shareblue--2020-05-27--These companies are funding GOP governors' dangerous push to reopen

At least 19 American companies have given millions of dollars to a group of Republican governors pushing hard to reopen their states in the middle of a pandemic .
A review of federal tax records finds that the group , the Republican Governors Association , has received more than $ 100,000 from each of the companies and trade associations already this year .
The governors ' group has repeatedly hailed the efforts of many Republican governors as they plowed ahead with their plans to lift stay-at-home orders , reopen businesses , and eliminate policies put in place to curb the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past several weeks .
It also mocked Democratic governors who have not yet done so .
All of the governors touted by the group have been moving faster than federal safety guidelines recommend .
The White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on April 16 that states should first meet their five-point guidelines for `` Opening Up America Again . ''
Just three states — Democratic-run Connecticut , Illinois , and New York — have met all five as of Wednesday , according to a ProPublica analysis .
Arizona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West Virginia — Republican-run states the group has highlighted — are still seeing an increase in per-capita positive coronavirus tests , percentage of positive tests , or both .
On May 5 , the official Republican Governors Association Twitter account shared a story from the Washington Times about a `` report card on states ' reopening . ''
The tweet noted that , `` Four states received a failing grade of ' F ' — New Jersey , Pennsylvania , Virginia and Wisconsin , plus the District of Columbia .
All are run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` report card '' was actually an analysis by Stephen Moore , a Trump adviser and conservative economist best known for having `` joked '' about banning women from sports , along with disgraced economist Art Laffer , former Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes , and anti-government activist Phil Kerpen .
The group also played up Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Forest 's attacks on North Carolina Gov .
Roy Cooper 's response , saying that some parts of the state should be able to opt out of safety rules .
Unlike federal candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Governors Association is a 527 committee and is allowed to accept unlimited sums of money directly from corporations and trade groups .
According to its 2020 filings , it has received money from every one of these businesses or organizations already this year : $ 265,000 from Vertex Pharmaceuticals , a biotechnology company known for its cystic fibrosis drugs .
$ 250,000 from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America , the trade association for the pharmaceutical industry .
$ 156,698 from Biotechnology Innovation Organization , the trade association for the biotechnology industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute , the trade group for the fossil fuel industry .
$ 105,000 from Boeing , the aerospace company and defense contractor .
All totaled , those companies have given more than $ 3,872,000 toward the group 's 2020 efforts .
None responded immediately to inquiries about their donations and pandemic safety .
The Republican Governors Association did not respond to an inquiry for this story either .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

At least 19 American companies have given millions of dollars to a group of Republican governors pushing hard to reopen their states in the middle of a pandemic. A review of federal tax records finds that the group, the Republican Governors Association, has received more than $100,000 from each of the companies and trade associations already this year.
The governors’ group has repeatedly hailed the efforts of many Republican governors as they plowed ahead with their plans to lift stay-at-home orders, reopen businesses, and eliminate policies put in place to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past several weeks. It also mocked Democratic governors who have not yet done so.
All of the governors touted by the group have been moving faster than federal safety guidelines recommend. The White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on April 16 that states should first meet their five-point guidelines for “Opening Up America Again.” Just three states — Democratic-run Connecticut, Illinois, and New York — have met all five as of Wednesday, according to a ProPublica analysis.
Arizona, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and West Virginia — Republican-run states the group has highlighted — are still seeing an increase in per-capita positive coronavirus tests, percentage of positive tests, or both.
On May 5, the official Republican Governors Association Twitter account shared a story from the Washington Times about a “report card on states’ reopening.” The tweet noted that, “Four states received a failing grade of ‘F’ — New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin, plus the District of Columbia. All are run by Democrats.”
But the so-called “report card” was actually an analysis by Stephen Moore, a Trump adviser and conservative economist best known for having “joked” about banning women from sports, along with disgraced economist Art Laffer, former Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes, and anti-government activist Phil Kerpen.
The group also played up Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Forest’s attacks on North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s response, saying that some parts of the state should be able to opt out of safety rules.
Unlike federal candidates and political action committees, the Republican Governors Association is a 527 committee and is allowed to accept unlimited sums of money directly from corporations and trade groups. According to its 2020 filings, it has received money from every one of these businesses or organizations already this year:
$400,000 from Marathon Petroleum, a fossil fuel company.
$265,000 from Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company known for its cystic fibrosis drugs.
$250,000 from Anthem, a Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance company.
$250,000 from Centene Management, a managed health care company.
$250,000 from HNTB, an infrastructure design firm.
$250,000 from Koch Industries, a petrochemical company.
$250,000 from Majestic Realty, a real estate developer.
$250,000 from Molina Healthcare, a managed health care company.
$250,000 from NextEra Energy, an electrical utility.
$250,000 from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the trade association for the pharmaceutical industry.
$156,698 from Biotechnology Innovation Organization, the trade association for the biotechnology industry.
$155,000 from Walmart, the retail behemoth.
$150,000 from General Motors, the automobile manufacturing giant.
$135,000 from the American Petroleum Institute, the trade group for the fossil fuel industry.
$125,000 from Tellurian, a natural gas company.
$125,000 from Vistra Energy, an energy company.
$110,000 from Gilead Sciences, a biopharmaceutical company.
$105,000 from Boeing, the aerospace company and defense contractor.
$100,754 from Coca-Cola, the soft drink giant.
All totaled, those companies have given more than $3,872,000 toward the group’s 2020 efforts.
None responded immediately to inquiries about their donations and pandemic safety. The Republican Governors Association did not respond to an inquiry for this story either.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-27--Trump has repeatedly undermined Americans' ability to fight coronavirus

Donald Trump has made several decisions since taking office that have undermined the ability of the country to both prepare for and respond to the coronavirus pandemic .
The most recent revelation : In 2017 , the Trump administration rolled back Obama-era regulations that left hospitals and nursing homes unprepared to adequately respond to the current threat , NPR reported on Tuesday .
According to that report , after the 2009-2010 H1N1 flu pandemic , the Obama administration determined that federal guidelines for similar airborne viruses were inadequate , and spent six years developing new requirements .
The new guidance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Administration , was based on lessons learned from responding to HIV/AIDS when hospitals did not have the proper equipment to protect doctors and nurses .
`` If that rule had gone into effect , then every hospital , every nursing home would essentially have to have a plan where they made sure they had enough respirators and they were prepared for this sort of pandemic , '' David Michaels , head of OSHA during the Obama administration , told NPR .
According to the outlet , in the spring of 2017 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's airborne infectious disease rule from the regulatory agenda '' anyway .
When the pandemic intensified in early 2020 , many hospitals were indeed left unprepared to respond to the crisis .
An April 1 investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services revealed that a `` lack of a robust supply chain was delaying or preventing [ U.S. hospitals ] from restocking [ personal protective equipment ] needed to protect staff . ''
Numerous new outlets reported that nurses and doctors were allegedly forced to restrict the use of , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , due to nationwide shortages .
Hospitals in many states also faced an alarming shortage of ventilators , and some doctors said they were forced to make agonizing decisions as to which patients to save using their limited supply and which ones to let die .
`` I watched like three people die on Saturday — nothing we can do .
Zero , '' one New York City doctor told BuzzFeed News back in April .
`` You feel defeated .
You feel drained . ''
The hospital policy decision was one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ultimately left America vulnerable to the coronavirus crisis .
In his first three years in office , the Trump administration systematically withdrew staffers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from China , reducing the U.S. presence there from 47 people to 14 .
A person familiar with the situation told Reuters that the decision could have `` made this catastrophe more likely or more difficult to respond to . ''
In May 2018 , Trump also disbanded the National Security Council 's pandemic response group , a team tasked with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The team 's job `` was to be the smoke alarm — keeping watch to get ahead of emergencies , sounding a warning at the earliest sign of fire — all with the goal of avoiding a six-alarm blaze , '' Beth Cameron , who led the team under President Barack Obama , wrote on March 13 .
Trump 's overall response to the crisis , which has been slow and decisions often based on lies , has been widely criticized .
Even after the virus first began making its way around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 69-page pandemic response guide left by the Obama administration , which was first finalized in 2016 .
According to Politico , the Trump administration was initially briefed on the guide in 2017 , but failed to heed its warnings , arguing later that the guide was `` dated . ''
`` The plan we are executing now is a better fit , more detailed , and applies the relevant lessons learned from the playbook and the most recent Ebola epidemic in the [ Democratic Republic of the Congo ] to COVID-19 , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earlier in May , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany also waved off the Obama era guidelines , saying the current administration was adequately prepared for the pandemic , which has killed nearly 100,000 people in the United States alone .
`` The Obama-Biden plan that has been referenced was insufficient , '' she claimed .
`` [ The Trump administration did ] an entire 2018 pandemic preparedness report [ and ] did a whole exercise on pandemic preparedness in August of last year and had an entire after-action report put together .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was referring , as none of the documents she displayed while speaking were from 2018 .
The `` after-action report '' she cited was analysis of a 2019 pandemic preparedness exercise the administration took part in , which revealed that Trump officials were in fact completely unprepared to face a crisis like the coronavirus pandemic .
As of Wednesday morning , the United States had 1,689,100 confirmed coronavirus cases .
At least 98,938 people have died .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump has made several decisions since taking office that have undermined the ability of the country to both prepare for and respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
The most recent revelation: In 2017, the Trump administration rolled back Obama-era regulations that left hospitals and nursing homes unprepared to adequately respond to the current threat, NPR reported on Tuesday.
According to that report, after the 2009-2010 H1N1 flu pandemic, the Obama administration determined that federal guidelines for similar airborne viruses were inadequate, and spent six years developing new requirements. The new guidance, developed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, was based on lessons learned from responding to HIV/AIDS when hospitals did not have the proper equipment to protect doctors and nurses.
“If that rule had gone into effect, then every hospital, every nursing home would essentially have to have a plan where they made sure they had enough respirators and they were prepared for this sort of pandemic,” David Michaels, head of OSHA during the Obama administration, told NPR.
According to the outlet, in the spring of 2017, the Trump administration “formally stripped OSHA’s airborne infectious disease rule from the regulatory agenda” anyway.
When the pandemic intensified in early 2020, many hospitals were indeed left unprepared to respond to the crisis.
An April 1 investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services revealed that a “lack of a robust supply chain was delaying or preventing [U.S. hospitals] from restocking [personal protective equipment] needed to protect staff.”
Numerous new outlets reported that nurses and doctors were allegedly forced to restrict the use of, or even reuse, PPE during the crisis, due to nationwide shortages.
Hospitals in many states also faced an alarming shortage of ventilators, and some doctors said they were forced to make agonizing decisions as to which patients to save using their limited supply and which ones to let die.
“I watched like three people die on Saturday — nothing we can do. Zero,” one New York City doctor told BuzzFeed News back in April. “You feel defeated. You feel drained.”
The hospital policy decision was one of many Trump made earlier in his tenure that ultimately left America vulnerable to the coronavirus crisis.
In his first three years in office, the Trump administration systematically withdrew staffers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from China, reducing the U.S. presence there from 47 people to 14. A person familiar with the situation told Reuters that the decision could have “made this catastrophe more likely or more difficult to respond to.”
In May 2018, Trump also disbanded the National Security Council’s pandemic response group, a team tasked with preparing the government for future pandemics.
The team’s job “was to be the smoke alarm — keeping watch to get ahead of emergencies, sounding a warning at the earliest sign of fire — all with the goal of avoiding a six-alarm blaze,” Beth Cameron, who led the team under President Barack Obama, wrote on March 13.
Trump’s overall response to the crisis, which has been slow and decisions often based on lies, has been widely criticized.
Even after the virus first began making its way around the globe, the Trump administration ignored a 69-page pandemic response guide left by the Obama administration, which was first finalized in 2016. According to Politico, the Trump administration was initially briefed on the guide in 2017, but failed to heed its warnings, arguing later that the guide was “dated.”
“The plan we are executing now is a better fit, more detailed, and applies the relevant lessons learned from the playbook and the most recent Ebola epidemic in the [Democratic Republic of the Congo] to COVID-19,” a Trump official said in March.
Earlier in May, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany also waved off the Obama era guidelines, saying the current administration was adequately prepared for the pandemic, which has killed nearly 100,000 people in the United States alone.
“The Obama-Biden plan that has been referenced was insufficient,” she claimed. “[The Trump administration did] an entire 2018 pandemic preparedness report [and] did a whole exercise on pandemic preparedness in August of last year and had an entire after-action report put together.”
It wasn’t clear to what she was referring, as none of the documents she displayed while speaking were from 2018. The “after-action report” she cited was analysis of a 2019 pandemic preparedness exercise the administration took part in, which revealed that Trump officials were in fact completely unprepared to face a crisis like the coronavirus pandemic.
As of Wednesday morning, the United States had 1,689,100 confirmed coronavirus cases. At least 98,938 people have died.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-27--8 times Trump contradicted himself on COVID-19

Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed the wearing of masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as `` politically correct . ''
In April , he had urged states to `` gear up with Face Masks ! ''
and subsequently his campaign has been distributing Trump-branded masks to supporters .
It was the latest in a growing series of direct contradictions in Trump 's public comments about the pandemic .
As the coronavirus swept through China and began to reach other countries in January and February , Trump repeatedly played it down as nothing to worry about .
`` We have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one person coming in from China , and we have it under control .
It 's going to be just fine , '' he said on Jan. 22 .
In early February , he claimed at a rally that , with warmer weather in April , the virus would `` miraculously '' go away .
On March 10 , he urged the nation to `` stay calm '' and the problem `` will go away . ''
But on March 17 , Trump claimed , `` I 've always known this is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a pandemic .
I 've felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic . ''
A day later , he tweeted that he `` always treated the Chinese Virus very seriously , and have done a very good job from the beginning . ''
The quality and value of coronavirus testing Trump bragged on March 6 that America 's system of testing for the coronavirus was great .
`` The tests are all perfect , '' he claimed .
On May 12 , he tweeted that America 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world , by FAR . ''
He even offered to provide rapid tests to those in Congress `` returning to Capital Hill '' [ sic ] in early May .
But on May 15 , he told reporters , `` It could be the testing 's , frankly , overrated ?
Maybe it is overrated .
But whatever they start yelling , we want more , we want more .
You know , they always say we want more , we want more because they do n't want to give you credit .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump repeatedly told the nation that it was not the federal government 's job to ensure widespread coronavirus testing .
`` Testing is local .
You ca n't have it both ways , '' he said at an April briefing .
`` Testing is a local thing .
It 's very important .
It 's great .
But it 's a local thing . ''
A day earlier , he had said it was up to state governors to `` find and unlock the vast unused testing capacity that exists in their states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hosted a White House celebration of the `` unprecedented testing capacity developed by the United States — the most advanced and robust testing system anywhere in the world , by far . ''
He claimed credit at the event for the fact that the United States had conducted 10 million coronavirus tests , which he said was `` nearly double the number of any other country , '' bragging that his administration had `` marshaled every resource at our nation 's disposal '' to increase testing .
Did he shut down the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay-at-home orders , leaving governors to decide whether to institute them on a state-by-state basis .
At an April 6 press briefing he said there was a `` constitutional problem '' with such an order , given the principles of federalism .
`` Legally I can , '' he claimed , `` but morally , I believe in our Constitution , much more so than most people . ''
Four days later , when he was asked specifically about Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis ' refusal to close his state , Trump said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make decisions without overruling them , because from a constitutional standpoint , that 's the way it should be done . ''
But on May 3 , he told Fox News that he had made the call .
`` And then , one day they said , 'Sir , we 're going to have to close it , ' '' Trump claimed .
`` I said , 'What are you talking about , closing it ? '
Nobody ever heard that .
'We ’ re going have to close it . '
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ We saved — I think we saved millions of lives . ''
Five days later , he again praised himself , saying , `` We had to close it down .
It was an artificial closing .
We had to just close it down .
Never happened — a thing like that never happened before .
We did the right thing . ''
Who is in charge of reopening ?
Trump falsely claimed in April that he had the full power to lift state stay-at-home orders to reopen the economy .
But , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 17 that he would not do so .
Instead , Trump told governors that he would support them in making that decision .
`` You 're going to call your own shots , '' he told the governors in a conference call .
`` We 're going to be standing alongside of you . ''
On Friday , Trump announced that he was directing all governors `` to allow our churches and places of worship to open right now . ''
`` If there 's any question , they 're gon na @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not gon na be successful in that call , '' he promised , adding that if they did not , he would `` override '' their decisions .
On March 14 , after weeks of downplaying the coronavirus threat , Trump endorsed social distancing efforts in a tweet that simply said , `` SOCIAL DISTANCING ! ''
Five days later , he tweeted the phrase again , along with a public service video showing members of his coronavirus task force — Dr. Deborah Birx , Surgeon General Jerome Adams , and Dr. Anthony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But even as virus continued to spread rapidly across the country , by March 23 he urged the country to abandon the practice and reopen quickly .
`` America will again and soon be open for business — very soon , '' Trump said at a news conference .
`` We can not let the cure be worse than the problem itself . ''
On May 18 , he tweeted , `` REOPEN OUR COUNTRY ! ''
On April 20 , Trump bragged that , thanks to his response to the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50,000 and 60,000 Americans .
`` But we did the right thing , because if we did n't do it , you would have had a million people , a million and a half people , maybe 2 million people dead .
Now , we 're going toward 50- , I 'm hearing , or 60,000 people , '' he told reporters .
`` That 's at the lower — as you know , the low number was supposed to be 100,000 people .
We — we could end up at 50 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If we did n't do what we did , we would have had , I think , a million people , maybe 2 million people , maybe more than that . ''
In early May , he increased the number , telling Fox News , `` We 're going to lose anywhere from 75,000 , 80,000 to 100,000 people . ''
On Tuesday , as nation 's death toll neared 100,000 , with no sign of stopping , Trump bragged on Twitter , `` For all of the political hacks out there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job well , & early , we would have lost 1 1/2 to 2 Million People , as opposed to the 100,000 plus that looks like will be the number .
That 's 15 to 20 times more than we will lose .
I shut down entry from China very early ! ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed the wearing of masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as “politically correct.”
In April, he had urged states to “gear up with Face Masks!” and subsequently his campaign has been distributing Trump-branded masks to supporters.
It was the latest in a growing series of direct contradictions in Trump’s public comments about the pandemic.
Was the coronavirus a real threat?
As the coronavirus swept through China and began to reach other countries in January and February, Trump repeatedly played it down as nothing to worry about. “We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s going to be just fine,” he said on Jan. 22.
In early February, he claimed at a rally that, with warmer weather in April, the virus would “miraculously” go away. On March 10, he urged the nation to “stay calm” and the problem “will go away.”
But on March 17, Trump claimed, “I’ve always known this is a — this is a real — this is a pandemic. I’ve felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic.” A day later, he tweeted that he “always treated the Chinese Virus very seriously, and have done a very good job from the beginning.”
The quality and value of coronavirus testing
Trump bragged on March 6 that America’s system of testing for the coronavirus was great. “The tests are all perfect,” he claimed. On May 12, he tweeted that America’s testing is “the BEST in the world, by FAR.” He even offered to provide rapid tests to those in Congress “returning to Capital Hill” [sic] in early May.
But on May 15, he told reporters, “It could be the testing’s, frankly, overrated? Maybe it is overrated. But whatever they start yelling, we want more, we want more. You know, they always say we want more, we want more because they don’t want to give you credit.”
Who is responsible for testing?
Trump repeatedly told the nation that it was not the federal government’s job to ensure widespread coronavirus testing. “Testing is local. You can’t have it both ways,” he said at an April briefing. “Testing is a local thing. It’s very important. It’s great. But it’s a local thing.”
A day earlier, he had said it was up to state governors to “find and unlock the vast unused testing capacity that exists in their states.”
On May 11, Trump hosted a White House celebration of the “unprecedented testing capacity developed by the United States — the most advanced and robust testing system anywhere in the world, by far.”
He claimed credit at the event for the fact that the United States had conducted 10 million coronavirus tests, which he said was “nearly double the number of any other country,” bragging that his administration had “marshaled every resource at our nation’s disposal” to increase testing.
Did he shut down the economy?
Trump repeatedly refused to issue nationwide stay-at-home orders, leaving governors to decide whether to institute them on a state-by-state basis.
At an April 6 press briefing he said there was a “constitutional problem” with such an order, given the principles of federalism. “Legally I can,” he claimed, “but morally, I believe in our Constitution, much more so than most people.”
Four days later, when he was asked specifically about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ refusal to close his state, Trump said, “I like to allow governors to make decisions without overruling them, because from a constitutional standpoint, that’s the way it should be done.”
But on May 3, he told Fox News that he had made the call.
“And then, one day they said, ‘Sir, we’re going to have to close it,'” Trump claimed. “I said, ‘What are you talking about, closing it?’ Nobody ever heard that. ‘We’re going have to close it.’ And we did the right thing. We saved — I think we saved millions of lives.”
Five days later, he again praised himself, saying, “We had to close it down. It was an artificial closing. We had to just close it down. Never happened — a thing like that never happened before. We did the right thing.”
Who is in charge of reopening?
Trump falsely claimed in April that he had the full power to lift state stay-at-home orders to reopen the economy. But, in a switch, he announced on April 17 that he would not do so.
Instead, Trump told governors that he would support them in making that decision. “You’re going to call your own shots,” he told the governors in a conference call. “We’re going to be standing alongside of you.”
On Friday, Trump announced that he was directing all governors “to allow our churches and places of worship to open right now.” “If there’s any question, they’re gonna have to call me but they’re not gonna be successful in that call,” he promised, adding that if they did not, he would “override” their decisions.
Is social distancing important?
On March 14, after weeks of downplaying the coronavirus threat, Trump endorsed social distancing efforts in a tweet that simply said, “SOCIAL DISTANCING!”
Five days later, he tweeted the phrase again, along with a public service video showing members of his coronavirus task force — Dr. Deborah Birx, Surgeon General Jerome Adams, and Dr. Anthony Fauci — explaining why it’s important.
But even as virus continued to spread rapidly across the country, by March 23 he urged the country to abandon the practice and reopen quickly. “America will again and soon be open for business — very soon,” Trump said at a news conference. “We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself.”
On May 18, he tweeted, “REOPEN OUR COUNTRY!”
The death toll
On April 20, Trump bragged that, thanks to his response to the pandemic, the death toll would be between 50,000 and 60,000 Americans.
“But we did the right thing, because if we didn’t do it, you would have had a million people, a million and a half people, maybe 2 million people dead. Now, we’re going toward 50- , I’m hearing, or 60,000 people,” he told reporters. “That’s at the lower — as you know, the low number was supposed to be 100,000 people. We — we could end up at 50 to 60. Okay? It’s horrible. If we didn’t do what we did, we would have had, I think, a million people, maybe 2 million people, maybe more than that.”
In early May, he increased the number, telling Fox News, “We’re going to lose anywhere from 75,000, 80,000 to 100,000 people.”
On Tuesday, as nation’s death toll neared 100,000, with no sign of stopping, Trump bragged on Twitter, “For all of the political hacks out there, if I hadn’t done my job well, & early, we would have lost 1 1/2 to 2 Million People, as opposed to the 100,000 plus that looks like will be the number. That’s 15 to 20 times more than we will lose. I shut down entry from China very early!”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-27--Kellyanne Conway: Mail-in ballots are actually to stop people from voting

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway echoed Donald Trump 's attacks on voting by mail during an appearance on `` Fox & Friends '' on Wednesday .
Conway questioned the need for mail voting as the death toll from COVID-19 neared 100,000 Americans .
From the May 27 edition of Fox News ' `` Fox & Friends '' : KELLAYANNE CONWAY : But why are we doing — why is Congress voting remotely , all of a sudden ?
Kevin McCarthy said in a lawsuit , is suing Nancy Pelosi to stop that from becoming institutionalized .
He 's absolutely correct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sudden do we have mail-in ballots if it 's 86 degrees and sunny ?
America found their way to the beaches .
Did you see the pictures this weekend ?
They 'll find their way to the polls .
So , this is just another attempt of those who want to keep our states locked down , our churches , mosques , and synagogues closed , our professional sports locked up forever more , our amusement parks , our kids , our lives — locked down .
They want you , the voter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out and express the most important franchise .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway echoed Donald Trump’s attacks on voting by mail during an appearance on “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday. Conway questioned the need for mail voting as the death toll from COVID-19 neared 100,000 Americans.
From the May 27 edition of Fox News’ “Fox & Friends”:
KELLAYANNE CONWAY: But why are we doing — why is Congress voting remotely, all of a sudden? Kevin McCarthy said in a lawsuit, is suing Nancy Pelosi to stop that from becoming institutionalized. He’s absolutely correct on that. Why all of a sudden do we have mail-in ballots if it’s 86 degrees and sunny? America found their way to the beaches. Did you see the pictures this weekend? They’ll find their way to the polls. So, this is just another attempt of those who want to keep our states locked down, our churches, mosques, and synagogues closed, our professional sports locked up forever more, our amusement parks, our kids, our lives — locked down. They want you, the voter, to not be able to come out and express the most important franchise.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-27--Lawmakers tell Trump to cancel costly 4th of July 'vanity project' in DC

Ten Democratic lawmakers whose districts and states border Washington , D.C. , called for Donald Trump to cancel the massive July 4 display he 's set to host on the National Mall , saying it 's inappropriate to hold it during the COVID-19 pandemic .
`` The administration , including your agencies , should be focused on helping American families , not on a vanity project for the president , '' reads a letter from the lawmakers , who include : Maryland Democratic Sens .
Chris Van Hollen and Benjamin Cardin of Maryland ; Del .
Eleanor Holmes Norton of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reps. David Trone , Anthony Brown , Jamie Raskin , and Steny Hoyer ; and Virginia Democratic Reps. Don Beyer , Gerry Connolly , and Jennifer Wexton .
In advocating against holding the event , the lawmakers said it will cost Washington , D.C. , millions of dollars the city does n't have as it faces a budget shortfall thanks to the coronavirus fallout .
They added that given coronavirus cases in the region are growing , it 's unsafe to have thousands come to the city and risk not only spreading the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to the areas they were visiting from .
`` We believe such an event would needlessly risk the health and safety of thousands of Americans .
Further , this event would come at the cost of millions of taxpayer dollars while we are facing an unprecedented economic downturn due to the pandemic , '' the lawmakers wrote in the letter .
Trump first held the `` Salute to America '' in 2019 , which drew a barrage of criticism as he appeared to use the military to bolster his own political standing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its own massive fireworks display for years , but Trump inserted himself into the festivities by organizing his own concert and giving a speech at the Lincoln Memorial .
Trump had wanted the event to include a military parade down the streets of the city that included tanks and other military vehicles , even though experts said those vehicles could damage city streets .
The parade was eventually nixed , and instead , smaller tanks were stationed nearby the celebration .
The event ultimately cost the federal government millions .
It also cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up wiping out a fund the city had to defend against terrorist threats .
This year , members of Congress said taking from D.C. 's budget would be wrong .
`` With the catastrophic hit that our economy has taken due to the COVID-19 crisis , it is not only financially wasteful to plan a second 'Salute to America ' event , but has the potential to again inappropriately pull funds from necessary accounts already under financial strain , '' the letter reads . ''
Washington , D.C. , for its part , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it could have gotten because it is classified as a territory rather than a state .
The city , whose 700,000 population is bigger than two states , got $ 700 million less in relief due to its classification , according to the Associated Press .
Trump has said D.C. , `` will never be a state , '' claiming that doing so would only increase Democratic representation in Congress .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Ten Democratic lawmakers whose districts and states border Washington, D.C., called for Donald Trump to cancel the massive July 4 display he’s set to host on the National Mall, saying it’s inappropriate to hold it during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The administration, including your agencies, should be focused on helping American families, not on a vanity project for the president,” reads a letter from the lawmakers, who include: Maryland Democratic Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Benjamin Cardin of Maryland; Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton of the District of Columbia; Maryland Democratic Reps. David Trone, Anthony Brown, Jamie Raskin, and Steny Hoyer; and Virginia Democratic Reps. Don Beyer, Gerry Connolly, and Jennifer Wexton.
In advocating against holding the event, the lawmakers said it will cost Washington, D.C., millions of dollars the city doesn’t have as it faces a budget shortfall thanks to the coronavirus fallout.
They added that given coronavirus cases in the region are growing, it’s unsafe to have thousands come to the city and risk not only spreading the virus in D.C. but also bringing it back to the areas they were visiting from.
“We believe such an event would needlessly risk the health and safety of thousands of Americans. Further, this event would come at the cost of millions of taxpayer dollars while we are facing an unprecedented economic downturn due to the pandemic,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter.
Trump first held the “Salute to America” in 2019, which drew a barrage of criticism as he appeared to use the military to bolster his own political standing. The District of Columbia had held its own massive fireworks display for years, but Trump inserted himself into the festivities by organizing his own concert and giving a speech at the Lincoln Memorial.
Trump had wanted the event to include a military parade down the streets of the city that included tanks and other military vehicles, even though experts said those vehicles could damage city streets. The parade was eventually nixed, and instead, smaller tanks were stationed nearby the celebration.
The event ultimately cost the federal government millions. It also cost D.C. $1.7 million, which wound up wiping out a fund the city had to defend against terrorist threats.
This year, members of Congress said taking from D.C.’s budget would be wrong.
“With the catastrophic hit that our economy has taken due to the COVID-19 crisis, it is not only financially wasteful to plan a second ‘Salute to America’ event, but has the potential to again inappropriately pull funds from necessary accounts already under financial strain,” the letter reads.”
Washington, D.C., for its part, received a fraction of the coronavirus aid it could have gotten because it is classified as a territory rather than a state.
The city, whose 700,000 population is bigger than two states, got $700 million less in relief due to its classification, according to the Associated Press.
Trump has said D.C., “will never be a state,” claiming that doing so would only increase Democratic representation in Congress.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-28--Restrictions aren't ending abortions — they're just making it harder on patients

Ohio keeps trying to restrict access to abortion .
In the process , it 's succeeding in pushing abortions back later in pregnancy than patients want and opening a chasm between rural and urban access in the state .
Since 2010 , the state has seen over 15 legislative changes related to abortion services .
Eleven major anti-abortion bills were passed during the eight-year tenure of former GOP Gov .
John Kasich , which ended in January of 2019 .
The restrictions include forbidding public hospitals from providing abortion care , creating greater barriers for minors in need of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks based on medically unsupported claims .
Most recently , the coronavirus pandemic has given Ohio 's current governor , Republican Mike DeWine , a new opportunity to restrict abortion care .
The state 's attorney general , Dave Yost , told clinics in March that abortions were barred under a state edict against non-essential procedures during the pandemic , even as doctors pointed out that abortions were `` time-sensitive and vitally important . ''
That order has since gone to court and abortion currently remains available , albeit with all the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also used the pandemic to enact Medicaid cuts , decreasing preventive health care dollars flowing to Planned Parenthood centers in the state , where close to 40 % of the patient base uses is for health insurance .
The number of abortions in Ohio has dropped over the last several years , from just over 28,000 in 2010 to 20,425 in 2018 .
According to the Guttmacher Institute , which researches abortion laws and policies , that decline appears to be related to an overall decrease in births and pregnancies rather than anti-abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state restrictions are playing a role in making obtaining an abortion more burdensome , often by shutting down clinics where the procedure is performed .
Over the last several years , the number of clinics performing abortions in Ohio has dropped 25 % .
And many clinics are embroiled in litigation trying to stay open .
Now , a new study in the American Journal of Public Health found that Ohio 's restrictive legislation is harming patients by delaying care .
Researchers found that as the state continued to pass anti-abortion laws , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trimester decreased and the proportion in later gestation categories — second- or third-trimester — increased .
Even within the first trimester , abortions moved later , with a greater percentage of abortions falling in the `` 9-13 weeks '' category versus the `` less than 9 weeks '' category .
Alison Norris , a professor of epidemiology at Ohio State University and one of the study 's authors , told Ohio State News that shift only occurred in Ohio .
Norris said the finding might mean people are being delayed in accessing abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has placed in their way .
The new study also found that increasing legislative restrictions on abortion in the state has led to a growing rural-urban divide .
Abortion ratios — the number of abortions per 1,000 live births — dropped much more in rural counties than urban .
Urban counties saw a decrease of 24 % , but rural counties had a drop of over 32 % .
Norris told Ohio State News there 's no reason to believe that this drop in abortion is because there are fewer unintended pregnancies or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She said it 's likely that `` some people who have unintended pregnancies and want to end those pregnancies are not getting the care they want and deserve . ''
She also indicated it also may be that unintended pregnancies could be even more common in rural areas because access to contraception may be more limited there as well .
Ultimately , the Ohio State researchers learned `` restrictive [ abortion ] policies do not improve reproductive health . ''
The state is only succeeding in pushing Ohioans to have abortions later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Norris puts it , `` more complex , '' and people benefit from having earlier access to the procedure .
And in rural areas , the study suggests , some people may no longer be able to access abortion care at all .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Ohio keeps trying to restrict access to abortion. In the process, it’s succeeding in pushing abortions back later in pregnancy than patients want and opening a chasm between rural and urban access in the state.
Since 2010, the state has seen over 15 legislative changes related to abortion services. Eleven major anti-abortion bills were passed during the eight-year tenure of former GOP Gov. John Kasich, which ended in January of 2019.
The restrictions include forbidding public hospitals from providing abortion care, creating greater barriers for minors in need of the procedure, and banning abortion at 20 weeks based on medically unsupported claims.
Most recently, the coronavirus pandemic has given Ohio’s current governor, Republican Mike DeWine, a new opportunity to restrict abortion care. The state’s attorney general, Dave Yost, told clinics in March that abortions were barred under a state edict against non-essential procedures during the pandemic, even as doctors pointed out that abortions were “time-sensitive and vitally important.” That order has since gone to court and abortion currently remains available, albeit with all the other limitations the state already imposes.
DeWine also used the pandemic to enact Medicaid cuts, decreasing preventive health care dollars flowing to Planned Parenthood centers in the state, where close to 40% of the patient base uses is for health insurance.
The number of abortions in Ohio has dropped over the last several years, from just over 28,000 in 2010 to 20,425 in 2018. According to the Guttmacher Institute, which researches abortion laws and policies, that decline appears to be related to an overall decrease in births and pregnancies rather than anti-abortion legislation.
Instead, Guttmacher notes, state restrictions are playing a role in making obtaining an abortion more burdensome, often by shutting down clinics where the procedure is performed. Over the last several years, the number of clinics performing abortions in Ohio has dropped 25%. And many clinics are embroiled in litigation trying to stay open.
Now, a new study in the American Journal of Public Health found that Ohio’s restrictive legislation is harming patients by delaying care. Researchers found that as the state continued to pass anti-abortion laws, the proportion of abortions in the first trimester decreased and the proportion in later gestation categories — second- or third-trimester — increased. Even within the first trimester, abortions moved later, with a greater percentage of abortions falling in the “9-13 weeks” category versus the “less than 9 weeks” category.
Alison Norris, a professor of epidemiology at Ohio State University and one of the study’s authors, told Ohio State News that shift only occurred in Ohio. Norris said the finding might mean people are being delayed in accessing abortion services because of the obstacles the state has placed in their way.
The new study also found that increasing legislative restrictions on abortion in the state has led to a growing rural-urban divide. Abortion ratios — the number of abortions per 1,000 live births — dropped much more in rural counties than urban. Urban counties saw a decrease of 24%, but rural counties had a drop of over 32%.
Norris told Ohio State News there’s no reason to believe that this drop in abortion is because there are fewer unintended pregnancies or less demand for abortion in rural areas. She said it’s likely that “some people who have unintended pregnancies and want to end those pregnancies are not getting the care they want and deserve.” She also indicated it also may be that unintended pregnancies could be even more common in rural areas because access to contraception may be more limited there as well.
Ultimately, the Ohio State researchers learned “restrictive [abortion] policies do not improve reproductive health.” The state is only succeeding in pushing Ohioans to have abortions later in pregnancy. Later abortions are, as Norris puts it, “more complex,” and people benefit from having earlier access to the procedure. And in rural areas, the study suggests, some people may no longer be able to access abortion care at all.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-28--6 Republicans who praised companies for virus response after getting donations

As pharmaceutical and other companies have focused their efforts on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic , a number of politicians have used their positions to shine a spotlight on those companies ' work and even shower them with praise .
But a review of campaign finance records shows that the shout-outs were often preceded by contributions from company executives or political action committees .
Upton ( R-MI ) , a 17-term congressman , tweeted last week , `` .
@ Pfizer & its SW MI team are stepping up to the plate to help produce a potential life-saving vaccine for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extraordinary work to help save lives in MI & across the planet .
THANK YOU for all that you ’ re doing . ''
He appended a video of himself telling the `` good folks at Pfizer '' that while times are `` tough '' and `` uncertain , '' the `` thing that we 're certain about is the fantastic job you all are doing at Pfizer each and everyday '' to save `` all of us '' and the planet .
His appreciation for Pfizer may go beyond just their research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pfizer 's corporate political action committee gave him $ 10,000 toward his 2020 campaign for an 18th term .
He also received the same amount from them for each of his 2018 , 2016 , 2014 , and 2012 races — and a grand total of $ 85,000 dating back to 1998 .
Neither Upton 's office nor Pfizer responded to inquiries about the donations and social media messaging .
Collins ( R-ME ) has repeatedly touted Abbott Laboratories for its work on rapid coronavirus tests .
`` Great work , Abbott !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is a significant breakthrough in the fight against COVID-19 .
When I toured your Scarborough facility in 2018 , I was so impressed by your dedicated employees who were making the next generation of diagnostics . ''
Abbott 's PAC has contributed $ 10,000 toward her 2020 reelection campaign and $ 14,500 toward her previous races .
The most recent donation came on March 9 , weeks before her tweet .
A Collins spokesperson said that she is `` proud of the work that employees at Abbott Laboratories in Maine are doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' while noting that she is also proud of other Maine employers `` who have stepped up during this crisis . ''
He also noted that one of the Democratic candidates seeking to challenge Collins in November has also tweeted about the company .
An Abbott Laboratories spokesperson wrote that the PAC 's contributions `` are bipartisan , made without regard for the private political preferences of our officers and executives , and based on several criteria . ''
Portman ( R-OH ) also praised Abbott Laboratories , tweeting in April that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' `` My hats off to the team at Abbott .
Excellent work ! ''
he said .
Portman received $ 1,000 during the last campaign cycle and $ 3,500 in the one before that from the company 's PAC .
Portman 's office did not respond to an inquiry for this story .
Scalise ( R-LA ) lauded Abbott Laboratories ' rapid testing too , tweeting that its arrival in Louisiana would `` be a huge asset for doctors and nurses fighting on the front lines in New Orleans . ''
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Scalise received $ 5,000 from the company PAC last year for his 2020 reelection race and got $ 10,000 for his race in 2018 .
McCaul ( R-TX ) highlighted a news story about Tito 's Handmade Vodka donating $ 1 million to Baylor College of Medicine 's research efforts earlier this month .
`` This is awesome news , '' he tweeted `` Thank you @ TitosVodka for donating $ 1M to @ bcmhpuston in an effort to help find a # COVID19 vaccine . ''
Campaign finance records show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tito '' Beveridge donated $ 5,600 to McCaul 's 2020 campaign in late January and more than $ 27,000 total to his previous campaigns .
A company spokesperson said in an email that `` Tito is personally very involved in his community , which in the past few months has included personal donations to Rep. Mike McCaul and Rep. Lloyd Doggett .
Tito has a great affinity for the State of Texas and will continue to support local political leaders who work for the good of the people of Texas and the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A spokesperson for McCaul denied any connection between the donations and the tweet .
`` We 've been highlighting all companies/individuals who have helped out across the district — big and small , '' she wrote .
Brady ( R-TX ) tweeted an April story about VGXI Inc. 's work on a possible COVID-19 vaccine .
`` .
@ VGXI is based in The Woodlands , not far from my home .
This is exciting news , '' he said , praising the company for its `` innovation . ''
The company 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least $ 2,700 to Brady 's 2018 reelection campaign .
A Brady spokesperson referred questions to the campaign , which did not respond to an inquiry , nor did VGXI .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

As pharmaceutical and other companies have focused their efforts on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of politicians have used their positions to shine a spotlight on those companies’ work and even shower them with praise. But a review of campaign finance records shows that the shout-outs were often preceded by contributions from company executives or political action committees.
Rep. Fred Upton
Upton (R-MI), a 17-term congressman, tweeted last week, “.@Pfizer & its SW MI team are stepping up to the plate to help produce a potential life-saving vaccine for COVID-19. The KZoo workforce is doing extraordinary work to help save lives in MI & across the planet. THANK YOU for all that you’re doing.”
He appended a video of himself telling the “good folks at Pfizer” that while times are “tough” and “uncertain,” the “thing that we’re certain about is the fantastic job you all are doing at Pfizer each and everyday” to save “all of us” and the planet.
His appreciation for Pfizer may go beyond just their research and manufacturing acumen. Last year, Pfizer’s corporate political action committee gave him $10,000 toward his 2020 campaign for an 18th term. He also received the same amount from them for each of his 2018, 2016, 2014, and 2012 races — and a grand total of $85,000 dating back to 1998.
Neither Upton’s office nor Pfizer responded to inquiries about the donations and social media messaging.
Sen. Susan Collins
Collins (R-ME) has repeatedly touted Abbott Laboratories for its work on rapid coronavirus tests.
“Great work, Abbott!” she tweeted in March. “This is a significant breakthrough in the fight against COVID-19. When I toured your Scarborough facility in 2018, I was so impressed by your dedicated employees who were making the next generation of diagnostics.”
Abbott’s PAC has contributed $10,000 toward her 2020 reelection campaign and $14,500 toward her previous races. The most recent donation came on March 9, weeks before her tweet.
A Collins spokesperson said that she is “proud of the work that employees at Abbott Laboratories in Maine are doing to combat the current public health crisis,” while noting that she is also proud of other Maine employers “who have stepped up during this crisis.” He also noted that one of the Democratic candidates seeking to challenge Collins in November has also tweeted about the company.
An Abbott Laboratories spokesperson wrote that the PAC’s contributions “are bipartisan, made without regard for the private political preferences of our officers and executives, and based on several criteria.”
Sen. Rob Portman
Portman (R-OH) also praised Abbott Laboratories, tweeting in April that its tests are “very promising.” “My hats off to the team at Abbott. Excellent work!” he said.
Portman received $1,000 during the last campaign cycle and $3,500 in the one before that from the company’s PAC.
Portman’s office did not respond to an inquiry for this story.
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise
Scalise (R-LA) lauded Abbott Laboratories’ rapid testing too, tweeting that its arrival in Louisiana would “be a huge asset for doctors and nurses fighting on the front lines in New Orleans.” He called it the April 2 “GoodNewsOfTheDay.”
Scalise received $5,000 from the company PAC last year for his 2020 reelection race and got $10,000 for his race in 2018.
Rep. Mike McCaul
McCaul (R-TX) highlighted a news story about Tito’s Handmade Vodka donating $1 million to Baylor College of Medicine’s research efforts earlier this month.
“This is awesome news,” he tweeted “Thank you @TitosVodka for donating $1M to @bcmhpuston in an effort to help find a #COVID19 vaccine.”
Campaign finance records show the company’s founder, Bert “Tito” Beveridge donated $5,600 to McCaul’s 2020 campaign in late January and more than $27,000 total to his previous campaigns.
A company spokesperson said in an email that “Tito is personally very involved in his community, which in the past few months has included personal donations to Rep. Mike McCaul and Rep. Lloyd Doggett. Tito has a great affinity for the State of Texas and will continue to support local political leaders who work for the good of the people of Texas and the US, both Republican and Democrat.”
A spokesperson for McCaul denied any connection between the donations and the tweet.
“We’ve been highlighting all companies/individuals who have helped out across the district — big and small,” she wrote.
Rep. Kevin Brady
Brady (R-TX) tweeted an April story about VGXI Inc.’s work on a possible COVID-19 vaccine.
“.@VGXI is based in The Woodlands, not far from my home. This is exciting news,” he said, praising the company for its “innovation.”
The company’s CEO, Young Park, gave at least $2,700 to Brady’s 2018 reelection campaign.
A Brady spokesperson referred questions to the campaign, which did not respond to an inquiry, nor did VGXI.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-28--Trump accuses social media of attacking 'free speech' after years of doing it himself

Donald Trump on Thursday said he was preparing to sign an executive order aimed at punishing social media companies for not letting him post unchecked false statements .
`` We 're here today to defend free speech from one of the greatest dangers , '' Trump told reporters as he prepared to sign it .
According to reports , the order would challenge the immunity tech companies enjoy for content posted on their sites and let the Federal Trade Commission examine alleged political bias on social media .
Trump has complained for days that by fact-checking his false claims about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Big Tech is doing everything in their very considerable power to CENSOR in advance of the 2020 Election , '' he claimed in a Wednesday night tweet .
`` If that happens , we no longer have our freedom .
I will never let it happen !
They tried hard in 2016 , and lost .
Now they are going absolutely CRAZY .
Stay Tuned !
!
! ''
But it is Trump who has long waged war on the First Amendment and frequently pushed to limit free speech .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closing '' portions of the internet to make it harder for terrorists to recruit .
`` We 're losing a lot of people because of the Internet , and we have to do something .
We have to go see Bill Gates and a lot of different people that really understand what 's happening .
And we have to talk to them , '' he said at a campaign rally .
`` Somebody will say , 'Oh , freedom of speech , freedom of speech . '
These are foolish people . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ told supporters he would `` open up our libel laws '' so that when journalists `` write purposely negative and horrible and false articles , we can sue them and win lots of money . ''
`` We 're going to have people sue you like you 've never got sued before , '' he promised .
In October 2017 , Trump repeatedly threatened to revoke broadcasting licenses from networks that ran stories that were critical of him .
`` Network news has become so partisan , distorted and fake that licenses must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revoked .
Not fair to public ! ''
he tweeted .
That same month , he told reporters that `` it 's , frankly , disgusting the way the press is able to write whatever they want to write .
And people should look into it . ''
In March 2019 , he threatened to launch a federal investigation into actor Alec Baldwin 's portrayal of him on `` Saturday Night Live . ''
`` Like an advertisement without consequences .
Same with Late Night Shows , '' Trump charged .
`` Should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this ?
There must be Collusion with the Democrats and , of course , Russia ! ''
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

Donald Trump on Thursday said he was preparing to sign an executive order aimed at punishing social media companies for not letting him post unchecked false statements.
“We’re here today to defend free speech from one of the greatest dangers,” Trump told reporters as he prepared to sign it.
According to reports, the order would challenge the immunity tech companies enjoy for content posted on their sites and let the Federal Trade Commission examine alleged political bias on social media.
Trump has complained for days that by fact-checking his false claims about voter fraud, Twitter was censoring conservatives. “Big Tech is doing everything in their very considerable power to CENSOR in advance of the 2020 Election,” he claimed in a Wednesday night tweet. “If that happens, we no longer have our freedom. I will never let it happen! They tried hard in 2016, and lost. Now they are going absolutely CRAZY. Stay Tuned!!!”
But it is Trump who has long waged war on the First Amendment and frequently pushed to limit free speech.
In December 2015, he advocated for “closing” portions of the internet to make it harder for terrorists to recruit. “We’re losing a lot of people because of the Internet, and we have to do something. We have to go see Bill Gates and a lot of different people that really understand what’s happening. And we have to talk to them,” he said at a campaign rally. “Somebody will say, ‘Oh, freedom of speech, freedom of speech.’ These are foolish people.”
At a February 2016 rally, he told supporters he would “open up our libel laws” so that when journalists “write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money.”
“We’re going to have people sue you like you’ve never got sued before,” he promised.
In October 2017, Trump repeatedly threatened to revoke broadcasting licenses from networks that ran stories that were critical of him. “Network news has become so partisan, distorted and fake that licenses must be challenged and, if appropriate, revoked. Not fair to public!” he tweeted.
That same month, he told reporters that “it’s, frankly, disgusting the way the press is able to write whatever they want to write. And people should look into it.”
In March 2019, he threatened to launch a federal investigation into actor Alec Baldwin’s portrayal of him on “Saturday Night Live.”
“Like an advertisement without consequences. Same with Late Night Shows,” Trump charged. “Should Federal Election Commission and/or FCC look into this? There must be Collusion with the Democrats and, of course, Russia!”
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-28--Advocates push to ban open carry as gun violence flares during pandemic

A coalition of gun control groups is calling for major retailers to ban open carry in their stores when they reopen , citing a spate of gun incidents related to the COVID-19 pandemic .
The groups — March for Our Lives , the Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence , and Guns Down America — sent letters to 18 companies urging the policy change .
The companies include 7-Eleven , Family Dollar , Waffle House , and McDonalds , which have all had gun violence incidents in their stores since stay-at-home orders were put in place in March to stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We believe that American customers deserve to shop free of armed intimidation and we ask all retailers , particularly those that have invested in the communities they serve , to review their policies and procedures to ensure their stores are as safe as possible for their customers and their employees , '' reads the letter , which the coalition provided to the American Independent .
While crime overall is down during the COVID-19 pandemic , rates of gun violence have not decreased in a similar fashion .
Some major cities in the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Tucson , have actually seen the number of gun violence incidents increase since stay-at-home orders were put in place , according to a report from the Trace , a nonpartisan outlet dedicated to covering gun violence in America .
Across the country , anger over social distancing measures has turned into gun violence when people are carrying weapons .
At a Family Dollar in Michigan , a security guard was shot dead on May 1 by a patron reportedly angry about the store 's mask policy .
An employee at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shot on May 14 after he confronted a customer who was n't wearing a mask .
The groups say these shootings show the need to ban open carry , the policies that allow people to carry guns openly in public spaces .
`` Guns have no place in our supermarkets , movie theaters , restaurants , and other places of commerce , '' Alexis Confer , executive director of March For Our Lives , said in a statement .
`` Today , we call on corporations all across the country to put the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Many companies have indeed led the way on adopting gun control measures , as Donald Trump and congressional Republicans have refused to act .
In February 2018 , after the deadly shooting at a high school in Parkland , Florida , Dick 's Sporting Goods announced it would n't sell guns to those under 21 , and stopped selling assault rifles and high-capacity magazines .
After a mass shooting at a Walmart store in Texas in 2019 , the retailer announced it would end the sale of handgun ammunition , and asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its stores .
Executives of almost 150 companies urged the Senate to pass gun control legislation — including expanding background checks and creating stricter `` red flag '' laws that allow law enforcement to confiscate guns from those deemed a threat — following the Walmart shooting .
The House in February 2019 passed a historic gun control bill that expanded background checks , but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has refused to take it up for more than a year .
`` The goal here is to push retailers to follow the trend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that their top priority is to keep customers and employees safe , and that there 's a business cost associated with our incredibly loose gun laws , '' Igor Volsky , executive director of Guns Down America , said in an interview .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

A coalition of gun control groups is calling for major retailers to ban open carry in their stores when they reopen, citing a spate of gun incidents related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The groups — March for Our Lives, the Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence, and Guns Down America — sent letters to 18 companies urging the policy change. The companies include 7-Eleven, Family Dollar, Waffle House, and McDonalds, which have all had gun violence incidents in their stores since stay-at-home orders were put in place in March to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
“We believe that American customers deserve to shop free of armed intimidation and we ask all retailers, particularly those that have invested in the communities they serve, to review their policies and procedures to ensure their stores are as safe as possible for their customers and their employees,” reads the letter, which the coalition provided to the American Independent.
While crime overall is down during the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of gun violence have not decreased in a similar fashion.
Some major cities in the United States, such as Dallas, Nashville, and Tucson, have actually seen the number of gun violence incidents increase since stay-at-home orders were put in place, according to a report from the Trace, a nonpartisan outlet dedicated to covering gun violence in America.
Across the country, anger over social distancing measures has turned into gun violence when people are carrying weapons.
At a Family Dollar in Michigan, a security guard was shot dead on May 1 by a patron reportedly angry about the store’s mask policy. An employee at a Waffle House in Colorado said he was shot on May 14 after he confronted a customer who wasn’t wearing a mask.
The groups say these shootings show the need to ban open carry, the policies that allow people to carry guns openly in public spaces.
“Guns have no place in our supermarkets, movie theaters, restaurants, and other places of commerce,” Alexis Confer, executive director of March For Our Lives, said in a statement. “Today, we call on corporations all across the country to put the safety and well-being of people first.”
Many companies have indeed led the way on adopting gun control measures, as Donald Trump and congressional Republicans have refused to act.
In February 2018, after the deadly shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, Dick’s Sporting Goods announced it wouldn’t sell guns to those under 21, and stopped selling assault rifles and high-capacity magazines.
After a mass shooting at a Walmart store in Texas in 2019, the retailer announced it would end the sale of handgun ammunition, and asked that customers stopped carrying guns openly in its stores.
Executives of almost 150 companies urged the Senate to pass gun control legislation — including expanding background checks and creating stricter “red flag” laws that allow law enforcement to confiscate guns from those deemed a threat — following the Walmart shooting.
The House in February 2019 passed a historic gun control bill that expanded background checks, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has refused to take it up for more than a year.
“The goal here is to push retailers to follow the trend we’ve been seeing of businesses recognizing that their top priority is to keep customers and employees safe, and that there’s a business cost associated with our incredibly loose gun laws,” Igor Volsky, executive director of Guns Down America, said in an interview.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-28--McEnany: Iowa's in-person caucus proves mail-in ballots are a bad idea

In reaction to the coronavirus pandemic , a majority of voters have said they would like the option to vote by mail .
Several states are taking steps to make it easier — and safer — for their citizens to be able to vote .
Yet Donald Trump and his administration have responded by attacking mail-in voting , even though Trump has voted absentee , in both New York and Florida .
Several members of his family and his administration have voted absentee as well , including Melania Trump , Ivanka Trump , Jared Kushner , and Mike Pence .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ voted absentee 11 times in the last decade .
During Thursday 's press briefing , however , McEnany defended Trump 's continued attacks on absentee voting , falsely claiming it will lead to massive voter fraud .
She even cited a bipartisan commission led by President Jimmy Carter as purported evidence against voting by mail .
`` I would note that a bipartisan commission , led in part by President Jimmy Carter , a Democrat , concluded that mail-in ballots , quote , 'Remain the largest source of potential voter fraud , ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is out of context and misleading .
`` The commission ’ s main recommendations on vote-by-mail and absentee voting were to increase research on vote-by-mail ( and early voting ) and to eliminate the practice of allowing candidates or party workers to pick up and deliver absentee ballots , '' Carter Center spokeswoman Soyia Ellison told Talking Points Memo .
McEnany then cited the 2020 Iowa Democratic caucus and its problems with reporting results to further prove her point .
But the Iowa Caucus is famously conducted entirely in person and does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of absentee voting .
From the May 28 White House briefing : REPORTER : Research on mail-in ballots — research has shown that one , it does n't benefit either party , it increases voter participation , secretaries of state of both parties are still pursuing it , and fraud is not widespread .
And so why is the president continuing to tweet about this and to give the impression that there 's widespread fraud using mail-in ballots when he himself used a mail-in ballot .
The big question is , some are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the groundwork to cast doubt on the election .
Is that what he 's doing by bringing this up ?
McENANY : I appreciate you bringing up this question and specifically the component about the president using mail-in ballots .
There 's an important distinction , and I think it 's lost upon a lot of people , but it 's important to make is that the president is OK with mail-in voting so long as you have a reason .
He 's not OK with mass mail-in voting , where you auto-send @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these voter rolls with people who are dead that are subject to fraud .
That is the case .
We saw — I listed off for you , I think , three of the five examples I gave you were from just this week and last week .
So this does happen .
REPORTER : But research has shown — Stanford University did a research study that showed that there was n't widespread fraud in these vote-by-mail , and that it did n't benefit either party and increased voter participation .
So why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McENANY : Yeah , it is subject to both parties .
This can hurt both parties .
I would note that a bipartisan commission , led in part by President Jimmy Carter , a Democrat , concluded that mail-in ballots , quote , `` Remain the largest source of potential voter fraud . ''
So moving the entire country to that system does n't make sense .
And to do so in a hurried fashion in November — just look at the Democrat Iowa caucus and how it worked out when they tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

In reaction to the coronavirus pandemic, a majority of voters have said they would like the option to vote by mail. Several states are taking steps to make it easier — and safer — for their citizens to be able to vote.
Yet Donald Trump and his administration have responded by attacking mail-in voting, even though Trump has voted absentee, in both New York and Florida. Several members of his family and his administration have voted absentee as well, including Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and Mike Pence. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has voted absentee 11 times in the last decade.
During Thursday’s press briefing, however, McEnany defended Trump’s continued attacks on absentee voting, falsely claiming it will lead to massive voter fraud. She even cited a bipartisan commission led by President Jimmy Carter as purported evidence against voting by mail.
“I would note that a bipartisan commission, led in part by President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, concluded that mail-in ballots, quote, ‘Remain the largest source of potential voter fraud,'” McEnany said.
But the quote is out of context and misleading.
“The commission’s main recommendations on vote-by-mail and absentee voting were to increase research on vote-by-mail (and early voting) and to eliminate the practice of allowing candidates or party workers to pick up and deliver absentee ballots,” Carter Center spokeswoman Soyia Ellison told Talking Points Memo.
McEnany then cited the 2020 Iowa Democratic caucus and its problems with reporting results to further prove her point. But the Iowa Caucus is famously conducted entirely in person and does not involve mail-in ballots or any other kind of absentee voting.
From the May 28 White House briefing:
REPORTER: Research on mail-in ballots — research has shown that one, it doesn’t benefit either party, it increases voter participation, secretaries of state of both parties are still pursuing it, and fraud is not widespread. And so why is the president continuing to tweet about this and to give the impression that there’s widespread fraud using mail-in ballots when he himself used a mail-in ballot. The big question is, some are concerned that the president may be laying the groundwork to cast doubt on the election. Is that what he’s doing by bringing this up? McENANY: I appreciate you bringing up this question and specifically the component about the president using mail-in ballots. There’s an important distinction, and I think it’s lost upon a lot of people, but it’s important to make is that the president is OK with mail-in voting so long as you have a reason. He’s not OK with mass mail-in voting, where you auto-send, as I said, all of these voter rolls with people who are dead that are subject to fraud. That is the case. We saw — I listed off for you, I think, three of the five examples I gave you were from just this week and last week. So this does happen. REPORTER: But research has shown — Stanford University did a research study that showed that there wasn’t widespread fraud in these vote-by-mail, and that it didn’t benefit either party and increased voter participation. So why would the president be against that? McENANY: Yeah, it is subject to both parties. This can hurt both parties. I would note that a bipartisan commission, led in part by President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, concluded that mail-in ballots, quote, “Remain the largest source of potential voter fraud.” So moving the entire country to that system doesn’t make sense. And to do so in a hurried fashion in November — just look at the Democrat Iowa caucus and how it worked out when they tried to move to a new system.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-28--McCarthy was a fan of Scarborough before pretending not to know him

On Wednesday , House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy declined to answer reporters when he was asked about false accusations of murder that Donald Trump has made against MSNBC host and former Republican Rep. Joe Scarborough .
McCarthy said he had not read a Wall Street Journal op-ed criticizing Trump for the smear and added , `` I was not here with Joe Scarborough , I do n't quite know about the subject . ''
But before distancing himself from the co-host of MSNBC 's `` Morning Joe , '' McCarthy had a long-term and publicly friendly relationship with Scarborough , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and social media posts .
In seven videos posted to McCarthy 's own official YouTube channel , his appearances on `` Morning Joe '' over the last decade are on full display .
In the videos , the two men repeatedly discuss their shared conservative values and ideas .
`` Kevin , I do want to thank you as a small-government conservative .
You get it , and keep up the fight internally within the Republican Party , '' Scarborough told McCarthy in a February 2011 appearance .
`` Thank you very much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appearance , and in others that McCarthy has posted , he brought along charts illustrating conservative economic ideas he was promoting .
McCarthy even gave Scarborough the charts as a souvenir of his visits to the program .
McCarthy 's birthday even came up as a topic in a January 2017 appearance on MSNBC .
`` Happy birthday today , '' Scarborough said to McCarthy .
`` I hope Theresa May 's entourage is going to give you a cake for a present , if they come bearing presents . ''
McCarthy promoted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on his Facebook page .
He alerted supporters when he was about to appear on the program , in one instance writing , `` About to go live on MSNBC 'S Morning Joe , '' and adding , `` Be sure to tune in ! ''
He also used Twitter to share clips of his `` Morning Joe '' appearances .
`` Was up early this A.M. with @ Morning_Joe to react to the President 's State of the Union , '' McCarthy wrote in February 2013 .
`` Be sure to watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he tweeted in 2011 .
McCarthy and Scarborough also interacted on Twitter .
`` Such an important issue Thx for helping ! ''
McCarthy tweeted to Scarborough in 2013 , agreeing with him about the need to fix the VA 's backlog of benefits cases .
Nineteen minutes later , McCarthy sent another tweet to Scarborough , alerting him to an op-ed he had written about the issue .
`` Keep up the fight , '' McCarthy noted .
After a 2011 appearance on `` Morning Joe , '' McCarthy tweeted , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussion on need to eliminate 1 of the barriers to job creation : gov ’ t overspending . ''
In contrast to McCarthy 's retreat on Trump 's smear , a few other Republicans have criticized Trump 's decision to advance the conspiracy theory , including Sen. Mitt Romney and Rep. Liz Cheney .
`` He 's the commander in chief of this nation , and it 's causing great pain to the family of the young woman who died .
So I would urge him to stop it , '' Cheney told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American Independent Foundation .

On Wednesday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy declined to answer reporters when he was asked about false accusations of murder that Donald Trump has made against MSNBC host and former Republican Rep. Joe Scarborough.
McCarthy said he had not read a Wall Street Journal op-ed criticizing Trump for the smear and added, “I was not here with Joe Scarborough, I don’t quite know about the subject.”
But before distancing himself from the co-host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” McCarthy had a long-term and publicly friendly relationship with Scarborough, as can be seen in television clips and social media posts.
In seven videos posted to McCarthy’s own official YouTube channel, his appearances on “Morning Joe” over the last decade are on full display.
In the videos, the two men repeatedly discuss their shared conservative values and ideas.
“Kevin, I do want to thank you as a small-government conservative. You get it, and keep up the fight internally within the Republican Party,” Scarborough told McCarthy in a February 2011 appearance. “Thank you very much,” McCarthy replied.
In that appearance, and in others that McCarthy has posted, he brought along charts illustrating conservative economic ideas he was promoting. McCarthy even gave Scarborough the charts as a souvenir of his visits to the program.
McCarthy’s birthday even came up as a topic in a January 2017 appearance on MSNBC.
“Happy birthday today,” Scarborough said to McCarthy. “I hope Theresa May’s entourage is going to give you a cake for a present, if they come bearing presents.”
McCarthy promoted his appearances on “Morning Joe” on his Facebook page. He alerted supporters when he was about to appear on the program, in one instance writing, “About to go live on MSNBC’S Morning Joe,” and adding, “Be sure to tune in!”
He also used Twitter to share clips of his “Morning Joe” appearances. “Was up early this A.M. with @Morning_Joe to react to the President’s State of the Union,” McCarthy wrote in February 2013. “Be sure to watch @Morning_Joe this morning at 7am,” he tweeted in 2011.
McCarthy and Scarborough also interacted on Twitter.
“Such an important issue Thx for helping!” McCarthy tweeted to Scarborough in 2013, agreeing with him about the need to fix the VA’s backlog of benefits cases. Nineteen minutes later, McCarthy sent another tweet to Scarborough, alerting him to an op-ed he had written about the issue. “Keep up the fight,” McCarthy noted.
After a 2011 appearance on “Morning Joe,” McCarthy tweeted, “Thanks @JoeNBC for a great discussion on need to eliminate 1 of the barriers to job creation: gov’t overspending.”
In contrast to McCarthy’s retreat on Trump’s smear, a few other Republicans have criticized Trump’s decision to advance the conspiracy theory, including Sen. Mitt Romney and Rep. Liz Cheney.
“He’s the commander in chief of this nation, and it’s causing great pain to the family of the young woman who died. So I would urge him to stop it,” Cheney told reporters.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-28--Wisconsin joins growing list of states making voting safer during the pandemic

On Wednesday , the Wisconsin Elections Commission agreed to mail absentee ballot applications to nearly 3 million registered voters ahead of November 's election , the Associated Press reported .
The decision — which was unanimous by the 6-person , bipartisan commission — is the latest example of a state helping people to vote safely during a pandemic .
The state will mail ballot applications , meaning residents will have to fill the forms out and return them in order to receive an absentee ballot for the election .
In order to cover costs , the commission recommended that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The decision in Wisconsin comes after Republicans opposed an effort by Democratic Gov .
Tony Evers to move back the date for the primary election , which was held on April 7 , to allow more time for absentee voting .
Wednesday 's decision is the latest in a trend among many states to allow more absentee voting while the coronavirus pandemic makes going to a polling location a health risk .
On May 19 , Michigan Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced that voters in her state will receive absentee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections .
`` By mailing applications , we have ensured that no Michigander has to choose between their health and their right to vote , '' Benson said about the decision .
On May 8 , California Gov .
Gavin Newsom , a Democrat , announced that all voters will be mailed a ballot for November 's election .
`` Elections and the right to vote are foundational to our democracy , '' Newsom said .
`` No Californian should be forced to risk their health in order to exercise their right to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Chris Sununu was the first governor to announce a change for the November election , declaring in April that voters could request absentee ballots if they feared for their health .
As early as March , many states expanded access to absentee voting for primary elections , including Alaska , Delaware , Georgia , Hawaii , Maryland , Massachusetts , Michigan , Montana , and West Virginia .
Despite some bipartisan momentum for more absentee voting , many Republicans across the country are opposed to measures that would let voters avoid the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Wednesday , Texas ' all-Republican Supreme Court ruled that fear of contracting a deadly , highly infectious virus in the middle of a pandemic was not a good enough reason to request an absentee ballot .
Texas has strict limitations as to who can request an absentee ballot , allowing them for voters over the age of 65 , people with disabilities , and people who will be out of their county of residence on Election Day .
The court sided with Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton , who had previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people `` damages the integrity of our elections . ''
In South Carolina , a lawsuit filed by Democratic groups in South Carolina forced the GOP-dominated state Legislature to pass a law in mid-May allowing all voters to be able to request an absentee ballot for an upcoming June election .
A spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee , one of the groups involved in the lawsuit , said at the time that Democrats will `` continue to fight for voters ' rights in November . ''
Despite a pandemic that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump , who has voted by mail in the past , continues to argue against absentee voting .
On Wednesday , Trump tweeted that expanding access to absentee voting would lead to `` a free for all on cheating , forgery and the theft of Ballots . ''
According to voting experts at the Brennan Center for Justice , there is no evidence of extensive voter fraud tied to absentee voting .
`` Mail ballot fraud is incredibly rare , and legitimate security concerns can be easily addressed , '' the group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with attacks on states that want to expand voting by mail .
He attacked the Michigan secretary of state , tweeting on May 20 that her decision to mail ballot applications `` was done illegally and without authorization by a rogue Secretary of State . ''
At one point , Trump threatened to withhold federal funds from states like Michigan and Nevada that are seeking to make it easier and safer for people to vote .
As of Thursday , Trump had yet not carried through on that threat .
Published with permission @ @ @ @ @ @

On Wednesday, the Wisconsin Elections Commission agreed to mail absentee ballot applications to nearly 3 million registered voters ahead of November’s election, the Associated Press reported.
The decision — which was unanimous by the 6-person, bipartisan commission — is the latest example of a state helping people to vote safely during a pandemic.
The state will mail ballot applications, meaning residents will have to fill the forms out and return them in order to receive an absentee ballot for the election.
In order to cover costs, the commission recommended that the state tap into federal coronavirus relief funds.
The decision in Wisconsin comes after Republicans opposed an effort by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to move back the date for the primary election, which was held on April 7, to allow more time for absentee voting.
Wednesday’s decision is the latest in a trend among many states to allow more absentee voting while the coronavirus pandemic makes going to a polling location a health risk.
On May 19, Michigan Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced that voters in her state will receive absentee ballot applications for both August and November elections.
“By mailing applications, we have ensured that no Michigander has to choose between their health and their right to vote,” Benson said about the decision.
On May 8, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, announced that all voters will be mailed a ballot for November’s election.
“Elections and the right to vote are foundational to our democracy,” Newsom said. “No Californian should be forced to risk their health in order to exercise their right to vote.”
New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu was the first governor to announce a change for the November election, declaring in April that voters could request absentee ballots if they feared for their health.
As early as March, many states expanded access to absentee voting for primary elections, including Alaska, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, and West Virginia.
Despite some bipartisan momentum for more absentee voting, many Republicans across the country are opposed to measures that would let voters avoid the health risks of going to the polls.
On Wednesday, Texas’ all-Republican Supreme Court ruled that fear of contracting a deadly, highly infectious virus in the middle of a pandemic was not a good enough reason to request an absentee ballot. Texas has strict limitations as to who can request an absentee ballot, allowing them for voters over the age of 65, people with disabilities, and people who will be out of their county of residence on Election Day.
The court sided with Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who had previously stated that making voting safer for more people “damages the integrity of our elections.”
In South Carolina, a lawsuit filed by Democratic groups in South Carolina forced the GOP-dominated state Legislature to pass a law in mid-May allowing all voters to be able to request an absentee ballot for an upcoming June election. A spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, one of the groups involved in the lawsuit, said at the time that Democrats will “continue to fight for voters’ rights in November.”
Despite a pandemic that has already killed more than 100,000 Americans, Donald Trump, who has voted by mail in the past, continues to argue against absentee voting.
On Wednesday, Trump tweeted that expanding access to absentee voting would lead to “a free for all on cheating, forgery and the theft of Ballots.”
According to voting experts at the Brennan Center for Justice, there is no evidence of extensive voter fraud tied to absentee voting.
“Mail ballot fraud is incredibly rare, and legitimate security concerns can be easily addressed,” the group said.
Trump has also pushed forward with attacks on states that want to expand voting by mail.
He attacked the Michigan secretary of state, tweeting on May 20 that her decision to mail ballot applications “was done illegally and without authorization by a rogue Secretary of State.”
At one point, Trump threatened to withhold federal funds from states like Michigan and Nevada that are seeking to make it easier and safer for people to vote.
As of Thursday, Trump had yet not carried through on that threat.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


shareblue--2020-05-28--GOP congressman says lobbyists give him 'good input' on legislation

A Republican congressman offered a spirited defense of lobbyists and their influence this week , telling a right-wing interest group that he thinks the influence industry gets a bum rap .
Rep. Doug Collins ( R-GA ) , who is challenging GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler for her seat , told Turning Point USA on Tuesday that `` good '' lobbyists are helpful when it comes to legislative decisions .
Asked how much influence lobbyists have over bills , Collins answered , `` Good ones have , I would say , good input , OK ? ''
`` It 's like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you got bad .
You got good politicians , you got bad politicians .
You got good preachers , you got bad preachers .
You got good cops , you got bad cops .
Too many times we paint the lobbyists brush with too big a stroke , '' Collins explained , adding that they are helpful because lawmakers `` can not be experts on everything . ''
He added that `` lobbyists in the strictest sense , especially if you have an issue that affects a certain industry , I would want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and noted that he also relies on them to fairly explain both sides of the issue .
According to the Center for Responsive Politics , Collins has received at least $ 209,588 in contributions from lobbyists over his political career .
He has also received more than $ 2.5 million in political action committee funds from business interests .
In recent years , Collins has authored a number of business-friendly legislative proposals , including bills to provide tax incentives for those who install broadband in targeted areas , to make it easier for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to update music licensing rules , and to protect trade secrets .
He also voted for Donald Trump 's 2017 tax legislation , which slashed corporate tax rates while raising taxes for about 10 million families .
His office did not respond to an inquiry about which lobbyists are `` good '' and what `` good input '' they have had in those and other legislative decisions .
In an email , a Collins campaign spokesperson noted that in addition to Turning Point USA , Collins believes `` good '' lobbyists include the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more about the battles to protect the Second Amendment at the state , local and federal levels than anyone else . ''
This post was updated to include a comment from Collins ' office .
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation .

A Republican congressman offered a spirited defense of lobbyists and their influence this week, telling a right-wing interest group that he thinks the influence industry gets a bum rap.
Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA), who is challenging GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler for her seat, told Turning Point USA on Tuesday that “good” lobbyists are helpful when it comes to legislative decisions.
Asked how much influence lobbyists have over bills, Collins answered, “Good ones have, I would say, good input, OK?”
“It’s like anything else: you got good and you got bad. You got good politicians, you got bad politicians. You got good preachers, you got bad preachers. You got good cops, you got bad cops. Too many times we paint the lobbyists brush with too big a stroke,” Collins explained, adding that they are helpful because lawmakers “cannot be experts on everything.”
He added that “lobbyists in the strictest sense, especially if you have an issue that affects a certain industry, I would want to hear from what their perspective” and noted that he also relies on them to fairly explain both sides of the issue.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Collins has received at least $209,588 in contributions from lobbyists over his political career. He has also received more than $2.5 million in political action committee funds from business interests.
In recent years, Collins has authored a number of business-friendly legislative proposals, including bills to provide tax incentives for those who install broadband in targeted areas, to make it easier for small businesses to reorganize through bankruptcy, to update music licensing rules, and to protect trade secrets. He also voted for Donald Trump’s 2017 tax legislation, which slashed corporate tax rates while raising taxes for about 10 million families.
His office did not respond to an inquiry about which lobbyists are “good” and what “good input” they have had in those and other legislative decisions.
In an email, a Collins campaign spokesperson noted that in addition to Turning Point USA, Collins believes “good” lobbyists include the National Rifle Association, which “knows more about the battles to protect the Second Amendment at the state, local and federal levels than anyone else.”
This post was updated to include a comment from Collins’ office.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.