 139,000 registration verifications , an 118 % increase from the weekend before .
The voting group noted that although not every state requires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who did , 1.82 times as many Democrats registered as Republicans .
During National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday , Vote.org set a record with the most traffic for that day ever , according to a spokesman .
Its site had double the number of users , from 304,000 in 2018 to 730,000 on Tuesday .
The organization doubled the number of registrations on the day devoted to them from 62,000 in 2018 to 135,000 this year .
Voter registration verifications also doubled , to 473,000 compared to 268,000 in 2018 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the significant uptick in interactions with Vote.org 's registration and mail ballot resources , culminating in strong numbers on National Voter Registration Day , speaks to an energy among Americans who want to make sure their voices are heard this election , '' Hailey said .
Carolyn DeWitt , president of Rock the Vote , another voting registration nonprofit , tweeted how hopeful she is after seeing the number of voters who registered on the national registration day .
`` Today is giving me hope , '' she tweeted .
`` We 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amount to accommodate the increased traffic to register to vote . ''
Also since Saturday , When We All Vote , a nonprofit that Michelle Obama co-chairs , has seen over 82,000 voters starting or completing the process of voter registration , said communications director Crystal Carson .
On National Voter Registration Day alone , the nonprofit saw more than 44,000 voters start or complete their registration , while over 300,000 people visited the resources on When We All Vote 's website in preparation for voting .
Over 1 million viewers also engaged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Live event `` VOTE LOUD , '' which featured the former first lady .
Obama underscored the importance of focusing get-out-the-vote efforts on young and new voters .
`` We 've got to do a better job of speaking directly to the motivations and unique challenges that young and first-time voters face around voting , '' Obama said in a When We All Vote press release .
`` That 's a big part of the reason why I created When We All Vote—to spark important conversations , share critical resources , and make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vote .
It 's up to all of us to encourage and work with the next generation to really change the culture around voting . ''
Vote.org 's Hailey noted : `` By making voting easier , and , in turn , getting more people to vote , we create a stronger , more representative democracy . ''
The registration website Vote Save America saw 3,400 new voter registrations between Friday and Sunday , which is five times more than the prior weekend , a spokeswoman told CNBC .
In the 1970s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the women 's rights movement .
She argued six key cases before the court and won five of them .
`` Ruth Bader Ginsburg does not need a seat on the Supreme Court to earn her place in the American history books , '' President Bill Clinton said when he nominated her to be only the second woman on the court .
`` She has already done that . ''
Published with permission from The American Independent Foundation .

As the nation mourned Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death last Friday, a surge of women and young people registered to vote over the weekend, according to voting groups.
More than 62% of voters who registered were female, according to a spokesman for the nonpartisan platform Vote.org.
By age group, young adults between 25 to 34 made up the largest bloc of new registrations with close to 31%, the nonprofit voting group said. Meanwhile, nearly 25% of the voter registrations came from the 18-to-24 age group.
“The number of young people and women registering and making a plan to vote through Vote.org is a positive sign for increased turnout this fall. In 2016, 100 million Americans sat out the election, and too many of them were young people. Their participation matters,” said Andrea Hailey, the CEO of Vote.org.
Ginsburg was a fierce champion of women’s rights who also fought for the rights of minorities. The formidable justice, a mother of two, was a revered idol for young women. She died at 87 years old at her home in Washington, D.C.
Throughout the solemn weekend, voter registration as a whole also surged.
Vote.org processed more than 40,000 new voter registrations on Saturday and Sunday, a 68% increase from the previous weekend. The nonprofit’s website also saw over 35,000 mail ballot requests over the weekend, a 42% increase from the prior week.
The nonprofit had more than 139,000 registration verifications, an 118% increase from the weekend before.
The voting group noted that although not every state requires registrants to signify their party, of those who did, 1.82 times as many Democrats registered as Republicans.
During National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday, Vote.org set a record with the most traffic for that day ever, according to a spokesman. Its site had double the number of users, from 304,000 in 2018 to 730,000 on Tuesday.
The organization doubled the number of registrations on the day devoted to them from 62,000 in 2018 to 135,000 this year. Voter registration verifications also doubled, to 473,000 compared to 268,000 in 2018.
“Following Justice Ginsburg’s passing, the significant uptick in interactions with Vote.org’s registration and mail ballot resources, culminating in strong numbers on National Voter Registration Day, speaks to an energy among Americans who want to make sure their voices are heard this election,” Hailey said.
Carolyn DeWitt, president of Rock the Vote, another voting registration nonprofit, tweeted how hopeful she is after seeing the number of voters who registered on the national registration day.
“Today is giving me hope,” she tweeted. “We’re running 10x our 2016 NVRD front-end server amount to accommodate the increased traffic to register to vote.”
Also since Saturday, When We All Vote, a nonprofit that Michelle Obama co-chairs, has seen over 82,000 voters starting or completing the process of voter registration, said communications director Crystal Carson.
On National Voter Registration Day alone, the nonprofit saw more than 44,000 voters start or complete their registration, while over 300,000 people visited the resources on When We All Vote’s website in preparation for voting.
Over 1 million viewers also engaged in the When We All Vote Instagram Live event “VOTE LOUD,” which featured the former first lady.
Obama underscored the importance of focusing get-out-the-vote efforts on young and new voters.
“We’ve got to do a better job of speaking directly to the motivations and unique challenges that young and first-time voters face around voting,” Obama said in a When We All Vote press release. “That’s a big part of the reason why I created When We All Vote—to spark important conversations, share critical resources, and make sure people get registered and get out to vote. It’s up to all of us to encourage and work with the next generation to really change the culture around voting.”
Vote.org’s Hailey noted: “By making voting easier, and, in turn, getting more people to vote, we create a stronger, more representative democracy.”
The registration website Vote Save America saw 3,400 new voter registrations between Friday and Sunday, which is five times more than the prior weekend, a spokeswoman told CNBC.
In the 1970s, Ginsburg was a key figure in the women’s rights movement. She argued six key cases before the court and won five of them.
“Ruth Bader Ginsburg does not need a seat on the Supreme Court to earn her place in the American history books,” President Bill Clinton said when he nominated her to be only the second woman on the court. “She has already done that.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-09-24--Top health official admits Trump's executive order on preexisting conditions is useless

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Thursday announced that Donald Trump will sign an executive order declaring that it is the `` the policy of the United States '' that people with preexisting conditions will be protected .
However , Azar admitted on a call before Trump 's announcement that the order holds no legal weight .
As the Daily Beast 's Sam Stein reported , Azar said the executive order would have no affect if the Supreme Court strikes down Obamacare and said it is merely a `` defined statement of U.S. policy that people with preexisting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that protects people with preexisting conditions is Obamacare , which bans insurance companies from denying coverage to those with preexisting conditions .
But if the Supreme Court overturns the law — which Trump is currently urging the court to do — then Americans will lose preexisting conditions coverage regardless of what Trump 's executive order says .
Azar said that if Obamacare is overturned , the White House would have to `` work with Congress '' to find a fix .
`` An executive order directed at private parties has no more legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nicholas Bagley , a professor of administrative law at the University of Michigan , tweeted .
Trump , for his part , has repeatedly lied about his efforts to protect people with preexisting conditions .
In fact , he has made multiple attempts to repeal or sabotage Obamacare , which prohibits health insurance companies from charging higher premiums or denying coverage to people with preexisting conditions .
In 2017 , Trump backed a GOP proposal to repeal and replace Obamacare that would have increased premiums for those with preexisting conditions .
The Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abandoned the effort , which was immensely unpopular with the electorate and may have even contributed to the party losing its House majority in 2018 .
Later in October 2017 , Trump signed an executive order that allowed for the sale of junk plans that would have raised costs for those with preexisting conditions .
Ultimately , Trump has been promising a health care plan for years that he said will be better and cheaper than Obamacare , always promising it will arrive in two weeks .
He made that same claim at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying that his plan was `` ready '' without providing any details about what it entails .
Azar 's announcement was an attempt to finally release that long-awaited plan , but it is not a plan at all .
The effort to make it look like Trump supports preexisting condition protections as he advocates for repealing Obamacare comes in the final days of the election , in which polls show voters trust Democrats over Trump and the GOP on the issue of health care .
Published with permission of The American Independent @ @

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Thursday announced that Donald Trump will sign an executive order declaring that it is the “the policy of the United States” that people with preexisting conditions will be protected.
However, Azar admitted on a call before Trump’s announcement that the order holds no legal weight. As the Daily Beast’s Sam Stein reported, Azar said the executive order would have no affect if the Supreme Court strikes down Obamacare and said it is merely a “defined statement of U.S. policy that people with preexisting conditions are protected.”
That policy that protects people with preexisting conditions is Obamacare, which bans insurance companies from denying coverage to those with preexisting conditions.
But if the Supreme Court overturns the law — which Trump is currently urging the court to do — then Americans will lose preexisting conditions coverage regardless of what Trump’s executive order says.
Azar said that if Obamacare is overturned, the White House would have to “work with Congress” to find a fix.
“An executive order directed at private parties has no more legal weight than a press release,” Nicholas Bagley, a professor of administrative law at the University of Michigan, tweeted.
Trump, for his part, has repeatedly lied about his efforts to protect people with preexisting conditions.
In fact, he has made multiple attempts to repeal or sabotage Obamacare, which prohibits health insurance companies from charging higher premiums or denying coverage to people with preexisting conditions.
In 2017, Trump backed a GOP proposal to repeal and replace Obamacare that would have increased premiums for those with preexisting conditions. The Republican effort ultimately failed, and the GOP abandoned the effort, which was immensely unpopular with the electorate and may have even contributed to the party losing its House majority in 2018.
Later in October 2017, Trump signed an executive order that allowed for the sale of junk plans that would have raised costs for those with preexisting conditions.
Ultimately, Trump has been promising a health care plan for years that he said will be better and cheaper than Obamacare, always promising it will arrive in two weeks. He made that same claim at an ABC town hall on Sept. 15, saying that his plan was “ready” without providing any details about what it entails.
Azar’s announcement was an attempt to finally release that long-awaited plan, but it is not a plan at all.
The effort to make it look like Trump supports preexisting condition protections as he advocates for repealing Obamacare comes in the final days of the election, in which polls show voters trust Democrats over Trump and the GOP on the issue of health care.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-09-24--Trump is telling his supporters to cause chaos before the election — and they're doing it

On Wednesday , Donald Trump tweeted a call for his supporters to become poll workers , all while he continues to ratchet up rhetoric that has fed into the violence and chaos being sown ahead of the 2020 presidential election .
`` Very important that , in order to watch that ALL are following the Rules & Regulations , you become an Election Official at your local Polling Place , '' Trump tweeted .
`` Go sign up NOW !
!
! ''
Trump 's comment came after a group of his supporters went to an early voting site in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entrance and intimidate voters .
The group eventually left , but may have violated Virginia law , which says it is illegal to `` hinder or delay a qualified voter in entering or leaving a polling place . ''
Trump 's decision to send that tweet after the Virginia incident — and his failure to speak out against his supporters ' actions — could be interpreted as a tacit sign of support .
Trump has already indicated that he thinks political turmoil is good for his re-election chances .
With statements that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falsehoods , Trump has sown chaos in an already chaotic election season .
He has spread bogus claims about voter fraud , while also encouraging voters to commit voter fraud .
And he has repeatedly used violent images as a way of throwing gasoline on the fire of political unrest and mass illness that has seized the country for the past six months .
Earlier in September , Trump urged his supporters in North Carolina to be poll watchers , saying they need to guard against `` the thieving and stealing and robbing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 's part of Trump 's effort to cast doubt on the election results .
Trump also cheered on a group of supporters who shot paintballs at protesters in Portland , Oregon .
The Guardian reported that members of a pro-Trump militia planned the event ahead of time to stoke violence in the city .
`` The people of Portland won ’ t put up with no safety any longer , '' Trump tweeted in response to a video of the clash between his supporters and the protesters .
`` The Mayor is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guard ! ''
Trump has also defended Kyle Rittenhouse , the 17-year-old Trump supporter who allegedly shot and killed two protesters in Kenosha , Wisconsin , after the shooting of Jacob Blake .
At a White House press briefing , Trump refused to condemn Rittenhouse , and simply said , `` That was an interesting situation . ''
Later that same day , in an interview with Fox News ' Laura Ingraham , Trump called the Black Lives Matter movement `` a lot of thugs . ''
Trump 's ultimate goal with all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is to create more division and confusion into an already tumultuous year , in the hopes that it will improve his own chances at winning re-election .
To date , Trump and his allies in the Republican Party have filed lawsuits seeking to make it more difficult for people to vote , and have falsely alleged voter fraud to undermine confidence in the election 's results , and even suggested the need `` get rid of the ballots '' so there 's a `` continuation '' of power .
This would amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
It 's easy enough to see what kind of message Trump and his allies are trying to send ahead of November .
His statements speak for themselves .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

On Wednesday, Donald Trump tweeted a call for his supporters to become poll workers, all while he continues to ratchet up rhetoric that has fed into the violence and chaos being sown ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
“Very important that, in order to watch that ALL are following the Rules & Regulations, you become an Election Official at your local Polling Place,” Trump tweeted. “Go sign up NOW!!!”
Trump’s comment came after a group of his supporters went to an early voting site in Virginia on Saturday and tried to block the entrance and intimidate voters. The group eventually left, but may have violated Virginia law, which says it is illegal to “hinder or delay a qualified voter in entering or leaving a polling place.”
Trump’s decision to send that tweet after the Virginia incident — and his failure to speak out against his supporters’ actions — could be interpreted as a tacit sign of support.
Trump has already indicated that he thinks political turmoil is good for his re-election chances. With statements that range from incoherent and confusing to outright falsehoods, Trump has sown chaos in an already chaotic election season. He has spread bogus claims about voter fraud, while also encouraging voters to commit voter fraud. And he has repeatedly used violent images as a way of throwing gasoline on the fire of political unrest and mass illness that has seized the country for the past six months.
Earlier in September, Trump urged his supporters in North Carolina to be poll watchers, saying they need to guard against “the thieving and stealing and robbing” of ballots — a baseless claim that’s part of Trump’s effort to cast doubt on the election results.
Trump also cheered on a group of supporters who shot paintballs at protesters in Portland, Oregon. The Guardian reported that members of a pro-Trump militia planned the event ahead of time to stoke violence in the city.
“The people of Portland won’t put up with no safety any longer,” Trump tweeted in response to a video of the clash between his supporters and the protesters. “The Mayor is a FOOL. Bring in the National Guard!”
Trump has also defended Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old Trump supporter who allegedly shot and killed two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, after the shooting of Jacob Blake. At a White House press briefing, Trump refused to condemn Rittenhouse, and simply said, “That was an interesting situation.” Later that same day, in an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, Trump called the Black Lives Matter movement “a lot of thugs.”
Trump’s ultimate goal with all of these statements, it would seem, is to create more division and confusion into an already tumultuous year, in the hopes that it will improve his own chances at winning re-election.
To date, Trump and his allies in the Republican Party have filed lawsuits seeking to make it more difficult for people to vote, and have falsely alleged voter fraud to undermine confidence in the election’s results, and even suggested the need “get rid of the ballots” so there’s a “continuation” of power. This would amount to rejecting the will of the American people.
It’s easy enough to see what kind of message Trump and his allies are trying to send ahead of November. His statements speak for themselves.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-09-24--Sen. Cornyn's challenger slams super PAC using her tattoos to frame her as 'radical'

A super PAC supporting Sen. John Cornyn in his campaign for reelection in Texas used a photograph of his Democratic opponent , MJ Hegar , on a website to portray her tattooed appearance as `` radical , '' she said in a tweet on Thursday .
Hegar took to social media to remind Texans that misogyny is alive and well in the Lone Star State .
`` A pro-Cornyn Super PAC is using a photo of my tattoos to make me seem 'radical , ' '' she said .
`` That 's pretty funny to me . ''
Hegar added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to the meaning behind her tattoos .
`` You think I 'm ashamed of them ?
They cover my shrapnel wounds from when my helicopter was shot down , '' she said .
`` They 're a mark of my service to our country .
I 'm damn proud of them . ''
Hegar served for 12 years in the United States Air Force , spending multiple Afghanistan deployments as a helicopter pilot .
On her third Afghanistan tour , her medevac helicopter was shot down during a combat search-and-rescue mission .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground fire from the Taliban , she managed to fire back — while holding on to the skids of a moving helicopter .
Hegar was awarded the Purple Heart in 2009 for her actions , and the Distinguished Flying Cross in 2011 .
She 's one of only seven women in history to receive the latter award since Amelia Earhart became the first in 1933 .
Cornyn , on the other hand , ducked possible service in Vietnam by obtaining a student deferment while he was attending Trinity University in San Antonio , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 28 , it 's likely he would otherwise have gone to war .
Hegar is no stranger to attacks on her appearance , having made her tattoos a cornerstone of her political persona .
When she challenged incumbent Rep. John Carter for Texas ' 31st Congressional District , she put out a campaign ad of herself highlighting her tattoos .
With her cherry blossom tree tattoo visible , she toured a tattoo parlor while telling the story of her own tattoos and how they have inspired her to ensure all Texans are also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care and prescriptions .
`` I was getting the same advice that a lot of female candidates are getting : cut your hair , put on a suit , smile more , '' Hegar told Bustle during her 2018 campaign .
`` I do n't take that kind of direction .
I ’ m not going to hide who I am , and the tattoo is a big part of who I am . ''
She said her arms are `` peppered '' with small scars , and she views her coverup tattoo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It ’ s also in line with my personality , where I take something that could paint me as a victim or could be considered a tragic moment and turn it into something beautiful , '' Hegar said in the Bustle interview .
This is n't the first time the candidate 's appearance has come under fire from the Cornyn camp .
In August , the National Republican Senatorial Committee altered photos of Hegar photos in an ad touting her as `` too liberal for Texas , '' graying her hair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ older .
But the hypocrisy of the Texas GOP is stark : In 2014 , a Los Angeles street artist named Sabo created a poster depicting Cornyn 's fellow Republican , Texas Sen. Ted Cruz , with a cigarette dangling from his lips , a sculpted six-pack , and a bare chest sporting prison tattoos .
The Cruz campaign went wild , entering into a deal with the artist to sell merchandising of the image everywhere , including at the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference .
Cruz himself went on C-SPAN later to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fondly .
While Cornyn is still poised to win in Texas , Hegar 's campaign is within striking distance , boasting single-digit margins of only 6 points ( 43 % to 37 % ) behind her opponent , according to the most recent Siena College/New York Times poll .
Still , these low blows by the Cornyn campaign betray a fundamental inequity in American politics and can sway election outcomes , experts say .
`` The physical appearance of female leaders can be expected to be quite important in how members of society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Maria Elizabeth Grabe , media professor at Indiana University Bloomington , commented in August to the Dallas Morning News after the National Republican Senatorial Committee photoshopped Hegar to look older .
`` How women appear visually might very well matter more in politics than how men appear . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

A super PAC supporting Sen. John Cornyn in his campaign for reelection in Texas used a photograph of his Democratic opponent, MJ Hegar, on a website to portray her tattooed appearance as “radical,” she said in a tweet on Thursday.
Hegar took to social media to remind Texans that misogyny is alive and well in the Lone Star State.
“A pro-Cornyn Super PAC is using a photo of my tattoos to make me seem ‘radical,'” she said. “That’s pretty funny to me.”
Hegar added that the ad’s implications were troubling due to the meaning behind her tattoos.
“You think I’m ashamed of them? They cover my shrapnel wounds from when my helicopter was shot down,” she said. “They’re a mark of my service to our country. I’m damn proud of them.”
Hegar served for 12 years in the United States Air Force, spending multiple Afghanistan deployments as a helicopter pilot.
On her third Afghanistan tour, her medevac helicopter was shot down during a combat search-and-rescue mission. Though wounded in her rifle arm by ground fire from the Taliban, she managed to fire back — while holding on to the skids of a moving helicopter.
Hegar was awarded the Purple Heart in 2009 for her actions, and the Distinguished Flying Cross in 2011. She’s one of only seven women in history to receive the latter award since Amelia Earhart became the first in 1933.
Cornyn, on the other hand, ducked possible service in Vietnam by obtaining a student deferment while he was attending Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Since his draft number was 28, it’s likely he would otherwise have gone to war.
Hegar is no stranger to attacks on her appearance, having made her tattoos a cornerstone of her political persona. When she challenged incumbent Rep. John Carter for Texas’ 31st Congressional District, she put out a campaign ad of herself highlighting her tattoos.
With her cherry blossom tree tattoo visible, she toured a tattoo parlor while telling the story of her own tattoos and how they have inspired her to ensure all Texans are also “covered” — with low-cost health care and prescriptions.
“I was getting the same advice that a lot of female candidates are getting: cut your hair, put on a suit, smile more,” Hegar told Bustle during her 2018 campaign. “I don’t take that kind of direction. I’m not going to hide who I am, and the tattoo is a big part of who I am.”
She said her arms are “peppered” with small scars, and she views her coverup tattoo as a reminder that joy transcends hardship.
“It’s also in line with my personality, where I take something that could paint me as a victim or could be considered a tragic moment and turn it into something beautiful,” Hegar said in the Bustle interview.
This isn’t the first time the candidate’s appearance has come under fire from the Cornyn camp. In August, the National Republican Senatorial Committee altered photos of Hegar photos in an ad touting her as “too liberal for Texas,” graying her hair and shading her skin to look decades older.
But the hypocrisy of the Texas GOP is stark: In 2014, a Los Angeles street artist named Sabo created a poster depicting Cornyn’s fellow Republican, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, a sculpted six-pack, and a bare chest sporting prison tattoos.
The Cruz campaign went wild, entering into a deal with the artist to sell merchandising of the image everywhere, including at the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference. Cruz himself went on C-SPAN later to recount the story of the tattoo posters fondly.
While Cornyn is still poised to win in Texas, Hegar’s campaign is within striking distance, boasting single-digit margins of only 6 points (43% to 37%) behind her opponent, according to the most recent Siena College/New York Times poll.
Still, these low blows by the Cornyn campaign betray a fundamental inequity in American politics and can sway election outcomes, experts say.
“The physical appearance of female leaders can be expected to be quite important in how members of society view them and ultimately would vote,” Maria Elizabeth Grabe, media professor at Indiana University Bloomington, commented in August to the Dallas Morning News after the National Republican Senatorial Committee photoshopped Hegar to look older. “How women appear visually might very well matter more in politics than how men appear.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-09-24--McEnany says Trump just wants to 'get rid of the ballots' in certain swing states

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Thursday defended Donald Trump 's desire to `` get rid of the ballots '' used in absentee voting , citing a report about ballots being `` found cast aside . ''
But the two states McEnany cited , Wisconsin and Pennsylvania , as evidence of the problems with what she called `` mass mail out voting , '' do not send out mail-in ballots in a mass mailing .
They require registered voters to specifically request an absentee ballot — the kind of absentee voting that Trump has repeatedly said he approves of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` swing '' states .
Trump won them in the 2016 election .
Current polling averages show Biden ahead of Trump in both states .
Trump said in a Wednesday news conference that he wants to `` get rid of the ballots '' connected to mail-in voting , and said there would n't be a peaceful transition of power if he loses to Joe Biden unless that condition is met .
McEnany was asked about the remark in her press briefing and proceeded to cite issues with `` mass mail ballots '' to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last 24 hours , police in Greenville , Wisconsin , found mail in a ditch , and it included absentee ballots , '' McEnany said .
`` I can confirm for you that Trump ballots , ballots for the president were found in Pennsylvania . ''
The latter case was confirmed by the Justice Department on Thursday afternoon .
However , while an initial statement said officials had discovered nine discarded mail-in military ballots — all cast for Trump , only some of which were `` attributed to specific voters '' — a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to seven ballots cast for Trump .
The remaining two ballots , the department said , had been recovered along with the other seven and had been `` resealed inside their appropriate envelopes by Luzerne elections staff prior to recovery by the FBI . ''
`` [ T ] he contents of those 2 ballots are unknown , '' the revised statement read .
In the past , McEnany has defended Trump 's criticism of mail-in voting , as well as his own record of voting absentee , by suggesting he is only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or states that proactively send ballots to registered voters .
`` He 's always been for voting absentee , '' she said in August .
`` What he is not for is mass mail-in voting or perhaps , to make it even clearer , mass mail-out voting . ''
Wisconsin currently requires that registered voters request an absentee ballot to vote through the mail .
The same is true in Pennsylvania .
REPORTER : So Kayleigh , yesterday when the president said , `` Get rid of the ballots , there wo n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'll be a continuation , '' which particular ballots is he talking about wanting to get rid of , and why does he think that would help him get elected ?
KAYLEIGH McENANY : The president wants to get rid of mass mail out voting , and that 's not because of — he 's said clearly that that could go either way , it could damage either candidate 's chances because it 's a system that subject to fraud .
In fact , in the last 24 hours , police in Greenville @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ditch , and it included absentee ballots , and also I can confirm for you that Trump ballots , ballots for the president were found in Pennsylvania and I believe you should be getting more information on that shortly .
Here in the last 24 hours , they were found cast aside .
This article has been updated to include a revised statement from the Justice Department .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Thursday defended Donald Trump’s desire to “get rid of the ballots” used in absentee voting, citing a report about ballots being “found cast aside.”
But the two states McEnany cited, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, as evidence of the problems with what she called “mass mail out voting,” do not send out mail-in ballots in a mass mailing. They require registered voters to specifically request an absentee ballot — the kind of absentee voting that Trump has repeatedly said he approves of.
Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are both considered “swing” states. Trump won them in the 2016 election. Current polling averages show Biden ahead of Trump in both states.
Trump said in a Wednesday news conference that he wants to “get rid of the ballots” connected to mail-in voting, and said there wouldn’t be a peaceful transition of power if he loses to Joe Biden unless that condition is met.
McEnany was asked about the remark in her press briefing and proceeded to cite issues with “mass mail ballots” to make her case.
“In the last 24 hours, police in Greenville, Wisconsin, found mail in a ditch, and it included absentee ballots,” McEnany said. “I can confirm for you that Trump ballots, ballots for the president were found in Pennsylvania.”
The latter case was confirmed by the Justice Department on Thursday afternoon. However, while an initial statement said officials had discovered nine discarded mail-in military ballots — all cast for Trump, only some of which were “attributed to specific voters” — a subsequent press release corrected the original total to seven ballots cast for Trump. The remaining two ballots, the department said, had been recovered along with the other seven and had been “resealed inside their appropriate envelopes by Luzerne elections staff prior to recovery by the FBI.”
“[T]he contents of those 2 ballots are unknown,” the revised statement read.
The initial Justice Department statement was ultimately deleted.
In the past, McEnany has defended Trump’s criticism of mail-in voting, as well as his own record of voting absentee, by suggesting he is only against “mass” mail-in voting, or states that proactively send ballots to registered voters.
“He’s always been for voting absentee,” she said in August. “What he is not for is mass mail-in voting or perhaps, to make it even clearer, mass mail-out voting.”
Wisconsin currently requires that registered voters request an absentee ballot to vote through the mail. The same is true in Pennsylvania.
From a Sept. 24 White House press briefing:
REPORTER: So Kayleigh, yesterday when the president said, “Get rid of the ballots, there won’t be a transfer, frankly, there’ll be a continuation,” which particular ballots is he talking about wanting to get rid of, and why does he think that would help him get elected? KAYLEIGH McENANY: The president wants to get rid of mass mail out voting, and that’s not because of — he’s said clearly that that could go either way, it could damage either candidate’s chances because it’s a system that subject to fraud. In fact, in the last 24 hours, police in Greenville, Wisconsin, found mail in a ditch, and it included absentee ballots, and also I can confirm for you that Trump ballots, ballots for the president were found in Pennsylvania and I believe you should be getting more information on that shortly. Here in the last 24 hours, they were found cast aside.
This article has been updated to include a revised statement from the Justice Department.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-09-24--Trump touts jobs in Pennsylvania — where unemployment has nearly doubled on his watch

Donald Trump told supporters on Wednesday that he `` brought jobs and factories back to Pennsylvania '' and that Joe Biden would send their jobs overseas if elected president .
In reality , unemployment in the state has nearly doubled since Trump took office in January 2017 .
`` Your security and your jobs are in very grave peril because the radical-left maniacs , they do n't want to have anything to do with energy , '' Trump said at a rally in Moon Township .
`` They have the Green New Deal , where there will be no energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then repeated the debunked lie that Biden would ban all fracking and mining .
`` Biden reiterated his pledge to require net-zero carbon emissions .
That 's basically saying , do you know what that is ?
There 'll be no more oil , there 'll be no more gas , there 'll be no more nothing , there 'll be no more industry , there 'll be no more country , that 's what it 's saying really , '' Trump claimed .
`` And that would instantly shut down all fracking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sending your jobs overseas , sending your money to somebody else , not you . ''
He added , `` I 'll keep your jobs in Pennsylvania where they belong and you 're going to be doing fracking for a long time . ''
Trump was in fact unable to keep all of the jobs that were in Pennsylvania when President Barack Obama left office .
In January 2017 , the state had about 333,000 people unemployed , according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics .
By July 2020 , that number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data for August showed about 650,000 people were unemployed last month .
Over Trump 's presidency , Pennsylvania 's unemployment rate has risen from 5.2 % to about 10.3 % .
In his remarks on Wednesday , Trump also bragged , `` Last year , I visited the Shell petrochemical plant in Beaver County , Pennsylvania .
The largest investment in your state 's history and that was all made possible by our pro-energy policies and we 've done it a lot . ''
Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette visited the same facility earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Food & Water Watch analysis , the 600 permanent jobs the plant will bring is far lower than what was initially promised .
`` Factoring in the massive $ 1.6 billion tax break granted to the company — the largest in Pennsylvania history — means the state is essentially paying $ 2.75 million to create each job at the plant , '' the group noted .
Meanwhile , despite Trump 's war on clean energy , that sector has actually grown in Pennsylvania while other forms of energy have declined .
`` In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,815 and 4,219 people respectively , more than either coal or natural gas plants , '' Food & Water Watch wrote in a report released Monday .
An August study , done by the state 's government , found that Pennsylvania 's clean energy jobs grew by 8.7 % between 2017 and 2019 , while coal , natural gas , and nuclear industries each saw job declines .
Presidential polling shows Pennsylvania is close , but Biden has held a consistent lead in nearly every poll for months .
According to a RealClearPolitics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currentky ahead in the key swing state by 4.7 % .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump told supporters on Wednesday that he “brought jobs and factories back to Pennsylvania” and that Joe Biden would send their jobs overseas if elected president.
In reality, unemployment in the state has nearly doubled since Trump took office in January 2017.
“Your security and your jobs are in very grave peril because the radical-left maniacs, they don’t want to have anything to do with energy,” Trump said at a rally in Moon Township. “They have the Green New Deal, where there will be no energy almost of any kind.”
He then repeated the debunked lie that Biden would ban all fracking and mining.
“Biden reiterated his pledge to require net-zero carbon emissions. That’s basically saying, do you know what that is? There’ll be no more oil, there’ll be no more gas, there’ll be no more nothing, there’ll be no more industry, there’ll be no more country, that’s what it’s saying really,” Trump claimed. “And that would instantly shut down all fracking and all mining immediately in Pennsylvania, sending your jobs overseas, sending your money to somebody else, not you.”
He added, “I’ll keep your jobs in Pennsylvania where they belong and you’re going to be doing fracking for a long time.”
Trump was in fact unable to keep all of the jobs that were in Pennsylvania when President Barack Obama left office. In January 2017, the state had about 333,000 people unemployed, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. By July 2020, that number had risen to nearly 794,000. Preliminary data for August showed about 650,000 people were unemployed last month.
Over Trump’s presidency, Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate has risen from 5.2% to about 10.3%.
In his remarks on Wednesday, Trump also bragged, “Last year, I visited the Shell petrochemical plant in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. The largest investment in your state’s history and that was all made possible by our pro-energy policies and we’ve done it a lot.”
Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette visited the same facility earlier this week.
But according to a Food & Water Watch analysis, the 600 permanent jobs the plant will bring is far lower than what was initially promised.
“Factoring in the massive $1.6 billion tax break granted to the company — the largest in Pennsylvania history — means the state is essentially paying $2.75 million to create each job at the plant,” the group noted.
Meanwhile, despite Trump’s war on clean energy, that sector has actually grown in Pennsylvania while other forms of energy have declined.
“In 2019, Pennsylvania wind and solar employed 2,815 and 4,219 people respectively, more than either coal or natural gas plants,” Food & Water Watch wrote in a report released Monday.
An August study, done by the state’s government, found that Pennsylvania’s clean energy jobs grew by 8.7% between 2017 and 2019, while coal, natural gas, and nuclear industries each saw job declines.
Presidential polling shows Pennsylvania is close, but Biden has held a consistent lead in nearly every poll for months. According to a RealClearPolitics average, the former vice president is currentky ahead in the key swing state by 4.7%.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.