shareblue--2020-12-18--Trump administration deporting 4-year-old with broken arm and other children

The U.S. government is preparing to deport more than a dozen children and their parents held at a Texas immigration detention center , including a 4-year-old girl with a broken arm requiring surgery , according to lawyers for the families .
Medical records show that doctors at the Dilley , Texas , detention center diagnosed the girl with a fracture and prescribed painkillers , including hydrocodone , due to the ongoing injury .
A doctor on Dec. 1 noted a `` greenish spot '' on the girl 's right elbow and said that `` surgery is needed within 6 months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical records reviewed by the Associated Press .
But U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has denied the surgery , according to Brianna Rennix , an attorney with Proyecto Dilley , which represents families detained at the facility .
Rennix said ICE also declined to release the family so the girl can have the surgery in the U.S. while they pursue their immigration case .
About 15 families are slated to be flown to Ecuador , El Salvador , and Guatemala as early as Friday morning , lawyers and advocates said .
`` All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we might be able to stop their deportations and more importantly win an appeal of their cases , '' said Mackenzie Levy , a paralegal for Proyecto Dilley .
Lawyers from Proyecto Dilley and ICE have been in court for years over the future of families at the Dilley facility , formally known as the South Texas Family Residential Center .
Opened during the administration of former President Barack Obama , the 2,400-bed facility has been used to detain parents and children in the U.S. without authorization since 2014 .
ICE has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children in its three family detention centers during the coronavirus pandemic , even after a federal judge in June ordered the children released .
The judge 's ruling did not extend to parents , and the government and advocates for immigrant children have not agreed on a process to allow children to be released while parents would remain detained .
Some argue releasing children to family sponsors while keeping parents detained and facing deportation would be tantamount to family separation , a practice for which the Trump administration has faced enormous criticism .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ were never given a fair chance to seek asylum under several policies enacted by Donald Trump 's administration that courts later stopped .
But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Monday lifted an administrative stay and refused to bar the deportations .
The 4-year-old girl and her mother first came to the U.S.-Mexico border last year , fleeing death threats in Ecuador , according to Rennix , their lawyer .
They were placed in the so-called `` Remain in Mexico '' program and told to come back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they returned to Ecuador in the meantime and missed that court date , Rennix said .
The girl 's arm was intentionally broken by a man who twisted it front of her mother as a threat , Rennix said .
They tried to return to the United States again this year and crossed the border without authorization in October , then were taken to the Dilley facility .
The Associated Press is not identifying the girl or her mother because they fear being targeted in Ecuador , according to their lawyer .
ICE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in custody at Dilley , though the agency has in the past defended the medical care it provides to immigrants .
Earlier this year , advocates sued on behalf of a 5-year-old boy who suffered a skull fracture before his family was detained .
The boy and his mother were eventually released after a federal appeals court halted their deportation .
A 1-year-old child was detained at Dilley before she died of a hemorrhage , according to the law firm representing her mother , Yazmin Juarez .
The attorneys allege Juarez 's daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was misdiagnosed and mistreated at Dilley .

The U.S. government is preparing to deport more than a dozen children and their parents held at a Texas immigration detention center, including a 4-year-old girl with a broken arm requiring surgery, according to lawyers for the families.
Medical records show that doctors at the Dilley, Texas, detention center diagnosed the girl with a fracture and prescribed painkillers, including hydrocodone, due to the ongoing injury. A doctor on Dec. 1 noted a “greenish spot” on the girl’s right elbow and said that “surgery is needed within 6 months to 1 year,” according to medical records reviewed by the Associated Press.
But U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has denied the surgery, according to Brianna Rennix, an attorney with Proyecto Dilley, which represents families detained at the facility. Rennix said ICE also declined to release the family so the girl can have the surgery in the U.S. while they pursue their immigration case.
ICE declined to comment Thursday, citing pending litigation.
About 15 families are slated to be flown to Ecuador, El Salvador, and Guatemala as early as Friday morning, lawyers and advocates said.
“All of them are still holding out hope that we might be able to stop their deportations and more importantly win an appeal of their cases,” said Mackenzie Levy, a paralegal for Proyecto Dilley.
Lawyers from Proyecto Dilley and ICE have been in court for years over the future of families at the Dilley facility, formally known as the South Texas Family Residential Center. Opened during the administration of former President Barack Obama, the 2,400-bed facility has been used to detain parents and children in the U.S. without authorization since 2014.
ICE has continued to detain dozens of parents and children in its three family detention centers during the coronavirus pandemic, even after a federal judge in June ordered the children released. The judge’s ruling did not extend to parents, and the government and advocates for immigrant children have not agreed on a process to allow children to be released while parents would remain detained. Some argue releasing children to family sponsors while keeping parents detained and facing deportation would be tantamount to family separation, a practice for which the Trump administration has faced enormous criticism.
The lawyers argue the families facing deportation were never given a fair chance to seek asylum under several policies enacted by Donald Trump’s administration that courts later stopped. But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Monday lifted an administrative stay and refused to bar the deportations.
The 4-year-old girl and her mother first came to the U.S.-Mexico border last year, fleeing death threats in Ecuador, according to Rennix, their lawyer. They were placed in the so-called “Remain in Mexico” program and told to come back for a later court date. But they returned to Ecuador in the meantime and missed that court date, Rennix said.
The girl’s arm was intentionally broken by a man who twisted it front of her mother as a threat, Rennix said. They tried to return to the United States again this year and crossed the border without authorization in October, then were taken to the Dilley facility.
The Associated Press is not identifying the girl or her mother because they fear being targeted in Ecuador, according to their lawyer.
ICE has long been accused of mistreating children in custody at Dilley, though the agency has in the past defended the medical care it provides to immigrants. Earlier this year, advocates sued on behalf of a 5-year-old boy who suffered a skull fracture before his family was detained. The boy and his mother were eventually released after a federal appeals court halted their deportation.
A 1-year-old child was detained at Dilley before she died of a hemorrhage, according to the law firm representing her mother, Yazmin Juarez. The attorneys allege Juarez’s daughter, Mariee, contracted a respiratory illness that was misdiagnosed and mistreated at Dilley.


shareblue--2020-12-18--Surge in new voter registrations could flip Georgia Senate seats blue

Georgia has seen a surge in new voter registrations that suggest good news for Democrats looking to win control of the Senate , according to new data published by the Atlanta Journal Constitution .
Since the Nov. 3 general election , a whopping 76,000 people have registered to vote in the Peach State , according to data published by the AJC .
And a majority of those new registrants , or 56 % , are voters under 35 — an age demographic that skews overwhelmingly Democratic .
In the 2020 election in Georgia , President-elect Joe Biden won voters aged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to exit poll data .
Biden won the 18 to 29 age demographic by an even larger 13-point spread .
Biden also won first-time voters in 2020 by a 7-point margin , according to the exit poll data .
Fair Fight Action , the voting rights group launched by Democrat Stacey Abrams , has made registering new voters ahead of the Jan. 5 Senate runoff elections in Georgia a top priority .
While Abrams ' group seeks to bring more voters into the fold , the Republican senators , David Perdue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to block the newly registered voters ' ballots from being counted .
The lawsuit , filed Thursday , is one of a number of cases Republicans have filed since the Nov. 3 general election to make voting harder in the state .
Two of those lawsuits were thrown out by federal judges on Thursday .
If Democrats win both of those seats in January , they will control the Senate for the first time since 2014 , ousting Mitch McConnell as majority leader .
Control of the Senate could ensure Biden could confirm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow Biden to fill judicial vacancies and to pass am ambitious legislative agenda that includes a number of bills already passed in the Democratic-controlled House that McConnell has blocked for nearly two years .
Polling shows both of the races are close , with Democratic nominees Jon Ossoff and the Rev .
Raphael Warnock running neck and neck with Perdue and Loeffler , respectively .
The races went to runoffs because no candidates garnered at least 50 % of the vote in the general election .
The second Senate race was a special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates — regardless of party — ran on the same ballot .
Warnock came in first among the all-party field with 32.9 % of the vote , while Loeffler took the second-place spot with 25.9 % .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Georgia has seen a surge in new voter registrations that suggest good news for Democrats looking to win control of the Senate, according to new data published by the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Since the Nov. 3 general election, a whopping 76,000 people have registered to vote in the Peach State, according to data published by the AJC.
And a majority of those new registrants, or 56%, are voters under 35 — an age demographic that skews overwhelmingly Democratic.
In the 2020 election in Georgia, President-elect Joe Biden won voters aged 30 to 44 by a 10-point margin, according to exit poll data. Biden won the 18 to 29 age demographic by an even larger 13-point spread.
Biden also won first-time voters in 2020 by a 7-point margin, according to the exit poll data.
Fair Fight Action, the voting rights group launched by Democrat Stacey Abrams, has made registering new voters ahead of the Jan. 5 Senate runoff elections in Georgia a top priority.
While Abrams’ group seeks to bring more voters into the fold, the Republican senators, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, are suing on to block the newly registered voters’ ballots from being counted. The lawsuit, filed Thursday, is one of a number of cases Republicans have filed since the Nov. 3 general election to make voting harder in the state.
Two of those lawsuits were thrown out by federal judges on Thursday.
If Democrats win both of those seats in January, they will control the Senate for the first time since 2014, ousting Mitch McConnell as majority leader.
Control of the Senate could ensure Biden could confirm his Cabinet nominees. It would also allow Biden to fill judicial vacancies and to pass am ambitious legislative agenda that includes a number of bills already passed in the Democratic-controlled House that McConnell has blocked for nearly two years.
Polling shows both of the races are close, with Democratic nominees Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock running neck and neck with Perdue and Loeffler, respectively.
The races went to runoffs because no candidates garnered at least 50% of the vote in the general election.
Perdue received 49.7% to Ossoff’s 47.9% in November.
The second Senate race was a special election with different rules, where all candidates — regardless of party — ran on the same ballot. Warnock came in first among the all-party field with 32.9% of the vote, while Loeffler took the second-place spot with 25.9%.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


Cartoon: Georgia stretch

Clay Jones is a nationally syndicated political cartoonist .
He has worked for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and The Free Lance-Star @ @ @ @ @ draws a weekly cartoon for CNN Opinion .
He lives in the Washington suburbs of @ @ @

A decade after Sandy Hook, grief remains but hope grows
December, the anniversary of the worst grade school mass shooting in the U.S. is a difficult month for many in Newton. But in the face of heartbreak and grief, some survivors and families of victims feel hope for a brighter future.
By Associated Press - December 22, 2022


shareblue--2020-12-18--Georgia senators have nifty new separate-but-equal idea for counting votes

Georgia Republican Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler filed a lawsuit Thursday asking that the ballots of newly registered voters be reviewed and counted separately from those of other voters .
Perdue tweeted a statement about the lawsuit on Friday : `` There is too much at stake in these elections for there to be any doubt in the integrity and transparency of their outcomes .
Georgians will not tolerate double-voting and failures to address out-of-state voters attempting to influence the results of these elections .
Immediate action is required to ensure that does n't occur .
We must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January run-offs , because all legal Georgia votes must be counted . ''
Georgia will hold two runoff elections on Jan. 5 to choose both of its U.S. senators .
Incumbents Perdue and Loeffler face Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock , respectively .
The senators ' lawsuit comes in response to unprecedented numbers of new registered voters ahead of the runoffs .
Nearly 60 % of those voters are under 35 years old , a demographic that voted overwhelmingly for President-elect Joe Biden in Georgia in the presidential election on Nov. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a long series of efforts by Georgia Republicans to suppress votes that might go to their opponents .
On Thursday , a federal judge ruled against Georgia 's 12th Congressional District Republican Committee in a suit attempting to stop mail-in votes from being collected at drop boxes .
Another district judge also shot down the committee 's push to impose further restrictions on the signature verification process for absentee ballots .
Loeffler and Perdue themselves had signed on to this second lawsuit .
A third lawsuit aims to place further restrictions on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to be used only during business hours .
Statistically , Democrats have been more likely to vote early or by mail during the pandemic .
The U.S .
Elections Project notes that in the general election , in the 20 states that allow for reporting of party registration , 15 % more Democrats voted early than Republicans .
NPR reported that data from the Georgia primary on June 9 indicated that availability of mail-in voting in the state led to a marked increase in Democratic turnout .
Republicans seem a bit uneasy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ runoff election , which will determine which party controls the Senate .
According to a New York Times report , two separate sources claim that in a private call to Senate Republicans Wednesday , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell expressed concerns that `` Kelly and David are getting hammered , '' specifically because of their track record of opposition to sending out coronavirus relief checks .
New polls indicate that both Georgia races are neck and neck , with Perdue and Loeffler holding only a 3-point advantage over their opponents .
Earlier polls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lead .
Republicans have pulled out all the stops , sending in prominent GOP figures like Mike Pence , Ivanka Trump , and Donald Trump Jr. to Georgia to campaign for the Republican incumbents .
Neither Perdue 's nor Loeffler 's campaign responded immediately to a request for comment .
Updated to include a link to the lawsuit .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Georgia Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler filed a lawsuit Thursday asking that the ballots of newly registered voters be reviewed and counted separately from those of other voters.
Perdue tweeted a statement about the lawsuit on Friday: “There is too much at stake in these elections for there to be any doubt in the integrity and transparency of their outcomes. Georgians will not tolerate double-voting and failures to address out-of-state voters attempting to influence the results of these elections. Immediate action is required to ensure that doesn’t occur. We must secure the accuracy and integrity of the January run-offs, because all legal Georgia votes must be counted.”
Georgia will hold two runoff elections on Jan. 5 to choose both of its U.S. senators. Incumbents Perdue and Loeffler face Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, respectively.
The senators’ lawsuit comes in response to unprecedented numbers of new registered voters ahead of the runoffs. Nearly 60% of those voters are under 35 years old, a demographic that voted overwhelmingly for President-elect Joe Biden in Georgia in the presidential election on Nov. 3.
This is just the latest in a long series of efforts by Georgia Republicans to suppress votes that might go to their opponents.
On Thursday, a federal judge ruled against Georgia’s 12th Congressional District Republican Committee in a suit attempting to stop mail-in votes from being collected at drop boxes.
Another district judge also shot down the committee’s push to impose further restrictions on the signature verification process for absentee ballots. Loeffler and Perdue themselves had signed on to this second lawsuit.
A third lawsuit aims to place further restrictions on drop boxes for mail-in ballots, allowing them to be used only during business hours.
Statistically, Democrats have been more likely to vote early or by mail during the pandemic.
The U.S. Elections Project notes that in the general election, in the 20 states that allow for reporting of party registration, 15% more Democrats voted early than Republicans.
NPR reported that data from the Georgia primary on June 9 indicated that availability of mail-in voting in the state led to a marked increase in Democratic turnout.
Republicans seem a bit uneasy about the outcome of the Jan. 5 runoff election, which will determine which party controls the Senate.
According to a New York Times report, two separate sources claim that in a private call to Senate Republicans Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell expressed concerns that “Kelly and David are getting hammered,” specifically because of their track record of opposition to sending out coronavirus relief checks.
New polls indicate that both Georgia races are neck and neck, with Perdue and Loeffler holding only a 3-point advantage over their opponents. Earlier polls this month showed Ossoff and Warnock in the lead.
Republicans have pulled out all the stops, sending in prominent GOP figures like Mike Pence, Ivanka Trump, and Donald Trump Jr. to Georgia to campaign for the Republican incumbents.
Neither Perdue’s nor Loeffler’s campaign responded immediately to a request for comment.
Updated to include a link to the lawsuit.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-12-18--Democratic lawmakers introduce bill to protect the rights of NCAA athletes

A bill introduced Thursday by four Democratic lawmakers would grant college athletes sweeping rights to compensation , including a share of the revenue generated by their sports , and create a federal commission to oversee college athletics .
The College Athletes Bill of Rights is sponsored by Sens .
Cory Booker ( D-NJ ) , Richard Blumenthal ( D-CT ) , and Kirsten Gillibrand ( D-NY ) , and Rep. Jan Schakowsky ( D-IL ) .
If passed , it could wreak havoc on the NCAA 's ability to govern intercollegiate athletics and the association 's model for amateurism .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ day after the Supreme Court agreed to review a court ruling the NCAA says blurs the `` line between student-athletes and professionals '' by removing caps on certain compensation that major college football and basketball players can receive .
The NCAA has turned to Congress for help as it works toward permitting athletes to earn money from endorsements and sponsorship deals , while also trying to fend off myriad state-level bills that would undercut any attempt to create uniform rules for competing schools .
Last week , Sen. Roger Wicker ( R-MS ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , introduced a bill that would allow college athletes to be paid for their names , images , and likenesses , with oversight from the Federal Trade Commission .
The bill also protects the NCAA from future antitrust challenges to its compensation rules .
Booker and Blumenthal 's bill , however , goes way beyond NIL rights for athletes and is not nearly as NCAA-friendly .
`` As a former college athlete , these issues are deeply personal to me , '' said Booker , who played football at Stanford .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for its own personal financial gain by preventing athletes from earning any meaningful compensation and failing to keep the athletes under its charge healthy and safe . ''
The legislation would allow college athletes to earn money off their names , images , and likenesses with minimal restrictions , through either individual or group licensing deals .
It would also require schools to share 50 % of the profit from their revenue-generating sports such as football and basketball with the athletes who play them , after the cost of scholarships are deducted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country , such as Ohio State , Alabama , and Texas , generate more than $ 100 million in revenue annually , the bulk of which comes from football and men 's basketball .
Almost all of that revenue typically gets sunk back into the athletic departments to pay for not just those programs , but all the other nonrevenue sports .
The concept of schools directly paying athletes has been a nonstarter for the NCAA and would be considered a radical change .
Iowa point guard Jordan Bohannon told the AP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why such a structure would be thought of as controversial .
`` Well , there 's college coaches across the country making millions of dollars and that 's not controversial , making off the backs of college athletes that are unpaid , '' Bohannon said in a phone interview .
`` We have a game on Christmas Day and our families ca n't even go to the game and we have to play , theoretically making money for these TV contracts that ( conferences ) signed .
It blows my mind . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who are tested multiple times a week for COVID-19 , have become essential workers .
The bill also would : — Create what it calls `` enforceable '' health and safety standards for athletes developed by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Schools would subject to fines that could be worth millions if standards are not met .
— Establish a medical trust fund athletes can access for five years after leaving school .
— Guarantee college athletes ' scholarships for as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receive an undergraduate degree and ban coaches and staff from influencing academic choices such as majors and courses .
— Remove restrictions on athletes who transfer from one school to another and penalties for breaking a national letter of intent , and allow athletes to return to school after entering a draft within seven days of that draft .
— Require athletic departments to annually disclose revenues and expenditures , including salaries of department personnel .
— Establish a nine-member Commission on College Athletics , appointed by the president , that would include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals with legal expertise .
The commission would take over much of the job of overseeing college sports from the NCAA , enforcing rules laid out in the law with subpoena power to investigate violations .
The NCAA will vote next month on legislation that will permit athletes to be compensated for their names , images , and likenesses for the first time , but with some restrictions .
Athletes would not be allowed to use school logos and marks in their commercial ventures ; an individual 's endorsement deals could not conflict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; and athletes will not be permitted to enter into financial arrangements with companies that provide services or sell goods that conflict with NCAA legislation — such as gambling , alcohol , or banned substances .
NCAA president Mark Emmert said last week the association ca n't move forward with legislation until it has a `` legal framework within which to do it . ''
`` So we need Congress to act , but we 're also trying to signal to everybody that we 're ready for this and we 're going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Emmert said .
`` It 's the right thing to do , but we need to do it in a way that supports college athletics and it 's not destructive . ''

A bill introduced Thursday by four Democratic lawmakers would grant college athletes sweeping rights to compensation, including a share of the revenue generated by their sports, and create a federal commission to oversee college athletics.
The College Athletes Bill of Rights is sponsored by Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). If passed, it could wreak havoc on the NCAA’s ability to govern intercollegiate athletics and the association’s model for amateurism.
The announcement of the bill comes a day after the Supreme Court agreed to review a court ruling the NCAA says blurs the “line between student-athletes and professionals” by removing caps on certain compensation that major college football and basketball players can receive.
The NCAA has turned to Congress for help as it works toward permitting athletes to earn money from endorsements and sponsorship deals, while also trying to fend off myriad state-level bills that would undercut any attempt to create uniform rules for competing schools.
Last week, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, introduced a bill that would allow college athletes to be paid for their names, images, and likenesses, with oversight from the Federal Trade Commission. The bill also protects the NCAA from future antitrust challenges to its compensation rules.
Booker and Blumenthal’s bill, however, goes way beyond NIL rights for athletes and is not nearly as NCAA-friendly.
“As a former college athlete, these issues are deeply personal to me,” said Booker, who played football at Stanford. “The NCAA has exploited generations of college athletes for its own personal financial gain by preventing athletes from earning any meaningful compensation and failing to keep the athletes under its charge healthy and safe.”
The legislation would allow college athletes to earn money off their names, images, and likenesses with minimal restrictions, through either individual or group licensing deals.
It would also require schools to share 50% of the profit from their revenue-generating sports such as football and basketball with the athletes who play them, after the cost of scholarships are deducted.
Some of the biggest athletic departments in the country, such as Ohio State, Alabama, and Texas, generate more than $100 million in revenue annually, the bulk of which comes from football and men’s basketball. Almost all of that revenue typically gets sunk back into the athletic departments to pay for not just those programs, but all the other nonrevenue sports.
The concept of schools directly paying athletes has been a nonstarter for the NCAA and would be considered a radical change. Iowa point guard Jordan Bohannon told the AP Thursday night that he doesn’t understand why such a structure would be thought of as controversial.
“Well, there’s college coaches across the country making millions of dollars and that’s not controversial, making off the backs of college athletes that are unpaid,” Bohannon said in a phone interview. “We have a game on Christmas Day and our families can’t even go to the game and we have to play, theoretically making money for these TV contracts that (conferences) signed. It blows my mind.”
Bohannon said during the pandemic college athletes, who are tested multiple times a week for COVID-19, have become essential workers.
The bill also would:
— Create what it calls “enforceable” health and safety standards for athletes developed by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Schools would subject to fines that could be worth millions if standards are not met.
— Establish a medical trust fund athletes can access for five years after leaving school.
— Guarantee college athletes’ scholarships for as many years as it takes them to receive an undergraduate degree and ban coaches and staff from influencing academic choices such as majors and courses.
— Remove restrictions on athletes who transfer from one school to another and penalties for breaking a national letter of intent, and allow athletes to return to school after entering a draft within seven days of that draft.
— Require athletic departments to annually disclose revenues and expenditures, including salaries of department personnel.
— Establish a nine-member Commission on College Athletics, appointed by the president, that would include at least five former college athletes and individuals with legal expertise. The commission would take over much of the job of overseeing college sports from the NCAA, enforcing rules laid out in the law with subpoena power to investigate violations.
The NCAA will vote next month on legislation that will permit athletes to be compensated for their names, images, and likenesses for the first time, but with some restrictions.
Athletes would not be allowed to use school logos and marks in their commercial ventures; an individual’s endorsement deals could not conflict with those of his or her school; and athletes will not be permitted to enter into financial arrangements with companies that provide services or sell goods that conflict with NCAA legislation — such as gambling, alcohol, or banned substances.
NCAA president Mark Emmert said last week the association can’t move forward with legislation until it has a “legal framework within which to do it.”
“So we need Congress to act, but we’re also trying to signal to everybody that we’re ready for this and we’re going to move forward if we possibly can,” Emmert said. “It’s the right thing to do, but we need to do it in a way that supports college athletics and it’s not destructive.”


shareblue--2020-12-18--Matt Gaetz decides to work from home after railing against letting others do so

Rep. Matt Gaetz ( R-FL ) designated a Democratic colleague to cast votes on his behalf on Friday — something many members of Congress have done this year during the pandemic so the can work remotely and minimize the risk of spreading the virus .
Except that Gaetz has spent the year insisting that it should n't be allowed .
In a letter to the House clerk , first flagged by Politico , Gaetz claimed that he is `` physically unable to attend proceedings in the House Chamber due to the ongoing public health emergency . ''
He designated Rep. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his behalf .
He was able to do this under a provision , enacted in May by the House Democratic majority , temporarily allowing members to work from home during the pandemic .
Gaetz and the rest of the Republican minority unanimously opposed the change , with several members denouncing it as `` unconstitutional '' and the end of `` our constitutional republic . ''
At the time , Gaetz strongly opposed the move .
`` The establishment of both parties have engaged in proxy-legislating on behalf of special interests for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] Pelosi wants to take it a step further with proxy voting in congress , '' he tweeted on May 14 .
`` This I can not support . ''
A day later , he dedicated a segment of his `` Hot Takes '' podcast to excoriating the `` super partisan mechanisms '' of `` Nancy Pelosi 's Rule . ''
`` Anything that gets the representatives of the people further away from the decision-making process is something that I do not support , '' he argued .
He warned that this would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' diminishing the power of the rest of the lawmakers .
Last month , Gaetz penned an op-ed in the Washington Examiner claiming he had changed his mind on remote voting because `` if we can not drain the swamp , we should at least spend less time in it . ''
It was unclear whether he had actually changed his position or whether he was being tongue-in-cheek .
A Gaetz spokesperson did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story .
Gaetz has previously claimed to have COVID-19 antibodies and appeared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Young Republican Club event in New Jersey .
Gov .
Phil Murphy publicly excoriated him for violating safety rules , telling him to stay out of New Jersey in the future .
Few House Republicans have taken advantage of the work-from-home option , even as coronavirus cases have spiked across the country and within their own caucus .
At least 20 members of the House have tested positive thus far .
On Thursday , Rep. Bob Latta ( R-OH ) complained on Twitter , `` We have work to do in Washington , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and vote by proxy yesterday .
We should be working together to extend the Paycheck Protection Program and support American workers . ''
Less than an hour later , Rep. Mike Rogers ( R-AL ) announced that he had tested positive for the coronavirus .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) designated a Democratic colleague to cast votes on his behalf on Friday — something many members of Congress have done this year during the pandemic so the can work remotely and minimize the risk of spreading the virus.
Except that Gaetz has spent the year insisting that it shouldn’t be allowed.
In a letter to the House clerk, first flagged by Politico, Gaetz claimed that he is “physically unable to attend proceedings in the House Chamber due to the ongoing public health emergency.” He designated Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii to cast votes on his behalf.
He was able to do this under a provision, enacted in May by the House Democratic majority, temporarily allowing members to work from home during the pandemic. Gaetz and the rest of the Republican minority unanimously opposed the change, with several members denouncing it as “unconstitutional” and the end of “our constitutional republic.”
At the time, Gaetz strongly opposed the move.
“The establishment of both parties have engaged in proxy-legislating on behalf of special interests for a generation. Now [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi wants to take it a step further with proxy voting in congress,” he tweeted on May 14. “This I cannot support.”
A day later, he dedicated a segment of his “Hot Takes” podcast to excoriating the “super partisan mechanisms” of “Nancy Pelosi’s Rule.”
“Anything that gets the representatives of the people further away from the decision-making process is something that I do not support,” he argued. He warned that this would make proxyholders into “super legislators,” diminishing the power of the rest of the lawmakers.
Last month, Gaetz penned an op-ed in the Washington Examiner claiming he had changed his mind on remote voting because “if we cannot drain the swamp, we should at least spend less time in it.” It was unclear whether he had actually changed his position or whether he was being tongue-in-cheek.
A Gaetz spokesperson did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story.
Gaetz has previously claimed to have COVID-19 antibodies and appeared maskless earlier this month at a crowded Young Republican Club event in New Jersey. Gov. Phil Murphy publicly excoriated him for violating safety rules, telling him to stay out of New Jersey in the future.
Few House Republicans have taken advantage of the work-from-home option, even as coronavirus cases have spiked across the country and within their own caucus. At least 20 members of the House have tested positive thus far.
On Thursday, Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) complained on Twitter, “We have work to do in Washington, yet 84 Democrats decided to stay home and vote by proxy yesterday. We should be working together to extend the Paycheck Protection Program and support American workers.”
Less than an hour later, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) announced that he had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-12-18--It sure looks like Pence is trying to save himself from the stain of Trump

Vice President Mike Pence and his wife received the coronavirus vaccine live on camera on Friday in what the Trump administration called an effort to assure Americans of the vaccine 's safety .
Meanwhile , Donald Trump spent the past two days slamming elected officials for not overturning the election and retweeting debunked conspiracy theories about coronavirus safety measures .
Pence has been more or less silent on Trump 's attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election since Nov. 3 except for a few public appearances that seemed designed to shore up his base and protect his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public support for the COVID-19 vaccine , Pence hosted a `` Life is Winning '' event at the White House Wednesday to highlight the anti-abortion accomplishments of the Trump administration , for which Pence has long been credited and revered by the far right .
`` Mike Pence is the 24-karat-gold model of what we want in an evangelical politician , ” Richard Land , a Trump faith adviser and president of the Southern Evangelical Seminary , told the Atlantic in 2018 .
`` I do n't know anyone who 's more consistent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy . ''
Pence has also been hitting the campaign trail in Georgia , stumping for Republican Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in their bids for reelection in runoff elections on Jan. 5 .
But if there 's one thing Pence has n't been doing , it 's rallying behind Trump 's efforts to steal the election .
Pence , who has long been known as a Trump loyalist and yes man , has remained uncharacteristically silent on Trump 's attempts at a coup .
Some experts have seen this has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future — and the possibility of a 2024 presidential bid .
Thomas Gift , director of the Centre on U.S .
Politics at University College London , told Newsweek , `` Pence , by definition , will carry much of the baggage associated with Trump 's presidency .
But if he does want to run in 2024—which does n't seem at all like a foregone conclusion—abandoning Trump now would almost certainly make that bid untenable . ''
`` Anti-Trumpers would reject him because of his long association with their nemesis , while Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he turned his back against their hero , '' Gift added .
Pence gave lip service to a few of Trump 's efforts to overturn the election , including allowing his name to be signed to related fundraising emails .
But he also remained silent when reporters asked him about Trump 's false election fraud claims , and planned to leave Washington , D.C. , on a trip to Florida immediately after the election , although he later canceled it .
And in contrast to Trump 's endless Twitter rants about the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platform to mention `` election irregularities '' a few times since Nov. 3 .
Twice he retweeted articles about it without commentary .
The Daily Beast reported that fundraising emails from Pence on behalf of the Trump campaign have stopped .
`` Since Nov. 25 , not a single fundraising email from the Trump campaign or its Republican National Committee fundraising account has featured Pence 's name in the 'from ' field , '' the outlet reported .
And , it added , in December the Make America Great Again Committee replaced its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's name .
Politico has noted that while Pence will have to oversee the congressional session confirming President-elect Joe Biden 's win in the Electoral College , it looks like he plans to leave Washington immediately afterward , reporting that government documents indicate he may be headed to Bahrain , Israel , and Poland .
A colleague of Pence 's told Politico , `` I suspect the timing is anything but coincidental . ''
And while Pence has claimed to support the failed Texas lawsuit that 17 states pursued to overturn the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the administration say he is not on board with attempts to overturn the election .
A senior administration official told the Daily Beast that `` it is an open secret '' among those in the Trump administration that Pence `` absolutely does not feel the same way about the legal effort as President Trump does . ''
`` The vice president does n't want to go down with this ship , '' the official said .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Vice President Mike Pence and his wife received the coronavirus vaccine live on camera on Friday in what the Trump administration called an effort to assure Americans of the vaccine’s safety.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump spent the past two days slamming elected officials for not overturning the election and retweeting debunked conspiracy theories about coronavirus safety measures.
Pence has been more or less silent on Trump’s attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election since Nov. 3 except for a few public appearances that seemed designed to shore up his base and protect his political future.
In addition to his public support for the COVID-19 vaccine, Pence hosted a “Life is Winning” event at the White House Wednesday to highlight the anti-abortion accomplishments of the Trump administration, for which Pence has long been credited and revered by the far right.
“Mike Pence is the 24-karat-gold model of what we want in an evangelical politician,” Richard Land, a Trump faith adviser and president of the Southern Evangelical Seminary, told the Atlantic in 2018. “I don’t know anyone who’s more consistent in bringing his evangelical-Christian worldview to public policy.”
Pence has also been hitting the campaign trail in Georgia, stumping for Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in their bids for reelection in runoff elections on Jan. 5.
But if there’s one thing Pence hasn’t been doing, it’s rallying behind Trump’s efforts to steal the election.
Pence, who has long been known as a Trump loyalist and yes man, has remained uncharacteristically silent on Trump’s attempts at a coup.
Some experts have seen this has a calculated move to secure his political future — and the possibility of a 2024 presidential bid.
Thomas Gift, director of the Centre on U.S. Politics at University College London, told Newsweek, “Pence, by definition, will carry much of the baggage associated with Trump’s presidency. But if he does want to run in 2024—which doesn’t seem at all like a foregone conclusion—abandoning Trump now would almost certainly make that bid untenable.”
“Anti-Trumpers would reject him because of his long association with their nemesis, while Trump loyalists also wouldn’t support him because he turned his back against their hero,” Gift added.
Pence gave lip service to a few of Trump’s efforts to overturn the election, including allowing his name to be signed to related fundraising emails.
But he also remained silent when reporters asked him about Trump’s false election fraud claims, and planned to leave Washington, D.C., on a trip to Florida immediately after the election, although he later canceled it.
And in contrast to Trump’s endless Twitter rants about the election, Pence has only taken to the platform to mention “election irregularities” a few times since Nov. 3. Twice he retweeted articles about it without commentary.
The Daily Beast reported that fundraising emails from Pence on behalf of the Trump campaign have stopped.
“Since Nov. 25, not a single fundraising email from the Trump campaign or its Republican National Committee fundraising account has featured Pence’s name in the ‘from’ field,” the outlet reported.
And, it added, in December the Make America Great Again Committee replaced its Trump-Pence logo with one featuring only Trump’s name.
Politico has noted that while Pence will have to oversee the congressional session confirming President-elect Joe Biden’s win in the Electoral College, it looks like he plans to leave Washington immediately afterward, reporting that government documents indicate he may be headed to Bahrain, Israel, and Poland. A colleague of Pence’s told Politico, “I suspect the timing is anything but coincidental.”
And while Pence has claimed to support the failed Texas lawsuit that 17 states pursued to overturn the election, with Trump’s support, others in the administration say he is not on board with attempts to overturn the election.
A senior administration official told the Daily Beast that “it is an open secret” among those in the Trump administration that Pence “absolutely does not feel the same way about the legal effort as President Trump does.”
“The vice president doesn’t want to go down with this ship,” the official said.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-12-18--Millionaire senator: Giving $1,200 to struggling families isn't fair to their kids

Sen. Ron Johnson ( R-WI ) on Friday blocked a bill to include $ 1,200 direct payments to Americans as part of a new round of coronavirus relief , complaining it 's too expensive and somehow unfair to people .
`` We are mortgaging our children 's future , without reforms , without targeting , '' he said , insisting it was better to deny desperately needed relief to Americans rather than add any more to the national debt .
Johnson , who according to OpenSecrets is worth over $ 39 million , has been insisting that Americans do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We shouldn ’ t be scattering [ money ] with a shotgun approach , '' he said Thursday , `` just providing all kinds of money to all kinds of people . ''
`` I think this pandemic will be over before more people realize , '' he added .
Congress is trying to put together some sort of relief bill as time is running out before extended unemployment benefits lapse .
The House passed a comprehensive relief bill in May , which included unemployment benefits and additional payments directly to Americans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even hold a vote on it .
Now , though , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell fears that continuing to deny relief to Americans could negatively affect his party 's chances in the Jan. 6 runoffs in Georgia , thus costing him control of the Senate .
So he and his party have come to the negotiating table , ostensibly ready to make a deal .
But Republicans are still unwilling to provide the full amount of extended unemployment benefits and direct relief that Democrats have been fighting for since May .
Thus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced into poverty during the pandemic as the GOP refuses to pass a coronavirus relief bill .
Unemployment claims hit their highest levels in three months on Thursday .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) on Friday blocked a bill to include $1,200 direct payments to Americans as part of a new round of coronavirus relief, complaining it’s too expensive and somehow unfair to people.
“We are mortgaging our children’s future, without reforms, without targeting,” he said, insisting it was better to deny desperately needed relief to Americans rather than add any more to the national debt.
Johnson, who according to OpenSecrets is worth over $39 million, has been insisting that Americans don’t actually need that much help.
“We shouldn’t be scattering [money] with a shotgun approach,” he said Thursday, “just providing all kinds of money to all kinds of people.”
“I think this pandemic will be over before more people realize,” he added.


shareblue--2020-12-18--Rand Paul's convinced election was stolen — but not sure he'll do anything about it

Sen. Rand Paul ( R-KY ) baselessly suggested on Friday that the 2020 election was a corrupt as Lyndon Johnson 's 1948 Texas Senate race .
It 's his latest of several recent statements , without offering any evidence , that the presidential election was fraudulent .
But despite his commitment to that lie , he wo n't commit to doing anything about the election he keeps saying was `` stolen . ''
`` LBJ biographer Robert Caro on election fraud : 'Johnson received the votes of the dead , the halt , the missing and those who were unaware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' ” Paul tweeted .
`` Sound familiar ? ''
He shared a 1990 New York Times story about irregularities in Johnson 's win over Coke Stevenson in a Democratic primary runoff — though the article noted that fraud was much more common at the time and quoted a Johnson aid as saying without cheating on both sides , Johnson 's margin would have actually been much larger .
For weeks , Paul has been making similar unfounded claims that Donald Trump was somehow the real winner of last month 's election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in many ways was stolen , '' he claimed at a Senate hearing on Wednesday , without providing any proof .
He also asserted that people broke absentee voting rules , that non-citizens cast ballots , and — improbably — that `` dead people voted . ''
On Nov. 29 , he alleged `` Anomalies in Vote Counts '' in four states .
`` Interesting .
.
.
Trump margin of “ defeat ” in 4 states occurred in 4 data dumps between 1:34-6:31 AM , '' he tweeted .
`` Statistical anomaly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and decide for yourself .
( That is , if Big Tech allows u to read this ) . ''
PolitiFact rated the claim a `` pants on fire '' lie , noting that there was `` no credible basis to Paul 's claim '' that the reporting of absentee ballots — which were most popular among Biden supporters — was evidence of fraud .
Nine days earlier , Paul tweeted : `` When the media says no evidence of widespread fraud , perhaps they mean no evidence , if you look the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article about a mathematics professor who said that his analysis showed nearly 100,000 fraudulent absentee ballots were cast in Pennsylvania .
Days later , that professor apologized for `` lack of clarity and due diligence '' in his extrapolations .
Last month , the New York Times called election officials from every state — Democrats and Republicans — to ask if they 'd seen any widespread election fraud or irregularities .
None of the states had seen any such indicated any .
At the same Senate hearing this week , Christopher Krebs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Security Agency , confirmed this .
`` There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes , changed votes , or was in any way compromised , '' he said , urging Republicans to stop pretending that there was .
Trump fired Krebs last month after he wrote , in a joint statement with elections administrators , that he 2020 election `` the most secure in American history , '' with `` no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes , changed votes , or was in any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paul has rejected these bipartisan assurances that the election was secure and has continued to insist that Trump , not President-elect Joe Biden , is the true victor , he has thus far refused to commit to any action to try to overturn the result .
Next month , the House and Senate will meet in a joint session to tally the results from the Electoral College .
Rep. Mo Brooks ( R-AL ) plans to object to the electors from states won by Biden but won by Trump in 2016 .
Brooks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in order to force a vote on whether to reject the Electoral College votes from each of those states .
While this is unlikely to overturn the results , with a Democratic House and many Senate Republicans publicly opposing the effort , it could cause lengthy delays .
A Paul spokesperson did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story .
But Brooks and Trump have reportedly been lobbying Paul to back the objections .
He has declined to rule it out , telling reporters on Wednesday , `` I have n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans to do anything . ''
This week , Sen.-elect Tommy Tuberville ( R-AL ) appeared to endorse the idea of an Electoral Vote objection , saying , `` We 're going to have to do it in the Senate . ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) baselessly suggested on Friday that the 2020 election was a corrupt as Lyndon Johnson’s 1948 Texas Senate race. It’s his latest of several recent statements, without offering any evidence, that the presidential election was fraudulent.
But despite his commitment to that lie, he won’t commit to doing anything about the election he keeps saying was “stolen.”
“LBJ biographer Robert Caro on election fraud: ‘Johnson received the votes of the dead, the halt, the missing and those who were unaware that an election was going on.’” Paul tweeted. “Sound familiar?”
He shared a 1990 New York Times story about irregularities in Johnson’s win over Coke Stevenson in a Democratic primary runoff — though the article noted that fraud was much more common at the time and quoted a Johnson aid as saying without cheating on both sides, Johnson’s margin would have actually been much larger.
For weeks, Paul has been making similar unfounded claims that Donald Trump was somehow the real winner of last month’s election.
“The fraud happened. The election in many ways was stolen,” he claimed at a Senate hearing on Wednesday, without providing any proof. He also asserted that people broke absentee voting rules, that non-citizens cast ballots, and — improbably — that “dead people voted.”
On Nov. 29, he alleged “Anomalies in Vote Counts” in four states.
“Interesting . . . Trump margin of “defeat” in 4 states occurred in 4 data dumps between 1:34-6:31 AM,” he tweeted. “Statistical anomaly? Fraud? Look at the evidence and decide for yourself.(That is, if Big Tech allows u to read this).”
PolitiFact rated the claim a “pants on fire” lie, noting that there was “no credible basis to Paul’s claim” that the reporting of absentee ballots — which were most popular among Biden supporters — was evidence of fraud.
Nine days earlier, Paul tweeted: “When the media says no evidence of widespread fraud, perhaps they mean no evidence, if you look the other way…” He shared an article about a mathematics professor who said that his analysis showed nearly 100,000 fraudulent absentee ballots were cast in Pennsylvania.
Days later, that professor apologized for “lack of clarity and due diligence” in his extrapolations.
Last month, the New York Times called election officials from every state — Democrats and Republicans — to ask if they’d seen any widespread election fraud or irregularities. None of the states had seen any such indicated any.
At the same Senate hearing this week, Christopher Krebs, former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, confirmed this. “There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised,” he said, urging Republicans to stop pretending that there was.
Trump fired Krebs last month after he wrote, in a joint statement with elections administrators, that he 2020 election “the most secure in American history,” with “no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised.”
But even though Paul has rejected these bipartisan assurances that the election was secure and has continued to insist that Trump, not President-elect Joe Biden, is the true victor, he has thus far refused to commit to any action to try to overturn the result.
Next month, the House and Senate will meet in a joint session to tally the results from the Electoral College. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) plans to object to the electors from states won by Biden but won by Trump in 2016.
Brooks needs only one to co-sign his objections in order to force a vote on whether to reject the Electoral College votes from each of those states. While this is unlikely to overturn the results, with a Democratic House and many Senate Republicans publicly opposing the effort, it could cause lengthy delays.
A Paul spokesperson did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story.
But Brooks and Trump have reportedly been lobbying Paul to back the objections. He has declined to rule it out, telling reporters on Wednesday, “I haven’t thought about it, or made any plans to do anything.”
This week, Sen.-elect Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) appeared to endorse the idea of an Electoral Vote objection, saying, “We’re going to have to do it in the Senate.”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-12-18--5 ways Senate GOP is trying to sabotage Biden's presidency before it even begins

They 've barely accepted that Joe Biden is president-elect , but Senate Republicans are already plotting ways to hamstring Biden 's presidency from Day 1 .
Currently , Senate Republicans are holding up a desperately needed coronavirus relief bill because they want to add a provision that would prevent Biden 's Treasury Secretary-designate Janet Yellen from using emergency lending power to help the economic recovery .
`` We almost have a bipartisan COVID package , but at the last minute Republicans are making a demand that WAS NEVER MENTIONED AS KEY TO THE NEGOTIATIONS .
They want to block the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s the reason we don ’ t have a deal , '' Sen. Brian Schatz ( D-HI ) tweeted Friday morning .
Congressional leaders are trying to tie the coronavirus relief legislation to a government funding bill , which is set to expire at midnight unless Congress acts .
But trying to sneak in a last-minute provision that would curtail Biden 's tools to help boost the ailing economy Donald Trump is leaving in his wake is not the only vindictive move Senate Republicans are taking to kneecap Biden 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican Whip John Thune suggested Thursday that his party will not pass any new coronavirus relief once Biden takes office — which could further hamper the economic recovery needed after Trump 's failed response led to massive unemployment and 8 million Americans forced into poverty .
What 's more , Republicans are finding absurd and hypocritical excuses to block Biden 's highly qualified Cabinet picks .
For example , they want to block Biden 's nominee for the Office of Management and Budget because she has tweeted criticism of Republicans .
Meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweeted nasty insults — including about his fellow Republicans — for more than four years , using the ridiculous excuse that they did n't see the tweets .
Senate Republicans are also signaling they will once again care about the national debt to block some of Biden 's policy goals .
However , the GOP-controlled Senate has spent the last four years under Trump passing debt-busting laws — including a tax cut for the rich that a new study found did not help at all with making life better for the middle and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is also confirming a spate of Trump nominees in the lame duck session for positions that have laid vacant for long stretches of time , denying Biden the opportunity to fill those roles when he takes office .
Actively working to stop a Democratic president from accomplishing anything — even if it would better the lives of their own constituents — is the modus operandi of congressional Republicans .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell famously vowed to block then-President Barack Obama 's agenda at all costs to ensure his failure as president .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president , '' he said of the GOP in 2010 , ahead of the midterm elections .
Of course , Obama went on to win a second term in 2012 , defeating now-GOP Sen. Mitt Romney .
However , McConnell continued his obstruction , even after Obama won reelection , by blocking over 100 judicial vacancies from being filled , including , most infamously , a Supreme Court seat that sat empty for more than a year so that Trump could fill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American Independent Foundation .

They’ve barely accepted that Joe Biden is president-elect, but Senate Republicans are already plotting ways to hamstring Biden’s presidency from Day 1.
Currently, Senate Republicans are holding up a desperately needed coronavirus relief bill because they want to add a provision that would prevent Biden’s Treasury Secretary-designate Janet Yellen from using emergency lending power to help the economic recovery.
“We almost have a bipartisan COVID package, but at the last minute Republicans are making a demand that WAS NEVER MENTIONED AS KEY TO THE NEGOTIATIONS. They want to block the FED from helping the economy under Biden. It’s the reason we don’t have a deal,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) tweeted Friday morning. Congressional leaders are trying to tie the coronavirus relief legislation to a government funding bill, which is set to expire at midnight unless Congress acts.
But trying to sneak in a last-minute provision that would curtail Biden’s tools to help boost the ailing economy Donald Trump is leaving in his wake is not the only vindictive move Senate Republicans are taking to kneecap Biden’s tenure before it even begins.
Senate Republican Whip John Thune suggested Thursday that his party will not pass any new coronavirus relief once Biden takes office — which could further hamper the economic recovery needed after Trump’s failed response led to massive unemployment and 8 million Americans forced into poverty.
What’s more, Republicans are finding absurd and hypocritical excuses to block Biden’s highly qualified Cabinet picks.
For example, they want to block Biden’s nominee for the Office of Management and Budget because she has tweeted criticism of Republicans. Meanwhile, they looked the other way as Trump tweeted nasty insults — including about his fellow Republicans — for more than four years, using the ridiculous excuse that they didn’t see the tweets.
Senate Republicans are also signaling they will once again care about the national debt to block some of Biden’s policy goals. However, the GOP-controlled Senate has spent the last four years under Trump passing debt-busting laws — including a tax cut for the rich that a new study found did not help at all with making life better for the middle and lower classes.
And the GOP-run Senate is also confirming a spate of Trump nominees in the lame duck session for positions that have laid vacant for long stretches of time, denying Biden the opportunity to fill those roles when he takes office.
Actively working to stop a Democratic president from accomplishing anything — even if it would better the lives of their own constituents — is the modus operandi of congressional Republicans.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell famously vowed to block then-President Barack Obama’s agenda at all costs to ensure his failure as president.
“The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president,” he said of the GOP in 2010, ahead of the midterm elections.
Of course, Obama went on to win a second term in 2012, defeating now-GOP Sen. Mitt Romney.
However, McConnell continued his obstruction, even after Obama won reelection, by blocking over 100 judicial vacancies from being filled, including, most infamously, a Supreme Court seat that sat empty for more than a year so that Trump could fill it.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-12-18--Trump's Florida neighbor really doesn't want him living at Mar-a-Lago

Donald Trump 's expected move to his Mar-a-Lago club after he leaves office next month is being challenged by a lawyer who says a 1990s agreement allowing Trump to convert the Florida property into a business prohibits anyone from living there , including him .
Attorney Reginald Stambaugh sent a letter this week to the Town of Palm Beach saying he represents a neighbor who does n't want Trump to take up residence at the 17-acre property because it would decrease the area 's property values .
He also asserts that a microwave security barrier operated by the Secret Service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says is exhibiting symptoms of microwave exposure .
He did not give the client 's name .
Trump and his wife Melania changed their legal residence from New York City to Palm Beach last year .
Stambaugh says that violates the 1993 agreement between Trump and the town that allowed him to turn Mar-a-Lago from a private home into a club that has 10 guest rooms for rent .
The agreement says only members can stay overnight and for no more than 21 days per year , divided into three one-week stays that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is whether Trump is a club member and covered by those rules .
Stambaugh believes he is — and comments Trump 's lawyer made in 1993 back that up .
`` In order to avoid an embarrassing situation for everyone and to give the President time to make other living arrangements in the area , we trust you will work with his team to remind them '' of the agreement , Stambaugh wrote .
`` Palm Beach has many lovely estates for sale and surely he can find one which meets his needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a call and email Thursday seeking further comment .
The Trump Organization issued a statement Thursday saying , `` There is no document or agreement in place that prohibits President Trump from using Mar-A-Lago as his residence . ''
Town Manager Kirk Blouin declined comment Thursday through an aide , and Mayor Gail Coniglio did not respond to an email and phone call seeking comment .
Mar-a-Lago manager Bernd Lembcke also did not return a phone call .
Trump purchased Mar-a-Lago for $ 10 million in 1985 from the estate of Marjorie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foods .
The 126-room mansion had deteriorated after her death in 1973 , when she left it to the U.S. government as a possible presidential vacation home .
The government gave it back in 1981 .
After Trump bought it , he spent millions upgrading the property while living there part-time , usually between November and May when Florida 's weather is temperate .
By the early 1990s , however , Trump was in financial straits as real estate prices dropped and several of his businesses flopped , including a New Jersey casino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no longer afford the $ 3 million annual upkeep and it was unfair that he was shouldering the costs alone .
He proposed subdividing the property and building mansions .
The town rejected the proposal .
In 1993 , Trump and the town agreed he could turn the estate into a private club .
It would be limited to 500 members — the initiation fee is now $ 200,000 , and annual dues are $ 14,000 .
The agreement has strict restrictions on parking and noise and specifically bars Trump from operating a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ town did not respond to questions about why the latter prohibition was added .
According to 1993 Palm Beach Post articles , Trump attorney Paul Rampell told the town council Trump would no longer reside at the mansion if the agreement were approved .
`` Another question that 's often asked to me is whether Mr. Trump will continue to live at Mar-a-Lago , '' Rampell told the council , according to the Post .
`` No , except that he will be a member of the club and therefore will be entitled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Rampell did not respond to an email and phone call Thursday .
The length of Trump 's stays at Mar-a-Lago before he took office are unknown , but since then he has spent more than 21 days per year there , including visits of about two weeks during the Christmas holidays .
He has hosted several world leaders there , including Chinese President Xi Jinping and former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe .
Before he took office , Trump and the town often clashed over the club 's operation .
Neighbors complained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flag and its 80-foot pole that Trump erected in 2006 without the proper permits .
The two sides eventually settled : Trump got his pole , and his foundation gave $ 100,000 to veteran charities .
He unsuccessfully sued Palm Beach County because jetliners taking off from the nearby international airport flew over the mansion .
Since his 2016 election , his visits have created traffic snarls as vehicles are diverted away from Mar-a-Lago when he is there .
Palm Beach is one of Florida 's most exclusive towns , with a median @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There have been numerous protests by Trump opponents and rallies by supporters near Mar-a-Lago in the last four years and several incidents that resulted in arrests .
Those include : - A Chinese businesswoman illegally gained admission last year when Secret Service agents thought she was the daughter of a member .
She was found guilty on federal trespassing charges and deported after spending eight months in jail .
— A University of Wisconsin student got inside by mingling with a group entering for a party .
He apologized and got probation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through a Secret Service checkpoint on the road outside the estate in January , drawing gunfire from agents and sheriff 's deputies .
She is awaiting trial .
Her attorney says she will mount an insanity defense .

Donald Trump’s expected move to his Mar-a-Lago club after he leaves office next month is being challenged by a lawyer who says a 1990s agreement allowing Trump to convert the Florida property into a business prohibits anyone from living there, including him.
Attorney Reginald Stambaugh sent a letter this week to the Town of Palm Beach saying he represents a neighbor who doesn’t want Trump to take up residence at the 17-acre property because it would decrease the area’s property values. He also asserts that a microwave security barrier operated by the Secret Service is harming his client, who he says is exhibiting symptoms of microwave exposure. He did not give the client’s name.
Trump and his wife Melania changed their legal residence from New York City to Palm Beach last year. Stambaugh says that violates the 1993 agreement between Trump and the town that allowed him to turn Mar-a-Lago from a private home into a club that has 10 guest rooms for rent.
The agreement says only members can stay overnight and for no more than 21 days per year, divided into three one-week stays that cannot run consecutively. The question is whether Trump is a club member and covered by those rules. Stambaugh believes he is — and comments Trump’s lawyer made in 1993 back that up.
“In order to avoid an embarrassing situation for everyone and to give the President time to make other living arrangements in the area, we trust you will work with his team to remind them” of the agreement, Stambaugh wrote. “Palm Beach has many lovely estates for sale and surely he can find one which meets his needs.” He did not immediately respond to a call and email Thursday seeking further comment.
The Trump Organization issued a statement Thursday saying, “There is no document or agreement in place that prohibits President Trump from using Mar-A-Lago as his residence.”
Town Manager Kirk Blouin declined comment Thursday through an aide, and Mayor Gail Coniglio did not respond to an email and phone call seeking comment. Mar-a-Lago manager Bernd Lembcke also did not return a phone call.
Trump purchased Mar-a-Lago for $10 million in 1985 from the estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post, the owner of General Foods. The 126-room mansion had deteriorated after her death in 1973, when she left it to the U.S. government as a possible presidential vacation home. The government gave it back in 1981.
After Trump bought it, he spent millions upgrading the property while living there part-time, usually between November and May when Florida’s weather is temperate.
By the early 1990s, however, Trump was in financial straits as real estate prices dropped and several of his businesses flopped, including a New Jersey casino. He told the town he could no longer afford the $3 million annual upkeep and it was unfair that he was shouldering the costs alone. He proposed subdividing the property and building mansions. The town rejected the proposal.
In 1993, Trump and the town agreed he could turn the estate into a private club. It would be limited to 500 members — the initiation fee is now $200,000, and annual dues are $14,000. The agreement has strict restrictions on parking and noise and specifically bars Trump from operating a casino or an animal circus. The town did not respond to questions about why the latter prohibition was added.
According to 1993 Palm Beach Post articles, Trump attorney Paul Rampell told the town council Trump would no longer reside at the mansion if the agreement were approved.
“Another question that’s often asked to me is whether Mr. Trump will continue to live at Mar-a-Lago,” Rampell told the council, according to the Post. “No, except that he will be a member of the club and therefore will be entitled to the use of guest rooms.”
Rampell did not respond to an email and phone call Thursday.
The length of Trump’s stays at Mar-a-Lago before he took office are unknown, but since then he has spent more than 21 days per year there, including visits of about two weeks during the Christmas holidays. He has hosted several world leaders there, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Before he took office, Trump and the town often clashed over the club’s operation. Neighbors complained about noise and a car lot-sized U.S. flag and its 80-foot pole that Trump erected in 2006 without the proper permits. The two sides eventually settled: Trump got his pole, and his foundation gave $100,000 to veteran charities. He unsuccessfully sued Palm Beach County because jetliners taking off from the nearby international airport flew over the mansion.
Since his 2016 election, his visits have created traffic snarls as vehicles are diverted away from Mar-a-Lago when he is there. Palm Beach is one of Florida’s most exclusive towns, with a median home price of over a million dollars.
There have been numerous protests by Trump opponents and rallies by supporters near Mar-a-Lago in the last four years and several incidents that resulted in arrests. Those include:
– A Chinese businesswoman illegally gained admission last year when Secret Service agents thought she was the daughter of a member. She was found guilty on federal trespassing charges and deported after spending eight months in jail.
— A University of Wisconsin student got inside by mingling with a group entering for a party. He apologized and got probation.
— A Connecticut opera singer sped through a Secret Service checkpoint on the road outside the estate in January, drawing gunfire from agents and sheriff’s deputies. She is awaiting trial. Her attorney says she will mount an insanity defense.


shareblue--2020-12-18--Sen. Ron Johnson: There's no reason to give struggling Americans much help

Sen. Ron Johnson ( R-WI ) said Thursday that a proposed $ 900 billion pandemic relief compromise is totally unnecessary .
`` We shouldn ’ t be scattering [ money ] with a shotgun approach , just providing all kinds of money to all kinds of people , '' he told The Hill .
`` I think this pandemic will be over before more people realize .
We didn ’ t have to spend $ 900 billion . ''
Johnson 's comments come as bipartisan negotiators are trying to work out final details on pared-down compromise legislation before time runs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployment benefits , protections for people who rent their homes , and paid leave are all set to expire in a few days unless Congress acts .
This could mean millions of people will face default , eviction , foreclosure , and poverty .
But Johnson has instead backed a $ 500 billion Senate Republican `` skinny '' bill that Democrats and even Donald Trump say is inadequate .
In May , the Democratic-controlled House passed a $ 3 trillion COVID-19 relief bill .
Johnson and the Senate Republican majority blocked this proposal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote .
In October , Trump urged Congress to go even beyond a $ 1.8 trillion proposed compromise , noting that the economic crisis `` was not caused by our workers and our people , '' but by the pandemic .
But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell quickly rejected even the $ 1.8 trillion level , saying his caucus would not back it .
`` That ’ s where the administration ’ s willing to go .
My members think what we laid out , a half a trillion dollars , highly targeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he told reporters .
Johnson backed up his leader .
`` We did the right thing , '' he said `` The president has his opinion , we have ours . ''
His suggestion that the problem is simply going to go away has been a longstanding — and demonstrably false — Republican talking point .
`` You know , a lot of people think that goes away in April with the heat — as the heat comes in .
Typically , that will go away in April , '' Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in August that his refusal to consider any relief at all for months was `` the reasonable thing to do '' as it `` allowed us to learn the coronavirus did n't mysteriously disappear . ''
In October , after being hospitalized with his own bout with the coronavirus , Trump again told the nation , `` It ’ s going to disappear .
It is disappearing . ''
Johnson also tested positive in October , but he dismissed `` unjustifiable hysteria '' about the pandemic .
`` The truth is most people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just fine , '' he predicted , though the medical community is still learning about long-term damage and ongoing symptoms caused by the virus .
Later that month , he incorrectly claimed that month that `` we 've flattened the curve '' with the coronavirus , just as cases and deaths were spiking in his state and nationally .
More than 300,000 Americans have died , with more than 3,000 Americans dying every day this week .
While public health experts are hopeful that newly approved vaccines will allow Americans ' lives to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be months before most people are able to get inoculated .
Despite Johnson 's pronouncement that the economy will soon be just fine , the nation continues to set daily records for coronavirus cases , hospitalizations , and deaths and the economy continues to tank .
On Thursday , unemployment claims soared to their highest levels in three months .
Millions of Americans continue to be out of work , largely as a result of business closures due to the pandemic .
As of October , more than 179,000 Wisconsin residents were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fallen into poverty over the last five months , according to data released earlier this week by researchers at the Universities of Chicago and Notre Dame .
This was the largest single-year rise in the 60 years the nation has tracked poverty rates .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) said Thursday that a proposed $900 billion pandemic relief compromise is totally unnecessary.
“We shouldn’t be scattering [money] with a shotgun approach, just providing all kinds of money to all kinds of people,” he told The Hill. “I think this pandemic will be over before more people realize. We didn’t have to spend $900 billion.”
Johnson’s comments come as bipartisan negotiators are trying to work out final details on pared-down compromise legislation before time runs out in the 116th Congress. Emergency unemployment benefits, protections for people who rent their homes, and paid leave are all set to expire in a few days unless Congress acts. This could mean millions of people will face default, eviction, foreclosure, and poverty.
But Johnson has instead backed a $500 billion Senate Republican “skinny” bill that Democrats and even Donald Trump say is inadequate.
In May, the Democratic-controlled House passed a $3 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. Johnson and the Senate Republican majority blocked this proposal, refusing to even give it a vote.
In October, Trump urged Congress to go even beyond a $1.8 trillion proposed compromise, noting that the economic crisis “was not caused by our workers and our people,” but by the pandemic.
But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell quickly rejected even the $1.8 trillion level, saying his caucus would not back it. “That’s where the administration’s willing to go. My members think what we laid out, a half a trillion dollars, highly targeted, is the best way to go,” he told reporters.
Johnson backed up his leader. “We did the right thing,” he said “The president has his opinion, we have ours.”
His suggestion that the problem is simply going to go away has been a longstanding — and demonstrably false — Republican talking point.
“You know, a lot of people think that goes away in April with the heat — as the heat comes in. Typically, that will go away in April,” Trump baselessly suggested in February.
McConnell said in August that his refusal to consider any relief at all for months was “the reasonable thing to do” as it “allowed us to learn the coronavirus didn’t mysteriously disappear.”
In October, after being hospitalized with his own bout with the coronavirus, Trump again told the nation, “It’s going to disappear. It is disappearing.”
Johnson also tested positive in October, but he dismissed “unjustifiable hysteria” about the pandemic. “The truth is most people who get COVID are going to be just fine,” he predicted, though the medical community is still learning about long-term damage and ongoing symptoms caused by the virus.
Later that month, he incorrectly claimed that month that “we’ve flattened the curve” with the coronavirus, just as cases and deaths were spiking in his state and nationally.
More than 300,000 Americans have died, with more than 3,000 Americans dying every day this week.
While public health experts are hopeful that newly approved vaccines will allow Americans’ lives to return to normal by autumn, it will be months before most people are able to get inoculated.
Despite Johnson’s pronouncement that the economy will soon be just fine, the nation continues to set daily records for coronavirus cases, hospitalizations, and deaths and the economy continues to tank.
On Thursday, unemployment claims soared to their highest levels in three months. Millions of Americans continue to be out of work, largely as a result of business closures due to the pandemic. As of October, more than 179,000 Wisconsin residents were unemployed.
About 7.8 million Americans have fallen into poverty over the last five months, according to data released earlier this week by researchers at the Universities of Chicago and Notre Dame. This was the largest single-year rise in the 60 years the nation has tracked poverty rates.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.