talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-09--Long Lines Prompt Lawsuit Threats To Keep Georgia Polling Places Open Later

A voting rights group issued a “ pre-litigation ” demand to four Georgia counties that they extend polling place hours as voters waited in line for several hours to cast ballots Tuesday .
“ In our view , the only way to right this wrong is to give people a longer opportunity to vote today , ” Kristen Clarke , the president of National Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law , told reporters on a press call Tuesday afternoon , adding that she hoped the counties would extend their hours “ voluntarily.
” The demand came after reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday , in the latest indication the election officials face serious challenges as they prepare for November ’ s election in a pandemic .
Because of the coronavirus outbreak , polling places have been consolidated , as election officials struggled to find volunteers — who tend to be older — to work them or locations to host them .
Some Georgia precincts were set to serve up to 10,000 voters due to the consolidations , the Washington Post reported .
While Georgia attempted to mitigate this issue by sending absentee ballot applications to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cast ballots in person on Tuesday because they never received their mail-in ballots , according to reports .
Reports of missing mail-in ballots were particularly widespread in Fulton County , where local elections preparations ground to a halt after a local election official died from COVID-19 .
Sure enough , Fulton County has seen some of the worst of the lines Tuesday , though long waits were reported elsewhere in the state .
Compounding the issue is that Georgia is also implementing new election technology Tuesday , and the issues that poll workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has further slowed down the voting process .
Some polling places opened late on Tuesday morning due to struggles related to the new equipment , according to reports .
Georgia ’ s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Tuesday amid the chaos he was launching an investigation into problems reported in Fulton and DeKalb counties , according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution .
The Lawyers Committee requested that Fulton , DeKalb , Cobb and Gwinnett counties keep their polling places open later on Tuesday .
Polling places in Georgia are scheduled close at 7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is line by 7 is allowed to vote .
Clarke said that her group was requesting the hours be extended so that people can show up later than that to cast ballots .
“ There are voters who could not vote because their polling place was closed or could not endure a wait time of more than two hours to cast their ballots , ” Clark said .
“ It ’ s about giving people a second chance to return to their polling place and get a chance to vote .
We know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have jobs and family needs that , maybe , a second trip back to the polls will be incredibly difficult.
” When reached by TPM , Cobb County Elections Director Janine Eveler said the county was planning on extending their hours and was in the midst on working on the court papers to do so .
A Fulton County spokesperson acknowledged the request but had no further comment “ while this is in flux.
” Representatives from DeKalb and Gwinnett counties didn ’ t respond to TPM ’ s inquiries .

A voting rights group issued a “pre-litigation” demand to four Georgia counties that they extend polling place hours as voters waited in line for several hours to cast ballots Tuesday.
“In our view, the only way to right this wrong is to give people a longer opportunity to vote today,” Kristen Clarke, the president of National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, told reporters on a press call Tuesday afternoon, adding that she hoped the counties would extend their hours “voluntarily.”
The demand came after reports that polling places were understaffed and overwhelmed Tuesday, in the latest indication the election officials face serious challenges as they prepare for November’s election in a pandemic.
Because of the coronavirus outbreak, polling places have been consolidated, as election officials struggled to find volunteers — who tend to be older — to work them or locations to host them.
Some Georgia precincts were set to serve up to 10,000 voters due to the consolidations, the Washington Post reported.
While Georgia attempted to mitigate this issue by sending absentee ballot applications to voters, several voters showed up to cast ballots in person on Tuesday because they never received their mail-in ballots, according to reports.
Reports of missing mail-in ballots were particularly widespread in Fulton County, where local elections preparations ground to a halt after a local election official died from COVID-19. Sure enough, Fulton County has seen some of the worst of the lines Tuesday, though long waits were reported elsewhere in the state.
Compounding the issue is that Georgia is also implementing new election technology Tuesday, and the issues that poll workers have had in operating the new machines has further slowed down the voting process. Some polling places opened late on Tuesday morning due to struggles related to the new equipment, according to reports.
Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Tuesday amid the chaos he was launching an investigation into problems reported in Fulton and DeKalb counties, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Lawyers Committee requested that Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb and Gwinnett counties keep their polling places open later on Tuesday. Polling places in Georgia are scheduled close at 7 p.m. which usually means that anyone who is line by 7 is allowed to vote. Clarke said that her group was requesting the hours be extended so that people can show up later than that to cast ballots.
“There are voters who could not vote because their polling place was closed or could not endure a wait time of more than two hours to cast their ballots,” Clark said. “It’s about giving people a second chance to return to their polling place and get a chance to vote. We know there are frontline workers and people who have jobs and family needs that, maybe, a second trip back to the polls will be incredibly difficult.”
When reached by TPM, Cobb County Elections Director Janine Eveler said the county was planning on extending their hours and was in the midst on working on the court papers to do so.
A Fulton County spokesperson acknowledged the request but had no further comment “while this is in flux.” Representatives from DeKalb and Gwinnett counties didn’t respond to TPM’s inquiries.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-09--Still Not Clear Why Trent Lott Was Fired From Squire Patton Boggs

Former Sen. Trent Lott ( R-MS ) , the former Senate majority leader , was abruptly fired from one of D.C. ’ s top lobbying firms on Monday .
But it ’ s still not clear what prompted the break between the former top Senate Republican and lobbying arm of Squire Patton Boggs .
Squire Patton Boggs CEO Mark Ruehlmann kept his Monday night statement on Lott ’ s departure vague .
“ We have decided that it is the right time to make a change in the leadership of our industry leading Public Policy practice , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we are obliged to constantly evaluate and tailor our professional offerings to not only respond , but also anticipate the issues and concerns of an evolving marketplace and the clients we serve , ” he added , thanking Lott for his service .
Angelo Kakolyris , spokesman for the firm , told TPM only that the firm has “ chosen to part ways with Senator Lott.
” Lott , who has long partnered with former Sen. John Breaux ( D-LA ) , told Roll Call that the firm “ took the low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This whole thing boils down to a very simple equation : Breaux and I decided it was time to move on to another firm , a strictly public policy firm , ” he said .
“ Word got back to the firm and they decided to try to undermine our ability to get clients .
… We ’ re not mad at anybody.
” Asked about Lott ’ s claims to Roll Call , Kakolyris told TPM that Lott “ has not made us aware of any plans.
” Lott has a history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national environment .
In 2002 , he was forced out of his leadership position in the Senate after media outlets , led by TPM , seized on comments he made fondly remembering then-Sen. Strom Thurmond ’ s ( R-SC ) failed 1948 presidential candidacy as a segregationist Dixiecrat .
“ When Strom Thurmond ran for president , we voted for him , ” he said then .
“ We ’ re proud of it .
And if the rest of the country had followed our lead , we wouldn ’ t have had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either.
” Keeping the spotlight on Lott ’ s comments , TPM also dredged up an interview Lott gave to the neo-Confederate magazine Southern Partisan and aired his longtime connections to the white supremacist group Council of Conservative Citizens .
At the time , Lott apologized in an interview with BET and called his choice of words “ unacceptable and insensitive.
” He left the Senate altogether in 2007 and set up a lobbying shop with Breaux .
Their firm was acquired by Patton Squire Boggs .
Per Ruehlmann ’ s statement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Former Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS), the former Senate majority leader, was abruptly fired from one of D.C.’s top lobbying firms on Monday. But it’s still not clear what prompted the break between the former top Senate Republican and lobbying arm of Squire Patton Boggs.
Squire Patton Boggs CEO Mark Ruehlmann kept his Monday night statement on Lott’s departure vague.
“We have decided that it is the right time to make a change in the leadership of our industry leading Public Policy practice,” he said. “As a global law firm, we are obliged to constantly evaluate and tailor our professional offerings to not only respond, but also anticipate the issues and concerns of an evolving marketplace and the clients we serve,” he added, thanking Lott for his service.
Angelo Kakolyris, spokesman for the firm, told TPM only that the firm has “chosen to part ways with Senator Lott.”
Lott, who has long partnered with former Sen. John Breaux (D-LA), told Roll Call that the firm “took the low road” in firing him.
“This whole thing boils down to a very simple equation: Breaux and I decided it was time to move on to another firm, a strictly public policy firm,” he said. “Word got back to the firm and they decided to try to undermine our ability to get clients. … We’re not mad at anybody.”
Asked about Lott’s claims to Roll Call, Kakolyris told TPM that Lott “has not made us aware of any plans.”
Lott has a history particularly out of step with the current national environment.
In 2002, he was forced out of his leadership position in the Senate after media outlets, led by TPM, seized on comments he made fondly remembering then-Sen. Strom Thurmond’s (R-SC) failed 1948 presidential candidacy as a segregationist Dixiecrat.
“When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him,” he said then. “We’re proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn’t have had all these problems over the years, either.”
Keeping the spotlight on Lott’s comments, TPM also dredged up an interview Lott gave to the neo-Confederate magazine Southern Partisan and aired his longtime connections to the white supremacist group Council of Conservative Citizens.
At the time, Lott apologized in an interview with BET and called his choice of words “unacceptable and insensitive.”
He left the Senate altogether in 2007 and set up a lobbying shop with Breaux. Their firm was acquired by Patton Squire Boggs. Per Ruehlmann’s statement, Breaux is still with Patton Squire Boggs.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-09--US Foreign Aid Agency Defends Political Appointees Who Wrote Anti-LGBT, Anti-Islam Posts

This story first appeared at ProPublica .
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom .
Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox .
The top official at the U.S. foreign aid agency defended three political appointees whose past social media posts and writings include attacks on LGBT people and Muslims , saying they were “ committed to enacting the policies of President Donald J. Trump.
” ProPublica reported on Friday that Merritt Corrigan had recently taken up a prominent position at the U.S. Agency for International Development .
Corrigan has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and feminism , and she has said the United States is in the clutches of a “ homo-empire ” pushing a “ tyrannical LGBT agenda.
” News of Corrigan ’ s appointment as deputy White House liaison sparked outrage among current and former USAID officials , as well as congressional inquiries and an online petition calling for her firing .
In addition , ProPublica reported that Bethany Kozma , previously an anti-transgender activist who wrote in 2016 that transgender girls are boys “ claiming gender confusion , ” had taken a new position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff .
And The Washington Post reported last month that Mark Kevin Lloyd , a Tea Party activist with a history of making and sharing anti-Islamic comments on his personal social media profiles , would be the agency ’ s new religious freedom adviser .
In a statement issued late on Monday , Barsa condemned what he called “ unwarranted and malicious attacks ” on the three officials , while also making clear they had been chosen by the White House .
“ Political appointees are appointed at the discretion of the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s foreign policy agenda at USAID , ” Barsa said .
“ USAID is honored to have Bethany Kozma , Merritt Corrigan , and Mark Lloyd serve at the agency .
They are committed to enacting the policies of President Donald J. Trump.
” The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment .

This story first appeared at ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.
The top official at the U.S. foreign aid agency defended three political appointees whose past social media posts and writings include attacks on LGBT people and Muslims, saying they were “committed to enacting the policies of President Donald J. Trump.”
ProPublica reported on Friday that Merritt Corrigan had recently taken up a prominent position at the U.S. Agency for International Development. Corrigan has a history of online posts denouncing liberal democracy and feminism, and she has said the United States is in the clutches of a “homo-empire” pushing a “tyrannical LGBT agenda.”
News of Corrigan’s appointment as deputy White House liaison sparked outrage among current and former USAID officials, as well as congressional inquiries and an online petition calling for her firing.
In addition, ProPublica reported that Bethany Kozma, previously an anti-transgender activist who wrote in 2016 that transgender girls are boys “claiming gender confusion,” had taken a new position as USAID’s deputy chief of staff. And The Washington Post reported last month that Mark Kevin Lloyd, a Tea Party activist with a history of making and sharing anti-Islamic comments on his personal social media profiles, would be the agency’s new religious freedom adviser.
In a statement issued late on Monday, Barsa condemned what he called “unwarranted and malicious attacks” on the three officials, while also making clear they had been chosen by the White House.
“Political appointees are appointed at the discretion of the White House to carry out the President’s foreign policy agenda at USAID,” Barsa said. “USAID is honored to have Bethany Kozma, Merritt Corrigan, and Mark Lloyd serve at the agency. They are committed to enacting the policies of President Donald J. Trump.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-09--Trump Came Close To Firing Esper After He Broke With POTUS On Insurrection Act

President Trump reportedly came close to firing Defense Secretary Mark Esper after the Pentagon official broke with the President over invoking the Insurrection Act to quell the violence that emerged during nationwide protests in the wake of George Floyd ’ s death .
Last week , Esper contradicted Trump ’ s demand for governors to “ dominate ” protesters by activating the National Guard .
Esper also argued that active duty forces should only be used in a law enforcement role as a “ last resort.
” CNN reported that Trump and other top officials were “ not happy ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a Wall Street Journal report on Tuesday citing several administration officials , advisers and allies on Capitol Hill talked the President out of firing Esper .
Officials told the Journal that Trump was “ furious ” over the defense secretary ’ s opposition to invoking the Insurrection Act .
The officials also told WSJ that Trump consulted several advisers — which included White House chief of staff Mark Meadows ; Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ; longtime Trump friend and outside adviser David Urban ; and Sens .
Tom Cotton ( R-AR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — about their opinion regarding Esper ’ s stance , and Trump intended to fire the defense secretary that day .
After speaking with advisers — who warned the President against firing Esper because it would put his administration in a tough spot — Trump held off , the officials told WSJ .
Esper , however , began preparing a letter of resignation at the same time , officials told WSJ .
The defense secretary considered resigning in light of his differences with the President regarding the military ’ s role , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do it .

President Trump reportedly came close to firing Defense Secretary Mark Esper after the Pentagon official broke with the President over invoking the Insurrection Act to quell the violence that emerged during nationwide protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
Last week, Esper contradicted Trump’s demand for governors to “dominate” protesters by activating the National Guard. Esper also argued that active duty forces should only be used in a law enforcement role as a “last resort.” CNN reported that Trump and other top officials were “not happy” with Esper following his remarks.
According to a Wall Street Journal report on Tuesday citing several administration officials, advisers and allies on Capitol Hill talked the President out of firing Esper. Officials told the Journal that Trump was “furious” over the defense secretary’s opposition to invoking the Insurrection Act.
The officials also told WSJ that Trump consulted several advisers — which included White House chief of staff Mark Meadows; Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; longtime Trump friend and outside adviser David Urban; and Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and James Inhofe (R-OK) — about their opinion regarding Esper’s stance, and Trump intended to fire the defense secretary that day.
After speaking with advisers — who warned the President against firing Esper because it would put his administration in a tough spot — Trump held off, the officials told WSJ.
Esper, however, began preparing a letter of resignation at the same time, officials told WSJ. The defense secretary considered resigning in light of his differences with the President regarding the military’s role, but aides and other advisers convinced him not to do it.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-09--Fox News Host Forced To Admit Trump Had A ‘Very Bad Week’ For ‘Reelection Prospects’

Fox News anchor Chris Wallace admitted during an interview on “ The View ” Tuesday that President Trump had — to put it lightly — a “ very bad week ” last week .
Wallace made the admission after he was repeatedly pressed to weigh-in on Trump ’ s handling of protests that have broken out across the country against police brutality and racial injustice in the wake of George Floyd ’ s death .
Wallace was grilled by “ The View ” co-host Sunny Hostin , who asked if he believed Trump had taken the “ right tone ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Trump is positioning himself as a law and order candidate , but these movements that we are seeing in the streets are protesting law enforcement as we know it , ” Hostin said .
Instead of reacting to the “ right ” and “ wrong ” of the situation , Wallace evaluated the current challenges of this political moment — a time many pundits have described as a turning point for voter sentiment about the President , as well as broader issues related to racial justice .
“ I would say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad week for the President in terms of politics , in terms of his potential reelection prospects , ” the “ Fox News Sunday ” anchor said .
“ I mean when you ’ re getting called out by the Episcopal Bishop of Washington , and the archbishop of the Catholic Church of Washington , when you ’ re getting called out by everybody from Jim Mattis to former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mike Mullen , and even your own current Secretary of Defense Mark Esper breaks with you , that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s critique of the President ’ s performance followed widespread uproar last week over federal officers ’ use of force against peaceful protesters in Lafayette Square on Monday to clear the area for a now-infamous Trump photo-op .
In recent days , the President has also faced significant pushback from top military leaders , ex- Bush administration officials and even members of his own Cabinet on his handling of the protests in general .
Recent poll numbers from CNN and NBC/WSJ that show public opinion tilting in the direction of contending Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t help much either , Wallace said .

Fox News anchor Chris Wallace admitted during an interview on “The View” Tuesday that President Trump had — to put it lightly — a “very bad week” last week.
Wallace made the admission after he was repeatedly pressed to weigh-in on Trump’s handling of protests that have broken out across the country against police brutality and racial injustice in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Wallace was grilled by “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin, who asked if he believed Trump had taken the “right tone” to evoke ongoing confidence from his base.
“Trump is positioning himself as a law and order candidate, but these movements that we are seeing in the streets are protesting law enforcement as we know it,” Hostin said.
Instead of reacting to the “right” and “wrong” of the situation, Wallace evaluated the current challenges of this political moment — a time many pundits have described as a turning point for voter sentiment about the President, as well as broader issues related to racial justice.
“I would say that the last week was a very bad week for the President in terms of politics, in terms of his potential reelection prospects,” the “Fox News Sunday” anchor said. “I mean when you’re getting called out by the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, and the archbishop of the Catholic Church of Washington, when you’re getting called out by everybody from Jim Mattis to former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mike Mullen, and even your own current Secretary of Defense Mark Esper breaks with you, that’s not a good week.”
#FoxNewsSunday anchor Chris Wallace on why he says Democratic politicians should do more to reach out to the Fox News viewers: “Anybody is going to need the Fox vote, whether you’re Republican or a Democrat, to win the election.” https://t.co/cVclFZQmjA pic.twitter.com/aKh1s7Zqd0 — The View (@TheView) June 9, 2020
Wallace’s critique of the President’s performance followed widespread uproar last week over federal officers’ use of force against peaceful protesters in Lafayette Square on Monday to clear the area for a now-infamous Trump photo-op. In recent days, the President has also faced significant pushback from top military leaders, ex- Bush administration officials and even members of his own Cabinet on his handling of the protests in general.
Recent poll numbers from CNN and NBC/WSJ that show public opinion tilting in the direction of contending Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, didn’t help much either, Wallace said.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-09--COVID Wrecked 2020 Voter Registration Efforts But Then Came The BLM Protests

The last few months have been challenging for voter registration groups that rely on in-person operations to help people get on the rolls .
But some advocates are seeing “ hopeful signs ” in a surge of voters registrations that occurred last week , alongside the eruption of Black Lives Matters protests across the country .
The spike came as the traditional opportunities for registration had been severely limited by the COVID-19 outbreak .
For one registration group , it was the biggest one-week increase they ’ ve seen all year .
As has been the case for almost every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic has scrambled the typical voter registration operations ahead of an election year .
The limited access to driver ’ s licenses offices mean fewer people are seeing their registrations updated through interactions at the DMV .
There ’ s been a steep decline in in-person naturalization ceremonies , where new citizens are usually given an opportunity to register .
For third party groups that encourage registration , a calendar of in-person events where they ’ d normally have a presence has emptied out .
Other types of field registration work has also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impossible , due to the need to social distance .
So the recent protests and the larger movement against police brutality have presented new opportunities for voter registration groups that were already re-tooling the efforts , given the new COVID-19 realities .
Rock the Vote , which aims to increase youth participation and pioneered a virtual process for getting people on the rolls , weighed having a physical presence at the protests to try to get demonstrators to register , but ultimately decided against it , according to the group ’ s executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was attending a protest , and someone was asking for my personal information , especially right now there ’ s no way I ’ d give it , ” she told TPM , pointing to concerns about surveillance of protestors .
Nevertheless , in the first week of June , the group processed 80,000 applications through its platforms , which are used by hundreds of different organizations and companies .
It was the largest week this year for registrations , DeWitt said .
The positive trend in voter registrations was shared across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vote , rather than just one group driving the increase .
“ You have to look for hopeful signs , ” she said .
Likewise , by the end of last week , Voto Latino — a group aiming to mobilize Latino voters to defeat President Trump — had already achieved its June goal of registering 20,000 people , according to a CNBC report .
Head Count , a group that teams up with musicians to encourage registration , also saw a significant increase last week .
The group registered 7,500 people online @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 1,000 people registered through the group in the month of April , as the outbreak meant its plans to have tables at concerts across the country were shelved .
For the recent demonstrations , Head Count for the first time made available to anyone a QR code that could be printed out and attached to protest signs .
The code led to an opportunity to register online and at least 300 people registered through it over the weekend , the group ’ s spokesperson Andy Bernstein told TPM .
“ There ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming in and want to be the person who gets their friends or the people they meet at protests registered to vote , ” Bernstein said , as opposed to the types of volunteers who go through the formal training the group normally requires for its registration events .
The increases provide a bright spot in what has been a dismal situation for groups seeking to increase civic participation .
The in-person field activities that had to be put on hold are especially useful for reaching marginalized communities who have less access to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feasible .
The situation is compounded by the changes the pandemic is foisting on elections themselves .
Election officials are encouraging voters to use absentee voting to keep the in-person traffic at polling places low , so to limit the spread of the virus .
Doing so means that voters in same-day-registration states can ’ t rely on in-person voting to register .
Furthermore , for voters to receive their ballots or any other materials the state sends out to encourage absentee voting , their information will need to be up to date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter registration even more crucial for groups who pre-pandemic already had lofty registration goals .
Mi Familia Vota , for instance , had hoped to register 200,000 voters from Latino communities .
It has had to rework its in-person plans for churches , union meetings and consulates , but it did see 3,000 new registrations last week in the six states it ’ s focusing its efforts .
“ At this point it ’ s hard to tell where we will be , ” Mi Familia Vota executive director Hector Sanchez , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still hoping we can meet our goals .
”

The last few months have been challenging for voter registration groups that rely on in-person operations to help people get on the rolls.
But some advocates are seeing “hopeful signs” in a surge of voters registrations that occurred last week, alongside the eruption of Black Lives Matters protests across the country.
The spike came as the traditional opportunities for registration had been severely limited by the COVID-19 outbreak. For one registration group, it was the biggest one-week increase they’ve seen all year.
As has been the case for almost every aspect of elections administration, the coronavirus pandemic has scrambled the typical voter registration operations ahead of an election year.
The limited access to driver’s licenses offices mean fewer people are seeing their registrations updated through interactions at the DMV. There’s been a steep decline in in-person naturalization ceremonies, where new citizens are usually given an opportunity to register.
For third party groups that encourage registration, a calendar of in-person events where they’d normally have a presence has emptied out. Other types of field registration work has also been made more difficult, if not impossible, due to the need to social distance.
So the recent protests and the larger movement against police brutality have presented new opportunities for voter registration groups that were already re-tooling the efforts, given the new COVID-19 realities.
Rock the Vote, which aims to increase youth participation and pioneered a virtual process for getting people on the rolls, weighed having a physical presence at the protests to try to get demonstrators to register, but ultimately decided against it, according to the group’s executive director Carolyn DeWitt.
“If I was attending a protest, and someone was asking for my personal information, especially right now there’s no way I’d give it,” she told TPM, pointing to concerns about surveillance of protestors.
Nevertheless, in the first week of June, the group processed 80,000 applications through its platforms, which are used by hundreds of different organizations and companies.
It was the largest week this year for registrations, DeWitt said. The positive trend in voter registrations was shared across the various organizations that partner with Rock the Vote, rather than just one group driving the increase.
“You have to look for hopeful signs,” she said.
Likewise, by the end of last week, Voto Latino — a group aiming to mobilize Latino voters to defeat President Trump — had already achieved its June goal of registering 20,000 people, according to a CNBC report.
Head Count, a group that teams up with musicians to encourage registration, also saw a significant increase last week.
The group registered 7,500 people online last week. For comparison, fewer than 1,000 people registered through the group in the month of April, as the outbreak meant its plans to have tables at concerts across the country were shelved.
For the recent demonstrations, Head Count for the first time made available to anyone a QR code that could be printed out and attached to protest signs. The code led to an opportunity to register online and at least 300 people registered through it over the weekend, the group’s spokesperson Andy Bernstein told TPM.
“There’s a lot of people who are coming in and want to be the person who gets their friends or the people they meet at protests registered to vote,” Bernstein said, as opposed to the types of volunteers who go through the formal training the group normally requires for its registration events.
The increases provide a bright spot in what has been a dismal situation for groups seeking to increase civic participation.
The in-person field activities that had to be put on hold are especially useful for reaching marginalized communities who have less access to the technology that makes online registration assistance feasible.
The situation is compounded by the changes the pandemic is foisting on elections themselves. Election officials are encouraging voters to use absentee voting to keep the in-person traffic at polling places low, so to limit the spread of the virus. Doing so means that voters in same-day-registration states can’t rely on in-person voting to register.
Furthermore, for voters to receive their ballots or any other materials the state sends out to encourage absentee voting, their information will need to be up to date.
That makes the task of encouraging voter registration even more crucial for groups who pre-pandemic already had lofty registration goals.
Mi Familia Vota, for instance, had hoped to register 200,000 voters from Latino communities. It has had to rework its in-person plans for churches, union meetings and consulates, but it did see 3,000 new registrations last week in the six states it’s focusing its efforts.
“At this point it’s hard to tell where we will be,” Mi Familia Vota executive director Hector Sanchez, told TPM. “But we’re still hoping we can meet our goals.”


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-09--Cuomo Blasts Trump For ‘Reprehensible And Dumb’ Tweet On Elderly Protester

New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D ) on Tuesday fired back at President Trump for baselessly suggesting that an elderly protester — who was shoved to the ground by two Buffalo police officers during an anti-police brutality protest last week — could be part of the amorphous anti-fascist movement known as “ antifa.
” During his press briefing , Cuomo urged Trump to apologize to the 75-year-old protester Martin Gugino , calling the tweet “ wholly unacceptable.
” “ Not a piece of proof , totally personally disparaging , and at a moment where the man is still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , before adding that the President of the United States has an obligation to “ show some decency , show some humanity.
” Gugino , as of Tuesday morning , was still in critical condition after the shove caused him to fall over , hit his head on the ground and bleed from the ear .
Two of the officers involved have been charged with assault .
Cuomo ’ s request for a Trump apology came after he expressed disbelief over the President ’ s tweet earlier in the briefing .
“ What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ You think it was staged ?
You think the blood coming out of ( Gugino ’ s ) head was staged ?
Is that what you ’ re saying ?
You saw his head hit the pavement .
You see blood on the pavement — maybe he fell harder than he was pushed.
” Cuomo then raised his voice as he slammed the President for his “ reckless , ” “ irresponsible , ” “ mean ” and “ crude ” tweet .
“ I mean if there was ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the President of the United States at this moment of anguish and anger — what does he do ?
” Cuomo said .
“ Pours gasoline on the fire.
” Shortly after his briefing , Cuomo echoed similar sentiments in a tweet .
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown also weighed in on Trump ’ s tweet by saying that his city prays for a full recovery for Gugino .

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Tuesday fired back at President Trump for baselessly suggesting that an elderly protester — who was shoved to the ground by two Buffalo police officers during an anti-police brutality protest last week — could be part of the amorphous anti-fascist movement known as “antifa.”
During his press briefing, Cuomo urged Trump to apologize to the 75-year-old protester Martin Gugino, calling the tweet “wholly unacceptable.”
“Not a piece of proof, totally personally disparaging, and at a moment where the man is still in the hospital,” Cuomo said, before adding that the President of the United States has an obligation to “show some decency, show some humanity.”
Gugino, as of Tuesday morning, was still in critical condition after the shove caused him to fall over, hit his head on the ground and bleed from the ear. Two of the officers involved have been charged with assault.
Cuomo’s request for a Trump apology came after he expressed disbelief over the President’s tweet earlier in the briefing.
“What does that even mean?” Cuomo said. “You think it was staged? You think the blood coming out of (Gugino’s) head was staged? Is that what you’re saying? You saw his head hit the pavement. You see blood on the pavement — maybe he fell harder than he was pushed.”
Cuomo then raised his voice as he slammed the President for his “reckless,” “irresponsible,” “mean” and “crude” tweet.
“I mean if there was ever a reprehensible, dumb comment — and from the President of the United States at this moment of anguish and anger — what does he do?” Cuomo said. “Pours gasoline on the fire.”
Shortly after his briefing, Cuomo echoed similar sentiments in a tweet.
Gov. Cuomo today on Trump’s Buffalo tweet: “How reckless, how irresponsible, how mean, how crude. If there was ever a reprehensible, dumb comment … and from the president of the United States.”pic.twitter.com/wHqlRTCPb8 — The Recount (@therecount) June 9, 2020
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown also weighed in on Trump’s tweet by saying that his city prays for a full recovery for Gugino.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-09--The Bizarre Source For Trump’s Claim That Police-Battered Activist Is An Antifa Hacker

The 75-year-old peace activist who Buffalo police shoved to the ground , causing him to bleed from his ear , wasn ’ t just a “ provocateur ” — he was also a sophisticated hacker who attempted to “ black out ” police communications !
At least , that ’ s the word from the President of the United States on Tuesday .
Donald Trump boosted yet another insane conspiracy theory from the depths of the anonymous right-wing internet .
In a tweet , Trump claimed activist Martin Gugino was “ aiming ” a “ scanner ” at police at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Gugino appeared to be holding a cell phone ) and that the elderly man “ fell harder than was pushed.
” Gugino was still hospitalized as of Tuesday afternoon but has been transferred out of the ICU , his attorney Kelly Zarcone told TPM .
Two officers have been charged with felony assault over the incident ( they ’ ve pleaded not guilty ) and dozens of officers left a crowd control unit within the Buffalo Police Department in protest .
“ He didn ’ t have any equipment to disrupt police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Zarcone said of her client .
NBC News ’ Ben Collins referred to the conspiracy theory ’ s path as a “ Bad Information Centipede ” — regurgitated through a series of ridiculous sources , pure speculation became presidential proclamation .
Trump said he ’ d seen the conspiracy on One America News , the far-right outlet that ’ s sought to out-fox Fox News .
In a clip that appeared to be the one Trump watched , a reporter for OAN said the “ tensions ” in Buffalo “ could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group antifa.
” Citing an outlet less credible than even his own , OAN reporter Kristian Rouz claimed that “ newly released videos appear to show Gugino using a police tracker on his phone , trying to scan police communications during the protest.
” Rouz “ reported ” that Gugino was “ skimming ” police communications — an old anti-fascist trick , Rouz asserted , “ to locate police officers and plan violent activities.
” The elderly man also supposedly used the trick to “ black out police communications.
” Except : There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that Gugino did any of that .
All video of the incident shows is that Gugino was holding his phone and waving his hands around at the moment he was pushed .
Media Matters ’ Matthew Gertz noted some obvious problems with Trump ’ s sourcing : Rouz , the OAN reporter , recently reported on “ mounting evidence ” that COVID-19 was a “ population control ” effort fueled by , of course , George Soros .
But Rouz ’ s reporting for the Buffalo story isn ’ t any better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the blog The Conservative Treehouse — also known as The Last Refuge — containing the claims that later made it to Trump ’ s Twitter feed .
The article alleged that Gugino attempted “ to capture the radio communications signature of Buffalo police officers , ” and use “ his phone as a capture scanner.
” Like OAN , Conservative Treehouse ’ s post cited no evidence for its claim other than the video of police shoving Gugino .
It ’ s not clear where Conservative Treehouse got its hunch about Gugino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Twitter thread from an account that appeared to be affiliated with the blog — they share a name , description , and the account lists the blog URL in its biographical details .
The Twitter account , “ TheLastRefuge , ” sports thousands of followers including bigwig names like the former acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell .
But the account ’ s previous work does not inspire confidence : Early Tuesday , for example , it boosted the claim that a man had falsely claimed to be the twin brother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minneapolis police has inspired nationwide demonstrations .
“ $ 20 million will find you a bunch of relatives… ” TheLastRefuge tweeted , seemingly referring to the George Floyd memorial GoFundMe page , which has reached nearly $ 14 million .
However , some simple research would have solved the riddle : The man was retired NBA star Stephen Jackson who was speaking figuratively about his “ twin , ” George Floyd , with whom he was close friends in life .
An email address listed for Conservative Treehouse did not return TPM ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been updated .

The 75-year-old peace activist who Buffalo police shoved to the ground, causing him to bleed from his ear, wasn’t just a “provocateur” — he was also a sophisticated hacker who attempted to “black out” police communications!
At least, that’s the word from the President of the United States on Tuesday. Donald Trump boosted yet another insane conspiracy theory from the depths of the anonymous right-wing internet.
In a tweet, Trump claimed activist Martin Gugino was “aiming” a “scanner” at police at the time he was pushed on Saturday (Gugino appeared to be holding a cell phone) and that the elderly man “fell harder than was pushed.”
Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2020
Gugino was still hospitalized as of Tuesday afternoon but has been transferred out of the ICU, his attorney Kelly Zarcone told TPM. Two officers have been charged with felony assault over the incident (they’ve pleaded not guilty) and dozens of officers left a crowd control unit within the Buffalo Police Department in protest.
“He didn’t have any equipment to disrupt police communications or anything of the sort,” Zarcone said of her client.
NBC News’ Ben Collins referred to the conspiracy theory’s path as a “Bad Information Centipede” — regurgitated through a series of ridiculous sources, pure speculation became presidential proclamation.
Trump said he’d seen the conspiracy on One America News, the far-right outlet that’s sought to out-fox Fox News. In a clip that appeared to be the one Trump watched, a reporter for OAN said the “tensions” in Buffalo “could be a result of a false-flag by far-left group antifa.”
Citing an outlet less credible than even his own, OAN reporter Kristian Rouz claimed that “newly released videos appear to show Gugino using a police tracker on his phone, trying to scan police communications during the protest.”
Here's the first half of the batshit OANN segment Trump just tweeted. It alleges the 75 year old man assaulted by Buffalo police officers was an antifa operative, based on a report from Conservative Treehouse. pic.twitter.com/CeMVyJcoh8 — Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) June 9, 2020
Rouz “reported” that Gugino was “skimming” police communications — an old anti-fascist trick, Rouz asserted, “to locate police officers and plan violent activities.” The elderly man also supposedly used the trick to “black out police communications.”
Except: There’s no proof, at all, that Gugino did any of that. All video of the incident shows is that Gugino was holding his phone and waving his hands around at the moment he was pushed.
Media Matters’ Matthew Gertz noted some obvious problems with Trump’s sourcing: Rouz, the OAN reporter, recently reported on “mounting evidence” that COVID-19 was a “population control” effort fueled by, of course, George Soros.
But Rouz’s reporting for the Buffalo story isn’t any better.
OAN cited a “report” from the blog The Conservative Treehouse — also known as The Last Refuge — containing the claims that later made it to Trump’s Twitter feed. The article alleged that Gugino attempted “to capture the radio communications signature of Buffalo police officers,” and use “his phone as a capture scanner.”
Like OAN, Conservative Treehouse’s post cited no evidence for its claim other than the video of police shoving Gugino.
It’s not clear where Conservative Treehouse got its hunch about Gugino’s hacktivism. The article cited a Twitter thread from an account that appeared to be affiliated with the blog — they share a name, description, and the account lists the blog URL in its biographical details.
The Twitter account, “TheLastRefuge,” sports thousands of followers including bigwig names like the former acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell.
But the account’s previous work does not inspire confidence: Early Tuesday, for example, it boosted the claim that a man had falsely claimed to be the twin brother of George Floyd, whose killing by Minneapolis police has inspired nationwide demonstrations.
“$20 million will find you a bunch of relatives…” TheLastRefuge tweeted, seemingly referring to the George Floyd memorial GoFundMe page, which has reached nearly $14 million.
However, some simple research would have solved the riddle: The man was retired NBA star Stephen Jackson who was speaking figuratively about his “twin,” George Floyd, with whom he was close friends in life.
An email address listed for Conservative Treehouse did not return TPM’s request for comment.
This post has been updated.


talkingpointsmemo--2020-06-10--Pelosi Demands Removal Of 11 Confederate Statues In The Capitol

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) on Wednesday urged the removal of 11 statues representing Confederate figures from the U.S. Capitol as efforts to take down monuments linked to racism grow in the wake of George Floyd ’ s death .
In a letter sent to the leadership of the Joint Committee on the Library , Sen. Roy Blunt ( R-MO ) and Rep. Zoe Lofgren ( D-CA ) , Pelosi wrote that statues in the Capitol “ should embody our highest ideals as Americans ” and that monuments of men linked to the Confederacy must be removed “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hate , not heritage .
They must be removed , ” Pelosi wrote .
“ While I believe it is imperative that we never forget our history lest we repeat it , I also believe that there is no room for celebrating the violent bigotry of the men of the Confederacy in the hallowed halls of the United States Capitol or in places of honor across the country.
” Shortly after Pelosi issued her letter , Lofgren said in a statement that her committee and the U.S. Capitol “ should expediently remove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I stand ready , and call on the Chair of the Joint Committee to swiftly approve the removal of these statues , ” Lofgren wrote .
“ The Capitol building belongs to the American people and can not serve as a place of honor for the hatred and racism that tears at the fabric of our nation , the very poison that these statues embody.
” Pelosi ’ s letter was issued just hours after President Trump tweeted that he will “ not even consider ” changing bases named after Confederate generals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy ’ s statement on Monday saying that they are “ open to a bipartisan discussion ” on renaming the bases .
The House Speaker ’ s request also comes on the heels of NASCAR ’ s announcement that it is banning the Confederate flag from its races and properties .

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Wednesday urged the removal of 11 statues representing Confederate figures from the U.S. Capitol as efforts to take down monuments linked to racism grow in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
In a letter sent to the leadership of the Joint Committee on the Library, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Pelosi wrote that statues in the Capitol “should embody our highest ideals as Americans” and that monuments of men linked to the Confederacy must be removed “immediately.”
“Their statues pay homage to hate, not heritage. They must be removed,” Pelosi wrote. “While I believe it is imperative that we never forget our history lest we repeat it, I also believe that there is no room for celebrating the violent bigotry of the men of the Confederacy in the hallowed halls of the United States Capitol or in places of honor across the country.”
Shortly after Pelosi issued her letter, Lofgren said in a statement that her committee and the U.S. Capitol “should expediently remove these symbols of cruelty and bigotry.”
“I stand ready, and call on the Chair of the Joint Committee to swiftly approve the removal of these statues,” Lofgren wrote. “The Capitol building belongs to the American people and cannot serve as a place of honor for the hatred and racism that tears at the fabric of our nation, the very poison that these statues embody.”
Pelosi’s letter was issued just hours after President Trump tweeted that he will “not even consider” changing bases named after Confederate generals, contradicting Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy’s statement on Monday saying that they are “open to a bipartisan discussion” on renaming the bases.
The House Speaker’s request also comes on the heels of NASCAR’s announcement that it is banning the Confederate flag from its races and properties.
Read Pelosi’s letter below: