shareblue--2020-03-02--Amy Klobuchar to endorse Joe Biden after ending her presidential campaign

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar ended her Democratic presidential campaign on Monday and plans to endorse rival Joe Biden in an effort to unify moderate voters behind the former vice president ’ s White House bid .
She is flying to Dallas and plans to join Biden at his rally Monday night , according to her campaign .
Klobuchar was the third presidential candidate to drop out of the race in less than 49 hours , following Pete Buttigieg 's departure late Sunday and Tom Steyer 's exit late Saturday .
Their decisions reflect an urgent push among moderates to consolidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rival Bernie Sanders .
Klobuchar outlasted several better-known and better-funded Democrats , thanks to a better-than-expected third-place finish in New Hampshire .
But she could n't turn that into success elsewhere , as she struggled to build out a campaign that could compete across the country and had poor showings in the next contests .
The three-term senator had one of this cycle 's more memorable campaign launches , standing outside in a Minnesota snowstorm last February to tout her `` grit '' and Midwestern sensibilities .
Klobuchar argued that her record of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even in Republican parts of her state would help her win traditionally Democratic heartland states like Wisconsin and Michigan that flipped in 2016 to give Donald Trump the presidency .
She was hoping to own the moderate lane of a Democratic field that grew to some two dozen candidates .
But that got much tougher when Biden joined the race in April , starting as a front-runner and remaining there .
Klobuchar also was quickly overshadowed by Buttigieg , a fellow Midwesterner who shot from being the largely unknown mayor of South Bend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a mix of intelligence , strong oratory and youthful optimism .
Buttigieg dropped out on Sunday , saying he no longer had a viable path to the nomination .
He has not endorsed anyone .
Klobuchar entered the race with low name recognition compared with many of her rivals , a disadvantage she was still citing a year into her campaign .
Outside Minnesota , the lawyer and former prosecutor was best known for her questioning of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh during a 2018 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing .
Klobuchar asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assaulting a fellow teenager when both were in high school , if he ever had so much to drink that he did n't remember what happened .
Kavanaugh retorted , `` Have you ? ''
Klobuchar continued , unruffled , and Kavanaugh later apologized to the senator , whose father is recovering from alcoholism .
Even before she got into the race , Klobuchar was hit with news stories claiming she mistreated her Senate staff , and she had a higher-than-usual turnover rate in her office .
Klobuchar said she is a `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has several longtime employees , including the manager of her presidential campaign .
She also faced questions over her prosecutor past .
In January , The Associated Press published a story about Klobuchar 's office in Minneapolis having prosecuted the case of a black teenager accused of the 2002 shooting death of an 11-year-old girl .
Klobuchar has cited the story to show her toughness on crime .
But an AP/APM Reports investigation uncovered new evidence and myriad inconsistencies , raising questions about whether Myon Burrell was railroaded by police .
The issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with protesters forcing her to cancel a rally in suburban Minneapolis days before Super Tuesday .
Klobuchar campaigned on her productivity in Washington , where she led more than 100 bills that were signed into law .
And she criticized the more liberal candidates in the field , Sens .
Elizabeth Warren and Sanders , for running on promises she said they couldn ’ t keep .
Rather than advocate for `` Medicare for All , '' for example , Klobuchar favored expanding the Affordable Care Act and working to reduce prescription drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chance of passing and would make a significant impact .
She supported making community colleges free but said she would n't promise to do the same for four-year colleges and universities because the U.S. can not afford it .
`` I 've got to tell the truth , '' she said during a CNN town hall at a college campus , where she acknowledged her position may be unpopular with younger voters .
Klobuchar was one of the first candidates to outline a plan for addressing addiction and mental health , an issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ father 's longtime struggle .
Her accounts of growing up with a father suffering from alcoholism and watching him be forced to choose between prison or treatment were some of the most compelling moments of speeches , interviews , and discussions with voters .
Klobuchar said that her father described getting help as being `` pursued by grace '' and that it 's an opportunity all people fighting addiction deserve .
But Klobuchar couldn ’ t match her top competitors in fundraising .
She raised about $ 11 million in the last quarter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders and Buttigieg received .
The lack of finances early on in the campaign meant Klobuchar was n't able to expand her operation on the ground in Iowa and New Hampshire until months after her rivals .
She then scrambled to put an operation in place in Nevada , South Carolina , and the 14 states that will vote on Super Tuesday .
Still , there were bright spots , including strong debate performances that helped bring in new donors .
Her campaign credited Klobuchar 's showing in a debate days before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a better-than-expected third place in the state ’ s primary , topping Warren and Biden .
Klobuchar said she raised $ 12 million in the next week .
During one debate she addressed sexism in the campaign , questioning whether a woman with Buttigieg ’ s experience would qualify for the stage .
She also pushed back at fears of a female candidacy , saying , `` If you think a woman ca n't beat Donald Trump , ( House Speaker ) Nancy Pelosi does it every day . ''
In January , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times , which also endorsed Warren , and the Quad-City Times , one of Iowa 's largest newspapers .
But Klobuchar was sidelined for much of the last few weeks before the Iowa caucuses when she — along with fellow candidates Warren , Sanders and Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado — was stuck in Washington for the Senate impeachment trial .
She continued to rack up endorsements even as her campaign struggled , getting the backing of newspapers including the Houston Chronicle , the Seattle Times and the New Hampshire Union Leader .

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar ended her Democratic presidential campaign on Monday and plans to endorse rival Joe Biden in an effort to unify moderate voters behind the former vice president’s White House bid.
She is flying to Dallas and plans to join Biden at his rally Monday night, according to her campaign.
Klobuchar was the third presidential candidate to drop out of the race in less than 49 hours, following Pete Buttigieg’s departure late Sunday and Tom Steyer’s exit late Saturday. Their decisions reflect an urgent push among moderates to consolidate behind Biden as a counter to progressive rival Bernie Sanders.
Klobuchar outlasted several better-known and better-funded Democrats, thanks to a better-than-expected third-place finish in New Hampshire.
But she couldn’t turn that into success elsewhere, as she struggled to build out a campaign that could compete across the country and had poor showings in the next contests.
The three-term senator had one of this cycle’s more memorable campaign launches, standing outside in a Minnesota snowstorm last February to tout her “grit” and Midwestern sensibilities.
Klobuchar argued that her record of getting things done in Washington and winning even in Republican parts of her state would help her win traditionally Democratic heartland states like Wisconsin and Michigan that flipped in 2016 to give Donald Trump the presidency.
She was hoping to own the moderate lane of a Democratic field that grew to some two dozen candidates. But that got much tougher when Biden joined the race in April, starting as a front-runner and remaining there.
Klobuchar also was quickly overshadowed by Buttigieg, a fellow Midwesterner who shot from being the largely unknown mayor of South Bend, Indiana, to a top contender on a mix of intelligence, strong oratory and youthful optimism. Buttigieg dropped out on Sunday, saying he no longer had a viable path to the nomination. He has not endorsed anyone.
Klobuchar entered the race with low name recognition compared with many of her rivals, a disadvantage she was still citing a year into her campaign. Outside Minnesota, the lawyer and former prosecutor was best known for her questioning of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh during a 2018 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
Klobuchar asked Kavanaugh, who was accused of sexually assaulting a fellow teenager when both were in high school, if he ever had so much to drink that he didn’t remember what happened. Kavanaugh retorted, “Have you?” Klobuchar continued, unruffled, and Kavanaugh later apologized to the senator, whose father is recovering from alcoholism.
Even before she got into the race, Klobuchar was hit with news stories claiming she mistreated her Senate staff, and she had a higher-than-usual turnover rate in her office. Klobuchar said she is a “tough boss” but countered that she has several longtime employees, including the manager of her presidential campaign.


shareblue--2020-03-02--Pence suggests Jewish candidate Sanders is anti-Semitic for criticizing Israel

Mike Pence falsely claimed at a pro-Israel conference on Monday that Democratic candidate and independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders `` smeared '' Israel at last week 's debate .
Speaking at the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee , which calls itself `` America 's pro-Israel lobby , '' Pence argued that `` anti-Semitism has changed forms in recent days , '' saying it was no longer simply a `` hatred of the Jewish religion or hatred of the Jewish people on every occasion '' but `` now it often propagates as simply hatred of the State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his sights on Democrats , whom he claimed were insufficiently supportive of Israel .
`` Today , the leading candidate for the presidential nomination of the party of Harry S. Truman openly and repeatedly attacks Israel as a racist state and defames AIPAC as , of all things , as he said a 'platform for bigotry , ' '' Pence said , referring to Sanders , who is Jewish .
Sanders had tweeted in late February that he would not be attending the group 's conference because he was `` concerned about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bigotry and oppose basic Palestinian rights . ''
Pence added , `` Even more troubling , when Bernie Sanders smeared Israel at last week 's debate , not a single candidate on that stage stood up to challenge him .
But I 'll promise you : we will always call out those who try to cloak their animus toward Israel inside the phony mantle of friendship . ''
Pence also equated Sanders not attending the conference with businesses boycotting and divesting from Israel .
`` It 's wrong to boycott and slander Israel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slander AIPAC , '' he said .
Pence appeared to be referencing a comment at last week 's Democratic presidential debate in Charleston , South Carolina .
Asked at that debate about his views on foreign policy toward Israel and his earlier criticism of AIPAC , Sanders noted his Jewish identity and said that he once lived in Israel .
`` But , '' he added , `` what I happen to believe is that , right now , sadly , tragically , in Israel , through [ Prime Minister Benjamin ] 'Bibi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racist who is now running that country . ''
Sanders made no criticism of Israel more broadly .
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Pence stood by his misleading remarks this week .
Netanyahu last week criticized Sanders , saying he was `` wrong '' to call the Israeli leader a racist .
Just one day prior to Israel 's national elections last September , however , Netanyahu and his Likud Party were caught sending recorded messages warning supporters of `` high Arab voter turnout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arab-Israeli citizens voting in the 2015 election as well .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Mike Pence falsely claimed at a pro-Israel conference on Monday that Democratic candidate and independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders “smeared” Israel at last week’s debate.
That never happened.
Speaking at the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which calls itself “America’s pro-Israel lobby,” Pence argued that “anti-Semitism has changed forms in recent days,” saying it was no longer simply a “hatred of the Jewish religion or hatred of the Jewish people on every occasion” but “now it often propagates as simply hatred of the State of Israel.”
He then turned his sights on Democrats, whom he claimed were insufficiently supportive of Israel.
“Today, the leading candidate for the presidential nomination of the party of Harry S. Truman openly and repeatedly attacks Israel as a racist state and defames AIPAC as, of all things, as he said a ‘platform for bigotry,'” Pence said, referring to Sanders, who is Jewish.
Sanders had tweeted in late February that he would not be attending the group’s conference because he was “concerned about the platform AIPAC provides for leaders who express bigotry and oppose basic Palestinian rights.”
Pence added, “Even more troubling, when Bernie Sanders smeared Israel at last week’s debate, not a single candidate on that stage stood up to challenge him. But I’ll promise you: we will always call out those who try to cloak their animus toward Israel inside the phony mantle of friendship.”
Pence also equated Sanders not attending the conference with businesses boycotting and divesting from Israel. “It’s wrong to boycott and slander Israel. It’s wrong to boycott and slander AIPAC,” he said.
Pence appeared to be referencing a comment at last week’s Democratic presidential debate in Charleston, South Carolina.
Asked at that debate about his views on foreign policy toward Israel and his earlier criticism of AIPAC, Sanders noted his Jewish identity and said that he once lived in Israel.
“But,” he added, “what I happen to believe is that, right now, sadly, tragically, in Israel, through [Prime Minister Benjamin] ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu, you have a reactionary racist who is now running that country.”
Sanders made no criticism of Israel more broadly.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Pence stood by his misleading remarks this week.
Netanyahu last week criticized Sanders, saying he was “wrong” to call the Israeli leader a racist.
Just one day prior to Israel’s national elections last September, however, Netanyahu and his Likud Party were caught sending recorded messages warning supporters of “high Arab voter turnout.” Netanyahu made similar attacks on Arab-Israeli citizens voting in the 2015 election as well.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-03-02--Supreme Court decision on Obamacare could hurt GOP in 2020 election

The Supreme Court on Monday announced that it will hear a Republican challenge to fully repeal the Affordable Care Act , bringing health care to the forefront of the election and threatening Republicans ' electoral hopes in November , Democratic strategists say .
The Trump administration initially backed the lawsuit from Republican attorneys general across the country , which challenges the ACA , better known as Obamacare .
However , the administration has since said the Supreme Court should wait for lower courts to rule on the case , ensuring the ACA would n't be fully repealed before the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways , the fact that the Supreme Court wo n't make its final decision until after November 2020 may be the worst possible scenario for Republicans .
Democratic candidates can remind voters that casting a ballot for Trump or down-ballot GOP nominees could wipe away protections for preexisting conditions , and take health care away from 21 million people , according to a New York Times report on the impact of fully repealing the ACA .
`` Trump — and the Congressional and Senate Republicans who have been supporting him — got cold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone 's health care but the Supreme Court just guaranteed that it will be front and center right before the election , '' Eddie Vale , a Democratic strategist , said in an email Monday .
Polling already shows health care is the most important issue for voters this fall — especially swing voters who may help determine the victor .
And it 's what Democrats ran on in 2018 , when the party captured the House majority for the first time in nearly a decade .
`` This is the issue that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're stuck between this incredibly unpopular position , and being too afraid of Trump and their base to back away from supporting the lawsuit , '' Vale said .
Ultimately , Democratic strategists say the Supreme Court decision will ensure that health care remains the top electoral issue this fall .
They are confident that putting Republicans on defense for wanting to repeal Obamacare — which is more popular than ever with 55 % of Americans in support of the law — will hurt Trump and Republicans .
`` When it comes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for pre-existing conditions , the GOP is far beyond the dog who caught the car , '' Jesse Ferguson , a Democratic strategist who works with a variety of pro-ACA organizations , said in an email .
`` They 're the dog who 's driving the car and they 're driving Americans health care right off a cliff . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

The Supreme Court on Monday announced that it will hear a Republican challenge to fully repeal the Affordable Care Act, bringing health care to the forefront of the election and threatening Republicans’ electoral hopes in November, Democratic strategists say.
The Trump administration initially backed the lawsuit from Republican attorneys general across the country, which challenges the ACA, better known as Obamacare.
However, the administration has since said the Supreme Court should wait for lower courts to rule on the case, ensuring the ACA wouldn’t be fully repealed before the election.
Democratic strategists say that in some ways, the fact that the Supreme Court won’t make its final decision until after November 2020 may be the worst possible scenario for Republicans.
Democratic candidates can remind voters that casting a ballot for Trump or down-ballot GOP nominees could wipe away protections for preexisting conditions, and take health care away from 21 million people, according to a New York Times report on the impact of fully repealing the ACA.
“Trump — and the Congressional and Senate Republicans who have been supporting him — got cold feet about their lawsuit to take away everyone’s health care but the Supreme Court just guaranteed that it will be front and center right before the election,” Eddie Vale, a Democratic strategist, said in an email Monday.
Polling already shows health care is the most important issue for voters this fall — especially swing voters who may help determine the victor.
And it’s what Democrats ran on in 2018, when the party captured the House majority for the first time in nearly a decade.
“This is the issue that cost Republicans the House, and they’re stuck between this incredibly unpopular position, and being too afraid of Trump and their base to back away from supporting the lawsuit,” Vale said.
Ultimately, Democratic strategists say the Supreme Court decision will ensure that health care remains the top electoral issue this fall. They are confident that putting Republicans on defense for wanting to repeal Obamacare — which is more popular than ever with 55% of Americans in support of the law — will hurt Trump and Republicans.
“When it comes to repealing health care and taking away protections for pre-existing conditions, the GOP is far beyond the dog who caught the car,” Jesse Ferguson, a Democratic strategist who works with a variety of pro-ACA organizations, said in an email.
“They’re the dog who’s driving the car and they’re driving Americans health care right off a cliff.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-03-02--Trump insists political rallies are 'very safe' despite coronavirus

From a Feb. 2 media availability at the White House : REPORTER : Mr. President , is it safe or appropriate to be holding rallies during a public health crisis like this ?
DONALD TRUMP : Well , these were set up a long time ago , and others are .
I mean , you could ask that to the Democrats because they 're having a lot of rallies .
They 're all having rallies .
That 's what they 're doing , they 're campaigning .
REPORTER : But do you think it 's safe ?
Are you worried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's very safe .
Yeah , I think it 's very safe .
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website focused on prevention and treatment of the new coronavirus disease states , `` The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus , '' as there is currently no vaccine .
It recommends `` everyday preventive actions '' to stop the spread of the virus , including avoiding close contact with those who may be ill or staying home if you think you might be sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their eyes , nose , and mouth , in case they may have touched surfaces that have been contaminated .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

From a Feb. 2 media availability at the White House:
REPORTER: Mr. President, is it safe or appropriate to be holding rallies during a public health crisis like this? DONALD TRUMP: Well, these were set up a long time ago, and others are. I mean, you could ask that to the Democrats because they’re having a lot of rallies. They’re all having rallies. That’s what they’re doing, they’re campaigning. REPORTER: But do you think it’s safe? Are you worried at all? TRUMP: I think it’s very safe. Yeah, I think it’s very safe.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website focused on prevention and treatment of the new coronavirus disease states, “The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus,” as there is currently no vaccine.
It recommends “everyday preventive actions” to stop the spread of the virus, including avoiding close contact with those who may be ill or staying home if you think you might be sick.
It also recommends people avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth, in case they may have touched surfaces that have been contaminated.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-03-02--Trump wants Supreme Court to let him deport immigrants even faster

The man slipped into the United States from Tijuana , Mexico , and made it just 25 yards from the border before he was arrested .
A seven-month journey from Sri Lanka was over for Vijayakumar Thuraissigiam .
Now he would be able to tell an American official why he had fled the place he had lived virtually his entire life : As a member of Sri Lanka 's Tamil minority , he had been beaten and threatened .
He would seek asylum to remain in the United States .
His timing could n't have been worse .
His arrival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration and its sustained effort to crack down on asylum-seekers .
Officials rejected his claim in an initial screening and he was designated for rapid deportation , or expedited removal as federal law calls it .
Now the Supreme Court will decide whether Thuraissigiam and others like him can be deported without ever getting to make their case to a federal judge .
Arguments will take place Monday .
The administration is seeking a sweeping ruling that it could potentially use to deport millions of people , even those arrested far from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country for years , experts on the issue said .
`` The Supreme Court has held for more than a century that anyone in the United States , even those illegally , are entitled to due process .
If successful , the government 's argument in this case would reverse this basic principle of constitutional law and theoretically deny due process rights to millions of undocumented immigrants , '' said Stephen Yale-Loehr , an immigration specialist at Cornell University Law School .
Yale-Loehr signed onto a court brief siding with the asylum-seeker .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court filings that immigrants have no constitutional rights regarding their application to enter the United States under high court rulings .
The limited review that Congress provided for when it created expedited removal proceedings is sufficient , the administration said .
But the federal appeals court in San Francisco relied on the Supreme Court 's 2008 decision in favor of court access to detainees at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , to rule that the practice of denying federal court review violates the Constitution .
The Supreme Court agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thuraissigiam is living in the New York area at the moment .
Since 2004 , immigration officials have targeted for quick deportation undocumented immigrants who are picked up within 100 miles of the U.S. border and within 14 days of entering the country .
The Trump administration is seeking to expand that authority so that people detained anywhere in the U.S. and up to two years after they got here could be quickly deported .
A federal judge has put that policy on hold and the administration 's appeal will be heard Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The administration has imposed other restrictions on those who say they need refuge in the U.S. because they would be harmed if they had to return home .
People crossing through Mexico before arriving at the southern border can no longer seek asylum in the U.S. unless they first have been denied asylum elsewhere .
The Supreme Court allowed the policy to take effect while a legal fight over it plays out in the courts .
A separate `` remain in Mexico '' policy that requires asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was temporarily halted this past Friday by a federal appeals court .
People who come to the United States to ask for asylum must persuade immigration officials that they have a `` credible fear '' of persecution in their home country .
Asylum-seekers who pass that screening generally are allowed into the country as their cases progress .
But the bar to grant asylum is narrow ; a person must face persecution for race , religion , nationality , political opinion , or membership in a social group .
After Thuraissigiam 's arrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who asked that because of his support for a Tamil political candidate , he was arrested , put in a van and beaten so severely that he spent 11 days in a hospital .
Immigration officials found the account credible , but they determined he did not have a real fear of persecution if he returned home .
Having failed this initial screening , known as a `` credible fear '' screening , he was eligible for quick deportation .
Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union who represent him said the official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elicit and synthesize critical information , including that the episode likely was a widely known `` white van '' abduction by Sri Lankan security forces .
The translation via telephone also did n't help , the lawyers said .
More critically , the administration does n't want to allow Thuraissigiam to make his case in front of a federal judge , said Lee Gelernt , the ACLU lawyer who will argue the case .
If his client loses at the Supreme Court , Gelernt said , `` it will be the first time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deprived of their liberty , citizen or noncitizen , without the opportunity for a federal court to review the case . ''
Supporting the administration , the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation in Sacramento , California , said in its court filing that Thuraissigiam is `` a would-be immigrant whose only connection to this country is stepping illegally a few yards inside the border . ''
He has no constitutional right to a full-blown court hearing , the foundation wrote .
A decision in Department of Homeland Security v. Thuraissigiam , 19-161 , is @ @ @ @

The man slipped into the United States from Tijuana, Mexico, and made it just 25 yards from the border before he was arrested.
A seven-month journey from Sri Lanka was over for Vijayakumar Thuraissigiam. Now he would be able to tell an American official why he had fled the place he had lived virtually his entire life: As a member of Sri Lanka’s Tamil minority, he had been beaten and threatened. He would seek asylum to remain in the United States.
His timing couldn’t have been worse.
His arrival coincided with the start of the Trump administration and its sustained effort to crack down on asylum-seekers. Officials rejected his claim in an initial screening and he was designated for rapid deportation, or expedited removal as federal law calls it.
Now the Supreme Court will decide whether Thuraissigiam and others like him can be deported without ever getting to make their case to a federal judge. Arguments will take place Monday.
The administration is seeking a sweeping ruling that it could potentially use to deport millions of people, even those arrested far from the border and who have been in the country for years, experts on the issue said.
“The Supreme Court has held for more than a century that anyone in the United States, even those illegally, are entitled to due process. If successful, the government’s argument in this case would reverse this basic principle of constitutional law and theoretically deny due process rights to millions of undocumented immigrants,” said Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration specialist at Cornell University Law School. Yale-Loehr signed onto a court brief siding with the asylum-seeker.
The Justice Department counters in its Supreme Court filings that immigrants have no constitutional rights regarding their application to enter the United States under high court rulings. The limited review that Congress provided for when it created expedited removal proceedings is sufficient, the administration said.
But the federal appeals court in San Francisco relied on the Supreme Court’s 2008 decision in favor of court access to detainees at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to rule that the practice of denying federal court review violates the Constitution. The Supreme Court agreed to hear the administration’s appeal. Thuraissigiam is living in the New York area at the moment.
Since 2004, immigration officials have targeted for quick deportation undocumented immigrants who are picked up within 100 miles of the U.S. border and within 14 days of entering the country. The Trump administration is seeking to expand that authority so that people detained anywhere in the U.S. and up to two years after they got here could be quickly deported.
A federal judge has put that policy on hold and the administration’s appeal will be heard Friday by the federal appeals court in Washington.
The administration has imposed other restrictions on those who say they need refuge in the U.S. because they would be harmed if they had to return home. People crossing through Mexico before arriving at the southern border can no longer seek asylum in the U.S. unless they first have been denied asylum elsewhere. The Supreme Court allowed the policy to take effect while a legal fight over it plays out in the courts.
A separate “remain in Mexico” policy that requires asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico until their cases are considered by American officials was temporarily halted this past Friday by a federal appeals court.
People who come to the United States to ask for asylum must persuade immigration officials that they have a “credible fear” of persecution in their home country. Asylum-seekers who pass that screening generally are allowed into the country as their cases progress. But the bar to grant asylum is narrow; a person must face persecution for race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a social group.
After Thuraissigiam’s arrest in February 2017, he told anyone who asked that because of his support for a Tamil political candidate, he was arrested, put in a van and beaten so severely that he spent 11 days in a hospital. Immigration officials found the account credible, but they determined he did not have a real fear of persecution if he returned home.
Having failed this initial screening, known as a “credible fear” screening, he was eligible for quick deportation.
Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union who represent him said the official who first interviewed Thuraissigiam was unable to elicit and synthesize critical information, including that the episode likely was a widely known “white van” abduction by Sri Lankan security forces. The translation via telephone also didn’t help, the lawyers said.
More critically, the administration doesn’t want to allow Thuraissigiam to make his case in front of a federal judge, said Lee Gelernt, the ACLU lawyer who will argue the case. If his client loses at the Supreme Court, Gelernt said, “it will be the first time in U.S. history that an individual was deprived of their liberty, citizen or noncitizen, without the opportunity for a federal court to review the case.”
Supporting the administration, the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation in Sacramento, California, said in its court filing that Thuraissigiam is “a would-be immigrant whose only connection to this country is stepping illegally a few yards inside the border.” He has no constitutional right to a full-blown court hearing, the foundation wrote.
A decision in Department of Homeland Security v. Thuraissigiam, 19-161, is expected before summer.


shareblue--2020-03-03--Trump silent as coronavirus inspires wave of anti-Asian racism

Donald Trump has been mostly silent as coronavirus fears have spurred racist outbursts and attacks against Asians and Asian Americans in recent months .
In Los Angeles , a man on the subway verbally harassed a Thai American woman he presumably believed to be Chinese , making racist comments about how `` every disease has ever came from China , '' and claiming falsely , `` Everything comes from China because they 're fucking disgusting , '' according to CNN .
In Indiana , two Asian men were denied a room at a hotel because the clerk said `` there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adding that anyone from China `` has to be picked up and quarantined for two weeks . ''
There is no policy in the United States that requires Asians or Asian Americans to be `` quarantined for two weeks . ''
Several Asian restaurants in Denver have also reported a drop in business in recent months based on misguided concerns about the coronavirus .
There are no reported cases of COVID-19 — the disease caused by a strain of coronavirus that originated in Wuhan , China — in the entire state of Colorado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Polis ( D-CO ) visited several Asian businesses in the city .
`` It 's important in the face of coronavirus that Coloradans do n't take it out on any Asian American Coloradans or Asian-owned businesses , '' Polis said .
Similar trends have been reported elsewhere in the country .
Since the outbreak began , the United States has experienced `` a surge of discriminatory rhetoric and violent attacks against Asian Americans , '' members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus , led by Rep. Judy Chu ( D-CA ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their colleagues .
The letter , signed by 23 members of Congress , urged colleagues to use their public positions to help `` prevent hysteria , ignorant attacks , and racist assaults '' and avoid sharing misinformation regarding the 2019 outbreak .
The new coronavirus was discovered in the Wuhan region in late 2019 .
Thus far , the majority of cases have been concentrated in China , but there are more than 100 confirmed cases in the United States and thousands more in other countries such as South Korea , Iran , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 89,000 people worldwide have been infected .
Rather than confront the surge in discrimination and xenophobia that has come with that outbreak , however , Trump has largely chosen to remain silent .
What he has chosen to speak out on has been mostly focused on himself .
On several occasions , Trump has taken time to criticize those skeptical of his initial decision to restrict travel from China .
`` So it was a , you know , bold decision , '' Trump said at a Feb. 26 press conference intended to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out to be a good decision .
But I was criticized by the Democrats .
They called me a racist because I made that decision , if you can believe that one . ''
At a meeting with black leaders the following day , intended to honor Black History Month , he repeated that claim , saying , `` Democrats said I was a racist .
Not from black-people standpoint , but from Asian-people standpoint , from Chinese-people standpoint . ''
Trump has also repeatedly praised his administration 's response to the outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asian Americans have risen across the country .
Much of that racism has been fueled by misinformation and viral conspiracies on the internet .
In the early days of the outbreak , some conservative organizations engaged in racist tropes targeting Chinese people .
A Trump-linked group described Chinese people in a January blog post as `` disease carriers '' and pushed racist tropes about Chinese eating habits .
The blog post made a veiled reference to a video of a Chinese woman eating a cooked bat , which had earlier sparked widespread hysteria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China that sell fresh meat and fish , as well as some live animals .
The post did not address the fact that the video was three years old and featured a travel blogger eating bat soup in Palau , Micronesia .
Some members of Congress , rather than sharing factual news , have also opted to push racist conspiracies .
Sen. Tom Cotton ( R-AR ) hypothesized that the coronavirus may have been created at a `` secretive '' biochemical lab in China .
`` We do n't have evidence that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` but because of China 's duplicity and dishonesty from the beginning , we need to at least ask the question to see what the evidence says , and China right now is not giving evidence on that question at all . ''
Experts have since debunked the claim .
Trump has trafficked in his own racist tropes in the past , criticizing immigrants as disease carriers during the 2016 campaign and suggesting they were bringing illnesses across the southern border .
At a meeting with lawmakers in January 2018 , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and a number of African nations as `` shithole countries , '' questioning why the United States could n't bring in more immigrants from places like Norway .
According to the Washington Post , he also suggested at the time that `` he would be open to more immigrants from Asian countries because he felt that they help the United States economically . ''
This week he also floated the idea of shutting down the southern border to prevent further spread of the coronavirus — despite the fact that the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Central America .
The move appears to be the latest attempt to implement increasingly stringent policies aimed at deterring asylum seekers and preventing nonwhite immigrants from those regions from entering the United States , under the guise of strengthening national security .
`` We are thinking about the southern border , '' he said .
`` We are looking at that very strongly . ''
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Trump plans to address the issue of anti-Asian racism spurred by the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump has been mostly silent as coronavirus fears have spurred racist outbursts and attacks against Asians and Asian Americans in recent months.
In Los Angeles, a man on the subway verbally harassed a Thai American woman he presumably believed to be Chinese, making racist comments about how “every disease has ever came from China,” and claiming falsely, “Everything comes from China because they’re fucking disgusting,” according to CNN.
In Indiana, two Asian men were denied a room at a hotel because the clerk said “there is a coronavirus going around,” adding that anyone from China “has to be picked up and quarantined for two weeks.” There is no policy in the United States that requires Asians or Asian Americans to be “quarantined for two weeks.”
Several Asian restaurants in Denver have also reported a drop in business in recent months based on misguided concerns about the coronavirus. There are no reported cases of COVID-19 — the disease caused by a strain of coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China — in the entire state of Colorado.
On Monday, Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) visited several Asian businesses in the city. “It’s important in the face of coronavirus that Coloradans don’t take it out on any Asian American Coloradans or Asian-owned businesses,” Polis said.
Similar trends have been reported elsewhere in the country.
Since the outbreak began, the United States has experienced “a surge of discriminatory rhetoric and violent attacks against Asian Americans,” members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, led by Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), wrote in a Feb. 26 letter to their colleagues.
The letter, signed by 23 members of Congress, urged colleagues to use their public positions to help “prevent hysteria, ignorant attacks, and racist assaults” and avoid sharing misinformation regarding the 2019 outbreak.
The new coronavirus was discovered in the Wuhan region in late 2019. Thus far, the majority of cases have been concentrated in China, but there are more than 100 confirmed cases in the United States and thousands more in other countries such as South Korea, Iran, and Italy.
In total, around 89,000 people worldwide have been infected.
Rather than confront the surge in discrimination and xenophobia that has come with that outbreak, however, Trump has largely chosen to remain silent.
What he has chosen to speak out on has been mostly focused on himself.
On several occasions, Trump has taken time to criticize those skeptical of his initial decision to restrict travel from China.
“So it was a, you know, bold decision,” Trump said at a Feb. 26 press conference intended to discuss the coronavirus. “It turned out to be a good decision. But I was criticized by the Democrats. They called me a racist because I made that decision, if you can believe that one.”
At a meeting with black leaders the following day, intended to honor Black History Month, he repeated that claim, saying, “Democrats said I was a racist. Not from black-people standpoint, but from Asian-people standpoint, from Chinese-people standpoint.”
Trump has also repeatedly praised his administration’s response to the outbreak.
Meanwhile, attacks against Asians and Asian Americans have risen across the country.
Much of that racism has been fueled by misinformation and viral conspiracies on the internet.
In the early days of the outbreak, some conservative organizations engaged in racist tropes targeting Chinese people. A Trump-linked group described Chinese people in a January blog post as “disease carriers” and pushed racist tropes about Chinese eating habits.
The blog post made a veiled reference to a video of a Chinese woman eating a cooked bat, which had earlier sparked widespread hysteria about so-called “wet markets” in China that sell fresh meat and fish, as well as some live animals. The post did not address the fact that the video was three years old and featured a travel blogger eating bat soup in Palau, Micronesia.
Some members of Congress, rather than sharing factual news, have also opted to push racist conspiracies.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) hypothesized that the coronavirus may have been created at a “secretive” biochemical lab in China.
“We don’t have evidence that this disease originated there,” he said, “but because of China’s duplicity and dishonesty from the beginning, we need to at least ask the question to see what the evidence says, and China right now is not giving evidence on that question at all.”
Experts have since debunked the claim.
Trump has trafficked in his own racist tropes in the past, criticizing immigrants as disease carriers during the 2016 campaign and suggesting they were bringing illnesses across the southern border. At a meeting with lawmakers in January 2018, he derided countries like Haiti, El Salvador, and a number of African nations as “shithole countries,” questioning why the United States couldn’t bring in more immigrants from places like Norway.
According to the Washington Post, he also suggested at the time that “he would be open to more immigrants from Asian countries because he felt that they help the United States economically.”
This week he also floated the idea of shutting down the southern border to prevent further spread of the coronavirus — despite the fact that the United States currently has dozens more cases than Mexico and Central America.
The move appears to be the latest attempt to implement increasingly stringent policies aimed at deterring asylum seekers and preventing nonwhite immigrants from those regions from entering the United States, under the guise of strengthening national security.
“We are thinking about the southern border,” he said. “We are looking at that very strongly.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Trump plans to address the issue of anti-Asian racism spurred by the coronavirus outbreak.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-03-03--Trump campaign sues news outlets he doesn't like for stating facts

Donald Trump 's campaign announced on Tuesday that it filed a libel lawsuit against the Washington Post , accusing the newspaper publishing `` false and defamatory statements '' intended to `` maliciously interfere with and damage '' Trump 's reelection .
The lawsuit challenges two separate pieces from 2019 by Washington Post opinion writers Greg Sargent and Paul Waldman .
Sargent 's piece quotes from special counsel Robert Mueller 's report about how the Trump campaign welcomed Russia 's interference in the 2016 election — a factual statement .
Waldman 's piece points to Trump 's interview with ABC News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't necessarily turn offers of help in the 2020 election from foreign countries such as Russia or China .
Waldman went on to write , `` who knows what sort of aid Russia and North Korea will give to the Trump campaign , now that he has invited them to offer their assistance ? ''
But the Trump campaign 's lawsuit claims that , `` There has never been any statement by anyone associated with the Campaign or the administration 'inviting ' Russia or North Korea to assist the Campaign in 2019 or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuit the Trump campaign filed against a news organization that reported facts Trump does n't like .
Last week , Trump sued the New York Times for defamation over an opinion piece from Max Frankel that relied on previous reports about a possible quid pro quo between the Trump campaign and Russia in 2016 .
The lawsuit says that the article , `` does not acknowledge that , in fact , there had been extensive reporting , including in The Times , that the meetings and contacts that the Defamatory Article refers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quo or deal between the Campaign and Russia . ''
However , Frankel 's article came out weeks before the full Mueller report was released to the public .
The report found that the Trump campaign did welcome Russian interference , but that there was not sufficient evidence to charge the campaign with a conspiracy .
Theodore J. Boutrous Jr. , a First Amendment lawyer with Gibson , Dunn & Crutcher LLP , wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that the lawsuits are `` dangerous '' to freedom of the press — calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times `` paper thin '' and full of `` embarrassingly shoddy legal work . ''
Boutrous points out the Supreme Court precedent set in New York Times Company v. Sullivan `` requires a public figure to prove , by clear and convincing evidence , that the defendant made an allegedly defamatory statement of fact knowing it was false or with reckless disregard for the truth . ''
In the Trump campaign 's lawsuit against the New York Times , Boutros wrote that , `` the Trump campaign can ’ t possibly meet this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is pure opinion , based on fully disclosed public facts . ''
Ultimately , the lawsuits are yet another escalation of Trump 's attacks on media outlets that report facts he does n't want them to report , calling them `` fake news . ''
Trump has long feuded with both the New York Times and Washington Post — which have broken numerous stories about scandals within the Trump administration , including the possible collusion between Trump 's campaign and Russia in 2016 .
Trump has tweeted dozens of attacks against the New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` failing , '' despite the fact that the outlet is seeing growing digital subscriptions and positive revenue .
He often attacks the Washington Post and its reporters as `` fake news '' — and has criticized the paper for being owned by billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos , whom Trump dislikes .
`` People are disgusted and embarrassed by the Fake News Media , as headed by the @ nytimes , @ washingtonpost , @ comcast & MSDNC , @ ABC , @ CBSNews and more , '' Trump tweeted on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they see and read , and for good reason .
Fake News is , indeed , THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE ! ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump’s campaign announced on Tuesday that it filed a libel lawsuit against the Washington Post, accusing the newspaper publishing “false and defamatory statements” intended to “maliciously interfere with and damage” Trump’s reelection.
The lawsuit challenges two separate pieces from 2019 by Washington Post opinion writers Greg Sargent and Paul Waldman.
Sargent’s piece quotes from special counsel Robert Mueller’s report about how the Trump campaign welcomed Russia’s interference in the 2016 election — a factual statement.
Waldman’s piece points to Trump’s interview with ABC News, in which Trump said he wouldn’t necessarily turn offers of help in the 2020 election from foreign countries such as Russia or China.
Waldman went on to write, “who knows what sort of aid Russia and North Korea will give to the Trump campaign, now that he has invited them to offer their assistance?”
But the Trump campaign’s lawsuit claims that, “There has never been any statement by anyone associated with the Campaign or the administration ‘inviting’ Russia or North Korea to assist the Campaign in 2019 or beyond.”
This is the second lawsuit the Trump campaign filed against a news organization that reported facts Trump doesn’t like.
Last week, Trump sued the New York Times for defamation over an opinion piece from Max Frankel that relied on previous reports about a possible quid pro quo between the Trump campaign and Russia in 2016.
The lawsuit says that the article, “does not acknowledge that, in fact, there had been extensive reporting, including in The Times, that the meetings and contacts that the Defamatory Article refers to did not result in any quid pro quo or deal between the Campaign and Russia.”
However, Frankel’s article came out weeks before the full Mueller report was released to the public. The report found that the Trump campaign did welcome Russian interference, but that there was not sufficient evidence to charge the campaign with a conspiracy.
Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., a First Amendment lawyer with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that the lawsuits are “dangerous” to freedom of the press — calling the first lawsuit against the New York Times “paper thin” and full of “embarrassingly shoddy legal work.”
Boutrous points out the Supreme Court precedent set in New York Times Company v. Sullivan “requires a public figure to prove, by clear and convincing evidence, that the defendant made an allegedly defamatory statement of fact knowing it was false or with reckless disregard for the truth.”
In the Trump campaign’s lawsuit against the New York Times, Boutros wrote that, “the Trump campaign can’t possibly meet this standard regarding the Frankel piece, which is pure opinion, based on fully disclosed public facts.”
Ultimately, the lawsuits are yet another escalation of Trump’s attacks on media outlets that report facts he doesn’t want them to report, calling them “fake news.”
Trump has long feuded with both the New York Times and Washington Post — which have broken numerous stories about scandals within the Trump administration, including the possible collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia in 2016.
Trump has tweeted dozens of attacks against the New York Times, saying the outlet is “failing,” despite the fact that the outlet is seeing growing digital subscriptions and positive revenue.
He often attacks the Washington Post and its reporters as “fake news” — and has criticized the paper for being owned by billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, whom Trump dislikes.
“People are disgusted and embarrassed by the Fake News Media, as headed by the @nytimes, @washingtonpost, @comcast & MSDNC, @ABC, @CBSNews and more,” Trump tweeted on Sunday. “They no longer believe what they see and read, and for good reason. Fake News is, indeed, THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-03-03--DHS secretary: 'Redemption fund' Trump says will pay for his wall doesn't exist

At a rally in New Hampshire in February , Donald Trump told supporters `` the wall is being built , '' and said , `` Redemption from illegal aliens that are coming in '' is funding the project .
`` The redemption money is paying for the wall , '' he added .
At a March 3 hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee , Rep. Bennie Thompson ( D-MS ) asked Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf about the alleged fund : REP. BENNIE THOMPSON ( D-MS ) : The president made reference to a redemption fund paying for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you familiar with any of this ?
THOMPSON : He referenced a , at a speech in New Hampshire this month , a redemption fund paying for the wall .
WOLF : I know the administration looks at a variety of different sourcing , funding sources for the wall .
I know what we are appropriated for and obviously funding that we 're , the DOD , is providing for wall construction as well .
But that 's what I 'm familiar with .
THOMPSON : So you 're not familiar with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ familiar with our appropriated funding .
Again , the DOD funding .
THOMPSON : So , it 's not under DHS ?
WOLF : It 's not under DHS .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

At a rally in New Hampshire in February, Donald Trump told supporters “the wall is being built,” and said, “Redemption from illegal aliens that are coming in” is funding the project.
“The redemption money is paying for the wall,” he added.
At a March 3 hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) asked Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf about the alleged fund:
REP. BENNIE THOMPSON (D-MS): The president made reference to a redemption fund paying for the wall. Have you – are you familiar with any of this? ACTING SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY CHAD WOLF: I’m sorry, a redemption fund? THOMPSON: He referenced a, at a speech in New Hampshire this month, a redemption fund paying for the wall. WOLF: I know the administration looks at a variety of different sourcing, funding sources for the wall. I know what we are appropriated for and obviously funding that we’re, the DOD, is providing for wall construction as well. But that’s what I’m familiar with. THOMPSON: So you’re not familiar with a redemption — WOLF: I’m just familiar with our appropriated funding. Again, the DOD funding. THOMPSON: So, it’s not under DHS? WOLF: It’s not under DHS.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-03-03--Trump administration appointees now must prove their devotion to Trump

The Trump administration is forcing job candidates for political appointments to praise Trump in their applications , with one question on a new questionnaire asking what part of his campaign message `` most appealed '' to them and why , CNN reported Tuesday .
The news that job applicants must demonstrate loyalty to Trump and his message comes as the Trump administration is working to purge staffers deemed not sufficiently loyal .
Already , Trump has ousted officials — including Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman , former U.S. ambassador to the EU Gordan Sondland , and top Pentagon policy official John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ withhold military aid to Ukraine in order to push the country to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden .
The Associated Press reported that Trump 's purge is still ongoing , as Trump on Tuesday withdrew the nomination of a Pentagon official who questioned his military aid freeze to Ukraine .
CNN reported that the new question asking job applicants to praise Trump was the brainchild of White House staffer John McEntee .
McEntee was originally fired from his job as Trump 's personal assistant in March 2018 and marched off White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a background check thanks in part to an online gambling habit .
But Trump brought McEntee back in February to be the head of White House personnel , where he 's helped root out allegedly disloyal staffers .
Since his return , McEntee hired James Bacon , a 23-year-old college senior from George Washington University to be one of his top aides in the Presidential Personnel Office , helping carry out the loyalty demand of staff .
Bacon 's grandmother assured Business Insider that he is fit for the role , despite his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the political process .
He just , by chance , got into politics , '' she said .
`` He 's not some dumb kid who Trump put in there . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

The Trump administration is forcing job candidates for political appointments to praise Trump in their applications, with one question on a new questionnaire asking what part of his campaign message “most appealed” to them and why, CNN reported Tuesday.
The news that job applicants must demonstrate loyalty to Trump and his message comes as the Trump administration is working to purge staffers deemed not sufficiently loyal.
Already, Trump has ousted officials — including Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, former U.S. ambassador to the EU Gordan Sondland, and top Pentagon policy official John Rood — who questioned his scheme to withhold military aid to Ukraine in order to push the country to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden.
The Associated Press reported that Trump’s purge is still ongoing, as Trump on Tuesday withdrew the nomination of a Pentagon official who questioned his military aid freeze to Ukraine.
CNN reported that the new question asking job applicants to praise Trump was the brainchild of White House staffer John McEntee. McEntee was originally fired from his job as Trump’s personal assistant in March 2018 and marched off White House grounds after he was unable to pass a background check thanks in part to an online gambling habit.
But Trump brought McEntee back in February to be the head of White House personnel, where he’s helped root out allegedly disloyal staffers.
Since his return, McEntee hired James Bacon, a 23-year-old college senior from George Washington University to be one of his top aides in the Presidential Personnel Office, helping carry out the loyalty demand of staff.
Bacon’s grandmother assured Business Insider that he is fit for the role, despite his age.
“James is interested in the political process. He just, by chance, got into politics,” she said. “He’s not some dumb kid who Trump put in there.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-03-03--What happens if you voted for a candidate who dropped out?

The abrupt departures of Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar from the Democratic presidential race on the eve of Super Tuesday primaries could be frustrating for the millions of people who have already voted in those 14 states and might have cast ballots for them .
As voters stream to precincts across the country Tuesday , here 's a look at what happens to ballots already submitted for the candidates no longer in the race .
The push to get out early Early voting began in January in many of the Super Tuesday states .
As candidates sprinted through Iowa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina , those with the resources also expanded into the delegate-rich California , Texas , North Carolina , and Virginia , leading early voting events .
It 's not known how many of those early votes may have gone to Buttigieg , Klobuchar , or Tom Steyer , all of whom have announced departures from the race in the days following Saturday 's South Carolina primary , and whose names will still be on state ballots .
Klobuchar and Buttigieg endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden on Monday .
In large part , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is final , according to state election officials .
Residents in Michigan — which votes March 10 — do get another shot , with the option to `` spoil '' their ballot and make a second choice if their candidate drops out .
Some states allow voters to pull back ballots that have n't yet been tallied , although that has to be handled case-by-case , in person , on Election Day .
In California , with more than 400 delegates are at stake , nearly 1.6 million Democrats had returned mail-in ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ballot tracker maintained by Political Data Inc .
If an early ballot there was marked for a candidate no longer in the race , a voter can take in their ballot for a new one , and make a second choice .
But once the ballot is submitted , that 's it .
In Yolo County , with some 117,000 registered voters — about 87,000 of whom requested to vote by mail — just about 21,000 ballots had been returned as of Monday morning .
Jesse Salinas , the county 's top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rapid-fire exits by some candidates could be prompting voters to wait on casting their ballots .
And some early voters , he said , had called to ask if they could possibly change their selections .
`` You have to surrender what you have , '' Salinas said .
`` You ca n't vote twice . ''
In Colorado , Secretary of State Jena Griswold tweeted on Sunday that only those who had marked a ballot but not yet returned it could make a second selection , or get a new ballot .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot , you can not receive a second ballot , regardless of the status of the candidate you chose , '' she wrote .
In North Carolina , where 110 delegates are up for grabs , voters had the option of casting ballots in person at sites in all 100 counties during a 17-day period that ended Saturday .
They could also fill out traditional absentee ballots , which must be turned in or mailed by Tuesday .
Early vote selections are final .
As of Saturday , more than half a million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary , and while there is no definitive way to know which candidates garnered those votes , there 's no way to undo the decision .
`` There are no mulligans in North Carolina early voting , '' said Michael Bitzer , a political scientist at Catawba College in North Carolina .
In many places , the frustration can be real for voters who feel their vote did n't matter .
Some of that sentiment bubbled up on Monday , at a Colorado event for Klobuchar .
Amy Valore-Caplan , a 46-year-old writer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out that the Minnesota senator , for whom she had waited until the last minute to cast her mail-in ballot , had dropped out .
Colorado has almost exclusively mail voting , and though people can still cast ballots in person on Tuesday , about 60 % post them by the day before , so they can be tallied .
Valore-Caplan said she knew Klobuchar 's candidacy was on the bubble , and actually hesitated Sunday , when she saw Buttigieg end his campaign .
`` I thought it was safe , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wait another day .
`` I was waiting to make sure she did n't drop out . ''
There 's a sentiment often seen among early voters : Those who vote early are most passionate for their given candidate .
Nicolle Bugescu , a pediatric psychologist in Irvine , California , has headed up a group of health care professionals supporting Buttigieg ’ s campaign .
Despite his exit from the race , she said Monday that she was proud to have voted early for him , even though he ’ d suspended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happy that I was able to do that .
It 's heartbreaking , too , so it 's been an emotional roller coaster , '' she said .
`` I will forever be proud of the vote that I cast for his historic candidacy . ''
Candidates who drop out of the race keep the delegates they 've won until each state party selects the actual people who will serve as those delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee .
At that point , delegates won based on statewide primary and caucus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates .
Delegates won based on results in congressional districts become free agents , who can support the candidate of their choice on the first ballot at the Milwaukee convention .

The abrupt departures of Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar from the Democratic presidential race on the eve of Super Tuesday primaries could be frustrating for the millions of people who have already voted in those 14 states and might have cast ballots for them.
As voters stream to precincts across the country Tuesday, here’s a look at what happens to ballots already submitted for the candidates no longer in the race.
The push to get out early
Early voting began in January in many of the Super Tuesday states. As candidates sprinted through Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina, those with the resources also expanded into the delegate-rich California, Texas, North Carolina, and Virginia, leading early voting events.
It’s not known how many of those early votes may have gone to Buttigieg, Klobuchar, or Tom Steyer, all of whom have announced departures from the race in the days following Saturday’s South Carolina primary, and whose names will still be on state ballots. Klobuchar and Buttigieg endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden on Monday.
Frozen in time
In large part, once a vote is cast, it is final, according to state election officials. Residents in Michigan — which votes March 10 — do get another shot, with the option to “spoil” their ballot and make a second choice if their candidate drops out.
Some states allow voters to pull back ballots that haven’t yet been tallied, although that has to be handled case-by-case, in person, on Election Day.
In California, with more than 400 delegates are at stake, nearly 1.6 million Democrats had returned mail-in ballots as of Monday afternoon, according to a ballot tracker maintained by Political Data Inc.
If an early ballot there was marked for a candidate no longer in the race, a voter can take in their ballot for a new one, and make a second choice. But once the ballot is submitted, that’s it.
In Yolo County, with some 117,000 registered voters — about 87,000 of whom requested to vote by mail — just about 21,000 ballots had been returned as of Monday morning.
Jesse Salinas, the county’s top elections official, said he suspected the rapid-fire exits by some candidates could be prompting voters to wait on casting their ballots. And some early voters, he said, had called to ask if they could possibly change their selections.
“You have to surrender what you have,” Salinas said. “You can’t vote twice.”
In Colorado, Secretary of State Jena Griswold tweeted on Sunday that only those who had marked a ballot but not yet returned it could make a second selection, or get a new ballot.
“If you’ve returned a voted ballot, you cannot receive a second ballot, regardless of the status of the candidate you chose,” she wrote.
In North Carolina, where 110 delegates are up for grabs, voters had the option of casting ballots in person at sites in all 100 counties during a 17-day period that ended Saturday. They could also fill out traditional absentee ballots, which must be turned in or mailed by Tuesday.
Early vote selections are final. As of Saturday, more than half a million ballots had been cast in the Democratic primary, and while there is no definitive way to know which candidates garnered those votes, there’s no way to undo the decision.
“There are no mulligans in North Carolina early voting,” said Michael Bitzer, a political scientist at Catawba College in North Carolina.
Feeling frustrated
In many places, the frustration can be real for voters who feel their vote didn’t matter.
Some of that sentiment bubbled up on Monday, at a Colorado event for Klobuchar. Amy Valore-Caplan, a 46-year-old writer in Denver, showed up to find out that the Minnesota senator, for whom she had waited until the last minute to cast her mail-in ballot, had dropped out.
Colorado has almost exclusively mail voting, and though people can still cast ballots in person on Tuesday, about 60% post them by the day before, so they can be tallied.
Valore-Caplan said she knew Klobuchar’s candidacy was on the bubble, and actually hesitated Sunday, when she saw Buttigieg end his campaign.
“I thought it was safe,” she said, of her decision to wait another day. “I was waiting to make sure she didn’t drop out.”
Preliminary passions
There’s a sentiment often seen among early voters: Those who vote early are most passionate for their given candidate.
Nicolle Bugescu, a pediatric psychologist in Irvine, California, has headed up a group of health care professionals supporting Buttigieg’s campaign. Despite his exit from the race, she said Monday that she was proud to have voted early for him, even though he’d suspended his effort.
“I am so happy that I was able to do that. It’s heartbreaking, too, so it’s been an emotional roller coaster,” she said. “I will forever be proud of the vote that I cast for his historic candidacy.”
Whither the delegates?
Candidates who drop out of the race keep the delegates they’ve won until each state party selects the actual people who will serve as those delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee. At that point, delegates won based on statewide primary and caucus results are given to the remaining viable candidates.
Delegates won based on results in congressional districts become free agents, who can support the candidate of their choice on the first ballot at the Milwaukee convention.


shareblue--2020-03-03--Kushner sells stake in firm after criticism over potential conflict

Donald Trump 's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner has sold his stake in a company investing in Opportunity Zone projects offering tax breaks he had pushed for in Washington , sparking criticism that he was benefiting from his White House role .
A filing at the Office of Government Ethics released Monday shows that Kushner received permission to defer capital gains taxes on the sale of his stake in Cadre , a digital platform for smaller investors in commercial properties .
Kushner 's holding in the private Cadre was worth between $ 25 million and $ 50 million , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with federal ethics officials last year .
A person familiar with the sale said Cadre asked Kushner last summer to consider selling because of worries that some potential new investors in the firm might raise conflict-of-interest issues .
The person was not authorized to speak of Kushner 's personal finances and spoke only on a condition of anonymity .
Kushner and his wife , Ivanka Trump , pushed for the Opportunity Zone tax breaks to be included in Trump 's 2017 tax overhaul .
The breaks offer investors big cuts in capital gains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and buildings in 8,700 poor , struggling neighborhoods across the country that otherwise might not attract the money .
Cadre has said it plans to invest heavily in those neighborhoods , though it is unclear just how much it has done so .
Kushner also has stakes in more than a dozen properties in Opportunity Zones owned by his family firm , Kushner Cos .
It is not clear if the company has taken advantage of the breaks .
Kushner stepped down as CEO of Kushner Cos. and gave up management positions at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three years ago .
Asked for comment , Kushner ethics lawyer Abbe Lowell referred to an earlier statement he gave to Bloomberg News saying that Kushner has complied with all ethics rules and that the sale is `` the latest example of how seriously he takes this responsibility . ''
Kushner co-founded Cadre with his brother , Joshua , and current CEO Ryan Williams .
A Forbes magazine cover story last year said investors were shying away from the company given the links to Kushner and the Trump administration .
It quoted CEO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lying if I said the political angle was n't frustrating or concerning .
There are people who wo n't work with us , and we get that . ''
Still , Kushner 's financial filings filed with federal ethics officials suggest the company is n't doing so badly .
The $ 25 million minimum value of Kushner 's stake at the end of last year is up sharply from three years ago when it was valued at at least $ 5 million .

Donald Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner has sold his stake in a company investing in Opportunity Zone projects offering tax breaks he had pushed for in Washington, sparking criticism that he was benefiting from his White House role.
A filing at the Office of Government Ethics released Monday shows that Kushner received permission to defer capital gains taxes on the sale of his stake in Cadre, a digital platform for smaller investors in commercial properties.
Kushner’s holding in the private Cadre was worth between $25 million and $50 million, according to a financial disclosure report he filed with federal ethics officials last year.
A person familiar with the sale said Cadre asked Kushner last summer to consider selling because of worries that some potential new investors in the firm might raise conflict-of-interest issues. The person was not authorized to speak of Kushner’s personal finances and spoke only on a condition of anonymity.
Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, pushed for the Opportunity Zone tax breaks to be included in Trump’s 2017 tax overhaul. The breaks offer investors big cuts in capital gains taxes if they put money into businesses and buildings in 8,700 poor, struggling neighborhoods across the country that otherwise might not attract the money.
Cadre has said it plans to invest heavily in those neighborhoods, though it is unclear just how much it has done so. Kushner also has stakes in more than a dozen properties in Opportunity Zones owned by his family firm, Kushner Cos. It is not clear if the company has taken advantage of the breaks.
Kushner stepped down as CEO of Kushner Cos. and gave up management positions at Cadre when he joined the White House three years ago.
Asked for comment, Kushner ethics lawyer Abbe Lowell referred to an earlier statement he gave to Bloomberg News saying that Kushner has complied with all ethics rules and that the sale is “the latest example of how seriously he takes this responsibility.”
Cadre declined to comment.
Kushner co-founded Cadre with his brother, Joshua, and current CEO Ryan Williams.
A Forbes magazine cover story last year said investors were shying away from the company given the links to Kushner and the Trump administration. It quoted CEO Williams saying, “I would be lying if I said the political angle wasn’t frustrating or concerning. There are people who won’t work with us, and we get that.”
Still, Kushner’s financial filings filed with federal ethics officials suggest the company isn’t doing so badly. The $25 million minimum value of Kushner’s stake at the end of last year is up sharply from three years ago when it was valued at at least $5 million.


shareblue--2020-03-03--Trump: People 'don't really know' what junior colleges are

From a March 3 speech to the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference : When I was growing up we @ @ @ @ @ Edison Vocational School '' – where they train them for , you know , cars @ @ @ @ @ and for plumbing , and all the things that there 's tremendous talent involved .
@ @ @ @ @ You had – you do n't see that .
Now they call them junior colleges @ @ @ @ @ really , as junior colleges , you do n't really know what that means .
@ @ @ @ @ ?
What does it mean ?
So we 're getting back to the word `` @ @ @ @ @ it was very important .
And it 's something that they 're very proud of @ @ @ @ @ proud also .

From a March 3 speech to the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference:
DONALD TRUMP: I love the name vocational school.
When I was growing up we used to use – “Edison Vocational School” – where they train them for, you know, cars, and for bricklaying, and for plumbing, and all the things that there’s tremendous talent involved.
And it was incredible. You had – you don’t see that. Now they call them junior colleges. And you don’t really, as junior colleges, you don’t really know what that means.
What is a junior college? What does it mean? So we’re getting back to the word “vocational.”
I thought it was very important. And it’s something that they’re very proud of and I would be very proud also.


shareblue--2020-03-03--Washing your hands isn't the only thing you can do to prevent coronavirus

On Sunday , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released additional guidance about how to prepare homes , schools , and communities for the ongoing coronavirus outbreak .
Health experts have warned that the coronavirus is likely to spread to more communities , but there are steps individuals and communities can take to prepare ahead of time .
The new coronavirus was discovered during a 2019 outbreak in the Wuhan region of China .
As of March 2 , the World Health Organization reported 88,948 confirmed cases .
Of those , 80,174 are in China .
On Tuesday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 100 confirmed cases in the United States , across 15 states .
Thus far , six deaths in the U.S. have been attributed to the new coronavirus , and the CDC reported that 17 people are currently hospitalized .
As of early March , the CDC said that most Americans are at low risk of exposure .
However , health experts are preparing for the virus to spread into more communities around the country .
The CDC warns that stigma toward Chinese immigrants and Asian Americans is both unwarranted and can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race or ethnicity does not make them more or less likely to contract an infection , and such stigma causes `` fear or anger towards ordinary people instead of the disease that is causing the problem . ''
COVID-19 is the disease caused by the new coronavirus .
Symptoms include fever , cough , and shortness of breath .
Symptoms may appear between 2 and 14 days after exposure .
The CDC reports that older adults and people with underlying chronic medical conditions may be at higher risk of complications from COVID-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ more likely to have `` serious COVID-19 illness . ''
The virus spreads through the air , such as when an infected person coughs or sneezes .
It is also possible for the virus to spread when someone touches an infected surface , such as a table or chair , and then touches their own eyes , nose , or mouth .
The CDC released guidance to protect homes from the spread of COVID-19 .
The CDC suggests individuals : • Wash hands frequently with soap and warm water for 20 seconds .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 % alcohol .
• Avoid close contact with individuals who are sick .
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow .
• If a member of the household is sick , identify a separate room for them to use — including a separate bathroom — if possible .
Clean such rooms frequently .
The CDC has separate guidance for businesses , first responders , K-12 school administrators , colleges and universities , health care facilities , and large gatherings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polling locations for election days like Super Tuesday .
While infection numbers are currently low , the CDC offers guidance on what individuals should do if they are symptomatic or have a confirmed case of COVID-19 .
• Continue to practice healthy habits such as frequent hand-washing and regularly cleaning often-used surfaces .
• Stay home except to get medical care , as to reduce the chance of infecting others .
• Call ahead to the medical provider before an appointment to alert them of the COVID-19 infection , so they can take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if one is available , when in close contact with others .
If a member of your household has COVID-19 , the CDC has recommendations for how to keep yourself healthy .
Health experts at the CDC will regularly update guidance on the best ways to protect homes , schools , and businesses as COVID-19 spreads .
Fact checks have been holding Donald Trump accountable as he struggles to provide correct information on the coronavirus outbreak .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

On Sunday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released additional guidance about how to prepare homes, schools, and communities for the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
Health experts have warned that the coronavirus is likely to spread to more communities, but there are steps individuals and communities can take to prepare ahead of time.
Basic facts about coronavirus
The new coronavirus was discovered during a 2019 outbreak in the Wuhan region of China. As of March 2, the World Health Organization reported 88,948 confirmed cases. Of those, 80,174 are in China.
On Tuesday, the New York Times reported there are more than 100 confirmed cases in the United States, across 15 states. Thus far, six deaths in the U.S. have been attributed to the new coronavirus, and the CDC reported that 17 people are currently hospitalized.
As of early March, the CDC said that most Americans are at low risk of exposure. However, health experts are preparing for the virus to spread into more communities around the country.
The CDC warns that stigma toward Chinese immigrants and Asian Americans is both unwarranted and can have harmful effects.
A person’s race or ethnicity does not make them more or less likely to contract an infection, and such stigma causes “fear or anger towards ordinary people instead of the disease that is causing the problem.”
COVID-19
COVID-19 is the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Symptoms may appear between 2 and 14 days after exposure.
The CDC reports that older adults and people with underlying chronic medical conditions may be at higher risk of complications from COVID-19. Data also suggests that older people are more likely to have “serious COVID-19 illness.”
The virus spreads through the air, such as when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It is also possible for the virus to spread when someone touches an infected surface, such as a table or chair, and then touches their own eyes, nose, or mouth.
Prevention tips
The CDC released guidance to protect homes from the spread of COVID-19. The CDC suggests individuals:
Wash hands frequently with soap and warm water for 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Clean frequently touched surfaces on a daily basis using regular household cleaning products.
Avoid close contact with individuals who are sick.
Stay home when sick.
Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow.
If a member of the household is sick, identify a separate room for them to use — including a separate bathroom — if possible. Clean such rooms frequently.
The CDC has separate guidance for businesses, first responders, K-12 school administrators, colleges and universities, health care facilities, and large gatherings.
The CDC also has guidance for polling locations for election days like Super Tuesday.
Infection guidance
While infection numbers are currently low, the CDC offers guidance on what individuals should do if they are symptomatic or have a confirmed case of COVID-19.
Continue to practice healthy habits such as frequent hand-washing and regularly cleaning often-used surfaces.
Stay home except to get medical care, as to reduce the chance of infecting others.
Call ahead to the medical provider before an appointment to alert them of the COVID-19 infection, so they can take proper precautions.
Wear a facemask, if one is available, when in close contact with others.
Avoid sharing household items with uninfected household members.
If a member of your household has COVID-19, the CDC has recommendations for how to keep yourself healthy.
Updated information
Health experts at the CDC will regularly update guidance on the best ways to protect homes, schools, and businesses as COVID-19 spreads.
Fact checks have been holding Donald Trump accountable as he struggles to provide correct information on the coronavirus outbreak.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-03-03--Trump administration uses coronavirus to push for new tax cuts

Donald Trump and his administration are pushing Congress to pass more tax cuts in an effort to battle the impacts of COVID-19 , which experts warn could lead to an outbreak of pandemic proportions .
`` The Democrats in the House should propose a very simple one year Payroll Tax cut , '' Trump tweeted Monday night , confirming previous reports that he was eyeing tax cuts as a way to combat the spread of the disease , which is caused by a strain of coronavirus that originated in China .
`` Great for the middle class , great for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin further confirmed that tax cuts were being discussed within the administration .
`` We have a sub task force set up with the Treasury to begin to look at some of the issues that you 're addressing , '' Mnuchin told House members during a hearing on Trump 's proposed 2021 fiscal year budget , after he was asked how the administration was handling the economic impact of the virus .
He added , `` ... As this progresses , we may come back to Congress and look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SMEs [ small businesses ] . ''
Tax cuts would not help stop the spread of COVID-19 , which can cause severe respiratory problems and has resulted in at least six confirmed deaths in the United States so far .
However , Trump and his administration believe that cutting taxes could help stem the economic impacts of a wider outbreak , which has thus far rattled investors and led to a massive plunge in the stock market .
Trump has pushed for more tax cuts since the GOP tax bill in 2017 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ super wealthy .
The tax cuts exploded the deficit , despite Republican claims that the cuts would pay for themselves .
The Federal Reserve also announced an emergency interest rate cut on Tuesday , the first time the Fed has made an emergency cut since the 2008 financial crisis .
The announcement did n't seem to do much for the market , however , which has held mostly steady since Monday 's close .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump and his administration are pushing Congress to pass more tax cuts in an effort to battle the impacts of COVID-19, which experts warn could lead to an outbreak of pandemic proportions.
“The Democrats in the House should propose a very simple one year Payroll Tax cut,” Trump tweeted Monday night, confirming previous reports that he was eyeing tax cuts as a way to combat the spread of the disease, which is caused by a strain of coronavirus that originated in China.
“Great for the middle class, great for the USA!”
On Tuesday morning, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin further confirmed that tax cuts were being discussed within the administration.
“We have a sub task force set up with the Treasury to begin to look at some of the issues that you’re addressing,” Mnuchin told House members during a hearing on Trump’s proposed 2021 fiscal year budget, after he was asked how the administration was handling the economic impact of the virus.
He added, “…As this progresses, we may come back to Congress and look for special actions as it impacts small SMEs [small businesses].”
Tax cuts would not help stop the spread of COVID-19, which can cause severe respiratory problems and has resulted in at least six confirmed deaths in the United States so far.
However, Trump and his administration believe that cutting taxes could help stem the economic impacts of a wider outbreak, which has thus far rattled investors and led to a massive plunge in the stock market.
Trump has pushed for more tax cuts since the GOP tax bill in 2017, which mostly benefited big business and the super wealthy. The tax cuts exploded the deficit, despite Republican claims that the cuts would pay for themselves.
The Federal Reserve also announced an emergency interest rate cut on Tuesday, the first time the Fed has made an emergency cut since the 2008 financial crisis.
The announcement didn’t seem to do much for the market, however, which has held mostly steady since Monday’s close.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-03-03--The 5 biggest questions on Super Tuesday

Tuesday is the biggest day of the primary calendar , when 14 states from the Atlantic to the Pacific vote on the Democratic presidential nominee .
The roster includes the nation 's two most populous states , California and Texas , and nearly one-third of all the delegates at July 's Democratic National Convention are up for grabs .
Here are some key questions ahead of Super Tuesday : Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has long promised that he could substantially expand the electorate beyond traditional Democratic voters , but that has n't happened in the first four contests .
Super @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his case .
He is far better financed and organized than former Vice President Joe Biden , who trounced Sanders in South Carolina on Saturday .
With five major candidates running , it 's been impossible for anyone to claim a clear majority , but Sanders ' durable base has given him a crucial plurality of the vote , and , more important , a small lead in delegates .
Sanders needs as many delegates as possible because his opponents argue the convention itself should decide the nominee should no one secure a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate with the most votes should get the nomination — an easier case to make if he comes into the Democratic National Convention with a large plurality .
Tuesday represents Sanders ' best shot at building a durable advantage in the race .
Because the Democratic Party awards delegates proportionately , once someone racks up an advantage in the delegate count , it 's difficult to catch them .
And after Tuesday , the terrain shifts to states that are n't as favorable to Sanders .
Can Biden emerge as the `` Stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performed in Iowa and New Hampshire , part of a collapse among white voters that allowed Sanders to vault into the lead .
But Biden regained his footing in South Carolina , propelled by the overwhelming support of black voters .
That aided Biden 's case that the candidate who prevails among these base voters will win the nomination .
Biden 's campaign hopes that allows him to vastly over perform his polls for Super Tuesday and consolidate the splintered anti-Sanders factions in the Democratic Party .
The hope in the former vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effectively a two-person race after Tuesday , which may give him an advantage in upcoming states like Florida , Illinois and Pennsylvania .
Remember 15 % .
That 's the share of votes a candidate has to get to win delegates in primary elections .
With five Democrats left in the race , there 's a real threat that only one or two will actually grab delegates , with the rest splitting the remaining vote in the low teens .
The risks of that diminished with the exit of Pete Buttigieg from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Klobuchar on Monday , but they certainly did n't go away .
That would be a dream scenario for Sanders , who in some states could grab a far greater proportion of available delegates than his vote share would represent .
Some polls have shown it as a distinct possibility in delegate-rich California .
Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg bet more than a half billion dollars on Super Tuesday , and we get to see if it was well spent .
Bloomberg is a billionaire , and rather than competing in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to spend a huge sum of money on advertisements and campaign organizations in the 14 states voting Tuesday , as well as on other ones voting in the coming weeks .
But since he first appeared on the debate stage , his polls plummeted and now he runs the risk of falling into the sub-15 % zone in a number of states .
Even if he does n't , will Bloomberg 's ultimate impact be to fragment the anti-Sanders vote further and help pave the way for the self-proclaimed democratic socialist whom he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop ?
How does the California count effect the race ?
California is different .
It 's the biggest prize on the board Tuesday with more than 400 delegates at stake .
But California has an unusual voting system that counts all ballots cast Tuesday , even if they were only put in a mailbox that day .
It can take weeks to tally the entire vote .
That could help or hurt Sanders .
His campaign has been investing heavily in the state , trying to encourage his supporters to send in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the early ballots heavily favor him , and we discover only in the coming weeks that California voters did n't break so overwhelmingly for the Vermont senator .
But Sanders ' base includes young and Latino voters are more likely to vote at the last minute , so the opposite could happen — his people may still turn in their ballots at the last minute , and the initial returns could look grimmer for him than the final results .
There 's a good chance we wo n't know the final delegate disposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How will that uncertainty affect the race in the weeks after Super Tuesday ?

Tuesday is the biggest day of the primary calendar, when 14 states from the Atlantic to the Pacific vote on the Democratic presidential nominee. The roster includes the nation’s two most populous states, California and Texas, and nearly one-third of all the delegates at July’s Democratic National Convention are up for grabs.
Here are some key questions ahead of Super Tuesday:
Can Sanders recapture the narrative?
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has long promised that he could substantially expand the electorate beyond traditional Democratic voters, but that hasn’t happened in the first four contests.
Super Tuesday represents his biggest chance to prove his case. He is far better financed and organized than former Vice President Joe Biden, who trounced Sanders in South Carolina on Saturday.
With five major candidates running, it’s been impossible for anyone to claim a clear majority, but Sanders’ durable base has given him a crucial plurality of the vote, and, more important, a small lead in delegates.
Sanders needs as many delegates as possible because his opponents argue the convention itself should decide the nominee should no one secure a clear majority. Sanders argues that the candidate with the most votes should get the nomination — an easier case to make if he comes into the Democratic National Convention with a large plurality.
Tuesday represents Sanders’ best shot at building a durable advantage in the race. Because the Democratic Party awards delegates proportionately, once someone racks up an advantage in the delegate count, it’s difficult to catch them. And after Tuesday, the terrain shifts to states that aren’t as favorable to Sanders.
Can Biden emerge as the “Stop Sanders” candidate?
Biden dramatically under performed in Iowa and New Hampshire, part of a collapse among white voters that allowed Sanders to vault into the lead. But Biden regained his footing in South Carolina, propelled by the overwhelming support of black voters. That aided Biden’s case that the candidate who prevails among these base voters will win the nomination.
Biden’s campaign hopes that allows him to vastly over perform his polls for Super Tuesday and consolidate the splintered anti-Sanders factions in the Democratic Party.
The hope in the former vice president’s camp is that it becomes effectively a two-person race after Tuesday, which may give him an advantage in upcoming states like Florida, Illinois and Pennsylvania.
Which candidates can stay viable?
Remember 15%. That’s the share of votes a candidate has to get to win delegates in primary elections. With five Democrats left in the race, there’s a real threat that only one or two will actually grab delegates, with the rest splitting the remaining vote in the low teens.
The risks of that diminished with the exit of Pete Buttigieg from the race Sunday night and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Monday, but they certainly didn’t go away. That would be a dream scenario for Sanders, who in some states could grab a far greater proportion of available delegates than his vote share would represent. Some polls have shown it as a distinct possibility in delegate-rich California.
Does Bloomberg’s big bet pay off?
Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg bet more than a half billion dollars on Super Tuesday, and we get to see if it was well spent.
Bloomberg is a billionaire, and rather than competing in the first four primary states, he decided to spend a huge sum of money on advertisements and campaign organizations in the 14 states voting Tuesday, as well as on other ones voting in the coming weeks.
But since he first appeared on the debate stage, his polls plummeted and now he runs the risk of falling into the sub-15% zone in a number of states.
Even if he doesn’t, will Bloomberg’s ultimate impact be to fragment the anti-Sanders vote further and help pave the way for the self-proclaimed democratic socialist whom he says he got in the race to stop?
How does the California count effect the race?
California is different. It’s the biggest prize on the board Tuesday with more than 400 delegates at stake. But California has an unusual voting system that counts all ballots cast Tuesday, even if they were only put in a mailbox that day. It can take weeks to tally the entire vote.
That could help or hurt Sanders. His campaign has been investing heavily in the state, trying to encourage his supporters to send in early ballots. It may be that the early ballots heavily favor him, and we discover only in the coming weeks that California voters didn’t break so overwhelmingly for the Vermont senator.
But Sanders’ base includes young and Latino voters are more likely to vote at the last minute, so the opposite could happen — his people may still turn in their ballots at the last minute, and the initial returns could look grimmer for him than the final results. There’s a good chance we won’t know the final delegate disposition out of the state until April. How will that uncertainty affect the race in the weeks after Super Tuesday?