brooklynite
brooklynite's JournalThe one Republican Senate candidate willing to call out Donald Trump
Source: Politico
Few Republicans are willing to say a negative word about President Donald Trump.
John James — a rising star in the GOP who last year was floated to be Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, and is now waging an uphill campaign for Senate in Michigan — is taking a different approach.
During a video conference with black community leaders last week, James was asked whether he disagreed with Trump on anything given the president’s support of his candidacy.
“Plenty, plenty of issues,” James responded. “Everything from cutting Great Lakes funding to ‘shithole countries’ to speaking ill of the dead," apparently referring to Trump's disparagement of the late Sen. John McCain. "I mean, where do you want to start?”
Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/09/republican-candidate-john-james-willing-to-call-out-donald-trump-244989
New York City hospitals begin planned surgeries delayed by coronavirus
Source: Politico
NEW YORK — New York City and Long Island hospitals are preparing to resume elective surgeries, though the Cuomo administration has yet to approve the procedures as the coronavirus continues to tear through the region.
Hundreds of New York City patients have been trapped for months in surgical limbo by a blanket hold on the procedures. While the term “elective surgeries” evokes face-lifts and tummy tucks to many, it includes many needing surgery for severe spine disease, heart disease, cancer-related procedures and operations aimed at relieving chronic and debilitating pain.
Hospitals say now that the procedures, scheduled before the coronavirus took hold in New York, may have been “elective” at the time they were scheduled, but after months of delay are gaining in urgency. Also urgent for many hospitals is the dwindling revenue from one of its most lucrative practices, which have been on hold downstate for more than a month.
“These aren't luxury procedures,” said Dr. Richard Besser, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “You don't want to do [elective surgeries] when there's no room in your [hospital] system, but if your system has room, [hospitals can] minimize and reduce the risk of someone coming in for another procedure if they’re diligent about infection control.”
Read more: https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2020/05/09/city-hospitals-begin-planned-surgeries-delayed-by-coronavirus-1282465
Kimmel apologizes for suggesting Pence carried 'empty boxes' to nursing home
Source: The Hill
Late night host Jimmy Kimmel on Friday apologized for sharing a video that made it look like Vice President Pence delivered empty boxes to a nursing home.
"t would appear that @vp was joking about carrying empty boxes for a staged publicity stunt," Kimmel tweeted Friday afternoon. He then apologized while making it clear he still believed the event was "a staged publicity stunt."
"The full video reveals that he was carrying full boxes for a staged publicity stunt. My apologies. I know how dearly this administration values truth," Kimmel said.
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/news/496851-kimmel-apologizes-for-suggesting-pence-carried-empty-boxes-to-hospital
In Poland, Schrdinger's election
Source: Politico
WARSAW — Is it an election if no one votes?
That's the Zen riddle that Poland will be grappling with over the weekend thanks to a presidential election scheduled for Sunday that isn't being called off but also won't happen.
Jarosław Kaczyński, the leader of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party and Poland's de facto ruler, issued a statement late Wednesday saying that the May 10 vote will be annulled once the Supreme Court certifies that the election didn't happen, and that the speaker of parliament will then set a new date for a postal-only vote.
It's a relief to opposition candidates who feared being trounced by incumbent Andrzej Duda, and to the European Commission and international organizations, which had become increasingly alarmed at the headlong rush to hold a vote on Sunday despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/08/in-poland-schrodingers-election-244482
Federal watchdog backs reinstating ousted vaccine expert
Source: Politico
A federal watchdog is recommending that ousted vaccine expert Rick Bright be reinstated while it investigates whether the Trump administration retaliated against his whistleblower complaints when it removed him from a key post overseeing the coronavirus response, Bright's lawyers said Friday.
The Office of Special Counsel is recommending that Bright be temporarily reinstated for 45 days as director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, a multibillion-dollar agency that funds companies to develop tests, treatments and vaccines.
The investigative office said it has found "reasonable grounds to believe" that that the administration was retaliating against Bright, who worked at BARDA for 10 years before his abrupt demotion in April. Bright alleged in a formal complaint this week that he was ousted because of his clashes with other top health officials and resistance to touting hydroxychloroquine as a coronavirus treatment with little science to back it.
"We hope the secretary will grant the Special Counsel’s request and allow Dr. Bright, one of nation’s leading vaccine scientists, to return to his position leading BARDA and serving his country," said his lawyers, Debra Katz and Lisa Banks.
Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/08/special-counsel-rick-bright-hhs-244993
Nebraska to Hold In-Person Primary Despite Coronavirus Concerns
TimeBarring an unexpected change, Nebraska’s primary will take place on May 12 — five weeks after Wisconsin held the last in-person balloting when courts sided with Republican legislators who pushed for that election to go forward.
Republicans who hold all statewide offices and control the Legislature have encouraged people to cast early, absentee ballots. However, they argue state law requires polling sites to be open and that it’s important for voters to have a choice for how they vote, even amid health concerns.
As Secretary of State Bob Evnen put it last month, “I don’t think Nebraskans are going to stay away from the polls or not vote because of a microbe.”
Freedom!
The Trailer: I signed up as a Trump supporter, then a Biden supporter. Here's what happened next.
Washington PostSigning up for the Trump app subscribed me to not one, but two automated text chains. The first came in from the Trump campaign within seconds of sign-up, informing me that I had just gotten “Reward Access Unlocked,” thus qualifying me to “earn points & meet Pres Trump during the campaign in fall.” One minute later, the Republican National Committee thanked me for joining the “team,” and asked whether I could let the president “know what you think of this week's accomplishments.”
Following the first link took me back to the Trump campaign page; following the second gave me a yes or no poll on whether I approved of the president, with space to write about why. I didn’t go further than that, but two hours later, the RNC texted with news: “You were 1 of the 25 President Trump selected for a 5X-MATCH EXTENSION! The other 24 patriots already donated, now it's your turn.”
Following that link, I was offered a shot at “a video call from Joe” and told that the “average gift is only $25.” A form to fill in an exact donation amount was left blank; a box that would make this a one-time donation, not a recurring one, was already checked.
Over the next few days, it was easy to forget that the Biden app existed. Push texts were infrequent, and unlike the Trump app, the Biden app didn't let me track virtual campaign events. (That was on the website.) TeamJoe offered me a few options and news items, all of which directed me from the app back to the campaign website. For 24 hours, the top news item was a new Biden campaign pledge, which I could take, committing myself to “empathy,” “keeping the faith,” “humility,” and “no malarkey,” among other nice things. If I wanted to volunteer, the app made it easier, but not addictive.
Eugene Robinson: Democrats need to use Republicans' playbook to make sure Trump loses
Washington PostPolitical warfare in this country has long been asymmetrical. Democrats tend to appeal to voters with arguments based on reason, fairness and economic self-interest. There’s nothing wrong with any of that, but defeating President Trump and his GOP enablers is too important to leave any weapons on the shelf. Democrats need to learn to use the tools that Republicans have long wielded with tremendous skill and success: emotion, patriotism and cultural affinity.
Not to be overly anatomical about it, but Democrats tend to target the head while Republicans go for the heart and the gut.
Fortunately, some veteran Republican strategists are giving a master class in GOP-style political communication. It is imperative that Joe Biden’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee sit up and pay close attention.
“Mourning in America” is a one-minute political ad released Monday by the Lincoln Project, a group of prominent never-Trump Republicans and former Republicans (including Washington Post Opinions contributing columnist George T. Conway III). The 60-second spot is a devastating indictment of Trump’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, and it is safe to say that it drove the president around the bend: He was up until nearly 1 a.m. hate-tweeting at the Lincoln Project’s members.
'Clear warning signs': Focus group shows lack of enthusiasm for Biden among the young
Source: NBC News
WASHINGTON — Joe Biden is in no danger of losing young voters to President Donald Trump. But he faces a lack of enthusiasm among Millennials and Gen Z voters with the potential to decide his fate if they stay home or vote for a third-party candidate.
Many of these voters preferred Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary and perceive Biden as a blank slate. They aren’t sure that he’s a change agent or that his policies match the scale of their problems. Some worry about his age and fitness. Most seem open to supporting Biden to stop Trump but need to hear more from him.
That’s the conclusion of new focus groups that delve into the mindset of Millennial and Gen Z voters who self-identify as Democrats or independents in 11 battleground states. They were conducted in late and mid-April by the political consulting firm Global Strategy Group on behalf of NextGen America, a youth-focused progressive advocacy group.
The good news for Biden is that many voters are persuaded by the argument that his views aren’t so far from those of Sanders, and by endorsements from leaders whom young people trust, including Sanders himself. Biden also benefits from the contrast with Trump, who is immensely unpopular among young Americans.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/clear-warning-signs-focus-group-shows-joe-biden-s-lack-n1201581?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma
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Name: Chris BastianGender: Male
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Home country: USA
Member since: 2002
Number of posts: 94,501
