Podcasts about national voter registration act

Can the right song, painting, or museum exhibit spark real political change? What if culture is the missing strategy in today's social movements?From the Center for the Study of Art & Community, this is Change the Story / Change the World: A chronicle of art and social change, where activist artists and cultural organizers share and learn what they need to thrive as creative change agents. My name is Bill Cleveland.If you've ever felt like your efforts for justice aren't hitting deep enough, it might be because the culture hasn't caught up with your message. In this episode, labor organizer and social change strategist Ken Grossinger shares how his journey from labor organizing to cultural advocacy revealed a truth many overlook: policy changes fade, but stories—and the art that tells them—have staying power. In this episode:Discover how blending power analysis with artistic expression can amplify grassroots campaigns and drive long-term social change.Hear powerful case studies—from a revolutionary museum exhibit in Louisville to a musical uprising in Alaska—that reveal how art can expose injustice and build movements.Learn from real-world collaborations between artists and organizers that shift narratives, challenge power, and activate communities in ways no policy paper ever could.Tune in now to hear how Ken Grossinger's book ART WORKS and his work in communities across the U.S. show us why art isn't just a reflection of justice—it's how we get there.BIOKen Grossinger, has been a leading strategist in movements for social and economic justice for thirty-five years, in unions, philanthropic and community organizations.For two decades, Ken was one of the labor movement's leading strategists. He represented workers in the Service Employees International Union and then directed legislative field operations for the AFL-CIO, running large-scale issue campaigns including against the privatization of Social Security and for health care reform, economic and civil rights. Grossinger is widely regarded as an expert in pioneering national field strategies for labor and community organizations and is well known for building long-enduring alliances between the two.Formerly a community organizer, Grossinger co-launched the Human SERVE Fund, a national advocate organization that initiated and led the successful decade-long fight for passage of the National Voter Registration Act, commonly known as Motor Voter.Grossinger is active on several boards including the University of the District of Columbia (Trustee), Hirshhorn Museum (Trustee), People's Action Institute (Director), Skylight Pictures (Director), and the CrossCurrents Foundation, (Chair).Among other cultural projects, he co-executive produced the award-winning Netflix documentaries Social Dilemma and Bleeding Edge and served as Executive Producer of Boycott and the forthcoming film Borderland.Ken is the author of ART WORKS: How Organizers and Artists are Creating a Better World Together, published by the New Press in July 2023. He lives part-time in Washington, DC., and Telluride, Colorado.Change the Story / Change the World is a podcast that chronicles the power of art and community transformation, providing a platform for activist artists to share their experiences and

Friday, April 11th, 2025Today, the Supreme Court has ruled that the government must facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia from El Salvador to the United States; the House has passed the massive Trump budget that cuts taxes for the wealthy and cuts Medicaid and SNAP; the Trump administration will be placing migrants on the Social Security death list to cut off their access to credit cards, bank accounts and other financial services by canceling their Social Security numbers; Trump's DOJ wants to let Alexander Smirnov out of prison; a judge has ruled that the Trump administration can require immigrants to register with the government; pressed for evidence against Mahmoud Khalil, the government cites its power to deport people for ideas; the three person USAID team responding to the earthquake in Myanmar was fired after their first night in the country; the Social Security administration is walking back its plan to cut phone service; the House voted to pass the SAVE act but will likely die in the Senate; and Allison and Dana deliver your Good News.Thank You,Guest: John FugelsangTell Me Everything — John FugelsangThe John Fugelsang PodcastSiriusXM ProgressJohn Fugelsang (@johnfugelsang.bsky.social) — BlueskyPre-order Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person's Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds by John FugelsangStories:U.S. stocks slump again as euphoria over Trump's tariff pause fades | NPRHouse Passes G.O.P. Budget After Conservative Revolt Collapses | The New York TimesHouse passes bill requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections | NBC NewsIn the race to save lives after the Myanmar quake, U.S. rescuers are notable by their absence | NBC NewsPressed for evidence against Mahmoud Khalil, government cites its power to deport people for beliefs | AP NewsJudge allows requirement that everyone in the US illegally must register to move forward | AP NewsPressuring Migrants to ‘Self-Deport,' White House Moves to Cancel Social Security Numbers | The New York TimesSocial Security abandons phone service cuts after backlash | ReutersGood Trouble:Today's Good Trouble has to do with my lawsuit against DOGE for failing to respond to my FOIA requests. It would help me out tremendously if you could send a short, polite, one sentence email to National.FOIAPortal@usdoj.gov and say, please make it possible to submit electronic FOIA requests to the U.S. DOGE Service through FOIA.gov. Find Upcoming Actions - 50501 MovementFederal workers - feel free to email me at fedoath@pm.me and let me know what you're going to do, or just vent. I'm always here to listen. Check out other MSW Media podcastsShows - MSW MediaCleanup On Aisle 45 podSubscribe for free to MuellerSheWrote on SubstackThe BreakdownFollow AG and Dana on Social MediaAllison Gill Substack|Muellershewrote, BlueSky|@muellershewrote, Threads|@muellershewrote, TikTok|@muellershewrote, IG|muellershewrote, Twitter|@MuellerSheWroteDana GoldbergBlueSky|@dgcomedy, IG|dgcomedy, facebook|dgcomedy, danagoldberg.com, Twitter|@DGComedyShare your Good News or Good Trouble:dailybeanspod.com/goodFrom The Good NewsLIVE - The People's Town Hall with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz 4/8/2025The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo VillavicencioGo See Dana! - Appearances -Dana GoldbergReminder - you can see the pod pics if you become a Patron. The good news pics are at the bottom of the show notes of each Patreon episode! That's just one of the perks of subscribing! Federal workers - feel free to email me at fedoath@pm.me and let me know what you're going to do, or just vent. I'm always here to listen.Share your Good News or Good Trouble:https://www.dailybeanspod.com/good/ Check out other MSW Media podcastshttps://mswmedia.com/shows/Subscribe for free to MuellerSheWrote on Substackhttps://muellershewrote.substack.comFollow AG and Dana on Social MediaDr. Allison Gill Substack|Muellershewrote, BlueSky|@muellershewrote , Threads|@muellershewrote, TikTok|@muellershewrote, IG|muellershewrote, Twitter|@MuellerSheWrote,Dana GoldbergTwitter|@DGComedy, IG|dgcomedy, facebook|dgcomedy, IG|dgcomedy, danagoldberg.com, BlueSky|@dgcomedyHave some good news; a confession; or a correction to share?Good News & Confessions - The Daily Beanshttps://www.dailybeanspod.com/confessional/ Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:The Daily Beans on Apple PodcastsWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?Supercasthttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/Patreon https://patreon.com/thedailybeansOr subscribe on Apple Podcasts with our affiliate linkThe Daily Beans on Apple Podcasts

According to the Associated Press, the Supreme Court's conservative majority upheld Virginia's voter registration purge, aimed at blocking non-citizens from voting. One lifelong Virginian affected by the cancelation called it “a very bad October surprise.” The court's decision, backed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin's Republican administration, came despite a federal judge's ruling that over 1,600 registrations were unlawfully purged. Critics, including Protect Democracy, argued the purge mistakenly targeted eligible voters, citing cases like Nadra Wilson, a U.S. citizen whose registration was canceled. The National Voter Registration Act prohibits such last-minute purges, mandating a 90-day freeze before elections. A similar case in Alabama revealed thousands of eligible citizens mistakenly labeled non-citizens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SPONSOR:The Richmond ForumLINKS:Pod Virginia | PatreonLearn more about Jackleg MediaGuest hosts Cameron Thompson, Tyler Englander, and Brad Kutner take the reins...IN THE NEWS:The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Virginia over its purging of the voter rolls. The lawsuit alleges the Commonwealth is violating a federal law -- the National Voter Registration Act -- by systematically removing potential non-citizens from voter rolls within 90 days of a federal election -- something banned by what's called the "Quiet Period Provision".Two Republican members of the Waynesboro Board of Elections have filed a suit challenging how Virginia's votes are counted and are threatening that they won't certify the results of the November 5th election.The Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP) story is reaching its next chapter. JLARC put out its findings earlier this month with its recommendations for funding the troubled program, but they reminder lawmakers that they're only options--the final decisions rest with legislators themselves.TRIVIA: Who is the city of Alexandria named after?Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMedia

Everybody is a role model. We put some much into this that I've thought a lot about it. We are models, all of us. People watch us. A big brother, a little sister, whatever you are, you're being watched. [X] SB – Kamala Harris on being a role model First woman AG DA Color AG First first first. It's tough. I enjoyed watching as Harris waited for the onlookers to applaud or somehow give her recognition for accomplishing nothing. It's awkward to watch, and happens around 0:16. It's like the teleprompter read: "Wait for applause". When the applause didn't happen, Harris declared, "It's tough", and she began to show the beginning of the cackle. But she caught herself. She then declared, "Being in the role model club means being in a room where you may be the only person who has had the experiences you've had." Harris wanted an award but failed to recognize that every person in that room had their "firsts". Certainly no one can relate to her unique experiences, though many women have slept their way into power. Still, we are unique individuals and thus can not share in others' unique experiences. Nevertheless, we can know anecdotally how certain thing feel.      If there is no cheating happening, then how are we getting so many wins for election integrity? Undated and misdated mail-in ballots cannot be counted in Pennsylvania, the state Supreme Court says, vacating a lower court's ruling on jurisdictional grounds. The ruling risks disenfranchisement for thousands of voters in the swing state. Arizona found 100,000 voters registered who shouldn't have been.       2 million illegal voters   https://washingtonstand.com/news/15-to-27-million-illegals-likely-to-vote-in-2024-experts Do you plan to vote this November? You're not alone. Experts say somewhere between 1.5 million and 2.7 million illegal immigrants are likely to cast a ballot in the 2024 elections, impacting races from dog catcher to president of the United States. The historic flood of illegal immigrants during the Biden-Harris administration has also padded voter rolls, thanks to controversial federal legislation from the Clinton administration. If illegal immigrants and other noncitizens vote in the same proportion as in previous U.S. elections, the number will range anywhere from one-and-a-half to nearly three million votes. “A 2014 academic journal found that https://www.justfacts.com/news_non-citizen_voter_registration voted in 2008,” Kerri Toloczko, executive director of https://whoscounting.us/ and senior advisor to the https://www.onlycitizensvotecoalition.com/, told The Washington Stand. “There are about https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/22/key-findings-about-us-immigrants/#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20foreign%2Dborn%20population,13.8%25%20of%20the%20U.S.%20population. in the U.S. right now. If they voted only at the same rate of 6.4% this year as they did in 2008, they would account for 1.5 million votes.”That ponderous number of unlawful votes may just be the tip of the iceberg. “Based on the increased noncitizen activity at state DMVs, and the work of left-wing voter registration activists, this 6.4% could be much higher than it was in 2008. We could be looking at over two million unlawful noncitizen votes,” she told TWS. Her estimate largely dovetails with a previous study showing https://washingtonstand.com/news/study-up-to-27-million-noncitizens-are-likely-to-vote-illegally-in-november are likely to vote in the 2024 election. The author of that study — https://www.justfacts.com/james.d.agresti, the president and cofounder of the think tank and fact-check website https://www.justfacts.com/ — confirmed to TWS that “the most comprehensive, transparent, and rigorous https://www.justfacts.com/news_non-citizen_voter_registration on this matter found that about two to five million noncitizens are illegally registered to vote, and aggressive attempts to debunk the study have https://www.justfactsdaily.com/critics-fail-to-debunk-explosive-study-on-illegal-voting-by-non-citizens.” Opponents of election integrity laws minimize the problem by claiming it is already illegal for foreigners to vote in U.S. elections. But, unlike other purported threats, the problem truly holds the power to undermine our democracy, election experts say. “The Left likes to use phrases like, ‘It's not that widespread,'” Toloczko observed. “But how many does a moral relativist uninterested in upholding the law think is too many?” And “if every unlawful vote cancels out the vote of a lawful citizen voter, how many of those are acceptable?” Would two million unlawful votes be “enough to possibly make a difference in House and Senate races, and even the presidency?” she asked. “You bet.” Agresti noted that “the claim that noncitizens rarely vote is based on studies with absurd methodologies. For example, they measure the prevalence of this crime by merely https://www.justfactsdaily.com/politifact-deceptive-report-on-illegal-voting-by-non-citizens#enforcement for it.” This is “ridiculous,” Agresti told TWS. He compared the statistic to measuring the number of Americans who illegally use narcotics “based on guilty pleas and verdicts. The same applies to any other law that isn't strictly enforced, like driving above the speed limit.” The House of Representatives released a https://mikejohnson.house.gov/uploadedfiles/save_act_white_paper.pdf in June documenting illegal immigrants voting in the United States. Under current law, 17 cities in California, Maryland, and Vermont as well as the District of Columbia allow noncitizens to vote. While the noncitizens are supposed to vote only in local elections, “mistakes” have been reported. Toloczko highlighted documented cases of foreigners illegally voting in U.S. elections. “The federal government https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/19-aliens-charged-voter-fraud-north-carolina-following-ice-investigation a group of noncitizens from 15 different countries on federal voting charges. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-announces-over-1-million-ineligible-voters-removed-from-voter-rolls recently purged 6,500 noncitizens from its voter rolls — 30% of whom had voting records,” Toloczko told TWS, expressing similar thoughts in https://stream.org/the-debate-americans-are-not-having/. Illegal immigration impacts U.S. elections in a second way: Counting noncitizens in the U.S. Census redistributes https://cis.org/Report/Impact-Legal-and-Illegal-Immigration-Apportionment-Seats-US-House-Representatives-2020 and, with them, their Electoral College votes which elect the president, a team of immigration scholars found. America's teeming illegal immigrant population gives additional congressional seats to California (3), Texas (2), New York, New Jersey, and Florida (one each); and it takes seats away from Alabama, Idaho, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Ohio, Rhode Island, and West Virginia (one seat each). Illegal immigrants alone transfer one seat each from Ohio, Alabama, and Minnesota to California, Texas, and New York, the study from the Center for Immigration Studies found. House Republicans have sought to address the problem by passing a number of border security and election integrity measures, including the https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/8281 (H.R. 8281), which would require local election officials to verify someone's U.S. citizenship status before registering that person to vote. It passed the House of Representatives in July. “States are prohibited from requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship” thanks to court interpretations of the 1993 National Voter Registration Act (https://www.justice.gov/crt/national-voter-registration-act-1993-nvra), Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) told Fox Business show “Mornings with Maria” on Tuesday. “Democrats who vote against that show what they are really up to: that they want noncitizens to vote and rig our elections.” Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) has called the bill's passage “https://washingtonstand.com/news/a-generationdefining-moment-house-passes-save-act-to-protect-election-integrity.” Johnson favors https://washingtonstand.com/news/sorely-needed-speaker-johnson-may-attach-save-act-to-govt-funding-bill the election integrity bill to a must-pass continuing resolution to keep the government funded past the end of the fiscal year on September 30 and avert a government shutdown. Yet Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has declared the bill dead on arrival in the Senate. “What is he afraid of?” asked Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) on Tuesday morning on Fox Business. The underlying numbers behind the 1.5 to 2.7 million noncitizen vote count may undercount the extent of the problem. Yale University researchers estimated the size of the U.S. illegal immigrant population at https://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/yale-study-finds-twice-as-many-undocumented-immigrants-as-previous-estimates in https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0201193, before the Biden-Harris administration enacted border policiBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kevin-jackson-show--2896352/support.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Sept. 13, 2024Following Questionable Late Voter Registration Purges, the U.S. DOJ Issues State Guidance and Asks for Help from Impacted VotersReacting to recent partisan voter registration purges and rule changes from state officials, legislatures and election boards, September 10th, the U.S. Department of Justice reminded states of their responsibilities under the federal National Voter Registration Act.To view the whole script of today's report, please go to our website.Today's LinksArticles & Resources:U.S. Department of Justice - Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, DOJ's Civil Rights Division, Statement on Voter PurgesU.S. Department of Justice - Voting Rights Fact SheetU.S. Department of Justice - Voter Registration List Maintenance:  Guidance under Section 8 of the National Voter  Registration Act, 52 U.S.C. § 20507Campaign Legal Center - How To Prevent Unfair Voter PurgesAmerican Democracy Minute - When Voter Registration Purges Cross the Line from Standard Practice into SuppressionAmerican Democracy Minute - Ninety Days Before the Election Georgia Launches ‘Voter Registration Cancellation Portal' and Changes Rules on Certifying Elections Check Your Voter Registration: U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State USA Vote Foundation – Registration, Eligibility, State Election Office Links Vote.Gov – Register to Vote in Your State Vote.Org – Check Your Registration to VotePlease follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!   Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.orgWant ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network's Audioport and PRX#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FreedomtoVote #VoterPurges #VoterSuppression

Mike Ferguson in the Morning 09-05-24 (6:05am) Wentzville, MO is listed as one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation at #41. Story here: https://fox2now.com/news/missouri/this-city-in-the-st-louis-region-named-among-fastest-growing-in-america/   A ruling is expected in a Missouri court regarding ballot language for Amendment 3. Story here: https://fox2now.com/news/missouri/advocates-seek-rewrite-of-missouri-abortion-rights-ballot-measure-language/   (6:20am) We discuss the yesterday's school shooting by a 14-year-old northeast of Atlanta at Apalachee High School in Winder, GA. How about funding security forces on campuses? Story here: https://redstate.com/jeffc/2024/09/05/will-we-ever-learn-n2178951   (6:35am) Is it another Russian hoax or is it real interference in our politics by a foreign adversary? Time for the Democrats to dust off the Russia boogeyman again. Story here: https://redstate.com/rusty-weiss/2024/09/05/kamalas-campaign-is-flailing-so-badly-the-doj-just-tried-to-toss-her-a-russia-collusion-lifeline-n2178917 Also story here: https://redstate.com/streiff/2024/09/04/doj-indictment-alleges-a-conservative-media-company-took-millions-from-russian-state-media-n2178926   (6:50am) MORNING NEWS DUMP Yesterday's tragic school shooting by a 14-year-old northeast of Atlanta at Apalachee High School in Winder, GA. Story here: https://redstate.com/jeffc/2024/09/05/will-we-ever-learn-n2178951A Missouri judge will issue a ruling on Amendment 3. Story here: https://fox2now.com/news/missouri/advocates-seek-rewrite-of-missouri-abortion-rights-ballot-measure-language/ House Speaker Mike Johnson unveils a Trump-backed plan to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month. Story here: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/johnson-unveils-trump-backed-house-gop-plan-avoid-government-shutdown-sets-up-battle-schumer The SAVE Act would amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require people to provide proof of citizenship before registering to vote. Rep. Chip Roy wants to "call the Democrats bluff." Story here: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/3144215/chip-roy-save-act-jammed-down-throats-democrats/ Alfred Montgomery was certified as the winner of the Democratic primary for St. Louis City Sheriff after a recount. Story here: https://www.firstalert4.com/2024/09/04/st-louis-city-sheriff-primary-results-certified-after-recount/ Cardinals beat the Brewers in Milwaukee 3-2 in 10 innings to take 2 out of 3 from the division-leading Brew Crew. Day off today. Back at Busch Stadium Friday night to host the Seattle Mariners at 7:15pm.     NewsTalkSTL website: https://newstalkstl.com/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/NewsTalkSTL Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/NewstalkSTL Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewsTalkSTL Livestream 24/7: bit.ly/NEWSTALKSTLSTREAMSSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Ferguson in the Morning 09-05-24 (8:05am) Illinois Rep. Mike Bost talks about Kamala Harris's proposed economic policy, the insanity of proposing to tax unrealized capital gains, and the illegal immigration situation. (https://bost.house.gov/)   (8:20am) MORNING NEWS DUMP Yesterday's tragic school shooting by a 14-year-old northeast of Atlanta at Apalachee High School in Winder, GA. Story here: https://redstate.com/jeffc/2024/09/05/will-we-ever-learn-n2178951A Missouri judge will issue a ruling on Amendment 3. Story here: https://fox2now.com/news/missouri/advocates-seek-rewrite-of-missouri-abortion-rights-ballot-measure-language/ House Speaker Mike Johnson unveils a Trump-backed plan to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the month. Story here: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/johnson-unveils-trump-backed-house-gop-plan-avoid-government-shutdown-sets-up-battle-schumer The SAVE Act would amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require people to provide proof of citizenship before registering to vote. Rep. Chip Roy wants to "call the Democrats bluff." Story here: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/3144215/chip-roy-save-act-jammed-down-throats-democrats/ Alfred Montgomery was certified as the winner of the Democratic primary for St. Louis City Sheriff after a recount. Story here: https://www.firstalert4.com/2024/09/04/st-louis-city-sheriff-primary-results-certified-after-recount/ Cardinals beat the Brewers in Milwaukee 3-2 in 10 innings to take 2 out of 3 from the division-leading Brew Crew. Day off today. Back at Busch Stadium Friday night to host the Seattle Mariners at 7:15pm.     (8:35am) Welcome to Family Feud! Do political family endorsements or disagreements matter to you? Story here: https://redstate.com/bradslager/2024/09/05/fluid-framing-of-family-feuds-while-touting-pro-dem-kinship-breaks-press-ignores-a-walz-family-schism-n2178956   NewsTalkSTL website: https://newstalkstl.com/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/NewsTalkSTL Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/NewstalkSTL Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewsTalkSTL Livestream 24/7: bit.ly/NEWSTALKSTLSTREAMSSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Josh and David discuss the contrast between the Republican and Democratic National Conventions — and the speeches by Barack and Michelle Obama, emphasizing their aspirational messages and the need for unity and acceptance. Then, the SPLC's Jerome Dees joins the show to explain the Alabama Voting Rights Act (SB7) and the need for voting rights legislation in the state. The bill aims to restore voting rights, allow for absentee voting without qualification, enable same-day voter registration, and create an Alabama voting rights commission. Jess Unger and Tafeni English-Relf join the show, to address concerns about Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen's recent actions to purge voter rolls of individuals with DHS-issued IDs, potentially targeting naturalized citizens. They discussed the legal issues, particularly violations of the National Voter Registration Act, and the intimidation this could cause for immigrant communities. Finally, Josh and David discuss reaction to Haitian immigrants in Alabama and the underlying racism and fear that drives it. They highlight the hypocrisy of those who claim to be fine with immigrants as long as they come legally, but still vilify and dehumanize them. About Our Sponsor: Alabama Politics This Week is sponsored by ⁠Wind Creek Hospitality⁠. Gaming is the heart of Wind Creek Hospitality, but they offer so much more. Wind Creek's 10 distinct properties in the U.S. and Caribbean — including four in Alabama — provide world-class entertainment, dining, hotel stays, amenities and activities. As the principal gaming and hospitality entity for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Wind Creek continues to grow and offer guests luxurious destinations and opportunities for escape. Send us a question: We take a bit of time each week to answer questions from our audience about Alabama politics — or Alabama in general. If you have a question about a politician, a policy, or a trend — really anything — you can shoot us an email at ⁠apwproducer@gmail.com⁠. You can also send it to us on ⁠Facebook⁠ and ⁠Twitter⁠. Or by emailing us a voice recording to our email with your question, and we may play it on air. Either way, make sure you include your name (first name is fine) and the city or county where you live. About APW: APW is a weekly Alabama political podcast hosted by Josh Moon and David Person, two longtime Alabama political journalists. Listen anywhere you get your podcasts or watch on Youtube. Music credits: Music courtesy of Mr. Smith via the Free Music Archive. Visit ⁠Mr. Smith's page here.

State Rep. Adam Schwadron (R-St. Charles) is one of eight candidates seeking Missouri's GOP nomination for secretary of state. Incumbent Jay Ashcroft (R) is running for governor. Four of the primary candidates are current lawmakers, including Schwadron. He joined us live on 939 the Eagle's "Wake Up Mid-Missouri", and tells listeners he's been pounding the pavement on the campaign. Representative Schwadron was in southwest Missouri's McDonald County on Thursday and is in Greene County today. He is advocating for a ballot measure that would change one word in the Missouri Constitution. Representative Schwadron tells listeners that some non-citizens have been registered to vote, including through the federal Motor Voter bill. It's officially known as the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and was signed into law by then-President Bill Clinton (D). Missouri House Republicans have been advocating for legislation asking voters to ban non-citizens from voting, but Democrats like former State Rep. Chris Kelly (D-Columbia) say the law already prohibits this. Former Representative Kelly notes the Missouri Constitution says voters must be citizens. But Representative Schwadron says it reads that all citizens are eligible to vote. He wants that changed to read that only citizens are eligible to vote. He wants to change the word "all" to "only" and is optimistic you'll be voting on the ballot measure in November across Missouri:

The Fulton County Commission voted this week to renovate the existing Fulton County Jail facility instead of going with a total replacement; Voting rights lawyers claim a new Georgia law violates the National Voter Registration Act; and WABE's Sam Gringlas and Rahul Bali dig into parallels between Georgia and Michigan, both crucial states for November, on this week's edition of "Plugged In: A WABE Politics Podcast."See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode of the podcast, host Amanda Head catches up with Tennesee Congressman Tim Burchett on the latest drama within the halls of Congress, specifically pertaining to his latest line of Committee questioning, his own proposed legislation, and the ongoing work by House Republicans to work toward the passage of the Trump-backed, “Safeguard American Voter Eligibility” (SAVE) Act. According to the legislation summary, the SAVE Act would amend the National Voter Registration Act, requiring states to obtain proof of U.S. citizenship from voters for federal elections and purge non-citizens from their official lists of eligible voters. The Tennesee Republican talks to Head about election honesty and U.S. Census integrity issues that exist due to the open southern border. He also details how criminals, illegals, and dead people left on voter rolls can easily throw an election. Near the end of the interview Congressman Burchett tells Head, “History has shown that freedom is so fragile and that if we don't stand up and fight for it, we're going to lose it all.”Listen to this conversation on your favorite podcast streaming platform and be sure to check out the dozens of other discussions Amanda Head has hosted by visiting: https://justthenews.com/podcasts/furthermore-amanda-head. You can keep up with Amanda daily on almost every social media platform by simply searching, “Amanda Head”.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Join America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) radio co-hosts Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy with Marc Lotter, Former Special Assistant to President Donald J. Trump and Chief Communications Officer at America First Policy Institute. Marc Lotter is from Fort Wayne, Indiana, and serves as the Chief Communications Officer at America First Policy Institute (AFPI). Previously, Marc served as Director of Strategic Communications for the Trump-Pence 2020 campaign. He also was a Special Assistant to the President and Press Secretary to Vice President Mike Pence during most of the first year of the Trump Administration. Prior to joining the administration, he served as Press Secretary to the Vice President during the 2016 presidential campaign and transition. In those roles, Lotter regularly appeared on national and cable news outlets including Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNN and programs such as: ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos, CNN's State of the Union with Jake Tapper, MSNBC's Meet the Press Daily with Chuck Todd and Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. Before entering public service, Lotter spent 13 years as a producer and manager for television stations across the country. During Lotter's career in local television news, his work received two Emmy awards and was recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists for the “Best Newscast” in Indiana. Our conversation focuses on: America's economy as inflationary prices persist with high interest rates. AP reported: "Mortgage rates, credit card rates, auto loan rates, and business loans with variable rates will all likely maintain their highs, with consequences for consumer spending, after the Federal Reserve indicated Wednesday that it doesn't plan to cut interest rates until it has “greater confidence” that price increases at the consumer level are slowing to its 2% target.The central bank kept its key rate at a two-decade high of roughly 5.3%, where it has been since last August.” Illegal immigration impacting cities and local communities — will America's citizens and leaders address this crisis? President Joe Biden's policy on Israel. The Biden administration's decision to block the transfer of congressionally approved military aid to the Jewish state presents greater risks. Critics voice concerns that Biden's policy will embolden Israel's enemies in the region, notably Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism. Speaker Mike Johnson held a high-profile press conference unveiling the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act alongside the bill's leaders in the House and Senate, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. According to Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and co-sponsor of the SAVE act: "Current law makes it illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections, but it does not require states to obtain documentary proof of U.S. citizenship before an individual registers to vote. The SAVE Act would amend the National Voter Registration Act to clarify that states must require proof of citizenship when registering individuals to vote in federal elections." America First Policy Institute presents — "An America First Approach to U.S. National Security” Further reading: The Wall Street Journal | Biden's Threat to Freeze Some Weapons Deliveries Raises Alarm in Israel (https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/bidens-threat-to-freeze-some-weapons-deliveries-raises-alarm-in-israel-cb5400cb) Some in Israel are concerned a rupture with its most important ally could eventually hinder the country's military readiness americasrt.com (https://americasrt.com/) https://ileaderssummit.org/ | https://jerusalemleaderssummit.com/ America's Roundtable on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-roundtable/id1518878472 Twitter: @marc_lotter @ileaderssummit @AmericasRT @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk America's Roundtable is co-hosted by Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy, co-founders of International Leaders Summit and the Jerusalem Leaders Summit. America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) radio program - a strategic initiative of International Leaders Summit, focuses on America's economy, healthcare reform, rule of law, security and trade, and its strategic partnership with rule of law nations around the world. The radio program features high-ranking US administration officials, cabinet members, members of Congress, state government officials, distinguished diplomats, business and media leaders and influential thinkers from around the world. Tune into America's Roundtable Radio program from Washington, DC via live streaming on Saturday mornings via 65 radio stations at 7:30 A.M. (ET) on Lanser Broadcasting Corporation covering the Michigan and the Midwest market, and at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk Mississippi — SuperTalk.FM reaching listeners in every county within the State of Mississippi, and neighboring states in the South including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee. Listen to America's Roundtable on digital platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, Google and other key online platforms. Listen live, Saturdays at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk | https://www.supertalk.fm

In this episode we will hear why Ken Grossinger believes that "organizers can't work effectively without culture, and that art is essential to creating the narrative shifts that make effective organizing possible. In our conversation we explore his new book , ART WORKS: How Organizers and Artists are Creating a Better World Together. BIOKen Grossinger, has been a leading strategist in movements for social and economic justice for thirty-five years, in unions, philanthropic and community organizations.For two decades, Ken was one of the labor movement's leading strategists. He represented workers in the Service Employees International Union and then directed legislative field operations for the AFL-CIO, running large-scale issue campaigns including against the privatization of Social Security and for health care reform, economic and civil rights. Grossinger is widely regarded as an expert in pioneering national field strategies for labor and community organizations and is well known for building long-enduring alliances between the two.Formerly a community organizer, Grossinger co-launched the Human SERVE Fund, a national advocate organization that initiated and led the successful decade-long fight for passage of the National Voter Registration Act, commonly known as Motor Voter.Grossinger is active on several boards including the University of the District of Columbia (Trustee), Hirshhorn Museum (Trustee), People's Action Institute (Director), Skylight Pictures (Director), and the CrossCurrents Foundation, (Chair).Among other cultural projects, he co-executive produced the award-winning Netflix documentaries Social Dilemma and Bleeding Edge and served as Executive Producer of Boycott and the forthcoming film Borderland.Ken is the author of ART WORKS: How Organizers and Artists are Creating a Better World Together, published by the New Press in July 2023. He lives part-time in Washington, DC., and Telluride, Colorado.How Are Artists & Organizers Creating a Better World Together?In this episode of 'Change the Story / Change the World,' host Bill Cleveland interviews Ken Grossinger, a labor movement strategist turned advocate for the significant role of arts in social and economic justice. Grosinger discusses his journey from traditional labor organizing to recognizing the vital contribution of arts to narrative shifts needed for effective change. Highlighted is his book, 'ART WORKS: How Organizers and Artists are Creating a Better World Together,' which underscores the power of collaborations between artists and organizers. The dialogue explores various case studies and personal anecdotes that demonstrate the intersection of art, activism, and community building, including impactful art-centric social movements, the strategic use of power analysis in organizing, and the role of museums and artists in fostering social change. Special attention is given to the unique capacity of music and art to drive narrative transformations and mobilize communities against injustice.00:00 Introduction to Change the Story / Change the World00:08 Ken Grosinger: From Labor Strategist to Arts Advocate01:09 The Power of Art in Social Change03:20 The Strategic Mind of a Social Change Leader08:01 Art and Organizing: A Synergistic Approach11:36 Exploring the Impact of Art and...

Central Pennsylvania remains under a flood watch through tomorrow morning -- as heavy rains batter the region. If you want to catch a total solar eclipse in Pennsylvania, you won't want to miss the big show on Monday. A grassroots environmental organization, is suing  a cryptocurrency plant and Governor Josh Shapiro. A federal judge has ruled New Mexico election leaders violated public disclosure provisions of the National Voter Registration Act by refusing to provide voter rolls to a conservative group and its public online database. How will this affect Pennsylvania? The remnants of two large tents -- used as a homeless encampment along the Schuylkill River -- have been taken down.    Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A recent ruling by a federal judge has upheld new legislation passed in Arizona that mandates registered voters to supply evidence of their U.S. citizenship for their votes to be admitted. The laws had instigated a wave of charges of discrimination when they were first adopted, primarily due to the fact that they required counties to authenticate the citizenship status of voters. Yet, in a determination issued on a Thursday, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton proclaimed such requirements were not discriminatory. Judge Bolton rationalized this by stating that the state has a vested interest in impeding voter fraud and restricting voting rights to eligible individuals. According to her, there is an obvious balance that places the State's interest and concerns over potential minor inconveniences that voters may encounter when providing documentation of their citizenship. In her ruling, Judge Bolton further elaborated on one aspect of the laws which she believed would contravene the Civil Rights Act, as well as a segment of the National Voter Registration Act. Specifically, she stated that county officials asking for the state or country of birth could lead county recorders to inaccurately surmise a naturalized citizen as a foreign national. Judge Bolton scrutinized numerous facets of the proposed measures, one of which involved the mandate for state election officials to corroborate registration details with various governmental databases as a means to verify citizenship. If one could not establish their citizenship, they would be reported to the relevant authorities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

* Guest: Lowell Nelson - CampaignForLiberty.org, RonPaulInstitute.org * Separate Tech and State - Ron Paul. * a bill in Congress is called the "Free Speech Protection Act." - Introduced by KY Sen. Rand Paul and OH Rep. Jim Jordan. * This bill would make it a crime for any federal employee (or the employee of a federal contractor) to use his position to communicate with a social media company to interfere with any American's exercise of First Amendment protected rights - Violators would face fines of at least $10,000 and even termination and a lifetime ban from working with the federal government. * Is it possible to separate tech and state? * Election Fraud: How Bad Is It? - William Jasper, TheNewAmerican.com * Judicial Watch is suing states for failing to clean up their voter rolls as required by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. * We need to vote 'Amish'! * Dr. Frank recommends paper ballots, in-person voting, one-day voting, voter ID, clean voter rolls, punish fraud, abolish motor voter laws, abolish ballot drop boxes, and citizen monitoring of elections. Get your county sheriff, county clerk, and county commissioners on board, to officially validate your findings. Attend commissioner meetings and read the findings into the record on a regular basis. Invite multiple people to testify to keep the topic front and center. * Jill Stein Launches Green Party Presidential Bid - TheNewAmerican.com * House Speaker Acknowledges God's Watchfulness Over America. * Conscience, Learning to listen to, and follow the promptings, or conscience is an endeavor that is very much worth our efforts - Joel Skousen, WorldAffairsBrief.com * Most promptings of conscience are about temporal things, such as getting up when your alarm sounds in the morning, not taking a second dessert or another helping of dressing, clearing the dishes after a meal prepared by your wife (instead of kicking back to read the newspaper), etc. * Skousen said that the voice of conscience sounds like you talking. But there are always two other voices who want your attention--one from above (that would be God) and one from beneath (that would be Lucifer). * The more you listen to, and follow the promptings of, conscience, the more light and understanding you will receive.  

The 2020 election was…unique. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many states took steps to make voting safer and more accessible. After that, we saw a backlash and some states erected barriers to voting access. The 2022 midterm election then offered an opportunity to assess our voting landscape. In this episode, we discuss what we learned from the 2020 presidential election, the 2022 midterms, and how we can work together to make the promise of democracy real for us all.Host and Guests:Simone Leeper litigates a wide range of redistricting-related cases at CLC, challenging gerrymanders and advocating for election systems that guarantee all voters an equal opportunity to influence our democracy. Prior to arriving at CLC, Simone was a law clerk in the office of Senator Ed Markey and at the Library of Congress, Office of General Counsel. She received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019 and a bachelor's degree in political science from Columbia University in 2016.Trevor Potter is the founder and President of Campaign Legal Center. He leads CLC in its efforts to advance democracy through law. A Republican former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Trevor was general counsel to John McCain's 2000 and 2008 presidential campaigns and an adviser to the drafters of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. To many, he is perhaps best known for his recurring appearances on The Colbert Report as the lawyer for Stephen Colbert's super PAC, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow, during the 2012 election, a program that won a Peabody Award for excellence in reporting on money in politics.  Trevor has provided testimony and written statements to Congress on federal election proposals, campaign finance regulation and, recently, the effects of the January 6th attack on our democracy. He has also taught campaign finance law at the University of Virginia School of Law and Oxford University, and he has appeared widely in national broadcast and print media. During the 2020 election season, Trevor was named to the cross-partisan National Task Force on Election Crises. Aseem Mulji is Legal Counsel for Redistricting at Campaign Legal Center. He litigates voting rights, redistricting and campaign finance cases, and supports advocacy efforts to improve democracy at the federal, state and local levels. Aseem previously worked at the Participatory Budgeting Project, where he supported efforts to expand participatory democracy in the U.S. At CLC, Aseem has served as counsel in voting rights and redistricting cases such as TN NAACP v. Lee (M.D. Tenn.), VoteAmerica v. Schwab (D. Kans.), and Soto Palmer v. Hobbs (W.D. Wash.). He supports CLC's actions against the Federal Election Commission for failures to enforce campaign finance laws. He also works to advance various democracy reforms, including state-level voting rights acts, ranked-choice voting, public financing and measures to ensure ballot access for justice-involved voters.  Derek Perkinson is the New York State Field Director and Crisis Director for the National Action Network (NAN).  He oversees NAN's advocacy and organizing efforts throughout the state of New York, the thirteen New York City chapters and coordinates national crisis concerns. Derek was recently a part of the coalition which helped bring about the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York. He has moderated  and served as a panelist on numerous occasions to speak up against discriminatory practices. Before joining NAN, Derek worked at the Black Institute – a think tank and nonprofit advocacy organization – where he served as the Chief Community Organizer in their New York City office. He has years of experience organizing communities of color to advocate and engage in political campaigns, criminal justice reform, economic justice, census, and voting rights, civic engagement, and immigration policy.Gilda Daniels is a Voting Rights Consultant for Campaign Legal Center. She provides her expertise and support on CLC's Voting Rights cases. Gilda has served as a deputy chief in the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Voting Section, in both the Clinton and Bush administrations. She has more than a decade of voting rights experience, bringing cases that involved various provisions of the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act and other voting rights statutes. Before beginning her voting rights career, Gilda was a staff attorney with the Southern Center for Human Rights, representing death row inmates and bringing prison condition cases.Links:New York Joins Other States in Enacting State-Level Voting Rights Act (Campaign Legal Center)Virtual Event Video — Barriers to the Ballot Box: A Conversation with Author Gilda Daniels (Campaign Legal Center)Ranked Choice Voting (Campaign Legal Center)About CLC:Democracy Decoded is a production of Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization which advances democracy through law at the federal, state and local levels, fighting for every American's right to responsive government and a fair opportunity to participate in and affect the democratic process. You can visit us on the web at campaignlegalcenter.org.

Voting in person is still the most popular way to vote for many people. Whether it's a personal preference, a cultural experience in one's community, or an opportunity to get help from poll workers, millions of Americans head to the polls in person on the first Tuesday in November. In this episode we learn about the history of Election Day (seriously, why a weekday in late fall?) and the challenges that many Americans face when they try to vote in person.Host and Guests:Simone Leeper litigates a wide range of redistricting-related cases at CLC, challenging gerrymanders and advocating for election systems that guarantee all voters an equal opportunity to influence our democracy. Prior to arriving at CLC, Simone was a law clerk in the office of Senator Ed Markey and at the Library of Congress, Office of General Counsel. She received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019 and a bachelor's degree in political science from Columbia University in 2016.Valencia Richardson is Legal Counsel for Voting Rights at Campaign Legal Center. Her work focuses on addressing local-level election compliance under the Voting Rights Act in the Deep South. Prior to joining CLC, Valencia was a voting rights organizer and activist. Before law school, Valencia was a Fulbright grantee to Mexico and a student voting rights organizer for the Andrew Goodman Foundation, for which she served as a board member. She is the author of a nonfiction book, “Young and Disaffected,” and published “Voting While Poor: Reviving the Twenty-Fourth Amendment and Eliminating the Modern-Day Poll Tax” in the Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law and Policy. Valencia has litigated various voting rights cases in state and federal court, including Pascua Yaqui v. Rodriguez, Pettaway v. Galveston County, as well as Aguilar v. Yakima County, the first case litigated under the Washington Voting Rights Act.Samantha Kelty is a Staff Attorney with the Native American Rights Fund in its Washington, DC, office.  Samantha litigates to eliminate obstacles to voting faced by Native Americans. At NARF, she has successfully litigated or settled major victories for Native American voting rights, including securing compliance with the National Voter Registration Act in South Dakota, ballot assistance in Montana and Nevada, ballot receipt extension deadlines in Nevada, and on-reservation polling places in Montana and Nevada.  She also represented amicus curiae National Congress of American Indians before the United States Supreme Court in advocating for the use of ballot collection and equal access by Native American voters under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.  In addition to litigation, she is a member of the Native American Voting Rights Coalition, a nationwide alliance of advocates, lawyers, academics, and tribal representatives that addresses Native American voting issues nationwide.Terry Ao Minnis is the senior director of the census and voting programs for Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC. Terry is a widely respected authority on voting rights. She was one of the key leaders in the campaigns to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act in 2006 as well as to address the Supreme Court's decision in Shelby County v. Holder. Appointed to the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Elections in 2020, Terry was named one of the four living 2020 National Women's History Alliance Honorees: Valiant Women of the Vote. She is one of NOW's 100 Sisters of Suffrage as part of their celebration of the centennial anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment.Links:Voting Must Be Accessible (Campaign Legal Center)Why the U.S. Needs Equitable Access to In-Person Voting (Campaign Legal Center)Giving Voters Time Off To Vote Would Help Promote Fair Representation (Campaign Legal Center)Fair Fight Action v. Raffensperger (Campaign Legal Center)Native Voters Still Face Obstacles, White House Outlines a Path Forward (Campaign Legal Center)Securing Safe Voting Options on the Pascua Yaqui Reservation (AZ) (Campaign Legal Center)About CLC:Democracy Decoded is a production of Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization which advances democracy through law at the federal, state and local levels, fighting for every American's right to responsive government and a fair opportunity to participate in and affect the democratic process. You can visit us on the web at campaignlegalcenter.org.

Purcell v. Gonzalez (2006) Per Curiam Opinion (Purcell Principle, Imminent Elections, Changes in Election Laws) In 2002, when Arizona passed a law requiring a photo ID in order to register to vote, The Election Assistance Commission notified them that the new law violated the National Voter Registration Act and Arizona residents and organizations petitioned for a restraining order to prevent the new law from taking effect, which the district court denied. But, when the plaintiffs appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for an emergency injunction, it was granted. The question before the Supreme Court in this case was whether the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit erred in granting that injunction. In a per curiam decision, the Court said it did because, given the imminence of the election and the inadequate time to resolve the factual disputes, they would allow the election to proceed without an injunction suspending the new law. So, the case was remanded and the Purcell Principle was born, holding that states shouldn't change election laws when an election is imminent.   Access this SCOTUS opinion and other essential case information on Oyez. Music by Epidemic Sound

https://www.GoodMorningGwinnett.com The Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law sent a letter to the elections board and the Georgia Secretary of State's Office on Thursday on behalf of the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP; Gwinnett County Branch of the NAACP; GALEO Latino Community Development Fund Inc.; Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda Inc.; League of Women Voters of Georgia; and Common Cause.The groups claim the county is violating voters rights on two grounds.One is that, they assert, National Voter Registration Act of 1993 prohibited an elections board from hearing voter registration challenges within 90 days of a federal election. The other is that they assert the county's elections board has sustained some voter registration challenges without adhering to requirements laid out in the same federal law.SOURCE: www.GwinnettDailyPost.com Author & Photo Credit Curt Yemons

Hour 1 * Guest: Michael Peroutka, Constitution Party Presidential Nominee in 2004, Wins Republican Primary for Maryland Attorney General! – Patriots4Peroutka.com * Institute on the Constitution: Pray, Study, Act – Join our mission to restore the Constitutional Republic through grassroots education, Become a Member Today – TheAmericanView.com * Election Integrity Has Now Become The Quintessential Issue Before Us! * Guest: Josh Philipp, investigative reporter – TheEpochTimes.com * Video: What Really Happened on Jan 6th? – Premiering Today, July 22nd] The Real Story of January 6 Documentary – EpochTV Live! Hour 2 * Guest: Dr. Scott Bradley – To Preserve The Nation – FreedomsRisingSun.com * What Happens When Fusion Centers Become Weaponized? * National Fusion Center Association – Helping Protect America Not! – NFCAUSA.org * SHOULDER TO SHOULDER: CSPOA AND THE OATH KEEPERS – Chuck Tanner – The Issue Is Honesty! * Biden is Unconstitutionally bypassing Congress to fight climate 'emergency'. * Biden Tests Positive for COVID-19! White House Claims It Doesn't Matter Where Biden Got COVID. * Biden admin sues Arizona over law requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections – The Justice Department contends Arizona's H.B. 2492 violates the National Voter Registration Act and the 1964 Civil Rights Act – FoxNews.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/loving-liberty/support

* Guest: Dr. Scott Bradley – To Preserve The Nation – FreedomsRisingSun.com * What Happens When Fusion Centers Become Weaponized? * National Fusion Center Association - Helping Protect America Not! - NFCAUSA.org * SHOULDER TO SHOULDER: CSPOA AND THE OATH KEEPERS - Chuck Tanner - The Issue Is Honesty! * Biden is Unconstitutionally bypassing Congress to fight climate 'emergency'. * Biden Tests Positive for COVID-19! White House Claims It Doesn't Matter Where Biden Got COVID. * Biden admin sues Arizona over law requiring proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections - The Justice Department contends Arizona's H.B. 2492 violates the National Voter Registration Act and the 1964 Civil Rights Act - FoxNews.com

U.S. Justice Dept. Files Suit to Block Arizona from Requiring Proof of Citizenship to Use Federal Election BallotCorrection - the audio podcast version has an error that has since been corrected for the syndicated radio broadcast. We referred to the National Voting Rights Act; it is the National Voter Registration Act. Sorry for the error! Today's LinksArticles:Arizona Star/Tuscon.com - Feds: Arizona could face lawsuit over voter ID lawAssociated Press - Feds sue over new Arizona citizenship proof law for votingGroups Taking Action:  Mi Familia Vota, Living United for Change AZ, League of United Latin American Citizens, Arizona Students Association, Arizona Democracy Resource CenterYou're listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.We reported back in April about a bill passed by the Arizona legislature and signed by Governor Doug Ducey that requires that Arizona voters must have proof of citizenship when voting for President, a law at odds with the National Voter Registration Act..  The U.S. Justice Department just filed suit last week to block that new law.  Arizona has two ballots for elections; a state & federal elections ballot and a federal-only ballot, which was implemented when the State of Arizona implemented a proof of citizenship law in 2004 for state ballots. The federal-only ballot uses an affidavit to swear to citizenship on penalty of perjury, but does not require identifying papers.  It was used by about 12,000 voters statewide in 2020, some of whom are Native Americans who may not have the necessary documentation.  Election deniers pointed to baseless claims of voter fraud among these ballots when Donald Trump lost Arizona by just under 10,500 votes.  Voter fraud is extremely rare, and there was no evidence of widespread abuse in 2020.Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich has made comments that allowing such voting without proof of citizenship was part of a widespread plan by “neo-Marxists” to allow non-citizens to vote.  But in addition to the Justice Department filing suit, two other voting rights organizations have filed their own suits, trying to protect the right of ALL Americans to vote.We have links to articles and groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.orgGranny D said “Democracy is not something we have, but something we DO.” For the American Democracy Minute, I'm Brian Beihl.

On "EWTN News Nightly" tonight: The Biden Administration is set to overhaul Title IX and wants to extend protections to the LGBT community. Republicans, however, insist that ignoring biological differences between male and female athletes will be the end of women's sports. Capitol Hill Correspondent Erik Rosales reports. Separately, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) is suing the state of Arizona. The state's Republican governor recently signed a measure requiring proof of citizenship when voting in presidential elections or if using the state's vote-by-mail system. The DOJ says the requirement is in violation of both the National Voter Registration Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Mike Davis, founder and president of the Internet Accountability Project, discusses the details of this lawsuit and more. Additionally, EWTN Vatican Bureau Chief, Andreas Thonhauser, joins to tell us more about what the Holy Father said following a 90 minute interview with Reuters, details what the Pope said regarding his upcoming trips, and more. Finally tonight, Michael O'Neill, host of EWTN's "They Might Be Saints", joins to tell us more about Ohio mystic Rhoda Wise's life story, as well as the healings she has been attributed to — including EWTN Foundress Mother Angelica. Additionally, O'Neill also discusses today's feast day of St. Maria Goretti, why she is the patron saint of teenage girls, and more. Don't miss out on the latest news and analysis from a Catholic perspective. Get EWTN News Nightly delivered to your email: https://ewtn.com/enn

Federal judge finds Native Americans Denied Voter Registration Opportunities by State of SDToday's Links:   Articles:  Court Rules That South Dakota Failed To Offer Adequate Voter Registration, Litigation: SD Voter Registration,  South Dakota ruled noncompliant with federal voter law, The Federal Court's Ruling  Ways to get involved:   Native American Rights Fund,  Four DirectionsYou're listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.A partial ruling on an important voting rights case was announced last week, finding the State of South Dakota in violation of the National Voter Registration Act.   The U.S. District Court found that the state had multiple violations, among them the inadequate implementation of voter registration locations which particularly affected tribal areas.In September 2020, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, the Oglala Sioux Tribe, a voting rights organization and individual voters sued the state and its election officials arguing the state didn't offer voter registration options at motor vehicle agencies or state-run public assistance offices as required by the National Voter Registration Act.Jacqueline De León, a staff attorney for the Native American Rights Fund, said in a statement, “We documented Native American residents routinely being underserved by the state of South Dakota when it came to voter registration. Native Americans are not being offered the voter registration opportunities they are entitled to under law. We told the state that there was a problem, but they did not fix it. Apparently they did not see the disenfranchisement of Native voters and the silencing of Native voices as an important issue. We do.”The federal judge agreed, ruling that the state did not offer voter registration at some motor vehicle and public assistance locations as required by the federal law, and hadn't properly trained employees.  Several other parts of the suit are still in litigation. There's more on this lawsuit and a link to the Native American Rights Fund and voting rights group Four Directions at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  For the American Democracy  Minute, I'm Brian Beihl.

Jeff Stoffer, Media and Communications Director for the American Legion, was the first guest on today's AWF Union podcast. He spoke about the need for more quality healthcare workers at the VA, efforts to better serve the needs of women and providing better mental healthcare. He also spoke about the buddy check program and Louisiana State University, which was initially a military academy.    Norm Wernet, President for the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans, was our second guest on the podcast and he discussed a lawsuit by the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans challenging the state of Florida's restrictive voting law, a potential violation of the National Voter Registration Act in Texas and the continued issues surrounding Ohio redistricting maps.

If you are interested in ensuring election integrity and eliminating voter fraud, you will certainly want to listen to this edition of Spotlight. Joining Monte Larrick on the podcast is David J. Shestokas, a former Cook County State's Attorney and current Republican candidate for Illinois Attorney General. In his position as counsel for Illinois Conservative Union (ICU), Shestokas is uniquely qualified to address the federal lawsuit ICU has filed against the Illinois State Board of Elections, as well as discuss various violations of the National Voter Registration Act and problems with mail-in balloting. If elected to the office of Illinois Attorney General, Mr. Shestokas promises to follow up on election irregularities and properly enforce voter laws. After the break, the conversation turns to Democrat efforts to federalize elections, ban voter ID requirements, limit political speech, and restore voting rights to felons and incarcerated criminals. Mr. Shestokas also emphasizes the need for election monitors and explains what concerned citizens can do to facilitate fair and clean elections. To learn more about David Shestokas and his campaign for IL Attorney General, click here. You can contact him and access additional information through the various social media links that are located on the right sidebar of his webpage. For more information about election integrity efforts in Illinois, click here. David Shestokas is also the author of Constitutional Soundbites and Creating the Declaration of Independence. Both books are available in print and Kindle through Amazon.

If you are interested in ensuring election integrity and eliminating voter fraud, you will certainly want to listen to this edition of Spotlight. Joining Monte Larrick on the podcast is David J. Shestokas, a former Cook County State's Attorney and current Republican candidate for Illinois Attorney General. In his position as counsel for Illinois Conservative Union (ICU), Shestokas is uniquely qualified to address the federal lawsuit ICU has filed against the Illinois State Board of Elections, as well as discuss various violations of the National Voter Registration Act and problems with mail-in balloting. If elected to the office of Illinois Attorney General, Mr. Shestokas promises to follow up on election irregularities and properly enforce voter laws. After the break, the conversation turns to Democrat efforts to federalize elections, ban voter ID requirements, limit political speech, and restore voting rights to felons and incarcerated criminals. Mr. Shestokas also emphasizes the need for election monitors and explains what concerned citizens can do to facilitate fair and clean elections. To learn more about David Shestokas and his campaign for IL Attorney General, click here. You can contact him and access additional information through the various social media links that are located on the right sidebar of his webpage. For more information about election integrity efforts in Illinois, click here. David Shestokas is also the author of Constitutional Soundbites and Creating the Declaration of Independence. Both books are available in print and Kindle through Amazon.

Today, we're going to talk about the 2020 election and voting in the time of a pandemic. With COVID-19, what does that mean for showing up at the polls?  A little bit of background about how voting laws work. The Elections Clause of the Constitution lets states basically govern their own elections, including for federal office. So when you're voting for president in your local state, your state is deciding how you're going to vote. Is it mail in? Do you have the right to do an absentee ballot? Do you have to have an excuse to do an absentee ballot? Congress can regulate federal elections under that Elections Clause when they deem they need to. There's something called Help America Vote Act. And I'm sure everybody's familiar with the National Voter Registration Act, which encourages voter registration. So where we are now is that different states have different rules about mail in and absentee voting. Because of the pandemic, a lot more states are changing their laws to allow more mail in and absentee voting. About two thirds of all states already had rules that allowed no excuse mail in voting. And that's changed over time. There are more states that have no excuse or coronavirus pandemic excuse mail in voting. And there are even some states like Nevada that are actually requiring mail and voting and are closing all of the in-person polls. The big challenge in every one of these cases, is a balance between, is there voter fraud from mail in voting? Is there a risk of when you get mail in ballots, are they going to be fake? Or, is it easier to fake a vote for one person or another? Versus, what are people's healthcare concerns about showing up at the polls? Their right to vote, how is that stymied by this pandemic and how do we address that? Nevada decided to do all mail in voting. In fact, nobody can show up to the polls. And that was challenged in court, on the voter fraud basis, and ultimately overruled. And so Nevada, as of now, is going to have all mail in voting. There are cases that go the other way too, for different reasons. For example, in Wisconsin, they extended the date by which you can vote during a primary by six or seven days. And that case went all the way to the US Supreme Court. And the US Supreme Court ended up reversing the district court decision and saying, "Nope, you can't do that, Wisconsin. You can't extend the voting date." There was a dissent by Justice Ginsburg that had some fair points, but right now, the short answer is there's a hodgepodge of case law decisions. But I think when we get to November, that most states are going to have either no excuse mail in voting, or mandatory mail in voting, and you're going to be able to cast your ballot by mail. Either way, whether you're Republican, Democrat, Independent, Green Party, register to vote and make sure that your vote counts. 

In his debut novel THE COYOTES OF CARTHAGE, Steven Wright presents a disturbing portrayal of a corporate financed political campaign through the eyes of a the black political consultant running it, whose personal and professional life is unraveling. Steven Wright is a professor of law at The University of Wisconsin in Madison, the co-director of the Wisconsin Innocence Project, and also teaches creative writing at the University of Wisconsion. Before joining the University of Wisconsin Law School faculty, he served as a trial attorney in the Voting Section of the United States Department of Justice. In this role, he litigated cases to enforce the Voting Rights Act, the Civil Rights Acts, National Voter Registration Act, and the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act.

In his debut novel THE COYOTES OF CARTHAGE, Steven Wright presents a disturbing portrayal of a corporate financed political campaign through the eyes of a the black political consultant running it, whose personal and professional life is unraveling.Steven Wright is a professor of law at The University of Wisconsin in Madison, the co-director of the Wisconsin Innocence Project, and also teaches creative writing at the University of Wisconsion. Before joining the University of Wisconsin Law School faculty, he served as a trial attorney in the Voting Section of the United States Department of Justice. In this role, he litigated cases to enforce the Voting Rights Act, the Civil Rights Acts, National Voter Registration Act, and the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act.

David talks to Gilda Daniels about her book, Uncounted The Crisis of Voter Suppression in America.​Gilda Daniels serves as an Associate Professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law.  She is a nationally recognized voting rights and election law expert.  She served as a Deputy Chief in the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Voting Section under the Clinton and Bush administrations.  Professor Daniels has two decades of litigation, negotiation and consulting experience in the substantive voting rights area.  She has investigated, negotiated and litigated cases involving the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the National Voter Registration Act and other voting statutes.  While a Deputy Chief in the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Voting Section,  she supervised, inter alia, the Tennessee NVRA case that continues to serve as a model for other NVRA actions and United States v. Berks County, PA, that was brought pursuant to Sections 2, 4(e), and 208 of the VRA.     She is also the Director of Litigation for Advancement Project’s National Office, which is a multi-racial civil rights organization.  She supervises attorneys in four program areas:  Power & Democracy (voting rights), Opportunity to Learn (education), Justice (policing and criminalization) and Immigrant Justice (immigration).  She has drafted and participated in amicus briefs filed in the United States Supreme Court, frequently consults on voting rights issues, and is well published. Her scholarship focuses on the intersections of race law and democracy.   Her law review articles have appeared in Cardozo Law Review, Indiana University Law Review (Indianapolis), Denver Law Review, New York University Journal of Legislation and Public Policy.  Her writings have also been published in the Huffington Post and various other publications.  She has been quoted in the Washington Post and interviewed for NPR’s All things Considered.  Her book , UNCOUNTED:  Voter Suppression in the United States (NYU Press) will be released in January 2020.    Links to Gilda R. Daniels: https://twitter.com/gilda_daniels http://www.gildadaniels.com/ https://nyupress.org/9781479862351/uncounted/  https://nyupress.org/author/gilda-r-daniels/    

Congress enacted the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (“NVRA”) to reform elections. Among other things, NVRA specifically provides the right to the public to inspect and copy state voting records. Section 8 of the NVRA requires election officials to “conduct a general program that makes a reasonable effort to remove the names of ineligible voters from the official lists of eligible voters by reason of – (A) the death of the registrant; or (B) a change in the residence of the registrant[.]” 52 U.S.C. § 20507(a)(4). Section 8 also requires that election officials shall complete, not later than 90 days prior to the date of a primary or general election for Federal office, any program the purpose of which is to systematically remove the names of ineligible voters from the official lists of eligible voters. Section 8 also mandates that any such list maintenance programs or activities “shall be uniform, nondiscriminatory, and in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. § 10301 et seq.).” 52 U.S.C. § 20507(b)(1).Are the various requirements of the National Voter Registration Act being followed? Does the COVID-19 pandemic, with increased calls for vote by mail, provide an opening to transform the way America conducts elections? Does the presence of ineligible registrants on voter rolls open the door for improperly cast votes? Featuring: -- Linda A. Kerns, Attorney, Law Offices of Linda A. Kerns, LLC-- J. Christian Adams, General Counsel, Election Law Center, Public Interest Legal Foundation-- Amber McReynolds, Chief Executive Officer, Vote at Home, and Author of When Women Vote-- Charles Stewart III, Kenan Sahin Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Congress enacted the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (“NVRA”) to reform elections. Among other things, NVRA specifically provides the right to the public to inspect and copy state voting records. Section 8 of the NVRA requires election officials to “conduct a general program that makes a reasonable effort to remove the names of ineligible voters from the official lists of eligible voters by reason of – (A) the death of the registrant; or (B) a change in the residence of the registrant[.]” 52 U.S.C. § 20507(a)(4). Section 8 also requires that election officials shall complete, not later than 90 days prior to the date of a primary or general election for Federal office, any program the purpose of which is to systematically remove the names of ineligible voters from the official lists of eligible voters. Section 8 also mandates that any such list maintenance programs or activities “shall be uniform, nondiscriminatory, and in compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 U.S.C. § 10301 et seq.).” 52 U.S.C. § 20507(b)(1).Are the various requirements of the National Voter Registration Act being followed? Does the COVID-19 pandemic, with increased calls for vote by mail, provide an opening to transform the way America conducts elections? Does the presence of ineligible registrants on voter rolls open the door for improperly cast votes? Featuring: -- Linda A. Kerns, Attorney, Law Offices of Linda A. Kerns, LLC-- J. Christian Adams, General Counsel, Election Law Center, Public Interest Legal Foundation-- Amber McReynolds, Chief Executive Officer, Vote at Home, and Author of When Women Vote-- Charles Stewart III, Kenan Sahin Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mornings on the Mall  Thursday, May 21, 2020 Hosts; Vince Coglianese and Mary Walter Executive Producer: Heather Hunter Guests: Liz Sheld, Cal Thomas, Erik Kiilunen, Tom Fitton and Shelley Luther SHOW RUNDOWN: 5 AM HOUR: 5-A/B/C -- 5:05 AM - NEW VIRUS GUIDANCE: CDC now says coronavirus ‘does not spread easily’ on surfaces. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says the coronavirus “does not spread easily” through touching surfaces or objects. In early March, the federal health agency was warning that it “may be possible” to pass on the virus from contaminated surfaces, according to Fox News. Its guidelines now include a section on ways the virus doesn’t easily spread — including from touching surfaces or objects. “It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes,” the CDC webpage states. “This is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads, but we are still learning more about this virus.” Other ways the virus doesn’t easily spread is from animals to people or people to animals, the CDC’s updated webpage states. AND LAST MONTH... FDA says there is no evidence groceries can transmit coronavirus Your groceries apparently can’t transmit the coronavirus. There’s no evidence to suggest that COVID-19 can spread through food, or what it’s wrapped in, Dr. Stephen Hahn, commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, said Thursday. “We have no evidence that the virus, the Covid-19 virus, is transmitted by food or by food packaging,” Hahn said during a CNN town hall. [...] As for disinfecting your groceries, that may also be overkill, according to the FDA. VIRUS AND SMIMMING POOLS: ‘No Evidence’ That Coronavirus Spreads In Swimming Pools, According To CDC. As temperatures inch upward and Memorial Day quickly approaches, pools across the country remain closed due to coronavirus restrictions. Many are likely concerned about going for a swim, citing the possibility that coronavirus could be spread. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), however, says that there is “no evidence” that the virus can be spread to people through pool water, hot tubs, spas, or water play areas, as long as social-distancing measures are taken. “Proper operation and maintenance (including disinfection with chlorine and bromine) of these facilities should inactivate the virus in the water,” the CDC online guideline says. Individuals, pool owners and operators should still take the steps to ensure that the virus isn’t spread, including following local and state guidelines that determine whether pools can reopen. 5-D/E -- LATEST RUSSIA COLLUSION NEWS: CHUCK ROSS: FBI Offered To Pay Christopher Steele ‘Significantly’ To Dig Up Dirt On Michael Flynn. An FBI offer to pay former British spy Christopher Steele to collect intelligence on Michael Flynn in the weeks before the 2016 election has been one of the more overlooked revelations in a Justice Department inspector general’s report released in December. The reference to the FBI proposal, which was made in an Oct. 3, 2016, meeting in an unidentified European city, has received virtually no press attention. But it might have new significance following the recent release of government documents that show that Steele peddled an unfounded rumor that Flynn had an extramarital affair with a Russian woman in the United Kingdom. WAPO: Michael Flynn’s name was never masked in FBI document on his communications with Russian ambassador. But in the FBI report about the communications between the two men, Flynn’s name was never redacted, former U.S. officials said. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) announced this week that he wants to subpoena witnesses over the unmasking of Flynn, as part of a larger effort to unearth information about the FBI’s investigation of Trump campaign officials. On Tuesday, he sent a letter to acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell asking why a declassified list of Obama administration officials who had made requests that revealed Flynn’s name in intelligence documents “did not contain a record showing who unmasked” Flynn’s identity in relation to “his phone call with” the Russian diplomat, Sergey Kislyak. Rice penned Inauguration Day email at White House counsel’s direction. On Jan. 20, 2017, the day of President Trump’s inauguration, Rice penned a memo to herself documenting a Jan. 5 meeting with Obama and others, during which he provided guidance on how law enforcement should address Russian interference in the 2016 presidential race. Parts of the email had been released previously, but the full unredacted email was declassified and made public this week. At the meeting, she, Obama, former FBI Director James Comey and other intelligence officials discussed her successor Michael Flynn’s communications with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Rice spokeswoman Erin Pelton told Fox News on Wednesday that Rice documented the contents of that meeting at the direction of Obama’s White House counsel, Neil Eggleston. UNDERCOVER HUBER with a new theory about leaks from MUELLER'S TEAM to flip TRUMP TEAM LAWYERS AGAINST THEIR OWN CLIENTS... Somebody faked that the Crossfire Hurricane team had a FISA on Paul Manafort & "leaked" this to CNN. And the culprits may have been the Special Counsel's Office, trying to influence D.C's Chief Judge into allowing the SCO to pierce Manafort's Attorney/Client privilege. (THREAD) NYT: Supreme Court Blocks Release of Full Mueller Report for Now. WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday temporarily blocked the release of parts of the report prepared by Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel who investigated Russian interference in the 2016 election. The court’s order, concerning a request by the House Judiciary Committee for grand jury materials that the Justice Department had blacked out from the report provided to Congress, could mean that the full report would not be made available before the 2020 election. The Supreme Court’s brief order gave no reasons for blocking an appeals court ruling ordering the release of the full report while the justices considered whether to hear the case. It ordered the Justice Department to file a petition seeking review by June 1. There were no noted dissents. The House told the justices that it sought information about whether President Trump had obstructed justice, a topic on which Mr. Mueller failed to reach a conclusion. MICHAEL COHEN TO BE RELEASED EARLY FROM JAIL: President Trump's longtime personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen will be released from federal prison today and is expected to serve the remainder of his sentence at home. Cohen has been serving a federal prison sentence at FCI Otisville in New York after pleading guilty to numerous charges, including campaign finance fraud and lying to Congress. Cohen will be released on furlough with the expectation that he will transition to home confinement for the remainder of his sentence. 6 AM HOUR 6-A -- 6:05 AM -- INTERVIEW - LIZ SHELD - Senior Editor, American Greatness -- discuss yesterday's "Karens" in the media and the "coronavirus Karens" Mika Melts Down, Goes Full 'Karen': Brzezinski Demands Twitter Erase 'Sick, Disgusting' President Trump from Its Platform...  Mika Brzezinski @morningmika: .@twitter need to know why trump is not banned? 9:16 AM - May 20, 2020 Mika Brzezinski @morningmika: I will be reaching out to head of twitter about their policies being violated every day by President Tump. Hope my call is taken. Please retweet if you agree 9:17 AM - May 20, 2020 Video: Mika being a Karen on Morning Joe: https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1263238165650800640 CORONAVIRUS KARENS: This woman outside of a grocery store is being called a Karen. She was freaking out in her car. Is she a Karen?  https://twitter.com/briantylercohen/status/1263208102951743488 A SUPER ANNOYING KAREN: This lady went out to video shame everyone who dared to have fun in the sun at the beach. Is she being a Karen?  https://twitter.com/robbystarbuck/status/1262173200479379456 ABOUT KARENS: Karen is a slang term that is used to typify a person perceived to be entitled or demanding beyond the scope of what is considered appropriate or necessary. One of the most common Karen stereotypes is that of a white middle-aged woman, typically American, who displays aggressive behavior when she is obstructed from getting her way; such women are often depicted as demanding to "speak to the manager" and sometimes have a variation of the bob cut. The origins of Karen as an Internet meme predominately date back to an anonymous Reddit user.  (Wikipedia link) 6-B/C - VOTING NEWS: MICHIGAN MAIL IN BALLOTS: President Trump threatened to hold back federal funding from two election battleground states that are making it easier to vote by mail during the pandemic. He later backed away somewhat from that threat but stuck with his claim that widespread voting by mail promotes "a lot of illegality." Trump targeted Michigan and Nevada on Wednesday. At first he claimed Michigan was sending out more than 7 million mail-in ballots, but after criticism he corrected that to say mail-in ballot "applications." Federal judge rules in favor of mail-in ballots in Texas, says 'lack of immunity' for COVID-19 a physical condition. Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, said Tuesday that his office would appeal a federal court’s preliminary injunction that allows all registered voters in the state to apply to vote by mail while the country fights the coronavirus pandemic. “The district court’s opinion ignores the evidence and disregards well-established law,” the Texas Republican said in a statement, according to the Texas Tribune. "We will seek an immediate review by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals." The paper pointed out that the Lone Star State’s current election law only grants permission for those over 65, who have a disability or plan to be abroad at the time of the vote to apply for a mail-in ballot. Democrats are largely in favor of the voting alternative while Republicans have been critical of the option due to the risk of voter fraud. Judge Fred Biery, a district court judge in San Antonio, sided Tuesday with the state’s Democratic party. "The Court finds such fear and anxiety is inextricably intertwined with voters' physical health. Such apprehension will limit citizens' rights to cast their votes in person. The Court also finds that lack of immunity from COVID-19 is indeed a physical condition," he wrote. (Fox News link) Montgomery County Council calls on Maryland's State Board of Elections to hold emergency meeting to protect voting rights. Council expresses concerns over the distribution of ballots for Maryland’s June 2 primary election ROCKVILLE, Md., May 20, 2020—Montgomery County Councilmembers sent a letter to the Maryland State Board of Elections expressing their frustration and concern about the distribution of ballots for Maryland’s June 2 primary election. Many registered voters in Montgomery County have reported that they have not received their ballots and have reached out to the Council to voice their concerns. All Councilmembers signed the letter. “It is extremely concerning, this close to the June 2nd Maryland primary election, that there are widespread issues in delivering the appropriate absentee ballot to voters,” said Council Vice President Tom Hucker. “This is unacceptable and is increasing public anxiety and eroding confidence in our elections. The State Board of Elections needs to act immediately to ensure voters a fair and timely primary and general election. We are sending this letter to get more information on this situation and to work with the State Board on this crucial issue.” The Council has requested the Maryland State Board of Elections hold an emergency meeting to address urgent issues relating to the primary election including the timely distribution of ballots to all voters in their preferred language and to ensure that Maryland will administer the 2020 primary and general elections securely and effectively. “The Maryland State Board of Elections must do everything within its power to ensure that by perception and in reality, the coming elections are seen to be fair and just,” said Councilmember Nancy Navarro, who chairs the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee. “The issues that threaten to disenfranchise voters in our county and region must be resolved as soon as possible.” (MoCo Govt link)  More Montgomery County ballots being mailed to deceased, non-residents. A few weeks after a man described how his deceased mother was shown to have voted in Montgomery County elections for a decade after her death, another case of an illegal ballot being issued has come to light. Attorney Robin Ficker, a Republican candidate for Maryland governor, reports that his son was mailed a ballot to his old Montgomery County address. Problem: Ficker's son hasn't lived in Montgomery County for 12 years. And as a "live" ballot, it could be illegally filled out and mailed back by someone else. "Election fraud?" Ficker asked in a Facebook post showing the improperly-mailed ballot. "How many of these ballots are being mailed by someone else?" Ficker isn't the only one asking questions.  A watchdog group, Judicial Watch, has successfully sued to receive the voter registration information of all Montgomery County voters, after it found there are more names registered to vote than there are eligible voters in the county. In 2018, anomalous voting results were seen at dozens of precincts across Montgomery County in the County Council At-Large race, if not others. The voter universe in that election also increased by about 100,000 voters in only four years since 2014. Local media outlets have not challenged County officials about either issue so far. Leaving ineligible names on the voter rolls is a key source of voter fraud. Anyone who has the names of deceased or non-resident voters can walk into the appropriate polling place, claim to be that person and provide the few details asked for by judges, and cast a ballot illegally using one of those many names. In this year's by-mail elections, these illegal ballots will be mailed out and ripe for the picking by any organized voter fraud operation, further underlining the urgency in cleaning up Montgomery County's dirty voter rolls. (Robert Dyer blog link)  Flashback in April: Judicial Watch Victory: Federal Court Orders Maryland to Release Complete Voter Registration Records. (Washington, DC) Judicial Watch announced that a federal court ordered the State of Maryland to produce the voter list for Montgomery County that includes the registered voters’ date of birth. This court ruling is the latest in a series of victories for Judicial Watch in its lawsuit filed July 18, 2017, against Montgomery County and the Maryland State Boards of Elections under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA). Judicial Watch filed suit for the Maryland voter list data after uncovering that there were more registered voters in Montgomery County than citizens over the age of 18 who could legally register (Judicial Watch vs. Linda H. Lamone, et al. (No. 1:17-cv-02006)). Ruling in Judicial Watch’s favor, Judge Hollander said: "Judicial Watch need not demonstrate its need for birth date information in order to facilitate its effort to ensure that the voter rolls are properly maintained. Nevertheless, it has put forward reasonable justifications for requiring birth date information, including using birth dates to find duplicate registrations and searching for voters who remain on the rolls despite “improbable” age." In order to avoid turning over the dates of birth for Maryland voters, the Maryland Administrator of Elections, Linda Lamone, directed her staff to remove date of birth as a field on the voter registration application. Judge Hollander ruled that Lamone could not do this, saying: "Because full voter birth dates appear on completed voter registration applications, the Administrator may not bypass the Act by unilaterally revising the Application." In August 2019, Judge Hollander ruled in Judicial Watch’s favor in the same case, ordering the State of Maryland to produce voter list data for Montgomery County. Judicial Watch is the national leader in enforcing the National Voters Registration Act. (Judicial Watch link)  6-D - 6:35 AM --  INTERVIEW - CAL THOMAS - Syndicated columnist and author of new book "America's Expiration Date: The Fall of Empires and Superpowers . . . and the Future of the United States" CAL'S LATEST COLUMN: ‘Snake oil’ cures: Trump should not promote hydroxychloroquine  The name calling between Trump and Pelosi. So unseemly. Win on issues and debate them not who is crazy and who is morbidly obese. 6-E - LOCAL NEWS UPDATE: VIRGINIA / MARYLAND: Ralph Northam: No 'particular timeline' for Northern Virginia to begin first phase of reopening. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said that leaders in Northern Virginia were “following the data” in determining not to move into Phase 1 of the reopening plan with the rest of the state. The city of Alexandria and Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties, which make up most of Northern Virginia and all border either the District of Columbia or Maryland, have the state’s worst coronavirus case numbers. Local leaders told Mr. Northam in a letter that they weren’t ready to enter Phase 1 of reopening until at least May 29. “We haven’t set any particular timeline,” the Democratic governor said. “We will continue to follow that daily. We will be in communication with those (local) leaders, and when they are comfortable, and when the data supports a movement into Phase 1, we will do so.” Arlington County cancels summer camps for 2020. ARLINGTON, Va. - As the novel coronavirus lingers in the Northern Virginia region heading into late fall, Arlington County announced on Wednesday that it is canceling all summer camps for the season. In a statement from the county, officials said the decision was difficult to make. They noted that the camps could not be held with “proper social distancing and appropriate cleaning protocols or other safety measures,” and the county was not confident that it could safely host a camp session. Officials noted there too many variables needed to be accounted for ultimately. “We recognize how important camps are to our residents, and we are truly saddened to have to cancel for the summer. Ultimately, it is the best decision for the safety and health of our community. We will continue to explore opportunities to provide programs and services as national, state and local guidelines allow. We appreciate your patience as we work through this difficult time,” said Parks & Recreation Director Jane Rudolph. Anyone who was registered for an Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation camp will receive a full refund. Anyone who signed up for a camp with a county contractor should reach out to the contractor directly for information regarding refunds. (Fox5DC link) Montgomery officials say county may start to reopen within a week. Maryland’s most populous county said Wednesday that it may lift some social distancing restrictions within the next week, another tentative step toward reopening the Washington region as the rates of novel coronavirus infections and deaths show signs of slowing. “We are moving in the right direction,” Travis Gayles, head of Montgomery County’s health department, said about plans to join other parts of the state in partially lifting restrictions on gatherings and nonessential businesses. (Washington Post link)  6-F -- Tom Brady blasted for releasing 'immunity' supplement during pandemic. Tom Brady launched a new “immunity” multivitamin supplement this week — and critics quickly tackled the quarterback for the timing of the release during the coronavirus pandemic. Brady, 42, newly signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, announced the release of the “immunity blend supplement,” called Protect, through his company, TB12 Sports, on social media Monday. “Over the years, I’ve learned how important it is to be proactive in taking care of my own body,” Brady said in a video posted to Instagram. “I’m really proud to announce this amazing new product from TB12 that will provide you guys exactly what you need to stay healthy, strong and resilient for whatever comes your way.” It is sold as a 30-day supply, or 60 tablets, for $45, according to the TB12 website. Critics bashed him on Twitter for the not-so-coincidental timing of the release — and for capitalizing on people’s fears amid the pandemic. In Brady’s new home state, nearly 47,000 coronavirus cases and over 2,000 related deaths have been reported, according to the Florida Department of Health. “Oh Tom this is so disappointing,” Julia Offord Pearman tweeted. “The marketing of this product is clearly playing on people’s fears over Covid and a belief that the immune system just needs a boost to recover from it. If it’s an athlete recovery supplement say that, don’t play up to people’s fears about Covid.”“What does your product ‘PROTECT’ us from Tom?” said a person with the handle @katherine_jj6. “Does it protect the millions out of work from being duped to pay a ridiculous amount of money for this? This is a new low for you and [business partner] Alex [Guerrero].” “The reason Tom Brady doesn’t have coronavirus isn’t an immune boosting supplement, it’s because he’s obscenely rich and can isolate unlike delivery drivers, cleaners, meat workers, grocery store workers, nurses and doctors,” wrote Dr. Kate Gregorevic, who identified herself as a geriatrician. “Using this crisis to enrich himself is disgusting.” But TB12 CEO Johns Burns told Yahoo! Sports that “now more than ever, it’s important to have daily support for a healthy immune response as our bodies are subject to constant stressors that deplete its resources.” Brady’s company touts the drug for “supporting natural killer cells” and “replenishing antibodies post-exercise,” helping to “activate your immune system and counter stress-induced immune suppression,” according to a product description. (NY Post link) 7 AM HOUR 7-A -- 7:05 AM - Interview - Erik Kiilunen - organizer of Michigan Take Yourself to Work Day (May 21) Kiilunen, a Michigan business man is leading the effort to make May 21 "Take Yourself to Work Day." He has billboards all over Michigan with the message "All Business is Essential."   Businessman Calls for Peaceful Economic Disobedience in Response to Unconstitutional COVID-19 Lockdown. Ahmeek, MI—As reported by the Associated Press, Erik Kiilunen, business owner, entrepreneur, and founder of All Business is Essential, is calling for peaceful economic disobedience against un-constitutional executive orders which have deprived American citizens of their right to attend to their businesses, their livelihoods, and their jobs. Erik Kiilunen is “encouraging business owners of all sizes to engage in Economic Disobedience" by opening their place of business regardless of "executive orders as Michigan and the USA need commerce. Without it, the poverty created by their absence will cause far greater suffering than anything that COVID-19 will ever lead to now. I’ve opened my business as an example to others.” Over the course of a few days, Mr. Kiilunen's  GoFundMe page has already amassed tens of thousands in contributions from other Americans who support Mr. Kiilunen's message of economic freedom.   As his billboards start to spring up in Grand Rapids, Detroit, and Howell, as well as across the country, Mr. Kiilunen asserts that this is only the beginning. In what is poised to be one of the most fundamentally American uprisings in US history, All Business is Essential is ready to take on anti-constitutional decrees . "All business is essential, and the government, and state governors, do not have the legal authority to pick and choose who has the right to work and feed their families, and who doesn’t....Ask a single mother running a hair salon and using the profits generated to care for her special needs child if her business is essential," says Mr. Kiilunen. 7-B/C -- LATEST ON PELOSI: Speaker Pelosi on President Trump: “It's like a child who comes in with mud on their pants...He comes in with doggy doo on his shoes and everybody who works with him has that on their shoes, too, for a very long time to come." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) expressed confidence Wednesday that the coronavirus stimulus package approved last week will garner enough public backing to force Republicans and the Trump administration to the negotiating table. The $3 trillion Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act would provide funds to local and state government, hazard pay for health care workers and another round of direct cash payments to tens of millions of Americans. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said the package has “no chance” of passing. Pelosi touts $3.6B vote-by-mail bill, now called ‘Voting at Home,’ after Trump warnings to Michigan, Nevada, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday night touted a $3.6 billion vote-by-mail proposal – which she rechristened “Voting at Home” – adding that the bill also would help bolster the U.S. Postal Service. Pelosi talked about the legislation during an appearance on MSNBC just hours after President Trump warned the states of Michigan and Nevada against implementing absentee-ballot and vote-by-mail plans, arguing the proposals were illegal and could potentially facilitate voter fraud. In both cases, the president threatened to withhold federal dollars from the states if they went ahead with their plans. The legality of using mail ballots is already the basis of a lawsuit in Texas, in which a federal judge sided with Democrats in allowing the forms to be sent out to voters. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton immediately announced his office was appealing the ruling to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Meantime, Trump has repeatedly criticized the Postal Service, calling it a “joke” and claiming it undercharges online retail giants such as Amazon. The president has said he will not support any bailout legislation for the Postal Service if the organization does not raise its service rates to generate more revenue. But in an interview on MSNBC’s “The Last Word,” Pelosi stressed that the Democrats’ proposal was aimed at making voting and shopping more convenient and safe for Americans amid the coronavirus pandemic – allowing them to perform both tasks at home without exposing themselves to risk of contracting the virus. “We’re now calling it ‘Voting at Home’ because that’s really what it’s all about -- enabling people to vote at home,” Pelosi told host Lawrence O’Donnell. (Fox News link) Trump expresses opposition to extending unemployment benefits enacted in response to pandemic. President Trump on Tuesday privately expressed opposition to extending a weekly $600 boost in unemployment insurance for laid-off workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic, according to three officials familiar with his remarks during a closed-door lunch with Republican senators on Capitol Hill. The increased unemployment benefits — paid by the federal government but administered through individual states — were enacted this year as part of a broader $2 trillion relief package passed by Congress. The boost expires this summer, and House Democrats have proposed extending the aid through January 2021. (Washington Post link) 7-D/E  -- 7:35 AM - INTERVIEW - TOM FITTON - President of Judicial Watch Montgomery County Council calls on Maryland's State Board of Elections to hold emergency meeting to protect voting rights. Council expresses concerns over the distribution of ballots for Maryland’s June 2 primary election ROCKVILLE, Md., May 20, 2020—Montgomery County Councilmembers sent a letter to the Maryland State Board of Elections expressing their frustration and concern about the distribution of ballots for Maryland’s June 2 primary election. Many registered voters in Montgomery County have reported that they have not received their ballots and have reached out to the Council to voice their concerns. All Councilmembers signed the letter. “It is extremely concerning, this close to the June 2nd Maryland primary election, that there are widespread issues in delivering the appropriate absentee ballot to voters,” said Council Vice President Tom Hucker. “This is unacceptable and is increasing public anxiety and eroding confidence in our elections. The State Board of Elections needs to act immediately to ensure voters a fair and timely primary and general election. We are sending this letter to get more information on this situation and to work with the State Board on this crucial issue.” The Council has requested the Maryland State Board of Elections hold an emergency meeting to address urgent issues relating to the primary election including the timely distribution of ballots to all voters in their preferred language and to ensure that Maryland will administer the 2020 primary and general elections securely and effectively. “The Maryland State Board of Elections must do everything within its power to ensure that by perception and in reality, the coming elections are seen to be fair and just,” said Councilmember Nancy Navarro, who chairs the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee. “The issues that threaten to disenfranchise voters in our county and region must be resolved as soon as possible.” (MoCo Govt link)  More Montgomery County ballots being mailed to deceased, non-residents. A few weeks after a man described how his deceased mother was shown to have voted in Montgomery County elections for a decade after her death, another case of an illegal ballot being issued has come to light. Attorney Robin Ficker, a Republican candidate for Maryland governor, reports that his son was mailed a ballot to his old Montgomery County address. Problem: Ficker's son hasn't lived in Montgomery County for 12 years. And as a "live" ballot, it could be illegally filled out and mailed back by someone else. "Election fraud?" Ficker asked in a Facebook post showing the improperly-mailed ballot. "How many of these ballots are being mailed by someone else?" Ficker isn't the only one asking questions.  A watchdog group, Judicial Watch, has successfully sued to receive the voter registration information of all Montgomery County voters, after it found there are more names registered to vote than there are eligible voters in the county. In 2018, anomalous voting results were seen at dozens of precincts across Montgomery County in the County Council At-Large race, if not others. The voter universe in that election also increased by about 100,000 voters in only four years since 2014. Local media outlets have not challenged County officials about either issue so far. Leaving ineligible names on the voter rolls is a key source of voter fraud. Anyone who has the names of deceased or non-resident voters can walk into the appropriate polling place, claim to be that person and provide the few details asked for by judges, and cast a ballot illegally using one of those many names. In this year's by-mail elections, these illegal ballots will be mailed out and ripe for the picking by any organized voter fraud operation, further underlining the urgency in cleaning up Montgomery County's dirty voter rolls. (Robert Dyer blog link)  Flashback in April: Judicial Watch Victory: Federal Court Orders Maryland to Release Complete Voter Registration Records. (Washington, DC) Judicial Watch announced that a federal court ordered the State of Maryland to produce the voter list for Montgomery County that includes the registered voters’ date of birth. This court ruling is the latest in a series of victories for Judicial Watch in its lawsuit filed July 18, 2017, against Montgomery County and the Maryland State Boards of Elections under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA). Judicial Watch filed suit for the Maryland voter list data after uncovering that there were more registered voters in Montgomery County than citizens over the age of 18 who could legally register (Judicial Watch vs. Linda H. Lamone, et al. (No. 1:17-cv-02006)). Ruling in Judicial Watch’s favor, Judge Hollander said: "Judicial Watch need not demonstrate its need for birth date information in order to facilitate its effort to ensure that the voter rolls are properly maintained. Nevertheless, it has put forward reasonable justifications for requiring birth date information, including using birth dates to find duplicate registrations and searching for voters who remain on the rolls despite “improbable” age." In order to avoid turning over the dates of birth for Maryland voters, the Maryland Administrator of Elections, Linda Lamone, directed her staff to remove date of birth as a field on the voter registration application. Judge Hollander ruled that Lamone could not do this, saying: "Because full voter birth dates appear on completed voter registration applications, the Administrator may not bypass the Act by unilaterally revising the Application." In August 2019, Judge Hollander ruled in Judicial Watch’s favor in the same case, ordering the State of Maryland to produce voter list data for Montgomery County. Judicial Watch is the national leader in enforcing the National Voters Registration Act. (Judicial Watch link)  8 AM HOUR 8-A -- 8:05 AM - CHRIS CUOMO AND HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE: Flashback: CNN’s Cuomo Mocks Trump Over Hydroxychloroquine — A Version Of It Was Included In His Own COVID-19 Treatment. CNN anchor Chris Cuomo mocked President Donald Trump on Monday for announcing that he had been taking anti-malarial drugs as a preventative treatment for coronavirus even though he had also used a version of the drug in his own COVID-19 treatment regimen. In a late Monday tweet after Trump’s announcement, Cuomo responded to a video of Florida police breaking up a block party by saying “No worries. They can just take some chloroquine.” Cuomo also said in the opening of Monday’s Cuomo Prime Time that “the president knows that Hydroxychloroquine is not supported by science. He knows it has been flagged by people in his own administration” and called it a distraction from “his lack of a plan or real solutions.” Cuomo had been using a version of the anti-malarial drug in his own treatment for coronavirus, according to posts about his treatment protocol written by his wife, Cristina, in her wellness magazine “The Purist.” (Daily Caller link) Kayleigh McEnany Rips CNN’s Chris Cuomo For Taking ‘Less Safe Version’ Of Hydroxychloroquine. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany called out CNN anchor Chris Cuomo Wednesday for mocking President Donald Trump for taking hydroxychloroquine after Cuomo took a less safe version of the drug for his coronavirus treatment. “You had Chris Cuomo saying the president knows that hydroxychloroquine is not supported by science, he knows it has been flagged by his own people and he’s using it,” McEnany said at Wednesday’s White House press briefing. “Cuomo mocked the president for this” but “it turns out that Chris Cuomo took a less safe version of it called quinine, which the FDA removed from the market in 2006 because it had serious side effects, including death. So really interesting to have that criticism of the president.” ( Daily Caller link) From Chris Cuomo's wife's blog:  I enlisted Dr. Linda Lancaster, who put my husband on a path of natural remedies to strengthen his immune system—and now mine–and it’s working for us. (Blog link)  CRAZY LECTURE FROM the "Doctor" (Dr. Linda Lancaster) that Chris Cuomo's wife was getting coronavirus treatment advice from (that included bathing in bleach...) LAST NIGHT: Chris Cuomo teases brother Andrew Cuomo with giant test swab. Chris Cuomo teases brother Andrew with a prop of a giant test swab. CNN's Chris Cuomo jokes with his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, about the size of his nose. On May 17, the governor was tested for Covid-19 on live television to encourage others to get tested. CNN's Chris Cuomo does prop comedy with NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, fails to ask about nursing-home controversy.CNN anchor Chris Cuomo again did not address the growing nursing-home controversy in his latest interview with his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and instead performed some prop comedy on Wednesday night. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, recently reversed a March 25 order that forced nursing homes to accept patients who tested positive for coronavirus, despite testing deficiencies for both residents and staff. Cuomo signed an executive order on May 11 stopping hospitals from sending infected patients back to nursing homes and ramping up testing for staff. 8-B/C  -- FL GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS SLAPS THE MEDIA: Fla. Gov. DeSantis Scorches Media For Dire Florida Predictions: ‘Hell, We’re 8 Weeks Away From That’. Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis unloaded on members of the media Wednesday over their extremely grim predictions for his state, saying that the media “waxed poetically for weeks and weeks” about how bad Florida would look. “Our data is available, our data is transparent, in fact Dr. Birx has talked multiple times about how Florida has the absolute best data, so any insinuation otherwise is just typical partisan narrative trying to be spun,” DeSantis said. “And part of the reason is because you got a lot of people in your profession who waxed poetically for weeks and weeks about how Florida was going to be just like New York: wait two weeks Florida’s going to be next, just like Italy, wait two weeks.” “Well hell, we’re eight weeks away from that, and it hasn’t happened. Not only do we have a lower death rate–well we have way lower deaths generally–we have a lower death rate than the Acela Corridor, DC, everyone up there,” the governor continued. Where Does Ron DeSantis Go to Get His Apology? (By RICH LOWRY/NATIONAL REVIEW) - The Florida governor explains a COVID-19 strategy that has gotten bad press and favorable results. A couple of months ago, the media, almost as one, decided that Governor Ron DeSantis was a public menace who was going to get Floridians killed with his lax response to the coronavirus crisis. In an interview with National Review, DeSantis says he was surprised at “how knee-jerk” the hostile coverage was, but he “also knew that none of these people knew anything about Florida at all, so I didn’t care what they were saying.” The conventional wisdom has begun to change about Florida, as the disaster so widely predicted hasn’t materialized. It’s worth delving into the state’s response — as described by DeSantis and a couple of members of his team — because it is the opposite of the media narrative of a Trump-friendly governor disregarding the facts to pursue a reckless agenda. DeSantis and his team have followed the science closely from the beginning, which is why they forged a nuanced approach, but one that focused like a laser on the most vulnerable population, those in nursing homes. An irony of the national coverage of the coronavirus crisis is that at the same time DeSantis was being made into a villain, New York governor Andrew Cuomo was being elevated as a hero, even though the DeSantis approach to nursing homes was obviously superior to that of Cuomo. Florida went out of its way to get COVID-19-positive people out of nursing homes, while New York went out of its way to get them in, a policy now widely acknowledged to have been a debacle. The media didn’t exactly have their eyes on the ball. “The day that the media had their first big freakout about Florida was March 15th,” DeSantis recalls, “which was, there were people on Clearwater Beach, and it was this big deal. That same day is when we signed the executive order to, one, ban visitation in the nursing homes, and two, ban the reintroduction of a COVID-positive patient back into a nursing home.” DeSantis is bemused by the obsession with Florida’s beaches. When they opened in Jacksonville, it was a big national story, usually relayed with a dire tone. “Jacksonville has almost no COVID activity outside of a nursing-home context,” he says. “Their hospitalizations are down, ICU down since the beaches opened a month ago. And yet, nobody talks about it. It’s just like, ‘Okay, we just move on to the next target.’” 8-D -- 8:35 AM -- INTERVIEW - SHELLEY LUTHER - formerly jailed Dallas salon owner TX SALON OWNER WENT TO MICHIGAN ON MONDAY TO HELP A BARBER REBELLING AGAINST WHITMER’S LOCKDOWN: Dallas salon owner who was jailed over coronavirus rules travels to Michigan to support defiant barber. A Texas salon owner who was sent to jail for opening her business during the coronavirus outbreak called Michigan's governor a "tyrant" on Monday as she stood next to a barber whose license was suspended for cutting hair.  "Gretchen, the state of Michigan will vote you out," Shelley Luther declared, referring to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Luther traveled to Owosso, a small Michigan town, to express support for Karl Manke. The 77-year-old barber reopened his shop for more than a week before state regulators suspended his license. Luther, the owner of Salon a la Mode in Dallas, was sentenced to a week in jail for flouting public health orders intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus. She was released less than 48 hours later when Gov. Greg Abbott dropped jail as a possible punishment for violations. "Why does your governor think that it's OK to open up for marijuana, liquor sales?" said Luther, whose boyfriend grew up an hour away in Frankenmuth. "Can't you get an abortion? But you cannot get your hair cut. What is wrong? "Stop being a tyrant," Luther said of the governor. "Open up. You don't get this control. We control you. We have the power." Whitmer has defended the business restrictions as an important way to stop the virus. She relented a bit Monday by announcing plans to reopen bars and restaurants Friday in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula, which haven't been hit as hard as the rest of Michigan. (CBS News) ‘Operation Haircut’: Michigan Barbers Defy Lockdown, Offer Haircuts On Capitol Lawn. Anti-lockdown protesters gathered in Lansing on the lawn of the Michigan state capitol Wednesday to get a haircut. With barbershops and salons closed indefinitely due to the state’s coronavirus lockdown, barbers are scheduled to cut hair on the capitol lawn for three hours Wednesday afternoon. The protest, called “operation haircut,” was organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition, and is the latest example of Michiganders clashing with Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has enacted some of the strictest coronavirus restrictions in the nation. The Michigan Department of State Police threatened to issue citations to those giving or receiving haircuts. “All individuals engaging in haircuts are being educated on the law. Those who do not comply will be cited for disorderly conduct,” the department tweeted. (Daily Caller link) LAST WEEK: Michigan Barber Has Licenses Suspended After Defying Shutdown Orders. State officials said Karl Manke’s decision to reopen his shop during the coronavirus pandemic jeopardized public health and safety. A Michigan barber who reopened his shop in defiance of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s orders had his business and professional licenses suspended, the latest step in his escalating battle with the state. The barber, Karl Manke, 77, who has been cutting hair in Owosso, Mich., for almost 60 years, likened Michigan under Ms. Whitmer, a Democrat, to “a police state.” He said he planned to keep cutting hair, despite the suspension of his licenses. “I’m not closing up; I’m not caving in to this,” he said on Wednesday, adding: “I’m not a rabble-rouser and I’m not a scofflaw. I’m a small-town barber. I just want to make my living.” Mr. Manke is just one of the latest business owners to defy orders to keep their doors closed to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. (NY Times link)   ======================================================================= Mornings on the Mall Podcast - 2020-5-21 [00:00:00] 4:59 am - Mornings on the Mall [01:00:16] 6:00 am - Mornings on the Mall [02:00:26] 7:00 am - Mornings on the Mall [03:00:35] 8:00 am - Mornings on the Mall

 7:35 AM - INTERVIEW - TOM FITTON - President of Judicial Watch Montgomery County Council calls on Maryland's State Board of Elections to hold emergency meeting to protect voting rights. Council expresses concerns over the distribution of ballots for Maryland’s June 2 primary election ROCKVILLE, Md., May 20, 2020—Montgomery County Councilmembers sent a letter to the Maryland State Board of Elections expressing their frustration and concern about the distribution of ballots for Maryland’s June 2 primary election. Many registered voters in Montgomery County have reported that they have not received their ballots and have reached out to the Council to voice their concerns. All Councilmembers signed the letter. “It is extremely concerning, this close to the June 2nd Maryland primary election, that there are widespread issues in delivering the appropriate absentee ballot to voters,” said Council Vice President Tom Hucker. “This is unacceptable and is increasing public anxiety and eroding confidence in our elections. The State Board of Elections needs to act immediately to ensure voters a fair and timely primary and general election. We are sending this letter to get more information on this situation and to work with the State Board on this crucial issue.” The Council has requested the Maryland State Board of Elections hold an emergency meeting to address urgent issues relating to the primary election including the timely distribution of ballots to all voters in their preferred language and to ensure that Maryland will administer the 2020 primary and general elections securely and effectively. “The Maryland State Board of Elections must do everything within its power to ensure that by perception and in reality, the coming elections are seen to be fair and just,” said Councilmember Nancy Navarro, who chairs the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy Committee. “The issues that threaten to disenfranchise voters in our county and region must be resolved as soon as possible.” (MoCo Govt link)  More Montgomery County ballots being mailed to deceased, non-residents. A few weeks after a man described how his deceased mother was shown to have voted in Montgomery County elections for a decade after her death, another case of an illegal ballot being issued has come to light. Attorney Robin Ficker, a Republican candidate for Maryland governor, reports that his son was mailed a ballot to his old Montgomery County address. Problem: Ficker's son hasn't lived in Montgomery County for 12 years. And as a "live" ballot, it could be illegally filled out and mailed back by someone else. "Election fraud?" Ficker asked in a Facebook post showing the improperly-mailed ballot. "How many of these ballots are being mailed by someone else?" Ficker isn't the only one asking questions.  A watchdog group, Judicial Watch, has successfully sued to receive the voter registration information of all Montgomery County voters, after it found there are more names registered to vote than there are eligible voters in the county. In 2018, anomalous voting results were seen at dozens of precincts across Montgomery County in the County Council At-Large race, if not others. The voter universe in that election also increased by about 100,000 voters in only four years since 2014. Local media outlets have not challenged County officials about either issue so far. Leaving ineligible names on the voter rolls is a key source of voter fraud. Anyone who has the names of deceased or non-resident voters can walk into the appropriate polling place, claim to be that person and provide the few details asked for by judges, and cast a ballot illegally using one of those many names. In this year's by-mail elections, these illegal ballots will be mailed out and ripe for the picking by any organized voter fraud operation, further underlining the urgency in cleaning up Montgomery County's dirty voter rolls. (Robert Dyer blog link)  Flashback in April: Judicial Watch Victory: Federal Court Orders Maryland to Release Complete Voter Registration Records. (Washington, DC) Judicial Watch announced that a federal court ordered the State of Maryland to produce the voter list for Montgomery County that includes the registered voters’ date of birth. This court ruling is the latest in a series of victories for Judicial Watch in its lawsuit filed July 18, 2017, against Montgomery County and the Maryland State Boards of Elections under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA). Judicial Watch filed suit for the Maryland voter list data after uncovering that there were more registered voters in Montgomery County than citizens over the age of 18 who could legally register (Judicial Watch vs. Linda H. Lamone, et al. (No. 1:17-cv-02006)). Ruling in Judicial Watch’s favor, Judge Hollander said: "Judicial Watch need not demonstrate its need for birth date information in order to facilitate its effort to ensure that the voter rolls are properly maintained. Nevertheless, it has put forward reasonable justifications for requiring birth date information, including using birth dates to find duplicate registrations and searching for voters who remain on the rolls despite “improbable” age." In order to avoid turning over the dates of birth for Maryland voters, the Maryland Administrator of Elections, Linda Lamone, directed her staff to remove date of birth as a field on the voter registration application. Judge Hollander ruled that Lamone could not do this, saying: "Because full voter birth dates appear on completed voter registration applications, the Administrator may not bypass the Act by unilaterally revising the Application." In August 2019, Judge Hollander ruled in Judicial Watch’s favor in the same case, ordering the State of Maryland to produce voter list data for Montgomery County. Judicial Watch is the national leader in enforcing the National Voters Registration Act. (Judicial Watch link) 

Texas residents have until Feb. 3 to register to to vote in the “Super Tuesday” March primaries. But they have to do it in person. However, the League of Women Voters of Texas is looking to eventually change that. The non-partisan, pro-democracy organization filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday claiming that Texas violated the National Voter Registration Act by not providing voter registration with online driver’s license applications. Grace Chimene is the president of the League of Women Voters of Texas.

Doug Hess '91, assistant professor of political science, has researched the National Voter Registration Act basically since it was passed by Congress in 1993. The law was intended to advance voting rights by requiring states to incorporate registration opportunities into the application process for a motor vehicle license and many types of public assistance. States were supposed to implement the law by 1995, but as we enter 2020, many aspects of the policy have stalled or been neglected. Because of this, Hess continues to research and monitor the implementation of the legislation throughout the United States. Student researchers Greg Eastman '19 and Takshil Sachdev '19 join for this discussion of the status of the legislation throughout the country, obstacles to implementation, and potential solutions to overcome these challenges. Then, Hess discusses the recent Grinnell College National Poll findings about voter confidence in elections, and what it may mean for turnout in the upcoming presidential election.

Protecting our Elections Most Americans take for granted that our elections will be free and fair. However, this would not be the case without the rigorous efforts of dedicated non-profits, citizens, and volunteers. Organizations like the Lawyers’ Committee work year-round to protect our elections from internal interference using a variety of tools such as a voter hotline (866-OUR-VOTE), digital outreach, physical field programs, and litigation when states enact unfair or discriminatory voting practices. Legitimate elections are the result of passionate citizens and organized civic engagement. Attacks on Democratic Infrastructure The Lawyers’ Committee started its Election Protection program in 2002 in order to combat increasing attacks on election infrastructure at national and state levels. The most notable of these attacks was the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court Case, which struck down a key portion of the Voting Rights Act that had required districts with a history of voter discrimination to seek federal authorization for any changes in voting laws or procedures. Since then, 14 states have instituted new voting restrictions, and more than 1,000 polling locations have closed around the country. Restrictions like this make it harder for many to vote, alienating them and corroding the foundation of our democracy. Restrictions and Interpretations New laws—like Texas’s former voter ID law that banned student IDs, but allowed concealed carry permits—are not the only way states can suppress voting. Some states simply interpret existing laws in a new way. The National Voter Registration Act contains a list maintenance provision on how to remove voters who have moved or died, which some states have interpreted as a way to aggressively purge voters who still live in the jurisdiction. In Husted v. Philip Randolph Institute, the Supreme Court ruled that Ohio is allowed to purge voters who have not voted in two years and have not responded to a change of residence notice. Election protection challenges voter suppression in new laws as well as unfair interpretations of existing ones.  Find out more: Marcia Johnson-Blanco is the co-Director of the Lawyers’ Committee’s Voting Rights Project. She manages the Project’s programmatic and advocacy portfolios, and also leads the Election Protection Program. The program was started in 2002 to combat voter suppression and disenfranchisement, which includes tools such as the voter hotline (866-OUR-VOTE), on-site election protection services, and litigation against discriminatory laws and tactics. Johnson-Blanco is a widely-recognized voting rights leader, and served as the deputy director of the National Commission on the Voting Rights Act in 2005. She holds degrees from Georgetown and Villanova, and serves as a taskforce co-chair at the US Human Rights Network. You can follow her on Twitter @mfjblanco, and the Election Protection program @866OURVOTE.

In this introductory episode of Raising the Bar with Iman, I discuss a case from the Supreme Court's latest term. In Husted v. A Philip Randolph, the Court ruled the state of Ohio's practice of purging voters from its rolls after failing to vote didn't violate the National Voter Registration Act. I discuss how this flawed opinion ignores the history of voter suppression in this country, and why we should care that this took place in Ohio. Finally, we discuss how we can raise the bar to try to prevent this from happening in other states!

With more than 10 percent of Americans moving each year, how can states ensure that their voting lists are kept up to date and that ineligible persons are removed? In Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute, the Court held that states can look at failure to vote as evidence to identify people who may have moved, but that it can’t be the sole factor used to remove a voter from the rolls. By a 5-4 vote, the decision upheld an Ohio law that removes from the voter rolls voters who don’t vote in any election for two years, fail to respond to a return card mailed to their registered address, and then don’t vote in any election for another four years. That scheme, according to the advocacy groups that challenged it, violated a section of the National Voter Registration Act that provides that failure to vote “shall not result in the removal of the name of any person” from the rolls. But, as Justice Alito’s majority opinion explained, another section provides that states may mail a “return card” to registered voters and, if they don’t respond, remove them if they fail to vote in the next two federal elections. And nothing in the statute says that states can’t rely on failure to vote as a basis to send out return cards. What states can’t do, the Court concluded, is rely on nonvoting as the sole criterion for removing a voter from the rolls. The majority’s decision preserves the tools that states have used for years to remove ineligible persons from voter-registration rolls and may spur more states to adopt approaches like Ohio’s. It also has important things to say about the courts’ respect for the policy judgments made by Congress and the states.Featuring:Mr. Andrew Grossman, Partner, Baker & Hostetler LLP and Adjunct Scholar, The Cato Institute Teleforum calls are open to all dues paying members of the Federalist Society. To become a member, sign up here. As a member, you should receive email announcements of upcoming Teleforum calls which contain the conference call phone number. If you are not receiving those email announcements, please contact us at 202-822-8138.

With more than 10 percent of Americans moving each year, how can states ensure that their voting lists are kept up to date and that ineligible persons are removed? In Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute, the Court held that states can look at failure to vote as evidence to identify people who may have moved, but that it can’t be the sole factor used to remove a voter from the rolls. By a 5-4 vote, the decision upheld an Ohio law that removes from the voter rolls voters who don’t vote in any election for two years, fail to respond to a return card mailed to their registered address, and then don’t vote in any election for another four years. That scheme, according to the advocacy groups that challenged it, violated a section of the National Voter Registration Act that provides that failure to vote “shall not result in the removal of the name of any person” from the rolls. But, as Justice Alito’s majority opinion explained, another section provides that states may mail a “return card” to registered voters and, if they don’t respond, remove them if they fail to vote in the next two federal elections. And nothing in the statute says that states can’t rely on failure to vote as a basis to send out return cards. What states can’t do, the Court concluded, is rely on nonvoting as the sole criterion for removing a voter from the rolls. The majority’s decision preserves the tools that states have used for years to remove ineligible persons from voter-registration rolls and may spur more states to adopt approaches like Ohio’s. It also has important things to say about the courts’ respect for the policy judgments made by Congress and the states.Featuring:Mr. Andrew Grossman, Partner, Baker & Hostetler LLP and Adjunct Scholar, The Cato Institute Teleforum calls are open to all dues paying members of the Federalist Society. To become a member, sign up here. As a member, you should receive email announcements of upcoming Teleforum calls which contain the conference call phone number. If you are not receiving those email announcements, please contact us at 202-822-8138.

All eyes are on the upcoming presidential election, but in this week's Politics Ohio we've got more of a local focus. The League of Women Voters of the Greater Dayton Area has several initiatives underway in the next few weeks to help voters get informed. Today we hear from Ana Crawford, Programs Director, with the league to talk about those initiatives. Upcoming Events provided by LWV: 27 Sep: National Voter Registration Day , 10 am - 8 pm, Dayton Metro Library. 27 Sep: Electoral College panel discussion , 6:00 - 8:00 pm, Wright State Univ. Student Union, Rm 186. 11 Oct: Voter registration deadline for fall election . Additional information from the League about voter registration: Over 32,000 voters in Montgomery and Greene Counties were purged from the voter rolls last year, a process allowed by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to clear the databases of inactive voters. League partners at the Ohio Unity Coalition set up this easy-to-use web portal where you can verify

A case in which the Court found the National Voter Registration Act preempted other voter registration requirements.