shareblue--2020-07-20--Texas GOP picks notorious bigot who was forced out of the Army as its new leader

The Texas Republican Party on Monday selected a former Florida congressman with a history of racist and offensive comments as its new chair , the Texas Tribune reported .
Former Rep. Allen West defeated the state party 's current chair , James Dickey , to lead the organization during a time when Democrats are seeing a resurgence in the traditionally Republican state , with voters in the suburbs of the state 's largest cities turning away from Donald Trump and the GOP members who support him .
West has a history of inappropriate and discriminatory behavior , for which he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Congress .
During an interview in 2010 , he claimed President George W. Bush had been tricked `` into going into some mosque , taking his shoes off , and then saying that Islam was a religion of peace . ''
In 2011 , he was criticized by religious leaders for his repeated anti-Muslim remarks , specifically his claim that `` Islam is a totalitarian , theocratic political ideology ; it is not a religion . ''
West responded by suggesting he was referring to `` the extremist , radical element that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat to both our country and our allies throughout the world . ''
West , a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who was stripped of his command in 2003 after pleading guilty to assaulting an Iraqi detainee and threatening to kill him , was first elected to Congress in the 2010 GOP wave .
During that race , he received former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin 's endorsement and openly supported the Tea Party movement .
He was defeated two years later in his 2012 reelection bid .
Even after leaving office , West @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In 2016 , West 's official Facebook page posted a meme featuring now-former Defense Secretary James Mattis , which read , `` FIRED BY OBAMA TO PLEASE THE MUSLIMS .
HIRED BY TRUMP TO EXTERMINATE THEM . ''
An editor for West 's website denied he posted the meme , and claimed it did n't reflect his `` beliefs , principles , and values . ''
West has made a number of Islamophobic remarks throughout the years , including promoting the racist and baseless conspiracy that former President Barack Obama was secretly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Eastern orientation , I 'll put it that way , '' West said at an event in 2014 , when an audience member falsely claimed Obama was Muslim .
West has also made a number of anti-Semitic and misogynistic comments throughout the years .
In 2013 , he said feminists are `` neutering American men and bringing us to the point of this incredible weakness . ''
And in 2013 , West was pushed out of his role at a conservative media organization for calling a female staffer a `` Jewish American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The American Independent Foundation .

The Texas Republican Party on Monday selected a former Florida congressman with a history of racist and offensive comments as its new chair, the Texas Tribune reported.
Former Rep. Allen West defeated the state party’s current chair, James Dickey, to lead the organization during a time when Democrats are seeing a resurgence in the traditionally Republican state, with voters in the suburbs of the state’s largest cities turning away from Donald Trump and the GOP members who support him.
West has a history of inappropriate and discriminatory behavior, for which he became infamous during his brief one-term stint in Congress. During an interview in 2010, he claimed President George W. Bush had been tricked “into going into some mosque, taking his shoes off, and then saying that Islam was a religion of peace.”
In 2011, he was criticized by religious leaders for his repeated anti-Muslim remarks, specifically his claim that “Islam is a totalitarian, theocratic political ideology; it is not a religion.” West responded by suggesting he was referring to “the extremist, radical element that has hijacked Islam that presents a dangerous threat to both our country and our allies throughout the world.”
West, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who was stripped of his command in 2003 after pleading guilty to assaulting an Iraqi detainee and threatening to kill him, was first elected to Congress in the 2010 GOP wave. During that race, he received former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s endorsement and openly supported the Tea Party movement.
He was defeated two years later in his 2012 reelection bid.
Even after leaving office, West continued to spout racist and anti-Muslim comments.
In 2016, West’s official Facebook page posted a meme featuring now-former Defense Secretary James Mattis, which read, “FIRED BY OBAMA TO PLEASE THE MUSLIMS. HIRED BY TRUMP TO EXTERMINATE THEM.” An editor for West’s website denied he posted the meme, and claimed it didn’t reflect his “beliefs, principles, and values.”
West has made a number of Islamophobic remarks throughout the years, including promoting the racist and baseless conspiracy that former President Barack Obama was secretly a Muslim.
“The president has an Eastern orientation, I’ll put it that way,” West said at an event in 2014, when an audience member falsely claimed Obama was Muslim.
West has also made a number of anti-Semitic and misogynistic comments throughout the years.
In 2013, he said feminists are “neutering American men and bringing us to the point of this incredible weakness.”
And in 2013, West was pushed out of his role at a conservative media organization for calling a female staffer a “Jewish American princess.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-20--Portland police say federal agents are tear-gassing protesters

Portland police early Monday detailed another night of conflict between protesters and federal forces outside the U.S. courthouse in Oregon 's largest city , including a small fire outside the building and tear gas deployed to disperse the crowd .
A department statement said police officers did not engage with the the crowd , and that federal authorities periodically came out of the courthouse to keep demonstrators at bay , according to police and news outlets .
Video posted online also showed protesters taking down fencing that had surrounded the courthouse .
`` Dozens of people with shields , helmets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and hockey sticks approached the doors before federal law enforcement came out and dispersed the crowd , '' police said .
`` At 1:34 a.m. people lit a fire within the portico in front of the federal courthouse .
Others gathered around the fire adding wood and other debris to make it larger .
At 1:42 a.m. federal law enforcement came out of the courthouse , dispersed the crowd and extinguished the fire , '' the statement said .
Gas was used at least twice to remove protesters , the statement said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ present during any of the activity '' or nor did they deploy any `` CS gas . ''
The statement comes as some local and state leaders have voiced their displeasure with the presence of federal agents in the city that has seen protests every day since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis nearly two months ago .
Speaking on CNN 's `` State of the Union , '' Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler said federal officers `` are not wanted here .
We have n't asked them here .
In fact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Top leaders in the U.S. House said Sunday they were `` alarmed '' by the Trump administration 's tactics against protesters in Portland and other cities , including Washington , D.C .
They 've called on federal inspectors general investigate .
`` This is a matter of utmost urgency , '' wrote House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler ( D-NY ) , Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson ( D-MS ) , and Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney ( D-NY ) in a letter to the inspectors general of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Homeland Security .
The Democratic lawmakers are seeking an investigation `` into the use of federal law enforcement agencies by the Attorney General and the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security to suppress First Amendment protected activities in Washington , D.C. , Portland , and other communities across the United States . ''
Donald Trump has decried the demonstrations , and acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf blasted the protesters as `` lawless anarchists '' in a visit to the city last Thursday .
`` We are trying to help Portland , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Their leadership has , for months , lost control of the anarchists and agitators .
They are missing in action .
We must protect Federal property , AND OUR PEOPLE .
These were not merely protesters , these are the real deal ! ''
Late Saturday , Portland police declared demonstrations near the federal courthouse a riot after saying protesters broke into the Portland Police Association building and started a fire .
Dumpster fires were also set , and fencing was moved and made into barricades , police said .
Oregon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Marshals Service in federal court late Friday .
The complaint said unidentified federal agents have grabbed people off Portland 's streets `` without warning or explanation , without a warrant , and without providing any way to determine who is directing this action . ''
Rosenblum said she was seeking a temporary restraining order to `` immediately stop federal authorities from unlawfully detaining Oregonians . ''
It 's unclear whether anyone was arrested or detained during the protest Sunday night .

Portland police early Monday detailed another night of conflict between protesters and federal forces outside the U.S. courthouse in Oregon’s largest city, including a small fire outside the building and tear gas deployed to disperse the crowd.
A department statement said police officers did not engage with the the crowd, and that federal authorities periodically came out of the courthouse to keep demonstrators at bay, according to police and news outlets.
Video posted online also showed protesters taking down fencing that had surrounded the courthouse. “Dozens of people with shields, helmets, gas masks, umbrellas, bats, and hockey sticks approached the doors before federal law enforcement came out and dispersed the crowd,” police said.
“At 1:34 a.m. people lit a fire within the portico in front of the federal courthouse. Others gathered around the fire adding wood and other debris to make it larger. At 1:42 a.m. federal law enforcement came out of the courthouse, dispersed the crowd and extinguished the fire,” the statement said.
Gas was used at least twice to remove protesters, the statement said, but Portland officers “were not present during any of the activity” or nor did they deploy any “CS gas.”
The statement comes as some local and state leaders have voiced their displeasure with the presence of federal agents in the city that has seen protests every day since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis nearly two months ago.
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler said federal officers “are not wanted here. We haven’t asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave.”
Top leaders in the U.S. House said Sunday they were “alarmed” by the Trump administration’s tactics against protesters in Portland and other cities, including Washington, D.C. They’ve called on federal inspectors general investigate.
“This is a matter of utmost urgency,” wrote House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), and Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) in a letter to the inspectors general of the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security.
The Democratic lawmakers are seeking an investigation “into the use of federal law enforcement agencies by the Attorney General and the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security to suppress First Amendment protected activities in Washington, D.C., Portland, and other communities across the United States.”
Donald Trump has decried the demonstrations, and acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf blasted the protesters as “lawless anarchists” in a visit to the city last Thursday.
“We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it,” Trump tweeted Sunday. “Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators. They are missing in action. We must protect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal!”
Late Saturday, Portland police declared demonstrations near the federal courthouse a riot after saying protesters broke into the Portland Police Association building and started a fire. Dumpster fires were also set, and fencing was moved and made into barricades, police said.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum sued Homeland Security and the Marshals Service in federal court late Friday. The complaint said unidentified federal agents have grabbed people off Portland’s streets “without warning or explanation, without a warrant, and without providing any way to determine who is directing this action.”
Rosenblum said she was seeking a temporary restraining order to “immediately stop federal authorities from unlawfully detaining Oregonians.”
It’s unclear whether anyone was arrested or detained during the protest Sunday night.


shareblue--2020-07-21--Trump makes a liar out of McEnany: No, I'm not tested multiple times a day

Just a few hours after White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany claimed Tuesday that Donald Trump gets tested for COVID-19 `` multiple times a day , '' Trump said it was not true .
`` Well , I did n't know about more than one , '' he said at his own briefing later on Tuesday .
Trump resumed virus briefings for the first time since April , after some of his advisers , including Kellyanne Conway , suggested that it could help his flailing polling numbers .
`` I do take , probably on average , a test every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump continued , `` and I do n't know of any time I 've taken two tests in one day , but I could see that happening . ''
McEnany , however , said earlier that Trump 's frequent testing was one reason it was n't necessary for him to wear a mask in all circumstances .
`` As I 've made clear from this podium , '' she said , `` the president is the most tested man in America .
He 's tested more than anyone , multiple times a day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acting appropriately . ''
Pressed later for details on how often he is tested , she said she would not `` read out exactly how many times he 's tested a day , but sometimes it is more than one time a day . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Just a few hours after White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany claimed Tuesday that Donald Trump gets tested for COVID-19 “multiple times a day,” Trump said it was not true.
“Well, I didn’t know about more than one,” he said at his own briefing later on Tuesday. Trump resumed virus briefings for the first time since April, after some of his advisers, including Kellyanne Conway, suggested that it could help his flailing polling numbers.
“I do take, probably on average, a test every two days, three days,” Trump continued, “and I don’t know of any time I’ve taken two tests in one day, but I could see that happening.”
McEnany, however, said earlier that Trump’s frequent testing was one reason it wasn’t necessary for him to wear a mask in all circumstances.
“As I’ve made clear from this podium,” she said, “the president is the most tested man in America. He’s tested more than anyone, multiple times a day. And we believe that he’s acting appropriately.”
Pressed later for details on how often he is tested, she said she would not “read out exactly how many times he’s tested a day, but sometimes it is more than one time a day.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-21--Pence spreads lies about later abortion to try to scare voters

Speaking at a campaign event in Wisconsin last week , Vice President Mike Pence lied when he told voters that `` Joe Biden even supports late-term abortion — allowing innocent , unborn children to be aborted right up to the moment of birth . ''
This rhetoric echoes that of Donald Trump .
At a campaign rally earlier this year , he declared that all the Democratic candidates for president support `` extreme late-term abortion , ripping babies straight from the mother 's womb , right up until the very moment of birth . ''
In a rally in 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even more explicit with his lies , saying that after a baby is born , `` The mother meets with the doctor .
They take care of the baby .
They wrap the baby beautifully , and then the doctor and the mother determine whether or not they will execute the baby . ''
Biden , the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee , has n't ever said he supports abortion `` up to the moment of birth '' and he has n't said that he believes doctors and mothers should meet together to `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the baby . ''
The accusations made by conservatives are not moored in reality .
The Washington Post Fact Checker spoke to Katie L. Watson , a professor at Northwestern University 's Feinberg School of Medicine and she said , `` 'Abortion until the moment of birth ' does not exist . ''
Further , she noted that the scenario painted by Pence never happens .
`` No patient ever asks a physician to end her pregnancy 'the moment before birth , ' and no physician would agree to do it . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been telling about `` born-alive '' bills all year .
These bills purport to prohibit `` murder '' that takes place after a `` botched '' abortion .
However , there are already ample laws on the books that criminalize the murder of children .
What `` born-alive '' bills are really intended to do is to stigmatize abortions later in pregnancy , by calling them infanticide .
Dr. Kristyn Brandi , who works as an abortion provider with Physicians for Reproductive Health , debunked these `` born-alive '' bill claims .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ never heard of a case of a child born after an attempted abortion and that `` this is part of the false narrative around [ these bills ] and abortion later in pregnancy . ''
Republicans are hoping to build support against Biden ahead of the presidential election by grabbing the attention of their virulently anti-abortion supporters .
Biden has indicated his support for abortion and increasing access to reproductive health care .
Earlier this year , at a forum hosted by Planned Parenthood , Biden said he no longer supports the Hyde @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Hyde Amendment has ensured that no federal Medicaid money can be used for abortion services , save for very narrow exceptions , even when a doctor recommends the procedure .
Biden now says that repealing Hyde allows him to promote an expansive and federally funded health care plan without limiting access to abortion .
Repealing Hyde is critical for abortion access .
Women of color suffer more under this restriction , as structural inequities mean that a disproportionate amount of women of color are enrolled in Medicaid and therefore blocked from having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earlier this month , Biden was endorsed by Planned Parenthood 's Action Fund .
In accepting the endorsement , he said that as president , he would do `` everything in my power to expand access to quality , affordable health care for women , especially women of color . ''
He went on to give a strong defense of reproductive health care rights .
`` Together , we 're going to reverse the global gag rule , and the domestic gag rule , restoring the Title X program '' and that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to choose . ''
The global gag rule blocks U.S. aid from going to any international organization that even simply discusses abortion as a health care option , while the domestic gag rule prohibits Title X family planning funds from going to any organization that performs abortions or even makes abortion referrals .
Biden has also stated he would use his judicial nominations to protect the right to an abortion and to reverse the Trump administration 's `` all-out assault '' on the right to choose .
None of these statements constitute endorsing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ birth . ''
Pence and Trump 's rhetoric seeks to demonize those who perform later abortions and those who need them , in spite of the fact there are complex , even painful , reasons that people sometimes choose later abortion .
A big reason people end up having later abortions , though , comes down to restrictions and economics .
When so many restrictions are piled up , it becomes difficult to obtain an abortion early in pregnancy and expensive to obtain an abortion later in pregnancy .
However , no one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of birth , nor do people decide to execute their baby after it is born .
Those things do n't happen , and Biden does n't support them .
As Dr. Watson said , the idea of abortion until the moment of birth does n't exist .
Instead , it 's just `` a boogeyman abortion opponents have created to frighten voters . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Speaking at a campaign event in Wisconsin last week, Vice President Mike Pence lied when he told voters that “Joe Biden even supports late-term abortion — allowing innocent, unborn children to be aborted right up to the moment of birth.”
This rhetoric echoes that of Donald Trump. At a campaign rally earlier this year, he declared that all the Democratic candidates for president support “extreme late-term abortion, ripping babies straight from the mother’s womb, right up until the very moment of birth.”
In a rally in 2019, also in Wisconsin, Trump was even more explicit with his lies, saying that after a baby is born, “The mother meets with the doctor. They take care of the baby. They wrap the baby beautifully, and then the doctor and the mother determine whether or not they will execute the baby.”
Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, hasn’t ever said he supports abortion “up to the moment of birth” and he hasn’t said that he believes doctors and mothers should meet together to “determine whether or not they will execute the baby.”
The accusations made by conservatives are not moored in reality. The Washington Post Fact Checker spoke to Katie L. Watson, a professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and she said, “‘Abortion until the moment of birth’ does not exist.” Further, she noted that the scenario painted by Pence never happens. “No patient ever asks a physician to end her pregnancy ‘the moment before birth,’ and no physician would agree to do it.”
These lies echo similar ones the GOP has been telling about “born-alive” bills all year. These bills purport to prohibit “murder” that takes place after a “botched” abortion. However, there are already ample laws on the books that criminalize the murder of children. What “born-alive” bills are really intended to do is to stigmatize abortions later in pregnancy, by calling them infanticide.
Dr. Kristyn Brandi, who works as an abortion provider with Physicians for Reproductive Health, debunked these “born-alive” bill claims. She told Vox in 2019 she had never heard of a case of a child born after an attempted abortion and that “this is part of the false narrative around [these bills] and abortion later in pregnancy.”
Republicans are hoping to build support against Biden ahead of the presidential election by grabbing the attention of their virulently anti-abortion supporters. Biden has indicated his support for abortion and increasing access to reproductive health care.
Earlier this year, at a forum hosted by Planned Parenthood, Biden said he no longer supports the Hyde Amendment. For over 40 years, the Hyde Amendment has ensured that no federal Medicaid money can be used for abortion services, save for very narrow exceptions, even when a doctor recommends the procedure. Biden now says that repealing Hyde allows him to promote an expansive and federally funded health care plan without limiting access to abortion.
Repealing Hyde is critical for abortion access. Women of color suffer more under this restriction, as structural inequities mean that a disproportionate amount of women of color are enrolled in Medicaid and therefore blocked from having any insurance coverage for an abortion.
Earlier this month, Biden was endorsed by Planned Parenthood’s Action Fund. In accepting the endorsement, he said that as president, he would do “everything in my power to expand access to quality, affordable health care for women, especially women of color.”
He went on to give a strong defense of reproductive health care rights. “Together, we’re going to reverse the global gag rule, and the domestic gag rule, restoring the Title X program” and that he would “protect women’s constitutional right to choose.”
The global gag rule blocks U.S. aid from going to any international organization that even simply discusses abortion as a health care option, while the domestic gag rule prohibits Title X family planning funds from going to any organization that performs abortions or even makes abortion referrals.
Biden has also stated he would use his judicial nominations to protect the right to an abortion and to reverse the Trump administration’s “all-out assault” on the right to choose. None of these statements constitute endorsing abortion “up to the moment of birth.”
Pence and Trump’s rhetoric seeks to demonize those who perform later abortions and those who need them, in spite of the fact there are complex, even painful, reasons that people sometimes choose later abortion. A big reason people end up having later abortions, though, comes down to restrictions and economics. When so many restrictions are piled up, it becomes difficult to obtain an abortion early in pregnancy and expensive to obtain an abortion later in pregnancy.
However, no one has an abortion right at the moment of birth, nor do people decide to execute their baby after it is born. Those things don’t happen, and Biden doesn’t support them. As Dr. Watson said, the idea of abortion until the moment of birth doesn’t exist. Instead, it’s just “a boogeyman abortion opponents have created to frighten voters.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-21--McSally attends event full of people without masks days after urging their use

Sen. Martha McSally ( R-AZ ) was photographed this past weekend alongside a number of other prominent Republicans at a GOP picnic , mingling with a crowd of maskless attendees .
The event was held barely a week after McSally , who did don a mask periodically throughout the afternoon , encouraged constituents to wear a mask to prevent the spread of coronavirus .
`` We just confirmed the 200th judge nominated by President Trump , '' McSally told the crowd at Saturday 's annual Mohave County Republican Picnic .
Photos from the gathering , posted on Facebook by Arizona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a group of roughly 50 people crowded under an outdoor pavilion .
Not a single person is seen wearing a mask .
In addition to McSally and Ward , Rep. Paul Gosar , a Republican , was also present at the event .
A photo of the three together shows only McSally was wearing her mask .
McSally has regularly used her social media accounts to promote wearing masks to limit the spread of the virus .
On June 30 , she tweeted a photo of herself wearing a mask , along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the curve together !
Wear a mask when you go out in public to prevent the spread of COVID-19 . ''
On July 9 , she retweeted a video from the Arizona Department of Health Services giving instructions about how to properly wear a face mask along with the text , `` Do your part to help slow the spread of # COVID19 . ''
Her campaign did not respond to emails asking if McSally encouraged those at the picnic , including her fellow Republican officials , to wear masks .
Health experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prevention recommend wearing face masks in public to stop people from spreading the virus and to protect others .
`` Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus — particularly when used universally within a community setting , '' Robert Redfield , director of the CDC , said on July 14 .
`` All Americans have a responsibility to protect themselves , their families , and their communities . ''
The maskless event occurred as coronavirus cases are surging in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases of coronavirus , and at least 2,918 people have died .
Cases in the state increased sharply after Republican Gov .
Doug Ducey lifted a stay-at-home order in mid-May against the health experts ' advice .
If cities or states reopen businesses too early `` without having the capability of being able to respond effectively and efficiently , my concern is that we will start to see little spikes that might turn into outbreaks , '' Dr. Anthony Fauci , America 's leading infectious disease expert , told Congress on May 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` suffering and death that could be avoided , '' he added .
McSally , who was appointed to her Senate seat in January 2019 to carry out the remainder of the late Sen. John McCain 's term , is facing a tough election against Democrat and former astronaut Mark Kelly this November .
Kelly has led in 16 of the last 17 statewide polls , according to Real Clear Politics .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) was photographed this past weekend alongside a number of other prominent Republicans at a GOP picnic, mingling with a crowd of maskless attendees.
The event was held barely a week after McSally, who did don a mask periodically throughout the afternoon, encouraged constituents to wear a mask to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
“We just confirmed the 200th judge nominated by President Trump,” McSally told the crowd at Saturday’s annual Mohave County Republican Picnic.
Photos from the gathering, posted on Facebook by Arizona Republican Party chair Kelli Ward, showed a group of roughly 50 people crowded under an outdoor pavilion. Not a single person is seen wearing a mask.
In addition to McSally and Ward, Rep. Paul Gosar, a Republican, was also present at the event.
A photo of the three together shows only McSally was wearing her mask.
McSally has regularly used her social media accounts to promote wearing masks to limit the spread of the virus.
On June 30, she tweeted a photo of herself wearing a mask, along with the message, “We can flatten the curve together! Wear a mask when you go out in public to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
On July 9, she retweeted a video from the Arizona Department of Health Services giving instructions about how to properly wear a face mask along with the text, “Do your part to help slow the spread of #COVID19.”
Her campaign did not respond to emails asking if McSally encouraged those at the picnic, including her fellow Republican officials, to wear masks.
Health experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend wearing face masks in public to stop people from spreading the virus and to protect others.
“Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus — particularly when used universally within a community setting,” Robert Redfield, director of the CDC, said on July 14. “All Americans have a responsibility to protect themselves, their families, and their communities.”
The maskless event occurred as coronavirus cases are surging in Arizona. The state has nearly 150,000 cases of coronavirus, and at least 2,918 people have died.
Cases in the state increased sharply after Republican Gov. Doug Ducey lifted a stay-at-home order in mid-May against the health experts’ advice.
If cities or states reopen businesses too early “without having the capability of being able to respond effectively and efficiently, my concern is that we will start to see little spikes that might turn into outbreaks,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, America’s leading infectious disease expert, told Congress on May 12.
Reopening too early could lead to “suffering and death that could be avoided,” he added.
McSally, who was appointed to her Senate seat in January 2019 to carry out the remainder of the late Sen. John McCain’s term, is facing a tough election against Democrat and former astronaut Mark Kelly this November. Kelly has led in 16 of the last 17 statewide polls, according to Real Clear Politics.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-21--$600 unemployment benefit ends next week after Senate GOP refuses to extend it

Roughly 25 million Americans are set to lose a $ 600 weekly boost in their unemployment checks , after Senate Republicans dragged their feet on extending the benefit intended to help workers who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus .
The payments are set to expire on July 31 .
The House already passed a bill in May extending the payments through the rest of 2020 .
However Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to take up that bill .
And the schedule he 's set out to vote on another coronavirus relief package that could possibly extend the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that deadline .
Michele Evermore , an unemployment insurance expert at the National Employment Law Project , said the last checks with that added $ 600 boost will go out on July 25 or July 26 , based on the way states calculate their weekly unemployment benefits .
`` Workers right now have so much uncertainty .
Congress has n't said anything about if the $ 600 will be in effect going forward .
We are now 5 days away from the last benefit week that these are available , '' Evermore said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foundation .
Even if Congress extends the benefit at a later date — whether it be $ 600 or a different amount — Evermore said it will overwhelm the already overburdened systems , predicting that restarting the program will cause an extra two week delay in the already delayed payment process .
`` Once the benefits are turned off in the computer systems , then they have to go back in and reprogram and turn it back on and that 's going to take a few weeks , '' Evermore said .
Experts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been the single best help to staving off an even worse economic crisis than the one the United States is currently facing .
It put money in the pockets of Americans , allowing them to both pay for the roof over their heads , as well as inject money into the economy by buying food and other items .
Economists predict that once that added weekly unemployment insurance payment dries up , it will not only lead to `` massive human suffering , '' but also to less spending on goods and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trouble .
Senate Republicans , however , have been against the added unemployment insurance money from the start .
Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) has been particularly vocal against the payments , unsuccessfully trying to block them from ever going into effect back when Congress first created the payments in March .
`` July the 31st is when this expires , and I promise you , over our dead bodies this will get reauthorized , '' Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) said back in April .
The expiration of the $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently stalling in its recovery , as coronavirus cases surge .
Ultimately , 17.8 million Americans remain unemployed , according to the last monthly jobs report from July 2 .
And another 1.3 million filed for unemployment insurance in the week ending July 11 , the 17th straight week claims were at or exceeded 1 million .
`` @ SenateGOP & @ WhiteHouse have been dragging their feet for months .
Now , the clock is ticking , '' Rep. Joyce Beatty ( D-OH ) tweeted .
`` Less than 2 weeks until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] hould n't have waited to the last second . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Roughly 25 million Americans are set to lose a $600 weekly boost in their unemployment checks, after Senate Republicans dragged their feet on extending the benefit intended to help workers who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus.
The payments are set to expire on July 31. The House already passed a bill in May extending the payments through the rest of 2020. However Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to take up that bill. And the schedule he’s set out to vote on another coronavirus relief package that could possibly extend the added unemployment insurance benefit will not meet that deadline.
Michele Evermore, an unemployment insurance expert at the National Employment Law Project, said the last checks with that added $600 boost will go out on July 25 or July 26, based on the way states calculate their weekly unemployment benefits.
“Workers right now have so much uncertainty. Congress hasn’t said anything about if the $600 will be in effect going forward. We are now 5 days away from the last benefit week that these are available,” Evermore said in an interview with the American Independent Foundation.
Even if Congress extends the benefit at a later date — whether it be $600 or a different amount — Evermore said it will overwhelm the already overburdened systems, predicting that restarting the program will cause an extra two week delay in the already delayed payment process.
“Once the benefits are turned off in the computer systems, then they have to go back in and reprogram and turn it back on and that’s going to take a few weeks,” Evermore said.
Experts have said the weekly unemployment insurance boost has been the single best help to staving off an even worse economic crisis than the one the United States is currently facing.
It put money in the pockets of Americans, allowing them to both pay for the roof over their heads, as well as inject money into the economy by buying food and other items.
Economists predict that once that added weekly unemployment insurance payment dries up, it will not only lead to “massive human suffering,” but also to less spending on goods and services, plunging the country into further trouble.
Senate Republicans, however, have been against the added unemployment insurance money from the start.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has been particularly vocal against the payments, unsuccessfully trying to block them from ever going into effect back when Congress first created the payments in March.
“July the 31st is when this expires, and I promise you, over our dead bodies this will get reauthorized,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said back in April.
The expiration of the $600 benefit comes as the economy is currently stalling in its recovery, as coronavirus cases surge.
Ultimately, 17.8 million Americans remain unemployed, according to the last monthly jobs report from July 2. And another 1.3 million filed for unemployment insurance in the week ending July 11, the 17th straight week claims were at or exceeded 1 million.
“@SenateGOP & @WhiteHouse have been dragging their feet for months. Now, the clock is ticking,” Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH) tweeted.
“Less than 2 weeks until unemployment insurance benefits expire! [S]houldn’t have waited to the last second.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-21--McCarthy blames Democrats for delaying virus relief they already passed

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is already blaming Democrats for delaying a coronavirus relief bill that has yet to be finalized , even as a relief bill passed by the Democrat-led House is collecting dust in the GOP-led Senate .
`` I envision that this bill does n't get done by the end of July , '' McCarthy said Tuesday morning during an interview on CNBC 's `` Squawk Box , '' referring to a different coronavirus relief bill Congress hopes to pass in the coming weeks .
Some provisions of the previous relief bill — including an additional $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the end of the month .
McCarthy alleged that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would be a roadblock to legislation moving forward despite the fact that the House passed a new coronavirus relief package in May .
As of Tuesday , Republicans in Congress had not unveiled a new coronavirus relief bill , nor had the GOP-led Senate engaged in negotiations over the bill passed by the House .
`` We 've watched Nancy Pelosi time and again hold up when we were going for small business PPP , '' McCarthy said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses during this recession .
`` She held up our CARES bill .
She held up the renewing of funding for it . ''
( The CARES Act was the coronavirus relief package signed into law in late March with provisions set to expire at the end of July . )
McCarthy said Pelosi will be `` holding it up , trying to get something else into the bill , '' adding that `` we 're probably in the first week of August '' before a final bill passes .
McCarthy dismissed many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed by the House , saying : `` We know what the Democrats passed in the House — more than $ 3 trillion .
But much of that — and one example is , they talk about cannabis more than they talk about jobs in that bill — a lot of that were things that , all they wanted prior to COVID even existing — election reform and others . ''
The focus of the legislation should be `` what helps not only schools but small businesses with liability protection , '' McCarthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , have championed provisions to shield businesses from liability if workers contract the coronavirus after being forced back to work , demanding such provisions be part of the final bill to come out of Congress .
`` The challenge will be : Does the Democrats even want to have a bill ? ''
McCarthy asked , referring to Senate Democrats .
The coronavirus relief bill passed by the House in May would provide nearly $ 1 trillion for state and local governments , another round of $ 1,200 stimulus checks , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enhanced unemployment benefits included in the previous package , according to a summary issued by the House Appropriations Committee .
When the bill was announced , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to even consider it , saying there was no `` urgency '' to move forward with it .
Other Republicans told the Associated Press that the bill was filled with Democratic `` pet projects . ''
McConnell and Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) have vocally opposed extending the unemployment benefit .
`` July the 31st is when this expires and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bodies , this will get reauthorized , '' Graham said about the unemployment assistance at an event in South Carolina in late April .
McCarthy on Tuesday did not mention that McConnell has refused to hold a vote on the House relief bill for 67 days .
And contrary to McCarthy 's claims , Democrats made clear months ago that they would like a bill to move forward .
On June 29 , more than a month after the House passed the relief bill , Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Pelosi wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a coronavirus relief package .
`` Though Democrats have repeatedly requested to enter into bipartisan , bicameral negotiations on additional legislation with you , such conversations have not happened in over two months , '' the pair wrote .
If Republican delays allow the unemployment benefit to expire , there will be dire consequences , at least one economist warned .
Ending the benefits would cause `` massive human suffering , '' Heidi Shierholz , a senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute , said last week .
Without the assistance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to buy ... goods , and the people who produce those goods and services will lose their jobs . ''
More than 25 million Americans will lose the additional unemployment assistance if Congress does not extend the provision , CNBC reported .
The National Employment Law Project 's senior policy analyst , Michelle Evermore , told CNBC that the loss of assistance will `` be a real shock to people , especially in states like Arizona , where the maximum benefit is $ 240 a week . ''
The loss of the added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the whole economy , '' Evermore said .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is already blaming Democrats for delaying a coronavirus relief bill that has yet to be finalized, even as a relief bill passed by the Democrat-led House is collecting dust in the GOP-led Senate.
“I envision that this bill doesn’t get done by the end of July,” McCarthy said Tuesday morning during an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” referring to a different coronavirus relief bill Congress hopes to pass in the coming weeks. Some provisions of the previous relief bill — including an additional $600 in weekly unemployment assistance — expire at the end of the month.
McCarthy alleged that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would be a roadblock to legislation moving forward despite the fact that the House passed a new coronavirus relief package in May. As of Tuesday, Republicans in Congress had not unveiled a new coronavirus relief bill, nor had the GOP-led Senate engaged in negotiations over the bill passed by the House.
“We’ve watched Nancy Pelosi time and again hold up when we were going for small business PPP,” McCarthy said, referring to a loan program to help businesses during this recession. “She held up our CARES bill. She held up the renewing of funding for it.” (The CARES Act was the coronavirus relief package signed into law in late March with provisions set to expire at the end of July.)
McCarthy said Pelosi will be “holding it up, trying to get something else into the bill,” adding that “we’re probably in the first week of August” before a final bill passes.
McCarthy dismissed many of the provisions of the relief package passed by the House, saying: “We know what the Democrats passed in the House — more than $3 trillion. But much of that — and one example is, they talk about cannabis more than they talk about jobs in that bill — a lot of that were things that, all they wanted prior to COVID even existing — election reform and others.”
The focus of the legislation should be “what helps not only schools but small businesses with liability protection,” McCarthy insisted. Republicans, including McConnell and Trump, have championed provisions to shield businesses from liability if workers contract the coronavirus after being forced back to work, demanding such provisions be part of the final bill to come out of Congress.
“The challenge will be: Does the Democrats even want to have a bill?” McCarthy asked, referring to Senate Democrats.
The coronavirus relief bill passed by the House in May would provide nearly $1 trillion for state and local governments, another round of $1,200 stimulus checks, and an extension of the $600 in enhanced unemployment benefits included in the previous package, according to a summary issued by the House Appropriations Committee.
When the bill was announced, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to even consider it, saying there was no “urgency” to move forward with it. Other Republicans told the Associated Press that the bill was filled with Democratic “pet projects.”
McConnell and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have vocally opposed extending the unemployment benefit.
“July the 31st is when this expires and I promise you, over our dead bodies, this will get reauthorized,” Graham said about the unemployment assistance at an event in South Carolina in late April.
McCarthy on Tuesday did not mention that McConnell has refused to hold a vote on the House relief bill for 67 days.
And contrary to McCarthy’s claims, Democrats made clear months ago that they would like a bill to move forward.
On June 29, more than a month after the House passed the relief bill, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Pelosi wrote McConnell a letter asking him to work on a coronavirus relief package.
“Though Democrats have repeatedly requested to enter into bipartisan, bicameral negotiations on additional legislation with you, such conversations have not happened in over two months,” the pair wrote.
If Republican delays allow the unemployment benefit to expire, there will be dire consequences, at least one economist warned.
Ending the benefits would cause “massive human suffering,” Heidi Shierholz, a senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, said last week. Without the assistance, “unemployed people won’t be able to buy … goods, and the people who produce those goods and services will lose their jobs.”
More than 25 million Americans will lose the additional unemployment assistance if Congress does not extend the provision, CNBC reported.
The National Employment Law Project’s senior policy analyst, Michelle Evermore, told CNBC that the loss of assistance will “be a real shock to people, especially in states like Arizona, where the maximum benefit is $240 a week.”
The loss of the added income will have “a multiplier effect on the whole economy,” Evermore said.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-21--Matt Gaetz demands Liz Cheney resign for insufficient loyalty to Trump

Rep. Matt Gaetz ( R-FL ) demanded that Rep. Liz Cheney ( R-WY ) resign from her role as chair of the House Republican Conference , accusing her of not being loyal enough to Donald Trump .
`` Liz Cheney has worked behind the scenes ( and now in public ) against @ realDonaldTrump and his agenda .
House Republicans deserve better as our Conference Chair .
Liz Cheney should step down or be removed , '' Gaetz tweeted on Tuesday .
Gaetz 's demand for Cheney to step down from her leadership role came after a number of House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting between House Republicans .
Politico reported that Gaetz , along with a handful of other Republican lawmakers , were mad that Cheney had backed a primary opponent to Rep. Thomas Massie — a Kentucky Republican who even Trump wanted out of Congress after Massie tried to thwart passage of a coronavirus relief bill .
Vulnerable Rep. Chip Roy ( R-TX ) also aired his frustration with Cheney for saying she supports Dr. Anthony Fauci , the infectious disease expert and member of the coronavirus task force who faced attacks from within the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zanona reported .
Rep. Jim Jordan ( R-OH ) joined the pile-on , saying he is mad that Cheney had ever disagreed with Trump , according to Zanona 's reporting .
Other Republicans have since joined Gaetz in calling for Cheney 's ouster from GOP leadership , including first son Donald Trump Jr. and Sen. Rand Paul .
`` We already have one Mitt Romney , we don ’ t need another ... we also don ’ t need the endless wars she advocates for , '' Trump Jr. tweeted .
Cheney , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of the time , according to FiveThirty Eight .
That 's higher than both Gaetz , who has an 85.2 % lifetime score , and Jordan , who has an 89.1 % lifetime score .
Cheney , for her part , is the only female member of House Republican leadership , and one of just 13 Republican women in the House .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) demanded that Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) resign from her role as chair of the House Republican Conference, accusing her of not being loyal enough to Donald Trump.
“Liz Cheney has worked behind the scenes (and now in public) against @realDonaldTrump and his agenda. House Republicans deserve better as our Conference Chair. Liz Cheney should step down or be removed,” Gaetz tweeted on Tuesday.
Gaetz’s demand for Cheney to step down from her leadership role came after a number of House Republicans laced into Cheney during a closed-door meeting between House Republicans.
Politico reported that Gaetz, along with a handful of other Republican lawmakers, were mad that Cheney had backed a primary opponent to Rep. Thomas Massie — a Kentucky Republican who even Trump wanted out of Congress after Massie tried to thwart passage of a coronavirus relief bill.
Vulnerable Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) also aired his frustration with Cheney for saying she supports Dr. Anthony Fauci, the infectious disease expert and member of the coronavirus task force who faced attacks from within the White House ranks, Politico’s Melanie Zanona reported.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) joined the pile-on, saying he is mad that Cheney had ever disagreed with Trump, according to Zanona’s reporting.
Other Republicans have since joined Gaetz in calling for Cheney’s ouster from GOP leadership, including first son Donald Trump Jr. and Sen. Rand Paul.
“We already have one Mitt Romney, we don’t need another… we also don’t need the endless wars she advocates for,” Trump Jr. tweeted.
Cheney, however, has voted with Trump 96.5% of the time, according to FiveThirty Eight.
That’s higher than both Gaetz, who has an 85.2% lifetime score, and Jordan, who has an 89.1% lifetime score.
Cheney, for her part, is the only female member of House Republican leadership, and one of just 13 Republican women in the House.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-21--McEnany says no plans to send feds to other cities 1 day after Trump lists cities

One day after Donald Trump named several cities to which he would consider sending federal law enforcement , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany refused to say whether planning for such deployment is underway .
Asked Tuesday about a possible escalation of the tactics Trump is currently using in Portland , Oregon , McEnany said , `` I think you 're getting ahead of the president here . ''
But on Monday in the Oval Office , Trump specifically said he was considering sending troops to Chicago and New York , erroneously describing them as `` all run by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking at Chicago too , we 're looking at New York , look at what 's going on , '' Trump told reporters .
The day before that , Trump tweeted about `` New York , Chicago , Philadelphia '' in the same context as Portland , which he falsely claimed had endured `` 50 days of anarchy . ''
REPORTER : The president says he wants to send these forces to other cities like Chicago — cities where federal property is n't necessarily under attack .
What are they going to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other cities with higher crime rates , higher shooting rates , higher murder rates , if the president 's worried about that , what are they going to do ?
What are they going to arrest people with ?
KAYLEIGH McENANY : I think you 're getting ahead of the president here .
McENANY : He 's made no announcements as to who 's going where .
He 's very discouraged by the violence that he 's seen in Chicago , it 's why he 's sent a very strong letter to Mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clearly unable to control her streets .
And the governor , as well , unable to control that area .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

One day after Donald Trump named several cities to which he would consider sending federal law enforcement, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany refused to say whether planning for such deployment is underway.
Asked Tuesday about a possible escalation of the tactics Trump is currently using in Portland, Oregon, McEnany said, “I think you’re getting ahead of the president here.”
But on Monday in the Oval Office, Trump specifically said he was considering sending troops to Chicago and New York, erroneously describing them as “all run by the radical left.”
“We’re looking at Chicago too, we’re looking at New York, look at what’s going on,” Trump told reporters.
The day before that, Trump tweeted about “New York, Chicago, Philadelphia” in the same context as Portland, which he falsely claimed had endured “50 days of anarchy.”
From a July 21 press briefing:
REPORTER: The president says he wants to send these forces to other cities like Chicago — cities where federal property isn’t necessarily under attack. What are they going to do when they get to Chicago and these other cities with higher crime rates, higher shooting rates, higher murder rates, if the president’s worried about that, what are they going to do? What are they going to arrest people with? KAYLEIGH McENANY: I think you’re getting ahead of the president here. REPORTER: What kind of federal charges? McENANY: He’s made no announcements as to who’s going where. He’s very discouraged by the violence that he’s seen in Chicago, it’s why he’s sent a very strong letter to Mayor Lightfoot offering help, because she’s clearly unable to control her streets. And the governor, as well, unable to control that area.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-21--Biden unveils plan to create 3 million jobs helping children and older adults

Joe Biden wants to spend more than three-quarters of a trillion dollars to dramatically improve care for older Americans , bolster low-income families ' tax credits , and provide preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds — part of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee 's larger plan to remake an economy ravaged by the coronavirus .
Unveiled Tuesday , the proposal is slated to cost $ 775 billion over 10 years and is designed to create 3 million new jobs caring for older people and providing improved early education to children .
Biden promises to pay for it by reducing tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incomes of $ 400,000-plus , while also increasing compliance with existing tax law for high earners .
The former vice president is planning to provide more details during an afternoon speech near his home in Wilmington , Delaware .
`` The pandemic has laid bare just how hard it is for people in this country to find access to quality caregiving they need for themselves , or to juggle the responsibilities of working and also caring for family members , '' Biden campaign 's wrote in a 10-page announcement of the plan .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's larger plan to rebuild the post-coronavirus economy , following a $ 2 trillion environmental proposal he released last week and a $ 700 billion plan unveiled the week before seeking to increase government purchasing of U.S.-based goods and invest in new research and development .
Biden is attempting to illustrate for voters how the coronavirus can present opportunities for job growth and new policy priorities in contrast to Donald Trump , who has promised to rebuild the economy stronger than ever but otherwise struggled to articulate what he hopes to accomplish with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials described the caregiving plan as a `` core pillar '' of their candidate 's economic recovery plan , saying on a conference call with reporters that it was an important key to `` getting people back to work '' in the wake of the pandemic and the rising unemployment it sparked .
Under the proposal , Biden vows to provide for the estimated 800,000 people waiting for home and community services under Medicaid .
He wants to expand alternatives to institutional care for all older Americans while helping veterans by filling tens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilities around the country .
He also pledges to train and hire 150,000 new community health workers in underserved communities , and 35,000 more to combat the opioid crisis , besides creating a 100,000-member public health job corps .
The Biden campaign noted that the coronavirus is forcing schools to close and has left many parents desperately juggling full-time jobs and child care , but its plan argues that `` even before the pandemic , millions of parents struggled to find a space for their child in a quality care and educational setting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of the workforce . ''
Biden says he can fix that with a joint federal-state universal prekindergarten program while also offering low-income and middle-class families an up to $ 8,000 tax credit to help pay for child care .
He plans to offer pay increases to child caregivers and early educators and bonuses to child care providers working during nontraditional hours , while expanding families ' access to after-school , weekend , and summer care .
Biden also plans to increase the number of child care facilities around the country by offering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to businesses willing to build them .
`` Our nation faced a massive shortage of child care facilities before the pandemic , '' Biden 's plan announcement says , `` and the shortage has only intensified since then . ''

Joe Biden wants to spend more than three-quarters of a trillion dollars to dramatically improve care for older Americans, bolster low-income families’ tax credits, and provide preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds — part of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee’s larger plan to remake an economy ravaged by the coronavirus.
Unveiled Tuesday, the proposal is slated to cost $775 billion over 10 years and is designed to create 3 million new jobs caring for older people and providing improved early education to children. Biden promises to pay for it by reducing tax breaks for real estate investors with annual incomes of $400,000-plus, while also increasing compliance with existing tax law for high earners.
The former vice president is planning to provide more details during an afternoon speech near his home in Wilmington, Delaware.
“The pandemic has laid bare just how hard it is for people in this country to find access to quality caregiving they need for themselves, or to juggle the responsibilities of working and also caring for family members,” Biden campaign’s wrote in a 10-page announcement of the plan.
It marks the third plank of Biden’s larger plan to rebuild the post-coronavirus economy, following a $2 trillion environmental proposal he released last week and a $700 billion plan unveiled the week before seeking to increase government purchasing of U.S.-based goods and invest in new research and development. Biden is attempting to illustrate for voters how the coronavirus can present opportunities for job growth and new policy priorities in contrast to Donald Trump, who has promised to rebuild the economy stronger than ever but otherwise struggled to articulate what he hopes to accomplish with a second term.
Senior Biden campaign officials described the caregiving plan as a “core pillar” of their candidate’s economic recovery plan, saying on a conference call with reporters that it was an important key to “getting people back to work” in the wake of the pandemic and the rising unemployment it sparked.
Under the proposal, Biden vows to provide for the estimated 800,000 people waiting for home and community services under Medicaid. He wants to expand alternatives to institutional care for all older Americans while helping veterans by filling tens of thousands of vacancies at Veterans Affairs facilities around the country. He also pledges to train and hire 150,000 new community health workers in underserved communities, and 35,000 more to combat the opioid crisis, besides creating a 100,000-member public health job corps.
The Biden campaign noted that the coronavirus is forcing schools to close and has left many parents desperately juggling full-time jobs and child care, but its plan argues that “even before the pandemic, millions of parents struggled to find a space for their child in a quality care and educational setting, keeping parents — primarily mothers — out of the workforce.”
Biden says he can fix that with a joint federal-state universal prekindergarten program while also offering low-income and middle-class families an up to $8,000 tax credit to help pay for child care. He plans to offer pay increases to child caregivers and early educators and bonuses to child care providers working during nontraditional hours, while expanding families’ access to after-school, weekend, and summer care.
Biden also plans to increase the number of child care facilities around the country by offering tax credits for and direct federal funding to businesses willing to build them.
“Our nation faced a massive shortage of child care facilities before the pandemic,” Biden’s plan announcement says, “and the shortage has only intensified since then.”


shareblue--2020-07-21--Trump breaks promise on minimum wage as essential workers struggle with low pay

On July 1 , Donald Trump said he would share good news about the minimum wage within two weeks .
Since then , 20 days have passed without a word from the White House on the subject .
`` I 'm going to have a statement on minimum wage , '' Trump told Fox Business during a White House interview .
`` I feel differently than a lot of people on minimum wage , some people in my own party .
But I will have a statement over the next two weeks on minimum wage . ''
Trump claimed it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
But the promised announcement never surfaced .
The White House did not respond to multiple requests for comment .
According to a Pew Research survey conducted in June 2019 , 67 % of Americans favored raising the minimum wage to $ 15 per hour .
The minimum wage , which has not increased since 2009 , currently stands at $ 7.25 per hour .
Trump has taken a variety of contradictory positions on the minimum wage in the past .
During the 2016 election , he said that he was both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in favor of a $ 10 federal minimum wage .
In 2019 , he told Telemundo that he was open to a minimum wage higher than $ 15 per hour just days after he threatened to veto a bipartisan House-passed bill doing just that .
Now , with the national economy sagging , Americans are becoming increasingly anxious about job issues , including the minimum wage .
While some have argued that raising the minimum wage amid a pandemic , with staggering unemployment numbers , is unwise , proponents say there 's no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Essential workers ... are on the front lines of this pandemic , and the vast majority of them are making under $ 15 an hour , '' 1199 SEIU organizer Brig Dumais said in June , according to NPR .
`` We can not call them 'heroes ' on one hand and freeze their wages on the other . ''
Alissa Barron-Menza , vice president of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage , noted that the historical roots of the minimum wage sprang from hardship .
`` People forget that the federal minimum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times of the Great Depression , '' she told the outlet .
`` The goal of the minimum wage was to alleviate poverty and to boost consumer spending so that businesses would have someone to sell their products and services to .
And that 's exactly what it did . ''
More than 1 million people have filed for unemployment each of the past 17 weeks as the coronavirus crisis wreaks havoc in many parts of the country .
In total , more than 51 million people have filed for unemployment insurance since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims `` add to the evidence that the recovery may be stalling , '' Daniel Zhao , a senior economist at job recruitment site Glassdoor , told CNN on Thursday .
Americans have unsurprisingly voiced a much more negative view of the economy since the start of the coronavirus crisis .
Polling by Gallup showed that only 22 % of Americans in April said it was a `` good time to find a quality job , '' a sharp drop from 68 % who said the same in January .
In June , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic conditions were `` good '' or `` excellent , '' again according to Gallup polling , while 78 % of Americans rated conditions as `` only fair '' or `` poor . ''
Americans were much more optimistic in February when 63 % said the economy was `` good '' or `` excellent . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

On July 1, Donald Trump said he would share good news about the minimum wage within two weeks.
Since then, 20 days have passed without a word from the White House on the subject.
“I’m going to have a statement on minimum wage,” Trump told Fox Business during a White House interview. “I feel differently than a lot of people on minimum wage, some people in my own party. But I will have a statement over the next two weeks on minimum wage.”
Trump claimed it would be “a very positive statement.” But the promised announcement never surfaced.
The White House did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
According to a Pew Research survey conducted in June 2019, 67% of Americans favored raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour. The minimum wage, which has not increased since 2009, currently stands at $7.25 per hour.
Trump has taken a variety of contradictory positions on the minimum wage in the past.
During the 2016 election, he said that he was both against any federal minimum wage and also in favor of a $10 federal minimum wage.
In 2019, he told Telemundo that he was open to a minimum wage higher than $15 per hour just days after he threatened to veto a bipartisan House-passed bill doing just that.
Now, with the national economy sagging, Americans are becoming increasingly anxious about job issues, including the minimum wage.
While some have argued that raising the minimum wage amid a pandemic, with staggering unemployment numbers, is unwise, proponents say there’s no better time to do it.
“Essential workers … are on the front lines of this pandemic, and the vast majority of them are making under $15 an hour,” 1199 SEIU organizer Brig Dumais said in June, according to NPR. “We cannot call them ‘heroes’ on one hand and freeze their wages on the other.”
Alissa Barron-Menza, vice president of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, noted that the historical roots of the minimum wage sprang from hardship.
“People forget that the federal minimum wage was enacted during the incredibly hard times of the Great Depression,” she told the outlet. “The goal of the minimum wage was to alleviate poverty and to boost consumer spending so that businesses would have someone to sell their products and services to. And that’s exactly what it did.”
More than 1 million people have filed for unemployment each of the past 17 weeks as the coronavirus crisis wreaks havoc in many parts of the country. In total, more than 51 million people have filed for unemployment insurance since March.
The steady increase of unemployment claims “add to the evidence that the recovery may be stalling,” Daniel Zhao, a senior economist at job recruitment site Glassdoor, told CNN on Thursday.
Americans have unsurprisingly voiced a much more negative view of the economy since the start of the coronavirus crisis.
Polling by Gallup showed that only 22% of Americans in April said it was a “good time to find a quality job,” a sharp drop from 68% who said the same in January.
In June, less than a quarter of Americans said economic conditions were “good” or “excellent,” again according to Gallup polling, while 78% of Americans rated conditions as “only fair” or “poor.” Americans were much more optimistic in February when 63% said the economy was “good” or “excellent.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-21--Tom Cotton: Anti-racism protesters 'are little different' from Confederate traitors

Sen. Tom Cotton ( R-AR ) on Tuesday likened peaceful anti-racism protesters in Portland , Oregon , to Confederate rebels during the Civil War .
Just as it was when it sent troops against Confederate soldiers , Cotton said , the federal government is right in using federal law enforcement against protesters .
The Trump administration has sent unidentified federal agents to Portland in response to the mostly peaceful anti-racism protests that have been taking place since the death of George Floyd in May .
On Monday , Donald Trump threatened to send troops to other cities as well .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Portland are little different from the insurrectionists who seceded from the Union in 1861 in South Carolina and tried to take over Fort Sumter , '' Cotton said during an appearance on Fox News .
`` And just like President Lincoln would n't stand for that , the federal government today can not stand for the vandalism , the firebombing , or any attacks on federal property .
It is right to send federal law enforcement in to defend federal property and federal facilities . ''
Cotton has called for federal intervention against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Times published an op-ed he had written urging that the military be sent to American cities to `` restore order '' and stop `` anarchy . ''
The paper later acknowledged that it had not properly fact-checked the op-ed , and that it `` fell short '' of standards and `` should not have been published . ''
In 1861 , the South Carolina militia attacked the federal fort in Charleston Harbor in support of secession and slavery .
Cotton appears to be siding with Abraham Lincoln in standing up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today 's protests over systemic racism and police violence , telling Politico : `` I do not think you can paint with a broad brush and say there 's systemic racism in the criminal justice system in America . ''
Cotton 's Senate colleague Democrat Ron Wyden of Oregon had a different response to the events in Portland , writing in an op-ed published by NBC on Monday , `` While Acting Secretary [ of Homeland Security Chad ] Wolf rants about law and order , most of the incidents of 'violent anarchists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low-level vandalism . ''
Wyden charged that `` the federal agents who have been parachuted into Portland are creating more problems , not solving any of them , '' adding that `` crime in Portland has actually been lower than average in recent weeks . ''
While Cotton now frames Confederate troops as violent insurrectionist traitors , as far back as 2017 he told the Associated Press that he felt local communities should decide whether to remove monuments that had been erected to them .
`` I wouldn ’ t support the kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because I don ’ t think that serves the civic purpose of considering our history and thinking about whatever those monuments stand for , '' he said .
`` In general , I think it 's best to keep our history in front of us and learn from it so we do n't repeat some of the mistakes we have made as individuals or as a people in the past . ''
Last month , Cotton worked with Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D-MA ) on crafting an amendment to the National Defense Authorization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rename U.S. military bases currently named after Confederate military leaders .
He was eventually reported to have voted `` No '' during a voice vote on the final modified version , which was adopted .
He also made news for a racist speech on the Senate floor in June opposing statehood for the District of Columbia , noting of two Black mayors of the city , `` Would you trust Mayor Bowser to keep Washington safe if she were given the powers of a governor ?
Would you trust Marion Barry ? ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foundation .

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) on Tuesday likened peaceful anti-racism protesters in Portland, Oregon, to Confederate rebels during the Civil War. Just as it was when it sent troops against Confederate soldiers, Cotton said, the federal government is right in using federal law enforcement against protesters.
The Trump administration has sent unidentified federal agents to Portland in response to the mostly peaceful anti-racism protests that have been taking place since the death of George Floyd in May. On Monday, Donald Trump threatened to send troops to other cities as well.
“These insurrectionists in the streets of Portland are little different from the insurrectionists who seceded from the Union in 1861 in South Carolina and tried to take over Fort Sumter,” Cotton said during an appearance on Fox News. “And just like President Lincoln wouldn’t stand for that, the federal government today cannot stand for the vandalism, the firebombing, or any attacks on federal property. It is right to send federal law enforcement in to defend federal property and federal facilities.”
Cotton has called for federal intervention against protesters before. In June, the New York Times published an op-ed he had written urging that the military be sent to American cities to “restore order” and stop “anarchy.” The paper later acknowledged that it had not properly fact-checked the op-ed, and that it “fell short” of standards and “should not have been published.”
In 1861, the South Carolina militia attacked the federal fort in Charleston Harbor in support of secession and slavery. Cotton appears to be siding with Abraham Lincoln in standing up for federal intervention. But he has dismissed today’s protests over systemic racism and police violence, telling Politico: “I do not think you can paint with a broad brush and say there’s systemic racism in the criminal justice system in America.”
Cotton’s Senate colleague Democrat Ron Wyden of Oregon had a different response to the events in Portland, writing in an op-ed published by NBC on Monday, “While Acting Secretary [of Homeland Security Chad] Wolf rants about law and order, most of the incidents of ‘violent anarchists’ he cites are actually graffiti or low-level vandalism.”
Wyden charged that “the federal agents who have been parachuted into Portland are creating more problems, not solving any of them,” adding that “crime in Portland has actually been lower than average in recent weeks.”
While Cotton now frames Confederate troops as violent insurrectionist traitors, as far back as 2017 he told the Associated Press that he felt local communities should decide whether to remove monuments that had been erected to them.
“I wouldn’t support the kind of midnight teardown of statues or monuments because I don’t think that serves the civic purpose of considering our history and thinking about whatever those monuments stand for,” he said. “In general, I think it’s best to keep our history in front of us and learn from it so we don’t repeat some of the mistakes we have made as individuals or as a people in the past.”
Last month, Cotton worked with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) on crafting an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act to set up a mechanism to rename U.S. military bases currently named after Confederate military leaders. He was eventually reported to have voted “No” during a voice vote on the final modified version, which was adopted.
He also made news for a racist speech on the Senate floor in June opposing statehood for the District of Columbia, noting of two Black mayors of the city, “Would you trust Mayor Bowser to keep Washington safe if she were given the powers of a governor? Would you trust Marion Barry?”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-22--113 House Republicans vote to keep Confederate statues on display in Capitol

One hundred thirteen House Republicans voted on Wednesday to keep Confederate statues on display in the U.S. Capitol building .
The House voted by a margin of 305-113 to remove statues of persons `` who served as an officer or voluntarily with the Confederate States of America or of the military forces or government of a State while the State was in rebellion against the United States . ''
The bill would also remove statues of other racist officials , namely white supremacist Charles Brantley Aycock , slavery enthusiast John Caldwell Calhoun , and `` white standards of civilization '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a bust of Supreme Court Justice Roger Taney , author of the infamous Dred Scott decision , be replaced with one of Justice Thurgood Marshall in the Old Supreme Court Chamber .
Each state is allowed to donate two statues of `` persons notable in their history '' for display in the Capitol 's National Statuary Hall Collection .
This bill would allow states who have selected Confederates to transport them home and replace them with others .
As the Hill reported in June , current statues on display include former Confederates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rose of Arkansas , Edmund Kirby Smith of Florida , Alexander Hamilton Stephens of Georgia , Edward Douglass White of Louisiana , Jefferson Davis and James Zachariah George of Mississippi , Zebulon Baird Vance of North Carolina , Wade Hampton of South Carolina , Robert E. Lee of Virginia , and John Kenna of West Virginia .
The legislation comes as communities across the world have begun removing monuments to racist figures , often in response to pressure from anti-racism protesters .
On Tuesday , a descendant of Robert E. Lee and several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statues .
“ We can not remain silent anymore , ” Robert W. Lee told a House subcommittee .
“ If we do so , our silence becomes agreement and endorsement to complicity.
” But Donald Trump and other Republicans have defended Confederate memorials in recent months , suggesting that removing them equates to `` erasing our history . ''
`` I do n't like it .
I 'm not one that likes it .
I think we have a history ... . ''
Trump said in an interview in June .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our history .
Seeing that , seeing what 's on — you know , in some cases , I agree there were Confederate soldiers , generals , but they were done after the war in order to heal .
This was a gesture of healing . ''
The House bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate , where Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has blocked hundreds of pieces of legislation from even getting a vote .
McConnell ( R-KY ) told reporters in June that he has no intention of removing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do so .
`` Every state is allowed two statues , they can trade them out at any time ... a number of states are trading them out now .
But I think that 's the appropriate way to deal with the statue issue .
The states make that decision , '' he said .
`` I think the appropriate way to deal with this issue is to stick with the tradition . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

One hundred thirteen House Republicans voted on Wednesday to keep Confederate statues on display in the U.S. Capitol building.
The House voted by a margin of 305-113 to remove statues of persons “who served as an officer or voluntarily with the Confederate States of America or of the military forces or government of a State while the State was in rebellion against the United States.”
The bill would also remove statues of other racist officials, namely white supremacist Charles Brantley Aycock, slavery enthusiast John Caldwell Calhoun, and “white standards of civilization” defender James Paul Clarke. It instructs that a bust of Supreme Court Justice Roger Taney, author of the infamous Dred Scott decision, be replaced with one of Justice Thurgood Marshall in the Old Supreme Court Chamber.
Each state is allowed to donate two statues of “persons notable in their history” for display in the Capitol’s National Statuary Hall Collection. This bill would allow states who have selected Confederates to transport them home and replace them with others.
As the Hill reported in June, current statues on display include former Confederates Joseph Wheeler of Alabama, Uriah Milton Rose of Arkansas, Edmund Kirby Smith of Florida, Alexander Hamilton Stephens of Georgia, Edward Douglass White of Louisiana, Jefferson Davis and James Zachariah George of Mississippi, Zebulon Baird Vance of North Carolina, Wade Hampton of South Carolina, Robert E. Lee of Virginia, and John Kenna of West Virginia.
The legislation comes as communities across the world have begun removing monuments to racist figures, often in response to pressure from anti-racism protesters.
On Tuesday, a descendant of Robert E. Lee and several Black historians urged Congress to remove the statues. “We cannot remain silent anymore,” Robert W. Lee told a House subcommittee. “If we do so, our silence becomes agreement and endorsement to complicity.”
But Donald Trump and other Republicans have defended Confederate memorials in recent months, suggesting that removing them equates to “erasing our history.”
“I don’t like it. I’m not one that likes it. I think we have a history….” Trump said in an interview in June. “It’s a very important part of our history. Seeing that, seeing what’s on — you know, in some cases, I agree there were Confederate soldiers, generals, but they were done after the war in order to heal. This was a gesture of healing.”
The House bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate, where Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has blocked hundreds of pieces of legislation from even getting a vote.
McConnell (R-KY) told reporters in June that he has no intention of removing the statues, unless states decide they want to do so.
“Every state is allowed two statues, they can trade them out at any time … a number of states are trading them out now. But I think that’s the appropriate way to deal with the statue issue. The states make that decision,” he said. “I think the appropriate way to deal with this issue is to stick with the tradition.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-07-22--How crisis pregnancy centers are pushing women to have abortions later

Crisis pregnancy centers are `` clinics '' that are n't medically regulated and actively work to deceive people about abortion .
That deception is designed to delay or deny access to abortion , which leads to people getting abortions later in pregnancy or being entirely unable to access the care they need .
Truth4Greeley , a group that focuses on the dangers of these fake health clinics , found that some clinics perform pregnancy tests but lie to people about how far along they are in their pregnancy .
They also tell people to `` wait it out '' because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a miscarriage .
An investigator posing as a pregnant woman was told by a center volunteer that she should n't panic because `` [ a ] bortion is legal through all nine months of pregnancy , so you have plenty of time to make a decision , '' according to a report from NARAL Pro-Choice America , a group that fights restrictions on abortion .
This is not true .
The Guttmacher Institute , which tracks state laws on abortion , says that 43 states prohibit abortions at some point in pregnancy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ small amount of providers and are n't available in all states .
In addition , any person who needs an abortion after 20 weeks might need to pay nearly quadruple the cost of one done earlier , and that does n't include travel costs or child care if it 's needed .
Beth Vial , who wrote about her later abortion for Teen Vogue , detailed the numerous lies a crisis pregnancy center told her .
There were no nurses on staff at the center .
She was sent to a different location @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lied to about how far along she was in her pregnancy , she was told abortions were dangerous , and she was hassled at home by the crisis pregnancy center workers , who she said called her `` day and night . ''
She did n't learn she was actually 26 weeks pregnant until she went to a nearby hospital .
With these sorts of lies , the centers help push people into seeking abortion care at a later date .
The Later Abortion Initiative , which focuses on the barriers and stigma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who sought abortions at or after 20 weeks found those people were `` much more likely to report logistical delays . ''
Another study found that one of the logistical barriers reported by people who ultimately ended up needing to travel to have an abortion was that people first went to a crisis pregnancy center , which delayed their abortion care .
Reproaction is another group that has catalogued the lengths to which these anti-abortion health centers go in order to deceive people who are seeking an abortion , birth control , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these centers locate themselves close to real reproductive health care clinics and use a similar-sounding name or similar type of signage , hoping to deceive people into entering the wrong location .
The anti-abortion centers also try to frighten people out of abortions .
They tell people that abortion is linked to mental health problems .
That 's been debunked for years .
Another persistent lie they use is that there is a connection between getting an abortion and later getting breast cancer .
Planned Parenthood says such assertions `` fly in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clinics also lie about how dangerous abortions are .
The National Abortion Foundation notes that people are also told abortions are `` painful , life-threatening procedures . ''
In reality , abortion is a very safe procedure , and complications are rare .
That 's particularly true when abortion is compared to childbirth , which carries a risk of death roughly 11 times higher than that from an abortion .
Guttmacher also reports that people who end up going to crisis pregnancy centers are disproportionately young , poor , or lacking education .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ justice , has also noted that the centers target people of color with advertising .
Notably , the same groups that praise the centers , such as Students for Life , are those that call for bans on abortions later in pregnancy .
At a Senate hearing earlier this year , Patrina Mosley of the anti-choice Family Research Council said that later abortions are done because the clinics gain something financially .
Jill Stanek , who heads the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List , said that abortion providers who do late abortions are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the baby . ''
Crisis pregnancy centers distort information with the explicit goal of delaying or denying abortions .
When they succeed in creating a delay , people have to seek care elsewhere , but they 've already lost time in addressing a time-sensitive health concern .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Crisis pregnancy centers are “clinics” that aren’t medically regulated and actively work to deceive people about abortion. That deception is designed to delay or deny access to abortion, which leads to people getting abortions later in pregnancy or being entirely unable to access the care they need.
Truth4Greeley, a group that focuses on the dangers of these fake health clinics, found that some clinics perform pregnancy tests but lie to people about how far along they are in their pregnancy. They also tell people to “wait it out” because 1 in 4 pregnancies will end in a miscarriage.
An investigator posing as a pregnant woman was told by a center volunteer that she shouldn’t panic because “[a]bortion is legal through all nine months of pregnancy, so you have plenty of time to make a decision,” according to a report from NARAL Pro-Choice America, a group that fights restrictions on abortion.
This is not true. The Guttmacher Institute, which tracks state laws on abortion, says that 43 states prohibit abortions at some point in pregnancy.
Later abortions are performed by a relatively small amount of providers and aren’t available in all states. In addition, any person who needs an abortion after 20 weeks might need to pay nearly quadruple the cost of one done earlier, and that doesn’t include travel costs or child care if it’s needed.
Beth Vial, who wrote about her later abortion for Teen Vogue, detailed the numerous lies a crisis pregnancy center told her. There were no nurses on staff at the center. She was sent to a different location to get an ultrasound, she was lied to about how far along she was in her pregnancy, she was told abortions were dangerous, and she was hassled at home by the crisis pregnancy center workers, who she said called her “day and night.” She didn’t learn she was actually 26 weeks pregnant until she went to a nearby hospital.
With these sorts of lies, the centers help push people into seeking abortion care at a later date. The Later Abortion Initiative, which focuses on the barriers and stigma around later abortions, reported that people who sought abortions at or after 20 weeks found those people were “much more likely to report logistical delays.”
Another study found that one of the logistical barriers reported by people who ultimately ended up needing to travel to have an abortion was that people first went to a crisis pregnancy center, which delayed their abortion care.
Reproaction is another group that has catalogued the lengths to which these anti-abortion health centers go in order to deceive people who are seeking an abortion, birth control, or reliable information about pregnancy. Some of these centers locate themselves close to real reproductive health care clinics and use a similar-sounding name or similar type of signage, hoping to deceive people into entering the wrong location.
The anti-abortion centers also try to frighten people out of abortions. They tell people that abortion is linked to mental health problems. That’s been debunked for years. Another persistent lie they use is that there is a connection between getting an abortion and later getting breast cancer. Planned Parenthood says such assertions “fly in the face of scientific evidence.”
The clinics also lie about how dangerous abortions are. The National Abortion Foundation notes that people are also told abortions are “painful, life-threatening procedures.” In reality, abortion is a very safe procedure, and complications are rare. That’s particularly true when abortion is compared to childbirth, which carries a risk of death roughly 11 times higher than that from an abortion.
Guttmacher also reports that people who end up going to crisis pregnancy centers are disproportionately young, poor, or lacking education. Colorlines, which reports on advancing racial justice, has also noted that the centers target people of color with advertising.
Notably, the same groups that praise the centers, such as Students for Life, are those that call for bans on abortions later in pregnancy. At a Senate hearing earlier this year, Patrina Mosley of the anti-choice Family Research Council said that later abortions are done because the clinics gain something financially. Jill Stanek, who heads the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List, said that abortion providers who do late abortions are “deciding the life or the death of the baby.”
Crisis pregnancy centers distort information with the explicit goal of delaying or denying abortions. When they succeed in creating a delay, people have to seek care elsewhere, but they’ve already lost time in addressing a time-sensitive health concern.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.