Feds taking first steps toward revising race, ethnic terms
The federal government is taking preliminary steps toward revising racial and ethnic classifications that haven't been changed in a quarter century following calls for better categories for how people identify themselves in federal data gathering.
Kosovar artist creates portrait of Zelensky with seeds
Kosovar artist Alkent Pozhegu, a specialist in mosaics made out of seeds, creates a 7.5 square-metre portrait of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Gjakova. Pozhegu says he did not know Zelensky before the Russian invasion, but that the leader "has inspired the whole world."
news.yahoo.comRashida Tlaibās State of the Union Response to Biden Is a Gift to the GOP
Working Families PartyOn the night of President Joe Bidenās first State of the Union address, in which the president called for unity against both foreign and domestic threats, why would a fellow Democrat feel compelled to deliver a progressive response?Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib spoke on behalf of not the Democratic Party but the Working Families Party, in her post-SOTU comments. She was careful not to call it a rebuttal, but whatever you call it, itās a slap at her partyās leader at a time wh
news.yahoo.comSenator Ted Cruz blocks Biden's State Department nominees
Senator Ted Cruz is one of the Republican senators slowing the confirmation of President Biden's State Department nominees. He says he is objecting because Mr. Biden is not sanctioning Moscow over a gas pipeline between Russia and Germany. CBS News correspondent Christina Ruffini joins Tanya Rivero on CBSN to explain.
news.yahoo.comWhite House pushes back at Rashida Tlaib prison stand
The White House distanced itself from a proposal endorsed by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) that calls for closing federal prisons."The president does not support abolishing prisons," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a Tuesday briefing. Why it matters: Psaki's remarks come amid a broader discussion on prison reform and after Tlaib was challenged on her stance by Axios' Jonathan Swan in an "Axios on HBO" interview.Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for fr
news.yahoo.comAOC, Tlaib and Pressley urge Biden to replace Fed chair Jerome Powell
Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) are calling on President Biden to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell with someone more focused on "eliminating climate risk and advancing racial and economic justice," according to a joint statement reported by Politico.Driving the news: Powell's term will end in early 2022, though some economists have said Biden will likely reappoint him.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic in
news.yahoo.comCongressional leaders urge FCC to perform equity audit
Congressional leaders and a media advocacy organization are urging the Federal Communications Commission to investigate how policy decisions have disparately harmed Black Americans and other communities of color, according to a letter sent Tuesday to the acting FCC chair.
Police union PACs have spent $510,000 targeting The Squad, but may not be aiming to unseat them as much as raise funds for themselves, report says
The Squad, a group of four US representatives that are women of color, are deeply unpopular among conservatives, so the attacks could help raise funds.
news.yahoo.comHow Joe Biden Became the Stay-Out-of-It President
President Joe Biden wanted to feel for himself the jolting torque delivered by the Ford F-150 Lightning electric motor. On May 18, as Bidenās staff back in Washington frantically worked behind the scenes to push Israel and Hamas to nail down a ceasefire, the self-described ācar guyā had kept his scheduled trip to Dearborn, Michigan to see Fordās electric truck plant and highlight the green technologies and manufacturing jobs that are part of his economic recovery effort. Just as Biden was about to jam the accelerator, a reporter on the test track interrupted him.
news.yahoo.comHGTV's Nicole Curtis wins dispute over Detroit home project
The star of HGTVās āRehab Addict Rescueā has won a dispute with Detroit over ownership of a blighted home. Nicole Curtis said she has spent at least $60,000 to start fixing up the home after buying it from a couple for $17,000. Wayne County Judge Tim Kenny ruled in Curtis' favor, saying her renovation group had recorded a title to the property before the Land Bank did, The Detroit News reported Friday.
news.yahoo.comChina authorities name 105 apps for improper data practices
Chinaās internet watchdog said Friday it had found Bytedanceās Douyin, Microsoft Bing, LinkedIn and 102 other apps were engaged in improper collection and use of data and ordered them to fix the problem. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said that the 105 apps violated laws by excessively collecting and illegally accessing usersā personal information, according to a statement posted on its site Friday. Other companies it named included short video app Kuaishou, search engine Sogou and Baidu.
news.yahoo.comPro-Palestinian commentator causes rows at Fox News
Geraldo Rivera has clashed on-air with the pro-Israel channelās hosts over US support for airstrikes Geraldo Rivera: āAmerican bombs should not be used to kill defenseless civilians in Gaza.ā Photograph: Richard Drew/AP The Fox News correspondent Geraldo Rivera has become a rare and outspoken voice on his conservative television channel in lambasting Israel over its attacks on Gaza and other Palestinian targets in the current conflict. Geraldo has conducted numerous heated and emotional spats with other Fox News personalities, including powerful figures like Sean Hannity, by criticizing Israelās activities and lauding those defending Palestinians ā both rare positions on the reliably pro-Israel channel. In two segments on Wednesday, the 77-year-old correspondent and commentator, who has reported from Israeli-occupied territories, declared that Rashida Tlaib ā the only Palestinian American member of Congress and a frequent Fox target ā āis rightā to say that a $735m sale of US weapons, including guided bombs, to Israel should be halted. Rivera echoed his on-air comments later on Twitter: āAmerican bombs should not be used to kill defenseless civilians in #Gaza. @JoeBiden must stop ignoring carnage & injustice. A dead Palestinian child is as much a crime against humanity as a dead Israeli child. #NotWithOurBombs.ā Pressure mounting on #Israel to institute #Ceasefire. American bombs should not be used to kill defenseless civilians in #Gaza. @JoeBiden must stop ignoring carnage & injustice. A dead Palestinian child is as much a crime against humanity as a dead Israeli child. #NotWithOurBombsā Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) May 20, 2021 Riveraās stance is deeply at odds with the overall tenor of Foxās coverage of the conflict, especially from its high-profile opinion hosts who are widely seen as keen backers of Israel and supporters of its military strikes. Rivera was asked by the Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum if he was āsympatheticā to Tlaibās position. āI am indeed, Martha,ā he replied. āPeople have to recognize what the Gaza Strip is. Itās one of the most menacing places on Earth that Iāve ever reported from.ā He added: āItās effectively one of the worldās largest prison camps and it is being bombed with bombs supplied by the United States. Itās outrageous that we gave Israel these hundreds of millions of dollarsā worth of weapons without insisting on a ceasefire now.ā Rivera told viewers that sales of US arms to Israel āmakes us complicit in an ongoing crime against humanityā. āI want our audience ā the fact that the United States of America is providing Israel many of the weapons Israel is using today to kill Palestinian civilians without demanding a ceasefire, Tlaib is right.ā The on-air Fox News confrontations continued with Hannity cutting Rivera off after he said it was āabhorrentā that Palestinian children died in bombings. The exchanges come as a number of prominent entertainment industry voices in the US have come under intense online and professional pressure to curb public expressions of support for Palestinians. āItās free Palestine til Palestine is free!!!,ā the Palestinian American model Bella Hadid posted on Instagram several days ago, and received 4.5m likes ā or about 1/10th of her following. Some who voiced support, including the reality star Paris Hilton, who wrote āThis is so heartbreaking. This needs to stop. #SavePalestineā, have taken down their posts. Meanwhile others, including the musicians John Legend and Cat Power, have left theirs intact.
news.yahoo.comAnalysis: Joe Biden's tough stance on Israel risks deepening divides within his own party
This first appeared in the Letter from the USA newsletter. Sign up for expert insight and exclusive analysis on American politics, written every Thursday here. Joe Biden may not have envisaged his first major foreign policy challenge would also become a key test of his ability to lead his party. But with the outbreak of violence in the Middle East, the US president has found himself increasingly at odds with many of his fellow Democrats over his support of Israel. For days, Mr Biden has publicly backed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his military response in the Gaza Strip. The US president is acutely aware of the potential political fallout of appearing to weaken America's commitment to Israel. But on Capitol Hill, a prominent group of Democrats has become more vocal than ever in criticising Israeli military actions, linking the issue to America's own racial and social justice debates.
news.yahoo.comBiden got to test-drive Ford's electric F-150 Lightning, and the Israel-Gaza flight wasn't going to spoil his ride
His predecessor may have liked big rigs, but President Biden is a car guy. "My name is Joe Biden, and I'm a car guy," he said at Ford's electric vehicle production facility in Dearborn, Michigan, on Tuesday. Biden was in Michigan to mark Wednesday's unveiling of the Ford F-150 Lightning, the all-electric version of America's best-selling vehicle, and to promote electric vehicles as a way of tackling the climate crisis. "We're at a great inflection point in American history," Biden said. "How we handle the next four to 10 years is going to determine where we are going to be 30, 40, 50 years from now." He said "the future of the auto industry is electric" and China's currently winning. The evident highlight of the day for Biden was test-driving the Ford Lightning. "This sucker's quick," he told reporters. "I think we're going zero to 60 in four-point-three. Four-point-four?" Biden is facing multiple crises, but on Tuesday he "wanted, if only for a moment, to leave that all behind for what he could pretend was an open road but really was an open lot of concrete," Matt Viser reports at The Washington Post. When a reporter asked if he'd answer a question about Israel's bloody fight with Gaza, he said no, "not unless you get in front of the car as I step on it. I'm only teasing," he added, smiling. The Israel-Gaza conflict intruded, anyway. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), who has family in Palestine, met Biden and the airport to urge stronger pressure on Israel to agreed to a ceasefire. He name-checked her during his Dearborn speech, calling her "a fighter, and God thank you for being a fighter." Embed from Getty Images But overall, "the day revealed Biden not so much in rare form but in his truest form," Viser writes. "The affection for automobiles is as much a part of Biden as his Irishness and his love of ice cream," dating back at least to his father's work at a car dealership. When asked in 2011 about a 2009 Onion article showing a shirtless Biden, then vice president, washing a Trans Am in the White House driveway, Biden laughed and told Car and Driver: "You think I'd drive a Trans Am? I have been in my bathing suit in my driveway and not only washed my Goodwood-green 1967 Corvette but also Simonized it." More stories from theweek.comThe threat of civil war didn't end with the Trump presidency7 scathingly funny cartoons about Liz Cheney's ousterNew study finds more consumers than ever are looking for sustainable products
news.yahoo.comAuthorities: 3 arrested in taxi driver's slaying in Georgia
Three people wanted on murder charges in the death of a Georgia taxi driver last month have been arrested in Mexico and brought back to the U.S., authorities said Monday. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said 30-year-old Megan Alyssa Colone of Stone Mountain; 26-year-old Oscar Manuel Garcia of Austell and 25-year-old Juan Antonio Vega were arrested in Mexico on Saturday and are now being held at detention facilities in Texas.
news.yahoo.comJoe Bidenās silence in the face of Israeli violence is a disgrace
Cracks are emerging in the wall that has historically separated any criticism of Israel from American politics ā but Joe Biden is still not listening Activists and protesters march in support of Palestine near the Washington monument in Washington DC on 15 May 2021. Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images On Saturday, an Israeli air strike killed 10 people from the same extended family after missiles hit the familyās house in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza. A five-month-old baby, the sole survivor, was pulled out alive from the rubble, having been trapped next to his deceased mother. As I write this, at least 180 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including 52 children. Ten Israelis have also been killed, including two children. All the innocents slain, whether Palestinian or Israeli, must be mourned, and itās beyond distressing to know that the number of deaths will only rise as the days go on. What will remain steady, however, is this morbidly lopsided ratio of death. Many more innocent Palestinians will be killed than Israelis. That fact, along with over 70 years of continued Palestinian dispossession (of which the Sheikh Jarrah evictions are a part), has galvanized global opposition to Israelās latest actions. Popular demonstrations have broken out around the world in support of Palestinian rights. Since the United States provides the key financial, military and diplomatic backing to Israel, one wonders where Joe Biden and his administration are during this crucial moment. Not out front and leading, would be a kind way of putting it. Calling Bidenās attitude to Middle East diplomacy a āstand-back approachā, the New York Times noted how his administration has so far done little and accomplished less. āMutedā is how National Public Radio described it. In fact, itās much worse. This administrationās reaction has not only been relatively quiet; it has also been callous, predictable and nothing short of a disgrace. This administrationās reaction has not only been relatively quiet; it has also been callous, predictable, and nothing short of a disgrace Consider Bidenās own response when reporters asked him on Thursday if the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was doing enough āto stop this violence there from escalatingā. Biden answered that āthus far there has not been a significant overreactionā from the Israelis. Considering the massive asymmetry of death and destruction, one can only wonder, in absolute horror, what our president would consider āa significant overreactionā. The Biden administration also twice blocked security council statements on the crisis this past week, and was alone in opposing the security council from holding an open meeting on the issue on Friday. Last week, a state department spokesman, when pressed, couldnāt even get himself to say that the right of self-defense extends to the Palestinian people. A US envoy also didnāt arrive in the region until Saturday, and the Biden administration hasnāt even named a nominee for US ambassador to Israel. So while the administration claims to be working ābehind the scenesā to solve this latest crisis, that argument is looking more and more like an alibi for being both unprepared for the tough demands of foreign policy while simultaneously adopting a nihilistic business-as-usual approach to cover for Israelās aggressive policies. If thatās the case, both the Palestinians and the American people stand to lose, the former obviously losing dozens if not hundreds more lives, the latter losing important prestige and influence. And who gains? None other than Benjamin Netanyahu, who just over a week ago, was about to be ousted as prime minister after his repeated failures to form a coalition government ā Israel has had four elections in two years ā while simultaneously facing corruption charges. But hereās the deal, as Joe Biden would say. The presidentās deference to Israelās wishes ā long the American reflex ā may no longer represent the political consensus in his party. The United States is changing, and so is the Democratic party, with cracks emerging in the wall that has historically separated any criticism of Israel from American politics. That change was bravely ā and movingly ā evident on the floor of the House of Representatives last week. āThe United States must acknowledge its role in the injustice and human rights violations of Palestinians,ā Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stated during a Special Order hour organized by Representatives Marc Pocan and Marie Newman. āThis is not about both sides,ā she continued. āThis is about an imbalance of power.ā She was hardly alone. Calling Netanyahu a āfar-right ethnonationalistā on the floor of the House, Representative Ilhan Omar asked how the American government can āpay lip service to a Palestinian state, yet do absolutely nothing to make that state a reality, while the Israeli government we fund tries to make it impossible?ā Representative Rashida Tlaib rose and affirmed that āI am the only Palestinian American member of Congress now, and my mere existence has disrupted the status quo. I am a reminder to colleagues that Palestinians do indeed exist, that we are human, that we are allowed to dream.ā Her voice breaking after quoting a Gazan motherās fears of losing her children to Israeli bombs, Tlaib said: āWe must condition aid to Israel on compliance with international human rights and end the apartheid.ā Representative Ayanna Presley proclaimed: āPalestinians are being told the same thing as black folks in America. There is no acceptable form of resistance. We are bearing witness to egregious human rights violations. The pain, trauma and terror that Palestinians are facing is not just the result of this weekās escalation, but the consequences of years of military occupation.ā And Representative Cori Bush, who is also African American, explained on the House floor how āthe same equipment that they use to brutalize us is the same equipment that we send to the Israeli military to police and brutalize Palestiniansā. Congress has probably never have seen such a powerful display of support for Palestinian lives. But whatās important is not just the support but the way it was articulated. When Ocasio-Cortez spoke, she drew a personal connection from Puerto Rico to Palestine. Presley stated that, as a Black woman, she too was no stranger to the sorts of police brutality and state-sanctioned violence that Palestinians suffer. Bush tweeted: āThe Black and Palestinian struggles for liberation are interconnected, and we will not let up until all of us are free.ā Omar connected her refugee experiences to surviving warfare. And Tlaib talked about being raised Palestinian āin Detroit, the most beautiful, blackest cities in America, a city where movements for civil rights and social justice are birthedā. Each woman made the struggle for Palestinian liberation into something deeply personal, like they were all meeting at the intersection of their collective lives. For too long, Palestinians have been seen as problems to be solved or bombed. Once theyāre seen as people and as a people, however, and once their struggle is both understood and identified with, everything changes. That was the change we heard on the House floor this week. It was an embrace of empathy for Palestine. In its own way, the change is earth shaking. These are the voices in American politics demanding something different, a new way of looking at Palestine and Palestinians. Unlike what this administration is offering, that demand can be called leadership. And itās a demand that must, and will, be heard. Moustafa Bayoumi is the author of How Does It Feel to Be a Problem?: Being Young and Arab in America
news.yahoo.comAndrew Yang Receives Backlash After Tweeting in Support of Israel
New York mayoral candidate Andrew Yang is facing backlash from social media users after posting a tweet on Monday that appears to be pro-Israel. What happened: The former 2020 presidential candidate tweeted on Monday that he is "standing with the people of Israel" and "condemn[s] the Hamas terrorists" amid the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians escalated due in part to āheavy-handed Israeli policing of Palestinians during Ramadan and controversial efforts in the Israeli courts to evict Palestinians from their homes,ā BBC reported.
news.yahoo.comOcasio-Cortez leads lawmakers recalling Capitol siege
FILE - In this Monday, Aug. 24, 2020, file photo, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., questions Postmaster General Louis DeJoy during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on the Postal Service on Capitol Hill, in Washington. On Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, a teary-eyed Ocasio-Cortez recounted hiding in her office bathroom as a man repeatedly yelled Where is she?" during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and also revealed a sexual assault in her past as she talked about trauma. Phillips said that, as he heard the screams, he realized a pencil was about all he had for defense. Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., said that, as representatives in Congress, the attack against the Capitol was an attack on their constituents.
A glance at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's incendiary words
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., goes back to her office after speaking on the floor of the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. Afterward, Greene suggested that the shooting might have been staged. Connecting a series of scattershot points, Greene suggested a bank controlled by the Rothschild family, who are Jewish, a utility company responsible for the fire and then-Gov. Greene ālikedā the comment and replied, āMost people honestly donāt know so much. 9/11 ATTACKSIn November 2018, Greene shot a video in which she talked about the 9/11 terrorist attacks, referring to a āso-calledā plane that crashed into the Pentagon.
Biden, Democrats hit gas on push for $15 minimum wage
āWith the economic divide, I mean, I want to see a $15 minimum wage. Leading the charge is Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who unveiled $15 wage legislation this week with the backing of 37 Senate Democrats. The latest sign that a $15 minimum wage is popular with voters came in November, when more than 60% of voters in conservative-leaning Florida approved an amendment to the stateās Constitution that will raise the minimum wage there from $8.56 an hour to $15 an hour by 2026. āThe real way to appreciate this work is to raise the minimum wage to $15,ā she said. Currently, 29 states and Washington, D.C., have minimum wages above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
Lawmakers from AOC to Ted Cruz are bashing Robinhood over its GameStop trading freeze
Robinhood announced earlier in the day that it had limited trade in GameStop and other stocks targeted by investors on the irreverent WallStreetBets Reddit forum, citing "recent volatility." "While retail trading in some cases, like on Robinhood, blocked the purchasing of GameStop, hedge funds were still allowed to trade the stock," Khanna said. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., a member of the Financial Services Committee, went further, calling Robinhood's move "beyond absurd" and demanding a hearing on "Robinhood's market manipulation." Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., the chair of the Financial Services Committee, didn't return a request for comment. Charles Schwab said Thursday that its customers could still trade GameStop but noted that it limited certain kinds of transactions involving more risk.
cnbc.comUS charities raise millions in wake of Beirut port blast
(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)DEARBORN, Mich. ā When Manal Saab heard that a massive explosion had struck Beirut, she grabbed her phone, frantically trying to reach loved ones there. āOtherwise, they wouldnāt have survived it,ā said Saab, an American citizen who lives in Fenton, Michigan, near Flint, but was born in Lebanon. Knowing that her family and friends were safe, a feeling of relief washed over Saab. More than half of that amount was delivered via a FedEx-donated airlift that also included relief supplies from the American Task Force on Lebanon and the Lebanon Relief Project. They just wanted something to immediately give to, they wanted all that pain to basically get out and give something positive,ā Saab said.
Miami Reps GimƩnez and Salazar Join Congress' New GOP "Freedom Squad"
The Squad, as the congresswomen have become known, represent marginalized groups and have shaken up Washington D.C. by advocating for progressive policy changes. So naturally, some incoming U.S. representatives, including former Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. GimĆ©nez, want their own crew to offset the "socialist-leaning agenda" of the OG squad. LocalCommunityJournalismI Support Support the independent voice of Miami and help keep the future of New Times free. Weāll fight for freedom, the American dream & opportunity every single day.https://t.co/BYo7DttN2r ā Carlos A. Gimenez (@CarlosGimenezFL) November 17, 2020The New York Post reported last week that New York Congresswoman-elect Nicole Malliotakis is forming the "freedom squad." GimĆ©nez acknowledged that the messaging strategy helped him and other GOP candidates win office in Florida.
miaminewtimes.comSports venues across country in play on Election Day
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said "I'm grateful for our sports partners in Detroit," Benson said Tuesday night at the home of the Detroit Lions. "They really led the way for sports teams across the country to play a critical role in providing the resources we needed to run the election successfully this year. āI'm grateful for our sports partners in Detroit," Benson said Tuesday night at the home of the Lions. āThey really led the way for sports teams across the country to play a critical role in providing the resources we needed to run the election successfully this year. Meanwhile, many Major League Baseball and NHL teams also put their stadiums and arenas in play on Election Day.
Arenas, stadiums find new life as safer options for voting
Jen Cox poses for a photo on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020, after voting early at State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta. āThis was an amazing, fantastic experience,ā Jen Cox said after voting at State Farm Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks were the first NBA team to commit their arena for early voting. There are 30 early voting locations scattered around Fulton County, which stretches 70 miles (112 kilometers) north to south. Florida has early voting at venues used by the NBAās Orlando Magic, the NHLās Tampa Bay Lightning and the NFLās Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Black voters in Detroit key for Biden, but are they engaged?
Black voters across Michigan will be pivotal in deciding who will win the battleground state in November. Biden visited Detroit earlier this month, and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, was spending time in Flint and Detroit on Tuesday. In an interview this month with longtime Detroit radio host Mildred Gaddis, Biden noted that Michigan, and its Black voters in Detroit, are ācritically important." Democratic state leaders said they learned hard lessons and that the party has worked to connect with Black voters. But challenges remain in connecting with apathetic voters and with younger Black voters who might have more progressive leanings ā key demographics that Branden Snyder, the executive director of Detroit Action, said his organization is trying to reach.
Georgia candidate's post removed for inciting violence
ATLANTA Facebook removed a photo illustration showing a Republican congressional candidate in Georgia posing with a rifle next to three Democratic House members, saying Friday that it violated the social media platform's policy against inciting violence. Greene's post featured four separate photos that had been combined to show her posing with a rifle next to Democratic U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar. After her Aug. 11 runoff victory, she inveighed against spineless Republicans" and promised to kick Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi out of Congress. But she denied in a statement Friday that she was trying to incite violence. Those videos brought her criticism in the primary, with some Georgia Republicans pulling their support, but opposition eased after her runoff win over neurosurgeon John Cowan.
Progressive challengers' year: 3 wins and some close calls
But some challengers lost, and their overall wins were a modest number compared with the 535 House and Senate members. Kessler wasn't impressed with the three progressive challengers who defeated Democratic incumbents, either. Other high-profile progressive hopefuls lost Senate Democratic primaries in Colorado, Maine and Texas, and House contests in states including Georgia, New York and Ohio. Jamaal Bowman, a Black educator raised by a single mom, defeated House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel of the Bronx and Westchester, New York. They're an effective and well-funded operation now," said Sean McElwee, who does polling and research for progressive Democrats.
Movement for Black Lives seeks sweeping legislative changes
FILE - In this May 31, 2020, file photo, demonstrators kneel in a moment of silence outside the Long Beach Police Department in Long Beach during a protest over the death of George Floyd. Proposed federal legislation that would radically transform the nation's criminal justice system through such changes as eliminating agencies like the Drug Enforcement Administration and the use of federal surveillance technology is set to be unveiled Tuesday, July 7, by the Movement for Black Lives. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
Michigan governor urges broader Facebook crackdown on hate speech, citing attacks on state's lawmakers
REUTERS/Erin ScottOf late, hundreds of vitriolic, sexist and violent posts on Facebook have called for violence against Muslims and Michigan legislators, Governor Gretchen Whitmer wrote to Zuckerberg in a letter she also shared on Twitter on Friday. Facebook prohibits hate speech and anything that incites or advocates for violence. We appreciate Governor Whitmer bringing this to our attention, the statement said. The threats Whitmer cited appeared to come from a Facebook group, "People vs Gov. Are you prepared to rise to the occasion ... to protect our democracy from ongoing attacks? she wrote.
feeds.reuters.comRashida Tlaib's campaign begins selling "Impeach the MF" T-shirts
Representative Rashida Tlaib's re-election campaign has started selling T-shirts based on her most widely-known phrase: "Impeach the MF." The new merchandise launched following the announcement of a formal impeachment inquiry into President Trump earlier this week. Together, we will fight back and protect our democracy," Tlaib tweeted Thursday. ...and yes you can even wear what you feel https://t.co/8C3BUfp1kf pic.twitter.com/QwBADidAHo Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) September 26, 2019Some social media users accused Tlaib of making light of the impeachment inquiry. "Whether or not you agree with the expression, the T-shirts are to bring levity to my supporters."
cbsnews.comTrump says any Jew voting Democratic is uninformed or disloyal
Alex Wong / Getty ImagesWASHINGTON - President Donald Trump says any Jewish people who vote Democratic show "either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty." Trump commented Tuesday amid his ongoing feud with Democratic congresswomen Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. Trump has taken several steps favored by Israel, while the Muslim lawmakers are outspoken critics of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians. Trump calls Omar a "disaster" for Jews and says he didn't "buy" the tears Tlaib shed Monday as she discussed the situation. Israel later agreed to a humanitarian visit for Tlaib to visit her grandmother who lives in the West Bank.
Israels move to bar two Democratic lawmakers is unpopular with nearly everyone but Trump
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus widely condemned decision Thursday to bow to President Trumps pressure and bar two U.S. Democratic congresswomen from entering Israel was a calculated but risky move. But it also angered and alienated many in Congress, where Israel for years has enjoyed uncommon bipartisan support and received billions of dollars in aid. Critics called it part of an effort by Trump and the GOP to make Israel a more partisan issue. Trump is using Israel as a wedge issue for his own domestic political purposes, she said. A send her back! chant at one recent Trump reelection rally drew shock and condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans.
latimes.comTrump slams congresswomen as crowd roars, 'Send her back!'
Omar came under the harshest criticism as Trump played to voters' grievances, drawing a chant from the crowd of "Send her back! As for Omar, Trump unfurled a whole list of complaints, including a false accusation that she voiced pride in al-Qaida. If they don't want to love our country, if they don't want to fight for our country, they can," Trump said. Vice President Mike Pence was first up after spending the day in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and visiting troops at Fort Bragg. "North Carolina and America needs four more years," Pence said.
cnbc.com"Send her back": Trump continues attack against congresswomen while crowd chants
"These left-wing ideologues see our nation as a force of evil," Mr. Trump told his ardent supporters during a campaign rally in North Carolina on Wednesday night. As he took direct aim at Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a defiant Mr. Trump was buoyed by the raucous crowd, which chanted "send her back!" Mr. Trump on Sunday morning posted a series of tweets deriding "'Progressive' Democrat Congresswomen," alluding to Omar, Pressley, Ocasio-Cortez and Tlaib. President Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Williams Arena in Greenville, N.C., on Wed., July 17, 2019. The Trump campaign and Republican National Committee are beefing up staff in North Carolina, which the Trump campaign recognizes is a key state for the president's reelection.
cbsnews.com