October 18, 2018

Post-Michael poll: Andrew Gillum, Ron DeSantis deadlocked; Rick Scott narrowly leads Bill Nelson

In the first poll since Hurricane Michael devastated the Panhandle — and changed the course of state politics — the race for Florida Governor is virtually tied.

Twenty days before Election Day, Democrat Andrew Gillum is at 47 percent, while Republican Ron DeSantis is at 46. However, among those who say they have already voted, DeSantis is at 49 percent, while Gillum is at 45 percent.

http://floridapolitics.com/archives/277928-poll-post-michael-andrew-gillum-ron-desantis-deadlocked-rick-scott-narrowly-leads-bill-nelson

October 17, 2018

Nancy Pelosi Will Rise Again

Some Democrats are tired of Pelosi, and Republicans can’t stand her. Here’s why she’ll almost definitely be speaker again anyway.

Slate

October 17, 2018

New video shows off-duty Chicago police sergeant shooting teen from vehicle

Video released Tuesday shows an off-duty Chicago police sergeant opening fire from his vehicle and wounding an apparently unarmed man as he stood on a sidewalk in front of a home in the Morgan Park neighborhood on the Far South Side.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability released police dashboard camera, home surveillance video and police reports more than a year after Ricardo “Ricky” Hayes, then 18, was shot in the arm and chest in the 11100 block of South Hermosa Avenue.

Chicago Tribune

October 17, 2018

Justices thwart Rick Scott's scheme to keep Florida's Supreme Court in GOP control for years to come

Had Scott gone through with this scheme, the Florida Supreme Court would have gone from 4-3 GOP appointees to 7-0

This year, Florida has very good odds of electing Andrew Gillum, the charismatic, progressive Tallahassee mayor, as their next governor. But outgoing GOP governor Rick Scott thought he had a perfect plan to ensure that even if Gillum won, the state courts would remain in solid Republican control for years to come.

On Monday, however, the Florida Supreme Court put a stop to his scheme.

Scott's idea was that on his last day in office, he would appoint three Republicans to the Florida Supreme Court. The state consitution says that three existing Democratic-appointed justices on the court would hit mandatory retirement on the same date he would exit the governor's mansion: January 8. Scott twisted the meaning of this to interpret it as, the justices would be out of office at midnight on January 8, but he would still be governor until the moment the next governor is sworn in — meaning he would have a window of a few hours to jam his own cronies onto the court instead of the next governor. Last month, in anticipation of this, Scott ordered the judicial nominating commission — whose members he himself appointed — to give him a list of candidates to pick from on January 8.

Had Scott gone through with this scheme, the Florida Supreme Court would have gone from 4-3 Republican appointees to 7-0, all but ensuring the state courts would become a rubber stamp for the GOP regardless of who won the governor's race.

Salon

October 17, 2018

Person-to-person conversations are the most effective way to turn people out to vote.

https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/1052241167650295808

And some more from one of the strongest and most courageous political fighters of our lifetime.

https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/1052241433665654784

https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/1050783588529127428

https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/1050783592891203585

https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/1050783590987063297




Relentlessly attacked as an individual for decades yet still fighting for the betterment of all.

October 16, 2018

Runner's Emotional Reaction to Becoming First Ever Pro Athlete With Cerebral Palsy Signed by Nike

Despite having cerebral palsy, Justin Gallegos has spent the last seven years pursuing his passion for running – and his hard work has finally paid off.

Gallegos has just become the first athlete with cerebral palsy to sign a professional contract with Nike.

In a heart-wrenching new video that was filmed by Elevation Om productions, Gallegos is surprised with the contract after finishing a running practice with his University of Oregon team.

Good News Network

October 16, 2018

Deputy/Attorney General Plays A Big Role At The End Of The Mueller Investigation

American public might never see final Mueller report on Russian election interference

What will special counsel Robert Mueller find when his investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election is finally complete?

The American public might never get to see the full picture.

Under the current special counsel regulation, Mueller is required to provide the attorney general with a “confidential report explaining the prosecution or declination decisions reached by the Special Counsel,” but it will be up to the attorney general — or, at the moment, his deputy — whether to release that report to the public.

But President Donald Trump has publicly considered removing both Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who inherited supervision of the investigation after Sessions’ recusal, at various points in the first two years of his administration, stoking concerns from Democrats that their potential replacements could order an end to the investigation or attempt to bury its findings.

ABC

October 16, 2018

Boy With Autism Meets Taylor Swift After She Helped Him Get A 'Life-Changing' Service Dog

Two years ago, Taylor Swift donated $10,000 to help Jacob Hill get a service dog.

Last weekend, with no advance notice, Taylor sent front row tickets and backstage passes to Jacob's family for her concert in Houston.

The world can be an overwhelming place for Jacob, an 8-year-old with autism. He is very sensitive to loud noises and bright lights. But he overcame them to meet his favorite musician, Taylor Swift.

Jacob also tends to wander off, which is why Taylor donated $10,000 to Jacob's family to get him a service dog. The donation was sent after Jacob's sister and cousin re-wrote Taylor's "Blank Space" and put it on YouTube, hoping for donations.

https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/3027/Boy-With-Autism-Meets-Taylor-Swift-After-She-Helped-Him-Get-A-039-Life-Changing-039-Service-Dog

October 16, 2018

Canada starts legal marijuana sales Wednesday as world watches closely

VANCOUVER – Canada’s launch of legal marijuana sales may set the stage for a global cannabis revolution, unleashing a wave of high-quality medical research that could bolster pot's reputation as a healthier alternative to alcohol and tobacco and fuel a economic boom across the USA.

Starting Wednesday, Canada becomes the highest-profile country to not only decriminalize cannabis possession and use, but to tax, regulate and monitor its growth, distribution and sale.

"They know they are the global leaders if they get it right. And they are making this a priority from the top down," said April Pride of Van der Pop, a Seattle-based women-focused cannabis lifestyle brand operating in the USA and Canada.

Canada’s national approach means pot businesses can use banks, trade stocks and sponsor peer-reviewed medical studies like any other pharmaceutical operation. It's a far cry from the piecemeal approach taken in the USA, where cannabis entrepreneurs worry the Justice Department may swoop in if the political winds shift. Though a majority of states have adopted some form of legal weed, marijuana remains illegal at the federal level in the USA.

USA Today

October 16, 2018

Democrats eyeing 2020 run are building ties to power brokers in key states

Before he cut the $100,000 checks, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti brought the Democratic Party chairmen from Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada backstage to meet late night television host Jimmy Kimmel and superstar hip-hop producer DJ Khaled.

Garcetti may not be the best-known 2020 presidential prospect, but he will not be forgotten by those who lead Democratic politics in the states most responsible for picking the party's next presidential nominee.

After the star-studded California fundraiser late last month that featured 10 state-party chairmen, followed by a private dinner, Garcetti issued $100,000 checks to each of their state parties. It was the money, more than the celebrity, that impressed New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-2020-democratic-presidential-candidates-20181016-story.html

Been seeing a lot of new names. Avenatti, Eric Garcetti, Howard Schultz.

I think Bloomberg is the one I am least excited about, if he throws his hat in the ring. I just worry he might be able to buy the office. Not that other don't have serious money.

I've heard very few name thrown out of people who don't speak well to our causes. I'm really excited about the next couple of years. The Senate is so important right now. Absolutely huge. The house is our stop-gap when it comes to Trumps destruction. Though he will still be able to cause enormous damage.