The recount of Maricopa County, Arizona’s 2.1 million ballots includes an analysis of whether the ballots have any bamboo fibers, an audit leader said Wednesday. The official said that the auditors were seeking to vet a wild claim that 40,000 counterfeit ballots were shipped in from Asia.

The explanation for the review by John Brakey — who is serving as an assistant liaison for the Arizona Senate Republican-ordered “audit” — confirms suspicions by outside election experts that the rules for the audit had been shaped with crazy conspiracy theories about the 2020 election in mind.

Brakey had been asked by a reporter for the local CBS affiliate to elaborate on a reference to bamboo fibers he had made at a press conference last week.

“There’s accusations that 40,000 ballots were flown into Arizona and stuffed into the box. And it came from the Southeast part of the world — Asia — and what they’re doing is to find out if there is bamboo in the paper,” Brakey said Wednesday.

https://twitter.com/dennis_welch/status/1390020821230313473

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In an open letter published on Tuesday, over 50 major companies and Chambers of Commerce including American Airlines, Microsoft, HP, Patagonia, Warby Parker and Levi Strauss & Co. condemned efforts by Texas lawmakers to enact “any changes that would restrict eligible voters’ access to the ballot.” Like other corporate statements this year, the letter does not specifically name the bills of concern, instead emphasizing the group’s “non-partisan” stance in favor of legislation that makes “democracy more accessible.”

Reports this week revealed a split within the business community as corporate leaders decided how strongly to speak out against the Texas legislation. The Greater Houston Partnership, a major Texas business association, saw its members split in their willingness to oppose legislation by name. Some members joined a separate letter, also published on Tuesday, alongside 175 business leaders that specifically named provisions of omnibus voter suppression bills HB 6 and SB 7 such as limiting voting hours and polling sites, and banning drive-thru voting, that the group believed would “inevitably damage our competitiveness in attracting businesses and workers to Houston. Especially as we aim to attract major conferences and sporting events, including the FIFA World Cup, voter suppression is a stain on our reputation that could cost our region millions of dollars.” The group sent their letter directly to the Speaker of the Texas House Dade Phelan (R).

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In an open letter published on Tuesday, over 50 major companies and Chambers of Commerce including American Airlines, Microsoft, HP, Patagonia, Warby Parker and Levi Strauss & Co. condemned efforts by Texas lawmakers to enact “any changes that would restrict eligible voters’ access to the ballot.” Like other corporate statements this year, the letter does not specifically name the bills of concern, instead emphasizing the group’s “non-partisan” stance in favor of legislation that makes “democracy more accessible.”

Reports this week revealed a split within the business community as corporate leaders decided how strongly to speak out against the Texas legislation. The Greater Houston Partnership, a major Texas business association, saw its members split in their willingness to oppose legislation by name. Some members joined a separate letter, also published on Tuesday, alongside 175 business leaders that specifically named provisions of omnibus voter suppression bills HB 6 and SB 7 such as limiting voting hours and polling sites, and banning drive-thru voting, that the group believed would “inevitably damage our competitiveness in attracting businesses and workers to Houston. Especially as we aim to attract major conferences and sporting events, including the FIFA World Cup, voter suppression is a stain on our reputation that could cost our region millions of dollars.” The group sent their letter directly to the Speaker of the Texas House Dade Phelan (R).

President Joe Biden is planning to raise revenue to fund his infrastructure plans through numerous tax hikes that would mostly hit the top 0.7% of Americans, a new analysis found.

“The vast, vast majority of the population will not see any tax increases,” Steve Wamhoff, director of federal tax policy at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy and co-author of the report, told Yahoo Money. “This plan would really just ask the people who've been very, very successful and have done very well throughout recessions and pandemics… ask those lucky few to pay more.”

These Americans would see their tax bill increase by $159,000 on average in 2022 because of Biden’s main proposals to increase the capital gains rate and raise the top income tax rate, according to the analysis by ITEP. By contrast, the bottom 95% of taxpayers would see no change to their tax bill in 2022 if the proposals are implemented.