September 2020 – Page 24

Ahead of Key Parliament Vote, Poll Shows Two-Thirds of UK Voters Agree With Extinction Rebellion on Climate Emergency

Posted on September 14, 2020 by HelenAtAmarIt

A day before British Parliament is set to vote on whether to join a growing number of governments that have declared climate emergencies, a new poll showed unprecedented demand from the U.K. public to treat the crisis as a top legislative priority.

Greenpeace released a survey Tuesday showing that two-thirds of the British public believe the planet is facing a climate emergency. Under pressure from Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, Parliament is expected to vote on the issue Wednesday.

An official declaration would send a “clear signal that we are in a crisis” and force lawmakers to treat the climate with urgency, 16-year-old climate action leader Greta Thunberg said after Corbyn announced he would seek the vote last week.

The Greenpeace poll was released two weeks after mass demonstrations throughout London began, with the global grassroots movement Extinction Rebellion leading the occupation of several major landmarks as it called on policymakers to stem the climate crisis by ending fossil fuel projects.

Extinction Rebellion is calling on the government to “tell the truth” about the climate crisis by declaring a climate and ecological emergency.

“Tell the truth, that’s our first demand,” a demonstrator said at a protest in Parliament Square last week. “We are here to demand that the government takes immediate action on these problems.”

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“Climate activists, young and old, have put the U.K. government under enormous pressure to officially recognize the climate emergency we are facing,” Greenpeace UK director John Sauven told The Guardian Tuesday.

Both the Scottish and Welsh governments officially declared climate emergencies in the days after Extinction Rebellion began the demonstrations, joining more than 450 local governments around the world.

Parliament will vote on the declaration a day before the British public goes to the polls to vote in local elections. Greenpeace’s poll found that 76 percent of respondents also said that candidates’ positions of whether and how to take climate action would influence how they voted in elections. Nearly two-thirds said the government is responsible for tackling the climate crisis through policy.

“There is a real feeling of hope in the air that after several decades of climate campaigning the message is beginning to sink in,” Sauven told The Guardian. “What we need now is to translate that feeling into action.”

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Greenpeace also unveiled a manifesto including 134 actions the government can take to put Great Britain on a path to reducing its carbon emissions to net zero as quickly as possible.

Proposals in the manifesto include using tax incentives to phase out gas- and diesel-dependent vehicles and replace them with sustainable models; ending unfair taxation on solar power; and making energy efficiency a priority for all new construction.

“The government clearly needs help as they are not sure how to respond,” Sauven said in a statement. “So we have produced an action plan to show how, with a little bit of courage, the U.K. can help avert the climate crisis, and take responsibility for our historic emissions.”

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On #WorldPressFreedomDay, a Reminder: Only 9% of Humanity Lives in Nations That Respect Reporters' Rights

Posted on September 14, 2020 by HelenAtAmarIt

As the international community celebrated #WorldPressFreedomDay on Friday, a leading global nonprofit warned that only 9 percent of humanity lives in countries with good or satisfactory levels of press freedom.

Journalism advocacy group Reporters Sans Frontières—also known as RSF, or Reporters Without Borders—highlighted the detail from its annual World Press Freedom Index, published last month. Based on the report’s findings, the group produced a color-coded map that shows how each country on Earth generally regards free expression and information.

In honor of the United Nations-designated day dedicated to promoting journalism and reporters’ rights across the globe, RSF explains in a new video and on its website that a full 91 percent of the world’s population lives in countries coded orange for problematic, red for difficult, or black for very serious.

While sounding the alarm about a broad “climate of hostility” toward journalists, the video zooms in on a few countries that saw concerning developments last year—from Mexico and India to Poland, Hungary, and France.

“The situation has worsened even further in Saudi Arabia,” the video explains, pointing to the gruesome murder of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi, a U.S. resident who was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last year.

The video also spotlights the United States, where President Donald Trump’s rhetoric continues to fuel attacks on reporters. It notes that “significantly, the United States has joined the ranks of problematic countries.”

“None of humankind’s big problems—whether global warming, corruption, or gender inequality—can be solved without information that is freely and independently reported and reliable, in other words, without quality journalism.”
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Overall, said RSF secretary-general Christophe Deloire, “this situation is very worrying for journalists and above all for all those human beings who are being deprived of their right to information.”

Deloire’s comments came amid a flurry of demands from across the globe on Friday that elected officials and governments commit to safeguarding existing protections for journalists and building upon on them.

“Unfortunately, attacks, threats, harassment, and undue restrictions have become everyday events to journalists and media workers all over the world,” Michelle Bachelet, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a video shared on Twitter. She acknowledged that female reporters disproportionately face violence and threats.

“World Press Freedom Day is an opportunity to commit to actions that can promote more journalism and more transparency for our societies,” she added. “I am convinced we can make the digital landscape a space of freedom, truth, and information.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists marked the day by remembering the at least 1,340 journalists who have been killed because of their work since 1992. The American nonprofit, on its website, pointed out that at least 54 of those reporters were killed last year—an 88 percent increase from the previous year.

Advocacy groups also directed attention to journalists who have been jailed for doing their job, including Pulitzer Prize-winning Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo. The pair remains imprisoned in Myanmar after investigating the massacre of Rohingya Muslims—for which U.N. observers concluded the nation’s top military leaders should be investigated and prosecuted for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

“Whether you are a journalist or not, this day concerns all of us because the truth belongs to all of us,” tweeted Amnesty International secretary general Kumi Naidoo.

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'Victory': Saudi Ship Leaves Port Without French Weapons

Posted on September 14, 2020 by HelenAtAmarIt

A human rights organization called it a “victory for mobilized civil society” when a Saudi cargo ship left France on Friday without a planned batch of weapons.

France, along with other Western countries including the U.S. and U.K., has been supplying arms to Saudi Arabia, which is leading the coaltion bombing Yemen. In so doing, say human rights campaigners, they “risk complicity in committing grave violations of the laws of war.”

Leaked classified French military documents published last month showed that French weapons are being widely used in the coalition’s bombing campaign “including in civilian zones.” The conflict has already killed thousands of civilians

Fearing that the new shipment of weapons could be used against the Yemeni civilian population, French rights group Christians for the Abolition of Torture (ACAT-France) filed a legal challenge Thursday to block a new batch of French weapons from being loaded onto the Saudi vessel the Bahri Yanbu at the French port city of Le Havre. The ship had been anchored 15 miles offshore since late Wednesday.

The weapons, said ACAT, would violate one article of the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty.

“The article says that one country cannot authorize the transfer of weapons, if at the time of the authorization, the country knew that weapons could be used to commit war crimes,” said lawyer Joseph Brehem, speaking on behalf of ACAT.

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While ACAT didn’t win their case, the ship nonetheless did not dock to pick up the shipment, but instead moved on to Spain.

From Reuters:

ACAT-France praised the development, saying that it happened not as a result from a judge but because of an activated citizenry who sounded alarm about the weapons.

It’s clear, said Bernadette Forhan, president of the organization, “that French civil society can constitute a real opposition force to international interests that undermine the fundamental rights of millions of people.”

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"Middle-of-the-Road" Climate Plans From Centrist Democrats Won't Save Us, Warns AOC at Green New Deal Rally

Posted on September 14, 2020 by HelenAtAmarIt

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez issued a rebuke on Monday to longtime members of Congress and presidential candidates who claim incremental measures will solve the climate crisis and vowed not to allow Republicans or centrist Democrats to hamstring the push for a Green New Deal.

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At a Washington, D.C. rally closing out a nationwide Green New Deal advocacy tour by the Sunrise Movement, Ocasio-Cortez told attendees she plans to fight against “middle ground” approaches favored by politicians like 2020 candidate Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The New York Democrat noted that many of the Green New Deal’s critics were in office decades ago and held on to their seats as carbon emissions skyrocketed and NASA scientists began warning that the climate was changing as a result.

“I will be damned if the same politicians who refused to act then are going to try and come back today and say we need a middle-of-the-road approach to save our lives,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

Ocasio-Cortez is a co-sponsor along with Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), of Green New Deal legislation which the pair introduced in February. The bill calls for a “national mobilization” to create green jobs and a new energy infrastructure using 100 percent renewable sources like wind and solar power by 2030. The plan has the support of 72 percent of Democratic according to a Morning Consult poll released in February.

At the Monday rally, Sanders also condemned powerful centrists, many of whom he said enable fossil fuel companies.

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Oil, gas, and coal executives “lie and lie and lie and spend hundreds of millions of dollars to buy out politicians who also tell their lies,” said Sanders. “This is a corrupt system.”

“What is too much for me is the fact that in 1989, the year that I was born, that politicians were first informed by NASA that climate change was going to threaten my life and everyone’s life here, and they did nothing.”
—Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)Instead of endorsing the Green New Deal, Pelosi has pushed in recent weeks for a vote on re-entering the Paris climate agreement, which President Donald Trump left in 2017.

Ocasio-Cortez welcomed such a vote, but told Bloomberg News, “The idea that we can just reintroduce 2009 policies is not reflective of action that is necessary for now in the world of today.”

A recent Reuters report said Biden, if elected president, would seek a “middle ground” policy on combating the climate crisis. The former vice president is reportedly planning to deliver a speech outlining his climate policy agenda by the end of May.

In fresh comments on Tuesday, Biden responded to criticisms of his reported “middle road” approach by claiming, “I’ve never been middle of the road on the environment.”Biden asked critics to look at his record. “You’ll find that nobody has been more consistent about taking on the environment and the green revolution.”

The Sunrise Movement says it is eager to hear Biden’s plans and hopeful that he’ll align himself with the national grassroots campaign, presidential candidates including Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and 104 members of Congress who have pledged to back the Green New Deal.

“We’re nervous about where he stands,” spokesperson Stephen O’Hanlon told CNN on Monday, “but there’s time for him to do the right thing.”

The Sunrise Movement’s nationwide tour is over, but the group says it is continuing to push for the Green New Deal through the work of local chapters all over the country.

“Over the next few months,” co-founder Varshini Prakash said in a statement, “we’ll be mobilizing our chapters around the country to make sure that every candidate knows that if they want our energy, if they want our votes, if they want our passion, they need to support the Green New Deal.”

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Trump Reportedly Demanding Military Tanks as Props for July Fourth Address on National Mall

Posted on September 14, 2020 by HelenAtAmarIt

As part of President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to lead a “jingoistic” celebration for the Fourth of July—inspired by his attendance at the Bastille Day parade in Paris two years ago—the president is reportedly demanding that tanks or other armored military vehicles be stationed on the National Mall during his planned address.

“Trump is still angling for a Giant Tank Parade and trying to figure out how to distribute tickets to his taxpayer-funded VIP section—even though the hostages in the child destruction centers lack soap and toothbrushes.”
—Walter Shaub, ethics expert

The Washington Post reported Monday, citing several unnamed sources, that “the ongoing negotiations over whether to use massive military hardware, such as Abrams tanks or Bradley Fighting Vehicles, as a prop for Trump’s ‘Salute to America’ is just one of many unfinished details when it comes to the celebration planned for Thursday.”

The newspaper added that defense officials confirmed “the Pentagon is aware of Trump’s interest in having armored vehicles involved and is weighing having static displays of them during the celebration.”

After the annual National Independence Day Parade in Washington, D.C. Thursday afternoon, Trump is scheduled to deliver a speech at the Lincoln Memorial. Though the tanks aren’t yet confirmed, Trump’s event “will honor each of the nation’s five service branches with music, military demonstrations, multiple flyovers including a flight demonstration by the Blue Angels, and much more,” according to the Interior Department.

Since Trump was a guest of honor at the French parade in July of 2017, he has been vocal about his desire to host a massive military parade in the United States. Last August, the president cancelled plans to hold such a parade in the nation’s capital during Veterans Day weekend because the estimated costs were so high—which Trump, in a tweet, blamed on “the local politicians who run Washington, D.C. (poorly).”

In February, Trump again turned to Twitter to announce his plans to hold the Salute to America event on July 4, claiming that “we will be having one of the biggest gatherings in the history of Washington, D.C.” The negotiations with the National Park Service to bring in military vehicles for Trump’s speech, per the Post, are just part of the administration’s sizable role in organizing this year’s Independence Day celebration.

Trump’s reported attention to the event—particularly given pressing issues such as the detention of migrant children under inhumane conditions at the U.S. southern border—provoked sharp criticism Monday.

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In response to the reporting about Trump requesting tanks for his speech, Rolling Stone‘s Ryan Bort wrote that the Salute to America event “is poised to be one of the gaudiest, most over-the-top displays of jingoism in American history.”

Some critics, including CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin, have previously condemned the president’s push to headline a military extravaganza as “a gross example of Trump’s narcissism” as well as a “colossal waste of money and display of authoritarianism.” Benjamin’s group, according to the Post, is among those planning protests for Trump’s Thursday speech.

Others raised concerns about the potential impact that the incredibly heavy military vehicles could have on D.C. roadways or the Mall, considering that when Trump’s inaugural committee suggested incorporating war vehicles into his 2017 inaugural parade, military officials “shot down the request” because—as HuffPost reported at the time—”some were concerned about the optics of having tanks and missile launchers rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue. But they also worried that the tanks, which often weigh over 100,000 pounds, would destroy the roads.”

In an article for Splinter Monday, Jack Crosbie sarcastically wrote: “Hell yeah, destroying D.C.’s infrastructure to own the libs. MAGA baby!!”

The use of government resources for the event also triggered alarm—especially considering that, as the Post noted, “National Park Service acting director P. Daniel Smith faces plenty of looming priorities this summer, from an $11 billion backlog in maintenance needs to natural disasters like the recent wildfire damage to Big Bend Park.”

Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks chair Phil Francis—whose group represents current, former, and retired Park Service employees and volunteers—told the Post in an email that “it’s irresponsible to ask the National Park Service to absorb the costs of an additional and political event when there are so many unmet needs in the parks.”

“The men and women of the National Park Service have been asked to do more with less for too long,” Francis added. “Funds should be directed to the agency’s highest needs such as operation of the parks and the maintenance backlog and should not be directed to support political objectives.”

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Bottas rues missing out on another chance of victory

Posted on September 14, 2020 by HelenAtAmarIt

Valtteri Bottas has suffered a string of disappointments in recent weeks, with his Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton consistently able to pip him to pole positions and race victories when it counts.

But at the start of the Tuscan Grand Prix on Sunday it looked like the tide might finally be turning in the Finn’s favour when he was able to take advantage of the slipstream into turn 1 to slingshot his way into the lead.

Hamilton wasn’t able to successfully counterattack, leaving Bottas in charge of the race for the opening laps. An early accident then led to a safety car

Hamilton survives red flags and restarts to frustrate Bottas

“It was like a dream start to me to the race,” Bottas told Sky Sports F1 after the finish. “The start was good, and I also managed to hold my position at the safety car restart.”

“The first part of the race was really good, but also was pretty short,” he continued.

The first attempt to restart the race led to a four-car accident on the front straight and a red flag.

That resulted in a standing restart half an hour later, and this time it was Hamilton who got the slipstream and sailed back into the lead.

“Once I lost the position to Lewis, it was really tricky to get it back,” Bottas recalled.

“Obviously I tried everything I could. The middle stint I was pushing really hard, especially in the middle stint so I could maintain the distance. But when you are behind, you need to slide the car more and that uses up your tyres.

“There weren’t many opportunities once I lost the place, but that’s how it goes,” he sighed.

Another red flag and standing restart didn’t give him the chance he wanted to get the lead back, and a poor launch meant he actually lost a place to Daniel Ricciardo.

He got the position back a lap later, but by then it was too late to do anything about Hamilton’s lead and he was forced to accept second place yet again.

“I just need to keep pushing and keep trying to get better,” he said when asked what he could do to turn things around in his ongoing battle with Hamilton. “It has to turn out well for me at some point so I’ll just keep pushing.

“I’ve lost many qualifyings this year with just a few hundredths [of a second] so that’s the first thing. I need to get those few hundredths to my side.”

There was some criticism of how Bottas had handled the initial restart for being too slow to the line once the safety car pulled in, but he denied that he had done anything untoward.

“We’re allowed to race from the control line, which has been there for a while I think,” he explained. “The safety car has been putting the lights off quite late so you can only build the gap pretty late on.

“Of course when you’re at the lead you try to maximise your chances. I’m not at all to blame for that. Everyone can look for whatever they want for it.

“I was doing a consistent speed until I went. Yes I went late, but we start racing from the control line – not before that.”

Some of the cars at the back went early and ran into the back of those ahead of them, which Bottas said was their own fault.

“They can look in the mirror, there’s no point whining about it,” he stated emphatically.

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Scott appears headed for victory in Florida Senate race

Posted on September 13, 2020 by HelenAtAmarIt

Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) appeared headed for victory against Sen. Bill NelsonClarence (Bill) William NelsonNASA, SpaceX and the private-public partnership that caused the flight of the Crew Dragon Lobbying world The most expensive congressional races of the last decade MORE (D-Fla.) in the state’s hotly contested Senate race on Tuesday, delivering a blow to Democrats that worked for months to help Nelson hold on.

The Tampa Bay Times reported that Scott had won the Senate seat, his third consecutive statewide election.

“Based on numerous media reports the U.S. Senate race has been called for Rick Scott. This obviously is not the result Senator Nelson and his campaign had worked so hard for. The Senator will be making a full statement tomorrow to thank all those who rallied to our cause,” Nelson’s spokesman said.

Nelson’s loss Tuesday brings to an end to the Democrat’s 18-year career in the U.S. Senate and signals that Florida, the nation’s largest and most volatile swing state, isn’t yet ready to say goodbye to its two-term governor.

Scott, who is term-limited from the governor’s mansion, announced his candidacy in April after months of urging from President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE and other national Republicans.

Despite his alliance with Trump, Scott often kept the president at arm’s length during his Senate — a tacit recognition that the president could prove politically toxic with moderate and Puerto Rican voters in the state, whom the Florida governor courted aggressively for months.

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A wealthy former health-care executive, Scott has shown a willingness throughout his two gubernatorial campaigns and Senate bid to spend millions of his dollars of his personal fortune on his political ambitions.

The race was among the most competitive in the country, rated by The Cook Political Report as a “toss-up.”

Note: This story originally reported that Nelson had conceded, as was reported by the Tampa Bay Times. A spokesman for Nelson clarified in a statement to The Hill that the senator had not conceded and will be making a statement later in the day.

Election fallout: What to watch for now

Posted on September 13, 2020 by HelenAtAmarIt

Both sides can say they won the 2018 midterm elections.

Democrats regained the House majority for the first time since 2010.

Republicans not only held but added to their majority in the upper chamber.

That split decision won’t likely lead to a lot of deal-making in the new Congress next year, though both House Democrats and Senate Republicans will need to point to accomplishments when their majorities will be up for grabs in 2020.

Here’s what to look for the rest of 2018 and into the new year.

Leadership battles

The focus will be on the House and the big question is: Who will be the next Speaker? Rep. Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiTrump on collision course with Congress over bases with Confederate names Black lawmakers unveil bill to remove Confederate statues from Capitol Pelosi: Georgia primary ‘disgrace’ could preview an election debacle in November MORE (D-Calif.) is the odds-on favorite, but she will have to offer concessions to restless members of the Democratic Caucus who have publicly called for new leadership.

Pelosi, 78, has already floated the notion of being a “transitional” Speaker, though that is unlikely to win over her Democratic critics. And what exactly does “transitional” mean? Is that two, four or six more years? Pelosi will be pressed on this question. However, Pelosi has the experience of leading the House during a Republican president and passing landmark legislation, most notably the Affordable Care Act.

Finger-pointing

Republicans already were finger-pointing before the election about losing the House and that will only intensify now. House Republicans will blame the White House, and the president will likely point to the large number (44) of House GOP retirements — including the decision by Speaker Paul RyanPaul Davis RyanBush, Romney won’t support Trump reelection: NYT Twitter joins Democrats to boost mail-in voting — here’s why Lobbying world MORE (R-Wis.) to leave Congress.

Republicans contend that the fight over now-Supreme Court Justice Brett KavanaughBrett Michael KavanaughGOP senators urge Trump to back off Murkowski threat Judd Gregg: A government in free fall The 7 most anticipated Supreme Court decisions MORE and immigration rhetoric helped cement their Senate majority. But there will be much debate over whether that closing argument hurt the GOP cause to save the House.

While House Republicans are licking their wounds, Senate Republicans will aggressively seek to confirm more of Trump’s judges, and perhaps another Supreme Court justice over the next two years. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats will need to regroup and again try to win back the majority in 2020.

Russia investigation

It’s unclear when Robert MuellerRobert (Bob) MuellerCNN’s Toobin warns McCabe is in ‘perilous condition’ with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill’s 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE will wrap up his investigation on alleged collusion between Russia and Trump’s 2016 campaign. But with the election now over, most expect more news from the special counsel over the next several weeks or months. If House Democrats disagree with what Mueller finds, they will have the option of launching their own investigation next year.

Impeachment

A number of Democrats and liberals are itching to begin impeachment proceedings against Trump, something Democratic leaders have sought to contain. Democrats at the beginning of next year will be able to do so, even though it might not be in their best political interests. It’s a decision that will weigh on Democratic leaders and Democrats maneuvering to take on Trump in 2020.

Possible White House staff shake-up

Will Trump shake things up again and bring new blood into the White House? Despite constant speculation that White House chief of staff John KellyJohn Francis KellyMORE has one foot out the door, Trump publicly committed to him staying on until 2020.

Others to watch include Attorney General Jeff SessionsJefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsMcCabe, Rosenstein spar over Russia probe Rosenstein takes fire from Republicans in heated testimony Rosenstein defends Mueller appointment, role on surveillance warrants MORE, Deputy Attorney General Rod RosensteinRod RosensteinRepublicans release newly declassified intelligence document on FBI source Steele GOP’s Obama-era probes fuel Senate angst Graham postpones Russia probe subpoena vote as tensions boil over MORE, Defense Secretary James MattisJames Norman MattisMilley discussed resigning from post after Trump photo-op: report Hundreds of West Point alumni call out Esper over military’s role in protests OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Joint Chiefs chairman says he regrets participating in Trump photo-op | GOP senators back Joint Chiefs chairman who voiced regret over Trump photo-op | Senate panel approves 0B defense policy bill MORE, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen NielsenKirstjen Michele NielsenHillicon Valley: Twitter falling short on pledge to verify primary candidates | Barr vows to make surveillance reforms after watchdog report | DHS cyber chief focused on 2020 Sen. Kennedy slams acting DHS secretary for lack of coronavirus answers The ‘accidental director’ on the front line of the fight for election security MORE, Interior Secretary Ryan ZinkeRyan Keith ZinkeOvernight Energy: Trump officials may pursue offshore drilling after election, report says | Energy regulators to delay projects pending appeals | EPA union calls for ‘moratorium’ on reopening plans Trump administration could pursue drilling near Florida coast post-election: report Trump to make it easier for Alaska hunters to kill wolf pups and bear cubs: report MORE and White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Trump’s victories in the Senate will only make it easier for him to muscle through new nominees to replace officials such as Sessions. With a 51-49 majority, replacing Sessions might have been difficult. With a majority as large as 54 or 55 seats, it’s a lot easier.

2020 politics

There could be more than 30 major Democratic presidential candidates, with roughly a half-dozen senators expected to launch a bid for the nomination.

As is customary, likely 2020 candidates such as Sens. Bernie SandersBernie SandersThe Hill’s 12:30 Report: Milley apologizes for church photo-op Harris grapples with defund the police movement amid veep talk Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness MORE (I-Vt.), Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenWarren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Joint Chiefs chairman says he regrets participating in Trump photo-op | GOP senators back Joint Chiefs chairman who voiced regret over Trump photo-op | Senate panel approves 0B defense policy bill Trump on collision course with Congress over bases with Confederate names MORE (D-Mass.) and Kamala HarrisKamala Devi HarrisRand Paul introduces bill to end no-knock warrants The Hill’s Campaign Report: Biden campaign goes on offensive against Facebook McEnany says Juneteenth is a very ‘meaningful’ day to Trump MORE (D-Calif.) have said their attention was on the midterms. Now they and many others have to make decisions on whether to get in, and more importantly, when to get in.

Government shutdown

Lawmakers and the administration face a Dec. 7 funding deadline, and the chances of another government shutdown are significant. Trump wants a lot more funding for his border wall, which the left despises. Coming off a big win in the House, Democratic leaders in the lower chamber will be quite entrenched in their opposition to Trump’s wall initiative.

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Dozens of mail-in ballots sitting in Miami distribution center: report

Posted on September 13, 2020 by HelenAtAmarIt

Dozens of boxes filled with mail-in ballots are sitting inside a Miami-area mail distribution center, according to photos obtained by the Miami New Times.

The news outlet noted that the distribution center where the ballots are located is the same one that was evacuated in October after a mail bomb reached the facility.

The news about the ballots comes the same day Miami-Dade County announced it finished counting votes for the midterm elections, which includes hotly contested Senate and gubernatorial races.

Two unnamed sources told the New Times that hundreds or thousands of ballots may still be in the distribution center.

A spokeswoman for the Elections Department told the news outlet that it was aware of the development. The spokeswoman added, however, that any ballots not delivered to the Miami-Dade Elections Department by 7 p.m. on Election Day would not be counted.

“We do our best to educate voters that, if you’re voting vote-by-mail, then your ballot had to be at the Elections Department by Tuesday, Nov. 6,” she said. “Not everybody mailed back in time.”

A spokesperson for the department did not immediately return a request for comment from The Hill on Friday.

A local CBS reporter tweeted Friday evening that USPS has “no information to suggest any ballots were not properly handled and provided to local election officials.”

From USPS “we have no information to suggest any ballots were not properly handled and provided to local election officials, per our established process.” Election leaders told me they’ll receive mail in ballots from people who sent them late but they won’t be counted. @CBSMiami https://t.co/YshLhTf1mT

— Ty Russell (@TRussellCBS4) November 9, 2018

The news regarding the ballots comes as election officials in Florida face scrutiny over tight gubernatorial and Senate races.

Gov. Rick Scott (R) leads Sen. Bill NelsonClarence (Bill) William NelsonNASA, SpaceX and the private-public partnership that caused the flight of the Crew Dragon Lobbying world The most expensive congressional races of the last decade MORE (D-Fla.) in their Senate race, while former Rep. Ron DeSantisRonald Dion DeSantisGOP tentatively decides on Jacksonville for site of convention DeSantis pushing to host Republican National Convention in Florida Florida bars and theaters to reopen starting Friday, DeSantis says MORE (R) has a close lead over Democratic candidate Andrew Gillum.

Scott on Thursday filed a lawsuit against election officials in Broward and Palm Beach counties, alleging that they withheld crucial information about how many people had voted in their counties and how many ballots they have left to count.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced on Friday that it has not launched any investigations because it has received no credible allegations of voter fraud.

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Beto supporters urged to 'upgrade' campaign signs for 2020 run

Posted on September 13, 2020 by HelenAtAmarIt

The Travis County Democratic Party is encouraging supporters of Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke to hold on to their campaign signs in hopes of a 2020 presidential run from the Democrat, who last week lost his bid to unseat Sen. Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote The Hill’s Morning Report – Trump’s public standing sags after Floyd protests GOP senators introduce resolution opposing calls to defund the police MORE (R).

The party is selling stickers to change the outdated campaign signs from “Beto for Senate” to “Beto for 2020.”

O’Rourke lost a close race to Cruz and since has generated buzz about future plans, including a possible challenge to President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE in 2020.

O’Rourke finished within 3 percentage points of Cruz, a solid performance compared to past Democrats in recent Senate races in deep-red Texas.

“#Beto2020” was trending on Twitter immediately following the El Paso congressman’s defeat last week.

“Upgrade your Beto sign and let him know we’re ready for his next campaign –whatever it is!” the Travis County party said on its Facebook page. “RESIST. REUSE. RECLAIM AMERICA!”

O’Rourke has consistently denied presidential aspirations for 2020.

“I will not be a candidate for president in 2020,” O’Rourke said on MSNBC. “That’s, I think, as definitive as those sentences get.”

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