Fox News contributor Leo Terrell slams VP Harris as she is set to campaign for California Gov. Gavin Newsom ahead of his recall election
With one week to go until ballots must be postmarked, deposited in drop boxes, or handed in in-person in California’s gubernatorial recall election, Gov. Gavin Newsom is making his closing pitch to save his job steering the nation’s most populous state.
And the embattled Democratic governor is giving a helping hand.
President Biden‘s expected to head to California next week, just ahead of the Sept. 14 recall election.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Tuesday that the president would travel to California “early next week.”
“He will be, I expect we’ll have more to report to all of you, or announce, on a trip he’ll take early next week,” Psaki told reporters aboard Air Force as Biden traveled to New York and New Jersey to survey storm damage.
The visit by Biden, who won California’s whopping 55 electoral votes by nearly 30 points over then-President Trump last November, will follow that of Vice President Kamala Harris.
The former California attorney general and Golden State senator, who ran for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, will team up with the governor at a rally in the Bay Area on Wednesday.
Harris will be the latest high profile national Democratic surrogate to team up with Newsom, after the governor was joined on Saturday in Culver City, California, by Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a progressive leader who also unsuccessfully ran for the White House in 2020, and on Sunday in Santa Ana by Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, another Democratic presidential contender last cycle.
California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, campaigns with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., against the California recall election at Culver City High School in Culver City, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) (AP)
Former two-term San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, one of the better known GOP replacement candidates on the ballot, charged in a statement to Fox News that Newsom is “hiding behind national political leaders.”
It’s not just on the campaign trail where the governor’s getting a lift from top surrogates.
“At this unprecedented moment in American history, when we’re trying to address the crisis of climate change, guarantee health care for all, and pass real immigration reform, the last thing we need is to have some right-wing Republican governor in California,” longtime Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont says in a TV commercial supporting Newsom that’s currently running statewide in California.
“The Sept. 14 recall of Gov. Newsom is a bold-faced Republican power grab,” the progressive rock star and runner-up to Biden in last year’s Democratic presidential nomination race charges in the ad. “Don’t let it happen. Please, return your ballot or vote no in person by Sept. 14.”
Thanks to unusual campaign finance laws for recall elections – California treats the question of whether to remove the governor as a ballot issue, rather than a candidate race – Newsom can raise unlimited amounts of money as he fights to keep his job.
And that’s what he’s been doing – hauling in and spending big bucks and lapping the leading GOP replacement candidates when it comes to fundraising. Newsom’s massive advantage is allowing him to dominate the airwaves.
The governor’s “Stop the Republican Recall” campaign has spent nearly $33 million dollars to run TV, digital and radio ads – with the bulk of it being dished out since mid-July – according to AdImpact, a leading national ad buying firm.
That’s leagues ahead of 2018 Republican gubernatorial nominee John Cox, who’s spent $7 million to run ads for his recall election campaign. And conservative talk radio host Larry Elder, the polling front runner among the 46 replacement candidates on the recall ballot, has spent $4.8 million to run ads since launching his campaign in mid-July, according to figures from AdImpact.
Voters are being asked two questions on the Newsom recall ballots. The first question is whether the governor should be removed from office. If more than 50% support removing Newsom, the second question offers a list of candidates running to replace the governor. If the governor is recalled, the candidate who wins the most votes on the second question – regardless of whether it’s a majority or just a small plurality – would succeed Newsom in steering California.
Newsom’s strategy is simple: In the very blue state of California – where he won election by 24 points over Cox in 2018 – he needs to get Democratic voters to cast their ballots, to make up for energized Republican voters hoping to oust the governor from office.
Most public opinion polls conducted in July and August indicated that likely voters were divided on whether to recall Newsom.
But the latest surveys, including one conducted Aug. 20-29 by the Public Policy Institute of California , suggest a majority of likely recall election voters support keeping the governor in office.
Fox News’ Samuel Dorman contributed to this report
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Mercosur tendrá que cambiar de perfil, creen los expertos.
“Brasil es un punto de inflexión”, asegura Paulo Velasco, profesor de Relaciones Internacionales en la Universidad Estatal de Río de Janeiro.
Velasco se refiere al significado que tendría para el panorama político de América Latina si el inicio del juicio político a Dilma Rousseff terminara de apartarla definitivamente de la presidencia de Brasil.
De momento, Rousseff está suspendida del cargo y lo estará como máximo 180 días.
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La suspensión de Dilma Rousseff en Brasil sería el último golpe al denominado ciclo de gobiernos “progresistas” en América Latina.
La opinión de que es un punto de quiebre para la región es algo con lo que coinciden los expertos consultados por BBC Mundo.
“Son casi 20 años de gobiernos progresistas en América del Sur”, le dice a BBC Mundo Velasco. El profesor recalca que es un periodo a punto de terminar.
“La tendencia es que (los gobiernos) vuelvan a la derecha y centroderecha, (a ser) gobiernos más liberales. Y hay que ver cómo funciona eso”.
Del “progresismo” de inicio de siglo…
El llamado giro “progresista” de América Latina —o “posneoliberal”, como le dicen algunos expertos— y una suerte de proyecto de enfoque regional tuvo según los especialistas tres grandes procesos que le dieron forma e impulso: el chavismo en Venezuela, el petismo en Brasil y el kirchnerismo en Argentina.
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Es el fin del periodo de gobiernos “progresistas” en América Latina, dicen los analistas.
Fue el triunfo electoral de Hugo Chávez en Venezuela en 1998 lo que dio inicio a un ciclo marcado por el ascenso al poder de organizaciones ligadas a la izquierda.
En enero de 2003, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, un exlíder sindical, asumía la presidencia de Brasil y llevaba al poder por primera vez al Partido de los Trabajadores (PT), el mismo al que pertenece Rousseff.
Y ese mismo año, en mayo, el peronista Néstor Kirchner asumió la presidencia de Argentina.
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Lula da Silva (en la imagen con la su esposa Marisa Leticia) asumió la presidencia de Brasil en 2003.
Como resultado de la nueva correlación de fuerzas regional, en la IV Cumbre de las Américas, celebrada el 4 y el 5 de noviembre de 2005 en la ciudad argentina de Mar de Plata, se firmó el acta de defunción del Área de Libre Comercio de las Américas (ALCA).
El proyecto, una extensión del Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte, había sido promovido por EE.UU. y criticado con vehemencia por Lula, Kirchner y Chávez.
A punto de terminar ese año, el sindicalista cocalero y activista indígena Evo Morales fue elegido presidente de Bolivia.
En 2006, Michelle Bachelet llegó al poder en Chile, poniendo inmediatamente en marcha toda una serie de políticas sociales.
Y el eje se fue fortaleciendo en 2007, cuando Rafael Correa asumió el cargo en Ecuador —después ganaría otras dos elecciones de manera arrolladora—, y al suceder Cristina Fernández a su esposo Néstor Kirchner en la presidencia argentina.
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El eje se fue fortaleciendo con Cristina Fernández (en la imagen junto a Lula da Silva) en 2007.
“Pero ahora (ese panorama) se rompe por completo”, recalca el profesor Velasco.
… ¿al liberalismo?
Para los expertos, el cambio arrancó en noviembre del año pasado, con la victoria de Mauricio Macri en Argentina y el fin de 12 años de poder del kirchnerismo.
De hecho, fue el gobierno argentino uno de los primeros en reconocer la sucesión presidencial brasileña.
“El Gobierno Argentino manifiesta que respeta el proceso institucional que se está desarrollando y confía en que el desenlace de la situación consolide la solidez de la democracia brasileña”, señala un corto comunicado divulgado por la Cancillería argentina.
Mientras, el sucesor de Chávez —quien murió en 2013— en Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, enfrenta una grave crísis económica y la oposición impulsa un referéndum revocatorio para adelantar el final de su gestión.
Además, este enero la oposición asumió el control del parlamento por primera vez en 17 años de hegemonía chavista.
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Nicolás Maduro, el presidente de Venezuela, enfrenta una grave crisis doméstica.
Y en febrero, Evo Morales perdió una batalla electoral por primera vez en más de 10 años: el referendo con el que pretendía abrir la puerta de una reforma constitucional para poder volver a presentarse a las elecciones.
La derrota se produjo pese a que la gestión de Morales tiene, según las encuestas, altos índices de aprobación.
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El presidente boliviano Evo Morales perdió el referendo para la reelección.
En junio, en la segunda vuelta de las elecciones generales de Perú, Keiko Fujimori podría superar la sombra de su padre —Alberto Fujimori, en la cárcel por asesinato con alevosía, secuestro agravado y lesiones graves— y ganar la presidencia, sacando de escena de Ollanta Humala.
Además, los escándalos de corrupción desgastaron el brillo de la que fuera una de las figuras políticas más respetadas del continente, la mandataria chilena Michelle Bachelet.
Algo que también le ocurrió al ecuatoriano Correa.
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Los escándalos de corrupción hicieron perder popularidad a la mandataria de Chile, Michelle Bachelet.
El “imperativo económico”…
Para Joao Augusto de Castro Neves, experto en América Latina de la consultora política Eurasia Group, los cambios se deben a lo que llama un “imperativo económico”.
“(El fenómeno) tiene un componente sistémico, que es el freno de la economía”, asegura De Castro Neves a BBC Mundo.
Por ello, prefiere hablar de un movimiento hacia el “pragmatismo”, en vez de un giro a la derecha.
Ingrid Bleynat, del Instituto de Desarrollo Internacional del King’s College de Londres, también insiste en lo de la economía como motor de cambio: “Lo más determinante es lo que pasa con la economía”.
“Está claro que para Venezuela más importante que lo que ocurre en Brasil es lo que pasa con el precio del petróleo”, añade.
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La crisis económica es clave en el cambio de gobiernos en la región, insisten los analistas.
Y es que, según los expertos, el fin de la década dorada de las materias primas tiene mucho que ver con el cambio de panorama.
Las economías latinoamericanas crecieron, entre 2003 y 2012, por encima del 4% según datos de la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (Cepal), el organismo dependiente de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas responsable de promover el desarrollo económico y social de la región.
Desde la década de 1960 la región no había registrado un periodo de crecimiento tan intenso.
Está claro que para Venezuela más importante que lo que ocurre en Brasil es lo que pasa con el precio del petróleo”
Sin embargo, las previsiones del Fondo Monetario Internacional señalan que la economía latinoamericana acabará 2016 con una contracción del 0,3%.
Y la principal causa es la caída de las materias primas.
Entre 2011 y 2015, la bajada de los precios de los metales, el petróleo, el gas y el carbón fue de casi un 50% según la CEPAL.
En el caso concreto del precio del crudo, el barril venezolano tuvo un pico de 103,42 dólares por barril en 2012, lo que significó para el país un ingreso de US$48.000 millones.
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Para Venezuela más importante que lo que ocurre en Brasil es lo que pasa con el precio del petróleo, dicen los expertos.
Y la caída ha sido terrible para las arcas, pues en 2015 esos ingresos se desplomaron a US$12.500 millones.
De la misma manera, hace menos de cuatro años Brasil era declarado la sexta mayor economía mundial y su ministro de Hacienda del momento decía que antes de 2015 desbancaría a Francia del quinto puesto. Pero la economía brasileña se estancó desde entonces.
… y la corrupción
Sin embargo, las “derrotas” de los gobiernos llamados progresistas no se deben exclusivamente a la realidad económica, cree Jorge G. Castañeda, el que fuera el secretario de Relaciones Exteriores de México entre 2000 y 2003 y hoy es profesor en la Universidad de Nueva York, EE.UU.
“Demasiados líderes de izquierda de América Latina cayeron por la corrupción endémica de la región y por subestimar la creciente tolerancia hacia ello”, escribió en un artículo de opinión en el medio estadounidense The New York Times.
“Para cuando algunos de los gobiernos, como el de Chile y el de Bolivia, empezaron a centrarse en el problema era ya demasiado tarde”, añade.
América Latina “va a empezar a ser menos relevente en arenas internacionales
En parte también a Brasil, porque aunque el juicio político a Rousseff no es por corrupción, su gobierno y el partido al que pertenece se ha visto salpicado por el enorme caso Petrobras.
Como consecuencia del cambio de gobiernos, América Latina “va a empezar a ser menos relevente en arenas internacionales, por ese mismo detrimento del proyecto de integración regional”, asegura Ingrid Bleynat, del King’s College de Londres.
“La idea del Mercosur, la Unasur y todo esto va a cambiar sensiblemente”, añade Velasco, de la Universidad Estatal de Río.
Para Velasco, es casi seguro que el próximo gobierno brasileño no estará “dando la misma importancia que los cancilleres de Lula y Dilma dieron a la idea del Mercosur y la Unasur”.
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Mercosur y otros organismos tendrán que cambiar de perfil, creen los analistas consultados por BBC Mundo.
Por su parte, De Castro Neves, del Eurasia Group, cree que estas organizaciones “van a tener que dejar de ser politizadas y pasar a ser más pragmáticas, centrarse en lo económico”.
Además, según los expertos también cambiará la política exterior de la región.
La propuesta de Macri mira claramente hacia la Alianza del Pacífico, al eje Washington-Bruselas, destacan los expertos.
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Macri mira hacia el eje Washington-Bruselas, remarcan los expertos.
Y en caso de que el juicio político a Dilma Rousseff termine quitándola definitivamente de la presidencia, Brasil va a seguir el mismo camino que Argentina, opina Paulo Velasco, profesor de la Universidad de Río de Janeiro.
“En política exterior va a haber un destaque mucho más grande a los países tradicionales para Brasil, sobre todo fuera de Latinoamérica, (un destaque) de Estados Unidos y los países europeos”, explica.
“Sobre todo va a cambiar la relación con Venezuela, Bolivia y Ecuador”
“Latinoamérica pierde un poco el peso que ha tenido para Brasil en los últimos años”, de la misma manera que el país perdió peso en la región.
De la misma manera, también habrá cambios en las relaciones internas, dicen los analistas.
“Sobre todo va a cambiar la relación con Venezuela, Bolivia y Ecuador”, asegura Velasco.
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Brasil va a cambiar su relación con Venezuela y Bolivia, dice Paulo Velasco, de la Universidad Estatal de Río de Janeiro.
Venezuela tuvo un importante apoyo en Brasil, quien le ayudó a entrar en Mercosur y le vendió productos en tiempos de desabastecimiento.
Pero el exgobernador de Sao Paulo José Serra, quien resuena como futuro canciller brasileño, es un senador del PSDB, un partido socialdemócrata que ha criticado abiertamente la proximidad y los negocios de Brasil con Venezuela o Cuba.
¿Y las políticas sociales?
“Estamos siendo testigos de que la derecha avanza, aunque sea momentáneamente”, reconoce Ingrid Bleynat, del King’s College de Londres.
“Pero eso no debería afectar a las políticas sociales” que implementaron los gobiernos llamados “progresistas” y que fueron punta de lanza en América Latina, añade.
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Aunque cambien los gobiernos, los expertos creen que se mantendrán los programas sociales como Bolsa Familia de Brasil.
“No al menos a políticas tan bien arraigadas como Bolsa Familia en Brasil— un programa de ayuda financiera a familias pobres—, que se aprobó con el apoyo de todo el arco político”, dice.
De Castro Neves, del Eurasia Group, está de acuerdo con ello, aunque añade que esas políticas “tendrán que ser revisadas”.
“Lo que sí veremos son otras medidas que atenten contra los intereses de las clases populares“, sentencia Bleynat.
Graves tensiones diplomáticas entre Venezuela y Argentina
El dirigente chavista Diosdado Cabello llamó “cobarde” al presidente argentino, Mauricio Macri, y declaró “enemigo” de su país al diplomático a cargo de la embajada argentina en Caracas.
El presidente de Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro aseguró haber enviado una nota de protesta al gobierno argentino, luego de la presunta agresión que sufrió la canciller Delcy Rodríguez- en las afueras de la cancillería de Argentina- en Buenos Aires.
Según el mandatario, la ministra fue severamente agredida por funcionarios policiales de la nación sudamericana junto al canciller de Bolivia, David Choquehuanca cuando intentaron ingresar a la sede del Ministerio para asistir a la reunión del Mercado Común del Sur (Mercosur).
La Ministra de Relaciones Exteriores de Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez llega a la Cancillería argentina en Buenos Aires durante una reunión entre ministros del Mercosur, donde Venezuela no fue invitada, el 14 de diciembre de 2016. (Foto: EITAN ABRAMOVICH/AFP/Getty Images)
Siria suspende evacuación de miles de personas de la ciudad de Alepo
El gobierno sirio suspendió este viernes la evacuación de miles de civiles y combatientes de Alepo oriental, tras acusar a los insurgentes de romper los términos del acuerdo, reportó la televisión estatal.
El último acuerdo de alto al fuego para evacuar a decenas de miles de combatientes y civiles de los barrios que estaban en poder de los rebeldes en Alepo oriental ha sido suspendido, confirmó un funcionario sirio.
Fuentes del gobierno dijeron que los rebeldes habían bloqueado la evacuación de civiles en otras dos ciudades de Siria, acordadas en virtud de la tregua.
No estaba claro cuánto tiempo duraría la suspensión o si la evacuación sería retrasada en el marco de un proceso que probablemente tome varios días.
La TV estatal informó que el gobierno sirio denunció que los rebeldes habían abierto fuego contra un convoy de evacuados, en un punto de cruce con el enclave.
(Foto: BARAA AL-HALABI/AFP/Getty Images)
Obama dijo que tomarán medidas por hackeos durante las elecciones
Barack Obama, el presidente estadounidense dijo que Estados Unidos tomará medidas contra Rusia o cualquier otro gobierno extranjero que intente entrometerse en las elecciones estadounidenses.
“Creo que no hay duda de que cuando cualquier gobierno extranjero intenta impactar la integridad de nuestras elecciones… Necesitamos tomar medidas y lo haremos” dijo el presidente a la Radio Pública Nacional en una entrevista para ser transmitida el viernes por la mañana.
“Algunos de ellos pueden ser explícitos y publicitados, algunos de ellos no pueden ser” dijo.
La CIA concluyó en que piratas informáticos rusos irrumpieron en las computadoras del Partido Demócrata para filtrar emails sobre la campaña presidencial de Hillary Clinton con el aparente objetivo de ayudar al republicano Donald Trump a ganar las elecciones del mes pasado.
Entretanto, el presidente electo Donald Trump cuestionó a la Casa Blanca por no haber actuado antes y lo quiere hacer solo ahora que la candidata demócrata Hillary Clinton perdió las elecciones.
If Russia, or some other entity, was hacking, why did the White House wait so long to act? Why did they only complain after Hillary lost?
Presidenta surcoreana desafía juicio político en su contra
La destitución de la presidenta de Corea del Sur, Park Geun-hye, por el parlamento carece de base legal y debe ser rechazada por el Tribunal Constitucional indicaron hoy los abogados que representan a la mandataria, envuelta en un escándalo de corrupción.
Los representantes legales de la presidenta en suspensión entregaron una declaración de 24 páginas sobre el caso al Tribunal Constitucional, que determinará si destituir o reincorporar a la jefa de Estado después de una revisión que podría durar hasta seis meses.
“Como no hay pruebas de ofensas legales (citadas en la moción del juicio político) creemos que no hay fundamento para el enjuiciamiento” señaló uno de los abogados ante los reporteros después de entregar el documento tal como solicitó la semana pasada el tribunal. El abogado añadió que su postura es que no hay motivo para la destitución y que lucharán por todos los hechos y temas legales, reportó la agencia surcoreana de noticias Yonhap.
Presidenta de Corea del Sur, Park Geun-hye (Foto: Jeon Heon-Kyun-Pool/Getty Images)
Encuentran antigua y desconocida ciudad griega al norte de Atenas
Un equipo internacional de arqueólogos e historiadores está explorando los restos dispersos de una desconocida acrópolis en el centro de Grecia, en la colina Strongilovoúni, ubicada entre las grandes llanuras de Tesalia informó el 12 de diciembre de 2016, la Universidad de Gotemburgo.
“Hemos encontrado una plaza de la ciudad y una red de calles que indicaba que estamos tratando con una ciudad bastante grande. El área dentro de las medidas de la pared de la ciudad es de más de 40 hectáreas”, dijo Robin Rönnlund, quien lidera el trabajo en terreno, mientras está realizando su doctorado en Arqueología Clásica e Historia Antigua de la Universidad de Gotemburgo.
El hallazgo cerca del pueblo Vlochos, luego de la primera temporada de trabajo de campo, que se completó en septiembre pasado fue fechado en diversos períodos de la historia griega.
Paredes de la fortaleza, torres y puertas de la ciudad griega en Vlochos, son claramente visibles desde el aire. (Universidad de Gotemburgo y U. de Bournemouth)
Prime Minister Theresa May managed to convince EU leaders to grant the U.K. more time before it leaves the bloc, but experts say her days in office are now numbered.
“A six-month period is clearly enough for the Conservative Party to contemplate a change in leadership while still allowing some time for the incoming PM to seek to negotiate with the EU,” J.P. Morgan economist Malcolm Barr said in a research note Thursday.
“One could even cram a general election into that time frame too if PM May were to resign by roughly the end of May.”
The U.K. was initially meant to leave the bloc on March 29 but was granted an extension to April 12 with the British Parliament failing to agree on any exit deal. Then, when it was apparent that there was still no majority consensus for the deal on offer, May was forced to ask for more time.
Influential pro-Brexit members of her Conservative Party are unhappy at May’s decision and would have preferred a no-deal departure. Others balked at May’s withdrawal agreement with the EU which was seen as a “softer” Brexit that maintained a closer relationship with the bloc.
Time’s up for May?
Despite the Brexit extension Wednesday evening, May will still work to get her deal passed (which would allow the U.K. to leave earlier) and would like to do so before a May 22 cut-off point — after which the U.K. must take part in EU Parliamentary elections.
May had promised to step down if her deal was approved. She has already survived a vote of no confidence from within her own party last December (and technically another vote cannot be held within 12 months) but she could be forced to go if there is a dramatic revolt against her.
“I think this is the end of May,” James Crabtree, associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, told CNBC.
“In theory, they can’t have another leadership campaign until December but if half of her cabinet resigns en masse, or if half of her parliamentary party say they want her to go — which they do — then her position becomes untenable.”
“She’s a very resilient prime minister and she’s hung on when we all expected her to collapse but I think her time is finally up.”
Crabtree said it was now a question of “when, not if” she goes. He also did not think a deal would pass by October, noting “there’s not a majority for anything.”
May’s plea for more time comes after months of infighting in the ruling Conservative Party, and the wider U.K. Parliament, over the direction and form Brexit should take with “Brexiteers” and “Remainers” largely holding to their positions.
The new Brexit departure date of Halloween — which is likely to be the last deadline on offer to the U.K. — has not been lost on Brexit watchers.
“Brexit is now, officially, a horror story,” Barr noted, adding that the new departure date has removed any pressure on the Labour party to come to an agreement with May to ensure that a “no-deal” departure is avoided.
“The fact the ‘no deal’ deadline is now more than six months away serves to remove any real sense of urgency in the near term,” Barr added.
A sense of calm also pervaded markets Thursday morning, sterling was a touch lower against the dollar (at $1.3088) and the euro. London’s FTSE 100 index was trading lower. Daniel Lacalle, chief economist at Tressis Gestion, told CNBC Thursday that a delay means “very little” for investors in the U.K.
“The market right now is rightly discounting an agreement that may take a little bit longer or a little bit less but will ultimately happen,” he told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe.”
“If you look at the performance of the pound and gilts (U.K. sovereign bonds) in particular, you are seeing that investors are quite comfortable with the current situation and that the U.K. stock market is not affected by the challenges of Brexit.”
The British economy has so far proved more resilient than expected during the last two years of Brexit negotiations and uncertainty over a future relationship. U.K. gross domestic product grew by 0.3% in the three months to February 2019, data Wednesday showed. But economists question what effect the delayed departure could have on business investment.
“U.K. GDP growth will probably move sideways for a bit longer yet, perhaps averaging 1.5 percent this year,” Paul Dales, chief U.K. economist at Capital Economics said Thursday. “Of course, many developments could alter our forecasts, such as the state of the global economy, a change in prime minister, a general election, a change in government, a second referendum and what actually happens with Brexit,” he said in a note.
Este sábado en conferencia de prensa, el Ministerio de Salud Pública confirmó la existencia de un caso de dengue autóctono en Montevideo. El caso se presenta en una mujer que no viajó a ningún otro país.
La muestra se analizó en el laboratorio del MSP y será enviada a uno del exterior. En las próximas horas el Ministerio comenzará a trabajar en la zona de Pocitos para controlar posibles criaderos. El ministro Jorge Basso aclaró: “Esta situación no nos encuentra desprevenidos. Podemos dar una respuesta integral”.
El ministro Jorge Basso había dicho ayer dijo que Uruguay estaba “en un escenario” en el que “es altamente probable que en algún momento tengamos un caso autóctono” y que ésto podría ocurrir en los primeros seis meses de este año.
Explicó que hay un gran “número de viajeros” que en este verano se han trasladado a “zonas donde hay estos virus y muchas veces al ingreso al país vienen incubando la enfermedad, la desarrollan en el país, en ese momento el mosquito Aedes aegypti está en todo el territorio nacional, más concentrado en algunos departamentos que en otros, entonces la posibilidad de que ese vector pique a esa persona y a partir de ahí ese mosquito infectado pique a un ciudadano en el país, es altamente probable”.
São Paulo – The workings and particularities of the beauty market in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are the theme of the workshop taking place on April 23rd in the headquarters of the Brazilian Association of Toiletries, Perfumes & Cosmetics Industries (Abihpec), in São Paulo. The meeting is a partnership with the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex) and targets professionals in the exporting, marketing and market intelligence areas of the cosmetic sector.
The Abihpec and Apex organize the project Beautycare Brazil together, to promote products from sectors of personal hygiene, perfumes and cosmetics in the foreign market. The event happens as a preparation for the Brazilian companies’ participation in the Beautyworld Middle East fair, taking place in Dubai, in the Emirates, from May 27 to 29.
“The Emirates are seen as a hub for Asian countries and for other Arab countries”, points out Michel Alaby, CEO of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, one of the lecturers of the workshop.
According to Alaby, Egypt is also an invaluable market for the sector “due to being one of the most populous countries in the Middle East and North Africa, and Saudi Arabia because it sells not only to expatriates, but also to the Saudis.”
According to the CEO of the Arab Brazilian Chamber, the middle class in these countries is the main target for the Brazilian cosmetic companies, “mainly in the areas of skin and hair care, including shampoos, conditioner, straighteners, nail polish, skin and hand lotions”, he says.
During the presentation, Alaby will talk about the negotiation processes with Egyptian and Emirati entrepreneurs. “In Dubai, the main distribution channel for the general public are the supermarkets”, says the entrepreneurs. In the lecture, he will also talk about locally-sold products, such as the Arab extracts (essences) and the vanity habits of women there.
In 2013, Brazil exported a total of US$ 773.75 million in hygiene, perfume and cosmetic products in the Arab countries, according to Abhipec data compiled by the Arab Brazilian Chamber. Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt were, in this order, the main buyers from Brazilian products in the region.
Service
Workshop Arab Countries – Market study in the sector of personal hygiene, cosmetics and perfums for the Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt
Date: April 23rd
Time: from 9 a.m to 1p.m
Place: Abihpec
Av Paulista, 1313 – 10th floor Cj. 1080
Investment:
Beautycare Brazil program member companies: R$ 100,00 (US$ 44)
Other members: R$ 160,00 (US$ 70)
Non-members of Abihpec: R$ 300,00 (US$ 132)
Subscription: Until April 22nd 2014 or until there are no more openings available.
For further information: Daniel Oliveira – daniel@abihpec.org.br Phone: +55 11 3372-9881
Two people have been shot dead at a casino in Wisconsin, police said, in the latest shooting incident to hit the United States.
The suspected gunman was also shot dead by police after he opened fire on Saturday evening in the dining room of the Radisson hotel section of the Oneida casino, near Green Bay in the northern part of the state.
Lt Kevin Pawlak of the Brown County sheriff’s office said investigators believe the gunman was targeting a specific person he was angry at, but the person wasn’t at the casino at the time. Instead the gunman decided to shoot some of the intended victim’s friends or co-workers, police said. One other person was injured.
Pawlak said it was not clear if the shooter was a former employee of the restaurant or casino, but said “there’s some relationship that had to do with employment”.
“Whether or not they all worked there, we’re still working on,” he said.
Jawad Yatim, a witness, said he saw at least two people shot.
“I know for sure two, because it happened right next to us, literally right next to us,” Yatim said. “But he was shooting pretty aggressively in the building, so I wouldn’t doubt him hitting other people.”
Yatim said the shooting began in a casino restaurant.
“We got the hell out of there, thank God we’re OK, but obviously we wish the best for everybody who’s been shot,” he said.
Wisconsin’s attorney general, Josh Kaul, tweeted shortly before 10pm local time that the scene was contained.
“There is no longer a threat to the community,” he said.
Louise Cornelius, the casino’s gaming general manager, said on Facebook that “our hearts are breaking” over the incident but did not give any more details.
“It is with great distress that I post this message to our gaming employees and their families,” she wrote. “Our hearts are breaking over the terrible incident that occurred this evening at the Radisson hotel and conference center. Please know that support will be provided to all Gaming employees who are affected by this situation. More information will be posted as soon as it is available.”
Wisconsin’s state governor, Tony Evers, issued a statement late on Saturday saying he was “devastated” to hear about the shooting, but gave no details.
“While we are waiting for more information, we hope and pray those who were injured will recover and are grateful for the first responders who quickly responded to the situation.”
The Oneida casino is operated by the Oneida nation. The casino is connected to a large hotel and conference centre, the Radisson, also owned by the Oneida nation.
Max Westphal, who was gambling at the casino, said he was standing outside after being evacuated for what he thought was a minor issue.
“All of a sudden we hear a massive flurry of gunshots — 20 to 30 gunshots for sure,” Westphal told WBAY-TV. “We took off running towards the highway … There had to have been 50 cop cars that came by on the highway. It was honestly insane.”
Earlier on Saturday two men suffered non-life-threatening injuries in a shooting at a shopping mall in Tukwila near Seattle in what police described as apparently isolated violence.
Lawyers for the second suspect in the Colorado school shooting, Maya McKinney, who is listed in court records as a female, asked the court to use the pronoun “he.”
The 16-year-old McKinney is transgender and was transitioning from female to male at the time of Tuesday’s shooting at the STEM School Highlands Ranch in Highlands Ranch, Colo., that left one student dead and eight others wounded. McKinney reportedly identifies as a male and goes by the name Alec.
He appeared in court Wednesday, shackled at the wrists and ankles. Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler said that he still has not decided whether to charge McKinney as an adult. In Colorado, 16 is the youngest age that prosecutors can file adult charges.
McKinney is being held for murder and attempted murder, along with 18-year-old Devon Erickson. The two were arrested after students fought back on attempts to shoot up the school. The student who died, Kendrick Castillo, is being hailed as a hero after he was killed attempting to lunge at the gunman.
Al mediodía, la AFA emitió un comunicado en el que confirma que “en horas de esta madrugada el Señor Julio Humberto Grondona sufrió una ligera indisposición. Por precaución su familia decidió trasladarlo a un Sanatorio de esta Capital, donde en estos momentos lo están evaluando”. En los últimos años Grondona fue tratado tanto en el país como en Suiza, sede de la FIFA, por problemas intestinales.
La noticia se conoció en el día en que se esperaba que el director técnico de la selección argentina, Alejandro Sabella, confirmara su renuncia mediante una conferencia de prensa en el predio de la AFA en Ezeiza. Conferencia que fue suspendida tras el anuncio de la muerte de Grondona. “Queríamos que continuara en el cargo. Me da pena la salida de Sabella”, dijo ayer el presidente del máximo organismo del fútbol argentino.
Just a few days before President Joe Biden marks his first 100 days in office, a trio of new polls from NBC, CBS, and the Washington Post and ABC show that Americans give Biden high marks for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, while his overall job approval rating remains positive.
But Biden also faces criticism from respondents over his handling of an influx of migrants arriving at the US’s southern border, and Sunday’s NBC News poll underscores the apparent durability of Republican voter fraud lies.
In all three polls, better than 60 percent of adults approved of Biden’s coronavirus response, and a comfortable majority were enthusiastic about his recent infrastructure proposal, which calls for $2 trillion in spending on everything from roads and bridges to green energy and high-speed broadband.
Americans were also much happier with Biden’s first 100 days than with former President Donald Trump’s early tenure in 2017. While Trump’s approval rating sat in the low 40s shortly after taking office, according to all three polls, over half of respondents approve of the job Biden has done in the first 100 days.
In particular, the IOP poll found, young people of color feel far more positively about America now than in 2017.
Biden’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic appears to have played a significant role in these positive numbers. Prior to taking office, Biden promised to administer 100 million vaccine doses within his first 100 days. He’s made good on that promise and then some: On Wednesday, his administration announced that 200 million vaccine doses have been administered in the US.
In the NBC poll, a plurality of Americans — about 30 percent — said the coronavirus was the top issue facing the country, followed by “uniting the country” at 25 percent.
However, other issues are already shaping up to be a challenge for the Biden administration. According to all three polls, a majority of Americans disapprove of Biden’s early handling of immigration issues and the southern border.
However, as Vox’s Nicole Narea reported last month, the situation at the border isn’t exactly new — there have been surges of migrants at the border before, and “the current situation is not an aberration, but a recurring problem.”
The “big lie” isn’t going away
Though recent polls by and large paint a positive picture of Biden’s first 100 days in office, there’s at least one persistent burr. According to Sunday’s CBS/YouGov poll, just 68 percent of Americans believe that Biden was elected legitimately — and only a quarter of Trump voters say that.
Those numbers are almost identical to what a number of major polls found in January 2021, shortly before Biden took office. Then, according to a CNN-SSRS poll, 65 percent of Americans believed Biden’s win was legitimate, and 75 percent of Republicans either suspected that Biden did not win legitimately, or believed there was “solid evidence” he did not.
There is no such evidence — election officials of both parties, at both the state and federal levels, say the 2020 election was actually the most secure in history — but relatively static beliefs about Biden’s legitimacy suggest that the GOP’s “big lie,” an all-consuming voter fraud mythology with no basis in fact, isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
In fact, lawmakers in 47 states have introduced a staggering number of restrictive new voting bills to address a nonexistent “election integrity” problem, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, including a Georgia bill that has already been signed into law.
This mythology does translate into loyalty among Trump’s diehard base, according to NBC’s most recent poll. As of this month, 32 percent of Americans hold a somewhat or very positive view of the former president. But that represents a dip from January, when his favorability stood at about 40 percent. Meanwhile, Biden’s favorability has increased to 50 percent since taking office, up from 44 percent in January.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the State Department on Monday said to avoid travel to the U.K. as the delta variant of Covid-19 continues to spread.
The warnings are “Level 4,” the CDC and State Department’s highest. While not binding, they come after airline executives and other members of the travel industry have pressed the Biden administration to loosen existing Covid travel restrictions that have devastated demand for international bookings.
The United States has had an entry ban in place for non-U.S. citizens from the EU, U.K. and other countries for much of the coronavirus pandemic, though several European nations have recently opened their doors to international visitors. Canada, however, said Monday it will allow fully vaccinated U.S. citizens into the country for nonessential travel starting Aug. 9.
The White House and the British Embassy in Washington didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The CDC said if individuals must travel to the U.K., they should be fully vaccinated against Covid. Meanwhile, England lifted remaining Covid-19 restrictions on Monday, allowing for indoor gatherings and the reopening of nightclubs.
But Covid infections remain high across the U.K. with 316,691 cases reported over the last seven days, up by about 43% from the previous seven-day period, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
U.S. airline stocks fell sharply on Monday as an increasing number of Covid cases raised concerns about the economic recovery and the potential impact on the recent resurgence in travel demand after a slump for much of the past year.
Covid cases in the U.S. have jumped by about 66% in the past week to a seven-day average of about 32,300 new cases per day, according to Johns Hopkins data.
The video was reportedly recorded Monday, meaning Pelosi was seemingly in violation of local coronavirus-related restrictions. San Francisco hair salons and barber shops reopened for business outdoors only on Tuesday.
Pelosi spokesperson Drew Hammill defended the speaker’s salon visit and said she “complied with the rules as presented to her by this establishment.”
“The Speaker always wears a mask and complies with local COVID requirements,” Hammill said in a statement to POLITICO. “This business offered for the Speaker to come in on Monday and told her they were allowed by the city to have one customer at a time in the business.”
Still, the president and his conservative media allies were intent on promoting the footage. In another tweet Wednesday, Trump used the video to again mock Pelosi for Massachusetts Rep. Joe Kennedy’s failed Democratic primary challenge to Sen. Ed Markey.
“The Beauty Parlor owner must really dislike Crazy Nancy Pelosi. Turning her in, on tape, is a really big deal. She probably treats him like she treats everyone else,” Trump wrote. “And she strongly supported a Kennedy who just lost in, of all places, Massachusetts!”
Trump also retweeted a version of the video shared online by his reelection campaign, as well as a message arguing that if “Nancy Pelosi can get her hair done in person — you can vote in person.”
Meanwhile, Fox News host Sean Hannity derided the speaker in a tweet as “PAMPERED PELOSI,” and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows invoked the salon visit during an interview Wednesday morning on “Fox & Friends.”
Meadows, who is at an impasse with Pelosi in talks for a new round of coronavirus relief, accused her of hypocrisy and said the incident was representative of “typical Washington, D.C.”
“Whether it’s in San Francisco with her going into a salon or in the privacy of a negotiating room, it’s time that she get serious about helping the American people,” he said.
(CNN)Brian Laundrie, who authorities had said could help fill in at least some of the blanks about what Gabby Petito’s final days looked like, has been confirmed dead.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at the opening of a monoclonal antibody site Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, in Pembroke Pines, Fla. DeSantis has sought to block schools from requiring masks for students.
Marta Lavandier/AP
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Marta Lavandier/AP
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at the opening of a monoclonal antibody site Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, in Pembroke Pines, Fla. DeSantis has sought to block schools from requiring masks for students.
Marta Lavandier/AP
Despite a judge’s ruling on Friday declaring that the Florida governor’s ban on mask mandates in schools is unconstitutional, the State Board of Education has forged ahead with its threat to withhold school board members salaries in districts that require the face coverings in classrooms.
Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran announced that school board members in Alachua and Broward counties will not be getting paychecks from the department of education this month, saying their mandatory face mask policies violate parental rights. The board will hold onto the funds until each school board complies with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ now overturned executive order.
“We’re going to fight to protect parent’s rights to make health care decisions for their children,” Corcoran said in a statement on Monday. “They know what is best for their children.”
“What’s unacceptable is the politicians who have raised their right hands and pledged, under oath, to uphold the Constitution but are not doing so. Simply said, elected officials cannot pick and choose what laws they want to follow,” Corcoran stated.
It’s unclear if others counties will be penalized
Local reports indicate that several other school districts have implemented mask mandates, including Orange, Duval, Miami-Dade, Hillsborough, Sarasota, Palm Beach, Indian River and Leon Counties. It is unclear whether school board members in those counties will also have their pay withheld.
The bitter fight is playing out as a rash of COVID-19 infections sweeps across Florida, including among children who are not eligible for vaccination. On Monday, officials reported 18,608 new cases.
DeSantis’s opposition stems from the lack of parental control. He argues that under existing Florida law, parents must be free to opt-out of student mask requirements. However, the rules in place in Alachua and Broward counties only allow for a medical exemption from a doctor.
DeSantis, who barred the mask mandates on July 30, warned that “there will be consequences” for districts that defied the ban.
A judge said DeSantis’ order lacked authority
But on Friday, following a four-day trial, Judge John Cooper ruled in favor of parents who sued, arguing DeSantis overstepped his authority in forbidding the face covering requirement and said it cannot be enforced. He noted that face mask mandates that follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are “reasonable and consistent with the best scientific and medical opinion in this country.”
Cooper also added that DeSantis’ order “is without legal authority.”
DeSantis is appealing the decision and on Monday called Cooper’s ruling “obviously problematic.”
The move could potentially garner federal attention
The decision to withhold funding from Alachua and Broward could open the state up to further legal troubles.
On Monday, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights announced it had launched an investigation into five states “exploring whether statewide prohibitions on universal indoor masking discriminate against students with disabilities.”
At the time, the OCR said it had refrained from opening investigations in Florida, Texas, Arkansas or Arizona “because those states’ bans on universal indoor masking are not currently being enforced as a result of court orders or other state actions.”
However, officials said they would continue to monitor those states and take action “if state leaders prevent local schools or districts from implementing universal indoor masking or if the current court decisions were to be reversed.”
It is unclear if Florida’s decision not to pay school board members will trigger an investigation. The Education Department did not immediately return NPR’s requests for comment.
“MURIENDO POR CRUZAR,” AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE INCREASING NUMBER OF IMMIGRANT DEATHS ALONG THE BORDER, THIS SUNDAY, AUGUST 3 AT 6 P.M./5 C
Carmen Dominicci and Neida Sandoval present the Telemundo and The Weather Channel co-production
Miami – July 31, 2014 –Telemundo presents “Muriendo por Cruzar”, a documentary that investigates why increasing numbers of immigrants are dying while trying to cross the US-Mexican border near the city of Falfurrias, Texas, this Sunday, August 3 at 6PM/5 C. The Telemundo and The Weather Channel co-production, presented by Noticias Telemundo journalists Carmen Dominicci and Neida Sandoval, reveals the obstacles immigrants face once they cross into US territory, including extreme weather conditions, as they try to evade the border patrol. “Muriendo por Cruzar” is part of Noticias Telemundo’s special coverage of the crisis on the border and immigration reform.
“‘Muriendo por Cruzar’” dares to ask questions that reveal the actual conditions undocumented immigrants face as they try to start a new life in the United States,” said Alina Falcón, Telemundo’s Executive Vice President for News and Alternative Programming. “Our collaboration with The Weather Channel was very productive. They have a unique expertise in covering the impact of weather on people’s lives, as we do in covering immigration reform and the border crisis. The result is a compelling documentary that exposes a harrowing reality.”
“Muriendo por Cruzar” is the first co-production by Telemundo and The Weather Channel. Both networks are part of NBCUniversal.
— Domestic spending: The budget makes good on some of the promises Biden made on the campaign trail — which many activists and allies were getting antsy about — with massive investments in combating climate change and a range of domestic programs aimed at both the middle class and people living in poverty. Included in the $6 trillion budget:
$2.3 trillion for infrastructure, including $115B for roads and bridges, $174B for electric vehicles, $85B to modernize transit, $111B on drinking water infrastructure and $100B to expand high-speed broadband access.
$1.8 trillion for Biden’s “families plan,” including $200B for universal free pre-K, $109B for free community college, $85B in Pell Grants, $225B for child care and $225B for a national paid family medical leave program.
$1.5 trillion in discretionary spending, including major increases for the Education Dept., Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development.
— Taxes: Biden’s plan includes $3.6 trillion in tax increases for corporations and wealthy individuals. NYT’s Alan Rappaport puts it like this: “Starting at the end of 2021, the top individual income tax rate would rise to 39.6 percent from 37 percent, reversing the Trump administration’s tax cuts for the highest income taxpayers.”More on that from the NYT
— Deficits and debt: Even with those tax increases, Biden’s budget would run a $1.8 trillion deficit next year. Over the next decade, the federal debt would exceed the size of the entire U.S. economy — growing to 117% of GDP by 2031.
Another important aspect of a White House budget proposal: It starts the clock on the Hill, so be on the lookout for what changes they decide to make because they will be there.
— Remember, y’all: If Democrats want to pass bills through reconciliation (which, behind the scenes, they admit they do) then a budget resolution must be passed to allow that to happen.
Here are three interesting reads if you want to understand the budget and some of the political fights we can expect to see soon:
“The budget plan the White House unveiled on Friday projects economic growth of 2 percent or less per year for most of the next decade, after factoring in inflation. That’s not much different than the sluggish pace the U.S. endured in the decade after the financial crisis and Great Recession, a disappointing economic performance that damaged BARACK OBAMA’s presidency.
“So where is the ‘Build Back Better’ economic revolution that Biden and White House officials have talked up in recent weeks in selling their plans to spend roughly $4 trillion on the infrastructure and on family programs?
“Some analysts suggested that the administration is essentially admitting that its proposed surge in federal spending — which administration officials hope to offset over time with higher taxes on the rich and corporations — won’t actually boost the economy much at all.” More on that from Ben
— At WaPo, Colby Itkowitz notes that Biden’s budget plan “made official his opposition to the Hyde Amendment, a decades-old ban on federal funding for abortions that he long supported before reversing his stance during the presidential campaign.” As Itkowitz notes, the request “is not binding and requires Congress to also agree not to include it,” so you can expect to see some debate on this front coming soon.
— And over at WSJ, Richard Rubin points out Biden’s budget would actually keep a Trump-era tax break on businesses: “Owners of closely held businesses would still get a 20% tax deduction … leaving high-income people who run construction companies and manufacturing firms benefiting — for now. … Although Mr. Biden campaigned on limiting the break, the deduction went untouched in the first $2.4 trillion worth of net tax increases that were detailed by the Biden administration on Friday.”
“WHO emergencies chief MIKE RYAN said Friday that the organization was still consulting with an expert team that visited the virus’s initial epicenter of Wuhan, China, earlier this year about how to proceed with their investigation. All hypotheses remain open, he said.”
SANCTIONS INCOMING — “White House announces sanctions over Belarus’ passenger plane interception,” by Myah Ward: “The Biden administration on Friday night further condemned Belarus’ May 23 forced take down of a civilian airliner, calling it a ‘direct affront’ to international norms and announcing sanctions against the former Soviet republic.
“‘Belarus’s forced diversion of a commercial Ryanair flight under false pretenses, traveling between two member states of the European Union, and the subsequent removal and arrest of RAMAN PRATASEVICH, a Belarusian journalist, are a direct affront to international norms,’ White House press secretary JEN PSAKI said in a statement. ‘These events took place amid an escalating wave of repression by the Lukashenka regime against the aspirations of the people of Belarus for democracy and human rights.’”
CONGRESS
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK —Battle Born Collective, the progressive advocacy group started by HARRY REID alum REBECCA KIRSZNER KATZ and ADAM JENTLESON, is releasing a memo to Democrats raising the alarm that time is running out on the “For the People Act” (HR1 and S1) as well as filibuster reform.
— Why it matters: Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER says the Senate will take up S1 in the last week of June — which is right around the corner. And Democrats are feeling the heat from the base to get something done in this space. Read the memo
MUTUAL RESENTMENT GROWS WITHIN SENATE — “‘Pretty damn scary’: Failure of Jan. 6 commission exposes Senate wounds,” by Burgess Everett and Marianne LeVine: “Democrats thought they’d given [Maine GOP Sen. SUSAN] COLLINS everything she wanted on the commission, and still she came up short of breaking a filibuster. Collins and other Republicans came away worried that [Majority Leader CHUCK] SCHUMER would rather thrash their party as obstructionist than try and get the three more votes he needed to reach the required 60. The resulting bitterness recalled the tension that’s long built up in the House, as the lingering scars of the pro-Trump Capitol attack splinter the two parties on even the most anodyne legislation.
“The Senate … has so far avoided the mutual resentment that’s taken hold on the other side of the Capitol. And the upper chamber is still on track to pass Schumer’s bipartisan China competitiveness bill. Even so, the scuttled commission vote was a microcosm of Congress’ failed efforts to move forward after Jan. 6: Two senators from opposite parties supported the same goals and briefly turned their frustrations on each other as 10 Republicans wouldn’t come on board. It doesn’t bode well for a Senate that controls much of Biden’s agenda.”
FILIBUSTER FALLOUT — “Democrats grapple with the enemy within: What to do about the filibuster rule that could kill their agenda,”WaPo:“[I]nternal tensions emerged in a Democratic caucus meeting on Wednesday afternoon during which the [upcoming voting rights] legislation was discussed, according to multiple senators who attended. … [West Virginia Sen. JOE] MANCHIN came and sat in silence inside the Capitol Hill conference room as a prominent Democratic elections lawyer, MARC ELIAS, catalogued the threats to voting rights being waged in states across the country. Then, several of Manchin’s colleagues rose and made impassioned cases for action.
“None mentioned Manchin by name, but those present knew whom they had to persuade. And the words of one particular senator — Sen. JON TESTER (D-Mont.), who also has a track record of winning in a Republican state — made a particular impression, the senators present said.”
FROM SICKNICK’S LOVED ONES — “‘All talk and no action’: Sicknick’s mother and girlfriend say they were disappointed by GOP senators,” by CNN’s Jeremy Herb: “In an exclusive interview with CNN’s JAKE TAPPER Friday, GLADYS SICKNICK and her son’s girlfriend SANDRA GARZA said they were clinging to hope that they could change the minds of senators opposed to the independent commission, but were still not surprised at the ultimate outcome.
“‘They went through their motions, but you can tell that underneath they were being nice to us,’ Sicknick said of her meetings Thursday.”
DEMS SEE AN OPENING ON HEALTH CARE — “Democrats plot Medicaid expansion backdoor in red states refusing program,” by Rachel Roubein and Susannah Luthi: “Expanding coverage to the estimated 2.2 million people lacking affordable health insurance options in the Medicaid expansion holdout states would fulfill a Biden campaign pledge while his other key health care promises, like government drug price negotiations and a public option, face tough odds in Congress. Democrats also believe it would deliver a major win for their party heading into tightly contested midterm elections next year, given that Medicaid expansion has polled well — including in states where Republican leaders have blocked it for years.
“However, the new effort carries risks that Democratic lawmakers, White House officials and health care advocates have been struggling to resolve in behind-the-scenes discussions over the past few months, say people involved in those talks. One challenge is designing a program that won’t invite backlash from a health care industry ready to battle Democrats on other sweeping changes. Another concern is inadvertently rewarding states that blocked Medicaid expansion for years. Any plan would also come with a steep price tag.”
AMERICA AND THE WORLD
YIKES — “U.S. Soldiers Expose Nuclear Weapons Secrets Via Flashcard Apps,” Bellingcat: “For U.S. soldiers tasked with the custody of nuclear weapons in Europe, the stakes are high. Security protocols are lengthy, detailed and need to be known by heart. To simplify this process, some service members have been using publicly visible flashcard learning apps — inadvertently revealing a multitude of sensitive security protocols about U.S. nuclear weapons and the bases at which they are stored. …
“[T]he flashcards … reveal not just the bases, but even identify the exact shelters with ‘hot’ vaults that likely contain nuclear weapons. They also detail intricate security details and protocols such as the positions of cameras, the frequency of patrols around the vaults, secret duress words that signal when a guard is being threatened and the unique identifiers that a restricted area badge needs to have.”
POLITICS ROUNDUP
MONEY PROBLEMS FOR MANDEL? — “Josh Mandel’s Senate campaign sees exodus of fundraisers, sources say,” Columbus Dispatch: “Three fundraisers recently resigned from Republican JOSH MANDEL’S U.S. Senate campaign, prompting questions about the strength of his fundraising operation, according to Republican sources close to the campaign.”
RANKING (IN) THE BOROUGHS — “How Ranked-Choice Voting Could Affect New York’s Mayoral Race,” by NYT’s Nate Cohn: “New York City will use a ranking system in the mayor’s race for the first time. A phenomenon known as ‘ballot exhaustion,’ when every candidate ranked by a voter has been eliminated, could prove decisive.”
GEORGIA PLAYS THE WAITING GAME — “‘Up in the air’: In Georgia politics, the wait is on for top 2022 races,” by the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Greg Bluestein: “After [Sen. RAPHAEL] WARNOCK’s special election victory over GOP incumbent KELLY LOEFFLER, it seemed a heavyweight Republican would enter the race against him within weeks, if not days. … But a string of big-name candidates passed on the race, starting with former U.S. Sen. DAVID PERDUE and former U.S. Rep. DOUG COLLINS. While other heavyweights are considering a bid, most are waiting on a decision by [University of Georgia football great HERSCHEL] WALKER, who former President DONALD TRUMP said would be ‘unstoppable’ if he runs.
“Enterprising Republicans aren’t usually so eager to step aside for an out-of-state political newcomer to decide — Walker has lived in Texas for years — but support from the former president could be enough to swing a GOP primary. ‘Is the Herschel Walker news a pump fake or just a delayed handoff? That’s the $1 million question in Georgia politics right now,’ said STEPHEN LAWSON, a GOP operative and senior adviser to Loeffler, who is considering a comeback bid.”
BEYOND THE BELTWAY
PILLOW TALK — “MyPillow CEO flew Kristi Noem to GOP governors conference on his private jet,”by Daniel Lippman: “South Dakota Gov. KRISTI NOEM flew on MyPillow CEO MIKE LINDELL’S private jet on her way to the Republican Governors Association spring meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, this week, according to two people familiar with the matter.
“Lindell, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, was kicked out of the event after he had promised to confront Arizona Gov. DOUG DUCEY and Georgia Gov. BRIAN KEMP about why they aren’t pushing to overturn the 2020 election results in their states. … Lindell was able to gain access to the RGA meeting as a guest of Noem’s and as a prospective member, according to one of the people familiar with Noem’s travel arrangements.”
DEEP IN THE HEART — “Texas bill limiting teaching of current events, historic racism appears headed for governor,”Texas Tribune:“Many educators and education advocacy groups had opposed the bill, which still states that teachers cannot be compelled to discuss current events and if they do, they must ‘give deference to both sides.’ Opponents say it limits honest conversations about race and racism in American society. … The version now apparently heading to the governor also bans the teaching of The New York Times’ 1619 Project.”
MEDIAWATCH
FOX DIALS IT UP TO 11 — “Fox News Intensifies Its Pro-Trump Politics as Dissenters Depart,” by NYT’s Michael M. Grynbaum: “For seven years, JUAN WILLIAMS was the lone liberal voice on ‘The Five,’ the network’s popular afternoon chat show. On Wednesday, he announced that he was leaving the program, after months of harsh on-air blowback from his conservative co-hosts. … DONNA BRAZILE, the former Democratic Party chairwoman, was hired by Fox News with great fanfare in 2019 as a dissenting voice for its political coverage. … Brazile has now left Fox News; last week, she quietly started a new job at ABC.
“Onscreen and off, in ways subtle and overt, Fox News has adapted to the post-Trump era by moving in a single direction: Trumpward. … In January, the network fired its veteran politics editor, CHRIS STIREWALT, who had been an onscreen face of the early call in Arizona for Mr. Biden. This month, it brought on a new editor in the Washington bureau: KERRI KUPEC, a former spokeswoman for Mr. Trump’s attorney general William P. Barr. She had no journalistic experience.”
REPORTER ARRESTED IN ZIMBABWE — “Zimbabwe Authorities Arrest Local Reporter Working for The New York Times,” NYT: “The reporter, JEFFERY MOYO, 37, who was arrested on Wednesday, has denied any wrongdoing, and his lawyers have called the accusation spurious. Efforts by the lawyers to secure his release have so far been unsuccessful. Mr. Moyo, who is based in Harare and has a wife and 8-year-old son, has done work for The Times and a number of other news organizations, including The Globe and Mail of Canada. His arrest has come amid a crackdown on press freedom in the southern African country.”
TRUMP CARDS
TRUMP LASHES OUT AT (PAUL AND FRED) RYAN — “A time for abusing: Trump nukes Paul Ryan’s Reaganesque vision for GOP,” by David Siders: “At the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif. on Thursday night, [former House Speaker PAUL] RYAN had opened a speaker series billed as a conversation about the future of the Republican Party. Trump replied by trashing Ryan from Mar-a-Lago the next morning … [calling] the former House speaker a ‘RINO’ and a loser. And then Trump, the rare Republican who has criticized Reagan himself, went after FRED RYAN, chair of the board of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation.
“‘Ronald Reagan would not be happy to see that the Reagan Library is run by the head of the Washington Post, Fred Ryan,’ Trump wrote. ‘How the hell did that happen? No wonder they consistently have RINO speakers like Karl Rove and Paul Ryan. They do nothing for our forward-surging Republican Party!’”
— “Fifty years of ‘Imagine,’” by Spectator’s Christopher Sandford: “Perhaps the real secret to the song’s eternal popularity is that it taps into our modern obsession with feeling good about ourselves.”
— “Is Gerrymandering About to Become More Difficult?”by POLITICO Magazine’s Zack Stanton: “A new approach in the way the Census aggregates its data could make it more difficult to do extreme gerrymandering, says Moon Duchin.”
— “Divided Highway,”by Reuters’ Andy Sullivan: “As a freeway comes down, Syracuse, New York, faces its legacy of segregation.”
— From the archives: “The Long and the Short of Richard G. Darman,”by WaPo’s Marjorie Williams, July 29, 1990: “George Bush’s budget director is (choose one): a) A brilliant idealist committed to the long-term public interest; b) An ambitious cynic fed by the thrill of the game; c) Trying really hard to have it both ways.”
IN MEMORIAM — “Foster Friess, Big Donor to Republicans, Dies at 81,” NYT: “Foster Friess, a Wyoming businessman who founded an investment firm, made a fortune and gave a lot of it away to Republican presidential candidates and charities, sometimes with flair, died on Thursday in Scottsdale, Ariz. He was 81.His organization, Foster’s Outriders, which confirmed the death, said he had been receiving care at the Mayo Clinic there for myelodysplastic syndrome, a disorder of the blood cells and bone marrow.”
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Adrian Culea is now director of the White House travel office. He previously was the director of travel operations for the Biden campaign and is also a Sean Patrick Maloney and NBA alum.
TRANSITIONS — Rufus Gifford has been nominated to be chief of protocol with the rank of ambassador in the State Department. He previously was deputy campaign manager for the Biden campaign. … End Citizens United and Let America Vote announced a slate of new hires: Tina Olechowski will be comms director, Ebonee Dawson will be political director, Jessica Church will be director of state and local campaigns, Brian Wietgraf will be deputy research director, Mai-Thy Tyler will be deputy director of state and local campaigns and Chanelle Kacy-Dunlap will be social media manager.
WEEKEND WEDDING — Sery Kim, former congressional candidate for Texas’ 6th Congressional District special election and a Trump SBA alum, and Michael Cybulski, a major in the U.S. Marine Corps currently stationed at CENTCOM, got married by the Justice of the Peace in the Tarrant County Historic Courthouse in Texas on Friday. The two meet on Hinge in August 2019. Pic
WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Aaron Keyak, former Jewish engagement director for the Biden campaign and transition, and Avigail Goldgraber, a senior manager at Accenture, welcomed twin boys on Friday. The boys will not be named prior to their Brit Millah, per Jewish tradition. Pic… Another pic
— Leah Dempsey, VP and senior counsel for federal advocacy at ACA International, and Mark Dempsey, director of investment adviser compliance at ICMA-RC, welcomed Leo Jay Dempsey on Friday at Sibley Hospital. Pic
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) … McClatchy’s Francesca Chambers … Philip Klein … FP1 Strategies’ Jon Conradi … Bri Gillis … Matthew Dowd (6-0) … Todd Flournoy … Dayna Geldwert … Lee Satterfield, nominee to be assistant secretary for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the State Department … Chris Quillian (5-0) … The Forward’s Jacob Kornbluh … Alex Ford of Halcyon Strategy … Annette Guarisco Fildes … Washington Blade’s Chris Johnson … Nucor’s Eileen Bradner … Mary Ryan Douglass … NPR’s Terence Samuel … Jacob Alderman … former Reps. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) and Tom Coleman (R-Mo.) … Danny Crouch
“Fox News Sunday”: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg … Sen. Shelly Moore Capito (R-W.Va.). Panel: Jason Chaffetz, Kristen Soltis Anderson and Juan Williams.
“Face the Nation”: Scott Gottlieb … Art Acevedo … Kevin Washington … Stephen Kaufer … Paul Gionfriddo.
“The Sunday Show”: Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) … Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) … Matthew Dowd … Jonathan Greenblatt … Stanley Nelson … Jazz Hampton … Marco Williams … Arun Gandhi … Bernice King … Donna Edwards.
“Meet the Press”: Matthew Pottinger … Peter Hotez … Chuck Rosenberg … Andrew Weissmann. Panel: Geoff Bennett, Stephanie Cutter, Sara Fagen and Anne Gearan.
“State of the Union”: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg … Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) … Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) … Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).
“Inside Politics”: Panel: Seung Min Kim, Jonathan Martin, Catherine Lucey, Brittany Shepherd and Yasmeen Abutaleb.
“This Week”: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Panel: Keith Alexander, Tom Bossert and Niloofar Howe. Panel: Jonathan Karl, Terry Moran, Michel Martin and Laura Barrón-López.
“Full Court Press”: Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) … Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.).
Less than a day after a heated exchange about race, Reps. Mark Meadows and Rashida Tlaib reconciled on the House floor.
Tlaib, a freshman Democratic congresswoman from Michigan, had criticized Meadows for using a black administration official as a “prop” at the House Oversight Committee hearing Wednesday. Meadows was attempting to discredit testimony by Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, that the president was a “racist.”
The official, Lynne Patton, a regional administrator of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, formerly worked for the Trump Organization and a foundation established by Eric Trump, the president’s son. She stood behind Meadows during his remarks but did not speak.
“Just because someone has a person of color, a black person working for them does not mean they aren’t racist,” said Tlaib, who is a Palestinian-American and one of two Muslim women in Congress. “And it is insensitive, and some would even say that the fact that someone would actually use a prop, a black woman, in this chamber, in this committee is alone racist in itself.”
Meadows expressed outrage and asked for Tlaib’s comments to be stricken from the record. Committee Chairman Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., who is black, tried to smooth over the confrontation, calling Meadows one of his best friends. He offered Tlaib the opportunity to clarify her statement and she said that she was not calling Meadows a racist, but that it was a “racist act” to use Patton in that way.
RELATED: Michael Cohen testifies before the House
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, listens during a House Oversight Committee hearing with Michael Cohen, former personal lawyer to U.S. President Donald Trump, not pictured, in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Cohen plans to tell a congressional committee about alleged misdeeds by his former boss, claiming that Trump knew during the 2016 presidential election that his ally Roger Stone was talking to Julian Assange of WikiLeaks about a release of hacked Democratic National Committee emails. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Representative Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio and ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, pauses while speaking during a hearing with Michael Cohen, former personal lawyer to U.S. President Donald Trump, not pictured, in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. Cohen plans to tell a congressional committee about alleged misdeeds by his former boss, claiming that Trump knew during the 2016 presidential election that his ally Roger Stone was talking to Julian Assange of WikiLeaks about a release of hacked Democratic National Committee emails. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
UNITED STATES – FEBRUARY 27: From left, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., are seen during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing in Rayburn Building featuring testimony by Michael Cohen, former attorney for President Donald Trump, on Russian interference in the 2016 election on Wednesday, February 27, 2019. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
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Meadows, with tears in his eyes, thanked Cummings and Tlaib.
“To my colleague, Mr. Meadows, that was not my intention,” Tlaib said. “And I do apologize if that’s what it sounded like. But I said ‘someone’ in general.”
“She said she didn’t mean it yesterday, so there was no need to apologize,” Meadows told reporters afterwards. “I wanted her to know and she wanted me to know that our relationship is one that will hopefully provide real good results going forward.”
“I believe that moment as a person of color and not only myself, two, three other of my colleagues had mentioned how insensitive that act was. I think all of us, even folks at home, kind of gasped when that actually happened,” said Tlaib in a CNN interview Thursday when asked if she felt what Meadows had done was a racist act. “I think if we want to talk about race in this country, that’s not the way to do it.”
Before Tlaib spoke, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., who is also black, asked Cohen about Trump’s history.
“Would you agree that someone could deny rental units to African-Americans, lead the birther movement, referred to the diaspora as ‘shithole countries,” and refer to white supremacists as ‘fine people,’ have a black friend and still be racist?” asked Pressley.
“Yes,” said Cohen.
“I agree,” said Pressley.
Meadows, leader of the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus, had previously endorsed the “birther” conspiracy theory that President Barack Obama was not a native U.S. citizen. “We’ll send him back home to Kenya or wherever it is,” said Meadows in a 2012 video.
When asked about the comments Thursday, Meadows told reporters that it was “old news” and that he had said it while trying to win an election.
“I’ve addressed that dozens of times and candidly apologized for that a number of times,” said Meadows. “It was when I was running for office and answered a question — I actually had just gotten back from Kenya. We had been doing mission work in Kenya, so anybody who knows me knows that I really show respect regardless of race or gender,” Meadows told reporters outside the House chamber.
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