shareblue--2020-02-29--News you might have missed: New Mexico governor signs gun safety bill

This week , gun safety advocates won a big victory in New Mexico , Florida announced that a record 5 million Democrats were registered to vote , and a photo of two powerful young activists meeting for the first time broke the internet .
Read on to see what you might have missed this week in the news .
New Mexico 's Democratic governor , Michelle Lujan Grisham , signed red flag gun legislation into law on Tuesday , the Albuquerque Journal reported .
The new law will allow law enforcement personnel to temporarily take firearms away from individuals considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Enough is enough , '' Lujan Grisham said in a statement , adding , `` We have the power to change the dynamic of gun violence in our communities . ''
She said the new law balances `` individual rights and public safety in a responsible way that will reduce our unacceptable suicide rate and other forms of gun violence . ''
New Mexico is the 18th state to enact a red flag law , the Albuquerque Journal reported .
The law goes into effect in May of this year .
The Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 5 million Floridians are registered as Democrats .
This is the first time any political party in the state has ever surpassed 5 million registered voters , according to data from Florida 's Department of State .
Florida `` must expand the electorate to make sure that all people — especially young people and people of color and women — have a voice and a vote , '' Andrea Mercado , executive director of New Florida Majority , said at a Tuesday press conference organized by the Florida Democratic Party .
Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters , and an additional 3.78 million voters are registered with minor parties or have no party affiliation .
The Virginia Legislature passed the Reproductive Health Protection Act , a bill that will roll back abortion restrictions enacted by previous Republican-controlled legislatures , WHSV reported on Thursday .
The bill has passed through both legislative chambers , and Gov .
Ralph Northam is expected to sign it into law .
The legislation removes both the 24-hour waiting period and mandatory ultrasounds , and gets rid of strict building codes for facilities where abortions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loudly and clearly in November when they voted to elect pro-reproductive health legislators to the Senate and House , '' Jamie Lockhart , executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia , said in a statement .
After the 2019 election , Democrats gained control of both the state House of Delegates and the state Senate .
On Wednesday , the House of Representatives passed the Emmet Till Antilynching Act by a 410-4 margin .
The bill would designate lynching as a federal hate crime .
`` After 120 years , and 200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself on the right side of history , outlawing the heinous act of lynching once and for all , '' Rep. Bobby Rush , the Illinois Democrat who introduced the bill , said in a statement .
The bill now heads to the Senate , which has previously passed the same bill .
The Senate is expected to pass the bill again and send it to Donald Trump 's desk .
Both chambers of the Colorado Legislature have passed a statewide ban on the death penalty , sending the bill to Gov .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Polis , a Democrat , has previously said he will sign the bill into law .
Colorado 's last execution took place in 1997 , according to TIME .
When the bill is signed , Colorado will become the 22nd state to abolish the death penalty .
Washington to become 10th state to ban `` gay panic '' defense Defendants in Washington state will no longer be able to use the so-called `` gay panic '' defense , thanks to a bill that passed on Wednesday , the Portland Mercury reported .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ defense strategy that argues violence against LGBTQ individuals is justified if the person carrying out the aggression is suffering `` shock '' from discovering the LGBTQ person 's identity .
The newly passed Nikki Kuhnhausen Act , named after a 17-year-old transgender murder victim , declares that defendants do not `` suffer from diminished capacity '' upon learning about a person 's gender identity or sexual orientation .
The bipartisan bill passed both legislative chambers and is expected to be signed into law by Gov .
Jay Inslee , making Washington the 10th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Malala and Greta Thunberg break the internet with photo Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai met climate activist Greta Thunberg on Tuesday , posting a photo of the moment with the caption , `` She 's the only friend I 'd skip school for . ''
Notable figures such as Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton later retweeted the image from their official accounts , prompting it to go viral .
Yousafzai , a Pakistani native , was shot in the head by the Taliban in 2012 as she was on her way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ global activist for girls ' education .
She won the Nobel Prize in 2014 at the age of 17 .
Thunberg is a 17-year-old climate activist who made global headlines for regularly skipping school to protest government inaction on climate change .
Thunberg was named TIME 's 2019 Person of the Year after organizing worldwide strikes to call attention to climate change .
Check back next week for more news you might have missed .

This week, gun safety advocates won a big victory in New Mexico, Florida announced that a record 5 million Democrats were registered to vote, and a photo of two powerful young activists meeting for the first time broke the internet.
Read on to see what you might have missed this week in the news.
New Mexico’s Democratic governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, signed red flag gun legislation into law on Tuesday, the Albuquerque Journal reported. The new law will allow law enforcement personnel to temporarily take firearms away from individuals considered dangerous to themselves or others.
“Enough is enough,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement, adding, “We have the power to change the dynamic of gun violence in our communities.”
She said the new law balances “individual rights and public safety in a responsible way that will reduce our unacceptable suicide rate and other forms of gun violence.”
New Mexico is the 18th state to enact a red flag law, the Albuquerque Journal reported. The law goes into effect in May of this year.
The Florida Democratic Party announced on Tuesday that more than 5 million Floridians are registered as Democrats. This is the first time any political party in the state has ever surpassed 5 million registered voters, according to data from Florida’s Department of State.
Florida “must expand the electorate to make sure that all people — especially young people and people of color and women — have a voice and a vote,” Andrea Mercado, executive director of New Florida Majority, said at a Tuesday press conference organized by the Florida Democratic Party.
Republicans in the state have 4.79 million registered voters, and an additional 3.78 million voters are registered with minor parties or have no party affiliation.
The Virginia Legislature passed the Reproductive Health Protection Act, a bill that will roll back abortion restrictions enacted by previous Republican-controlled legislatures, WHSV reported on Thursday. The bill has passed through both legislative chambers, and Gov. Ralph Northam is expected to sign it into law.
The legislation removes both the 24-hour waiting period and mandatory ultrasounds, and gets rid of strict building codes for facilities where abortions are performed.
“Virginia voters spoke loudly and clearly in November when they voted to elect pro-reproductive health legislators to the Senate and House,” Jamie Lockhart, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, said in a statement.
After the 2019 election, Democrats gained control of both the state House of Delegates and the state Senate.
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed the Emmet Till Antilynching Act by a 410-4 margin. The bill would designate lynching as a federal hate crime.
“After 120 years, and 200 failed attempts, the House finally positions itself on the right side of history, outlawing the heinous act of lynching once and for all,” Rep. Bobby Rush, the Illinois Democrat who introduced the bill, said in a statement.
The bill now heads to the Senate, which has previously passed the same bill. The Senate is expected to pass the bill again and send it to Donald Trump’s desk.
Both chambers of the Colorado Legislature have passed a statewide ban on the death penalty, sending the bill to Gov. Jared Polis, TIME reported on Wednesday. Polis, a Democrat, has previously said he will sign the bill into law.
Colorado’s last execution took place in 1997, according to TIME. When the bill is signed, Colorado will become the 22nd state to abolish the death penalty.
Defendants in Washington state will no longer be able to use the so-called “gay panic” defense, thanks to a bill that passed on Wednesday, the Portland Mercury reported.
“Gay panic” is a bigoted defense strategy that argues violence against LGBTQ individuals is justified if the person carrying out the aggression is suffering “shock” from discovering the LGBTQ person’s identity.
The newly passed Nikki Kuhnhausen Act, named after a 17-year-old transgender murder victim, declares that defendants do not “suffer from diminished capacity” upon learning about a person’s gender identity or sexual orientation.
The bipartisan bill passed both legislative chambers and is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee, making Washington the 10th state to outlaw such a defense.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai met climate activist Greta Thunberg on Tuesday, posting a photo of the moment with the caption, “She’s the only friend I’d skip school for.”
Notable figures such as Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton later retweeted the image from their official accounts, prompting it to go viral.
She’s the only friend I’d skip school for. pic.twitter.com/uP0vwF2U3K — Malala Yousafzai (@Malala) February 25, 2020
Yousafzai, a Pakistani native, was shot in the head by the Taliban in 2012 as she was on her way to school. She recovered and became a global activist for girls’ education. She won the Nobel Prize in 2014 at the age of 17.
Thunberg is a 17-year-old climate activist who made global headlines for regularly skipping school to protest government inaction on climate change. Thunberg was named TIME’s 2019 Person of the Year after organizing worldwide strikes to call attention to climate change.
Check back next week for more news you might have missed.


shareblue--2020-02-28--Kudlow: People thought it was 'cool' to 'go on government assistance' under Obama

Trump top economic adviser Larry Kudlow says Trump has brought a 'complete change ' to the attitude of American workers @ @ @ @ @ session of CPAC : LARRY KUDLOW : You know what ?
Today it 's cool @ @ @ @ @ : Yes , it should always be cool .
KUDLOW : It 's not cool @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's cool to work .
KUDLOW : That 's a complete change .
@ @ @ @ @ from the attitude and the psychology of the last 15 or 20 years .

From the Feb. 28 session of CPAC:
LARRY KUDLOW: You know what? Today it’s cool to work.
IVANKA TRUMP: Yes, it should always be cool.
KUDLOW: It’s not cool to go on government assistance. It’s cool to work.
MATT SCHLAPP: That’s right.
KUDLOW: That’s a complete change. That’s a complete change from the attitude and the psychology of the last 15 or 20 years.


shareblue--2020-02-28--Nunes claims 'senior intelligence folks' made Michael Flynn plead guilty

Speaking at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday , Rep. Devin Nunes ( R-CA ) claimed that former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn was prosecuted because he wanted to remove `` senior intelligence folks '' from their positions .
`` They had a real reason to get rid of General Flynn , '' Nunes said , echoing the `` deep state '' conspiracy that has often been pushed by Donald Trump , his congressional allies , and conservative media .
In reality , Flynn pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to the FBI about his communications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or convictions stemming from special counsel Mueller 's nearly two-year-long probe .
From the Feb. 28 session of CPAC : DEVIN NUNES : The frustrating part about this is that I know – because I was on the Trump transition team – one of the things that Gen. Flynn wanted to do , he thought it was critically important that we empty out the swamp of all the senior intelligence folks that are in Washington , D.C .
So they had a real reason to get rid of Gen. Flynn .
And , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NSC [ National Security Council ] , downsize the rest of the IC [ Intelligence Community ] elements in the swamp , push people out to the field which is were you can actually get intelligence , that 's what he wanted to do .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Speaking at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) claimed that former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn was prosecuted because he wanted to remove “senior intelligence folks” from their positions.
“They had a real reason to get rid of General Flynn,” Nunes said, echoing the “deep state” conspiracy that has often been pushed by Donald Trump, his congressional allies, and conservative media.
In reality, Flynn pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to the FBI about his communications Russia, one of several guilty pleas or convictions stemming from special counsel Mueller’s nearly two-year-long probe.
From the Feb. 28 session of CPAC:
DEVIN NUNES: The frustrating part about this is that I know – because I was on the Trump transition team – one of the things that Gen. Flynn wanted to do, he thought it was critically important that we empty out the swamp of all the senior intelligence folks that are in Washington, D.C. So they had a real reason to get rid of Gen. Flynn. And, because he was going to downsize the NSC [National Security Council], downsize the rest of the IC [Intelligence Community] elements in the swamp, push people out to the field which is were you can actually get intelligence, that’s what he wanted to do.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-02-28--Independents outnumber registered Republicans for the first time ever

As the 2020 election fast approaches , registered Republicans make up the smallest portion of the electorate since party registration was created in the early 1990s , according to a report from the Washington Post .
Pointing to data from Ballot Access News , the Washington Post reported that registered Democrats make up the largest portion of the electorate at 39.66 % , followed by independents at 29.09 % , and registered Republicans in last with 28.87 % .
Of course , only 31 states and the District of Columbia have party registration — so the registration does not present @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country .
However , the news could be a troubling sign for Donald Trump and the Republicans seeking to ride his coattails to victory in November .
For example in 2004 , when now-former President George W. Bush ran for and won reelection , Republicans made up 32.79 % of the electorate , according to the Washington Post .
Other caveats apply as well .
While registered Republicans are now outnumbered by independents , Democrats have also seen a dip in party registration since 2016 , according to the Washington Post 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amounted to 40.6 % of the electorate in the states that have party registration .
That means in 2020 , Democrats have seen a 0.94 % drop .
Republicans have also seen a dip , but not as big as Democrats ' .
In 2016 , registered Republicans amounted to 29.31 % of the electorate in states with party registration .
That means in 2020 , Republicans saw a smaller half-percentage-point drop .
However , Democrats have seen encouraging signs in registration across the country .
In the battleground state of Florida , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ registered Democrats — outnumbering the 4.79 million registered Republicans .
It 's the first time a party has ever surpassed 5 million registered voters in the state .
And New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Raymond Buckley announced on Thursday that , `` For the first time in 10 years , there are now more registered Democrats than Republicans in New Hampshire , and Democrats have the most registered members of a political party ever in our state . ''
`` Before the primary , we set out with a goal to flip the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our state for a decade – and we did it !
– thanks to all of the grassroots organizing and outreach by Granite Staters like you leading up to the primary , '' Buckley said in an email to supporters .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

As the 2020 election fast approaches, registered Republicans make up the smallest portion of the electorate since party registration was created in the early 1990s, according to a report from the Washington Post.
Pointing to data from Ballot Access News, the Washington Post reported that registered Democrats make up the largest portion of the electorate at 39.66%, followed by independents at 29.09%, and registered Republicans in last with 28.87%.
Of course, only 31 states and the District of Columbia have party registration — so the registration does not present the full picture of party identification in the country.
However, the news could be a troubling sign for Donald Trump and the Republicans seeking to ride his coattails to victory in November.
For example in 2004, when now-former President George W. Bush ran for and won reelection, Republicans made up 32.79% of the electorate, according to the Washington Post.
Other caveats apply as well.
While registered Republicans are now outnumbered by independents, Democrats have also seen a dip in party registration since 2016, according to the Washington Post’s report.
In 2016, registered Democrats amounted to 40.6% of the electorate in the states that have party registration. That means in 2020, Democrats have seen a 0.94% drop.
Republicans have also seen a dip, but not as big as Democrats’. In 2016, registered Republicans amounted to 29.31% of the electorate in states with party registration. That means in 2020, Republicans saw a smaller half-percentage-point drop.
However, Democrats have seen encouraging signs in registration across the country.
In the battleground state of Florida, there are now more than 5.04 million registered Democrats — outnumbering the 4.79 million registered Republicans. It’s the first time a party has ever surpassed 5 million registered voters in the state.
And New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Raymond Buckley announced on Thursday that, “For the first time in 10 years, there are now more registered Democrats than Republicans in New Hampshire, and Democrats have the most registered members of a political party ever in our state.”
“Before the primary, we set out with a goal to flip the voter registration edge Republicans have held in our state for a decade – and we did it! – thanks to all of the grassroots organizing and outreach by Granite Staters like you leading up to the primary,” Buckley said in an email to supporters.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-02-28--White House hopefuls condemn Trump's coronavirus response

Democratic White House hopefuls are seizing on Donald Trump ’ s delayed response to the coronavirus outbreak , calling it the latest evidence of his incompetence and warning that the crisis may only deepen as a result .
But some experts and Democrats warn that the candidates risk exacerbating a public health crisis if they go too far in politicizing the virus that causes the COVID-19 illness .
Former Vice President Joe Biden , former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg , Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren , and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar all went after Trump during their CNN town halls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates have released their own pandemic policies , and Bloomberg is even airing an ad contrasting Trump ’ s response to the outbreak to his own handling of the aftermath of Sept. 11 .
It 's a potent political issue , as it gets at what Democrats see as two major potential weaknesses for Trump : questions about his competence and health care issues .
`` The threat from coronavirus and the chaos of the administration is front and center in everyone 's mind , '' said Jesse Ferguson , a longtime Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's campaign .
`` Not talking about it means you 're missing voters who are deeply worried about the public health threat and deeply concerned about the Trump administration ’ s incompetence . ''
Warren , Klobuchar , and Bloomberg have all released public health plans detailing how they ’ d address and prevent similar outbreaks as president .
During their CNN town halls , Warren warned that the economic impact of the new coronavirus could get worse .
She and Klobuchar slammed Trump 's decision to put Mike Pence in charge of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handling of an HIV outbreak in Indiana when he was governor .
Biden has previously slammed Trump for `` hysterical xenophobia and fearmongering '' rather than respecting science on the issue .
Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard , another 2020 Democratic hopeful , issued a statement Thursday night calling for Trump to allow her state to buy COVID-19 testing kits from Japan .
She said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was `` failing to provide them . ''
`` As an island state , with responsible leadership , we can keep this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't be able to do that without our state and federal leaders taking it much more seriously than they are right now , '' she said .
But sounding the alarm on the administration 's coronavirus response also holds risks .
Florida Rep. Donna Shalala , who served as secretary of health and human services under President Bill Clinton in the 1990s , had a stark warning for Democrats .
`` Do n't open your mouth until you know what you 're talking about .
This is politics .
They need to listen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
That is a major criticism Democrats have lobbed at Trump — that he has botched his response and fostered more confusion by publicly contradicting the scientists in his administration about the severity of the virus .
On Wednesday , the Republican president sought to minimize fears at a White House press conference in which he insisted the U.S. is `` very , very ready '' for an outbreak and predicted : `` This will end … there 's no reason to be panicked . ''
But standing next to him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handling the outbreak predicted more cases are coming in the U.S. Democrats are not immune to the critique themselves , however .
During Tuesday night 's primary debate , both Biden and Bloomberg made the erroneous claim that Trump cut funding for the CDC .
While Trump proposed cuts to the CDC in his budget blueprint , he was overruled by Congress , and the eventual budget he signed included an increase in funding .
Biden corrected his comments during Wednesday night 's CNN town hall but went on to warn that Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal with how you equip hospitals . ''
Bloomberg , meanwhile , criticized Trump at a Houston rally on Thursday , accusing him of `` burying his head in the sand '' and charging that `` his failure to prepare is crippling our ability to respond . ''
But the public health system has a playbook to follow for pandemic preparation — regardless of who ’ s president or whether specific instructions are coming from the White House .
Those plans were put into place in anticipation of another flu pandemic but are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Jen Kates , senior vice president and director of global health and HIV policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation , warned that `` any time political ideology starts to dominate the dialogue , it puts the public at risk . ''
`` The history of good public health is that when things become politicized , we risk a good sound response and a response based on science and expertise , '' she said .
`` This is a situation that 's changing by the moment , and that makes it all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there should be some `` caution around not stoking panic and not using the partisan environment to steer away from basic public health messaging '' — but acknowledged that will be tough `` in a very partisan time , during campaign season . ''
Both parties are guilty of politicizing public health pandemics when they ’ re not the party in charge of the White House , she noted .
During the Ebola outbreak in 2014 , Republicans routinely slammed the Obama administration for similar critiques Trump is facing from Democrats — namely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond and didn ’ t appoint an adviser to coordinate the government ’ s response quickly enough .
But Kathleen Sebelius , who served as Obama 's secretary of health and human services from 2009 to 2014 , said Democrats have a lot more to criticize when it comes to Trump 's response .
`` We have the components of what could be a perfect storm .
Are there ways to deal with it calmly and rationally ?
You bet .
Is the United States well prepared ?
It seems like there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She pointed to the fact that the initial White House funding request was just a fraction of what had been allocated for past viral outbreaks like Ebola , and Trump himself has largely left it up to Congress to sort out the details .
She also noted that a number of key positions set up by Obama to deal with global pandemics have now either been eliminated or left vacant , and she called out Trump for contradicting his own scientists on the severity of the threat .
Shalala agreed — but she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to focus their critiques on Trump and not the experts in the administration who are trying to tackle the crisis .
`` There are things that they can criticize , like the inadequate funding request and the president muddying the waters '' at his press conference , she said , `` but they shouldn ’ t be criticizing the agency heads and the very good scientist physicians that are trying to do their jobs . ''
But some Democrats say the conversation around the coronavirus is fair game because it gets at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrounding his leadership .
`` Electing a president is n't about a series of issue check boxes on a spreadsheet .
It 's about the public 's confidence that you can lead the country , especially in times of crisis , '' Ferguson said .
`` If we ca n't demonstrate the fundamental failure of this administration to lead in this crisis , then we are not talking about the thing that people think about when electing a president . ''

Democratic White House hopefuls are seizing on Donald Trump’s delayed response to the coronavirus outbreak, calling it the latest evidence of his incompetence and warning that the crisis may only deepen as a result.
But some experts and Democrats warn that the candidates risk exacerbating a public health crisis if they go too far in politicizing the virus that causes the COVID-19 illness.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar all went after Trump during their CNN town halls Wednesday night.
A number of the candidates have released their own pandemic policies, and Bloomberg is even airing an ad contrasting Trump’s response to the outbreak to his own handling of the aftermath of Sept. 11.
It’s a potent political issue, as it gets at what Democrats see as two major potential weaknesses for Trump: questions about his competence and health care issues.
“The threat from coronavirus and the chaos of the administration is front and center in everyone’s mind,” said Jesse Ferguson, a longtime Democratic strategist and former spokesman for Hillary Clinton’s campaign. “Not talking about it means you’re missing voters who are deeply worried about the public health threat and deeply concerned about the Trump administration’s incompetence.”
Warren, Klobuchar, and Bloomberg have all released public health plans detailing how they’d address and prevent similar outbreaks as president.
During their CNN town halls, Warren warned that the economic impact of the new coronavirus could get worse. She and Klobuchar slammed Trump’s decision to put Mike Pence in charge of the coronavirus response, noting his controversial handling of an HIV outbreak in Indiana when he was governor.
Biden has previously slammed Trump for “hysterical xenophobia and fearmongering” rather than respecting science on the issue.
Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, another 2020 Democratic hopeful, issued a statement Thursday night calling for Trump to allow her state to buy COVID-19 testing kits from Japan. She said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was “failing to provide them.”
“As an island state, with responsible leadership, we can keep this virus out. But, we won’t be able to do that without our state and federal leaders taking it much more seriously than they are right now,” she said.
But sounding the alarm on the administration’s coronavirus response also holds risks. Florida Rep. Donna Shalala, who served as secretary of health and human services under President Bill Clinton in the 1990s, had a stark warning for Democrats.
“Don’t open your mouth until you know what you’re talking about. This is politics. They need to listen to the scientists as well,” she said.
That is a major criticism Democrats have lobbed at Trump — that he has botched his response and fostered more confusion by publicly contradicting the scientists in his administration about the severity of the virus.
On Wednesday, the Republican president sought to minimize fears at a White House press conference in which he insisted the U.S. is “very, very ready” for an outbreak and predicted: “This will end … there’s no reason to be panicked.” But standing next to him, the health officials in charge of handling the outbreak predicted more cases are coming in the U.S.
Democrats are not immune to the critique themselves, however. During Tuesday night’s primary debate, both Biden and Bloomberg made the erroneous claim that Trump cut funding for the CDC.
While Trump proposed cuts to the CDC in his budget blueprint, he was overruled by Congress, and the eventual budget he signed included an increase in funding.
Biden corrected his comments during Wednesday night’s CNN town hall but went on to warn that Trump “did not have a plan to deal with how you equip hospitals.”
Bloomberg, meanwhile, criticized Trump at a Houston rally on Thursday, accusing him of “burying his head in the sand” and charging that “his failure to prepare is crippling our ability to respond.”
But the public health system has a playbook to follow for pandemic preparation — regardless of who’s president or whether specific instructions are coming from the White House. Those plans were put into place in anticipation of another flu pandemic but are designed to work for any respiratory-borne disease.
Jen Kates, senior vice president and director of global health and HIV policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, warned that “any time political ideology starts to dominate the dialogue, it puts the public at risk.”
“The history of good public health is that when things become politicized, we risk a good sound response and a response based on science and expertise,” she said. “This is a situation that’s changing by the moment, and that makes it all the more delicate.”
Kates warned that there should be some “caution around not stoking panic and not using the partisan environment to steer away from basic public health messaging” — but acknowledged that will be tough “in a very partisan time, during campaign season.”
Both parties are guilty of politicizing public health pandemics when they’re not the party in charge of the White House, she noted. During the Ebola outbreak in 2014, Republicans routinely slammed the Obama administration for similar critiques Trump is facing from Democrats — namely, that he was too slow to respond and didn’t appoint an adviser to coordinate the government’s response quickly enough.
But Kathleen Sebelius, who served as Obama’s secretary of health and human services from 2009 to 2014, said Democrats have a lot more to criticize when it comes to Trump’s response.
“We have the components of what could be a perfect storm. Are there ways to deal with it calmly and rationally? You bet. Is the United States well prepared? It seems like there are some gaps,” she said.
She pointed to the fact that the initial White House funding request was just a fraction of what had been allocated for past viral outbreaks like Ebola, and Trump himself has largely left it up to Congress to sort out the details.
She also noted that a number of key positions set up by Obama to deal with global pandemics have now either been eliminated or left vacant, and she called out Trump for contradicting his own scientists on the severity of the threat.
Shalala agreed — but she warned Democrats to be “careful” to focus their critiques on Trump and not the experts in the administration who are trying to tackle the crisis.
“There are things that they can criticize, like the inadequate funding request and the president muddying the waters” at his press conference, she said, “but they shouldn’t be criticizing the agency heads and the very good scientist physicians that are trying to do their jobs.”
But some Democrats say the conversation around the coronavirus is fair game because it gets at a much broader issue for Trump: questions surrounding his leadership.
“Electing a president isn’t about a series of issue check boxes on a spreadsheet. It’s about the public’s confidence that you can lead the country, especially in times of crisis,” Ferguson said. “If we can’t demonstrate the fundamental failure of this administration to lead in this crisis, then we are not talking about the thing that people think about when electing a president.”


shareblue--2020-02-28--House passes flavored tobacco ban one day after Trump administration opposed it

The House of Representatives approved a bill on Friday designed to combat tobacco and e-cigarette use by America 's youths .
The move came one day after the Trump administration announced its opposition to the measure .
The Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 , authored by Democratic Reps. Frank Pallone ( NJ ) and Donna Shalala ( FL ) , passed by a margin of 213-195 .
It was backed by 208 Democrats and five Republicans .
Seventeen Democrats , 177 Republicans , and one independent voted no .
The bill would prohibit the sale of menthol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flavorings .
It also would require color graphic warning labels on all cigarette packages , require the FDA to regulate all tobacco products ( including e-cigarettes ) and synthetic nicotine , and ban online sales of e-cigarettes .
`` We can not afford to wait , '' Pallone explained as he introduced the bill last year .
`` We are on the cusp of losing an entirely new generation to a lifetime of nicotine addiction.
” A study in November published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found 1 in 4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nicotine in the past month .
Dozens of national organizations backed the bill , urging Congress to `` Protect our kids .
Not big tobacco . ''
But the Trump administration released a statement on Thursday opposing it , citing provisions it claimed `` are unsupported by the available evidence regarding harm reduction and American tobacco use habits '' and `` constitutional concerns . ''
`` If presented to the President in its current form , '' the statement read , `` the President ’ s senior advisors would recommend that he veto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump promised to ban flavored e-cigarettes and nicotine pods , saying , `` We ca n't allow people to get sick .
And we ca n't have our kids be so affected . ''
But after lobbying from conservative organizations and his 2020 campaign manager against a full prohibition , he backed off .
In January , his administration announced restrictions to flavored e-cigarettes , but included multiple exceptions , including for menthol flavors .
It is unlikely that Trump will get a chance to veto the bill .
It now goes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McConnell has vowed to block all `` left-wing solutions that are going to be issues in the fall campaign . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

The House of Representatives approved a bill on Friday designed to combat tobacco and e-cigarette use by America’s youths. The move came one day after the Trump administration announced its opposition to the measure.
The Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019, authored by Democratic Reps. Frank Pallone (NJ) and Donna Shalala (FL), passed by a margin of 213-195. It was backed by 208 Democrats and five Republicans.
Seventeen Democrats, 177 Republicans, and one independent voted no.
The bill would prohibit the sale of menthol cigarettes, menthol cigars, and e-cigarette flavorings. It also would require color graphic warning labels on all cigarette packages, require the FDA to regulate all tobacco products (including e-cigarettes) and synthetic nicotine, and ban online sales of e-cigarettes.
“We cannot afford to wait,” Pallone explained as he introduced the bill last year. “We are on the cusp of losing an entirely new generation to a lifetime of nicotine addiction.”
A study in November published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found 1 in 4 middle and high school students reported vaping nicotine in the past month.
Dozens of national organizations backed the bill, urging Congress to “Protect our kids. Not big tobacco.”
But the Trump administration released a statement on Thursday opposing it, citing provisions it claimed “are unsupported by the available evidence regarding harm reduction and American tobacco use habits” and “constitutional concerns.”
“If presented to the President in its current form,” the statement read, “the President’s senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill.”
Last year, Trump promised to ban flavored e-cigarettes and nicotine pods, saying, “We can’t allow people to get sick. And we can’t have our kids be so affected.” But after lobbying from conservative organizations and his 2020 campaign manager against a full prohibition, he backed off.
In January, his administration announced restrictions to flavored e-cigarettes, but included multiple exceptions, including for menthol flavors.
It is unlikely that Trump will get a chance to veto the bill. It now goes to the Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has vowed to block all “left-wing solutions that are going to be issues in the fall campaign.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-02-28--House GOP tries to hijack anti-vaping bill to make it about abortion

House Republicans on Friday tried to hijack a vote on legislation that would ban flavored vaping products that are marketed toward children , and add to it the anti-science `` born alive '' abortion language the GOP has tried to pass for months .
Rep. Greg Walden ( R-OR ) suggested the last-minute amendment , a stunt which he argued was relevant because of the recently implemented ban on vaping products for `` children under the age of 21 . ''
But the effort to add the anti-abortion language to the bill failed by a vote of 220-187 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on to pass by a vote of 213-195 .
Republicans are currently attempting to use anti-abortion votes to hammer Democrats for supporting `` infanticide '' — a completely false claim , but one Republicans hope will help drum up excitement from the GOP base .
The `` born alive '' legislation relies on debunked claims that babies are born alive after abortions .
Abortion rights advocates have called out the strategy as an attempt to try to stigmatize patients who have abortions later in pregnancy and discourage doctors from performing the procedure as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban abortion .
`` The bill maligns and vilifies providers and patients to push a false narrative about abortion later in pregnancy , '' Kristyn Brandi , a doctor and board member of Physicians for Reproductive Health , told Vox News .
And there are already many laws in place that assert murder is illegal — making the bill unnecessary .
Attorney and professor Neil Siegel told Politifact , `` There is no lack of statutory or constitutional law that would protect babies through a live birth or a failed abortion . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pass similar legislation last week — putting this to a vote while sitting on hundreds of other House-passed bills on prescription drug pricing , election security , and gun control — but he also failed .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

House Republicans on Friday tried to hijack a vote on legislation that would ban flavored vaping products that are marketed toward children, and add to it the anti-science “born alive” abortion language the GOP has tried to pass for months.
Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) suggested the last-minute amendment, a stunt which he argued was relevant because of the recently implemented ban on vaping products for “children under the age of 21.”
But the effort to add the anti-abortion language to the bill failed by a vote of 220-187. The anti-vaping bill without the anti-abortion language went on to pass by a vote of 213-195.
Republicans are currently attempting to use anti-abortion votes to hammer Democrats for supporting “infanticide” — a completely false claim, but one Republicans hope will help drum up excitement from the GOP base.
The “born alive” legislation relies on debunked claims that babies are born alive after abortions.
Abortion rights advocates have called out the strategy as an attempt to try to stigmatize patients who have abortions later in pregnancy and discourage doctors from performing the procedure as part of the overall agenda to ultimately ban abortion.
“The bill maligns and vilifies providers and patients to push a false narrative about abortion later in pregnancy,” Kristyn Brandi, a doctor and board member of Physicians for Reproductive Health, told Vox News.
And there are already many laws in place that assert murder is illegal — making the bill unnecessary.
Attorney and professor Neil Siegel told Politifact, “There is no lack of statutory or constitutional law that would protect babies through a live birth or a failed abortion.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tried to pass similar legislation last week — putting this to a vote while sitting on hundreds of other House-passed bills on prescription drug pricing, election security, and gun control — but he also failed.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-02-28--House to investigate Justice Department intervention in Trump allies' cases

The House of Representatives is looking into allegations of `` improper political interference '' at the Justice Department , including the possibility that Donald Trump may have used the department for his own political ends .
On Friday , Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler formally requested interviews with people involved in the Roger Stone case as well as several other cases relating to Trump 's political allies and enemies .
`` You yourself have acknowledged the difficulties posed by the President 's statements about ongoing Justice Department matters , '' Nadler ( D-NY ) wrote to Attorney General William Barr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President 's pleasure , you are also charged with impartial administration of our laws .
In turn , the House Judiciary Committee is charged with holding you to that responsibility . ''
Nadler requested Barr allow testimony or interviews from four career prosecutors who withdrew from Stone 's case after Barr intervened to reduce Stone 's earlier recommended sentence .
Earlier this month , federal prosecutors asked a judge to sentence Stone , who was convicted in November of witness tampering and lying to Congress in relation to the Russia investigation , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , Trump suggested this long sentence might be `` prosecutorial misconduct '' and , soon after , Justice officials proposed a more lenient sentence .
The reversal prompted all four prosecutors on the case to resign in protest .
Nadler this week also sought documents and the opportunity to question prosecutors about the Justice Department 's handling of other issues , including cases against former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort , and the merger between AT & T and Time Warner .
Nadler told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 13 .
The Justice Department declined to comment on whether it plans to comply .
Barr claimed earlier this month in an ABC News interview that Trump `` has never asked me to do anything in a criminal case . ''
But Trump has often made public demands on what the Justice Department should do , eventually leading the department to change course .
In recent weeks , he has repeatedly complained publicly about the Stone case , calling it a `` miscarriage of justice '' and suggested he might try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asserted an `` absolute right '' to tell federal prosecutors what to do , but claimed that he has never actually done so .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

The House of Representatives is looking into allegations of “improper political interference” at the Justice Department, including the possibility that Donald Trump may have used the department for his own political ends.
On Friday, Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler formally requested interviews with people involved in the Roger Stone case as well as several other cases relating to Trump’s political allies and enemies.
“You yourself have acknowledged the difficulties posed by the President’s statements about ongoing Justice Department matters,” Nadler (D-NY) wrote to Attorney General William Barr. “Although you serve at the President’s pleasure, you are also charged with impartial administration of our laws. In turn, the House Judiciary Committee is charged with holding you to that responsibility.”
Nadler requested Barr allow testimony or interviews from four career prosecutors who withdrew from Stone’s case after Barr intervened to reduce Stone’s earlier recommended sentence.
Earlier this month, federal prosecutors asked a judge to sentence Stone, who was convicted in November of witness tampering and lying to Congress in relation to the Russia investigation, to 7-9 years in prison.
At the time, Trump suggested this long sentence might be “prosecutorial misconduct” and, soon after, Justice officials proposed a more lenient sentence. The reversal prompted all four prosecutors on the case to resign in protest.
Nadler this week also sought documents and the opportunity to question prosecutors about the Justice Department’s handling of other issues, including cases against former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, and the merger between AT&T and Time Warner.
Nadler told Barr to respond to his requests by March 13.
The Justice Department declined to comment on whether it plans to comply.
Barr claimed earlier this month in an ABC News interview that Trump “has never asked me to do anything in a criminal case.”
But Trump has often made public demands on what the Justice Department should do, eventually leading the department to change course. In recent weeks, he has repeatedly complained publicly about the Stone case, calling it a “miscarriage of justice” and suggested he might try to pardon his longtime ally.
Trump recently asserted an “absolute right” to tell federal prosecutors what to do, but claimed that he has never actually done so.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-02-28--Experts warn of growing coronavirus threat as Trump administration downplays concerns

The coronavirus outbreak that first began in Wuhan , China , may wreak more havoc on the globe than initially predicted .
Financial experts are warning about a potential recession , both in the United States and around the world , due to the concerning spread of the COVID-19 disease caused by the virus .
On Wednesday , Janet Yellen , former chair of the Federal Reserve , said that the U.S. economic outlook `` looks pretty good , '' but warned that a sustained outbreak could `` veer the U.S. toward a recession . ''
Goldman Sachs took a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a more severe outbreak `` could lead to a more prolonged disruption and a U.S .
recession . ''
Bank of America stopped short of predicting a recession but warned that the spread of COVID-19 could cause a global economic slowdown , CNBC reported on Thursday .
Bank of America also said that Donald Trump 's trade war with China is causing `` spillover effects '' which could continue to hurt the U.S. and global economy .
Amid those warnings , the Trump administration is facing another crisis of its own making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier this month and obtained Thursday by the Washington Post and New York Times , administration officials allegedly bungled the initial response to the virus , allowing federal workers tasked with tending to possible coronavirus patients to do so without proper protective gear or medical training .
The complaint alleged that federal workers then interacted with the general population without realizing they may have been exposed to the disease .
The whistleblower , a senior Health and Human Services official , was reassigned after informing the administration of those problems .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days , starting from Feb. 19 , to accept her new position or face termination .
Elsewhere , Reuters also reported on Friday that some patients who had been treated and quarantined for the disease , and were subsequently discharged from the hospital , later tested positive for the virus .
Those cases , discovered in China , could make the outbreak more difficult to contain if other patients around the world experience reinfection as well .
Meanwhile , officials in the Trump White House seem to be treating the outbreak as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney blaming the media for covering the COVID-19 outbreak .
`` They think this will bring down the president , '' Mulvaney said at the Friday morning session of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland .
`` That 's what this is all about , '' He added , without offering any evidence to support his assertion .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , which releases regular , updated information on the COVID-19 outbreak , reported that symptoms of the disease typically appear between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and include fever , cough , and shortness of breath .
There is no vaccine , and the CDC recommends avoiding close contact with those who are sick , regular handwashing , and staying at home if you are ill to prevent infection .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

The coronavirus outbreak that first began in Wuhan, China, may wreak more havoc on the globe than initially predicted.
Financial experts are warning about a potential recession, both in the United States and around the world, due to the concerning spread of the COVID-19 disease caused by the virus.
On Wednesday, Janet Yellen, former chair of the Federal Reserve, said that the U.S. economic outlook “looks pretty good,” but warned that a sustained outbreak could “veer the U.S. toward a recession.”
Goldman Sachs took a more concerned tone, predicting on Thursday that a more severe outbreak “could lead to a more prolonged disruption and a U.S. recession.”
Bank of America stopped short of predicting a recession but warned that the spread of COVID-19 could cause a global economic slowdown, CNBC reported on Thursday. Bank of America also said that Donald Trump’s trade war with China is causing “spillover effects” which could continue to hurt the U.S. and global economy.
Amid those warnings, the Trump administration is facing another crisis of its own making.
According to a whistleblower complaint filed earlier this month and obtained Thursday by the Washington Post and New York Times, administration officials allegedly bungled the initial response to the virus, allowing federal workers tasked with tending to possible coronavirus patients to do so without proper protective gear or medical training.
The complaint alleged that federal workers then interacted with the general population without realizing they may have been exposed to the disease.
The whistleblower, a senior Health and Human Services official, was reassigned after informing the administration of those problems. According to the Post, she was given 15 days, starting from Feb. 19, to accept her new position or face termination.
Elsewhere, Reuters also reported on Friday that some patients who had been treated and quarantined for the disease, and were subsequently discharged from the hospital, later tested positive for the virus. Those cases, discovered in China, could make the outbreak more difficult to contain if other patients around the world experience reinfection as well.
Meanwhile, officials in the Trump White House seem to be treating the outbreak as a public relations issue, with acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney blaming the media for covering the COVID-19 outbreak.
“They think this will bring down the president,” Mulvaney said at the Friday morning session of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland.
“That’s what this is all about,” He added, without offering any evidence to support his assertion.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which releases regular, updated information on the COVID-19 outbreak, reported that symptoms of the disease typically appear between 2 and 14 days of exposure, and include fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
There is no vaccine, and the CDC recommends avoiding close contact with those who are sick, regular handwashing, and staying at home if you are ill to prevent infection.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-02-28--Trump trashes Fox News poll that shows him losing to all Democratic candidates

Donald Trump on Friday criticized Fox News for publishing a poll that shows every top-tier Democratic presidential contender would beat Trump if the election were held today .
In a tweet riddled with grammatical mistakes , Trump called on Fox News to get a new pollster — ostensibly one that would find better results for Trump .
`` Worst Polls , '' Trump tweeted , minutes after Fox News aired a segment about the poll .
`` Just like in 2016 when they were so far off the mark , are the @ FoxNews Polls .
Why does n't Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' But Fox News — despite its obvious bias toward Trump and Republicans — had very accurate polling in 2016 .
It 's final national poll in 2016 found Hillary Clinton with 48 % of the vote to Trump 's 44 % .
That was almost directly on the mark with the actual 2016 results , in which Clinton took 48.5 % of the vote to Trump 's 46.4 % .
( Trump won , thanks to the Electoral College , despite earning millions of fewer votes than Clinton . )
The new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finds that if the election were held today , Trump would lose to any of the top Democratic presidential contenders currently running .
• Former Vice President Joe Biden would beat Trump , 49 % to 41 % ; • Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg would beat Trump ; 48 % to 40 % ; • Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts would beat Trump , 46 % to 43 % ; and • And former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg would beat Trump , 45 % to 42 % .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Fox News , which employs numerous hosts who fawn over Trump , such as Sean Hannity , Laura Ingraham , Tucker Carlson , and Lou Dobbs , among others .
Trump religiously watches the network , often tweeting things he sees airing on the channel during the workday .
But he has criticized the network when he feels it 's being insufficiently loyal to him or allowing people who criticize him on their programs .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump on Friday criticized Fox News for publishing a poll that shows every top-tier Democratic presidential contender would beat Trump if the election were held today.
In a tweet riddled with grammatical mistakes, Trump called on Fox News to get a new pollster — ostensibly one that would find better results for Trump.
“Worst Polls,” Trump tweeted, minutes after Fox News aired a segment about the poll. “Just like in 2016 when they were so far off the mark, are the @FoxNews Polls. Why doesn’t Fox finally get a competent Polling Company?”
But Fox News — despite its obvious bias toward Trump and Republicans — had very accurate polling in 2016.
It’s final national poll in 2016 found Hillary Clinton with 48% of the vote to Trump’s 44%. That was almost directly on the mark with the actual 2016 results, in which Clinton took 48.5% of the vote to Trump’s 46.4%. (Trump won, thanks to the Electoral College, despite earning millions of fewer votes than Clinton.)
The new 2020 poll that Trump takes issue with finds that if the election were held today, Trump would lose to any of the top Democratic presidential contenders currently running.
The Fox News poll found:
Former Vice President Joe Biden would beat Trump, 49% to 41%;
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) would beat Trump, 49% to 41%;
Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg would beat Trump; 48% to 40%;
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts would beat Trump, 46% to 43%; and
And former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg would beat Trump, 45% to 42%.
Trump has long tried to control the messaging on Fox News, which employs numerous hosts who fawn over Trump, such as Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Tucker Carlson, and Lou Dobbs, among others.
Trump religiously watches the network, often tweeting things he sees airing on the channel during the workday.
But he has criticized the network when he feels it’s being insufficiently loyal to him or allowing people who criticize him on their programs.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-03-01--Democratic candidates are betting big on Texas ahead of Super Tuesday

Bernie Sanders packed a rodeo arena in Dallas .
Mike Bloomberg has spent more than $ 13.5 million on television ads around Houston alone .
And neither Joe Biden nor Elizabeth Warren can afford big losses .
As more than a dozen states go to the polls next week , Texas is looming as both a major prize and a daunting proposition for many of the Democrats vying to take on Donald Trump .
The red state with the growing blue streak is too big to ignore , especially for a party that sees it as a future game-changer in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's also too big to win without a serious investment of time and cash .
That 's left the candidates with the biggest bank accounts with a clear advantage — and many others struggling to find ways to make a dent .
`` It 's not a matter of will .
It 's a matter of having the means , '' said Matt Angle , a longtime Democratic strategist in Texas .
`` Texas is a very , very expensive state to compete in . ''
To be sure , California remains the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , awarding 416 pledged delegates to Texas ' 228 .
Taken together , the two states will award more delegates than the rest of the Super Tuesday states combined — giving them unusual influence over the party 's choice .
Like their Californian counterparts , Texas Democrats have long grumbled that their presidential candidates show up only to raise money .
Texans add to that complaint that the party 's top candidates rarely bother to hunt for votes in such a deep-red state .
Their party has n't won a statewide office since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ losing streak , despite dominating the largest cities since first flipping Dallas in 2006 .
By 2018 , though , Democrats swept every top office on the ballot in Harris County , home to Houston and more people than the states of Iowa and New Hampshire — which led off the presidential primary — combined .
The party now has a chance to take control of the Texas House in November and is vying to pick up the four congressional seats being vacated by retiring Republicans .
Some Democrats believe the state 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ path to the White House — are n't too far out of reach .
The state party has tried to build on its momentum by commanding more attention from the 2020 field .
But efforts to organize a forum of presidential candidates fizzled because it was difficult to get those running to commit while their attention was on Iowa and New Hampshire , said Gilberto Hinojosa , chairman of the Texas Democratic Party .
He said the episode renewed his belief that the Democratic National Committee should change the order of the early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — with little time to spare .
Sanders barnstormed across the state last weekend , drawing thousands to a rally in liberal Austin .
Bloomberg is returning to Houston on Thursday , Pete Buttigieg , ex-mayor of South Bend , Indiana , will be in Dallas , and Warren , a Massachusetts senator , is hitting San Antonio with its former mayor , Julián Castro , hoping the former presidential rival can give her flagging campaign a boost in his hometown .
Other than fundraisers and a September debate in Houston , Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been hurt by his poor showing in early states , has campaigned little in the state .
The same goes for Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar , though she announced Monday that at least some of a new $ 4.2 million TV ad buy will be spent in Texas .
`` It 's just a new phenomena for Texas , '' Hinojosa said .
“ I see a Bernie campaign ad every day .
And I never watch TV . ''
During his last run for president , in 2016 , Sanders , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here , losing 3 to 1 to Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary .
But suddenly Sanders , who has shot to the front of the pack , sees Texas as winnable .
The Brooklyn-born Vermonter channeled his inner cowboy at a rally in Dallas on Sunday , confessing he 'd never been to a rodeo in his life but saying he 'd shoveled plenty of cow droppings in Washington as a senator .
While visiting San Antonio , he spoke at a dance hall featuring a mechanical bull and was introduced by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lyrics of the 1990s hit `` Hey Baby , Que Paso ? ''
— known as the city 's unofficial national anthem — to `` Hey Bernie , Que Paso ? ''
Texas is home to 5.6 million Hispanics eligible to vote in the 2020 election , according to the Pew Research Center , second in the nation behind only California 's 7.9 million .
But both states are about equal in having Hispanics make up roughly 30 % of their eligible voters .
After struggling to win over minority voters in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ push to appeal to Hispanics this cycle .
The effort appeared to pay off in Nevada , which he won handily .
Warren , who has prided herself on building a national organization faster than any other presidential candidate , opened her first Texas field office last winter and now has four , featuring 60-plus staffers .
She 's spending nearly $ 400,000 in television ads that have aired in six TV markets statewide .
That 's nothing compared to Bloomberg , who has spent more than $ 100 million on the airwaves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operation in Texas is a juggernaut that has zeroed in on big cities , including Houston , where the billionaire has focused on outreach to black voters and again apologized this month for the controversial `` stop-and-frisk '' police strategy he embraced as New York mayor .
`` I think that there are people who could be Trump-Bernie voters , potentially , from one cycle to the next , '' said Heather Kennedy , 32 , who lives outside Austin and is backing Warren .
`` I do n't know .
It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the future what Texans are going to do .
We 're so independent-minded that you never know . ''

Bernie Sanders packed a rodeo arena in Dallas. Mike Bloomberg has spent more than $13.5 million on television ads around Houston alone. And neither Joe Biden nor Elizabeth Warren can afford big losses.
For a change, Texas matters in picking a presidential nominee.
As more than a dozen states go to the polls next week, Texas is looming as both a major prize and a daunting proposition for many of the Democrats vying to take on Donald Trump. The red state with the growing blue streak is too big to ignore, especially for a party that sees it as a future game-changer in presidential and congressional politics. But it’s also too big to win without a serious investment of time and cash. That’s left the candidates with the biggest bank accounts with a clear advantage — and many others struggling to find ways to make a dent.
“It’s not a matter of will. It’s a matter of having the means,” said Matt Angle, a longtime Democratic strategist in Texas. “Texas is a very, very expensive state to compete in.”
To be sure, California remains the largest haul of the Super Tuesday states, awarding 416 pledged delegates to Texas’ 228. Taken together, the two states will award more delegates than the rest of the Super Tuesday states combined — giving them unusual influence over the party’s choice.
Like their Californian counterparts, Texas Democrats have long grumbled that their presidential candidates show up only to raise money. Texans add to that complaint that the party’s top candidates rarely bother to hunt for votes in such a deep-red state. Their party hasn’t won a statewide office since 1994, the nation’s longest political losing streak, despite dominating the largest cities since first flipping Dallas in 2006.
By 2018, though, Democrats swept every top office on the ballot in Harris County, home to Houston and more people than the states of Iowa and New Hampshire — which led off the presidential primary — combined. The party now has a chance to take control of the Texas House in November and is vying to pick up the four congressional seats being vacated by retiring Republicans. Some Democrats believe the state’s 38 electoral votes — and a new path to the White House — aren’t too far out of reach.
The state party has tried to build on its momentum by commanding more attention from the 2020 field. But efforts to organize a forum of presidential candidates fizzled because it was difficult to get those running to commit while their attention was on Iowa and New Hampshire, said Gilberto Hinojosa, chairman of the Texas Democratic Party. He said the episode renewed his belief that the Democratic National Committee should change the order of the early primaries.
The candidates are coming now — with little time to spare. Sanders barnstormed across the state last weekend, drawing thousands to a rally in liberal Austin. Bloomberg is returning to Houston on Thursday, Pete Buttigieg, ex-mayor of South Bend, Indiana, will be in Dallas, and Warren, a Massachusetts senator, is hitting San Antonio with its former mayor, Julián Castro, hoping the former presidential rival can give her flagging campaign a boost in his hometown.
Other than fundraisers and a September debate in Houston, Biden, the former vice president whose fundraising has been hurt by his poor showing in early states, has campaigned little in the state. The same goes for Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, though she announced Monday that at least some of a new $4.2 million TV ad buy will be spent in Texas.
“It’s just a new phenomena for Texas,” Hinojosa said. “I see a Bernie campaign ad every day. And I never watch TV.”
During his last run for president, in 2016, Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, was trounced here, losing 3 to 1 to Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary.
But suddenly Sanders, who has shot to the front of the pack, sees Texas as winnable. The Brooklyn-born Vermonter channeled his inner cowboy at a rally in Dallas on Sunday, confessing he’d never been to a rodeo in his life but saying he’d shoveled plenty of cow droppings in Washington as a senator. While visiting San Antonio, he spoke at a dance hall featuring a mechanical bull and was introduced by the band Piñata Protest, which modified the lyrics of the 1990s hit “Hey Baby, Que Paso?” — known as the city’s unofficial national anthem — to “Hey Bernie, Que Paso?”
Texas is home to 5.6 million Hispanics eligible to vote in the 2020 election, according to the Pew Research Center, second in the nation behind only California’s 7.9 million. But both states are about equal in having Hispanics make up roughly 30% of their eligible voters. After struggling to win over minority voters in 2016, Sanders has made a deliberate push to appeal to Hispanics this cycle. The effort appeared to pay off in Nevada, which he won handily.
Warren, who has prided herself on building a national organization faster than any other presidential candidate, opened her first Texas field office last winter and now has four, featuring 60-plus staffers. She’s spending nearly $400,000 in television ads that have aired in six TV markets statewide.
That’s nothing compared to Bloomberg, who has spent more than $100 million on the airwaves combined in Texas and California. His operation in Texas is a juggernaut that has zeroed in on big cities, including Houston, where the billionaire has focused on outreach to black voters and again apologized this month for the controversial “stop-and-frisk” police strategy he embraced as New York mayor.
“I think that there are people who could be Trump-Bernie voters, potentially, from one cycle to the next,” said Heather Kennedy, 32, who lives outside Austin and is backing Warren. “I don’t know. It’s just too hard for me to see into the future what Texans are going to do. We’re so independent-minded that you never know.”


shareblue--2020-03-01--Joe Biden wins South Carolina Democratic primary

Joe Biden scored a convincing victory in South Carolina 's Democratic primary on Saturday , riding a wave of African American support and ending progressive rival Bernie Sanders ' winning streak .
The Vermont senator claimed second place , though his loss gave a momentary respite to anxious establishment Democrats who feared that the self-described democratic socialist would finish February with four consecutive top finishes .
Biden 's win came at a do-or-die moment in his 2020 bid as the moderate Democrat bounced back from underwhelming performances in Iowa , New Hampshire and Nevada .
The race pivots immediately to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday '' states take the campaign nationwide early next week .
Biden 's allies almost immediately cast the South Carolina victory as proof that he should stand as the clear alternative to Sanders .
Sanders congratulated Biden on his first win and said it was nothing for his own supporters to worry about .
`` Tonight , we did not win in South Carolina .
That will not be the only defeat .
A lot of states in this country .
Nobody wins them all , '' he told a cheering crowd in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote next week .
`` Now we enter Super Tuesday . ''
The South Carolina primary was the first major test of the candidates ' appeal among black voters .
And while it gave the 77-year-old Biden a win when he most needed it , he must still prove that he has the financial and organizational resources to dramatically expand his campaign in the next 72 hours .
He will also be under pressure to rely on his decades-long relationships with party leaders to create a new sense of inevitability around his candidacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winner at 7 p.m. EST , just after the polls closed in South Carolina .
The AP based the call on data from AP VoteCast , a survey of the electorate conducted for the AP by NORC at the University of Chicago .
The survey showed a convincing win for Biden .
Even before news of Biden 's win was declared , Mike Bloomberg announced his own plan to deliver a three-minute prime-time address Sunday night on two television networks .
He did n't say how much he paid for the air time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bloomberg 's campaign privately acknowledged that Biden was likely to get a bump in momentum out of his South Carolina win , but they still believe Bloomberg can win in a handful of states that vote on Super Tuesday , including Arkansas , Alabama , Oklahoma , Virginia , and North Carolina .
And Sanders was already peeking ahead to Super Tuesday as well , betting he can amass an insurmountable delegate lead at that point .
After two consecutive victories and a tie for the lead in Iowa , the 78-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders was spending the lead-up to Super Tuesday campaigning in the home states of two major Democratic rivals , betting he can score a double knockout blow , or at least limit the size of their victories .
In a power play , Sanders hosted a midday rally Saturday in downtown Boston , campaigning in the heart of liberal ally Elizabeth Warren 's political turf .
Addressing a crowd of thousands on the Boston Common , Sanders said his success in the Democratic primary means `` the establishment is getting very nervous , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Carolina .
On the eve of Super Tuesday , Sanders will host a concert in Minnesota , where home-state Sen. Amy Klobuchar is looking for her first win .
Sanders ' senior adviser Jeff Weaver was among the staffers dispatched to California on Saturday .
He said Sanders is aggressively hunting for delegates , noting that their campaign 's experience during the 2016 primary against Hillary Clinton taught them that any candidate who finishes Super Tuesday with a significant delegate advantage will be difficult to catch .
`` I 'm confident we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well across the country , '' Weaver said of the coming days .
He also sought to downplay the importance of South Carolina , where Biden was `` expected to win . ''
Moments after Biden 's victory was confirmed , former Virginia Gov .
Terry McAuliffe formally endorsed the former vice president and encouraged the Democratic Party 's moderate wing to unite behind him .
On CNN , he called on several candidates to get out of the race , `` not after Tuesday , but tomorrow . ''
But the Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a two-person race .
In South Carolina , billionaire activist Tom Steyer spent more than $ 19 million on television advertising , more than all the other candidates combined , in his quest for his first top finish in four contests .
At his state campaign headquarters on Saturday , Steyer said he felt optimistic going into the vote and was looking ahead to trips to Alabama and Texas , two Super Tuesday states .
Not ceding anything , Pete Buttigieg is fighting to prove he can build a multiracial coalition .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warren and Klobuchar vowed to keep pushing forward no matter how they finished on Saturday .
Donald Trump was paying close attention to the Democratic race .
Speaking before conservative activists earlier in the day , he conducted a poll of sorts by asking his audience to cheer for who would be the best Democratic contender for him to face in November .
`` How could you be easier to beat than Joe ?
That guy ca n't put two sentences together , '' Trump told attendees of the Conservative Political Action Conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know he is more down the middle .
Everyone knows he 's not a communist and with Bernie there a real question about that . ''
Saturday was all about Biden and whether he might convince anxious establishment Democrats to rally behind him at last .
Elected officials inclined to embrace his moderate politics had been reluctant to support him after bad finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire and a distant second place in Nevada last week .
Yet fearing Sanders ' polarizing progressive priorities , they 're still searching for an alternative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to defeat Trump in November .
Senior Biden adviser Symone Sanders called South Carolina a `` springboard '' for the campaign , on par with how the state boosted the presidential aspirations of Barack Obama in 2008 and Clinton in 2016 .
South Carolina represented much more than the fourth state on the Democrats ' months-long primary calendar .
It served as the first major test of the candidates ' strength with African American voters , who will be critical both in the general election and the rest of the primary season .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden over any other candidate by a significant margin , according to AP VoteCast .
Close to half of black voters supported him , compared with 2 in 10 supporting Sanders and about the same for businessman Tom Steyer .
There was also evidence that Biden 's status as former President Barack Obama 's two-term vice president helped him win over African Americans .
VoteCast found that about 4 in 10 voters in South Carolina wanted to return to the politics of the past , compared to about a third in Iowa and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 % of African American voters who said they want a Democratic presidential nominee who would emulate the Obama 's presidency .
By comparison , roughly two-thirds of white voters wanted a presidential candidate who would bring fundamental change to Washington .
While voting technology was a concern in two of the last three primary contests , South Carolina uses a wide array of voting technology that presents unique challenges .
Saturday 's election in South Carolina marks the first statewide test of its new fleet of electronic voting machines , a $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerable system that lacked any paper record of individual votes .
The new machines produce a paper record that can be verified by the voter and checked after the election to detect any malfunction or manipulation .
Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez cautioned Democrats that it 's still early in their presidential primary .
Speaking at a North Carolina Democratic Party fundraising gala , Perez noted that to win the nomination , a Democrat must win 1,991 delegates , and only a fraction of those have been allocated in the party 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long way to go , '' he said .

Joe Biden scored a convincing victory in South Carolina’s Democratic primary on Saturday, riding a wave of African American support and ending progressive rival Bernie Sanders’ winning streak.
The Vermont senator claimed second place, though his loss gave a momentary respite to anxious establishment Democrats who feared that the self-described democratic socialist would finish February with four consecutive top finishes.
Biden’s win came at a do-or-die moment in his 2020 bid as the moderate Democrat bounced back from underwhelming performances in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. The race pivots immediately to a new phase when 14 “Super Tuesday” states take the campaign nationwide early next week.
Biden’s allies almost immediately cast the South Carolina victory as proof that he should stand as the clear alternative to Sanders.
Sanders congratulated Biden on his first win and said it was nothing for his own supporters to worry about.
“Tonight, we did not win in South Carolina. That will not be the only defeat. A lot of states in this country. Nobody wins them all,” he told a cheering crowd in Virginia, one of 14 states to vote next week. “Now we enter Super Tuesday.”
The South Carolina primary was the first major test of the candidates’ appeal among black voters. And while it gave the 77-year-old Biden a win when he most needed it, he must still prove that he has the financial and organizational resources to dramatically expand his campaign in the next 72 hours. He will also be under pressure to rely on his decades-long relationships with party leaders to create a new sense of inevitability around his candidacy.
The Associated Press declared Biden the winner at 7 p.m. EST, just after the polls closed in South Carolina. The AP based the call on data from AP VoteCast, a survey of the electorate conducted for the AP by NORC at the University of Chicago. The survey showed a convincing win for Biden.
Even before news of Biden’s win was declared, Mike Bloomberg announced his own plan to deliver a three-minute prime-time address Sunday night on two television networks. He didn’t say how much he paid for the air time, which is unprecedented in recent decades.
Bloomberg’s campaign privately acknowledged that Biden was likely to get a bump in momentum out of his South Carolina win, but they still believe Bloomberg can win in a handful of states that vote on Super Tuesday, including Arkansas, Alabama, Oklahoma, Virginia, and North Carolina.
And Sanders was already peeking ahead to Super Tuesday as well, betting he can amass an insurmountable delegate lead at that point. After two consecutive victories and a tie for the lead in Iowa, the 78-year-old Vermont senator’s confidence is surging.
Sanders was spending the lead-up to Super Tuesday campaigning in the home states of two major Democratic rivals, betting he can score a double knockout blow, or at least limit the size of their victories.
In a power play, Sanders hosted a midday rally Saturday in downtown Boston, campaigning in the heart of liberal ally Elizabeth Warren’s political turf. Addressing a crowd of thousands on the Boston Common, Sanders said his success in the Democratic primary means “the establishment is getting very nervous,” but he never predicted victory in South Carolina.
On the eve of Super Tuesday, Sanders will host a concert in Minnesota, where home-state Sen. Amy Klobuchar is looking for her first win.
Sanders’ senior adviser Jeff Weaver was among the staffers dispatched to California on Saturday. He said Sanders is aggressively hunting for delegates, noting that their campaign’s experience during the 2016 primary against Hillary Clinton taught them that any candidate who finishes Super Tuesday with a significant delegate advantage will be difficult to catch.
“I’m confident we’re going to do very, very well across the country,” Weaver said of the coming days. He also sought to downplay the importance of South Carolina, where Biden was “expected to win.”
Moments after Biden’s victory was confirmed, former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe formally endorsed the former vice president and encouraged the Democratic Party’s moderate wing to unite behind him. On CNN, he called on several candidates to get out of the race, “not after Tuesday, but tomorrow.”
But the Democrats’ 2020 primary election isn’t yet a two-person race.
In South Carolina, billionaire activist Tom Steyer spent more than $19 million on television advertising, more than all the other candidates combined, in his quest for his first top finish in four contests. At his state campaign headquarters on Saturday, Steyer said he felt optimistic going into the vote and was looking ahead to trips to Alabama and Texas, two Super Tuesday states.
Not ceding anything, Pete Buttigieg is fighting to prove he can build a multiracial coalition. And with the help of super PACs, Warren and Klobuchar vowed to keep pushing forward no matter how they finished on Saturday.
Donald Trump was paying close attention to the Democratic race.
Speaking before conservative activists earlier in the day, he conducted a poll of sorts by asking his audience to cheer for who would be the best Democratic contender for him to face in November.
Sanders was the clear winner.
“How could you be easier to beat than Joe? That guy can’t put two sentences together,” Trump told attendees of the Conservative Political Action Conference in suburban Washington. “But you know he is more down the middle. Everyone knows he’s not a communist and with Bernie there a real question about that.”
Saturday was all about Biden and whether he might convince anxious establishment Democrats to rally behind him at last.
Elected officials inclined to embrace his moderate politics had been reluctant to support him after bad finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire and a distant second place in Nevada last week. Yet fearing Sanders’ polarizing progressive priorities, they’re still searching for an alternative who’s viewed as a safer bet to defeat Trump in November.
Senior Biden adviser Symone Sanders called South Carolina a “springboard” for the campaign, on par with how the state boosted the presidential aspirations of Barack Obama in 2008 and Clinton in 2016.
South Carolina represented much more than the fourth state on the Democrats’ months-long primary calendar.
It served as the first major test of the candidates’ strength with African American voters, who will be critical both in the general election and the rest of the primary season.
African American voters in South Carolina backed Biden over any other candidate by a significant margin, according to AP VoteCast. Close to half of black voters supported him, compared with 2 in 10 supporting Sanders and about the same for businessman Tom Steyer.
There was also evidence that Biden’s status as former President Barack Obama’s two-term vice president helped him win over African Americans.
VoteCast found that about 4 in 10 voters in South Carolina wanted to return to the politics of the past, compared to about a third in Iowa and New Hampshire. That includes the roughly 50% of African American voters who said they want a Democratic presidential nominee who would emulate the Obama’s presidency.
By comparison, roughly two-thirds of white voters wanted a presidential candidate who would bring fundamental change to Washington.
While voting technology was a concern in two of the last three primary contests, South Carolina uses a wide array of voting technology that presents unique challenges.
Saturday’s election in South Carolina marks the first statewide test of its new fleet of electronic voting machines, a $50 million upgrade from an old and vulnerable system that lacked any paper record of individual votes. The new machines produce a paper record that can be verified by the voter and checked after the election to detect any malfunction or manipulation.
Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez cautioned Democrats that it’s still early in their presidential primary.
Speaking at a North Carolina Democratic Party fundraising gala, Perez noted that to win the nomination, a Democrat must win 1,991 delegates, and only a fraction of those have been allocated in the party’s first four primaries.
“We have a long way to go,” he said.