inquisitr--2020-02-21--Former Andrew Yang Staffer, Evan Low, Introduces Universal Basic Income Assembly Bill In California

Democrat Evan Low , former National Campaign Co-Chair of Andrew Yang ‘ s campaign and a member of the California State Assembly representing the 28th Assembly District , recently introduced Assembly Bill 2712- California Universal Basic Income ( UBI ) to continue the work of the former presidential candidate .
Low revealed the proposal on Twitter , along with a link to his plan .
Much like Yang ’ s proposal , the bill proposes to fund the UBI with a value-added tax ( VAT ) of 10 percent .
The charge applies to all goods and services , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and equipment , and educational materials such as textbooks and fees for food , groceries , education , and clothing .
The CalUBI program applies to California residents over the age of 18 , although it excludes individuals under the Medi-Cal , CalFresh , County Medical Services , and CalWORKs programs , as well as those on Unemployment Insurance .
“ Thank you for introducing this .
It ’ s up to Californians to push our # HumanityFirst message , ” one supporter wrote .
“ Exciting things…hopefully it will make it through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offered some criticism .
Investigative Reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation Andrew Kerr claimed that the proposal would cost approximately $ 295 billion per year , which he says would cause California ’ s proposed $ 222.2 billion 2020-2021 budget to “ more than double.
” With Yang out of the race , his supporters are focusing on pro-UBI congressional candidates .
According to UBI advocate and Yang supporter Scott Santens , the movement could push a UBI candidate into Congress as early as this year .
He claims that pushing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would be ideal .
“ We could have that in 2020 , or we could have that now , we could have that in a couple years from now , ” he said in a conversation with actor and Yang supporter Paget Kagy , noting that government UBI advocates would help a Yang 2024 run .
Yang recently teased a 2024 run on Twitter by posting a photo of a “ Yang 2024 ” sticker and cryptically tweeted “ we ’ ll be back ” in response to a Washington Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ # StillVotingYang trended on Twitter in recent days as the Yang Gang prepared to rebrand for the long haul ( ‘ Truckers for UBI ’ ) and buzzed about a ‘ summer camp ’ where they can plan for Yang 2024 , ” the article reads .
As of now , Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard has expressed support for UBI , and Republican presidential candidate Zoltan Istvan has a UBI plan as a core pillar of his campaign .
However , Zoltan proposes the pay for his program by monetizing unused federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Democrat Evan Low, former National Campaign Co-Chair of Andrew Yang‘s campaign and a member of the California State Assembly representing the 28th Assembly District, recently introduced Assembly Bill 2712- California Universal Basic Income (UBI) to continue the work of the former presidential candidate.
Low revealed the proposal on Twitter, along with a link to his plan. Much like Yang’s proposal, the bill proposes to fund the UBI with a value-added tax (VAT) of 10 percent. The charge applies to all goods and services, with the exception of medicine, medicinal supplies and equipment, and educational materials such as textbooks and fees for food, groceries, education, and clothing.
The CalUBI program applies to California residents over the age of 18, although it excludes individuals under the Medi-Cal, CalFresh, County Medical Services, and CalWORKs programs, as well as those on Unemployment Insurance.
“Thank you for introducing this. It’s up to Californians to push our #HumanityFirst message,” one supporter wrote.
“Exciting things…hopefully it will make it through unscathed,” tweeted another.
Others offered some criticism. Investigative Reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation Andrew Kerr claimed that the proposal would cost approximately $295 billion per year, which he says would cause California’s proposed $222.2 billion 2020-2021 budget to “more than double.”
I founded the @UBIcaucus #UBIcaucus please go check out the other 32 great candidates that have signed a pledge to vote in favor UBI in 2021, if elected.@scottsantens and @kp_colussi Aren’t running for office, but they have been a great supporters of the #UBI movement as well! pic.twitter.com/GY6ESPSvfH — Ryan Blevins 🧢 🏎 (@Blevins2020) February 11, 2020
With Yang out of the race, his supporters are focusing on pro-UBI congressional candidates. According to UBI advocate and Yang supporter Scott Santens, the movement could push a UBI candidate into Congress as early as this year. He claims that pushing a “loud voice” candidate akin to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would be ideal.
“We could have that in 2020, or we could have that now, we could have that in a couple years from now,” he said in a conversation with actor and Yang supporter Paget Kagy, noting that government UBI advocates would help a Yang 2024 run.
Yang recently teased a 2024 run on Twitter by posting a photo of a “Yang 2024” sticker and cryptically tweeted “we’ll be back” in response to a Washington Post article about his loyal supporters.
“#StillVotingYang trended on Twitter in recent days as the Yang Gang prepared to rebrand for the long haul (‘Truckers for UBI’) and buzzed about a ‘summer camp’ where they can plan for Yang 2024,” the article reads.
As of now, Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard has expressed support for UBI, and Republican presidential candidate Zoltan Istvan has a UBI plan as a core pillar of his campaign. However, Zoltan proposes the pay for his program by monetizing unused federal lands as opposed to implementing a VAT.


inquisitr--2020-02-21--Bernie Sanders Is Gaining Ground On Joe Biden With Black Voters Nationally, Says Poll

A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders gaining ground on former Vice President Joe Biden with black voters , the New York Post reports .
Biden leads among the crucial demographic with 31 percent support .
Still , Sanders — who reportedly experienced a dip in black support after spotlighting his Joe Rogan endorsement — is not far behind with 29 percent .
The news is notable as in last year ’ s version of the same poll , Biden held a significant lead over Sanders that was as high as 30 percentage points .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s current front-runner and has outperformed Biden in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary , the New York Post claims the data could bode poorly for Biden ’ s prospects .
“ The new poll serves as a cautionary note for Biden as the Democratic primary race heads into states with more racial diversity than in Iowa and New Hampshire , where the first nominating contests were held , ” the report reads .
Elsewhere , the poll found that the African American community hasn ’ t quite warmed up to Minnesota @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pete Buttigieg .
“ These are difficult numbers for Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar as regards their standing in the African-American community , ” said Republican pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies , who conducted the survey in conjunction with Democratic pollster Peter Hart .
As noted by NBC News , Sanders ’ gain in black voter support is a “ big deal ” at this point in the primary .
The publication noted that Sanders struggled in the 2016 primary states that had high black populations and lost every county in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ In fact , nearly eight-in-ten black primary voters picked Hillary Clinton over him , according to exit polls , ” the report reads .
Outside of black support , Sanders has been doing well in national polls as well .
As The Inquisitr reported , he leads in all 10 of the national polls released in the week before Saturday ’ s Nevada caucuses .
According to Democratic pollster Peter Hart , Sanders is the clear front-runner in the Democratic primary and has the opportunity to continue growing his support as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rises , moderate Democrats continue to worry .
As reported by ABC News , House Democrats reportedly told the publication that they are scared of Sanders and his proposals , which include a federal jobs guarantee , Medicare-for-All , and the Green New Deal .
“ They ’ re terrified , ” said Democratic Rep. Don Beyer , who was the first House Democrat to endorse Buttigieg .
“ Very few people see Bernie as electable , ” Beyer added , despite polls suggesting otherwise .

A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders gaining ground on former Vice President Joe Biden with black voters, the New York Post reports.
Biden leads among the crucial demographic with 31 percent support. Still, Sanders — who reportedly experienced a dip in black support after spotlighting his Joe Rogan endorsement — is not far behind with 29 percent.
The news is notable as in last year’s version of the same poll, Biden held a significant lead over Sanders that was as high as 30 percentage points. Given that Sanders is the race’s current front-runner and has outperformed Biden in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, the New York Post claims the data could bode poorly for Biden’s prospects.
“The new poll serves as a cautionary note for Biden as the Democratic primary race heads into states with more racial diversity than in Iowa and New Hampshire, where the first nominating contests were held,” the report reads.
Elsewhere, the poll found that the African American community hasn’t quite warmed up to Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobucher or South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg.
“These are difficult numbers for Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar as regards their standing in the African-American community,” said Republican pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies, who conducted the survey in conjunction with Democratic pollster Peter Hart.
As noted by NBC News, Sanders’ gain in black voter support is a “big deal” at this point in the primary. The publication noted that Sanders struggled in the 2016 primary states that had high black populations and lost every county in Mississippi, South Carolina, and Alabama.
“In fact, nearly eight-in-ten black primary voters picked Hillary Clinton over him, according to exit polls,” the report reads.
.@JoeBiden's entire electoral argument has been he is the most electable to defeat Trump and that he polls strongest among black voters. 1) New poll has @BernieSanders up 9 points over Trump; Biden up 7
2) New poll has Bernie and Biden even among black voters pic.twitter.com/LzILlwNhTg — Jordan (@JordanChariton) January 22, 2020
Outside of black support, Sanders has been doing well in national polls as well. As The Inquisitr reported, he leads in all 10 of the national polls released in the week before Saturday’s Nevada caucuses.
According to Democratic pollster Peter Hart, Sanders is the clear front-runner in the Democratic primary and has the opportunity to continue growing his support as the race continues.
Amid Sanders’ rises, moderate Democrats continue to worry. As reported by ABC News, House Democrats reportedly told the publication that they are scared of Sanders and his proposals, which include a federal jobs guarantee, Medicare-for-All, and the Green New Deal.
“They’re terrified,” said Democratic Rep. Don Beyer, who was the first House Democrat to endorse Buttigieg.
“Very few people see Bernie as electable,” Beyer added, despite polls suggesting otherwise.


inquisitr--2020-02-21--Erik Prince Is Reportedly Under FBI Investigation For Trying To Weaponize Crop Duster Aircraft

Erik Prince , the former CEO of mercenary contractor Blackwater and a close ally of Donald Trump , is reportedly under investigation by the FBI for trying to weaponize two crop duster aircraft , The Intercept reported .
According to the report , Prince may have violated arms trafficking regulations in 2015 with his attempts to transform two American-made agricultural crop-dusting planes into attack aircraft .
Prince has allegedly wanted to create light attack planes from single-engine agricultural aircraft to revolutionize small warfare for quite some time .
“ The two planes , manufactured by Thrush Aircraft in Albany , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ built in an effort to create a low-cost air force for his vision of privatized warfare , ” the report reads .
The alleged violations were discovered in 2015 by U.S. law firm King & Spalding , which was by hired Hong Kong-based logistics company Frontier Services Group ( FSG ) , which was founded by Prince .
FSG reportedly contacted the U.S. firm to investigate its work and look for possible U.S. law violations in its weapon sales and export of defense services .
After King & Spalding discovered the possible violations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the information on to the Department of Justice ( DOJ ) , which The Intercept reports it did in 2016 .
FSG CEO Gregg Smith contacted the State Department ’ s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls and said that the violations are linked to Prince .
“ The potential violations stem principally from conduct of Mr .
Prince , a U.S. person , ” he reportedly wrote in a letter obtained by The Intercept .
But in 2018 , an FSG spokesperson talked to The Intercept on behalf of both the company and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violated the law .
“ Any assertion that FSG or Mr .
Prince violated any laws in this matter is categorically false , ” they said .
As The Inquisitr previously reported , Prince recently spoke with conservative commentator Candace Owens in a PragerU clip from December .
During the interview , Prince touched on his work with Blackwater and the reported hate the company gets from the political left .
According to Prince , such hatred stems from his lifestyle .
In addition to allegations of illegally modifying crop dusters , Prince @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probes .
One focuses on accusations that he lied to Congress , while The Wall Street Journal claims that another is linked to a 2017 armed aviation proposal to the United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) .

Erik Prince, the former CEO of mercenary contractor Blackwater and a close ally of Donald Trump, is reportedly under investigation by the FBI for trying to weaponize two crop duster aircraft, The Intercept reported.
According to the report, Prince may have violated arms trafficking regulations in 2015 with his attempts to transform two American-made agricultural crop-dusting planes into attack aircraft. Prince has allegedly wanted to create light attack planes from single-engine agricultural aircraft to revolutionize small warfare for quite some time.
“The two planes, manufactured by Thrush Aircraft in Albany, Georgia, were the first prototypes Prince built in an effort to create a low-cost air force for his vision of privatized warfare,” the report reads.
The alleged violations were discovered in 2015 by U.S. law firm King & Spalding, which was by hired Hong Kong-based logistics company Frontier Services Group (FSG), which was founded by Prince. FSG reportedly contacted the U.S. firm to investigate its work and look for possible U.S. law violations in its weapon sales and export of defense services.
After King & Spalding discovered the possible violations, they reportedly recommended that FSG pass the information on to the Department of Justice (DOJ), which The Intercept reports it did in 2016.
(THREAD) Erik Prince—Trump advisor; ex-head of a murderous mercenary army; would-be head of Trump's private spy agency; would-be head of a privatized U.S. army—is a dangerous liar. He just testified under oath. This is a live reading of the transcript. Hope you'll read and share. pic.twitter.com/XNMqpnERX6 — Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) December 7, 2017
FSG CEO Gregg Smith contacted the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls and said that the violations are linked to Prince.
“The potential violations stem principally from conduct of Mr. Prince, a U.S. person,” he reportedly wrote in a letter obtained by The Intercept.
But in 2018, an FSG spokesperson talked to The Intercept on behalf of both the company and Prince, and denied allegations that Prince violated the law.
“Any assertion that FSG or Mr. Prince violated any laws in this matter is categorically false,” they said.
As The Inquisitr previously reported, Prince recently spoke with conservative commentator Candace Owens in a PragerU clip from December. During the interview, Prince touched on his work with Blackwater and the reported hate the company gets from the political left.
According to Prince, such hatred stems from his lifestyle.
“And Blackwater represented everything they loved to hate. I was a heterosexual male with children that owned a lot of guns and a weapons training facility.”
In addition to allegations of illegally modifying crop dusters, Prince is the focus of several other ongoing probes. One focuses on accusations that he lied to Congress, while The Wall Street Journal claims that another is linked to a 2017 armed aviation proposal to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).


inquisitr--2020-02-21--Elizabeth Warren Says Michael Bloomberg Is ‘Disqualified’ Until He Releases Former Employees From ND

Elizabeth Warren Says Michael Bloomberg Is ‘Disqualified’ Until He Releases Former Employees From NDAs

On Wednesday , Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren called out Michael Bloomberg for past allegations of sexual assault .
She pressured him to release his former Bloomberg L.P. employees from the nondisclosure agreements that prevent his accusers from speaking out .
During her Thursday CNN town hall , the Massachusetts senator continued her assault on the billionaire and said that he is ” disqualified ” from the race until he meets her demands .
Warren spoke about how tough she believes it would be for people to speak out against a billionaire and pointed to the courage it already takes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nondisclosure agreement , Breitbart reported .
“ You ’ ve got to admit , that takes a lot , to be able to do that , and that the consequence of it is he dumps some money on it , and then stuffs a gag in the woman ’ s mouth .
If he ’ s not willing to remove those gags and let those women , and maybe those men , talk , then he is disqualified from being president of the United States.
” “ I will support the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ everyone ” on the debate stage is a better option than Donald Trump .
Many have pointed to the sexual harassment allegations against Bloomberg , as well as his links to the Republican Party , as evidence of his similarity to Trump .
Writing for The Week , Ryan Cooper wrote that he would support any Democratic presidential nominee — except for Bloomberg .
He claims it ’ s “ not at all obvious ” that Bloomberg would be a better president than Trump , noting his reported right-wing authoritarianism and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Guardian , Derecka Purnell said that Bloomberg and Trump are “ two sides of the same sinister coin , ” noting that he presided over the surveillance of Muslims in New York during his time as mayor .
Such monitoring was conducted by the New York Police Department ( NYPD ) in conjunction with the CIA .
Purnell goes as far as to say that Bloomberg is “ much more explicit ” in his views of people of color , pointing to political commentator Benjamin Dixon , who unearthed a 2015 Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop-and-frisk policy .
Bloomberg ’ s record continues to haunt him .
During an episode of Fox & Friends this week , Fox News contributor Charles Payne spoke about Bloomberg ’ s stop-and-frisk policy and suggested that it reveals his perception of African Americans .
Payne pointed to Trump ’ s racism stemming from reports that he did not allow black people into his building and suggested that Bloomberg ’ s history was worse .

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inquisitr--2020-02-21--Bernie Sanders Leads In All National Polls Released The Week Before Nevada Caucuses

Ahead of Saturday ’ s Nevada caucuses , Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders leads in all 10 polls released this week , Newsweek reports .
In terms of percentage points , the surging candidate appears to have support that ranges from the mid-20s to low 30s .
Trailing Sanders are former Vice President Joe Biden and businessman Michael Bloomberg , who are roughly tied for second place .
On the lower end of the spectrum , a Hill/HarrisX poll released Wednesday showed Sanders with 22 percent support , Biden with 19 percent in second and Bloomberg trailing with 18 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ABC News/Washington Post poll that saw him with 32 percent support , doubling the backing of Biden , the second-place candidate , who gained 16 percent support .
In third was Bloomberg with 14 percent .
Democratic pollster Peter Hart , who conducted the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll along with the Republican pollster Bill McInturff , claims that Sanders is the race ’ s clear front-runner with the opportunity to continue growing .
According to RealClearPolitics , Sanders has an average percentage of support of 28.7 , almost four points higher than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As for Biden and Bloomberg , they appear to be moving in opposite directions in recent weeks , with Biden on the decline with 17.3 percent support and Bloomberg on the rise with 15.2 percent .
Per Jacobin Magazine , some have warned that Sanders is an extreme candidate that is not ideal for taking on Trump .
“ Or take the unshakable conviction of so many pundits that Bernie is a ‘ factional candidate ’ with a ‘ hard ceiling ’ of support due to his ‘ extreme ’ political stances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the publication notes , Sanders reportedly has the highest favorability of any candidate in the race , and he is the least disappointing according to a YouGov poll of Democratic primary voters .
In addition , one survey of Democrats showed that respondents viewed Sanders ’ position as the second-most closely aligned with their political views , with Biden in first .
During Wednesday ’ s presidential debate , Sanders was the only candidate to express the belief that the person with the most delegates heading into the Democratic National Convention ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s nominee , regardless if they have the majority or not .
“ Well , the process includes 500 super delegates on the second ballot .
So I think that the will of the people should prevail , yes .
The person who has the most votes should become the nominee , ” he said , per Breitbart .

Ahead of Saturday’s Nevada caucuses, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders leads in all 10 polls released this week, Newsweek reports. In terms of percentage points, the surging candidate appears to have support that ranges from the mid-20s to low 30s.
Trailing Sanders are former Vice President Joe Biden and businessman Michael Bloomberg, who are roughly tied for second place.
On the lower end of the spectrum, a Hill/HarrisX poll released Wednesday showed Sanders with 22 percent support, Biden with 19 percent in second and Bloomberg trailing with 18 percent. Sanders performed the best in an ABC News/Washington Post poll that saw him with 32 percent support, doubling the backing of Biden, the second-place candidate, who gained 16 percent support. In third was Bloomberg with 14 percent.
Democratic pollster Peter Hart, who conducted the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll along with the Republican pollster Bill McInturff, claims that Sanders is the race’s clear front-runner with the opportunity to continue growing.
“There is one clear and inescapable set of results: Bernie Sanders is the definitive front-runner, and the current numbers do not represent his ceiling, but instead his base with room to grow.”
According to RealClearPolitics, Sanders has an average percentage of support of 28.7, almost four points higher than the 23.6 percent from a week earlier. As for Biden and Bloomberg, they appear to be moving in opposite directions in recent weeks, with Biden on the decline with 17.3 percent support and Bloomberg on the rise with 15.2 percent.
This morning’s new nationwide polling numbers from the respected NPR/PBS/Marist Poll — Bernie Sanders ahead in first place by double digits – a whopping 12% over his 2nd place challenger, a Republican billionaire— the first of 2 Republican billionaires Sanders will beat this year pic.twitter.com/rLDOM9qSdf — Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 18, 2020
Per Jacobin Magazine, some have warned that Sanders is an extreme candidate that is not ideal for taking on Trump.
“Or take the unshakable conviction of so many pundits that Bernie is a ‘factional candidate’ with a ‘hard ceiling’ of support due to his ‘extreme’ political stances,” the report reads.
But as the publication notes, Sanders reportedly has the highest favorability of any candidate in the race, and he is the least disappointing according to a YouGov poll of Democratic primary voters. In addition, one survey of Democrats showed that respondents viewed Sanders’ position as the second-most closely aligned with their political views, with Biden in first.
During Wednesday’s presidential debate, Sanders was the only candidate to express the belief that the person with the most delegates heading into the Democratic National Convention (DNC) should be the Democratic Party’s nominee, regardless if they have the majority or not.
“Well, the process includes 500 super delegates on the second ballot. So I think that the will of the people should prevail, yes. The person who has the most votes should become the nominee,” he said, per Breitbart.


inquisitr--2020-02-22--Dick Van Dyke, 94, Endorses ‘Younger’ Guy Bernie Sanders In New Political Ad

The 'Mary Poppins ' star urges his generation to vote fro one of their own .
Dick Van Dyke is the star of a new political ad for Bernie Sanders .
The 94-year-old actor best known for his role in the 1964 movie Mary Poppins as well as his self-titled 1960s TV show , said he ’ s an “ enthusiastic ” supporter of the 78-year-old presidential candidate , and he hopes other members of his generation will follow his lead .
In the ad , a white-bearded Van Dyke made it clear that age is just a number when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the 2020 presidential race .
“ The age question keeps coming up , ” Van Dyke said in the spot .
“ I know that I ’ m 20 years older than Bernie .
I have all my marbles .
I could run for office if I wanted to .
So I don ’ t think age — it really doesn ’ t matter , except for his experience and the years he ’ s put in.
” The Dick Van Dyke Show star also addressed poll numbers that indicate Sanders is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The actor questioned why an older citizen wouldn ’ t vote for somebody with Sanders ’ record and his “ experience and honesty.
” Van Dyke said it makes no sense to him why Sanders isn ’ t getting the support of his own generation .
“ I think somebody younger like Bernie , is just a perfect candidate , ” Van Dyke joked of his own age .
“ Yeah , I think he ’ ll be around a long time.
” In comments to a Youtube video of the ad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Boomers for Bernie ” campaign couldn ’ t help but reference Bert , the actor ’ s chimney sweep character from the original Mary Poppins movie more than 50 years ago .
“ He has the chimney sweeps now , he ’ s growing unstoppable , ” one commenter joked of Sanders .
“ Chim chimney chim chimney chim chim cheroo , Dick ’ s voting for Bernie , and you should be too , ” another wrote .
“ Thumbs up if you think this is Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious !
” a third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followers of Sanders ’ political past may recall that Van Dyke also supported him four years ago in the 2016 election .
At the time , Reuters reported that Van Dyke was concerned about the people in his generation who were firmly “ set in their ways.
” He admitted that some overly cautious nonagenarians could be afraid that Sanders might get a little too drastic or “ do something to upset the apple cart.
” In addition to Van Dyke , Sanders ’ supporters this time around include Cardi B , Ariana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s wife Hailey Baldwin , according to Refinery 29 .

'1000 Lb Sister' Tammy Slaton Defends Her 'Filtered' Pictures, Ask Critics to Talk to Her Hand
She said, "Listen, I am not trying to be rude, but it's my profile. And if I like using the filters, I will. Plain and simple," as she waved goodbye.
4h ago


inquisitr--2020-02-22--Democrat Ilhan Omar’s Republican Challenger Facing Felony Charges, Reportedly On The Run From The La

Democrat Ilhan Omar’s Republican Challenger Facing Felony Charges, Reportedly On The Run From The Law

Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar could be facing an unusual challenge this fall — trying to win an election against a Republican opponent who is on the run from the law .
Republican House candidate Danielle Stella is one of five Republicans vying for the party ’ s nomination to take on the first-term congresswoman in her Minnesota district , but The Daily Beast reported that Stella is on the lam as she fled felony shoplifting charges .
Stella has reportedly been wanted for months on an arrest warrant after she failed to show up for multiple court hearings in October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she is now .
The report noted that the mystery of Stella ’ s whereabouts deepened this week when a conspiracy theorist with a YouTube following of 50,000 subscribers claimed that she was staying in a hotel in Wisconsin and was in some kind of danger .
A number of people called the hotel , prompting police to come to the scene .
Stella had already made headlines for some incendiary posts on social media , including an allegation that Omar is an asset for the Iranian government .
This led to Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Still , the pending felony charges and the potential that she is on the run from the law has not stopped Stella ’ s campaign , the report noted .
Omar , the first woman of Muslim faith ever elected to the House of Representatives , has attracted plenty of attention from conspiracy theorists on the far right .
Last year , Trump-supporting internet troll Jacob Wohl claimed that his life was threatened while he was allegedly investigating allegations that Omar had married her brother in a ploy to gain favorable immigration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it was later revealed that Wohl had sent the death threats himself from an account he created .
The allegations against Stella have drawn criticism from her Republican opponents as well .
Lacy Johnson , an entrepreneur who is also running for the nomination , told The Daily Beast that Stella ’ s actions don ’ t look very good for the GOP .
“ Candidates are reflections of the party in a way , and it ’ s not a good reflection of the party in a sense , ” Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in politics , you do learn that people do have all kinds of ways of looking at things .
”

Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar could be facing an unusual challenge this fall — trying to win an election against a Republican opponent who is on the run from the law.
Republican House candidate Danielle Stella is one of five Republicans vying for the party’s nomination to take on the first-term congresswoman in her Minnesota district, but The Daily Beast reported that Stella is on the lam as she fled felony shoplifting charges. Stella has reportedly been wanted for months on an arrest warrant after she failed to show up for multiple court hearings in October, and it is not clear where she is now.
The report noted that the mystery of Stella’s whereabouts deepened this week when a conspiracy theorist with a YouTube following of 50,000 subscribers claimed that she was staying in a hotel in Wisconsin and was in some kind of danger. A number of people called the hotel, prompting police to come to the scene.
Stella had already made headlines for some incendiary posts on social media, including an allegation that Omar is an asset for the Iranian government. This led to Twitter suspending Stella’s account in November.
Still, the pending felony charges and the potential that she is on the run from the law has not stopped Stella’s campaign, the report noted.
“Despite all the legal attention, Stella continues to operate her campaign—at least online. In addition to raising money for her campaign, Stella has posted messages to her supporters on Facebook and Instagram, including promotional memes about QAnon.”
Omar, the first woman of Muslim faith ever elected to the House of Representatives, has attracted plenty of attention from conspiracy theorists on the far right. Last year, Trump-supporting internet troll Jacob Wohl claimed that his life was threatened while he was supposedly investigating allegations that Omar had married her brother in a ploy to gain favorable immigration status.
As The Daily Beast noted, it was later revealed that Wohl had sent the death threats to himself from an account he created.
The allegations against Stella have drawn criticism from her Republican opponents as well. Lacy Johnson, an entrepreneur who is also running for the nomination, told The Daily Beast that Stella’s actions don’t look very good for the GOP.
“Candidates are reflections of the party in a way, and it’s not a good reflection of the party in a sense,” Johnson said. “But now, being in politics, you do learn that people do have all kinds of ways of looking at things.”


inquisitr--2020-02-22--Bernie Sanders On Michael Bloomberg: Donald Trump Would ‘Chew Him Up And Spit Him Out’

During Wednesday night ’ s Democratic Party presidential primary debate in Nevada , former Mayor of New York City , billionaire Michael Bloomberg , suffered an onslaught of attacks from fellow White House hopefuls .
Notably , Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren kept slamming the billionaire over his alleged remarks about women .
According to Democratic frontrunner , Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont , the billionaire ’ s performance at the debate demonstrates that he would be a weak candidate to run against President Donald Trump .
Per Axios , discussing Bloomberg ’ s chances in an interview with CNN ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump would “ chew him up and spit him out.
” Asked whether he was surprised by how “ unprepared ” Bloomberg seemed at the debate , Sanders said the following .
Asked whether he is now “ less worried ” about Bloomberg ’ s chances of winning the Democratic nomination , Sanders explained that he is more concerned about the money the billionaire has been spending on his campaign .
“ I am worried about an unprecedented amount of money being spent on a campaign .
And — you know , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in American history , ” Sanders said , adding that he believes the voters will “ rebel against this type of oligarchic movement.
” “ We are a democracy .
One person , one vote .
Not a guy worth $ 60 billion buying an election , ” he stated .
According to Morning Consult — which conducted a poll before debate and another one after the debate — the attacks have not done much to damage Bloomberg ’ s national standing .
The billionaire is polling at 17 percent nationwide , having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , although Bloomberg ’ s poll numbers have not taken a hit , his favorability ratings have .
The former New York City mayor ’ s net favorability fell 20 points since the pre-debate poll , with white and black voters , men and women , drawing his numbers down equally .
Among moderates , Bloomberg ’ s key constituency , his net favorability rating dropped 30 points .
Bloomberg — who entered the race in November , completely changing the dynamics of the primary — is skipping the early states , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond .
The billionaire has outspent every single candidate , spending an unprecedented amount of money on television and social media advertisement campaigns .
Bloomberg is not on the ballot in Nevada , which votes on Saturday .
According to latest polling of Nevada Democrats , Sanders holds a 13-point lead over his closest competitor , former South Bend , Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg .
Former Vice President Joe Biden is in third and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren in fourth place .

During Wednesday night’s Democratic Party presidential primary debate in Nevada, former Mayor of New York City, billionaire Michael Bloomberg, suffered an onslaught of attacks from fellow White House hopefuls. Notably, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren kept slamming the billionaire over his alleged remarks about women.
According to Democratic frontrunner, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the billionaire’s performance at the debate demonstrates that he would be a weak candidate to run against President Donald Trump. Per Axios, discussing Bloomberg’s chances in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Sanders said that Trump would “chew him up and spit him out.”
Asked whether he was surprised by how “unprepared” Bloomberg seemed at the debate, Sanders said the following.
“Yes, I was. I was. And if that’s what happened in a Democratic debate, you know, I — I think it’s quite likely that Trump will chew him up and spit him out.”
Asked whether he is now “less worried” about Bloomberg’s chances of winning the Democratic nomination, Sanders explained that he is more concerned about the money the billionaire has been spending on his campaign.
“I am worried about an unprecedented amount of money being spent on a campaign. And — you know, we’ve never seen anything like this in American history,” Sanders said, adding that he believes the voters will “rebel against this type of oligarchic movement.”
“We are a democracy. One person, one vote. Not a guy worth $60 billion buying an election,” he stated.
According to Morning Consult — which conducted a poll before the debate and another one after the debate — the attacks have not done much to damage Bloomberg’s national standing. The billionaire is polling at 17 percent nationwide, having lost only three percentage points.
However, although Bloomberg’s poll numbers have not taken a hit, his favorability ratings have. The former New York City mayor’s net favorability fell 20 points since the pre-debate poll, with white and black voters, men and women, drawing his numbers down equally. Among moderates, Bloomberg’s key constituency, his net favorability rating dropped 30 points.
Bloomberg — who entered the race in November, completely changing the dynamics of the primary — is skipping the early states, and focusing his resources on Super Tuesday and beyond. The billionaire has outspent every single candidate, spending an unprecedented amount of money on television and social media advertisement campaigns.
Bloomberg is not on the ballot in Nevada, which votes on Saturday. According to the latest polling of Nevada Democrats, Sanders holds a 13-point lead over his closest competitor, former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Former Vice President Joe Biden is in third and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren in fourth place.


inquisitr--2020-02-22--Elizabeth Warren In Danger Of Losing Home State Massachusetts To Bernie Sanders, Says Poll

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was considered one of the Democratic frontrunners for months , but that changed in late 2019 , with candidates such as former South Bend , Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont surging past her in the polls .
Disappointing finishes in Iowa , where she came in third , and New Hampshire , where she came in fourth , seemingly cast even more doubt on her candidacy .
Warren has not indicated that she wants to drop out of the race , and her strong performance at Wednesday night ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have reinvigorated her campaign .
What would have the opposite effect , however , is losing in her home state of Massachusetts .
A new poll indicates that is a distinct possibility , according to The Hill .
In Massachusetts , which is one of the 14 states that will hold its primary on Super Tuesday , Sanders is polling at 21 percent .
Warren is behind him at 20 percent , according to a poll conducted by University of Massachusetts Lowell .
Buttigieg is in third place , polling at 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden is in fourth at 14 percent .
Former Mayor of New York City , billionaire Michael Bloomberg , is polling at 12 percent in Massachusetts .
Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota is in sixth place with nine percent support .
Notably , according to the poll , there still appears to be fluidity in the race , with 39 percent of respondents saying they could still change their mind .
As USA Today reports , Warren ’ s campaign appears to have taken note of the senator ’ s difficulties in her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress from Massachusetts — Reps. Lori Trahan , Jim McGovern and Ayanna Pressley — to canvas in the state together with state Attorney General Maura Healey .
According to Joshua Dyck , director of the UMASS Lowell Center for Public Opinion , Sanders ’ support is growing across the country because he is now the national frontrunner .
“ What we ’ re seeing when we look at Massachusetts and other Super Tuesday states is that Sanders is in that range of 21 percent to about 25 percent in all of these states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strength of a national frontrunner who isn ’ t pulling away but is basically polling well everywhere.
” Furthermore , according to Dyck , Warren is “ contending with the fact that liberal voters , progressive voters , and young voters who are drawn to her campaign are also drawn to Sen. Sanders ’ campaign.
” It remains to be seen whether Warren ’ s strong performance at the debate earlier this week will have an impact on her standing in Nevada , which votes Saturday .
According to a post-debate survey from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s support has increased two percentage points nationally .

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was considered one of the Democratic frontrunners for months, but that changed in late 2019, with candidates such as former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont surging past her in the polls. Disappointing finishes in Iowa, where she came in third, and New Hampshire, where she came in fourth, seemingly cast even more doubt on her candidacy.
Warren has not indicated that she wants to drop out of the race, and her strong performance at Wednesday night’s Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas appears to have reinvigorated her campaign. What would have the opposite effect, however, is losing in her home state of Massachusetts. A new poll indicates that is a distinct possibility, according to The Hill.
In Massachusetts, which is one of the 14 states that will hold its primary on Super Tuesday, Sanders is polling at 21 percent. Warren is behind him at 20 percent, according to a poll conducted by University of Massachusetts Lowell. Buttigieg is in third place, polling at 15 percent, and former Vice President Joe Biden is in fourth at 14 percent.
Former mayor of New York City, billionaire Michael Bloomberg, is polling at 12 percent in Massachusetts. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota is in sixth place with 9 percent support. Notably, according to the poll, there still appears to be fluidity in the race, with 39 percent of respondents saying they could still change their mind.
As USA Today reports, Warren’s campaign appears to have taken note of the senator’s difficulties in her home state, deploying three members of Congress from Massachusetts — Reps. Lori Trahan, Jim McGovern and Ayanna Pressley — to canvas in the state together with state Attorney General Maura Healey.
According to Joshua Dyck, director of the UMASS Lowell Center for Public Opinion, Sanders’ support is growing across the country because he is now the national frontrunner.
“What we’re seeing when we look at Massachusetts and other Super Tuesday states is that Sanders is in that range of 21% to about 25% in all of these states. So, Sanders is showing the strength of a national frontrunner who isn’t pulling away but is basically polling well everywhere.”
Furthermore, according to Dyck, Warren is “contending with the fact that liberal voters, progressive voters, and young voters who are drawn to her campaign are also drawn to Sen. Sanders’ campaign.”
It remains to be seen whether Warren’s strong performance at the debate earlier this week will have an impact on her standing in Nevada, which votes Saturday. According to a post-debate survey from Morning Consult, since Wednesday, Warren’s support has increased two percentage points nationally.


inquisitr--2020-02-22--Michael Bloomberg’s Net Favorability Plunged 20 Points After Nevada Debate, Says Poll

Former Mayor of New York City , billionaire Michael Bloomberg , took a number of devastating blows during Wednesday night ’ s Democratic presidential debate in Nevada .
Notably , Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren ripped into Bloomberg over his reported remarks about women .
According to a post-debate poll from Morning Consult released on Friday , although Warren ’ s strong performance appears to have not helped her very much , her and other candidates ’ attacks on Bloomberg have affected the billionaire ’ s popularity among all Democratic primary voters .
Bloomberg — who entered the race late , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign , using some of his vast fortune to blanket the airwaves with ad .
This has helped the billionaire surge in both nationwide and state polls in a matter of weeks , with his favorability ratings staying relatively high .
That appears to be changing .
According to Morning Consult , Bloomberg ’ s net favorability fell 20 points since the pre-debate poll .
Men , women , black voters , and white voters drew the billionaire ’ s numbers down equally , according to the survey .
Interestingly , Bloomberg ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-described moderates , going down 30 points .
“ His popularity with the Democratic electorate had been on the rise as he poured hundreds of millions of dollars into advertising across the country ahead of his first showing on a ballot on Super Tuesday , March 3 .
But all of the gains he ’ d made since the beginning of the year have been erased.
” In terms of support , however , Bloomberg appears to have not suffered too much damage .
The billionaire dropped only three points since the pre-debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent nationwide .
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders ‘ standing in the poll increased by two points — he is the national frontrunner , now polling at 30 percent .
Trailing Sanders is former Vice President Joe Biden at 19 percent .
Warren went up two points in the poll and she is now at 12 percent , polling fourth place nationally .
Trailing Warren are former South Bend , Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 11 percent and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar at five percent .
Both Buttigieg and Klobuchar saw a one-point decrease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has decided to dedicate the bulk of his resources to Super Tuesday primary races , so he is not even on the ballot in Nevada , where the next Democratic contest is taking place .
According to latest polling , Sanders is favored to win the Nevada caucuses by a comfortable margin of 13 points .
Buttigieg and Biden appear to be competing for second place , polling at 17 and 16 percent respectively .
Warren is trailing both with 12 percentage points .
Klobuchar is polling at 11 and billionaire Tom Steyer @ @ @ @ @

Former Mayor of New York City, billionaire Michael Bloomberg, took a number of devastating blows during Wednesday night’s Democratic presidential debate in Nevada. Notably, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren ripped into Bloomberg over his reported remarks about women.
According to a post-debate poll from Morning Consult released on Friday, although Warren’s strong performance appears to have not helped her very much, her and other candidates’ attacks on Bloomberg have affected the billionaire’s popularity among all Democratic primary voters.
Bloomberg — who entered the race late, in November — is running an unconventional campaign, using some of his vast fortune to blanket the airwaves with ads. This has helped the billionaire surge in both nationwide and state polls in a matter of weeks, with his favorability ratings staying relatively high. That appears to be changing.
According to Morning Consult, Bloomberg’s net favorability fell 20 points since the pre-debate poll. Men, women, black voters, and white voters drew the billionaire’s numbers down equally, according to the survey. Interestingly, Bloomberg’s net favorability plunged the most among self-described moderates, going down 30 points.
“His popularity with the Democratic electorate had been on the rise as he poured hundreds of millions of dollars into advertising across the country ahead of his first showing on a ballot on Super Tuesday, March 3. But all of the gains he’d made since the beginning of the year have been erased.”
In terms of support, however, Bloomberg appears to have not suffered too much damage. The billionaire dropped only three points since the pre-debate poll and is now polling at 17 percent nationwide. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders‘ standing in the poll increased by two points — he is the national frontrunner, now polling at 30 percent. Trailing Sanders is former Vice President Joe Biden at 19 percent.
Warren went up two points in the poll and she is now at 12 percent, polling fourth place nationally. Trailing Warren are former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 11 percent and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar at five percent. Both Buttigieg and Klobuchar saw a one-point decrease in support after the debate.
Bloomberg has decided to dedicate the bulk of his resources to Super Tuesday primary races, so he is not even on the ballot in Nevada, where the next Democratic contest is taking place. According to the latest polling, Sanders is favored to win the Nevada caucuses by a comfortable margin of 13 points.
Buttigieg and Biden appear to be competing for second place in Nevada, polling at 17 and 16 percent respectively. Warren is trailing both with 12 percentage points. Klobuchar is polling at 11 and billionaire Tom Steyer at 10 percentage points.


inquisitr--2020-02-22--Richard Grenell, New Director Of National Intelligence, Called Donald Trump ‘Dangerous’ In Deleted 2

Richard Grenell, New Director Of National Intelligence, Called Donald Trump ‘Dangerous’ In Deleted 2016 Tweet

Richard Grenell was reportedly selected to serve as the new acting director of National Intelligence because of his devotion to President Donald Trump , but a new report revealed that he wasn ’ t always so loyal .
As Politico reported , Grenell has gained a reputation as a Trump loyalist and regularly takes to Twitter to praise the president and boost his policy stances prior to Trump ’ s decision to appoint him to the vacant position .
But the report noted that during the 2016 presidential election , Grenell ’ s Twitter messages were much more critical of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kasich during the Republican primary .
On March 24 , 2016 , after Trump tweeted that NATO was “ obsolete ” and needed to be changed to focus more on anti-terrorism efforts , Grenell tweeted an apparent warning .
“ He ’ s dangerous !
” he wrote in the now-deleted tweet .
The report noted that Grenell is not alone in changing his stance on Trump , as other Republicans once critical of Trump during the 2016 primary have since become some of his most loyal backers and even taken top posts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , who wrote that Trump could become an “ authoritarian president.
” South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham , who was once one of Trump ’ s harshest critics on the right and warned that the Republican Party could face a dark future if he were to win the nomination , is now one of the president ’ s most fervent defenders .
Politico noted that Grenell ’ s change on Trump appeared to take place earlier than others , with his first public support coming after Trump officially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Grenell ’ s now-vocal support of Trump is reportedly a major reason why he was picked to serve as acting DNI .
A former senior White House official told CNN that Trump pegged the current ambassador to Germany to serve in the role because he is “ looking for a ‘ political ’ who will have his back , ” the former official said .
The pick came under criticism because Trump ’ s pick did not experience in the intelligence world .
Bob Litt , the former general counsel to the director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the selection was “ extremely dangerous.
” “ This is a President who has loathed and feared the ( intelligence community ) since before he was inaugurated and he views them as a deep state hostile to him seeking to undercut him and he ’ ll seek to undercut them , ” he said , via CNN .
“ Clearly the important thing here is the President feels Grenell will do his bidding .
”

Richard Grenell was reportedly selected to serve as the new acting director of national intelligence (DNI) because of his devotion to President Donald Trump, but a new report revealed that he wasn’t always so loyal.
As Politico reported, Grenell has gained a reputation as a Trump loyalist who regularly takes to Twitter to praise the president and boost his policy stances prior to being appointed to the vacant national intelligence position. But the report noted that during the 2016 presidential election, Grenell’s Twitter messages were much more critical of Trump as he supported then-Ohio Governor John Kasich during the Republican primary.
On March 24, 2016, after Trump tweeted that NATO was “obsolete” and needed to be changed to focus more on anti-terrorism efforts, Grenell tweeted an apparent warning.
“He’s dangerous!” he wrote in the now-deleted tweet.
The report noted that Grenell is not alone in changing his stance on Trump, as other Republicans once critical of Trump during the 2016 primary have since become some of his most loyal backers and even taken top posts in his administration. That included now Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who wrote that Trump could become an “authoritarian president.” South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who was once one of Trump’s harshest critics on the right and warned that the Republican Party could face a dark future if he were to win the nomination, is now one of the president’s most fervent defenders.
Politico noted that Grenell’s change on Trump appeared to take place earlier than others, with his first public support coming after Trump officially became the Republican nominee for president.
Grenell’s now-vocal support of Trump is reportedly a major reason why he was picked to serve as acting DNI. A former senior White House official told CNN that Trump pegged the current ambassador to Germany to serve in the role because he is “looking for a ‘political’ who will have his back,” the former official said. The choice came under criticism because Grenell does not have experience in the intelligence world.
Bob Litt, the former general counsel to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, said that the selection was “extremely dangerous.”
“This is a President who has loathed and feared the (intelligence community) since before he was inaugurated and he views them as a deep state hostile to him seeking to undercut him and he’ll seek to undercut them,” he said, via CNN. “Clearly the important thing here is the President feels Grenell will do his bidding.”


inquisitr--2020-02-22--Donald Trump Says Remaining In Office Until 2028 Is A ‘Distinct Possibility,’ Declares ’12 More Year

Donald Trump Says Remaining In Office Until 2028 Is A ‘Distinct Possibility,’ Declares ’12 More Years’

At a rally in Las Vegas on Friday , Trump for at least the 28th time said that he planned to remain in office beyond the end of his term .
Donald Trump on Friday held a rally in Las Vegas , Nevada .
During the course of a rambling speech that spanned such topics as whether CNN anchor Jake Tapper ’ s wife likes him , and former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s speech impediment , Trump , for at least the 28th time in a public address , mentioned that he may remain in office past the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earlier this month one journalist and author who has followed Trump ’ s speeches said that he had counted 27 previous occasions on which Trump threatened to stay past the end of his term .
Though Trump usually frames the threats to remain in office as “ jokes , ” the purpose of the declarations is to prepare his supporters “ not to accept a loss , and thus to lose faith in the likelihood of a peaceful transfer of power , ” if he were to be defeated by a Democrat in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington Post columnist Greg Sargent .
In his rally at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Friday , Trump twice alluded to what appears to be his desire to remain in the White House not only past 2020 , were he to lose the election , but even beyond 2024 — the last full year of his second term , were he to win one .
In what seemed to be an off-the-cuff monologue in which he congratulated himself for his role in bringing the 2028 Olympic Games to Los Angeles , California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump , ” three times — Trump said that there was a “ distinct possibility ” that he would still be in office by the time of those Olympics .
If Trump were in office though 2028 , he would be in the final year of a third term , in direct violation of the two-term limit imposed by the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution .
He would also be 82-years-old , approximately four years older than the oldest president ever to leave office .
That was Ronald Reagan , whose second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when he was about two weeks short of 78-years-old .
Later in the speech , with members of the 1980 gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympic hockey team gathered on the podium behind him , Trump again “ joked ” about serving “ 12 more years , ” as quoted by Vox reporter Aaron Rupar , via his Twitter account .
Also , Trump repeated his complaint first made on at a rally in Colorado on Thursday , in which he bemoaned the fact that Parasite , a film made in South Korea , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Best Picture award at the February 9 Oscars ceremony .

Donald Trump on Friday held a rally in Las Vegas, Nevada. During the course of a rambling speech that spanned such topics as whether CNN anchor Jake Tapper’s wife likes him, and former Vice President Joe Biden’s speech impediment, Trump, for at least the 28th time in a public address, mentioned that he may remain in office past the end of his constitutionally mandated term.
Earlier this month one journalist and author who has followed Trump’s speeches said that he had counted 27 previous occasions on which Trump threatened to stay past the end of his term.
Though Trump usually frames the threats to remain in office as “jokes,” the purpose of the declarations is to prepare his supporters “not to accept a loss, and thus to lose faith in the likelihood of a peaceful transfer of power,” if he were to be defeated by a Democrat in the 2020 presidential election, according to Washington Post columnist Greg Sargent.
In his rally at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Friday, Trump twice alluded to what appears to be his desire to remain in the White House not only past 2020, were he to lose the election, but even beyond 2024 — the last full year of his second term, were he to win one.
Trump jokes about serving more than two terms: "2028. You know what? Unless I'm still president then, which is a distinct possibility." (This has become a standard part of his speeches.) pic.twitter.com/uJLfL1REMi — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 21, 2020
In what seemed to be an off-the-cuff monologue in which he congratulated himself for his role in bringing the 2028 Olympic Games to Los Angeles, California — repeating, “Thank you, President Trump,” three times — Trump said that there was a “distinct possibility” that he would still be in office by the time of those Olympics.
If Trump were in office though 2028, he would be in the final year of a third term, in direct violation of the two-term limit imposed by the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution. He would also be 82-years-old, approximately four years older than the oldest president ever to leave office. That was Ronald Reagan, whose second term ended on January 20, 1989, when he was about two weeks short of 78-years-old.
Later in the speech, with members of the 1980 gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympic hockey team gathered on the podium behind him, Trump again “joked” about serving “12 more years,” as quoted by Vox reporter Aaron Rupar, via his Twitter account.
Also, Trump repeated his complaint first made on at a rally in Colorado on Thursday, in which he bemoaned the fact that Parasite, a film made in South Korea, with actors speaking the Korean language, won the Best Picture award at the February 9 Oscars ceremony.


inquisitr--2020-02-22--Nevada Poll: Bernie Sanders Takes 13-Point Lead, Pete Buttigieg And Joe Biden In Dead Heat For Secon

Nevada Poll: Bernie Sanders Takes 13-Point Lead, Pete Buttigieg And Joe Biden In Dead Heat For Second Place

According to the latest Emerson College/8 News Now Poll of Nevada Democratic Caucus voters released on Thursday , Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont is poised to win the win the race , but two candidates are in dead heat for the second place .
Polling at 30 percent , Sanders is the absolute favorite , with a 13-point advantage over former South Bend , Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg , who is polling at 17 percent .
Breathing down Buttigieg ’ s neck is former Vice President Joe Biden , at 16 percent .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts — praised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this week — is in fourth place with 12 percentage points .
Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota — who exceeded expectations in New Hampshire , finishing third — is polling at 11 percent .
Billionaire Tom Steyer is at 10 percent .
Since the last Emerson College poll of Nevada in early November , former frontrunner Biden is down 14 points .
Warren , who was considered one of the leading candidates for months , is down 10 points .
Klobuchar gained 10 points and Steyer gained 7 points .
Sanders and Buttigieg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sanders ’ greatest advantage appears to be the popularity he enjoys among non-white voters and younger voters .
Among those under 50 , Sanders is polling at 50 percent .
The Vermont senator is leading the field among non-white voters , with 34 percent support .
Sanders also leads among white voters , but with a much smaller margin .
He enjoys the support of 28 percent white Nevadans .
Warren is in second place with 18 percent , Buttigieg in third with 17 percent and Biden in fourth with 14 percent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as popular among older voters , however .
Among those older than 50 , Biden leads the field with 24 percent .
Buttigieg is polling at 22 percent .
Sanders is in third place with 16 percent , Warren in fourth with 14 , and Klobuchar is polling at 12 percent .
There appears to be some fluidity in the race , with 37 percent of respondents saying they could change their mind and vote for someone other than their chosen candidate .
Seventy eight percent of Biden supporters say they will definitely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Warren supporters are committed , as are 72 percent of Sanders supporters .
Seventy five percent of Klobuchar ’ s supporters say they could change their mind , as do 56 percent of Buttigieg supporters .
Fifty three percent of Steyer supporters are open to supporting a different candidate .
As The Financial Times noted , thousands of Nevadans have already cast their ballots , having been granted four days of early voting .
In fact , more than 75,000 people have voted ahead of Saturday ’ s caucus , indicating a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turnout in 2016 was 84,000 .

According to the latest Emerson College/8 News Now Poll of Nevada Democratic Caucus voters released on Thursday, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont is poised to win the race, but two candidates are in a near-dead heat for second place.
With 30 percent support, Sanders is the absolute favorite, with a 13-point advantage over former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who is polling at 17 percent. Breathing down Buttigieg’s neck is former Vice President Joe Biden at 16 percent.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts — praised for delivering a strong debate performance earlier this week — is in fourth place with 12 percentage points. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota — who exceeded expectations in New Hampshire, finishing third — is polling at 11 percent. Billionaire Tom Steyer is at 10 percent.
Since the last Emerson College poll of Nevada in early November, former front-runner Biden is down 14 points. Warren, who was considered one of the leading candidates for months, is down 10 points. Klobuchar gained 10 points and Steyer gained 7 points. Sanders and Buttigieg surged by 11 and 12 points respectively.
Sanders’ greatest advantage appears to be the popularity he enjoys among non-white voters and younger voters. Among those under 50-years-old, the Vermont senator is polling at 50 percent. He is also leading the field among non-whites, with 34 percent support.
Sanders also leads among white voters, but with a much smaller margin. He enjoys the support of 28 percent white Nevadans. Warren is in second place with 18 percent, Buttigieg in third with 17 percent and Biden in fourth with 14 percent.
The Vermont independent is not nearly as popular among older voters, however. Among those older than 50, Biden leads the field with 24 percent, while Buttigieg is at 22 percent. Sanders is in third place with 16 percent, Warren in fourth with 14 percent, and Klobuchar is polling at 12 percent.
There appears to be some fluidity in the race, with 37 percent of respondents saying they could change their mind and vote for someone other than their chosen candidate. Meanwhile, 78 percent of Biden supporters say they will definitely vote for him. Warren and Sanders are tied for second in this category, with 72 percent of their backers committed to their choices.
Seventy-five percent of Klobuchar’s supporters say they could change their mind, as do 56 percent of Buttigieg’s backers. Fifty-three percent of Steyer’s supporters are open to switching to a different candidate.
As the Financial Times noted, thousands of Nevadans have already cast their ballots, having been granted four days of early voting. In fact, more than 75,000 people have voted ahead of Saturday’s caucus, indicating a record-breaking turnout. In comparison, the total turnout in 2016 was 84,000 voters.


inquisitr--2020-02-22--Bernie Sanders Knew Russia Was Helping His Campaign A Month Ago, Said Nothing Until Press Leak, Repo

Bernie Sanders Knew Russia Was Helping His Campaign A Month Ago, Said Nothing Until Press Leak, Report Says

Democratic frontrunner makes statement claiming that Russians may be masquerading as Sanders supporters .
New Democratic presidential 2020 frontrunner Bernie Sanders said on Friday that he knew one month ago that the government of Russia was attempting to help his campaign with a new election interference effort .
Sanders was responding to a Washington Post report revealing the Russian interference efforts .
But though the Post story said that the specific nature of the Russian efforts remained unclear , Sanders claimed that online attacks by his supporters against Nevada ’ s Culinary Union , and other critics of his campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false online identities , according to a report by The Guardian .
“ Some of the ugly stuff on the Internet attributed to our campaign may well not be coming from real supporters , ” Sanders said in a statement , after acknowledging that the 2016 “ Russian propaganda ” campaign designed to “ sow division ” in the United States was now underway again in the 2020 campaign .
According to the Guardian report , however , no evidence has connected the pro-Sanders Russian operation to his campaign ’ s conflict with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would indicate that Sanders was aware of the Russian interference to aid his campaign at least one week prior to the Iowa caucuses , and the subsequent New Hampshire primary , but said nothing publicly .
But as seen in the video below , Sanders appeared to blame The Washington Post for publishing the Russian interference news one day prior to the Nevada caucus vote .
“ Washington Post ?
Good friends , ” Sanders said with clear sarcasm , as seen in the video .
Special counsel Robert Mueller , in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in congressional testimony , said that Russia interfered in the 2016 election campaign in a “ sweeping and systematic ” fashion , with the objective of benefiting Donald Trump .
But in his report , Mueller also said that Russian interference in 2016 promoted the campaign of one other candidate — Sanders .
While in his statement on Friday , Sanders unequivocally stated that he rejected Russian interference and would take steps as president to prevent it from happening again , Trump has consistently denied that the Russian election interference is real at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire authorized a congressional briefing on 2020 Russian interference that on Thursday he fired Maguire and ordered him replaced with U.S .
Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell , a longtime Trump loyalist .
And in a post to his Twitter account on Friday , as quoted by The New York Times , Trump described the intelligence findings indicating the ongoing Russian interference campaign as a “ hoax.
” Trump said that the reports of ongoing Russian efforts were part of a “ misinformation campaign ” that had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

New Democratic presidential 2020 frontrunner Bernie Sanders said on Friday that he knew one month ago that the government of Russia was attempting to help his campaign with a new election interference effort. Sanders was responding to a Washington Post report revealing the Russian interference efforts.
But though the Post story said that the specific nature of the Russian efforts remained unclear, Sanders claimed that online attacks by his supporters against Nevada’s Culinary Union, and other critics of his campaign, may actually be Russians hiding behind false online identities, according to a report by The Guardian.
“Some of the ugly stuff on the Internet attributed to our campaign may well not be coming from real supporters,” Sanders said in a statement, after acknowledging that the 2016 “Russian propaganda” campaign designed to “sow division” in the United States was now underway again in the 2020 campaign.
According to the Guardian report, however, no evidence has connected the pro-Sanders Russian operation to his campaign’s conflict with the Culinary Union.
The one-month timeline would indicate that Sanders was aware of the Russian interference to aid his campaign at least one week prior to the Iowa caucuses, and the subsequent New Hampshire primary, but said nothing publicly. But as seen in the video below, Sanders appeared to blame The Washington Post for publishing the Russian interference news one day prior to the Nevada caucus vote.
Bernie Sanders, who has known for a month that Russians were trying to interfere to help his campaign, blames rival Democrats for the leading the news on Nevada caucus eve. pic.twitter.com/fJvItg006s — Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) February 21, 2020
“Washington Post? Good friends,” Sanders said with clear sarcasm, as seen in the video.
Special counsel Robert Mueller, in the report of his two-year investigation, and in congressional testimony, said that Russia interfered in the 2016 election campaign in a “sweeping and systematic” fashion, with the objective of benefiting Donald Trump.
But in his report, Mueller also said that Russian interference in 2016 promoted the campaign of one other candidate — Sanders.
While in his statement on Friday, Sanders unequivocally stated that he rejected Russian interference and would take steps as president to prevent it from happening again, Trump has consistently denied that the Russian election interference is real at all.
Trump was reportedly so enraged that Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire authorized a congressional briefing on 2020 Russian interference that on Thursday he fired Maguire and ordered him replaced with U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, a longtime Trump loyalist.
And in a post to his Twitter account on Friday, as quoted by The New York Times, Trump described the intelligence findings indicating the ongoing Russian interference campaign as a “hoax.”
Trump said that the reports of ongoing Russian efforts were part of a “misinformation campaign” that had been “launched by Democrats in Congress.”


inquisitr--2020-02-21--Justin Amash Slams Donald Trump’s All-Caps Tariff Tirade

President Donald Trump took to Twitter Friday to post an all-caps rant about the necessity of federal government payments to farmers funded by tariffs .
In response , independent Michigan Rep. Justin Amash , who has been critical of the Trump administration ’ s purported socialism , slammed the president ’ s approach .
“ Using all caps to announce more corporate welfare doesn ’ t make it any better .
Tariff money doesn ’ t come from other countries ; it comes from other Americans , ” Amash tweeted .
In Trump ’ s tweet , he suggested that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ farmers over until the trade deals with other countries kick in .
Amash previously took aim at U.S. Attorney General William Barr — a close Trump ally — and his suggestion that the U.S. and its allies seek a “ controlling stake ” in Finland ’ s Nokia and Sweden ’ s Ericsson .
The proposal was a response to Huwaei ’ s purported dominance in the realm of 5G telecoms technology .
“ This is called socialism .
One of the Trump administration ’ s greatest tricks has been to advance socialist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweeted .
After Trump ’ s State of the Union Address , the Michigan representative noted that — despite his alleged opposition to socialism — the president spent a significant amount of time touting federal intervention in nonfederal matters , central planning , and big-government spending .
According to Amash , such policies “ threaten ” the rights of Americans and “ undermine ” their “ long-term prosperity.
” Former presidential candidate Ralph Nader recently spoke to The Intercept and appeared to agree with the notion that Trump ’ s government employs socialism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election is a battle between the president ’ s “ corporate socialism ” and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders ‘ democratic socialism .
The difference , Nader says , is that Trump ’ s socialism is more challenging to get rid of because of Wall Street ’ s control over Washington .
Amash has been critical of the Republican Party under Trump for some time .
He claims that the GOP , in its current form , cares more about pleasing Trump than promoting the traditional principles of the party , including limited government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The 39-year-old Michigan congressman left the Republican Party to become an independent back in July .
The move came after Amash took backlash for calling for the president ’ s impeachment in the wake of Robert Mueller ’ s report on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election , Vox reported .

President Donald Trump took to Twitter Friday to post an all-caps rant about the necessity of federal government payments to farmers funded by tariffs. In response, independent Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, who has been critical of the Trump administration’s purported socialism, slammed the president’s approach.
“Using all caps to announce more corporate welfare doesn’t make it any better. Tariff money doesn’t come from other countries; it comes from other Americans,” Amash tweeted.
In Trump’s tweet, he suggested that his funding mechanism is intended to tide farmers over until the trade deals with other countries kick in.
“IF OUR FORMALLY TARGETED FARMERS NEED ADDITIONAL AID UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE TRADE DEALS WITH CHINA, MEXICO, CANADA AND OTHERS FULLY KICK IN, THAT AID WILL BE PROVIDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, PAID FOR OUT OF THE MASSIVE TARIFF MONEY COMING INTO THE USA!”
Amash previously took aim at U.S. Attorney General William Barr — a close Trump ally — and his suggestion that the U.S. and its allies seek a “controlling stake” in Finland’s Nokia and Sweden’s Ericsson. The proposal was a response to Huwaei’s purported dominance in the realm of 5G telecoms technology.
“This is called socialism. One of the Trump administration’s greatest tricks has been to advance socialist policies while decrying socialism,” Amash tweeted.
After Trump’s State of the Union Address, the Michigan representative noted that — despite his alleged opposition to socialism — the president spent a significant amount of time touting federal intervention in nonfederal matters, central planning, and big-government spending. According to Amash, such policies “threaten” the rights of Americans and “undermine” their “long-term prosperity.”
Former presidential candidate Ralph Nader recently spoke to The Intercept and appeared to agree with the notion that Trump’s government employs socialism. According to Nader, the current election is a battle between the president’s “corporate socialism” and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders‘ democratic socialism. The difference, Nader says, is that Trump’s socialism is more challenging to get rid of because of Wall Street’s control over Washington.
GOP Rep. Justin Amash: "Congress has a duty to keep the president in check … And I think we owe it to the American people to represent them, to ensure that the people we have in office are doing the right thing, are of good character, aren't violating the public trust."
Via CNN pic.twitter.com/MVC8zKHHXY — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 28, 2019
Amash has been critical of the Republican Party under Trump for some time. He claims that the GOP, in its current form, cares more about pleasing Trump than promoting the traditional principles of the party, including limited government, fiscal conservatism, and congressional authority.
The 39-year-old Michigan congressman left the Republican Party to become an independent back in July. The move came after Amash took backlash for calling for the president’s impeachment in the wake of Robert Mueller’s report on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election, Vox reported.


inquisitr--2020-02-22--Tucker Carlson Says Ruling Class, Not Russia, Is Attacking United States Democracy

As reports surface that Russia in once again threatening American democracy , conservative commentator Tucker Carlson penned an op-ed for Fox News and suggested a different enemy : the United States ruling class .
Carlson pointed to Donald Trump ‘ s election and the rise of Bernie Sanders as signs that the American people have “ grown tired ” of the ruling class , who he blames for everything from the outsourcing of the American economy to China to the transformation of the “ finest universities in the world into a joke.
” The Fox News host pointed to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interfere in the 2020 election to re-elect Trump and noted the lack of evidence presented for such assertions .
“ Yet the public doesn ’ t seem especially afraid , ” he wrote .
“ Maybe they ’ ve heard it before somewhere .
Their lack of panic is deeply distressing to the Democratic Party , which is counting on another Red Scare sometime between now and November.
” Carlson continued to note that pundits are now shifting their focus to Sanders and accusing him of being a Russian asset .
Although CNN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian attempts to help his campaign , his campaign did not leak the story .
Curiously , the night before the Nevada caucuses , someone in the intelligence community allegedly leaked it , which Carlson paralleled with the first leaks of the Russia-Trump connection .
According to Carlson , the United States democratic system is “ under attack ” not by Russians or the Chinese .
The Hill ’ s Rising host Krystal Ball , who has been accused of being a “ Russian plant , ” previously claimed that such smears are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. national security state , America ’ s endless wars , or the country ’ s meritocracy .
Hillary Clinton notably accused Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard — who pushes for the end of regime change wars — of being groomed by Russia for a third-party run .
Gabbard previously left her position on the Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) in 2016 due to what she perceived as bias against Sanders in favor of Clinton .
Ball claims that Clinton ’ s attack is retribution for calling out the DNC ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She also said it stems from bitterness about her loss to Trump .

As reports surface that Russia in once again threatening American democracy, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson penned an op-ed for Fox News and suggested a different enemy: the U.S. ruling class.
Carlson pointed to Donald Trump‘s election and the rise of Bernie Sanders as signs that the American people have “grown tired” of the ruling class, who he blames for everything from the outsourcing of the American economy to China, to the transformation of the “finest universities in the world into a joke.”
The Fox News host pointed to the recent claims that Russia is planning to interfere in the 2020 election to re-elect Trump and noted the lack of evidence presented for such assertions.
“Yet the public doesn’t seem especially afraid,” he wrote. “Maybe they’ve heard it before somewhere. Their lack of panic is deeply distressing to the Democratic Party, which is counting on another Red Scare sometime between now and November.”
Carlson continued to note that pundits are now shifting their focus to Sanders and accusing him of being a Russian asset.
“Wait. Bernie Sanders? He is a Putin Stooge, too? We thought he was a Brezhnev stooge, whatever. He’s colluding with the Russians. He’s got to be because he’s not with the program.”
Although CNN reported that Sanders was notified of alleged Russian attempts to help his campaign, his campaign did not leak the story. Curiously, the night before the Nevada caucuses, someone in the intelligence community allegedly leaked it, which Carlson paralleled with the first leaks of the Russia-Trump connection.
According to Carlson, the U.S. democratic system is “under attack” not by Russians or the Chinese.
“It’s being attacked by our own ruling class. They’re undermining democracy because they have no choice.”
The Hill’s Rising host Krystal Ball, who has been accused of being a “Russian plant,” previously claimed that such smears are used to attack people who question the U.S. national security state, America’s endless wars, or the country’s meritocracy.
Hillary Clinton notably accused Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard — who pushes for the end of regime change wars — of being groomed by Russia for a third-party run. Gabbard previously left her position on the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2016 due to what she perceived as bias against Sanders in favor of Clinton.
Ball claims that Clinton’s attack is retribution for calling out the DNC’s purported bias against Sanders in 2016. She also said it stems from bitterness about her loss to Trump.


inquisitr--2020-02-22--Andrew Yang Questions ‘Value Of Caucuses Over Primaries’ Ahead Of Nevada Assemblies

Ahead of the Nevada caucuses , which NBC News reported had Bernie Sanders in the projected lead , former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang took to Twitter to question the effectiveness of caucuses over primaries .
“ I ’ m not sure of the value of caucuses over primaries , ” he tweeted .
“ They seem to suppress turnout , add complexity , and put pressure on state parties to conduct operations that they are ill-equipped for .
Ideally we would use a more straightforward process that includes ranked-choice voting.
” Yang is not alone in his view of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Magazine , Benjamin Powers pointed to the Lawyer ’ s Committee for Civil Rights ’ finding that eligible voter turnout in primary states throughout 2016 was much higher than caucus states — 32.4 percent compared to just 9.9 percent .
Powers claimed this low turnout is due to the specific timeframe of caucuses and the hours of engagement required .
Powers also noted the contrast between caucuses and primaries , the latter which are more closely aligned with “ general election procedures.
” One of the proposals in Yang ’ s suspended campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy page , the current plurality voting system is “ viewed negatively by election scientists ” due to its vulnerability to the third-party spoiler effect , strategic voting , and partisanship .
Per Yang ’ s policy page , a ranked-choice system means that each voter ranks their top three candidates .
The first round counts the first choices , and the candidate with over 50 percent wins .
But if no candidate breaks the majority threshold , the candidate with the fewest votes is removed .
From here , each person whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to their second choice .
The process continues in this manner until a candidate gains the majority of the votes .
Although Yang ’ s 2020 campaign is suspended , he has teased a 2024 run , and many of his supporters have decided to still vote for him to express their continued support for the former candidate .
In the run-up to his possible 2024 campaign , many supporters are pushing universal basic income ( UBI ) candidates for Congress .
Most recently , former Yang campaign staffer Evan Low introduced Assembly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Income , to build on the efforts of the 45-year-old serial entrepreneur ’ s presidential campaign , which centered around a UBI of $ 1,000 per every American adult over the age of 18-years-old .

Ahead of the Nevada caucuses, which NBC News reported had Bernie Sanders in the projected lead, former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang took to Twitter to question the effectiveness of caucuses over primaries.
“I’m not sure of the value of caucuses over primaries,” he tweeted. “They seem to suppress turnout, add complexity, and put pressure on state parties to conduct operations that they are ill-equipped for. Ideally we would use a more straightforward process that includes ranked-choice voting.”
Yang is not alone in his view of caucuses. In a piece for Paste Magazine, Benjamin Powers pointed to the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights’ finding that eligible voter turnout in primary states throughout 2016 was much higher than caucus states — 32.4 percent compared to just 9.9 percent. Powers claimed this low turnout is due to the specific timeframe of caucuses and the hours of engagement required.
Powers also noted the contrast between caucuses and primaries, the latter which are more closely aligned with “general election procedures.”
“This certainly depresses voter turnout, more often than not for people of lower socioeconomic status who might not have the job security to take time off work, service members abroad, and people with children who are unable to hire babysitters or care takers.”
One of the proposals in Yang’s suspended campaign was ranked-choice voting. According to his policy page, the current plurality voting system is “viewed negatively by election scientists” due to its vulnerability to the third-party spoiler effect, strategic voting, and partisanship.
Per Yang’s policy page, a ranked-choice system means that each voter ranks their top three candidates. The first round counts the first choices, and the candidate with over 50 percent wins. But if no candidate breaks the majority threshold, the candidate with the fewest votes is removed. From here, each person whose first choice was the eliminated candidate moves to their second choice. The process continues in this manner until a candidate gains the majority of the votes.
Although Yang’s 2020 campaign is suspended, he has teased a 2024 run, and many of his supporters have decided to still vote for him to express their continued support for the former candidate. In the run-up to his possible 2024 campaign, many supporters are pushing universal basic income (UBI) candidates for Congress.
Most recently, former Yang campaign staffer Evan Low introduced Assembly Bill 2712, or California Universal Basic Income, to build on the efforts of the 45-year-old serial entrepreneur’s presidential campaign, which centered around a UBI of $1,000 per every American adult over the age of 18-years-old.


inquisitr--2020-02-22--Twitter Suspends 70 Pro-Michael Bloomberg Accounts For ‘Platform Manipulation And Spam’

Twitter has suspended 70 pro-Michael Bloomberg accounts for posting identical content , which the company has deemed “ platform manipulation and spam , ” NBC News reports .
While some accounts have reportedly been permanently suspended , others are under review to determine ownership .
“ We have taken enforcement action on a group of accounts for violating our rules against platform manipulation and spam , ” a Twitter spokesperson confirmed on Friday .
Bloomberg spokeswoman Sabrina Singh called on the Bloomberg campaign ’ s deputy field organizers to reveal ownership of their social media accounts .
According to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Los Angeles Times , many were employing identical hashtags , messages , and links , per Business Insider .
Such copy-and-paste content conflicts with Twitter ’ s Platform Manipulation and Spam Policy , which was originally employed as a response to alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election .
The news comes just days after criticism of a purportedly misleading Bloomberg campaign video of the Democratic debate in Nevada .
Despite the complaints , Facebook and Twitter declined to remove the video and claimed that it wasn ’ t against their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Bloomberg ’ s campaign recently hired hundreds to digital organizers who are reportedly paid $ 2,500 per month to promote the rising presidential campaign via social media .
The publication also notes that the social media activities of Bloomberg ’ s campaign affected Facebook .
“ This month , a paid partnership between the former New York mayor ’ s campaign and popular Instagram meme accounts pushed Facebook to announce it was allowing US-based political candidates to run branded or sponsored content on its social networking platforms , ” the report reads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t just online , either .
As previously reported by The Inquisitr , the billionaire has made an unprecedented investment into television advertising — approximately $ 418 million to date — that is $ 100 million more than all of his competitors combined .
National polling shows that Bloomberg ’ s spending blitz appears to be paying off ; his average support has generally been increasing as former front-runner Joe Biden continues to fall .
However , Bloomberg took a hit after the Nevada debate , which saw him attacked from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll released Friday , the former New York mayor ’ s net favorability declined 20 points from the pre-debate survey .
His favorability notably dipped the most among self-described moderates .
Across men , women , black voters , and white voters , his decline was approximately equal .
Elizabeth Warren ’ s national polling average also dipped slightly following the debate , although she remains in third behind Biden .

Twitter has suspended 70 pro-Michael Bloomberg accounts for posting identical content, which the company has deemed “platform manipulation and spam,” The Los Angeles Times reports. While some accounts have reportedly been permanently suspended, others are under review to determine ownership.
“We have taken enforcement action on a group of accounts for violating our rules against platform manipulation and spam,” a Twitter spokesperson confirmed on Friday.
Bloomberg spokeswoman Sabrina Singh called on the Bloomberg campaign’s deputy field organizers to reveal ownership of their social media accounts.
“Through Outvote content is shared by staffers and volunteers to their network of friends and family and was not intended to mislead anyone.”
According to a review of Bloomberg campaign accounts conducted by The Los Angeles Times, many were employing identical hashtags, messages, and links. Such copy-and-paste content conflicts with Twitter’s Platform Manipulation and Spam Policy, which was originally employed as a response to alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
The news comes just days after criticism of a purportedly misleading Bloomberg campaign video of the Democratic debate in Nevada. Despite the complaints, Facebook and Twitter declined to remove the video and claimed that it wasn’t against their policies.
As reported by The Guardian, Bloomberg’s campaign recently hired hundreds of digital organizers who are reportedly paid $2,500 per month to promote the rising presidential campaign via social media. The publication also notes that the social media activities of Bloomberg’s campaign affected Facebook.
“This month, a paid partnership between the former New York mayor’s campaign and popular Instagram meme accounts pushed Facebook to announce it was allowing U.S.-based political candidates to run branded or sponsored content on its social networking platforms,” the report reads.
Twitter is suspending 70 accounts on charge of platform manipulation with identical messages, images being posted to prop up Bloomberg's presidential candidacy. This practice was heralded by BJP in India with even Union Ministers joining the act yet no action against them. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/5YAsMtda0m — Pratik Sinha (@free_thinker) February 22, 2020
The Bloomberg campaign’s spending isn’t just online, either. As previously reported by The Inquisitr, the billionaire has made an unprecedented investment into television advertising — approximately $418 million to date — that is $100 million more than all of his competitors combined.
National polling shows that Bloomberg’s spending blitz appears to be paying off; his average support has generally been increasing as former front-runner Joe Biden continues to fall. However, Bloomberg took a hit after the Nevada debate, which saw him attacked from all sides.
Per a Morning Consult poll released Friday, the former New York mayor’s net favorability declined 20 points from the pre-debate survey. His favorability notably dipped the most among self-described moderates. Across men, women, black voters, and white voters, his decline was approximately equal.
Elizabeth Warren’s national polling average also dipped slightly following the debate, although she remains in third behind Biden.


inquisitr--2020-02-22--Nevada Caucus 2020 Results: Poll Times, Full Voting Totals For Saturday’s Contest

The Nevada caucus is nearly underway , and those looking for full results from the critical third contest of the 2020 Democratic primary will have a few ways to follow along .
The caucuses start earlier than those in Iowa , with registration opening on Saturday at 10 a.m. local time ( 1 p.m .
ET ) and caucuses being called to order at 12:30 p.m. ( 3:30 p.m .
ET ) .
As the Los Angeles Times noted , early voting already took place between February 15 and February 18 , so those unable to spend all day at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counted .
It could take some time for the Nevada caucus results to start trickling in .
Like Iowa , the voting process involves people showing up in person and voting in public groups .
Caucusgoers gather together in groups based on the candidate they are supporting for the initial round of voting .
If any candidate has less than 15 percent support at the site , they are not “ viable , ” and the voters can then move to support another candidate in the second round .
The Los Angeles Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire afternoon , so results from the Nevada caucus may not be available until later in the afternoon or early evening .
The results may also not be straightforward , as the 2008 primary showed .
The report noted that the state distributes delegates proportionally , so the candidate who wins the most count-level delegates in the caucuses may not win the entire state .
“ In 2008 , Hillary Clinton won 51 % of the county-level delegate count to Barack Obama ’ s 45 % , ” the report noted .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread across the state — including rural areas — he ended up beating her in the national delegate count.
” Going into Saturday ’ s caucus in Nevada , Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was in the lead in most polling .
As The Inquisitr reported , he opened up a 13-point lead in a poll from Emerson College/8 News Now Poll .
The poll found that Sanders had the support of 30 percent of Nevada caucusgoers , with South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg in second place with 17 percent support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closely in third with 16 percent .
The poll showed that Biden had fallen 14 points since the last Emerson College poll in November , and that Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren had fallen by 10 points .
Those looking to follow live results from the Nevada caucus will have a few options .
A number of national news sites are offering streaming coverage , including ABC News .
The full voting results from The Associated Press , including a complete map of statewide voting totals , can be found at The New Yorker @

The Nevada caucus is nearly underway, and those looking for full results from the critical third contest of the 2020 Democratic primary will have a few ways to follow along.
The caucuses start earlier than those in Iowa, with registration opening on Saturday at 10 a.m. local time (1 p.m. ET) and caucuses being called to order at 12:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. ET). As the Los Angeles Times noted, early voting already took place between February 15 and February 18, so those unable to spend all day at the caucuses can still have their votes counted.
It could take some time for the Nevada caucus results to start trickling in. Like Iowa, the voting process involves people showing up in person and voting in public groups. Caucusgoers gather together in groups based on the candidate they are supporting for the initial round of voting. If any candidate has less than 15 percent support at the site, they are not “viable,” and the voters can then move to support another candidate in the second round.
The Los Angeles Times noted that the process could take the entire afternoon, so results from the Nevada caucus may not be available until later in the afternoon or early evening.
The results may also not be straightforward, as the 2008 primary showed. The report noted that the state distributes delegates proportionally, so the candidate who wins the most count-level delegates in the caucuses may not win the entire state.
“In 2008, Hillary Clinton won 51% of the county-level delegate count to Barack Obama’s 45%,” the report noted. “But because Obama’s support was spread across the state — including rural areas — he ended up beating her in the national delegate count.”
Going into Saturday’s caucus in Nevada, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was in the lead in most polling. As The Inquisitr reported, he opened up a 13-point lead in a poll from Emerson College/8 News Now Poll. The poll found that Sanders had the support of 30 percent of Nevada caucusgoers, with South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg in second place with 17 percent support. Former Vice President Joe Biden trailed closely in third with 16 percent.
The poll showed that Biden had fallen 14 points since the last Emerson College poll in November, and that Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren had fallen by 10 points.
Those looking to follow live results from the Nevada caucus will have a few options. A number of national news sites are offering streaming coverage, including ABC News. The full voting results from The Associated Press, including a complete map of statewide voting totals, can be found at The New Yorker.