shareblue--2020-10-23--GOP congressman calls school shooting survivor 'illiterate' for criticizing Trump

Rep. Chip Roy ( R-TX ) attacked a 20-year-old survivor of the Parkland mass school shooting on Friday , calling him `` functionally illiterate '' for criticizing Donald Trump 's family separation policy .
`` Imagine being so functionally illiterate about the tragedy of cartel-driven trafficking of human beings on our southern border , '' Roy tweeted , `` that you ignorantly mock @ realDonaldTrump for using the well-established term 'coyote ' in a leftist zeal to ( wrongly ) virtue signal your 'compassion . '
'' He was responding to a comment by David Hogg , a gun violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Douglas High School shooting , lambasting Trump 's latest attempt to defend taking immigrant kids from their parents .
`` Imagine calling the immigrant parents that bring their children to the United States for a better life 'Coyotes , ' '' Hogg had tweeted Thursday night .
`` The level of xenophobia is sickening . ''
Trump was asked at the final presidential debate about a New York Times report revealing that the his administration has been unable to locate the parents of 545 children who had been forcibly taken from their families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy .
Trump first suggested — with no evidence — that many of the kids had been brought into the country by `` coyotes . ''
Joe Biden emotionally rejected Trump 's argument , saying , `` Let 's talk about what we 're talking about , what happened .
Parents , their kids were ripped from their arms and separated .
And now they can not find over 500 sets of those parents and those kids are alone , nowhere to go .
It 's criminal . ''
Trump also falsely claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken care of '' in `` facilities that were so clean . ''
A spokesperson for Roy did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story .
Roy 's tweet is the latest in a long series of offensive comments by the first-term congressman .
Last May , he dismissed the deaths of six migrant kids in U.S. custody , saying it was `` fine . ''
Last July , he complained that it was unfair to complain about caging immigrant children because he did n't think they were cages , per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facilities and I 've not seen a single 'cage ' in the way that it is being depicted , '' he said at a House hearing .
`` I 'm seeing ways to try to separate people and keep them safe . ''
In April , Roy likened COVID-19 safety restrictions to Adolf Hitler 's reign .
`` We need more rational human beings that are going to step back and say 'no , this is n't a police state , this is n't Nazi Germany , this is n't Russia , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' '' he urged .
And in May , he compared anti-racism protesters to the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murdering George Floyd .
`` Justice should be served here , '' he said of the arrest , `` And also for looters destroying people ’ s livelihoods and endangering lives . ''
Roy faces a tough reelection race in his Texas congressional district against Democratic former state Sen. Wendy Davis .
Experts rate the race a `` toss up . ''
The most recent major poll in the race , released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a single point .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) attacked a 20-year-old survivor of the Parkland mass school shooting on Friday, calling him “functionally illiterate” for criticizing Donald Trump’s family separation policy.
“Imagine being so functionally illiterate about the tragedy of cartel-driven trafficking of human beings on our southern border,” Roy tweeted, “that you ignorantly mock @realDonaldTrump for using the well-established term ‘coyote’ in a leftist zeal to (wrongly) virtue signal your ‘compassion.'”
He was responding to a comment by David Hogg, a gun violence activist who survived the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, lambasting Trump’s latest attempt to defend taking immigrant kids from their parents.
“Imagine calling the immigrant parents that bring their children to the United States for a better life ‘Coyotes,'” Hogg had tweeted Thursday night. “The level of xenophobia is sickening.”
Trump was asked at the final presidential debate about a New York Times report revealing that the his administration has been unable to locate the parents of 545 children who had been forcibly taken from their families at the southern border under his zero-tolerance policy.
Trump first suggested — with no evidence — that many of the kids had been brought into the country by “coyotes.”
Joe Biden emotionally rejected Trump’s argument, saying, “Let’s talk about what we’re talking about, what happened. Parents, their kids were ripped from their arms and separated. And now they cannot find over 500 sets of those parents and those kids are alone, nowhere to go. It’s criminal.”
Trump also falsely claimed the children were being “so well taken care of” in “facilities that were so clean.”
A spokesperson for Roy did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story.
Roy’s tweet is the latest in a long series of offensive comments by the first-term congressman.
Last May, he dismissed the deaths of six migrant kids in U.S. custody, saying it was “fine.”
Last July, he complained that it was unfair to complain about caging immigrant children because he didn’t think they were cages, per se. “I’ve seen the facilities and I’ve not seen a single ‘cage’ in the way that it is being depicted,” he said at a House hearing. “I’m seeing ways to try to separate people and keep them safe.”
In April, Roy likened COVID-19 safety restrictions to Adolf Hitler’s reign. “We need more rational human beings that are going to step back and say ‘no, this isn’t a police state, this isn’t Nazi Germany, this isn’t Russia, we’re not going to do that,'” he urged.
And in May, he compared anti-racism protesters to the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murdering George Floyd. “Justice should be served here,” he said of the arrest, “And also for looters destroying people’s livelihoods and endangering lives.”
Roy faces a tough reelection race in his Texas congressional district against Democratic former state Sen. Wendy Davis.
Experts rate the race a “toss up.” The most recent major poll in the race, released last month, put Davis up, by a single point.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-10-23--There were zero mentions of anti-Asian racism at the final debate

Donald Trump 's racist anti-Asian rhetoric regarding the coronavirus was conspicuously absent from the final presidential debate , even as he was challenged on his discriminatory behavior more broadly .
On Thursday night , moderator Kristen Welker of NBC News asked Trump : `` Mr. President you ’ ve described the Black Lives Matter movement as a symbol of hate .
You ’ ve shared a video of a man chanting white power to millions of your supporters .
You ’ ve said that black professional athletes exercising their First Amendment rights should be fired .
What do you say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ language from a president is contributing to a climate of hate and racial strife ? ''
Trump demurred , saying he thought it was a `` horrible thing '' when he heard attendees at a rally chanting `` pigs in a blanket , fry them like bacon '' about police .
( Trump was in fact referring to a 2015 march in Minnesota during which a group unaffiliated with Black Lives Matter joined in and began using anti-police slogans . )
`` I am the least racist person in this room , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the question .
`` What do you say to Americans who are concerned by that rhetoric ? ''
she asked .
Once again , Trump dodged , pointing to his administration 's work on criminal justice and prison reform .
Trump , however , was not questioned about his use of damaging anti-Asian racist language , specifically relating to the coronavirus pandemic and his use of the terms `` China '' or `` Chinese virus '' and `` Kung Flu . ''
Since early on in the pandemic , Trump has repeatedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic crisis , using discriminatory terms to shift blame for his own botched response to the outbreak .
The result has been an increase in hate crimes and racist attacks against Asian Americans and those of Asian descent .
A new report from STOP AAPI HATE revealed at least 2,700 racist incidents against Asian Americans since the start of the pandemic .
The report linked the trend to a rise in anti-Asian racism by GOP lawmakers and officials , including Trump .
And just last week , experts from the United Nations Human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` serious concern '' that such attacks had reached an `` alarming level '' and called on U.S. officials to do something about them .
`` U.S. authorities have utterly failed to take the steps required to detect , monitor , and prevent racist and xenophobic incidents , '' they wrote .
`` One result of this state of impunity is that , many victims of such attacks are reportedly reluctant to seek justice . ''
`` ... [ W ] e urge that all necessary interim measures be taken to halt the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the event that the investigations support or suggest the allegations to be correct , to ensure the accountability of any person ( s ) responsible for the alleged violations , '' they added .
E. Tendayi Achiume , a special rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism , racial discrimination , xenophobia , and related intolerance , was one of the authors of the U.N. mandate .
`` I think it 's absolutely the case that if you have the head of government speaking about groups in ways that stigmatizes them and associates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an environment where violence is more permissible and attacks are more permissible , '' Achiume told NBC Asia America .
`` It really does legitimize those kinds of acts . ''
Some places in the United States have already begun tackling the problem on their own .
The New York Police Department , for instance , formed an Asian Hate Crime Task Force earlier this month — the first of its kind from the largest police department in the country , the Wall Street Journal reported .
The task force is `` staffed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak a combined nine Asian languages , '' the Journal wrote , and is `` tasked with guiding victims through the justice system , from reporting a crime all the way to prosecution . ''
Asian American lawmakers , meanwhile , are calling out Trump for continuing to fan the flames with his racist words .
`` From the birther scandal to lies about immigrants to his attempt to blame China for his own failure to contain the coronavirus , Donald Trump has built his presidency on perpetuating conspiracy theories and racism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus , said in a statement this month .
Published with permission from The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump’s racist anti-Asian rhetoric regarding the coronavirus was conspicuously absent from the final presidential debate, even as he was challenged on his discriminatory behavior more broadly.
On Thursday night, moderator Kristen Welker of NBC News asked Trump: “Mr. President you’ve described the Black Lives Matter movement as a symbol of hate. You’ve shared a video of a man chanting white power to millions of your supporters. You’ve said that black professional athletes exercising their First Amendment rights should be fired. What do you say to Americans who say that kind of language from a president is contributing to a climate of hate and racial strife?”
Trump demurred, saying he thought it was a “horrible thing” when he heard attendees at a rally chanting “pigs in a blanket, fry them like bacon” about police. (Trump was in fact referring to a 2015 march in Minnesota during which a group unaffiliated with Black Lives Matter joined in and began using anti-police slogans.)
“I am the least racist person in this room,” he added.
Welker pressed him again with the question. “What do you say to Americans who are concerned by that rhetoric?” she asked.
Once again, Trump dodged, pointing to his administration’s work on criminal justice and prison reform.
Trump, however, was not questioned about his use of damaging anti-Asian racist language, specifically relating to the coronavirus pandemic and his use of the terms “China” or “Chinese virus” and “Kung Flu.”
Since early on in the pandemic, Trump has repeatedly blamed China for rising death toll and economic crisis, using discriminatory terms to shift blame for his own botched response to the outbreak. The result has been an increase in hate crimes and racist attacks against Asian Americans and those of Asian descent.
A new report from STOP AAPI HATE revealed at least 2,700 racist incidents against Asian Americans since the start of the pandemic. The report linked the trend to a rise in anti-Asian racism by GOP lawmakers and officials, including Trump.
And just last week, experts from the United Nations Human Rights Council issued a mandate that expressed “serious concern” that such attacks had reached an “alarming level” and called on U.S. officials to do something about them.
“U.S. authorities have utterly failed to take the steps required to detect, monitor, and prevent racist and xenophobic incidents,” they wrote. “One result of this state of impunity is that, many victims of such attacks are reportedly reluctant to seek justice.”
“…[W]e urge that all necessary interim measures be taken to halt the alleged violations and prevent their re-occurrence and in the event that the investigations support or suggest the allegations to be correct, to ensure the accountability of any person(s) responsible for the alleged violations,” they added.
E. Tendayi Achiume, a special rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance, was one of the authors of the U.N. mandate.
“I think it’s absolutely the case that if you have the head of government speaking about groups in ways that stigmatizes them and associates them with the virus, it creates an environment where violence is more permissible and attacks are more permissible,” Achiume told NBC Asia America. “It really does legitimize those kinds of acts.”
Some places in the United States have already begun tackling the problem on their own. The New York Police Department, for instance, formed an Asian Hate Crime Task Force earlier this month — the first of its kind from the largest police department in the country, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The task force is “staffed by 25 detectives of Asian descent who speak a combined nine Asian languages,” the Journal wrote, and is “tasked with guiding victims through the justice system, from reporting a crime all the way to prosecution.”
Asian American lawmakers, meanwhile, are calling out Trump for continuing to fan the flames with his racist words.
“From the birther scandal to lies about immigrants to his attempt to blame China for his own failure to contain the coronavirus, Donald Trump has built his presidency on perpetuating conspiracy theories and racism,” Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, said in a statement this month.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-10-23--GOP Senate to confirm another Trump judge who's never tried a case

On Thursday , the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance the nomination of Kathryn Kimball Mizelle to a federal judgeship .
Mizelle is the latest in a line of judges nominated by Donald Trump who have received a `` not qualified '' rating from the American Bar Association .
Committee Republicans voted unanimously to present Mizelle to the entire Senate for a confirmation vote to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida , part of the Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit .
No Democrats voted in favor of advancing the nomination .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried either a civil or a criminal case .
She is a member of the Federalist Society , a legal organization with a conservative and originalist bent — a background she shares with Trump 's three Supreme Court nominees .
The ABA noted in a letter addressed to committee Chair Lindsey Graham and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein that it requires a person serving in a lifetime federal judgeship to have been practicing law for 12 years , a standard Mizelle , who is 33 years old , does not meet .
The letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delightful person and she has many friends who support her nomination .
Her integrity and demeanor are not in question .
These attributes however simply do not compensate for the short time she has actually practiced law and her lack of meaningful trial experience . ''
During Mizelle 's confirmation hearing , Feinstein gave her an opportunity to discuss her `` not qualified '' evaluation .
Mizelle argued that , as a federal prosecutor , `` I have handled a wide variety of hearings as lead counsel on behalf of the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judges at the same kinds of hearings I would be responsible for presiding over .
...
I think that 's really what gives me the core experience to be able to effectively manage a courtroom . ''
In the past four years , Trump has advanced 10 candidates deemed `` not qualified '' by the ABA , a rating applied to none of President Barack Obama 's judgeship nominees .
Trump 's nominees have also been overwhelmingly white — 92 % of them .
Other unqualified appointees have included 36-year-old Alison Rushing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Appeals , a Federalist Society member with only 9 years practicing law , and Justin Walker , confirmed first to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky and then last month to the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit .
Walker is a conservative who roundly attacked Christine Blasey Ford , who had accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault prior to his confirmation .
He has also written for the Federalist Society , and had never tried a single case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to determine how many years of his decade out of law school had been spent actively practicing law .
Much of the blame for the influx of unqualified judges lies with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , who has changed Senate procedural rules to stack the courts .
The result has been the fast-tracking of a slew of hyperconservative Trump nominees with a history of bigotry to lifetime judgeships .
The most notable example is Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett , who , although rated `` well qualified '' by the ABA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge , serving in that capacity only since 2017 , with her entire career prior to that spent as a law professor and scholar .
Many have objected to the installation of Mizelle , including the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights , which cited Mizelle 's abysmal track record on civil rights as a `` Trump loyalist , having worked in the Trump Justice Department to dismantle many critical civil rights protections '' and noted her `` stunning lack of experience . ''
None of this is likely to prevent the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bench .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance the nomination of Kathryn Kimball Mizelle to a federal judgeship. Mizelle is the latest in a line of judges nominated by Donald Trump who have received a “not qualified” rating from the American Bar Association.
Committee Republicans voted unanimously to present Mizelle to the entire Senate for a confirmation vote to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, part of the Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. No Democrats voted in favor of advancing the nomination.
According to the HuffPost, Mizelle has never tried either a civil or a criminal case.
She is a member of the Federalist Society, a legal organization with a conservative and originalist bent — a background she shares with Trump’s three Supreme Court nominees.
The ABA noted in a letter addressed to committee Chair Lindsey Graham and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein that it requires a person serving in a lifetime federal judgeship to have been practicing law for 12 years, a standard Mizelle, who is 33 years old, does not meet.
The letter concludes: “She presents as a delightful person and she has many friends who support her nomination. Her integrity and demeanor are not in question. These attributes however simply do not compensate for the short time she has actually practiced law and her lack of meaningful trial experience.”
During Mizelle’s confirmation hearing, Feinstein gave her an opportunity to discuss her “not qualified” evaluation.
Mizelle argued that, as a federal prosecutor, “I have handled a wide variety of hearings as lead counsel on behalf of the United States. I’ve argued those to federal judges at the same kinds of hearings I would be responsible for presiding over. … I think that’s really what gives me the core experience to be able to effectively manage a courtroom.”
In the past four years, Trump has advanced 10 candidates deemed “not qualified” by the ABA, a rating applied to none of President Barack Obama’s judgeship nominees.
Trump’s nominees have also been overwhelmingly white — 92% of them.
Other unqualified appointees have included 36-year-old Alison Rushing, confirmed to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, a Federalist Society member with only 9 years practicing law, and Justin Walker, confirmed first to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky and then last month to the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Walker is a conservative who roundly attacked Christine Blasey Ford, who had accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault prior to his confirmation. He has also written for the Federalist Society, and had never tried a single case. The ABA said it was unable to determine how many years of his decade out of law school had been spent actively practicing law.
Much of the blame for the influx of unqualified judges lies with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has changed Senate procedural rules to stack the courts.
The result has been the fast-tracking of a slew of hyperconservative Trump nominees with a history of bigotry to lifetime judgeships.
The most notable example is Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, who, although rated “well qualified” by the ABA, has relatively little experience as a judge, serving in that capacity only since 2017, with her entire career prior to that spent as a law professor and scholar.
Many have objected to the installation of Mizelle, including the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, which cited Mizelle’s abysmal track record on civil rights as a “Trump loyalist, having worked in the Trump Justice Department to dismantle many critical civil rights protections” and noted her “stunning lack of experience.”
None of this is likely to prevent the Republican Senate majority from putting her on the bench.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-10-23--Trump just launched a new attack on federal workers

Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday that will strip federal employees of essential rights and workplace protections .
The order demands that more civil servants be classified as Schedule F employees , which will make it easier to fire them , thereby making them more susceptible to political pressure .
Under the new rule , more federal workers be categorized as `` at-will '' employees who can be fired without cause .
They may also be barred from joining the unions that represent public servants .
Lawmakers , labor leaders , and good government experts have all decried Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service , said the executive order would effectively erase the protections needed to maintain a politically neutral federal workforce .
`` Being able to place any number of existing career positions into this new Schedule F not only blurs the line between politics and the neutral competency of the career civil service , it obliterates it , '' Stier said in a statement .
`` We urge Congress to act swiftly to examine the development and potential impact of this executive order .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ undermining of the civil service in our lifetimes , '' Everett Kelley , president of the American Federation of Government Employees , said in a statement on Thursday .
`` The president has doubled down on his effort to politicize and corrupt the professional service . ''
It 's hardly the first time Trump has attacked government workers .
In February , at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic , Trump bragged about cutting back federal worker 's pay raises .
Trump officials have boasted about cutting agency budgets and stripping power from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local governments .
Meanwhile , the Trump administration has steadily chipped away at labor unions by making it easier for workers to opt out of union membership — a policy similar to so-called `` right-to-work '' laws implemented in conservative states .
The mistreatment of federal workers has trickled down from Trump to government agencies , led by Trump 's hyper-partisan Cabinet appointees .
Last June , the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it was relocating two of its scientific agencies from Washington to Kansas City — news that shocked employees and upended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some into early retirement .
Workers at the agencies who decided not to relocate were offered $ 25,000 buyouts , with the condition that they would not be allowed to work for the federal government for at least five years .
Workers who accepted the buyout offer then received a letter informing them that the department would only be paying them $ 10,000 — 60 % less than what was originally offered .
The Trump administration has also targeted federal workers with disabilities .
In 2017 , the federal government fired 2,626 full-time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase from the previous year — according to documents from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission obtained by NBC News .
Trump 's latest executive order will likely make federal workers even more vulnerable , and could undermine the integrity of the civil service as a whole .
Walter Shaub , who served as the director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics from 2013 to 2017 , sharply criticized Trump 's executive order .
He said it is `` dangerous '' to politicize the civil service , as it puts pressure on public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead of the Constitution and the rule of law . ''
`` I 've been warning for some time that , if Trump is reelected , he 'll work to politicize the civil service and set America on a path back to the 19th century , when the spoils system made Feds loyal to political patrons , '' Shaub tweeted on Wednesday .
`` That 's bad if you don ’ t like corruption and abuses of power . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday that will strip federal employees of essential rights and workplace protections.
The order demands that more civil servants be classified as Schedule F employees, which will make it easier to fire them, thereby making them more susceptible to political pressure.
Under the new rule, more federal workers be categorized as “at-will” employees who can be fired without cause. They may also be barred from joining the unions that represent public servants.
Lawmakers, labor leaders, and good government experts have all decried Trump’s latest power play. Max Stier, the president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, said the executive order would effectively erase the protections needed to maintain a politically neutral federal workforce.
“Being able to place any number of existing career positions into this new Schedule F not only blurs the line between politics and the neutral competency of the career civil service, it obliterates it,” Stier said in a statement. “We urge Congress to act swiftly to examine the development and potential impact of this executive order.”
“This is the most profound undermining of the civil service in our lifetimes,” Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said in a statement on Thursday. “The president has doubled down on his effort to politicize and corrupt the professional service.”
It’s hardly the first time Trump has attacked government workers.
In February, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump bragged about cutting back federal worker’s pay raises. Trump officials have boasted about cutting agency budgets and stripping power from regulatory agencies in favor of businesses and local governments.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has steadily chipped away at labor unions by making it easier for workers to opt out of union membership — a policy similar to so-called “right-to-work” laws implemented in conservative states.
The mistreatment of federal workers has trickled down from Trump to government agencies, led by Trump’s hyper-partisan Cabinet appointees. Last June, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it was relocating two of its scientific agencies from Washington to Kansas City — news that shocked employees and upended many of their careers, even forcing some into early retirement.
Workers at the agencies who decided not to relocate were offered $25,000 buyouts, with the condition that they would not be allowed to work for the federal government for at least five years. Workers who accepted the buyout offer then received a letter informing them that the department would only be paying them $10,000 — 60% less than what was originally offered.
The Trump administration has also targeted federal workers with disabilities. In 2017, the federal government fired 2,626 full-time employees with disabilities — a 24% increase from the previous year — according to documents from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission obtained by NBC News.
Trump’s latest executive order will likely make federal workers even more vulnerable, and could undermine the integrity of the civil service as a whole.
Walter Shaub, who served as the director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics from 2013 to 2017, sharply criticized Trump’s executive order. He said it is “dangerous” to politicize the civil service, as it puts pressure on public servants to be “loyal to politicians instead of the Constitution and the rule of law.”
“I’ve been warning for some time that, if Trump is reelected, he’ll work to politicize the civil service and set America on a path back to the 19th century, when the spoils system made Feds loyal to political patrons,” Shaub tweeted on Wednesday. “That’s bad if you don’t like corruption and abuses of power.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-10-23--Trump tries to convince Israeli leader to attack Biden — and gets embarrassed instead

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday declined to take the bait when Donald Trump invited him to attack Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
Trump hosted Netanyahu and other foreign leaders on a conference call in the Oval Office to announce `` normalization of relations , '' according to the White House .
`` Do you think Sleepy Joe could have made this deal , Bibi ?
Sleepy Joe , do you think he would have made this deal somehow ? ''
Trump asked Netanyahu .
Instead of attacking Biden , Netanyahu instead responded , `` We appreciate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
It is not traditional for the U.S. president to ask foreign leaders to attack his political rivals , especially not while operating in the Oval Office .
But Trump has repeatedly used traditionally nonpartisan functions of the government to act in service of his own political interests .
DONALD TRUMP : Do you think Sleepy Joe could have made this deal , Bibi ?
Sleepy Joe , do you think he would have made this deal somehow ?
I do n't think so .
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU : Well , Mr. President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is we appreciate the help for peace from anyone in America .
We appreciate what you 've done enormously .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday declined to take the bait when Donald Trump invited him to attack Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Trump hosted Netanyahu and other foreign leaders on a conference call in the Oval Office to announce “normalization of relations,” according to the White House.
“Do you think Sleepy Joe could have made this deal, Bibi? Sleepy Joe, do you think he would have made this deal somehow?” Trump asked Netanyahu.
Instead of attacking Biden, Netanyahu instead responded, “We appreciate the help for peace from anyone in America.”
It is not traditional for the U.S. president to ask foreign leaders to attack his political rivals, especially not while operating in the Oval Office. But Trump has repeatedly used traditionally nonpartisan functions of the government to act in service of his own political interests.
From an Oct. 23 press availability:
DONALD TRUMP: Do you think Sleepy Joe could have made this deal, Bibi? Sleepy Joe, do you think he would have made this deal somehow? I don’t think so. BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: Well, Mr. President, one thing I can tell you is we appreciate the help for peace from anyone in America. We appreciate what you’ve done enormously. TRUMP: Yeah.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-10-23--Trump thinks he can use fracking to win Pennsylvania. He's wrong.

At the second and last presidential debate Thursday night , Donald Trump repeatedly implied that former Vice President Joe Biden 's position on fracking would lose him the must-win state of Pennsylvania .
Polls continue to show that Trump is the one in trouble with voters in the state .
In the midst of a response to a question about health care , Trump pivoted to the issue of fracking .
Fracking , or hydraulic fracturing , is a process of drilling into the ground and injecting a high-pressure mixture of water , chemicals , and sand into the borehole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rock below to release gas held in the rock .
Critics say the environmental dangers of fracking , including potential chemical contamination and seismic activity , should require that the practice be banned .
There are currently 7,788 active fracking sites in Pennsylvania run by 66 operators , according to NPR 's State Impact website .
Trump has badgered Biden over the issue of fracking many times .
At the debate on Thursday , he said of Biden : `` 'We 're not going to have fracking .
We 're going to stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fracking . '
Then he goes to Pennsylvania after he gets a nomination , where he got very lucky to get it .
And he goes to Pennsylvania , and he says , 'Oh , we 're going to have fracking . '
'' Trump returned to the subject later in the debate , claiming : `` ' I am against fracking . '
Until he got the nomination , he went to Pennsylvania .
Then he said , 'But you know what , Pennsylvania ? '
He 'll be against it very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it . ''
Biden said : `` Fracking on federal land .
I said , no fracking and/or oil on federal land . ''
Biden responded to Trump 's claims : `` I do rule out banning fracking because the answer we need , we need other industries to transition , to get to ultimately a complete zero emissions by 2025 .
What I will do with fracking over time is make sure that we can capture the emissions from the fracking , capture the emissions from gas .
We can do that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money in doing it , but it 's a transition to that . ''
Although Trump appears to think that trying to corner Biden over the issue of fracking is a winning strategy for him , polls show that voters in Pennsylvania support measures to reduce climate change and regulate fracking .
According to the results of a poll conducted in mid-August for Climate Power 2020 , an independent project focused on political strategies to fight the climate crisis , `` The research shows that not only are Pennsylvania voters supportive of climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 'fracking ' ) , engaging in a debate around fracking and climate clearly helps Joe Biden , strengthening his favorability rating and increasing his lead over President Donald Trump in the state.
`` The poll found that an overwhelming 83 % of Pennsylvania voters think climate change is a serious problem ; 58 % have a negative view of lawmakers who oppose taking measures to fight it ; 73 % support `` the U.S. government taking bold action to combat climate change '' ; and 74 % support plans to move the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2035 .
By a 20-point margin ( 60 % -40 % ) statewide , voters support investments in renewable energy over tax breaks and subsidies for oil and gas .
In a state Trump won by 0.7 % in 2016 , polls released this week by Quinnipiac University , Suffolk University , CNN , and even the conservative-leaning Rasmussen Reports show his Pennsylvania-born opponent in the lead heading into the Nov. 3 election by an average of 6.2 points .
Trump has tried to enlist labor in his constant harping on Biden 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Deal .
He has repeated the unsupported claim that a Biden administration would shut down the energy sector and throw its employees out of work , telling a rally in Moon Township , Pennsylvania , on Sept. 22 : `` There 'll be no more oil , there 'll be no more gas , there 'll be no more nothing , there 'll be no more industry , there 'll be no more country , that 's what it 's saying really .
And that would instantly shut down all fracking and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your jobs overseas , sending your money to somebody else , not you . ''
He added , `` I 'll keep your jobs in Pennsylvania where they belong and you 're going to be doing fracking for a long time . ''
Meanwhile , however , Biden accepted the endorsement of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and the International Union of Operating Engineers , two labor unions representing nearly a million workers .
Labor leaders in Pennsylvania spoke of the damage Trump has caused to working families , with Bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Carpenters telling the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review : `` What we 're trying to explain is that union labor , working families can not withstand another four years of assaults on the middle class . ''
Data shows that Pennsylvania 's unemployment rate has risen on Trump 's watch from 333,000 people unemployed ( 5.2 % ) in January 2017 to around 518,000 ( 8.1 % ) in September of this year .
Despite Trump 's war on clean energy , the sector has added jobs in Pennsylvania .
`` In 2019 , Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people respectively , more than either coal or natural gas plants , '' Food & Water Watch reported last month .
Trump has been reduced to begging voters for their support , telling the crowd at a campaign rally in Johnston , Pennsylvania , earlier in the month : `` So can I ask you to do me a favor ?
Suburban women , will you please like me , please , please ?
I saved your damn neighborhood , OK ?
The other thing , I do n't have that much time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I can do it , but I got ta go quickly .
We do n't have that much time . ''
Polls show that Trump 's pitch to older voters in the state is not working either , with a Quinnipiac University poll of likely voters conducted Oct. 1-5 indicating that 58 % of voters above retirement age support Biden , while 39 % back Trump .
And Trump is not hiding his lack of enthusiasm for the state itself .
This week , during a rally in Erie , he told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be there but was forced to come by the pandemic .
`` Before the plague came in , I had it made .
I was n't coming to Erie .
I have to be honest .
There was no way I was coming .
I did n't have to , '' Trump said .
`` We had this thing won , we were so far up , we had the greatest economy ever , greatest jobs , greatest everything .
And then we got hit with the plague and I had to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , can I please have your vote ? ''

At the second and last presidential debate Thursday night, Donald Trump repeatedly implied that former Vice President Joe Biden’s position on fracking would lose him the must-win state of Pennsylvania.
Polls continue to show that Trump is the one in trouble with voters in the state.
In the midst of a response to a question about health care, Trump pivoted to the issue of fracking.
Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a process of drilling into the ground and injecting a high-pressure mixture of water, chemicals, and sand into the borehole to blast open small fissures in shale rock below to release gas held in the rock. Critics say the environmental dangers of fracking, including potential chemical contamination and seismic activity, should require that the practice be banned.
There are currently 7,788 active fracking sites in Pennsylvania run by 66 operators, according to NPR’s State Impact website.
Trump has badgered Biden over the issue of fracking many times. At the debate on Thursday, he said of Biden: “‘We’re not going to have fracking. We’re going to stop fracking. We’re going to stop fracking.’ Then he goes to Pennsylvania after he gets a nomination, where he got very lucky to get it. And he goes to Pennsylvania, and he says, ‘Oh, we’re going to have fracking.'”
Trump returned to the subject later in the debate, claiming: “‘I am against fracking.’ Until he got the nomination, he went to Pennsylvania. Then he said, ‘But you know what, Pennsylvania?’ He’ll be against it very soon because his party is totally against it.”
Biden said: “Fracking on federal land. I said, no fracking and/or oil on federal land.”
Biden responded to Trump’s claims: “I do rule out banning fracking because the answer we need, we need other industries to transition, to get to ultimately a complete zero emissions by 2025. What I will do with fracking over time is make sure that we can capture the emissions from the fracking, capture the emissions from gas. We can do that and we can do that by investing money in doing it, but it’s a transition to that.”
Although Trump appears to think that trying to corner Biden over the issue of fracking is a winning strategy for him, polls show that voters in Pennsylvania support measures to reduce climate change and regulate fracking.
According to the results of a poll conducted in mid-August for Climate Power 2020, an independent project focused on political strategies to fight the climate crisis, “The research shows that not only are Pennsylvania voters supportive of climate action and additional regulations on hydraulic fracturing (‘fracking’), engaging in a debate around fracking and climate clearly helps Joe Biden, strengthening his favorability rating and increasing his lead over President Donald Trump in the state. “
The poll found that an overwhelming 83% of Pennsylvania voters think climate change is a serious problem; 58% have a negative view of lawmakers who oppose taking measures to fight it; 73% support “the U.S. government taking bold action to combat climate change”; and 74% support plans to move the U.S. to 100% clean electricity by 2035.
By a 20-point margin (60%-40%) statewide, voters support investments in renewable energy over tax breaks and subsidies for oil and gas.
In a state Trump won by 0.7% in 2016, polls released this week by Quinnipiac University, Suffolk University, CNN, and even the conservative-leaning Rasmussen Reports show his Pennsylvania-born opponent in the lead heading into the Nov. 3 election by an average of 6.2 points.
Trump has tried to enlist labor in his constant harping on Biden’s supposed plans concerning fracking and the Green New Deal.
He has repeated the unsupported claim that a Biden administration would shut down the energy sector and throw its employees out of work, telling a rally in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 22: “There’ll be no more oil, there’ll be no more gas, there’ll be no more nothing, there’ll be no more industry, there’ll be no more country, that’s what it’s saying really. And that would instantly shut down all fracking and all mining immediately in Pennsylvania, sending your jobs overseas, sending your money to somebody else, not you.”
He added, “I’ll keep your jobs in Pennsylvania where they belong and you’re going to be doing fracking for a long time.”
Meanwhile, however, Biden accepted the endorsement of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and the International Union of Operating Engineers, two labor unions representing nearly a million workers. Labor leaders in Pennsylvania spoke of the damage Trump has caused to working families, with Bill Sproule of the Eastern Atlantic Regional Council of Carpenters telling the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: “What we’re trying to explain is that union labor, working families cannot withstand another four years of assaults on the middle class.”
Data shows that Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate has risen on Trump’s watch from 333,000 people unemployed (5.2%) in January 2017 to around 518,000 (8.1%) in September of this year.
Despite Trump’s war on clean energy, the sector has added jobs in Pennsylvania.
“In 2019, Pennsylvania wind and solar employed 2,815 and 4,219 people respectively, more than either coal or natural gas plants,” Food & Water Watch reported last month.
Trump has been reduced to begging voters for their support, telling the crowd at a campaign rally in Johnston, Pennsylvania, earlier in the month: “So can I ask you to do me a favor? Suburban women, will you please like me, please, please? I saved your damn neighborhood, OK? The other thing, I don’t have that much time to be that nice. You know, I can do it, but I gotta go quickly. We don’t have that much time.”
Polls show that Trump’s pitch to older voters in the state is not working either, with a Quinnipiac University poll of likely voters conducted Oct. 1-5 indicating that 58% of voters above retirement age support Biden, while 39% back Trump.
And Trump is not hiding his lack of enthusiasm for the state itself. This week, during a rally in Erie, he told supporters he didn’t really want to be there but was forced to come by the pandemic.
“Before the plague came in, I had it made. I wasn’t coming to Erie. I have to be honest. There was no way I was coming. I didn’t have to,” Trump said. “We had this thing won, we were so far up, we had the greatest economy ever, greatest jobs, greatest everything. And then we got hit with the plague and I had to go back to work. Hello, Erie, can I please have your vote?”


shareblue--2020-10-23--Senate candidate with history of antisemitism compares 'leftists' to Nazis

Jason Lewis , the Republican contender for Tina Smith 's ( D-MN ) Senate seat who has a history of making antisemitic remarks , has stooped to a new low with a campaign ad comparing `` leftists '' to Nazis .
In the ad , a leather-jacket-clad Lewis — wielding a handgun — intones that `` first the radical left came for the Republicans like me . ''
`` Then the radical left came after police officers like me , '' Leigh Lewis said .
In the same vein , Jason Lewis warns viewers , `` Next , they 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on to say that `` we live in dangerous times , '' with accompanying footage of burning cities , and that he will always `` defend the police and your Second Amendment right to defend your family . ''
At the end of the campaign ad , he fires three rounds downrange at a shooting target .
The ad is a seemingly deliberate homage to the famous post-World-War-II words of German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemoller about the Nazi rise to power .
Niemoller , who initially embraced the rise of the Third Reich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evil and stridently opposed it .
He is perhaps best known for these words about speaking up in the face of oppression and injustice perpetrated by the Nazi regime : First they came for the socialists , and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist .
Then they came for the trade unionists , and I did not speak out , because I was not a trade unionist .
Then they came for the Jews , and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was no one left to speak for me .
Lewis , by invoking this passage in a campaign ad , makes a direct comparison of `` radical leftists '' to Nazis .
He also implies that Republicans suffer the same plight of Jews during the Holocaust .
The campaign ad is made more troubling since Lewis , a fervid Donald Trump supporter , has a long-standing history of antisemitic remarks .
He has suggested in the past that the Republican Party is controlled by a powerful `` American Jewish lobby , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dual loyalties . ''
`` ( 'The Jewish lobby ' ) ... do control ... the Republican Party right now , '' he said back in his days as a radio pundit in Feb. 2013 .
`` A blind loyalty toward Israel is the linchpin of being a good Republican .
And when you get these sort of dual loyalties , what happens if it 's not in America 's best interest ? ''
He added that while he did n't think America was controlled by a `` Jewish cabal '' and was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' the Republican Party is `` unduly influenced by AIPAC and the Israeli lobby . ''
Lewis complained that prominent Republicans , such as former ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton , viewed Israel as `` the 51st state . ''
`` ( John Bolton is ) a dual citizen for instance of Israel and America , '' Lewis added later .
`` There 's no question that ... during the Bush years ... there were a number of dual citizens , citizens of Israel , citizens of America who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a `` very , very strong American Jewish lobby '' controls Republican interests in Washington .
`` I do n't say that as a negative , '' Lewis said .
`` I mean , I think they 'd been very proficient and they 're successful people and therefore they 've got power in Washington . ''
He again protested that he was not being antisemitic .
`` I do n't think the Jewish lobby , the Israeli lobby controls America because there are plenty of opponents , '' Lewis said .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are controlling the Republican Party . ''
In 2019 , his 2013 remarks were widely reported .
Lewis told CNN that accusations of his antisemitism stemmed from `` pawns in the partisan media , '' and called the criticisms `` pathetic . ''
`` ( It 's ) a worn-out playbook of attacking my 25-year career as a political commentator , which naturally meant asking rhetorical questions , challenging audiences , playing devil 's advocate , and seeing both sides of every issue , '' he defended himself .
`` Former Congressman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making charges of dual loyalty , an # antiSemitic trope that 's been used to ostracize Jews for centuries , '' the ADL wrote in a tweet .
`` Rather than apologize , he used the Jewish people to deflect .
He should apologize immediately . ''
Lewis is currently locked in a heated battle for the Senate with Democratic incumbent Sen. Tina Smith , with some commentators now calling the race a statistical tie .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Jason Lewis, the Republican contender for Tina Smith’s (D-MN) Senate seat who has a history of making antisemitic remarks, has stooped to a new low with a campaign ad comparing “leftists” to Nazis.
In the ad, a leather-jacket-clad Lewis — wielding a handgun — intones that “first the radical left came for the Republicans like me.”
His spouse, a retired St. Paul, Minnesota, police officer, chimes in.
“Then the radical left came after police officers like me,” Leigh Lewis said.
In the same vein, Jason Lewis warns viewers, “Next, they’re coming after you.”
He goes on to say that “we live in dangerous times,” with accompanying footage of burning cities, and that he will always “defend the police and your Second Amendment right to defend your family.”
At the end of the campaign ad, he fires three rounds downrange at a shooting target.
The ad is a seemingly deliberate homage to the famous post-World-War-II words of German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemoller about the Nazi rise to power.
Niemoller, who initially embraced the rise of the Third Reich, soon came to recognize it as evil and stridently opposed it. He is perhaps best known for these words about speaking up in the face of oppression and injustice perpetrated by the Nazi regime:
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.
Lewis, by invoking this passage in a campaign ad, makes a direct comparison of “radical leftists” to Nazis. He also implies that Republicans suffer the same plight of Jews during the Holocaust.
The campaign ad is made more troubling since Lewis, a fervid Donald Trump supporter, has a long-standing history of antisemitic remarks.
He has suggested in the past that the Republican Party is controlled by a powerful “American Jewish lobby,” and accused American Jews of having “dual loyalties.”
“(‘The Jewish lobby’) … do control … the Republican Party right now,” he said back in his days as a radio pundit in Feb. 2013. “A blind loyalty toward Israel is the linchpin of being a good Republican. And when you get these sort of dual loyalties, what happens if it’s not in America’s best interest?”
He added that while he didn’t think America was controlled by a “Jewish cabal” and wasn’t propagating the “Jewish banker theory,” the Republican Party is “unduly influenced by AIPAC and the Israeli lobby.”
Lewis complained that prominent Republicans, such as former ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, viewed Israel as “the 51st state.”
“(John Bolton is) a dual citizen for instance of Israel and America,” Lewis added later. “There’s no question that … during the Bush years … there were a number of dual citizens, citizens of Israel, citizens of America who were making policy.”
He reiterated that a “very, very strong American Jewish lobby” controls Republican interests in Washington.
“I don’t say that as a negative,” Lewis said. “I mean, I think they’d been very proficient and they’re successful people and therefore they’ve got power in Washington.”
He again protested that he was not being antisemitic.
“I don’t think the Jewish lobby, the Israeli lobby controls America because there are plenty of opponents,” Lewis said. “I do believe, as I said, they are controlling the Republican Party.”
In 2019, his 2013 remarks were widely reported.
Lewis told CNN that accusations of his antisemitism stemmed from “pawns in the partisan media,” and called the criticisms “pathetic.”
“(It’s) a worn-out playbook of attacking my 25-year career as a political commentator, which naturally meant asking rhetorical questions, challenging audiences, playing devil’s advocate, and seeing both sides of every issue,” he defended himself.
The Anti-Defamation League swiftly rebuked Lewis on social media.
“Former Congressman Jason Lewis has a disturbing history of making charges of dual loyalty, an #antiSemitic trope that’s been used to ostracize Jews for centuries,” the ADL wrote in a tweet. “Rather than apologize, he used the Jewish people to deflect. He should apologize immediately.”
Lewis is currently locked in a heated battle for the Senate with Democratic incumbent Sen. Tina Smith, with some commentators now calling the race a statistical tie.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-10-23--Judge tells US to do more to find the parents of the children it separated

A federal judge on Thursday urged the Trump administration to do more to help court-appointed researchers find hundreds of parents who were separated from their children after they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border beginning in 2017 .
A court filing revealed this week that researchers have been unable to track down the parents of 545 children — a number much larger than previously known and that drew outcry .
Most of the parents were deported to their Central American homelands , and their children were placed with sponsors in the U.S. , often relatives .
U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw refrained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in San Diego and instead asked Justice Department attorneys to explore ways the administration can make it easier to find the parents .
Attempts to find families separated from their children have been underway since Sabraw ordered the government in 2018 to end the much-criticized practice under its `` zero tolerance '' policy for people who cross the border illegally .
Sabraw initially ordered the government to reunite more than 2,700 children with their families , believing that to be the total number who were separated .
But it was later discovered an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents going back to summer 2017 , including the 545 kids who are still separated .
Attorney Lee Gelernt of the American Civil Liberties Union , which sued over the practice , said the government could provide funding for the search , which now is being conducted by a handful of human rights defenders in Central America .
When the issue was originally brought to their attention , U.S. officials were not interested in looking for the parents , he said , but that changed when outcry spread about the number of parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ light of the backlash , the government is now claiming it wants to assist us in finding these families , '' Gelernt said .
The administration ’ s foot-dragging has made it even tougher to find the parents because of how much time has passed , he said .
Coronavirus restrictions prevented researchers from going into many areas from March until August , but as those measures ease up , researchers hope to make more progress in coming weeks .
U.S. authorities have provided telephone numbers for 1,030 children to a court-appointed steering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 485 of those children .
The committee has advertised toll-free phone numbers in Spanish on billboards and other places in Central America to reach families .
Volunteers have searched for their parents by going door to door in Guatemala and Honduras and combing public records , the ACLU said in a court filing .
The judge called for an update on Dec. 2 and set another hearing for Dec. 4 to discuss the progress .
`` This , of course , is the most significant piece remaining '' in terms of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joaquin Castro ( D-TX ) , who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus , said the government needs to allow parents deported without their children to come back to the U.S. and give them a chance to become legal permanent residents and eventually citizens .
Just nine parents separated from their children were allowed back in January .
Castro also called for a special committee , perhaps in the form of a human rights commission , to investigate the harm done through the mass separation of families in 2017 and 2018 .
`` This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the highest and the lowest levels of the American government , '' Castro said .

A federal judge on Thursday urged the Trump administration to do more to help court-appointed researchers find hundreds of parents who were separated from their children after they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border beginning in 2017.
A court filing revealed this week that researchers have been unable to track down the parents of 545 children — a number much larger than previously known and that drew outcry. Most of the parents were deported to their Central American homelands, and their children were placed with sponsors in the U.S., often relatives.
U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw refrained from issuing an order during a hearing in San Diego and instead asked Justice Department attorneys to explore ways the administration can make it easier to find the parents.
Attempts to find families separated from their children have been underway since Sabraw ordered the government in 2018 to end the much-criticized practice under its “zero tolerance” policy for people who cross the border illegally.
Sabraw initially ordered the government to reunite more than 2,700 children with their families, believing that to be the total number who were separated. But it was later discovered an additional 1,556 children were taken from their parents going back to summer 2017, including the 545 kids who are still separated.
Attorney Lee Gelernt of the American Civil Liberties Union, which sued over the practice, said the government could provide funding for the search, which now is being conducted by a handful of human rights defenders in Central America.
When the issue was originally brought to their attention, U.S. officials were not interested in looking for the parents, he said, but that changed when outcry spread about the number of parents deported without their children.
“In light of the backlash, the government is now claiming it wants to assist us in finding these families,” Gelernt said.
The administration’s foot-dragging has made it even tougher to find the parents because of how much time has passed, he said.
Coronavirus restrictions prevented researchers from going into many areas from March until August, but as those measures ease up, researchers hope to make more progress in coming weeks.
U.S. authorities have provided telephone numbers for 1,030 children to a court-appointed steering committee, which tracked down the parents of 485 of those children.
The committee has advertised toll-free phone numbers in Spanish on billboards and other places in Central America to reach families.
Volunteers have searched for their parents by going door to door in Guatemala and Honduras and combing public records, the ACLU said in a court filing.
The judge called for an update on Dec. 2 and set another hearing for Dec. 4 to discuss the progress.
“This, of course, is the most significant piece remaining” in terms of the family separations, Sabraw said.
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said the government needs to allow parents deported without their children to come back to the U.S. and give them a chance to become legal permanent residents and eventually citizens.
Just nine parents separated from their children were allowed back in January.
Castro also called for a special committee, perhaps in the form of a human rights commission, to investigate the harm done through the mass separation of families in 2017 and 2018.
“This was coordinated cruelty, coordinated abuse, at the highest and the lowest levels of the American government,” Castro said.


shareblue--2020-10-23--America's biggest unions get ready to fight Trump if he refuses to concede

Members of the country 's largest labor union are preparing to strike if Donald Trump refuses to concede defeat after the presidential election .
On Monday , the AFL-CIO 's Western Massachusetts chapter passed a resolution to defend democracy from `` Trump 's neo-fascist tactics , including his repeated refusal to denounce white supremacy , the drastic inequality of wealth and power , and other crises facing our country and the world . ''
The resolution went on to name the numerous attacks Trump has launched against working people across the country , ending with a call to use `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Movement in our history '' — a general strike — if Trump refuses to concede defeat . ''
The AFL-CIO is the largest federation of organized labor in the country , with 56 affiliate unions representing some 12.5 million workers .
The Massachusetts affiliate 's call for a rapid mobilization of its members follows a similar statement from the Rochester AFL-CIO Labor Council , which has also floated the idea of a general strike for its 70,000 members as part of its commitment `` to the defense of democratic rights and the institutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our nation . ''
On Wednesday , the MLK Labor Council — which represents 100,000 Seattle-area workers — called for a general strike , should Trump attempt a post-election coup .
`` MLK Labor , in collaboration with other labor and progressive forces , will take whatever nonviolent actions are necessary up to and including a general strike to protect our democracy , the Constitution , the law and our nation ’ s democratic traditions , '' the group wrote in a resolution .
As local unions around the country have started to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the event that he refuses to cede power , national labor leaders are coordinating their own response .
Last week , AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka called for an `` emergency meeting '' of labor leaders to plan how to counter attempts by the Trump administration to undermine a free and fair voting process .
On Tuesday , dozens of labor officials met to discuss their election response , NBC News reported .
The briefing included possible Election Day outcomes , intelligence on Trump 's plans , mapping out `` hot spots , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assessments .
`` We are putting labor councils on notice : The election is not over on Nov. 3 , '' Tefere Gebre , the AFL-CIO 's executive vice president , told NBC News .
Also on Tuesday , the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee hosted a webinar titled `` What Can Workers Do to Stop Trump from Stealing the Election ? ''
At the virtual event , Association of Flight Attendants-CWA President Sara Nelson said any post-election strike plans would need to `` strategically place pressure in places that are going to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually don ’ t have to have a general strike across the entire country , '' Nelson said .
`` We can have a major impact if we know that we can shut down one specific place , and it doesn ’ t even have to be for a very long period of time .
If we take control of the schedule of the country , we can have a tremendous effect . ''
As Election Day nears , labor leaders see an opportunity to vote out a president who has long waged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump appointed Eugene Scalia — son of the late Supreme Court Justice Anthony Scalia — to the Department of Labor .
Since then , Scalia has worked tirelessly to kneecap organized labor .
Trump has also appointed numerous anti-worker partisans to the National Labor Relations Board , the federal body that oversees labor disputes .
During Trump 's time in office , the board has consistently ruled in favor of large corporations over their employees .
Trump has repeatedly refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power in the event that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden in November .
`` We ’ re going to have to see what happens , '' Trump told reporters in September .
`` You know , I ’ ve been complaining about the ballots and the ballots are a disaster . ''
Vice President Mike Pence has also refused to say whether he would concede defeat to Biden and his running mate , Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-CA ) .
At the Oct. 7 vice presidential debate , Pence falsely claimed that mail-in voting would create `` a massive opportunity for voter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from organized labor .
He has earned the endorsement of the AFL-CIO , the American Postal Workers Union , the Communications Workers of America , the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists , the International Association of Fire Fighters , and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters , as well as the International Longshoremen 's Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union — the dockworkers unions on both the east and west coasts .
If elected , Biden has pledged to sign the Protecting the Right to Organize Act , which would increase worker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and worker intimidation tactics .
Biden has also pledged to ensure federal dollars do not flow to employers engaged in union-busting activities ; to reinstate and expand protections for federal employees ; to expand rights to farmworkers and domestic workers ; and to extend the right to organize and bargain collectively to independent contractors .
Last week , Biden told United Auto Workers members in Ohio that his father taught him the importance of labor power .
`` My dad said , 'Joe , a job is about more than a paycheck .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ respect .
That 's what a job 's about , ' '' Biden told the workers .
`` A decent-paying job like the UAW provides . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Members of the country’s largest labor union are preparing to strike if Donald Trump refuses to concede defeat after the presidential election.
On Monday, the AFL-CIO’s Western Massachusetts chapter passed a resolution to defend democracy from “Trump’s neo-fascist tactics, including his repeated refusal to denounce white supremacy, the drastic inequality of wealth and power, and other crises facing our country and the world.”
The resolution went on to name the numerous attacks Trump has launched against working people across the country, ending with a call to use “the most powerful tool of the Labor Movement in our history” — a general strike — if Trump refuses to concede defeat.”
The AFL-CIO is the largest federation of organized labor in the country, with 56 affiliate unions representing some 12.5 million workers.
The Massachusetts affiliate’s call for a rapid mobilization of its members follows a similar statement from the Rochester AFL-CIO Labor Council, which has also floated the idea of a general strike for its 70,000 members as part of its commitment “to the defense of democratic rights and the institutions of democracy regardless of party affiliations in our nation.”
On Wednesday, the MLK Labor Council — which represents 100,000 Seattle-area workers — called for a general strike, should Trump attempt a post-election coup.
“MLK Labor, in collaboration with other labor and progressive forces, will take whatever nonviolent actions are necessary up to and including a general strike to protect our democracy, the Constitution, the law and our nation’s democratic traditions,” the group wrote in a resolution.
As local unions around the country have started to voice their intentions to mobilize against Trump in the event that he refuses to cede power, national labor leaders are coordinating their own response.
Last week, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka called for an “emergency meeting” of labor leaders to plan how to counter attempts by the Trump administration to undermine a free and fair voting process.
On Tuesday, dozens of labor officials met to discuss their election response, NBC News reported. The briefing included possible Election Day outcomes, intelligence on Trump’s plans, mapping out “hot spots,” message research, and period-by-period threat assessments.
“We are putting labor councils on notice: The election is not over on Nov. 3,” Tefere Gebre, the AFL-CIO’s executive vice president, told NBC News.
Also on Tuesday, the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee hosted a webinar titled “What Can Workers Do to Stop Trump from Stealing the Election?”
At the virtual event, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA President Sara Nelson said any post-election strike plans would need to “strategically place pressure in places that are going to have a major impact.”
“We actually don’t have to have a general strike across the entire country,” Nelson said. “We can have a major impact if we know that we can shut down one specific place, and it doesn’t even have to be for a very long period of time. If we take control of the schedule of the country, we can have a tremendous effect.”
As Election Day nears, labor leaders see an opportunity to vote out a president who has long waged war on American workers. In 2019, Trump appointed Eugene Scalia — son of the late Supreme Court Justice Anthony Scalia — to the Department of Labor. Since then, Scalia has worked tirelessly to kneecap organized labor.
Trump has also appointed numerous anti-worker partisans to the National Labor Relations Board, the federal body that oversees labor disputes. During Trump’s time in office, the board has consistently ruled in favor of large corporations over their employees.
Trump has repeatedly refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power in the event that he loses to former Vice President Joe Biden in November.
“We’re going to have to see what happens,” Trump told reporters in September. “You know, I’ve been complaining about the ballots and the ballots are a disaster.”
Vice President Mike Pence has also refused to say whether he would concede defeat to Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA). At the Oct. 7 vice presidential debate, Pence falsely claimed that mail-in voting would create “a massive opportunity for voter fraud.”
Biden enjoys broad support from organized labor. He has earned the endorsement of the AFL-CIO, the American Postal Workers Union, the Communications Workers of America, the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, the International Association of Fire Fighters, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, as well as the International Longshoremen’s Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union — the dockworkers unions on both the east and west coasts.
If elected, Biden has pledged to sign the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which would increase worker protections and hold corporations accountable for union-busting and worker intimidation tactics.
Biden has also pledged to ensure federal dollars do not flow to employers engaged in union-busting activities; to reinstate and expand protections for federal employees; to expand rights to farmworkers and domestic workers; and to extend the right to organize and bargain collectively to independent contractors.
Last week, Biden told United Auto Workers members in Ohio that his father taught him the importance of labor power.
“My dad said, ‘Joe, a job is about more than a paycheck. It’s about your dignity, your respect. That’s what a job’s about,'” Biden told the workers. “A decent-paying job like the UAW provides.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-10-24--Trump supporters are intimidating voters in Latinx communities, watchdog claims

A voting rights group says that caravans of flag-waving Donald Trump supporters appeared to obstruct and intimidate voters at two polling locations in predominantly ethnic-minority neighborhoods last weekend in the Albuquerque area .
Common Cause New Mexico Executive Director Heather Ferguson said Wednesday that the incidents took place early Saturday afternoon on the first day of balloting at voter convenience centers in the South Valley and western reaches of Albuquerque on Central Avenue — areas that are heavily Latino .
She estimated that dozens of potential voters in each location left without voting immediately as a result of the incidents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge intervened at the Central Avenue voting center to help ensure access and keep electioneering at a distance .
`` I think we got to see that the process is working , '' Ferguson said .
The Bernalillo County district attorney 's office is investigating the incidents , agency spokeswoman Brandale Mills Cox said .
She declined further comment .
State Republican Party spokesman Mike Curtis said he has no direct knowledge of the matter .
Representatives for the Trump reelection campaign had no immediate comment when contacted .
State statute prohibits electioneering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , approaching a voter within 50 feet of poll doors , or blocking access in any way .
Based on witness accounts and recorded images , Ferguson said a group of about 50 slow-moving , tightly spaced cars interfered with public access as they drove close by a polling location on Central Avenue .
She said a poll judge diffused the situation by informing demonstrators of state restrictions on electioneering and interference .
At the South Valley voting center , about 100 Trump supporters lined both sides of the street , standing next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ferguson said that group dispersed as sheriff 's deputies arrived .
`` Voters felt like they had to run the gauntlet trying to get to the polling station , and many of them saw what was going on and just turned their vehicles around and left , '' Ferguson said .
Bernalillo County Sheriff 's Office spokesman Joseph Montiel said that deputies in two patrol vehicles responded to concerns at the South Valley polling location .
The agency received a call about Trump supporters allegedly harassing people lined up to vote and another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Deputies did not encounter a disturbance when they arrived , and no formal complaint was filed .
Ferguson said the caravans prominently displayed support for Trump that included flags , signs , and stickers .
She said Common Cause monitors for election interference without regard to political affiliation .
The FBI and U.S. attorney 's office had no immediate comment on the incidents .
Federal law enforcement authorities announced in early October that they would step up vigilance of any possible civil rights violations related to the Nov. 3 election by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and assigning a federal prosecutor to monitor complaints or threats .
Trump has repeatedly attacked the integrity of the U.S. elections by spreading falsehoods about the security of voting and misrepresenting issues with mail ballots .
Common Cause and the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico have establishing a hotline to provide voters with assistance if they encounter any irregularities or difficulties in voting .

A voting rights group says that caravans of flag-waving Donald Trump supporters appeared to obstruct and intimidate voters at two polling locations in predominantly ethnic-minority neighborhoods last weekend in the Albuquerque area.
Common Cause New Mexico Executive Director Heather Ferguson said Wednesday that the incidents took place early Saturday afternoon on the first day of balloting at voter convenience centers in the South Valley and western reaches of Albuquerque on Central Avenue — areas that are heavily Latino.
She estimated that dozens of potential voters in each location left without voting immediately as a result of the incidents. But she added that a poll judge intervened at the Central Avenue voting center to help ensure access and keep electioneering at a distance.
“I think we got to see that the process is working,” Ferguson said.
The Bernalillo County district attorney’s office is investigating the incidents, agency spokeswoman Brandale Mills Cox said. She declined further comment.
State Republican Party spokesman Mike Curtis said he has no direct knowledge of the matter. Representatives for the Trump reelection campaign had no immediate comment when contacted.
State statute prohibits electioneering within 100 feet of a polling place, approaching a voter within 50 feet of poll doors, or blocking access in any way.
Based on witness accounts and recorded images, Ferguson said a group of about 50 slow-moving, tightly spaced cars interfered with public access as they drove close by a polling location on Central Avenue. She said a poll judge diffused the situation by informing demonstrators of state restrictions on electioneering and interference.
At the South Valley voting center, about 100 Trump supporters lined both sides of the street, standing next to vehicles and mingling with traffic. Ferguson said that group dispersed as sheriff’s deputies arrived.
“Voters felt like they had to run the gauntlet trying to get to the polling station, and many of them saw what was going on and just turned their vehicles around and left,” Ferguson said.
Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Joseph Montiel said that deputies in two patrol vehicles responded to concerns at the South Valley polling location.
The agency received a call about Trump supporters allegedly harassing people lined up to vote and another about fear of being harassed, he said. Deputies did not encounter a disturbance when they arrived, and no formal complaint was filed.
Ferguson said the caravans prominently displayed support for Trump that included flags, signs, and stickers. She said Common Cause monitors for election interference without regard to political affiliation.
The FBI and U.S. attorney’s office had no immediate comment on the incidents.
Federal law enforcement authorities announced in early October that they would step up vigilance of any possible civil rights violations related to the Nov. 3 election by establishing an FBI command post in Albuquerque and assigning a federal prosecutor to monitor complaints or threats.
Trump has repeatedly attacked the integrity of the U.S. elections by spreading falsehoods about the security of voting and misrepresenting issues with mail ballots.
Common Cause and the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico have establishing a hotline to provide voters with assistance if they encounter any irregularities or difficulties in voting.


shareblue--2020-10-24--Supreme Court ruling stops census workers from completing their jobs

From tribal lands in Arizona and New Mexico to storm-battered Louisiana , census workers who go door to door were unable to reach all the households they needed for a complete tally of the U.S. population , a count that ended abruptly last week after a Supreme Court ruling .
Community activists , statisticians , and civil rights groups say racial and ethnic minorities are historically undercounted , and shortcomings in the 2020 census could set the course of life in their communities for years to come .
The count determines the number of congressional seats each state gets , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how schools and health care facilities are funded , and how $ 1.5 trillion in federal resources are allocated annually .
`` An undercount in our community means schools are overcrowded , hospitals are overcrowded , roads are congested , '' said John Yang , president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice .
The census ended last week after the Supreme Court sided with Donald Trump 's administration and suspended a lower court order allowing the head count to continue through Oct. 31 .
The U.S. Census Bureau says that overall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the nation 's households , but in a nation of 330 million people , the remaining 0.1 % represents hundreds of thousands of uncounted residents .
And in small cities , even handfuls of undercounted residents can make a big difference in the resources the communities receive and the power they wield .
Also , a high percentage of households reached does not necessarily translate to an accurate count : The data 's quality depends on how it was obtained .
The most accurate information comes from people who `` self-respond '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone or mail .
Census officials say 67 % of the people counted in the 2020 census responded that way .
In any case , census takers fell short of reaching all the households that had n't filled out the census form in many pockets of the country .
In large parts of Louisiana , which was battered by two hurricanes , census takers did n't even hit 94 % of the households they needed to reach .
In Window Rock , the capital of the Navajo Nation on the Arizona-New Mexico border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takers only reached 98.9 % .
According to the Census Bureau , census takers reached 99.9 % of the households they needed to contact in most of the 248 census areas the bureau designated across the United States .
They fell short of 99.9 % in Quincy , Massachusetts ; New Haven , Connecticut ; Asheville , North Carolina ; Jackson , Mississippi ; Providence , Rhode Island ; and Manhattan , New York , where neighborhoods emptied out in the spring because of the coronavirus .
Rhode Island is one of about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seat , based on anticipated state population figures in the 2020 census .
It could take as few as 30,000 overlooked people for the nation 's physically smallest state to revert back to having a single House district , said John Marion , executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island , a nonprofit watchdog .
The early conclusion of the census `` is really going to stymie our efforts , not only to maintain that second district but also to have fair representation in our state legislature , '' Marion said .
Jackson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blamed the coronavirus , which curtailed in-person outreach efforts that could have made a difference in hard-to-count neighborhoods .
The mayor is n't sure having an extra two weeks would have made a huge difference , but he says not having a complete count is significant : Jackson loses $ 1,000 each year for every person not counted .
`` All of this has long-term implications for city planning , for how we address our needs , and for ensuring that we are fairly represented in the state House and in Congress , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns about the quality of the data obtained .
The second-most accurate information after self-responses comes from household members being interviewed by census takers .
When census takers ca n't reach someone at home , they turn to less-accurate information from neighbors , landlords , and administrative records , the latter of which have been in widespread use for the first time this year .
Information was obtained by these methods for almost 40 % of the census takers ' caseload , according to the Census Bureau .
`` Do not be fooled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ myth .
If there was ever fake news , this is it , '' said Marc Morial , president and CEO of the National Urban League , one of the civil rights groups that challenged the Trump administration 's census schedule in court .
Census Bureau director Steven Dillingham said Monday that a first look at the data collection operation indicates `` an extremely successful execution . ''
He noted that the 67 % self-response rate this year was higher than the 66.5 % reached during the 2010 census .
How much time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers is still being fought in courts and in Congress .
Civil rights groups and others are pushing Congress to extend the bureau 's deadline for turning in apportionment numbers for congressional seats from Dec. 31 to the end of next April .
The Trump administration said the Census Bureau needed to end the count early to meet the Dec. 31 deadline .
But top officials at the Census Bureau said as recently as July that it would still be impossible to process all of the data by the end of the year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and on Wednesday said in a conference call with the news media that the deadline can be met by working around the clock and with technological advances in computer processing .
In areas that were not counted , Census Bureau officials said they will use a statistical technique called imputation , which uses the characteristics and size of neighboring households to fill in the gaps of homes with missing data .
Groups suing the administration over the timetables said the deadline for turning in apportionment numbers was moved up to accommodate an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. illegally from the numbers used to divvy up congressional seats among the states .
Sticking to a Dec. 31 deadline ensures that data processing remains under the administration 's control , regardless of who wins the presidential election .
A panel of federal judges in New York ruled that Trump 's order was unlawful , but the administration has appealed to the Supreme Court .
A second panel of federal judges in California on Thursday also ruled that the order was unconstitutional , and the Trump administration on Friday said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is n't over , '' Morial said .
`` We will continue to fight in the courts , Congress , and the court of public opinion . ''

From tribal lands in Arizona and New Mexico to storm-battered Louisiana, census workers who go door to door were unable to reach all the households they needed for a complete tally of the U.S. population, a count that ended abruptly last week after a Supreme Court ruling.
Community activists, statisticians, and civil rights groups say racial and ethnic minorities are historically undercounted, and shortcomings in the 2020 census could set the course of life in their communities for years to come.
The count determines the number of congressional seats each state gets, where roads and bridges are built, how schools and health care facilities are funded, and how $1.5 trillion in federal resources are allocated annually.
“An undercount in our community means schools are overcrowded, hospitals are overcrowded, roads are congested,” said John Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice.
The census ended last week after the Supreme Court sided with Donald Trump’s administration and suspended a lower court order allowing the head count to continue through Oct. 31.
The U.S. Census Bureau says that overall, it reached more than 99.9% of the nation’s households, but in a nation of 330 million people, the remaining 0.1% represents hundreds of thousands of uncounted residents. And in small cities, even handfuls of undercounted residents can make a big difference in the resources the communities receive and the power they wield.
Also, a high percentage of households reached does not necessarily translate to an accurate count: The data’s quality depends on how it was obtained. The most accurate information comes from people who “self-respond” to the census questionnaire online, by phone or mail. Census officials say 67% of the people counted in the 2020 census responded that way.
In any case, census takers fell short of reaching all the households that hadn’t filled out the census form in many pockets of the country.
In large parts of Louisiana, which was battered by two hurricanes, census takers didn’t even hit 94% of the households they needed to reach. In Window Rock, the capital of the Navajo Nation on the Arizona-New Mexico border that was ravaged by COVID-19, census takers only reached 98.9%.
According to the Census Bureau, census takers reached 99.9% of the households they needed to contact in most of the 248 census areas the bureau designated across the United States. They fell short of 99.9% in Quincy, Massachusetts; New Haven, Connecticut; Asheville, North Carolina; Jackson, Mississippi; Providence, Rhode Island; and Manhattan, New York, where neighborhoods emptied out in the spring because of the coronavirus.
Rhode Island is one of about 10 states projected to lose a congressional seat, based on anticipated state population figures in the 2020 census. It could take as few as 30,000 overlooked people for the nation’s physically smallest state to revert back to having a single House district, said John Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, a nonprofit watchdog.
The early conclusion of the census “is really going to stymie our efforts, not only to maintain that second district but also to have fair representation in our state legislature,” Marion said.
Jackson, Mississippi, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba blamed the coronavirus, which curtailed in-person outreach efforts that could have made a difference in hard-to-count neighborhoods. The mayor isn’t sure having an extra two weeks would have made a huge difference, but he says not having a complete count is significant: Jackson loses $1,000 each year for every person not counted.
“All of this has long-term implications for city planning, for how we address our needs, and for ensuring that we are fairly represented in the state House and in Congress,” Lumumba said.
There are also concerns about the quality of the data obtained. The second-most accurate information after self-responses comes from household members being interviewed by census takers. When census takers can’t reach someone at home, they turn to less-accurate information from neighbors, landlords, and administrative records, the latter of which have been in widespread use for the first time this year. Information was obtained by these methods for almost 40% of the census takers’ caseload, according to the Census Bureau.
“Do not be fooled by the Census Bureau’s 99% myth. If there was ever fake news, this is it,” said Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, one of the civil rights groups that challenged the Trump administration’s census schedule in court.
Census Bureau director Steven Dillingham said Monday that a first look at the data collection operation indicates “an extremely successful execution.” He noted that the 67% self-response rate this year was higher than the 66.5% reached during the 2010 census.
How much time the Census Bureau has to crunch the numbers is still being fought in courts and in Congress. Civil rights groups and others are pushing Congress to extend the bureau’s deadline for turning in apportionment numbers for congressional seats from Dec. 31 to the end of next April.
The Trump administration said the Census Bureau needed to end the count early to meet the Dec. 31 deadline. But top officials at the Census Bureau said as recently as July that it would still be impossible to process all of the data by the end of the year. They’ve since changed their tune, and on Wednesday said in a conference call with the news media that the deadline can be met by working around the clock and with technological advances in computer processing.
In areas that were not counted, Census Bureau officials said they will use a statistical technique called imputation, which uses the characteristics and size of neighboring households to fill in the gaps of homes with missing data.
Groups suing the administration over the timetables said the deadline for turning in apportionment numbers was moved up to accommodate an order from Trump to exclude people in the U.S. illegally from the numbers used to divvy up congressional seats among the states. Sticking to a Dec. 31 deadline ensures that data processing remains under the administration’s control, regardless of who wins the presidential election.
A panel of federal judges in New York ruled that Trump’s order was unlawful, but the administration has appealed to the Supreme Court. A second panel of federal judges in California on Thursday also ruled that the order was unconstitutional, and the Trump administration on Friday said it planned to appeal.
“This census isn’t over,” Morial said. “We will continue to fight in the courts, Congress, and the court of public opinion.”