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Celerity
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Celerity's Journal
July 8, 2019
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Sunday appeared to embrace a nickname President Donald Trump reportedly gave her in an interview for a new book: "American Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump."
In excerpts of the interview, Trump said he noticed Ocasio-Cortez early on as she vied to unseat former Rep. Joe Crowley and compared her to Eva Perón, also known as Evita.
Evita was the wife of Argentinian president Juan Perón who became famous as a champion for the working class in the late 1940s before she died from cancer at a young age. The Peróns were also controversial for repressing political freedoms and rampant government corruption, and are now regarded as fascist leaders.
Ocasio-Cortez tweeted quotes attributed to Evita in response to Trump's apparent nickname.
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez doesn't seem to mind that President Donald Trump has reportedly compared her to one of the 20th century's most famous and controversial champions of the working class — Eva Perón, also known as Evita.
In an interview for a new book, "American Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump," Trump reportedly said he'd noticed Ocasio-Cortez early on as she fought to unseat Rep. Joe Crowley in the New York Democratic primary in 2018. Trump also said he began referring to Ocasio-Cortez as Evita around that time.
In excerpts of the interview obtained by The Guardian, Trump said he first saw Ocasio-Cortez on TV, stating, "I see a young woman ranting and raving like a lunatic on a street corner, and I said: 'That's interesting, go back.'"
snip
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez embraces Trump's 'Evita' nickname for her
https://www.businessinsider.com/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-embraces-trumps-evita-nickname-for-her-2019-7?r=US&IR=TDemocratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Sunday appeared to embrace a nickname President Donald Trump reportedly gave her in an interview for a new book: "American Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump."
In excerpts of the interview, Trump said he noticed Ocasio-Cortez early on as she vied to unseat former Rep. Joe Crowley and compared her to Eva Perón, also known as Evita.
Evita was the wife of Argentinian president Juan Perón who became famous as a champion for the working class in the late 1940s before she died from cancer at a young age. The Peróns were also controversial for repressing political freedoms and rampant government corruption, and are now regarded as fascist leaders.
Ocasio-Cortez tweeted quotes attributed to Evita in response to Trump's apparent nickname.
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez doesn't seem to mind that President Donald Trump has reportedly compared her to one of the 20th century's most famous and controversial champions of the working class — Eva Perón, also known as Evita.
In an interview for a new book, "American Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump," Trump reportedly said he'd noticed Ocasio-Cortez early on as she fought to unseat Rep. Joe Crowley in the New York Democratic primary in 2018. Trump also said he began referring to Ocasio-Cortez as Evita around that time.
In excerpts of the interview obtained by The Guardian, Trump said he first saw Ocasio-Cortez on TV, stating, "I see a young woman ranting and raving like a lunatic on a street corner, and I said: 'That's interesting, go back.'"
snip
July 8, 2019
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/08/jeffrey-epstein-trump-bill-clinton-prince-andrew-case-spotlight-famous-friends
The sex trafficking case against Jeffrey Epstein, unveiled by prosecutors from the southern district of New York in Manhattan, may have implications for many men who have come in and out of Epstein’s social circle.
Over the weekend, Christine Pelosi, a Democratic National Committee official and the daughter of House speaker Nancy Pelosi, warned darkly of a “horrific” case that could include names that have come up repeatedly in connection with the billionaire Wall Street financier
After Epstein’s arrest on Saturday at a private airport in New Jersey, Pelosi’s daughter tweeted: “This Epstein case is horrific and the young women deserve justice. It is quite likely that some of our faves are implicated but we must follow the facts and let the chips fall where they may – whether on Republicans or Democrats.”
https://twitter.com/sfpelosi/status/1147657745253855233
Epstein has counted Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew among his friends and associates. The counts against Epstein allege that he drew dozens of underage girls to his home on the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan. Prosecutors will allege some of the girls were as young as 14. If convicted, Epstein could face up to 45 years in federal prison, according to the New York Times.
snip
The Guardian: Jeffrey Epstein sexual abuse case could push powerful friends into spotlight
Epstein faces 45 years in jail over alleged sex trafficking – and the case could have implications for others who have mixed with himhttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/08/jeffrey-epstein-trump-bill-clinton-prince-andrew-case-spotlight-famous-friends
The sex trafficking case against Jeffrey Epstein, unveiled by prosecutors from the southern district of New York in Manhattan, may have implications for many men who have come in and out of Epstein’s social circle.
Over the weekend, Christine Pelosi, a Democratic National Committee official and the daughter of House speaker Nancy Pelosi, warned darkly of a “horrific” case that could include names that have come up repeatedly in connection with the billionaire Wall Street financier
After Epstein’s arrest on Saturday at a private airport in New Jersey, Pelosi’s daughter tweeted: “This Epstein case is horrific and the young women deserve justice. It is quite likely that some of our faves are implicated but we must follow the facts and let the chips fall where they may – whether on Republicans or Democrats.”
https://twitter.com/sfpelosi/status/1147657745253855233
Christine Pelosi
?@sfpelosi
This Epstein case is horrific and the young women deserve justice. It is quite likely that some of our faves are implicated but we must follow the facts and let the chips fall where they may - whether on Republicans or Democrats. #WeSaidEnough #MeToo
?@sfpelosi
This Epstein case is horrific and the young women deserve justice. It is quite likely that some of our faves are implicated but we must follow the facts and let the chips fall where they may - whether on Republicans or Democrats. #WeSaidEnough #MeToo
Epstein has counted Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew among his friends and associates. The counts against Epstein allege that he drew dozens of underage girls to his home on the Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan. Prosecutors will allege some of the girls were as young as 14. If convicted, Epstein could face up to 45 years in federal prison, according to the New York Times.
snip
July 8, 2019
COLUMBIA, South Carolina — Aliyah Johnson stood petrified for several long seconds, mouth agape, eyes wide, as Mayor Pete Buttigieg walked in the door. When she finally shook off her paralysis, she barreled into his chest for an embrace before breaking into inconsolable sobs. The 19-year-old Columbia resident had been looking in vain for Buttigieg all over the South Carolina Democratic Party Convention. When he made a surprise appearance at a meet-and-greet with black millennials at a bar called Truth, she knew it would be her chance.
She had never met him before, but Johnson needed to tell him her truth: That she had come out as pansexual in May, inspired in part by Buttigieg, who could be the first openly gay president. Her mother, a creationist Baptist, had rejected her completely. “I’m proud of you,” Buttigieg reassured her. “Keep going. You’re doing great.” “He's literally helped me through a lot, even though he hasn't physically helped me,” Johnson later said. “Knowing that there are people like him out there in the world, it's helped me.”
Johnson will vote for Buttigieg. That is assured. But to win the early primary state of South Carolina, Buttigieg will need her mother’s vote too — and the votes of mothers and fathers like her. His candidacy will be a hard sell to any parent who would reject his or her own child because of sexual orientation.
To win the Democratic presidential nomination, it has become critical that a candidate shows the ability to attract older black churchgoers in South Carolina, where six in 10 Democratic primary voters are black and more than half are older than 45. A victory there propelled Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton in the 2008 primary. It saved Clinton’s candidacy in 2016, helping her hold off a challenge from Sen. Bernie Sanders.
But Buttigieg is testing the electorate as never before. Even as polls show increasing support for gay rights among segments of the religious population, black churchgoers still lag behind. “We've got to openly deal with the homophobia that still lingers in parts of the black community,” said the Rev. Al Sharpton, in an interview in Miami after the first presidential debates last month.
When Sharpton, whose sister is gay, came out in favor of gay marriage in the early 2000s, he said some ministers at churches he’d preached at for decades told him not to come around anymore. He sees Buttigieg’s candidacy as an opportunity to confront that. “I told Pete to be very honest, take that on,” he said. “And I told Pete to bring his husband with him because we have got to break down this barrier, unapologetic.”
ENDURING PREJUDICE
snip
much more, and a lot of data, at the link above
Mayor Pete Faces a Familiar and "Vicious" Enemy in South Carolina: Homophobia
https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/wjv97m/mayor-pete-faces-a-familiar-and-vicious-enemy-in-south-carolina-homophobiaCOLUMBIA, South Carolina — Aliyah Johnson stood petrified for several long seconds, mouth agape, eyes wide, as Mayor Pete Buttigieg walked in the door. When she finally shook off her paralysis, she barreled into his chest for an embrace before breaking into inconsolable sobs. The 19-year-old Columbia resident had been looking in vain for Buttigieg all over the South Carolina Democratic Party Convention. When he made a surprise appearance at a meet-and-greet with black millennials at a bar called Truth, she knew it would be her chance.
She had never met him before, but Johnson needed to tell him her truth: That she had come out as pansexual in May, inspired in part by Buttigieg, who could be the first openly gay president. Her mother, a creationist Baptist, had rejected her completely. “I’m proud of you,” Buttigieg reassured her. “Keep going. You’re doing great.” “He's literally helped me through a lot, even though he hasn't physically helped me,” Johnson later said. “Knowing that there are people like him out there in the world, it's helped me.”
Johnson will vote for Buttigieg. That is assured. But to win the early primary state of South Carolina, Buttigieg will need her mother’s vote too — and the votes of mothers and fathers like her. His candidacy will be a hard sell to any parent who would reject his or her own child because of sexual orientation.
To win the Democratic presidential nomination, it has become critical that a candidate shows the ability to attract older black churchgoers in South Carolina, where six in 10 Democratic primary voters are black and more than half are older than 45. A victory there propelled Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton in the 2008 primary. It saved Clinton’s candidacy in 2016, helping her hold off a challenge from Sen. Bernie Sanders.
But Buttigieg is testing the electorate as never before. Even as polls show increasing support for gay rights among segments of the religious population, black churchgoers still lag behind. “We've got to openly deal with the homophobia that still lingers in parts of the black community,” said the Rev. Al Sharpton, in an interview in Miami after the first presidential debates last month.
When Sharpton, whose sister is gay, came out in favor of gay marriage in the early 2000s, he said some ministers at churches he’d preached at for decades told him not to come around anymore. He sees Buttigieg’s candidacy as an opportunity to confront that. “I told Pete to be very honest, take that on,” he said. “And I told Pete to bring his husband with him because we have got to break down this barrier, unapologetic.”
ENDURING PREJUDICE
snip
much more, and a lot of data, at the link above
July 7, 2019
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/aided-by-a-strong-economy-trump-approval-rises-but-a-majority-also-see-him-as-unpresidential/2019/07/04/c9c42c54-9d9f-11e9-b27f-ed2942f73d70_story.html?utm_term=.86728bd3a793
By Dan Balz and Emily Guskin
July 7 at 12:01 AM
Aided by a strong economy and perceptions that he has dealt with it effectively, President Trump’s approval rating has risen to the highest point of his presidency, though a slight majority of Americans continue to say they disapprove of his performance in office, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.
The survey highlights the degree to which Trump has a narrow but real path to reelection. His approval rating on most issues is net negative, and more than 6 in 10 Americans say he has acted in ways that are unpresidential since he was sworn into office. Still, roughly one-fifth of those who say he is not presidential say they approve of the job he is doing, and he runs even against four possible Democratic nominees in hypothetical general-election matchups. He trails decisively only to former vice president Joe Biden.
Trump’s approval rating among voting-age Americans stands at 44 percent, edging up from 39 percent in April, with 53 percent saying they disapprove of him. Among registered voters, 47 percent say they approve of Trump while 50 percent disapprove. In April, 42 percent of registered voters said they approved while 54 percent said they disapproved.
More than a year before the general election and long before the Democrats will select their nominee, the 2020 contest is playing out against the backdrop of an electorate deeply divided over the president, with a small percentage of registered voters up for grabs. Both Democrats and the president enjoy solid bases of support, but more Americans say it is extremely important that Trump not win reelection than those who say it is extremely important that he is reelected.
The survey highlights significant differences between women and men in their candidate preference, a continuation of a trend that has been evident throughout Trump’s presidency. Those gender differences shaped the outcome of the 2018 midterm elections, when Democrats captured the House with strong support among women. In the new survey, men clearly favor Trump against four of five potential Democratic challengers (they are evenly divided over a Biden-Trump contest) while women back all five by strong margins.
snip
full poll
https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/washington-post-abc-news-poll-june-28-july-1-2019/23419a67-9e70-42e3-a96d-65d92555e29b/?utm_term=.2762c6ab03f4
WaPo/ABC Poll Rump RV Approval 47%, Disapproval 50% Aided by a strong economy, Trump approval rises,
but a majority also see him as ‘unpresidential’https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/aided-by-a-strong-economy-trump-approval-rises-but-a-majority-also-see-him-as-unpresidential/2019/07/04/c9c42c54-9d9f-11e9-b27f-ed2942f73d70_story.html?utm_term=.86728bd3a793
By Dan Balz and Emily Guskin
July 7 at 12:01 AM
Aided by a strong economy and perceptions that he has dealt with it effectively, President Trump’s approval rating has risen to the highest point of his presidency, though a slight majority of Americans continue to say they disapprove of his performance in office, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.
The survey highlights the degree to which Trump has a narrow but real path to reelection. His approval rating on most issues is net negative, and more than 6 in 10 Americans say he has acted in ways that are unpresidential since he was sworn into office. Still, roughly one-fifth of those who say he is not presidential say they approve of the job he is doing, and he runs even against four possible Democratic nominees in hypothetical general-election matchups. He trails decisively only to former vice president Joe Biden.
Trump’s approval rating among voting-age Americans stands at 44 percent, edging up from 39 percent in April, with 53 percent saying they disapprove of him. Among registered voters, 47 percent say they approve of Trump while 50 percent disapprove. In April, 42 percent of registered voters said they approved while 54 percent said they disapproved.
More than a year before the general election and long before the Democrats will select their nominee, the 2020 contest is playing out against the backdrop of an electorate deeply divided over the president, with a small percentage of registered voters up for grabs. Both Democrats and the president enjoy solid bases of support, but more Americans say it is extremely important that Trump not win reelection than those who say it is extremely important that he is reelected.
The survey highlights significant differences between women and men in their candidate preference, a continuation of a trend that has been evident throughout Trump’s presidency. Those gender differences shaped the outcome of the 2018 midterm elections, when Democrats captured the House with strong support among women. In the new survey, men clearly favor Trump against four of five potential Democratic challengers (they are evenly divided over a Biden-Trump contest) while women back all five by strong margins.
snip
full poll
https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/washington-post-abc-news-poll-june-28-july-1-2019/23419a67-9e70-42e3-a96d-65d92555e29b/?utm_term=.2762c6ab03f4
July 5, 2019
The Trump administration on Friday stepped up its effort to place a citizenship question on the 2020 Census, after the president said he was mulling an executive order to deal with the impasse and Justice Department lawyers told a federal judge they were still looking for a legal way forward.
The Supreme Court has called the administration’s rationale for the question “contrived” and said the government could not go forward without a solid justification. On Friday, Trump and a key official mentioned other possible reasons for adding the query in statements that added to a week-long swirl of contradictions and that could make the administration’s case even more difficult.
Government lawyers said in a filing Friday that the Justice and Commerce departments had been “instructed to examine whether there is a path forward” for the question and that if one was found they would file a motion in the Supreme Court to try to get the question on the survey to be sent to every U.S. household.
Their filing came in a case before U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel in Maryland that poses the issue of whether the addition of the citizenship question would violate equal-protection guarantees and whether it is part of a conspiracy to drive down the count of minorities. He scheduled information gathering to begin immediately and conclude by Aug. 19, with any witnesses to testify in early September.
The government has begun printing the census forms without the question, and that process will continue, administration officials said. Statements Friday from Trump and his acting U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services director, Ken Cuccinelli, seemed to add confusion to why the government wants the addition.
snip
U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel's scheduling order in citizenship-census question case
https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/u-s-district-judge-george-j-hazel-s-scheduling-order-in-citizenship-census-question-case/46be26c8-e192-4f87-84ab-fb4ff2cf59fd/?utm_term=.60863181ecf8
Justice Department's July 5 response over citizenship-census question in filing to U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/justice-department-s-july-5-response-over-citizenship-census-question-in-filing-to-u-s-district-court-for-the-district-of-maryland/d745f424-273a-4068-bcad-fdb0a50b04bc/?utm_term=.46b3e4e70f09
WaPo: As lawyers step up census efforts, Trump considers executive order
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/trump-says-he-is-thinking-of-executive-order-to-revive-census-citizenship-question/2019/07/05/d3ec5986-9f20-11e9-9ed4-c9089972ad5a_story.html?utm_term=.bc0e1b814c82The Trump administration on Friday stepped up its effort to place a citizenship question on the 2020 Census, after the president said he was mulling an executive order to deal with the impasse and Justice Department lawyers told a federal judge they were still looking for a legal way forward.
The Supreme Court has called the administration’s rationale for the question “contrived” and said the government could not go forward without a solid justification. On Friday, Trump and a key official mentioned other possible reasons for adding the query in statements that added to a week-long swirl of contradictions and that could make the administration’s case even more difficult.
Government lawyers said in a filing Friday that the Justice and Commerce departments had been “instructed to examine whether there is a path forward” for the question and that if one was found they would file a motion in the Supreme Court to try to get the question on the survey to be sent to every U.S. household.
Their filing came in a case before U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel in Maryland that poses the issue of whether the addition of the citizenship question would violate equal-protection guarantees and whether it is part of a conspiracy to drive down the count of minorities. He scheduled information gathering to begin immediately and conclude by Aug. 19, with any witnesses to testify in early September.
The government has begun printing the census forms without the question, and that process will continue, administration officials said. Statements Friday from Trump and his acting U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services director, Ken Cuccinelli, seemed to add confusion to why the government wants the addition.
snip
U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel's scheduling order in citizenship-census question case
https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/u-s-district-judge-george-j-hazel-s-scheduling-order-in-citizenship-census-question-case/46be26c8-e192-4f87-84ab-fb4ff2cf59fd/?utm_term=.60863181ecf8
Justice Department's July 5 response over citizenship-census question in filing to U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/justice-department-s-july-5-response-over-citizenship-census-question-in-filing-to-u-s-district-court-for-the-district-of-maryland/d745f424-273a-4068-bcad-fdb0a50b04bc/?utm_term=.46b3e4e70f09
July 4, 2019
Rachel Maddow: Governor Steve Bullock's proven record of progressive achievement (and other videos)
https://stevebullock.com/
July 3, 2019
New National Poll (June 30 - July 2) Biden 21%, Warren 18%, Harris 13%, Sanders 10%, Pete 9%
No one else above 3%
https://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/4ggh3e3308/econTabReport.pdf
9 point drop in Joe's lead since their poll 2 weeks ago
https://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/f0cbavpadc/econTabReport.pdf
The Poll is B rated by 538, 88% of races called correctly
Biden lost a net 7 points of black voter support compared to Warren and Harris combined, and a net negative 9 points in Hispanic support to Warren and Harris combined
Pete lost 1 point in black voter support, from 3% to 2%, so this continues a worrying trend.
July 2, 2019
Never-Trump Republicans and independents may be shocked to hear this, but the Democratic Party is likely to nominate a Democrat for president. That means they’re not going to nominate someone who thinks exactly like a Never-Trump Republican. Break out the smelling salts. I think several refugees from the GOP, pontificating on Twitter and the nation’s leading op-ed pages, just fainted dead away.
I, for one, have pretty much had it with the chorus of center-right voices braying that the Democrats are heading for certain doom — and the nation for four more years of President Trump — if the party picks a nominee who actually embraces the party’s ideals. Elections are choices. These Never Trumpers will have to make one.
Anyone who watched last week’s two-night candidates’ debate should be confident that the eventual Democratic nominee is virtually certain to support universal health care, comprehensive and compassionate immigration reform, reasonable gun control, measures to address climate change and bold steps to address income inequality. No, this is not a Republican agenda. Outcasts from the GOP will have to decide whether to accept it, in the interest of ending our long national nightmare, or reject it and stick with a president who kowtows to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un.
But don’t blame Democrats for supposedly driving moderate voters into the arms of Trump. For one thing, if Never-Trump Republicans were such brilliant political analysts, they’d never have lost control of their party to Trump in the first place. For another, polls show that the Democratic agenda has broad public support. Yes, Trump is going to yell “socialism.” But Democrats could nominate the ghost of Ronald Reagan and Trump would still try his best to paint the apparition red. That’s his only play, whether the nominee is comfy-slipper Joe Biden, firebrand Bernie Sanders or any of the others in between.
snip
Never Trumpers have a decision to make
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/never-trumpers-have-a-decision-to-make/2019/07/01/1f1e9c6a-9c2f-11e9-9ed4-c9089972ad5a_story.html?utm_term=.2efce7919738Never-Trump Republicans and independents may be shocked to hear this, but the Democratic Party is likely to nominate a Democrat for president. That means they’re not going to nominate someone who thinks exactly like a Never-Trump Republican. Break out the smelling salts. I think several refugees from the GOP, pontificating on Twitter and the nation’s leading op-ed pages, just fainted dead away.
I, for one, have pretty much had it with the chorus of center-right voices braying that the Democrats are heading for certain doom — and the nation for four more years of President Trump — if the party picks a nominee who actually embraces the party’s ideals. Elections are choices. These Never Trumpers will have to make one.
Anyone who watched last week’s two-night candidates’ debate should be confident that the eventual Democratic nominee is virtually certain to support universal health care, comprehensive and compassionate immigration reform, reasonable gun control, measures to address climate change and bold steps to address income inequality. No, this is not a Republican agenda. Outcasts from the GOP will have to decide whether to accept it, in the interest of ending our long national nightmare, or reject it and stick with a president who kowtows to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un.
But don’t blame Democrats for supposedly driving moderate voters into the arms of Trump. For one thing, if Never-Trump Republicans were such brilliant political analysts, they’d never have lost control of their party to Trump in the first place. For another, polls show that the Democratic agenda has broad public support. Yes, Trump is going to yell “socialism.” But Democrats could nominate the ghost of Ronald Reagan and Trump would still try his best to paint the apparition red. That’s his only play, whether the nominee is comfy-slipper Joe Biden, firebrand Bernie Sanders or any of the others in between.
snip
July 2, 2019
https://www.thedailybeast.com/center-for-american-progress-puts-think-progress-up-for-sale?ref=home1
ThinkProgress, the flagship news site of the Democratic think tank Center for American Progress, is up for sale. Staff were informed on Monday afternoon that the site would be sold off and a CAP official told The Daily Beast that the organization would begin looking for prospective buyers for the website, which has come under severe financial strains during the Trump era.
“Unfortunately, like so many other news outlets that have relied on advertising to fund its work, ThinkProgress has seen a significant drop in revenue in recent years, along with other financial strains. In addition, events over the last few years have underscored the divergent missions of American Progress and ThinkProgress,” said Navin Nayak, executive director of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.
“For all of these reasons, we announced to the ThinkProgress staff today that we are searching for a new publisher for the news site. This is a tough decision since ThinkProgress has been a part of CAP Action almost since its founding. While ThinkProgress' financial challenges are unsustainable for an organization like CAP Action, we are hopeful that there are publishers who would be better able to support ThinkProgress' mission and better positioned to maximize the significant value ThinkProgress has built up.”
Launched 14 years ago during the height of the Bush administration, ThinkProgress made a name for itself over time as an unapologetically progressive source of news and a launching pad for several major progressive luminaries. But the site, which is editorially independent from CAP, has struggled in recent years as advertising revenues have dried up and traffic has dipped. According to internal documents previously reviewed by The Daily Beast, the site was facing a $3 million gulf between revenues and expenses in 2019, with $350,000 of it made up by a shortfall in ad revenue and nearly $180,000 of it coming from a drop in expected online contributions.
ThinkProgress has never been profitable. In the past, it has made up its shortfalls with contributions from CAP and CAP donors. Several ThinkProgress alums told The Daily Beast that they believed that CAP could continue covering the deficit but had concluded that the site was too much of an editorial headache and too big a financial drain for them to rationalize doing so.
snip
Center for American Progress Puts ThinkProgress Up for Sale
News site launched during the Bush years is running millions of dollars short. Its parent think tank says it will consider the editorial leanings of prospective owners.https://www.thedailybeast.com/center-for-american-progress-puts-think-progress-up-for-sale?ref=home1
ThinkProgress, the flagship news site of the Democratic think tank Center for American Progress, is up for sale. Staff were informed on Monday afternoon that the site would be sold off and a CAP official told The Daily Beast that the organization would begin looking for prospective buyers for the website, which has come under severe financial strains during the Trump era.
“Unfortunately, like so many other news outlets that have relied on advertising to fund its work, ThinkProgress has seen a significant drop in revenue in recent years, along with other financial strains. In addition, events over the last few years have underscored the divergent missions of American Progress and ThinkProgress,” said Navin Nayak, executive director of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.
“For all of these reasons, we announced to the ThinkProgress staff today that we are searching for a new publisher for the news site. This is a tough decision since ThinkProgress has been a part of CAP Action almost since its founding. While ThinkProgress' financial challenges are unsustainable for an organization like CAP Action, we are hopeful that there are publishers who would be better able to support ThinkProgress' mission and better positioned to maximize the significant value ThinkProgress has built up.”
Launched 14 years ago during the height of the Bush administration, ThinkProgress made a name for itself over time as an unapologetically progressive source of news and a launching pad for several major progressive luminaries. But the site, which is editorially independent from CAP, has struggled in recent years as advertising revenues have dried up and traffic has dipped. According to internal documents previously reviewed by The Daily Beast, the site was facing a $3 million gulf between revenues and expenses in 2019, with $350,000 of it made up by a shortfall in ad revenue and nearly $180,000 of it coming from a drop in expected online contributions.
ThinkProgress has never been profitable. In the past, it has made up its shortfalls with contributions from CAP and CAP donors. Several ThinkProgress alums told The Daily Beast that they believed that CAP could continue covering the deficit but had concluded that the site was too much of an editorial headache and too big a financial drain for them to rationalize doing so.
snip
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