talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-16--SCOTUS Allows FL Ex-Felon Voter Restrictions Struck Down By Judge To Be Reinstated

Florida ’ s restrictions on ex-felon voting will likely remain in place at least for August ’ s primary , after the Supreme Court on Thursday refused to remove a hold on a trial judge ’ s ruling that those restrictions are unconstitutional .
The Supreme Court ’ s action in the case , where the voting rights of hundreds of thousands ex-felons could be at stake in the swing state , is the latest example of the conservative majority siding with restrictive laws .
Though the Florida case is not technically linked to the pandemic , in several other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak was in play , the Supreme Court has consistently sided with keeping in place the more restrictive voter regimes .
“ This Court ’ s inaction continues a trend of condoning disfranchisement , ” Justice Sonia Sotomayor said in her dissent to the Florida matter , as she referenced the so-called “ Purcell ” principle instructing courts to avoid injecting chaos in the lead-up to the elections .
“ Ironically , this Court has wielded Purcell as a reason to forbid courts to make voting safer during a pandemic , overriding two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came too close to election day , ” she wrote .
“ Now , faced with an appellate court stay that disrupts a legal status quo and risks immense disfranchisement—a situation that Purcell sought to avoid—the Court balks.
” The case involves a law Florida Republicans passed in 2019 , after the state ’ s voters in 2018 approved a constitutional amendment giving certain ex-felons the right to vote .
The 2019 law requires that those ex-felons pay back all remaining court fees before they regain the franchise .
The law ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unconstitutional poll tax .
Florida suffered several setbacks in court defending the restriction , culminating in a May ruling by trial judge in Tallahassee striking down parts of the law on the merits .
That ruling came several months after the judge had partially blocked the law in a preliminary manner .
Using an unusual procedural tactic , Florida turbo-charged its appeal of the merits ruling last month to get it quickly before the full 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals , which President Trump recently flipped to a majority GOP appointees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Circuit put a hold on the ruling , effectively reviving the restrictions at least for the August primary and possibly for November .
After the legal challengers asked the Supreme Court to intervene and remove the hold , the court on Thursday said it would not .
In addition to their failed Supreme Court bid , the law ’ s challengers are now also trying to get three of the appellate judges recused because they were either involved in the state court proceedings over the law or in another related case before joining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 1 million ex-felons who otherwise gained the right to vote under the 2018 ballot initiative , three-quarters of them face financial obligations that , according to the 2019 law , prevent them from registering or voting if left unpaid .
What the trial over the law made clear is that Florida election officials still had not figured out a way of implementing the the restriction , as keeping track of these court fees is a Kafka-esqe endeavor in the state .
In voting to deny the request that they intervene did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the move to let the hold remain in place .
Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan joined Sotomayor ’ s dissent , but it ’ s possible that another justice may have dissented privately .
Read the order with Sotomayor ’ s dissent below :

Florida’s restrictions on ex-felon voting will likely remain in place at least for August’s primary, after the Supreme Court on Thursday refused to remove a hold on a trial judge’s ruling that those restrictions are unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court’s action in the case, where the voting rights of hundreds of thousands ex-felons could be at stake in the swing state, is the latest example of the conservative majority siding with restrictive laws.
Though the Florida case is not technically linked to the pandemic, in several other recent disputes where voter access in the outbreak was in play, the Supreme Court has consistently sided with keeping in place the more restrictive voter regimes.
“This Court’s inaction continues a trend of condoning disfranchisement,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor said in her dissent to the Florida matter, as she referenced the so-called “Purcell” principle instructing courts to avoid injecting chaos in the lead-up to the elections.
“Ironically, this Court has wielded Purcell as a reason to forbid courts to make voting safer during a pandemic, overriding two federal courts because any safety-related changes supposedly came too close to election day,” she wrote. “Now, faced with an appellate court stay that disrupts a legal status quo and risks immense disfranchisement—a situation that Purcell sought to avoid—the Court balks.”
The case involves a law Florida Republicans passed in 2019, after the state’s voters in 2018 approved a constitutional amendment giving certain ex-felons the right to vote. The 2019 law requires that those ex-felons pay back all remaining court fees before they regain the franchise. The law’s challengers say that the mandate amounts to an unconstitutional poll tax.
Florida suffered several setbacks in court defending the restriction, culminating in a May ruling by trial judge in Tallahassee striking down parts of the law on the merits. That ruling came several months after the judge had partially blocked the law in a preliminary manner.
Using an unusual procedural tactic, Florida turbo-charged its appeal of the merits ruling last month to get it quickly before the full 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, which President Trump recently flipped to a majority GOP appointees.
Earlier this month, the 11th Circuit put a hold on the ruling, effectively reviving the restrictions at least for the August primary and possibly for November. After the legal challengers asked the Supreme Court to intervene and remove the hold, the court on Thursday said it would not.
In addition to their failed Supreme Court bid, the law’s challengers are now also trying to get three of the appellate judges recused because they were either involved in the state court proceedings over the law or in another related case before joining the the 11th Circuit.
Of the more than 1 million ex-felons who otherwise gained the right to vote under the 2018 ballot initiative, three-quarters of them face financial obligations that, according to the 2019 law, prevent them from registering or voting if left unpaid.
What the trial over the law made clear is that Florida election officials still had not figured out a way of implementing the the restriction, as keeping track of these court fees is a Kafka-esqe endeavor in the state.
In voting to deny the request that they intervene did, the unnamed majority did not explain the move to let the hold remain in place. Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan joined Sotomayor’s dissent, but it’s possible that another justice may have dissented privately.
Read the order with Sotomayor’s dissent below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-16--Gun Couple’s Lawyer Says He’s Been Talking To WH Amid Prosecutor’s Probe

An attorney representing the St. Louis couple who waved their guns at non-violent Black Lives Matter protesters marching near their home last month told TPM on Thursday that he has been having discussions with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows amid the St. Louis prosecutor ’ s investigation into the incident .
The Trump administration has been keeping “ a keen eye ” on the situation , lawyer Al Watkins told TPM over the phone .
He is part of the legal team representing the couple , Mark and Patricia McCloskey , who live in a gated community in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve been in direct contact with the chief of staff , ” Watkins said when asked if he had heard from the White House regarding the investigation .
The lawyer declined to provide details of their conversations or disclose what action , if any , the administration plans to take in the probe , which is being led by St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner ( no charges have been filed yet ) .
However , Watkins told TPM it was his opinion that the Justice Department ’ s resources “ will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said was borne out of “ close observance.
” TPM has reached out to the White House and will update this post upon receiving a response .
Allison Hawk , a spokesperson for Gardner , did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
She had declined to comment on Wednesday when asked if the Trump administration had contacted the prosecutor , citing an ongoing investigation .
President Donald Trump defended the McCloskeys in an interview on Tuesday , claiming that the couple were “ going to be beat up badly ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s investigation was a “ disgrace.
” Missouri Gov .
Mike Parson ( R ) told reporters on Tuesday that Trump had told him the administration was going to get involved in the matter .
“ I think you ’ ll see some sort of actions , ” Parsons said .
Gardner issued a defiant statement later that day in response to Trump and the governor ’ s remarks .
“ While they continue to play politics with the handling of this matter , spreading misinformation and distorting the truth , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutor stated .

An attorney representing the St. Louis couple who waved their guns at non-violent Black Lives Matter protesters marching near their home last month told TPM on Thursday that he has been having discussions with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows amid the St. Louis prosecutor’s investigation into the incident.
The Trump administration has been keeping “a keen eye” on the situation, lawyer Al Watkins told TPM over the phone. He is part of the legal team representing the couple, Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who live in a gated community in the Missouri city.
“I’ve been in direct contact with the chief of staff,” Watkins said when asked if he had heard from the White House regarding the investigation.
The lawyer declined to provide details of their conversations or disclose what action, if any, the administration plans to take in the probe, which is being led by St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner (no charges have been filed yet).
However, Watkins told TPM it was his opinion that the Justice Department’s resources “will be deployed,” an opinion the lawyer said was borne out of “close observance.”
TPM has reached out to the White House and will update this post upon receiving a response.
Allison Hawk, a spokesperson for Gardner, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. She had declined to comment on Wednesday when asked if the Trump administration had contacted the prosecutor, citing an ongoing investigation.
President Donald Trump defended the McCloskeys in an interview on Tuesday, claiming that the couple were “going to be beat up badly” by the protesters, and that Gardner’s investigation was a “disgrace.”
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) told reporters on Tuesday that Trump had told him the administration was going to get involved in the matter.
“I think you’ll see some sort of actions,” Parsons said.
Gardner issued a defiant statement later that day in response to Trump and the governor’s remarks.
“While they continue to play politics with the handling of this matter, spreading misinformation and distorting the truth, I refuse to do so,” the prosecutor stated.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-17--US Smashes Record Of Daily New COVID-19 Cases For 11th Time This Month

The U.S. was hit with more than 75,600 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday , breaking its record of daily new cases for the 11th time in July .
The New York Times ’ COVID-19 database shows that 75,671 people were found to be infected with the coronavirus on Thursday , surpassing previous single-day record of 68,241 new cases last Friday .
There are now more than 3,588,400 cases and 138,200 deaths from the virus in the country .
The rate of infection has skyrocketed nationwide over the past several weeks , particularly in Florida and Arizona .
As the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic , President Donald Trump has been attempting to brush off the crisis by falsely claiming that the figures are being skewed by increased testing and that the virus is actually disappearing .
Amid Trump ’ s efforts to whitewash the pandemic , his administration took the eyebrow-raising step this week of ordering states to start sending their data on COVID-19 directly to the Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ) instead of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) , drawing concerns that the administration may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead of allowing the CDC to report it publicly .
Sure enough , CNBC found on Thursday that the data had been wiped from the CDC ’ s website .

The U.S. was hit with more than 75,600 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, breaking its record of daily new cases for the 11th time in July.
The New York Times’ COVID-19 database shows that 75,671 people were found to be infected with the coronavirus on Thursday, surpassing previous single-day record of 68,241 new cases last Friday.
There are now more than 3,588,400 cases and 138,200 deaths from the virus in the country.
The rate of infection has skyrocketed nationwide over the past several weeks, particularly in Florida and Arizona.
As the U.S. continually breaks record after record in the pandemic, President Donald Trump has been attempting to brush off the crisis by falsely claiming that the figures are being skewed by increased testing and that the virus is actually disappearing.
Amid Trump’s efforts to whitewash the pandemic, his administration took the eyebrow-raising step this week of ordering states to start sending their data on COVID-19 directly to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) instead of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drawing concerns that the administration may begin concealing alarming data on the pandemic instead of allowing the CDC to report it publicly.
Sure enough, CNBC found on Thursday that the data had been wiped from the CDC’s website.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-17--Democratic Officials Tell Members Of Congress Not To Show Up In Person For Convention

The Democratic National Convention Committee said Thursday that members of Congress should not plan to travel to Milwaukee for this year ’ s convention , reaffirming its previous recommendation that all members of state delegations prepare to participate remotely .
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden , is still expected to accept the party ’ s nomination and deliver his acceptance speech from Milwaukee , but most of the convention ’ s other programming will be conducted virtually .
“ We have been working closely with state and local public health officials , as well ( as ) epidemiologists , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of Congress should not plan to travel to Milwaukee , ” wrote Chasseny Lewis , a member of the convention committee , in an email to congressional aides obtained by The New York Times .
“ No delegates will travel to Milwaukee and Caucus and Council meetings will take place virtually.
” Last week , event coordinators also informed state parties and convention delegates that they would be allotted close to two weeks for virtual voting ahead of the convention , which is slated to take place August 17-20 .
A spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said Thursday that “ ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone involved ” was the driving force in all of the decision making leading up to the gathering .
“ All members of state delegations—including elected leaders—should plan to conduct their official business remotely.
” Peters said .
Back in June , Democrats had said their convention this year would be scaled back after already delaying the gathering by a month due to concerns about spreading the coronavirus as cases surge in hotspots around the country .
At that time organizers were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person and opted to move the gathering from Fiserv Forum , the city ’ s professional basketball arena , to the Wisconsin Center , a much more modest venue .
The reimagined event was pitched as a “ Convention Across America , ” with speeches , music and appearances from various locations across the country .
Republican convention leaders also announced this week that they are planning to hold a scaled-back national convention in Jacksonville , Florida .
Delegates are still expected to attend the GOP gathering in person although several top Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

The Democratic National Convention Committee said Thursday that members of Congress should not plan to travel to Milwaukee for this year’s convention, reaffirming its previous recommendation that all members of state delegations prepare to participate remotely.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, is still expected to accept the party’s nomination and deliver his acceptance speech from Milwaukee, but most of the convention’s other programming will be conducted virtually.
“We have been working closely with state and local public health officials, as well (as) epidemiologists, and have come to the hard decision that members of Congress should not plan to travel to Milwaukee,” wrote Chasseny Lewis, a member of the convention committee, in an email to congressional aides obtained by The New York Times. “No delegates will travel to Milwaukee and Caucus and Council meetings will take place virtually.”
Last week, event coordinators also informed state parties and convention delegates that they would be allotted close to two weeks for virtual voting ahead of the convention, which is slated to take place August 17-20.
A spokesperson for the convention committee, Katie Peters, said Thursday that “ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone involved” was the driving force in all of the decision making leading up to the gathering. “All members of state delegations—including elected leaders—should plan to conduct their official business remotely.” Peters said.
Back in June, Democrats had said their convention this year would be scaled back after already delaying the gathering by a month due to concerns about spreading the coronavirus as cases surge in hotspots around the country. At that time organizers were discouraging delegates from attending the event in person and opted to move the gathering from Fiserv Forum, the city’s professional basketball arena, to the Wisconsin Center, a much more modest venue. The reimagined event was pitched as a “Convention Across America,” with speeches, music and appearances from various locations across the country.
Republican convention leaders also announced this week that they are planning to hold a scaled-back national convention in Jacksonville, Florida. Delegates are still expected to attend the GOP gathering in person although several top Republicans have announced that they will not attend.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-16--Georgia Gov Files Lawsuit Against Atlanta Mayor’s Mask Mandate

On Wednesday , Kemp signed a statewide order explicitly banning cities and counties from adopting rules requiring masks or other face coverings .
Atlanta and a dozen other cities in Georgia have issued mask mandates in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 , which conflicts with Kemp ’ s order that encourages but stops short of mandating the practice .
In a statement on Thursday , Kemp wrote that his administration is filing the lawsuit on behalf of the Atlanta business owners and their employees who are “ struggling to survive during these difficult times.
” “ These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best to put food on the table for their families while local elected officials shutter businesses and undermine economic growth , ” Kemp wrote .
Kemp ’ s administration dismissed Bottoms ’ mask requirement mandate as “ merely guidance – both non-binding and legally unenforceable ” due to how it defies his statewide order blocking local governments from issuing stricter coronavirus-related rules .
Kemp argues in the lawsuit that he has the power to “ suspend municipal orders that are contradictory ” to state laws or his executive actions .
Additionally , Kemp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hands ” of police officers by directing them to defy his orders and requests that a judge block the Atlanta mayor from issuing any more orders or press releases that impose a mask mandate or other coronavirus-related restrictions .
“ Mayor Bottoms can not continue to knowingly enter orders and issue press releases which are unenforceable and void that only serve to confuse the public during a time when the state is in a public health emergency , ” the complaint said .

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) on Thursday filed a lawsuit challenging Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ mandate requiring residents to wear masks.
On Wednesday, Kemp signed a statewide order explicitly banning cities and counties from adopting rules requiring masks or other face coverings. Atlanta and a dozen other cities in Georgia have issued mask mandates in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, which conflicts with Kemp’s order that encourages but stops short of mandating the practice.
In a statement on Thursday, Kemp wrote that his administration is filing the lawsuit on behalf of the Atlanta business owners and their employees who are “struggling to survive during these difficult times.”
“These men and women are doing their very best to put food on the table for their families while local elected officials shutter businesses and undermine economic growth,” Kemp wrote.
Kemp’s administration dismissed Bottoms’ mask requirement mandate as “merely guidance – both non-binding and legally unenforceable” due to how it defies his statewide order blocking local governments from issuing stricter coronavirus-related rules.
Kemp argues in the lawsuit that he has the power to “suspend municipal orders that are contradictory” to state laws or his executive actions.
Additionally, Kemp accuses Bottoms of “(tying) the hands” of police officers by directing them to defy his orders and requests that a judge block the Atlanta mayor from issuing any more orders or press releases that impose a mask mandate or other coronavirus-related restrictions.
“Mayor Bottoms cannot continue to knowingly enter orders and issue press releases which are unenforceable and void that only serve to confuse the public during a time when the state is in a public health emergency,” the complaint said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-17--ICYMI: Your TPM Weekend News Roundup

ICYMI: Your TPM Weekend News Roundup

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Start your day with TPM.
White House’s Misguided Campaign Against Fauci
Just Wear A Dang Mask!
Trump To The Rescue For Gun-Toting St. Louis Couple?
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner slammed President Trump and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) on Tuesday for attempting to meddle in a case involving a couple who waved their guns at a crowd of peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters.
“Today, both the Governor and Donald Trump came after me for doing my job and investigating a case,” Gardner said in a statement.
On Thursday, a lawyer representing the couple told TPM that he had been in contact with the White House amid Gardner’s investigation.
“I’ve been in direct contact with the (White House) chief of staff,” Watkins said when asked if he had heard from the White House regarding the investigation.
Is this feature useful? Let us know.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-17--Indiana Prosecutor Charges Two Men After Alleged Attempted Lynching

Monroe County Prosecutor Erika Oliphant on Friday announced charges against two of the men involved in the alleged assault and attempted lynching of Vauhxx Booker outside of Bloomington , Indiana on July 4 .
Oliphant is charging Sean Purdy with criminal confinement , battery resulting in moderate bodily injury and intimidation — all felonies .
Jerry “ Bubba ” Cox is facing charges of aiding , inducing or causing a criminal confinement and battery resulting in bodily injury , both felonies , along with misdemeanor intimidation and battery .
Oliphant said she has requested warrants for the men ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could spend years in prison .
The charges are more serious than those suggested by the law enforcement arm of Indiana ’ s Department of Natural Resources in a report released Thursday that was the culmination of their investigation and interviews of those involved in the incident .
The DNR listed potential misdemeanor battery and felony criminal confinement for Purdy and a couple misdemeanor battery charges for Cox .
They also suggested possible charges for Booker and his friend .
“ We are obviously disappointed with the first-term Monroe County prosecutor ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to charge Sean Purdy while choosing not to file criminal charges against his trespassing assailant , ” Purdy ’ s lawyers said in a statement .
They added that they “ welcome ” the trial by jury and will fight for his exoneration .
It is unclear whether Cox has legal representation .
Katharine Liell , Booker ’ s attorney , expressed “ relief ” at the news of the charges .
“ We will watch closely to ensure that the individuals arrested for perpetrating this disgusting and sickening attack against Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement .
Liell Thursday had called the DNR ’ s finding of potential charges against Booker – misdemeanor battery and criminal trespass — “ inexcusable ” and “ immoral , ” proof of the systemic racism inherent in law enforcement .
She raised further issues with the DNR during a Friday press conference , accusing the department of intentionally mislabeling the case as “ cleared by arrest ” in order to leak it ahead of the prosecutor ’ s charges .
“ They intended to malign the character of Vauhxx @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed any battery that night , ” she said .
In a 68-page report , the DNR collected interviews from members of both groups that ultimately came to blows in the wooded area near Lake Monroe .
Booker only talked to officers at the scene after calling 911 , but his friends gave accounts of him trying to play peacemaker after a group of drunken revelers allegedly shouted “ white power ” repeatedly .
Booker ’ s friends said that the revelers attacked him when his back was turned , pinning him down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ noose ” and to “ break his arm.
” The revelers told a very different story , claiming that Booker was the aggressor after they told him he was on private property and that his intimidation of a woman in the group spurred Purdy and Cox to respond .
They claimed that Booker started the fight , and that the other two were merely trying to subdue him .

Monroe County Prosecutor Erika Oliphant on Friday announced charges against two of the men involved in the alleged assault and attempted lynching of Vauhxx Booker outside of Bloomington, Indiana on July 4.
Oliphant is charging Sean Purdy with criminal confinement, battery resulting in moderate bodily injury and intimidation — all felonies.
Jerry “Bubba” Cox is facing charges of aiding, inducing or causing a criminal confinement and battery resulting in bodily injury, both felonies, along with misdemeanor intimidation and battery.
Oliphant said she has requested warrants for the men’s arrest. If convicted, both men could spend years in prison.
The charges are more serious than those suggested by the law enforcement arm of Indiana’s Department of Natural Resources in a report released Thursday that was the culmination of their investigation and interviews of those involved in the incident. The DNR listed potential misdemeanor battery and felony criminal confinement for Purdy and a couple misdemeanor battery charges for Cox. They also suggested possible charges for Booker and his friend.
“We are obviously disappointed with the first-term Monroe County prosecutor’s
evaluation of this case and her unfortunate decision to charge Sean Purdy while
choosing not to file criminal charges against his trespassing assailant,” Purdy’s lawyers said in a statement. They added that they “welcome” the trial by jury and will fight for his exoneration.
It is unclear whether Cox has legal representation.
Katharine Liell, Booker’s attorney, expressed “relief” at the news of the charges.
“We will watch closely to ensure that the individuals arrested for perpetrating this disgusting and sickening attack against Mr. Booker are duly punished,” she said in a statement.
Liell Thursday had called the DNR’s finding of potential charges against Booker – misdemeanor battery and criminal trespass — “inexcusable” and “immoral,” proof of the systemic racism inherent in law enforcement.
She raised further issues with the DNR during a Friday press conference, accusing the department of intentionally mislabeling the case as “cleared by arrest” in order to leak it ahead of the prosecutor’s charges.
“They intended to malign the character of Vauhxx Booker by even suggesting that he had committed any battery that night,” she said.
In a 68-page report, the DNR collected interviews from members of both groups that ultimately came to blows in the wooded area near Lake Monroe. Booker only talked to officers at the scene after calling 911, but his friends gave accounts of him trying to play peacemaker after a group of drunken revelers allegedly shouted “white power” repeatedly. Booker’s friends said that the revelers attacked him when his back was turned, pinning him down near a tree and calling for a “noose” and to “break his arm.”
The revelers told a very different story, claiming that Booker was the aggressor after they told him he was on private property and that his intimidation of a woman in the group spurred Purdy and Cox to respond. They claimed that Booker started the fight, and that the other two were merely trying to subdue him.
Read the charging document here:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-17--Esper Effectively Bans Confederate Flags On Military Property With New Flag Rules

Defense Secretary Mark Esper implemented new rules on Friday regarding flags that would prohibit displays of the Confederate battle flag on U.S. military property .
Under Esper ’ s new policy , the only permissible flags of non-American entities are those that represent countries “ for which the United States is an ally or partner.
” Additionally , a flag belonging to a particular organization may only be displayed if the U.S. is a member .
“ Flags are powerful symbols , particularly in the military community for whom flags embody common mission , common histories , and the special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Esper wrote in a memo laying out the rules .
The Pentagon leader asserted that the Defense Department ought to fly flags that align with “ military imperatives , ” which include “ rejecting divisive symbols.
” “ With this change in policy , we will further improve the morale , cohesion , and readiness of the force in defense of our great Nation , ” he wrote .
Esper ’ s decision clashes with President Donald Trump ’ s bear-hugging of the Confederate battle flag and other symbols of the Confederacy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white supremacy .
Despite their deeply racist overtones , Trump has consistently bashed efforts to remove Confederate symbols from government property , including when the U.S. Army floated the possibility of renaming military bases named after Confederate generals .
“ These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage , and a history of Winning , Victory , and Freedom .
The United States of America trained and deployed our HEROES on these Hallowed Grounds , and won two World Wars , ” Trump wrote in his Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Therefore , my Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations.
” The White House did not respond to request for comment on Friday .

Defense Secretary Mark Esper implemented new rules on Friday regarding flags that would prohibit displays of the Confederate battle flag on U.S. military property.
Under Esper’s new policy, the only permissible flags of non-American entities are those that represent countries “for which the United States is an ally or partner.”
Additionally, a flag belonging to a particular organization may only be displayed if the U.S. is a member.
“Flags are powerful symbols, particularly in the military community for whom flags embody common mission, common histories, and the special, timeless bond of warriors,” Esper wrote in a memo laying out the rules.
The Pentagon leader asserted that the Defense Department ought to fly flags that align with “military imperatives,” which include “rejecting divisive symbols.”
“With this change in policy, we will further improve the morale, cohesion, and readiness of the force in defense of our great Nation,” he wrote.
Esper’s decision clashes with President Donald Trump’s bear-hugging of the Confederate battle flag and other symbols of the Confederacy, which are widely recognized as trademarks of white supremacy.
Despite their deeply racist overtones, Trump has consistently bashed efforts to remove Confederate symbols from government property, including when the U.S. Army floated the possibility of renaming military bases named after Confederate generals.
“These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a history of Winning, Victory, and Freedom. The United States of America trained and deployed our HEROES on these Hallowed Grounds, and won two World Wars,” Trump wrote in his Twitter rant about the proposed changes in June. “Therefore, my Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations.”
The White House did not respond to request for comment on Friday.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-17--Report: Trump Likely To Ban Census From Counting Undocumented Immigrants

The White House is likely to unveil Friday an executive order by President Trump banning the Census Bureau from counting undocumented immigrants in its 2020 decennial survey , Politico reported .
The Politico report did not offer any more details on what this order would look like .
The ban , if announced , will certainly be litigated .
The Constitution mandates a “ actual Enumeration ” every 10 years so that “ all persons ” can be counted for the purposes of allotting U.S. representatives among the states .
Some GOP anti-immigration hardliners , like former Kansas Secretary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was some legal wiggle room that would allow for undocumented immigrants to not be counted in congressional apportionment .
In fact , when Kobach was privately lobbying Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in 2017 for a citizenship question to be added the census , he urged also a question on legal status for that very purpose .
Once the emails became public , Ross distanced himself from Kobach ’ s proposal by pointing out that the version of the citizenship question the administration has tried to put on the census did not include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the question the administration had tried to add was blocked by the Supreme Court last year .
The majority concluded that the administration ’ s stated reason for adding it — to improve Justice Department enforcement of the Voting Rights Act — was bogus .
There has been some discussion in conservative circles of seeking to exclude non-citizens — with legal status or otherwise — from the count states use to draw their legislative districts .
But any attempt to do that would also face a legal challenge .
After the citizenship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Census Bureau to produce citizenship data based on existing government records .
The order offered a rudimentary approach for using that data to determine the number of undocumented immigrants in the country .
It is not clear whether that approach is what the administration has in mind with the the order it is reportedly likely to issue .
Regardless of the form this new reported measure takes and whether it is allowed to go into effect , just the discussion of it will inject even more chaos in what has already been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Census Bureau .
The pandemic has forced the Census Bureau to delay many of its operations , including certain in-person enumeration activities , by months .
This latest news stands to sow more confusion , and could chill the census participation of not just undocumented immigrants , but their family members who are in the U.S. legally .
These chilling effects will skew the census to Republicans ’ advantage .
The kind of undercount it would produce would shift government and political representation away from diverse , Democratic-leaning communities , in favor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
An official policy — if allowed to stand by the courts — that undocumented immigrants not be included in apportionment or redistricting counts would further exacerbate those consequences .

The White House is likely to unveil Friday an executive order by President Trump banning the Census Bureau from counting undocumented immigrants in its 2020 decennial survey, Politico reported.
The Politico report did not offer any more details on what this order would look like.
The ban, if announced, will certainly be litigated. The Constitution mandates a “actual Enumeration” every 10 years so that “all persons” can be counted for the purposes of allotting U.S. representatives among the states.
Some GOP anti-immigration hardliners, like former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, have argued that there was some legal wiggle room that would allow for undocumented immigrants to not be counted in congressional apportionment.
In fact, when Kobach was privately lobbying Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in 2017 for a citizenship question to be added the census, he urged also a question on legal status for that very purpose.
Once the emails became public, Ross distanced himself from Kobach’s proposal by pointing out that the version of the citizenship question the administration has tried to put on the census did not include a legal status question.
The version of the question the administration had tried to add was blocked by the Supreme Court last year. The majority concluded that the administration’s stated reason for adding it — to improve Justice Department enforcement of the Voting Rights Act — was bogus.
There has been some discussion in conservative circles of seeking to exclude non-citizens — with legal status or otherwise — from the count states use to draw their legislative districts. But any attempt to do that would also face a legal challenge.
After the citizenship question was blocked, President Trump ordered the Census Bureau to produce citizenship data based on existing government records. The order offered a rudimentary approach for using that data to determine the number of undocumented immigrants in the country.
It is not clear whether that approach is what the administration has in mind with the the order it is reportedly likely to issue.
Regardless of the form this new reported measure takes and whether it is allowed to go into effect, just the discussion of it will inject even more chaos in what has already been an extremely challenging decennial count for the Census Bureau.
The pandemic has forced the Census Bureau to delay many of its operations, including certain in-person enumeration activities, by months.
This latest news stands to sow more confusion, and could chill the census participation of not just undocumented immigrants, but their family members who are in the U.S. legally.
These chilling effects will skew the census to Republicans’ advantage. The kind of undercount it would produce would shift government and political representation away from diverse, Democratic-leaning communities, in favor of red, rural parts of the countries.
An official policy — if allowed to stand by the courts — that undocumented immigrants not be included in apportionment or redistricting counts would further exacerbate those consequences.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-17--Ginsburg Reveals Treatment For Recurrence Of Cancer: ‘Fully Able’ To Serve On Court

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said Friday she remains “ fully able ” to serve on the Supreme Court , after revealing that she is receiving chemotherapy for a recurrence of cancer .
She was also discharged from a Baltimore hospital earlier this week after being treated for a possible infection .
“ I have often said I would remain a member of the Court as long as I can do the job full steam , ” Ginsburg wrote in a statement issued Friday .
“ I remain fully able to do that.
” Ginsburg was released from Johns Hopkins Hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection , Supreme Court spokeswoman , Kathleen Arberg , said in a statement obtained by The New York Times .
She underwent a procedure to clean a bile duct stent that had been inserted last August .
In her update Friday , Ginsberg that her recent hospitalizations — “ to remove gall stones and to treat an infection ” — were unrelated to a course of chemotherapy she started in May to treat a recurrent bout of cancer following a biopsy that revealed lesions on her liver in February .
The chemotherapy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” which prompted her to share the details of her recovery publicly , adding that her most recent liver scan indicated significant reduction of lesions and no new disease .
“ I am tolerating chemotherapy well and am encouraged by the success of my current treatment , ” Ginsburg wrote , adding that she will continue bi-weekly chemotherapy to keep her cancer at bay and has “ kept up with opinion writing and all other Court work.
” Concerns about Ginsburg ’ s health have attracted particular attention since a sudden vacancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump to nominate a conservative judge who would further tilt the ideological balance of the nation ’ s highest court for years to come .
Ginsburg ’ s treatment for the possible infection came after the Supreme Court delivered landmark decisions that closed its most recent term last week , marking the completion of the first full term with Trump ’ s appointees , Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh , together on the bench .
The justices will next hear arguments in October .

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said Friday she remains “fully able” to serve on the Supreme Court, after revealing that she is receiving chemotherapy for a recurrence of cancer. She was also discharged from a Baltimore hospital earlier this week after being treated for a possible infection.
“I have often said I would remain a member of the Court as long as I can do the job full steam,” Ginsburg wrote in a statement issued Friday. “I remain fully able to do that.”
Ginsburg was released from Johns Hopkins Hospital on Wednesday after treatment for a possible infection, Supreme Court spokeswoman, Kathleen Arberg, said in a statement obtained by The New York Times. She underwent a procedure to clean a bile duct stent that had been inserted last August.
In her update Friday, Ginsberg that her recent hospitalizations — “to remove gall stones and to treat an infection” — were unrelated to a course of chemotherapy she started in May to treat a recurrent bout of cancer following a biopsy that revealed lesions on her liver in February. The chemotherapy, she said is “yielding positive results,” which prompted her to share the details of her recovery publicly, adding that her most recent liver scan indicated significant reduction of lesions and no new disease.
“I am tolerating chemotherapy well and am encouraged by the success of my current treatment,” Ginsburg wrote, adding that she will continue bi-weekly chemotherapy to keep her cancer at bay and has “kept up with opinion writing and all other Court work.”
Concerns about Ginsburg’s health have attracted particular attention since a sudden vacancy on the bench would likely allow President Donald Trump to nominate a conservative judge who would further tilt the ideological balance of the nation’s highest court for years to come.
Ginsburg’s treatment for the possible infection came after the Supreme Court delivered landmark decisions that closed its most recent term last week, marking the completion of the first full term with Trump’s appointees, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, together on the bench. The justices will next hear arguments in October.
Read Ginsburg’s full statement below:


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-17--Pompeo Argues Some Human Rights Aren’t ‘Worth Defending’

The number of human rights is getting excessive , according Secretary of State Mike Pompeo .
As he was unveiling a report by his Commission on Unalienable Rights on Thursday , Pompeo stated that the U.S. is “ forced to grapple with the tough choices about which rights to promote.
” “ Americans have not only unalienable rights , but also positive rights , rights granted by governments , courts , multilateral bodies .
Many are worth defending in light of our founding ; others aren ’ t , ” he asserted .
And even within the narrow scope of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be worth shielding , some are apparently less important than others .
“ Prioritizing which rights to defend is also hard , ” he said .
Yet Pompeo highlighted how the commission ’ s report “ emphasizes ” that “ foremost among these rights are property rights and religious liberty.
” “ No one can enjoy the pursuit of happiness if you can not own the fruits of your own labor , and no society can retain its legitimacy or a virtuous character without religious freedom , ” the Trump official argued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guide that “ helps us to judge ” how other countries violate human rights “ that we care most about.
” “ More rights does not necessarily mean more justice , ” said Pompeo .
Although the secretary did not specify which rights he believed to be superfluous , his “ religious liberty ” dogwhistle combined with his hardline opposition to abortion and LGBTQ rights further bolster concerns that Pompeo ’ s purpose behind assembling the “ Unalienable Rights ” panel was to pursue an anti-abortion and LGBTQ agenda in U.S. foreign policy @

The number of human rights is getting excessive, according Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
As he was unveiling a report by his Commission on Unalienable Rights on Thursday, Pompeo stated that the U.S. is “forced to grapple with the tough choices about which rights to promote.”
“Americans have not only unalienable rights, but also positive rights, rights granted by governments, courts, multilateral bodies. Many are worth defending in light of our founding; others aren’t,” he asserted.
And even within the narrow scope of whatever rights the Trump administration official deems to be worth shielding, some are apparently less important than others.
“Prioritizing which rights to defend is also hard,” he said.
Yet Pompeo highlighted how the commission’s report “emphasizes” that “foremost among these rights are property rights and religious liberty.”
“No one can enjoy the pursuit of happiness if you cannot own the fruits of your own labor, and no society can retain its legitimacy or a virtuous character without religious freedom,” the Trump official argued.
He described the report as a guide that “helps us to judge” how other countries violate human rights “that we care most about.”
“More rights does not necessarily mean more justice,” said Pompeo.
Although the secretary did not specify which rights he believed to be superfluous, his “religious liberty” dogwhistle combined with his hardline opposition to abortion and LGBTQ rights further bolster concerns that Pompeo’s purpose behind assembling the “Unalienable Rights” panel was to pursue an anti-abortion and LGBTQ agenda in U.S. foreign policy.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-17--Reports Detail Unidentified Federal Law Enforcement Detaining Portland Protesters

Unsettling accounts from Portland , Oregon spread widely on Friday morning , after a report revealed unidentified and camouflaged federal officers with unmarked vans driving up to anti-racism protesters and quickly grabbing and detaining them without explanation for their arrest .
Oregon Public Broadcasting reported that the surreptitious arrests have been carried out since earlier this week .
One man who said he was detained by camouflaged officers earlier this week told the Washington Post that he initially didn ’ t know if the unidentified officers were legitimate police or right-wing agitators .
“ It seemed like it was out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ K. Dick novel .
It was like being preyed upon , ” Mark Pettibone told the Post .
Officers from the U.S .
Marshals Special Operations Group and Border Patrol Tactical Unit , had been sent to Portland to protect federal property amid protests , according Oregon Public Broadcasting .
But interviews conducted by the broadcasting network reveal that some of those arrested were detained on streets nowhere near federal property and without any apparent evidence of criminal activity .
The escalation of tensions between protesters and law enforcement in Portland follows a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the country in the weeks following the death of George Floyd at the hands on Minneapolis police on May 25 .
Many of those protests have slowed , but demonstrations have persisted in Portland — the famously progressive Oregon city — for weeks now with no signs of stopping .
On Thursday night , federal officers used chemical irritants , smoke and impact munitions to disperse protesters from two federal buildings in Portland , The Oregonian reported .
The confrontation came hours after acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf arrived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law enforcement officials .
Wolf had issued a scathing statement hours before the confrontation unfolded , condemning what he called a refusal on behalf of city officials to “ restore order and protect their city.
” He condemned the desecration of property and said “ to attack ” a federal courthouse by setting it aflame “ is to attack America.
” The secretary also rebuked protesters for allegedly assaulting “ the brave law enforcement officers ” charged with protecting the city ’ s buildings .
Turning to local and state officials , Wolf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on law enforcement for acts of defiance which has resulted in nearly nightly clashes with police who have used force in dispersal and detainment tactics and caused injuries .
“ Instead of addressing violent criminals in their communities , local and state leaders are instead focusing on placing blame on law enforcement and requesting fewer officers in their community , ” Wolf said .
The statement cited multiple instances of “ violent anarchists ” defacing property , setting off fireworks , spraying graffiti on public buildings , failing to follow dispersal orders and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( D ) responded on Twitter , calling Wolf ’ s visit “ political theater from President Trump ” that she said “ has nothing to do with public safety.
” In another tweet , Brown said she told Wolf to remove all federal officers from the city ’ s streets .
“ His response showed me he is on a mission to provoke confrontation for political purposes , ” Brown said hours before tensions intensified Thursday .
“ He is putting both Oregonians and local law enforcement officers in harm ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Thursday night were captured in personal accounts obtained by The Oregonian .
Following confrontations from the night before , and with renewed vigor to quell protests , Wolf tweeted on Friday morning , “ We will prevail .
”

Unsettling accounts from Portland, Oregon spread widely on Friday morning, after a report revealed unidentified and camouflaged federal officers with unmarked vans driving up to anti-racism protesters and quickly grabbing and detaining them without explanation for their arrest.
Oregon Public Broadcasting reported that the surreptitious arrests have been carried out since earlier this week.
Trumps Gestapo squad have been deployed in Portland pic.twitter.com/wnI4I8jbvT — Kevin Kyle is ? from ?? (@Kevswatching) July 17, 2020
One man who said he was detained by camouflaged officers earlier this week told the Washington Post that he initially didn’t know if the unidentified officers were legitimate police or right-wing agitators.
“It seemed like it was out of a horror/sci-fi, like a Philip K. Dick novel. It was like being preyed upon,” Mark Pettibone told the Post.
Officers from the U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group and Border Patrol Tactical Unit, had been sent to Portland to protect federal property amid protests, according Oregon Public Broadcasting. But interviews conducted by the broadcasting network reveal that some of those arrested were detained on streets nowhere near federal property and without any apparent evidence of criminal activity.
The escalation of tensions between protesters and law enforcement in Portland follows a wave of protests that had sprung up around the country in the weeks following the death of George Floyd at the hands on Minneapolis police on May 25. Many of those protests have slowed, but demonstrations have persisted in Portland — the famously progressive Oregon city — for weeks now with no signs of stopping.
On Thursday night, federal officers used chemical irritants, smoke and impact munitions to disperse protesters from two federal buildings in Portland, The Oregonian reported. The confrontation came hours after acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf arrived in the city to meet with federal law enforcement officials.
Another angle: Federal officers disperse protestors using tear gas and flash bangs. You can see people struggling to breathe pic.twitter.com/xZdHfewT1d — Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) July 17, 2020
Wolf had issued a scathing statement hours before the confrontation unfolded, condemning what he called a refusal on behalf of city officials to “restore order and protect their city.”
He condemned the desecration of property and said “to attack” a federal courthouse by setting it aflame “is to attack America.” The secretary also rebuked protesters for allegedly assaulting “the brave law enforcement officers” charged with protecting the city’s buildings.
Turning to local and state officials, Wolf chastised them for “placing blame” on law enforcement for acts of defiance which has resulted in nearly nightly clashes with police who have used force in dispersal and detainment tactics and caused injuries.
Just got gassed out of the area. The area outside the 7/11 is now filled with protesters coughing, choking, retching, yelling for eye washes, pouring water in each other’s eyes. pic.twitter.com/7imuu5bnDS — Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) July 17, 2020
“Instead of addressing violent criminals in their communities, local and state leaders are instead focusing on placing blame on law enforcement and requesting fewer officers in their community,” Wolf said.
The statement cited multiple instances of “violent anarchists” defacing property, setting off fireworks, spraying graffiti on public buildings, failing to follow dispersal orders and assaulting officers.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown (D) responded on Twitter, calling Wolf’s visit “political theater from President Trump” that she said “has nothing to do with public safety.”
In another tweet, Brown said she told Wolf to remove all federal officers from the city’s streets.
“His response showed me he is on a mission to provoke confrontation for political purposes,” Brown said hours before tensions intensified Thursday. “He is putting both Oregonians and local law enforcement officers in harm’s way.”
The violent encounters that ensued on Thursday night were captured in personal accounts obtained by The Oregonian.
Following confrontations from the night before, and with renewed vigor to quell protests, Wolf tweeted on Friday morning, “We will prevail.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-17--Jamaal Bowman Defeats 16-Term Rep. Engel In NY House Primary

NEW YORK ( AP ) — Former middle school principal Jamaal Bowman has toppled 16-term U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel in New York ’ s Democratic primary in another upset victory for the party ’ s insurgent wing .
Many votes cast by mail in the race have yet to be counted , but an AP analysis of absentee ballots returned so far indicated Friday that Bowman ’ s lead from votes cast in person is too large for Engel to overcome .
Bowman declared victory in the race on June 24 , a day after the primary .
A political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before , Bowman , 44 , was a progressive African American challenger who said Engel , the 73-year-old chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee , had lost touch with his economically and racially diverse district .
He earned his extraordinary win in a campaign season upended first by the coronavirus outbreak , then by protests over the death of George Floyd .
Both candidates were unable to do traditional campaigning because of social distancing restrictions , but Bowman criticized Engel for staying at his home in Maryland as the pandemic turned his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County into one of the virus ’ s most deadly hunting grounds .
Engel said he was working on behalf of the district from Washington .
Then , after protests over Floyd ’ s death in Minnesota gave way to two nights of looting , Engel had a bad gaffe while appearing at a Bronx event where he joined other local politicians appealing for peace .
“ If I didn ’ t have a primary , I wouldn ’ t care , ” he said while pleading with the lead organizer for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picked up by a live microphone .
Engel , who is white , said he has “ always believed that Black lives matter ” and said his comments were taken out of context , but Bowman , who has spoken of his own experiences with police brutality , said they illustrated why the district needed new leadership .
By defeating Engel , Bowman replicated the success of democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , who defeated another powerful New York City Democrat , Joe Crowley , in a neighboring congressional district two years ago .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the party ’ s progressive and pragmatic wings .
Bowman was endorsed by Ocasio-Cortez and U.S. Sens .
Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren while Engel picked up support from Hillary Clinton and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer .
Bowman grew up in public housing in New York City .
He was a teacher and school counselor for several years before becoming the founding principal of a Bronx middle school , the Cornerstone Academy for Social Action .
Candidates Chris Fink , Sammy Ravelo and Andom Ghebreghiorgis also appeared on the ballot , although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bowman .
The district is heavily Democratic , so the primary winner is virtually assured of victory in the general election in November .

NEW YORK (AP) — Former middle school principal Jamaal Bowman has toppled 16-term U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel in New York’s Democratic primary in another upset victory for the party’s insurgent wing.
Many votes cast by mail in the race have yet to be counted, but an AP analysis of absentee ballots returned so far indicated Friday that Bowman’s lead from votes cast in person is too large for Engel to overcome.
Bowman declared victory in the race on June 24, a day after the primary.
A political novice who has never held public office before, Bowman, 44, was a progressive African American challenger who said Engel, the 73-year-old chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, had lost touch with his economically and racially diverse district.
He earned his extraordinary win in a campaign season upended first by the coronavirus outbreak, then by protests over the death of George Floyd.
Both candidates were unable to do traditional campaigning because of social distancing restrictions, but Bowman criticized Engel for staying at his home in Maryland as the pandemic turned his district in the Bronx and suburban Westchester County into one of the virus’s most deadly hunting grounds.
Engel said he was working on behalf of the district from Washington.
Then, after protests over Floyd’s death in Minnesota gave way to two nights of looting, Engel had a bad gaffe while appearing at a Bronx event where he joined other local politicians appealing for peace.
“If I didn’t have a primary, I wouldn’t care,” he said while pleading with the lead organizer for a chance to speak, in a comment picked up by a live microphone.
Engel, who is white, said he has “always believed that Black lives matter” and said his comments were taken out of context, but Bowman, who has spoken of his own experiences with police brutality, said they illustrated why the district needed new leadership.
By defeating Engel, Bowman replicated the success of democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who defeated another powerful New York City Democrat, Joe Crowley, in a neighboring congressional district two years ago.
The campaign was the latest proxy battle between the party’s progressive and pragmatic wings. Bowman was endorsed by Ocasio-Cortez and U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren while Engel picked up support from Hillary Clinton and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer.
Bowman grew up in public housing in New York City. He was a teacher and school counselor for several years before becoming the founding principal of a Bronx middle school, the Cornerstone Academy for Social Action.
Candidates Chris Fink, Sammy Ravelo and Andom Ghebreghiorgis also appeared on the ballot, although Ghebreghiorgis withdrew from the race and endorsed Bowman.
The district is heavily Democratic, so the primary winner is virtually assured of victory in the general election in November.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-17--Major USPS Changes Could Hamper Vote-By-Mail At The Worst Possible Time

Election officials who were already facing major challenges in making voting accessible operations during the pandemic were thrown a new curveball this week .
Mail service could be slowed down in coming months , as part of a campaign to overhaul the U.S .
Postal Service launched by new agency leadership appointed by President Trump .
The proposed operational changes were first reported by the Washington Post this week , based on internal documents , some of which TPM has also obtained .
In a statement to TPM , the U.S .
Postal Service said that the “ overall plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” while stressing that the agency is “ committed to delivering Election Mail in a timely manner.
” But major questions remain about how the newly-reported changes could affect the ability of absentee voters to get their ballots in on time to be counted .
Several other aspects of the election process also rely on the mail , and there is now a scramble , in light of the recent USPS news , to understand what steps election officials need to take to keep things running smoothly .
In interviews with TPM , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail vendors outlined ways the proposed changes negatively impact the vote-by-mail process , which is being adopted in record numbers across the country amid the COVID-19 outbreak .
They provided several scenarios in which the refusal to let USPS employees work overtime — the main driver of the changes being described — could lead to voters being disenfranchised .
“ It ’ s really a concern .
The Trump administration is looking at the Post Office as a business .
It ’ s not a business , it ’ s a critical public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jim Condos told TPM .
Internal documents reported by the Washington Post describe a new culture being ushered where , in an effort to cut costs , overtime work would be vehemently discouraged .
This means employees should leave mail behind if continuing to process those pieces would put them behind their schedule for deliveries .
“ One aspect of these changes that may be difficult for employees is that.- temporarily – we may see mail left behind or mail on the workroom floor or docks ( in P & DCs ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ document said , which described the changes as being implemented “ immediately.
” In practice , that means some mail could take an extra day or even longer to be delivered .
“ There are a variety of stages where this is impactful , ” said Tammy Patrick , a vote-by-mail guru who has been advising election officials .
The particularities of mail-in-ballots create several potential chokepoints in the delivery process , Patrick , who is an expert at the Democracy Fund , said .
A persistent trend of voting in the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience handling large-scale absentee voting , ballots were not making it back in time to be counted .
This could be the fault of the election officials , who did not have the staff , technology or expertise needed to process a surge in applications .
Or it could be explained by voters not accustomed to the extra time voting by mail takes .
In some cases , mishaps by the USPS were also blamed .
Regardless , tardiness resulted in at least 65,000 mail ballots not being counted in the primaries , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total , 34 states have requirements that mail ballots be received by Election Day or earlier in order to be counted .
Particularly vulnerable to disenfranchisement are the voters who do not apply for absentee ballots until days before an election , and several states set that application deadline for under a week before Election Day .
“ So if we mail , and it takes an extra day , now it ’ s a bigger impact , ” said Jeff Ellington , the president of the prominent election mail vendor Runbeck Election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another look at those deadlines .
“ The states that allow for late requests , they ’ re not going to change between now and November , ” Patrick said .
But delays also impede steps earlier in the process , before voters reach the point of applying for and receiving ballots .
With the pandemic restricting in-person interactions , mail is playing a larger role in facilitating several election-related operations , not just vote by mail .
Many voters learn of their in-person polling location via a card in the mail , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to bring major changes to where Americans must go to cast ballots in person .
States are experiencing severe shortfalls in poll workers and are being forced to consolidate polling places at the last minute .
With in-person voter registration opportunities being limited by the outbreak , mail is playing a more important role in that effort as well — and particularly in the handful of states that do not offer online registration .
Many states have hard deadlines — days or weeks before an election — for getting registered .
The list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meanwhile , instructs election officials to use mail cards to confirm the registrations of voters who appear to have moved or otherwise may have become ineligible .
Actions that hinder these election mail operations , according to National Vote At Home Institute CEO Amber McReynolds , are “ going to create inaccurate voter registration lists [ and ] make the system more susceptible to issues.
” The Potential To ‘ Interfere With Somebody ’ s Access To The Ballot Box ’ There ’ s no evidence yet that the recently-reported changes are being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote-by-mail process .
But , even if those effects are unintentional , the postal service ’ s defenders see the changes as part of a broader approach that ignores the post office ’ s civic obligations , of which facilitating democracy is a part .
“ We don ’ t want any mail to be slowed down , but if a ballot is slowed down , it could potentially interfere with somebody ’ s access to the ballot box , and that would be an outrage , ” said Mark Dimondstein , president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Over recent years , the USPS developed protocols to encourage coordination between election offices and their liaisons in the postal service .
It ’ s not uncommon for postal workers to be working around the clock in the days leading up to an election to keep ballots moving to and from voters expeditiously , and ballots are tagged with special markings so workers know to make them a priority .
“ On Monday , Tuesday of Election Day , a lot of times there are people working overtime to make sure that those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time stamped on the right date and the right time and get delivered.
” Patrick said .
“ That is another concern , that there are not going to be special considerations there.
” A USPS spokesperson , when pressed by TPM , declined to say for certain that those practices will be protected from the new policies , while insisting that “ our current financial condition is not going to impact our ability to deliver election and political mail this year .
”

Election officials who were already facing major challenges in making voting accessible operations during the pandemic were thrown a new curveball this week.
Mail service could be slowed down in coming months, as part of a campaign to overhaul the U.S. Postal Service launched by new agency leadership appointed by President Trump.
The proposed operational changes were first reported by the Washington Post this week, based on internal documents, some of which TPM has also obtained. In a statement to TPM, the U.S. Postal Service said that the “overall plan” had not been “finalized,” while stressing that the agency is “committed to delivering Election Mail in a timely manner.”
But major questions remain about how the newly-reported changes could affect the ability of absentee voters to get their ballots in on time to be counted. Several other aspects of the election process also rely on the mail, and there is now a scramble, in light of the recent USPS news, to understand what steps election officials need to take to keep things running smoothly.
In interviews with TPM, election officials, vote-by-mail experts, and mail vendors outlined ways the proposed changes negatively impact the vote-by-mail process, which is being adopted in record numbers across the country amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
They provided several scenarios in which the refusal to let USPS employees work overtime — the main driver of the changes being described — could lead to voters being disenfranchised.
“It’s really a concern. The Trump administration is looking at the Post Office as a business. It’s not a business, it’s a critical public service,” Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos told TPM.
Making The System ‘Susceptible To Issues’
Internal documents reported by the Washington Post describe a new culture being ushered where, in an effort to cut costs, overtime work would be vehemently discouraged. This means employees should leave mail behind if continuing to process those pieces would put them behind their schedule for deliveries.
“One aspect of these changes that may be difficult for employees is that.- temporarily – we may see mail left behind or mail on the workroom floor or docks (in P&DCs), which is not typical,” one document said, which described the changes as being implemented “immediately.”
In practice, that means some mail could take an extra day or even longer to be delivered.
“There are a variety of stages where this is impactful,” said Tammy Patrick, a vote-by-mail guru who has been advising election officials. The particularities of mail-in-ballots create several potential chokepoints in the delivery process, Patrick, who is an expert at the Democracy Fund, said.
A persistent trend of voting in the pandemic is that, in jurisdictions without prior experience handling large-scale absentee voting, ballots were not making it back in time to be counted.
This could be the fault of the election officials, who did not have the staff, technology or expertise needed to process a surge in applications. Or it could be explained by voters not accustomed to the extra time voting by mail takes. In some cases, mishaps by the USPS were also blamed.
Regardless, tardiness resulted in at least 65,000 mail ballots not being counted in the primaries, according to an NPR analysis. In total, 34 states have requirements that mail ballots be received by Election Day or earlier in order to be counted.
Particularly vulnerable to disenfranchisement are the voters who do not apply for absentee ballots until days before an election, and several states set that application deadline for under a week before Election Day.
“So if we mail, and it takes an extra day, now it’s a bigger impact,” said Jeff Ellington, the president of the prominent election mail vendor Runbeck Election Services, who said states should take another look at those deadlines.
“The states that allow for late requests, they’re not going to change between now and November,” Patrick said.
But delays also impede steps earlier in the process, before voters reach the point of applying for and receiving ballots. With the pandemic restricting in-person interactions, mail is playing a larger role in facilitating several election-related operations, not just vote by mail.
Many voters learn of their in-person polling location via a card in the mail, and this year’s elections stand to bring major changes to where Americans must go to cast ballots in person. States are experiencing severe shortfalls in poll workers and are being forced to consolidate polling places at the last minute.
With in-person voter registration opportunities being limited by the outbreak, mail is playing a more important role in that effort as well — and particularly in the handful of states that do not offer online registration. Many states have hard deadlines — days or weeks before an election — for getting registered.
The list maintenance process outlined in federal law, meanwhile, instructs election officials to use mail cards to confirm the registrations of voters who appear to have moved or otherwise may have become ineligible.
Actions that hinder these election mail operations, according to National Vote At Home Institute CEO Amber McReynolds, are “going to create inaccurate voter registration lists [and] make the system more susceptible to issues.”
The Potential To ‘Interfere With Somebody’s Access To The Ballot Box’
There’s no evidence yet that the recently-reported changes are being implemented with the goal of hampering the vote-by-mail process. But, even if those effects are unintentional, the postal service’s defenders see the changes as part of a broader approach that ignores the post office’s civic obligations, of which facilitating democracy is a part.
“We don’t want any mail to be slowed down, but if a ballot is slowed down, it could potentially interfere with somebody’s access to the ballot box, and that would be an outrage,” said Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union.
Over recent years, the USPS developed protocols to encourage coordination between election offices and their liaisons in the postal service. It’s not uncommon for postal workers to be working around the clock in the days leading up to an election to keep ballots moving to and from voters expeditiously, and ballots are tagged with special markings so workers know to make them a priority.
“On Monday, Tuesday of Election Day, a lot of times there are people working overtime to make sure that those ballots get processed, and postmarked and time stamped on the right date and the right time and get delivered.” Patrick said. “That is another concern, that there are not going to be special considerations there.”
A USPS spokesperson, when pressed by TPM, declined to say for certain that those practices will be protected from the new policies, while insisting that “our current financial condition is not going to impact our ability to deliver election and political mail this year.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-17--Atlanta Mayor Slams Kemp’s Suit Against Mask Mandate: ‘He Is Putting Politics Over People’

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms ( D ) tore into Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp ( R ) on Friday morning after he filed a lawsuit against her over Atlanta ’ s citywide executive order requiring everyone to wear masks .
During an interview with “ TODAY ” co-host Savannah Guthrie , Bottoms described Kemp ’ s lawsuit as “ simply bizarre , quite frankly , ” given that other cities had also mandated masks , including the governor ’ s own hometown of Athens , Georgia , which had issued an executive order on masks the same day Atlanta had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s list of potential running mates .
She noted that it wasn ’ t until she publicly called out President Donald Trump for refusing to wear a mask when he traveled to her city on Wednesday that Kemp issued a statewide ban on mask mandates and proceeded to sue her over the policy on Thursday .
“ I don ’ t think it [ was ] happenstance that this lawsuit came the day after Donald Trump visited Atlanta and I pointed out that he was violating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask at Atlanta ’ s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport , ” the mayor said .
She accused Kemp of “ putting politics over people ” and using “ the same playbook we ’ ve seen coming out of the White House.
” “ The governor has simply overstepped his bounds and his authority , and we ’ ll see him in court , ” said Bottoms .

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms (D) tore into Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) on Friday morning after he filed a lawsuit against her over Atlanta’s citywide executive order requiring everyone to wear masks.
During an interview with “TODAY” co-host Savannah Guthrie, Bottoms described Kemp’s lawsuit as “simply bizarre, quite frankly,” given that other cities had also mandated masks, including the governor’s own hometown of Athens, Georgia, which had issued an executive order on masks the same day Atlanta had on July 8.
Bottoms is reportedly on Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s list of potential running mates. She noted that it wasn’t until she publicly called out President Donald Trump for refusing to wear a mask when he traveled to her city on Wednesday that Kemp issued a statewide ban on mask mandates and proceeded to sue her over the policy on Thursday.
“I don’t think it [was] happenstance that this lawsuit came the day after Donald Trump visited Atlanta and I pointed out that he was violating city law by not having on a mask at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport,” the mayor said.
She accused Kemp of “putting politics over people” and using “the same playbook we’ve seen coming out of the White House.”
“The governor has simply overstepped his bounds and his authority, and we’ll see him in court,” said Bottoms.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-18--Civil Rights Icon And Longtime Congressman John Lewis Dies At 80

ATLANTA ( AP ) — John Lewis , a lion of the civil rights movement whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation , and who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress , died .
He was 80 .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Lewis ’ passing late Friday night , calling him “ one of the greatest heroes of American history.
” “ All of us were humbled to call Congressman Lewis a colleague , and are heartbroken by his passing , ” Pelosi said .
“ May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us all to , in the face of injustice , make ‘ good trouble , necessary trouble.
’ ” Lewis ’ s announcement in late December 2019 that he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer — “ I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now , ” he said — inspired tributes from both sides of the aisle , and an unstated accord that the likely passing of this Atlanta Democrat would represent the end of an era .
Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a group led by the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement .
He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma .
At age 25 — walking at the head of the march with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tan overcoat — Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by police .
His skull was fractured , and nationally televised images of the brutality forced the country ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Within days , King led more marches in the state , and President Lyndon Johnson soon was pressing Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act .
The bill became law later that year , removing barriers that had barred Blacks from voting .
“ John is an American hero who helped lead a movement and risked his life for our most fundamental rights ; he bears scars that attest to his indefatigable spirit and persistence , ” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said after Lewis announced his cancer diagnosis .
Lewis joined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in organizing the 1963 March on Washington .
He spoke to the vast crowd just before King delivered his epochal “ I Have a Dream ” speech .
A 23-year-old firebrand , Lewis toned down his intended remarks at the insistence of others , dropping a reference to a “ scorched earth ” march through the South and scaling back criticisms of President John Kennedy .
It was a potent speech nonetheless , in which he vowed : “ By the forces of our demands , our determination and our numbers , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousand pieces and put them together in an image of God and democracy.
” It was almost immediately , and forever , overshadowed by the words of King , the man who had inspired him to activism .
Lewis was born on Feb. 21 , 1940 , outside the town of Troy , in Pike County , Alabama .
He grew up on his family ’ s farm and attended segregated public schools .
As a boy , he wanted to be a minister , and practiced his oratory on the family chickens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the color of his skin , he became an avid reader , and could cite obscure historical dates and details even in his later years .
He was a teenager when he first heard King preaching on the radio .
They met when Lewis was seeking support to become the first Black student at Alabama ’ s segregated Troy State University .
He ultimately attended the American Baptist Theological Seminary and Fisk University in Nashville , Tennessee .
He began organizing sit-in demonstrations at whites-only lunch counters and volunteering as a Freedom Rider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the South to challenge segregation .
Lewis helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was named its chairman in 1963 , making him one of the Big Six at a tender age .
The others , in addition to King , were Whitney Young of the National Urban League ; A. Philip Randolph of the Negro American Labor Council ; James L. Farmer Jr. , of the Congress of Racial Equality ; and Roy Wilkins of the NAACP .
All six met at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York to plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The huge demonstration galvanized the movement , but success didn ’ t come quickly .
After extensive training in nonviolent protest , Lewis and the Rev .
Hosea Williams led demonstrators on a planned march of more than 50 miles from Selma to Montgomery , Alabama ’ s capital , on March 7 , 1965 .
A phalanx of police blocked their exit from the Selma bridge .
Authorities shoved , then swung their truncheons , fired tear gas and charged on horseback , sending many to the hospital and horrifying much of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , completing the march to Montgomery before the end of the month .
Lewis turned to politics in 1981 , when he was elected to the Atlanta City Council .
He won his seat in Congress in 1986 and spent much of his career in the minority .
After Democrats won control of the House in 2006 , Lewis became his party ’ s senior deputy whip , a behind-the-scenes leadership post in which he helped keep the party unified .
In an early setback for Barack Obama ’ s 2008 Democratic primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the nomination .
Lewis switched when it became clear Obama had overwhelming Black support .
Obama later honored Lewis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom , and they marched hand in hand in Selma on the 50th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday attack .
Lewis also worked for 15 years to gain approval for the Smithsonian ’ s National Museum of African American History and Culture .
Humble and unfailingly friendly , Lewis was revered on Capitol Hill — but as one of the most liberal members of Congress , he often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stop the Iraq War to his defense of young immigrants .
He met bipartisan success in Congress in 2006 when he led efforts to renew the Voting Rights Act , but the Supreme Court later invalidated much of the law , and it became once again what it was in his youth , a work in progress .
Later , when the presidency of Donald Trump challenged his civil rights legacy , Lewis made no effort to hide his pain .
Lewis refused to attend Trump ’ s inauguration , saying he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legitimate president ” because Russians had conspired to get him elected .
When Trump later complained about immigrants from “ s—hole countries , ” Lewis declared , “ I think he is a racist … we have to try to stand up and speak up and not try to sweep it under the rug.
” Lewis said he ’ d been arrested 40 times in the 1960s , five more as a congressman .
At 78 , he told a rally he ’ d do it again to help reunite immigrant families separated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not be any peace in America until these young children are returned to their parents and set all of our people free , ” Lewis said in June , recalling the “ good trouble ” he got into protesting segregation as a young man .
“ If we fail to do it , history will not be kind to us , ” he shouted .
“ I will go to the border .
I ’ ll get arrested again .
If necessary , I ’ m prepared to go to jail.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House impeachment vote of Trump , Lewis explained the importance of that vote .
“ When you see something that is not right , not just , not fair , you have a moral obligation to say something , to do something .
Our children and their children will ask us ‘ what did you do ?
what did you say ?
” While the vote would be hard for some , he said : “ We have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history.
” Lewis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miles , died in 2012 .
They had one son , John Miles Lewis .
Associated Press writer Michael Warren contributed to this report .

ATLANTA (AP) — John Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation, and who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress, died. He was 80.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Lewis’ passing late Friday night, calling him “one of the greatest heroes of American history.”
“All of us were humbled to call Congressman Lewis a colleague, and are heartbroken by his passing,” Pelosi said. “May his memory be an inspiration that moves us all to, in the face of injustice, make ‘good trouble, necessary trouble.’”
Lewis’s announcement in late December 2019 that he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer — “I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now,” he said — inspired tributes from both sides of the aisle, and an unstated accord that the likely passing of this Atlanta Democrat would represent the end of an era.
Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement. He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.
At age 25 — walking at the head of the march with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tan overcoat — Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by police. His skull was fractured, and nationally televised images of the brutality forced the country’s attention on racial oppression in the South.
Within days, King led more marches in the state, and President Lyndon Johnson soon was pressing Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. The bill became law later that year, removing barriers that had barred Blacks from voting.
“John is an American hero who helped lead a movement and risked his life for our most fundamental rights; he bears scars that attest to his indefatigable spirit and persistence,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said after Lewis announced his cancer diagnosis.
Lewis joined King and four other civil rights leaders in organizing the 1963 March on Washington. He spoke to the vast crowd just before King delivered his epochal “I Have a Dream” speech.
A 23-year-old firebrand, Lewis toned down his intended remarks at the insistence of others, dropping a reference to a “scorched earth” march through the South and scaling back criticisms of President John Kennedy. It was a potent speech nonetheless, in which he vowed: “By the forces of our demands, our determination and our numbers, we shall splinter the segregated South into a thousand pieces and put them together in an image of God and democracy.”
It was almost immediately, and forever, overshadowed by the words of King, the man who had inspired him to activism.
Lewis was born on Feb. 21, 1940, outside the town of Troy, in Pike County, Alabama. He grew up on his family’s farm and attended segregated public schools.
As a boy, he wanted to be a minister, and practiced his oratory on the family chickens. Denied a library card because of the color of his skin, he became an avid reader, and could cite obscure historical dates and details even in his later years. He was a teenager when he first heard King preaching on the radio. They met when Lewis was seeking support to become the first Black student at Alabama’s segregated Troy State University.
He ultimately attended the American Baptist Theological Seminary and Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. He began organizing sit-in demonstrations at whites-only lunch counters and volunteering as a Freedom Rider, enduring beatings and arrests while traveling around the South to challenge segregation.
Lewis helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was named its chairman in 1963, making him one of the Big Six at a tender age. The others, in addition to King, were Whitney Young of the National Urban League; A. Philip Randolph of the Negro American Labor Council; James L. Farmer Jr., of the Congress of Racial Equality; and Roy Wilkins of the NAACP. All six met at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York to plan and announce the March on Washington.
The huge demonstration galvanized the movement, but success didn’t come quickly. After extensive training in nonviolent protest, Lewis and the Rev. Hosea Williams led demonstrators on a planned march of more than 50 miles from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama’s capital, on March 7, 1965. A phalanx of police blocked their exit from the Selma bridge.
Authorities shoved, then swung their truncheons, fired tear gas and charged on horseback, sending many to the hospital and horrifying much of the nation. King returned with thousands, completing the march to Montgomery before the end of the month.
Lewis turned to politics in 1981, when he was elected to the Atlanta City Council.
He won his seat in Congress in 1986 and spent much of his career in the minority. After Democrats won control of the House in 2006, Lewis became his party’s senior deputy whip, a behind-the-scenes leadership post in which he helped keep the party unified.
In an early setback for Barack Obama’s 2008 Democratic primary campaign, Lewis endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton for the nomination. Lewis switched when it became clear Obama had overwhelming Black support. Obama later honored Lewis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and they marched hand in hand in Selma on the 50th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday attack.
Lewis also worked for 15 years to gain approval for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. Humble and unfailingly friendly, Lewis was revered on Capitol Hill — but as one of the most liberal members of Congress, he often lost policy battles, from his effort to stop the Iraq War to his defense of young immigrants.
He met bipartisan success in Congress in 2006 when he led efforts to renew the Voting Rights Act, but the Supreme Court later invalidated much of the law, and it became once again what it was in his youth, a work in progress. Later, when the presidency of Donald Trump challenged his civil rights legacy, Lewis made no effort to hide his pain.
Lewis refused to attend Trump’s inauguration, saying he didn’t consider him a “legitimate president” because Russians had conspired to get him elected. When Trump later complained about immigrants from “s—hole countries,” Lewis declared, “I think he is a racist … we have to try to stand up and speak up and not try to sweep it under the rug.”
Lewis said he’d been arrested 40 times in the 1960s, five more as a congressman. At 78, he told a rally he’d do it again to help reunite immigrant families separated by the Trump administration.
“There cannot be any peace in America until these young children are returned to their parents and set all of our people free,” Lewis said in June, recalling the “good trouble” he got into protesting segregation as a young man.
“If we fail to do it, history will not be kind to us,” he shouted. “I will go to the border. I’ll get arrested again. If necessary, I’m prepared to go to jail.”
In a speech the day of the House impeachment vote of Trump, Lewis explained the importance of that vote.
“When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do something. Our children and their children will ask us ‘what did you do? what did you say?” While the vote would be hard for some, he said: “We have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history.”
Lewis’ wife of four decades, Lillian Miles, died in 2012. They had one son, John Miles Lewis.
___
Associated Press writer Michael Warren contributed to this report.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-07-18--Trump Administration Seeking to Block Funding for Testing, Contact Tracing And CDC In COVID Relief B

Trump Administration Seeking to Block Funding for Testing, Contact Tracing And CDC In COVID Relief Bill

The Trump administration is seeking to block billions of dollars for states to conduct testing and contact tracing in the upcoming coronavirus relief bill , The Washington Post reported Saturday .
The administration is also trying to block billions of dollars that GOP senators want to provide for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , and billions more for the Pentagon and State Department to address the pandemic at home and abroad , sources told The Post .
The report also comes as the United States broke its record of daily new cases for the 11th time in July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoke to The Post on condition of anonymity to reveal confidential discussions , cautioned that talks were still underway and that numbers had not yet been finalized .
The negotiations focus on a bill Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) is expected to bring before Congress next week as part of negotiations with Democrats on what will likely be the last major coronavirus relief bill before the November election .
Congressional negotiations are expected to unfold with added urgency due to the surge of cases and climbing death toll in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , between Trump administration officials and Senate Republicans who are at odds about money for testing and other priorities is creating a major bottleneck before those talks get started .
One person involved in the talks told The Post that Senate Republicans were seeking to allocate $ 25 billion for states to conduct testing and contact tracing , but that certain administration officials want to zero out the testing and tracing money entirely .
According to the report , many White House officials argue that some of that money remains unspent since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approved in April which included $ 25 billion to increase testing .
Meanwhile testing challenges still abound in some hotspots where wait times for test results vary greatly , with people in some places having to wait more than a week to find out if they have tested positive .
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ( R ) announced Wednesday that he would send less business to some labs where testing results have been delayed for long periods .
The report comes as the Trump administration has deepened its attacks of health experts and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at times warnings — about the future of the nation should its leaders fail to take critical action to curb the spread of the coronavirus .
The news follows a White House announcement Wednesday that directed hospitals to change how they report data to the federal government and how that data will be made available .
Effective Wednesday , hospitals were told to report coronavirus case data to the Health and Human Services Department bypassing the CDC – a move that has be criticized by many as an attempt to potentially obscure the @ @ @ @ @ @

The Trump administration is seeking to block billions of dollars for states to conduct testing and contact tracing in the upcoming coronavirus relief bill, The Washington Post reported Saturday.
The administration is also trying to block billions of dollars that GOP senators want to provide for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and billions more for the Pentagon and State Department to address the pandemic at home and abroad, sources told The Post.
The report also comes as the United States broke its record of daily new cases for the 11th time in July on Thursday.
The officials, who spoke to The Post on condition of anonymity to reveal confidential discussions, cautioned that talks were still underway and that numbers had not yet been finalized.
The negotiations focus on a bill Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is expected to bring before Congress next week as part of negotiations with Democrats on what will likely be the last major coronavirus relief bill before the November election.
Congressional negotiations are expected to unfold with added urgency due to the surge of cases and climbing death toll in the United State. The disagreement, however, between Trump administration officials and Senate Republicans who are at odds about money for testing and other priorities is creating a major bottleneck before those talks get started.
One person involved in the talks told The Post that Senate Republicans were seeking to allocate $25 billion for states to conduct testing and contact tracing, but that certain administration officials want to zero out the testing and tracing money entirely. According to the report, many White House officials argue that some of that money remains unspent since the last major coronavirus spending bill Congress was approved in April which included $25 billion to increase testing.
Meanwhile testing challenges still abound in some hotspots where wait times for test results vary greatly, with people in some places having to wait more than a week to find out if they have tested positive. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) announced Wednesday that he would send less business to some labs where testing results have been delayed for long periods.
The report comes as the Trump administration has deepened its attacks of health experts and scientists who have provided guidance — and at times warnings — about the future of the nation should its leaders fail to take critical action to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The news follows a White House announcement Wednesday that directed hospitals to change how they report data to the federal government and how that data will be made available. Effective Wednesday, hospitals were told to report coronavirus case data to the Health and Human Services Department bypassing the CDC – a move that has be criticized by many as an attempt to potentially obscure the true picture of testing results.