Category: Politics

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California Sets Date For Newsom Recall Election

FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2021, file photo, California Gov. Gavin Newsom gestures during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif. California on Thursday, July 1, 2021 scheduled a Sept. 14 recall election that could drive Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom from office, the result of a political uprising largely driven by angst over state coronavirus orders that shuttered schools and businesses and upended life for millions of Californians. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, Pool, File)
FILE – In this Jan. 8, 2021, file photo, California Gov. Gavin Newsom gestures during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif. California on Thursday, July 1, 2021 scheduled a Sept. 14 recall election that could drive Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom from office, the result of a political uprising largely driven by angst over state coronavirus orders that shuttered schools and businesses and upended life for millions of Californians. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, Pool, File)

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD and KATHLEEN RONAYNE

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California on Thursday scheduled a Sept. 14 recall election that could drive Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom from office, the result of a political uprising largely driven by angst over state coronavirus orders that shuttered schools and businesses and upended life for millions of Californians.

The election in the nation’s most populous state will be a marquee contest with national implications, watched closely as a barometer of the public mood heading toward the 2022 elections, when a closely divided Congress again will be in play.

The date was set by Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, a Democrat, after election officials certified that enough valid petition signatures had been turned in to qualify the election for the ballot.

The announcement will set off a furious, 10-week burst of campaigning through the California summer, a time when voters typically are ignoring politics to enjoy vacationing, backyard barbecuing and travel.

Many voters have yet to pay attention to the emerging election, while polls have shown Newsom would beat back the effort to remove him. Republicans haven’t won a statewide race in heavily Democratic California since 2006.

Republican candidates have depicted Newsom as an incompetent fop whose bungled leadership inflicted unnecessary financial pain statewide, while Democrats have sought to frame the contest as driven by far-right extremists and supporters of former President Donald Trump.

Newsom’s campaign issued a statement describing the election “a naked attempt by Trump Republicans to grab control in California.” It called on his supporters to “defend our state.” Kevin Faulconer, a former San Diego mayor and one of the leading Republican candidates, predicted that “retirement is coming for Gavin Newsom.”

While a final date wasn’t set until Thursday, the campaign has been underway for months after it became clear that recall organizers had gathered more than enough of the required 1.5 million petition signatures needed to place the recall on the ballot.

It’s not uncommon in California for residents to seek recalls but they rarely get on the ballot — and even fewer succeed. A sitting governor has been ousted just once in the state, when unpopular Democrat Gray Davis was recalled in 2003 and replaced by Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Conservative talk show host Larry Elder, 69, issued a brief statement Wednesday night saying he was seriously considering entering the race and would announce his decision early next week. His entry into the race would give the Republican field a jolt of celebrity sparkle and a name on the ticket known through his nationally syndicated radio show and appearances on Fox News.

Along with Faulconer, other Republicans who have said they will run include Republican businessman John Cox, who was defeated by Newsom in 2018, former U.S. Rep. Doug Ose and reality TV personality and former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner.

The GOP field is expected to continue to grow: Candidates have until 59 days before election to file papers to declare their candidacy, or roughly about two weeks away.

Source: California sets date for recall election targeting Newsom

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‘Not a healthy environment’: Kamala Harris’ office rife with dissent

There is dysfunction inside the VP’s office, aides and administration officials say. And it’s emanating from the top.

When Vice President Kamala Harris finally made the decision to visit the Mexico border last week, people inside her own office were blindsided by the news.

For days, aides and outside allies had been calling and texting with each other about the political fallout that a potential trip would entail. But when it became known that she was going to El Paso, it left many scrambling, including officials who were responsible for making travel arrangements and others outside the VP’s office charged with crafting the messaging across the administration.

Source: ‘Not a healthy environment’: Kamala Harris’ office rife with dissent

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AOC dismisses concern over crime spikes in major cities as ‘hysteria’ | Fox News

“We are seeing these headlines about percentage increases,” Ocasio-Cortez said during a conversation with New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman over Zoom. “Now, I want to say that any amount of harm is unacceptable and too much, but I also want to make sure that this hysteria, you know, that this doesn’t drive a hysteria and that we look at these numbers in context so that we can make responsible decisions about what to allocate in that context.”

CURTIS SILWA PLANS TO CRACK DOWN ON CRIME AS NYC MAYOR Sliwa

Ocasio-Cortez argued earlier in June that authorities should stop building prisons and instead focus on underlying public health issues, adding it is “not acceptable” to use jails as “garbage bins.”

“If we want to reduce violent crime, if we want to reduce the number of people in our jails, the answer is to stop building more of them,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “The answer is to make sure that we actually build more hospitals, we pay organizers, we get people mental health care and overall health care, employment, etc. It’s to support communities, not throw them away.”

Source: AOC dismisses concern over crime spikes in major cities as ‘hysteria’ | Fox News

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The false promise of modern monetary theory | TheHill

MMT advocates claim they have the secret recipe to avoid the pitfalls of currency debasement and mountains of debt.

For those unaccustomed with MMT, in essence it states that the U.S. government can print and spend money limitlessly. Deficits don’t matter. Neither does the national debt.

MMT has several high-profile adherents, from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

Source: The false promise of modern monetary theory | TheHill

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Kansas lawmaker to introduce critical race theory bill to ban it from schools

TOPEKA, (KSNT) — A Kansas senator said they plan to introduce a bill banning critical race theory from being taught in schools.

Sen. Caryn Tyson, R-Parker, told the Kansas Capitol Bureau on Thursday that she will pre-file for next year’s legislative session a bill that would prohibit the teaching of the subject, also referred to as CRT.

“We need to make sure that race is not an issue,” Tyson said. “People should not be judged by the color of their skin. They shouldn’t.”

Critical Race Theory is the study of racism as a social construct that impacts legal systems and policies, arguing that some institutions oppress minorities. Tyson said it’s become a topic of concern for several of her constituents, as a national debate takes place on whether it should be taught in schools.

On Friday, a spokesperson for the Kansas National Education Association, Marcus Baltzell, said that current attacks against the concept seem to be a “siren” or “conflation” of the subject by “ultra-conservatives” intending to ignite a movement against the theory. He said no schools in the state are explicitly teaching the subject.

Source: Kansas lawmaker to introduce critical race theory bill to ban it from schools

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Biden executive order aims to further equity, inclusiveness in federal hiring – The Washington Post

Order calls for “a government-wide, comprehensive plan” to address such things as harassment, equity for LGBTQ+ employees and people with disabilities, and access to leadership roles.

Source: Biden executive order aims to further equity, inclusiveness in federal hiring – The Washington Post

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Opinion | A message to GOP congressmen: In D.C., critical race theory is simple truth-telling – The Washington Post

Washington, D.C.’s children should learn about Black history in the District.

As though they didn’t have enough pressing national issues on their plates, five Republican congressmen — Glenn Grothman (Wis.), Ralph Norman (S.C.), Bob Gibbs (Ohio), Pat Fallon and Ronny Jackson (both of Texas) — have introduced legislation to ban the teaching of critical race theory in D.C. public and charter schools.

Grothman, the bill’s chief sponsor, said in a news release that, through critical race theory curriculum, “students are being taught that they are defined by the color of their skin, not the content of their character.” “This neo-racist ideology,” warned Grothman, “should have no place in our public education system, especially in our nation’s capital.”

Set aside for a minute the confusion over just what is critical race theory. Understand, also, that D.C. schools don’t teach critical race theory but do provide anti-racist training for educators and classroom discussions of systemic racism.

Source: Opinion | A message to GOP congressmen: In D.C., critical race theory is simple truth-telling – The Washington Post

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White farmer wins temporary halt to program for Black counterparts

WASHINGTON — A federal judge in Florida halted the Biden administration’s new debt-relief program for minority farmers on Wednesday.

Judge Marcia Morales Howard, an appointee of President George W. Bush, temporarily blocked the Agriculture Department from implementing a $4 billion program aimed at helping distressed minority farmers on the basis that it likely violates white farmers’ rights to equal protection under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. That argument was backed by several former aides in the Trump White House.

Howard ordered the Agriculture Department not to issue payments under the program for “socially disadvantaged” farmers until she can rule on the merits of the case. She wrote that the program, which is embedded in President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan law, is “significantly likely” to violate the constitutional rights of the plaintiff, a white farmer named Scott Wynn.

Her order creates a nationwide injunction against the debt-relief program.

Earlier this month, in a similar case, a Wisconsin judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking implementation of the program, which covers up to 120 percent of the debts of farmers who are members of groups that have historically been discriminated against based on their race or ethnicity. Across the country, several white farmers have filed lawsuits, at least one of which is backed by America First Legal, a group founded by former Trump White House aides.

“The government must not be allowed to use its awesome authorities to punish, harm, exclude, prefer, reward or damage its citizens based upon their race or ethnicity,” Stephen Miller, a former White House aide and the head of America First Legal, said in a statement in conjunction with one of the other cases.

Civil rights advocates have expressed concern that other Agriculture Department programs aimed at redressing past discrimination — as well as federal programs outside the scope of farming — could be at risk if federal courts find that the American Rescue Plan’s program for socially disadvantaged farmers is unconstitutional.

Source: White farmer wins temporary halt to program for Black counterparts

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Revs. Jesse Jackson, William Barber arrested in protest urging Manchin to nix filibuster | TheHill

The Rev. Jesse Jackson and social justice activist the Rev. William Barber were arrested Wednesday during protests to urge Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) to end the filibuster and pass a sweeping voting rights bill, according to CNN.

Jackson, a civil rights icon, and Barber, a social justice activist, were two of 21 people overall who were arrested this week near the U.S. Supreme Court for obstructing and crowding, according to the network.

Barber participated in the “Moral March on Manchin and McConnell” rally with the nonprofit organization group the Poor People’s Campaign at the steps of the Supreme Court. The demonstration aimed to put pressure on Manchin and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to end the filibuster.

Source: Revs. Jesse Jackson, William Barber arrested in protest urging Manchin to nix filibuster | TheHill

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Rudy Giuliani suspended from practicing law in New York state – CNNPolitics

Rudy Giuliani, the former personal lawyer for former President Donald Trump who once held one of the legal profession’s most prestigious jobs, was suspended Thursday from practicing law in New York state by an appellate court that found he made “demonstrably false and misleading statements” about the 2020 election.

Source: Rudy Giuliani suspended from practicing law in New York state – CNNPolitics

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Tennessee man is fifth to plead guilty in US Capitol riot – CNNPolitics

(CNN)A Tennessee man pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegally demonstrating inside the US Capitol on January 6, becoming the fifth rioter to admit their guilt in the massive federal probe.

Bryan Ivey, 28, pleaded guilty to the single misdemeanor during a virtual hearing in DC District Court. The plea bargain doesn’t include a sentencing recommendation, and Ivey’s punishment will be decided by Judge Christopher Cooper on September 28. Technically, Ivey could face up to six months in jail on this charge, though it’s likely he gets much less or no jail at all.

Source: Tennessee man is fifth to plead guilty in US Capitol riot – CNNPolitics

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Yang concedes in NYC mayor’s race | TheHill

Yang concedes in NYC mayor's race

© Getty Images

Andrew Yang on Tuesday night officially dropped out of the New York City mayor’s race, capping off a bid that started with a wave of support but ultimately hobbled in the final stretch.

“I am not going to be the next mayor of New York City based upon the numbers that have come in tonight,” Yang said at an election watch party the night of the Democratic primary vote. “I am conceding this race, though we’re not sure ultimately who the next mayor is going to be. But whoever that person is, I will be very happy to work with them.”


Source: Yang concedes in NYC mayor’s race | TheHill

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Physicist to Tucker Carlson: Climate Change Is ‘Fiction of the Media,’ Not an ‘Existential Threat’

‘There’s very little in terms of extreme weather that has changed over the last many decades,’ a former Obama administration official said.

Democrats and their media lapdogs are rabidly hyping the bogus narrative that climate change is an imminent “existential threat” to mankind as part of a cynical move to promote left-wing agendas.

That’s the takeaway from a Fox News interview with physicist Steven Koonin, who offered scientific support to those who believe grifting climate alarmists are flippantly weaponizing this sham talking point to enrich and empower themselves.

“It’s a fiction of the media and the politicians who like to promote that notion,” Koonin said on Fox Nation’s “Tucker Carlson Today.”

Source: Physicist to Tucker Carlson: Climate Change Is ‘Fiction of the Media,’ Not an ‘Existential Threat’

Steven E. Koonin (born December 12, 1951)[1] is an American theoretical physicist and director of the Center for Urban Science and Progress at New York University. He is also a professor in the Department of Civil and Urban Engineering at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering.[2]

Source: wikipedia

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Multiple Arrests Made After Leftists Target Ted Cruz at His Own Home

Unfortunately, there was a small group who [was] actually committing trespassing into private property in front of the residence of Ted Cruz.


Source: Multiple Arrests Made After Leftists Target Ted Cruz at His Own Home

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Police-reform activists call for decrease in Pittsburgh police funding and increase in community investment

The Coalition to Reimagine Public Safety gathered at the steps of the Pittsburgh City County building on June 19 to discuss their goals towards decreasing the Pittsburgh Police budget, and instead funneling those funds to invest in resources for numerous efforts to combat problems stemming from violence, homelessness, drug use, and mental health. The goal of these policy changes, the coalition said, is to make Pittsburgh more safe and livable for minority communities.

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto took office in 2014, and the Pittsburgh Police budget during that year was $74 million. Since then, the Pittsburgh Police budget has increased almost 60% to a budget of $115 million according to a recent report conducted by the Abolitionist Law Center. This number equates to one-fifth of the city’s annual budget. The Coalition to Reimagine Public Safety conveyed at a press conference the desire to decrease the police budget, at minimum, by $40 million to put into other community investments.

Jasiri X, founder of 1Hood Media, discussed the structural and systematic violence that minority communities face, and that violent crimes are often a result of these issues. Without available resources to these communities, the issue cannot be resolved, Jasiri X explained.

Source: Police-reform activists call for decrease in Pittsburgh police funding and increase in community investment

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Vice President Kamala Harris visits Pittsburgh | TribLIVE.com

Vice President Kamala Harris has arrived in Pittsburgh for her daylong stay in the region as part of what is being dubbed “Child Tax Credit Awareness Day” by the Biden administration.

Air Force Two landed at Pittsburgh International Airport with the vice president just after 11 a.m.


Source: Vice President Kamala Harris visits Pittsburgh | TribLIVE.com

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Iran’s president-elect says he won’t meet with Biden – POLITICO

 

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s president-elect said Monday he wouldn’t meet with President Joe Biden nor negotiate over Tehran’s ballistic missile program and its support of regional militias, sticking to a hard-line position following his landslide victory in last week’s election.

Judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi also described himself as a “defender of human rights” when asked about his involvement in the 1988 mass execution of some 5,000 people. It marked the first time he’s been put on the spot on live television over that dark moment in Iranian history at the end of the Iran-Iraq war.

Source: Iran’s president-elect says he won’t meet with Biden – POLITICO

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Vice President Harris To Visit Pittsburgh Today – Beaver County Radio

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) Vice President Kamala Harris will be in Pittsburgh today with Labor Secretary Marty Walsh. The visit to comes as President Joe Biden’s administration pushes a massive infrastructure plan in Congress. The President originally unveiled his $2.3 trillion plan in Pittsburgh on March 31. He billed it as “a once-in-a-generation investment in America” that would also undo tax cuts for corporations under his predecessor former President Donald Trump. President Biden is hoping for a deal with Republicans who are resisting his big ideas and trimming the potential spending, but he also is trying to assure Democrats that he won’t leave behind their priorities.

Source: Vice President Harris To Visit Pittsburgh Today – Beaver County Radio

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Dr. Zuhdi Jasser blasts Biden, Sanders for associating with ‘Marxists’: ‘It starts from the top’ | Fox News

Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, warned of growing extreme sentiment on the left, as evidenced by what “Life, Liberty & Levin” host Mark Levin described as the “Marxism” of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and the physical and political “embrace” by President Biden of Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. – the latter a member of the far-left “Squad.”

Source: Dr. Zuhdi Jasser blasts Biden, Sanders for associating with ‘Marxists’: ‘It starts from the top’ | Fox News

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Harris to visit Pittsburgh amid push for infrastructure plan | News | tribdem.com

HARRISBURG – Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Pittsburgh on Monday with Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, Harris’ office said.

The visit to the presidential battleground state comes as President Joe Biden’s administration pushes a massive infrastructure plan in Congress. Walsh visited eastern Pennsylvania earlier in June to tout Biden’s infrastructure plan.

Biden originally went to Pittsburgh on March 31 to unveil a $2.3 trillion plan in what he billed as “a once-in-a-generation investment in America” that would also undo tax cuts for corporations under Biden’s predecessor, Republican Donald Trump.

Biden in late April went to Philadelphia’s William H. Gray III 30th Street Station to celebrate Amtrak’s 50th anniversary and his plan’s aid for rail service.

Biden is hoping for a deal with Republicans who are resisting his big ideas and trimming the potential spending, but he also is trying to assure Democrats that he will not leave behind their priorities.

Pennsylvania’s Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey has backed Biden’s plans, while Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey countered with a smaller plan that he said is more narrowly tailored to infrastructure and does not include what he called social welfare programs.

Casey called that plan a “slap in the face” because it left out funding for home and community-based services for the elderly and disabled.

Source: Harris to visit Pittsburgh amid push for infrastructure plan | News | tribdem.com

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What we know about the Capitol riot arrests – CBS News

“The Capitol Attack is likely the most complex investigation ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice,” the government said in a court filing.

Of the more than 480 defendants who have been arrested in connection with the riots, CBS News has reviewed court documents for 463 defendants’ cases that have been unsealed. Of those, at least 187 defendants were also indicted by grand juries.

So far, four defendants have pleaded guilty, including an Oath Keepers member who agreed to cooperate with the government and a man who took a selfie in the Senate chamber. For others, plea negotiations have been complicated by the vast amounts of evidence involved in the investigation.

Source: What we know about the Capitol riot arrests – CBS News

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Biden admin sending ‘F— you’ message with string of family-related hires: Obama ethics chief | Fox News

Press secretary Jen Psaki, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, senior adviser Anita Dunn, White House counselor Steve Richetti, deputy chief of staff Bruce Reed and presidential personnel office director Cathy Russell each have at least one direct family member working for the Biden administration.

BIDEN WHITE HOUSE POWERED BY FAMILY CONNECTIONS

“I’m sorry, I know some folks don’t like hearing any criticism of him. But this royally sucks. I’m disgusted,” Shaub wrote in a Twitter thread Friday, reacting to an article about the family ties of Biden officials.

“A lot of us worked hard to tee him up to restore ethics to government and believed the promises,” Shaub added, calling the string of family-related hires “a real ‘f*** you’ to us—and government ethics.”

Source: Biden admin sending ‘F— you’ message with string of family-related hires: Obama ethics chief | Fox News

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Exclusive: Full Interview With Russian President Vladimir Putin – YouTube

In an NBC News worldwide exclusive, senior international correspondent Keir Simmons sits down with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for a one-on-one interview, just days ahead of a critical summit with President Biden. » Subscribe to NBC News: http://nbcnews.to/SubscribeToNBC » Watch more NBC video: http://bit.ly/MoreNBCNews

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Dr. Ronny Jackson calls on Biden to immediately undergo cognitive test to assess ‘mental impairment’ | Fox News

 

Rep. Ronny Jackson: ‘Joe Biden is not physically or cognitively fit to be our president’

Former White House physician explains why the president needs a cognitive test on ‘Hannity’

Dr. Ronny Jackson, the former White House physician, called on President Biden to immediately undergo a cognitive test so the commander-in-chief can prove to the American public sound mental capabilities.

“We can’t sit on this any longer,” Jackson told “Hannity” Thursday night, citing Biden’s “embarrassing” performance overseas this week with world leaders.

“He’s not physically or cognitively fit to be our president right now,” Jackson added.

The freshman Texas congressman and 13 of his GOP colleagues sent a letter to Biden Thursday expressing “concern” with his cognitive state and cited several examples of potential memory lapses, including apparently forgetting the name of his Defense Secretary, telling an Amtrak story with a timeline that didn’t add up and seemingly blanking on the often-quoted first line of the Declaration of Independence.

Source: Dr. Ronny Jackson calls on Biden to immediately undergo cognitive test to assess ‘mental impairment’ | Fox News

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These companies are giving Juneteenth off for their employees

More than 460 companies are observing Juneteenth at this point, with many offering a paid day off or holiday pay. Here are some companies continuing PTO this year.

Amid the wave of discussions about racial injustice that began to gain momentum last summer, companies such as Allstate, Google and Nike have announced over the past year that they will recognize Juneteenth as a paid holiday for their employees.

After passing both the Senate and House earlier this week, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act was signed into law Thursday by President Joe Biden, making it the 11th federal holiday established by law, along with Christmas, Thanksgiving and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The day celebrates the delayed news that President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, freeing “all persons held as slaves” in the United States. However, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865 – referred to more informally as Juneteenth – that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom when Union soldiers arrived.

Source: These companies are giving Juneteenth off for their employees

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Obamacare: Supreme Court dismisses challenge to Affordable Care Act, leaving it in place – CNNPolitics

The Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to the Affordable Care Act on Thursday in a decision that will leave the law intact and save health care coverage for millions of Americans. The justices turned away a challenge from Republican-led states and the former Trump administration, which urged the justices to block the entire law.

Source: Obamacare: Supreme Court dismisses challenge to Affordable Care Act, leaving it in place – CNNPolitics

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Opinion: A big loss for Putin – CNN

 

(CNN)The visuals, the body language and the setting all converged to help President Joe Biden achieve what he wanted — not only from his much-hyped summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin — but from a week of pivotal meetings with US allies.

Frida Ghitis
From the start of the Geneva summit, Biden looked confident and relaxed. In contrast, Putin, who has made an art of appearing smug and almost bored, looked tense and on his guard. Then Biden took the initiative, extending his hand first to Putin, who walked over to grasp it.
The summit mattered, of course, but it was in the dueling press conferences where Putin helped Biden achieve his objectives. That’s because Biden’s meeting with Putin had two goals. One was about managing US relations with Russia. The other was the overarching theme of his European trip and, in fact, of Biden’s presidency: strengthening democracy by drawing a sharp distinction between it and authoritarianism, all the while persuading the world that democracy is the superior model.

Source: Opinion: A big loss for Putin – CNN

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Biden loses to Putin at Geneva summit just by showing up | TheHill

After bonding with his well-mannered counterparts at the G7 Summit, President Biden is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva, Switzerland, a man he called a “killer.” Biden’s aim at the G7 was to smooth over international relations that had become frosty under Donald Trump, a goal his European allies shared. They emerged chanting gauzy slogans, seeking to “Build Back Better” after the ruination wrought by the pandemic.

Biden will similarly try to improve the relationship with his Russian counterpart. But unlike the Europeans, Putin has something very different in mind. He, too, has goals for the meeting but they involve self-aggrandizement and using the masquerade of cooperation to allow him to continue to harm America, as the Soviets before him did under détente.

As usual, the Americans are offering Russia a reset button. And as usual, Russia will contemptuously cast it aside.

Both presidents have acknowledged that U.S.-Russia relations are at their lowest point since the end of the Cold War. Putin has threatened that the global security system is degrading and “the potential for conflict is growing.” TASS, the official Russian government “news” agency, compared the upcoming meeting between Biden and Putin to the June 4, 1961, meeting in Vienna between John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev, who was known for banging shoes on desks at the United Nations. Putin has laid the groundwork for doing so, inflicting what were undoubtedly state-sponsored cyber attacks on the United States — the employment of criminal groups to achieve the Russian state’s strategic goals is a common Kremlin tactic — and seeking to unbalance Biden by praising Donald Trump as an “extraordinary” and “talented individual,” while insulting Biden as a lifelong politician and “career man.”

Source: Biden loses to Putin at Geneva summit just by showing up | TheHill

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Juneteenth: Senate unanimously passes a bill making day a federal holiday – CNNPolitics

(CNN)The Senate unanimously passed a resolution on Tuesday establishing June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day, a US holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

The legislation has gained momentum since the massive Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd last year and the Democrats’ takeover of the White House and Congress.
But Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson blocked the bill in 2020, saying that the day off for federal employees would cost US taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Johnson dropped his objection this week despite his concerns, paving the way for the bill’s passage in the Senate.
“Although I strongly support celebrating Emancipation, I objected to the cost and lack of debate,” said Johnson in a statement. “While it still seems strange that having taxpayers provide federal employees paid time off is now required to celebrate the end of slavery, it is clear that there is no appetite in Congress to further discuss the matter.”
The measure needs to pass the House and be signed by President Joe Biden to become law.
On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger announced in Galveston, Texas, the end of slavery in accordance with President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.
In 1980, Juneteenth became a Texas state holiday. In the decades since, every state but South Dakota came to officially commemorate Juneteenth, but only a handful of states observe it as a paid holiday.
Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Ed Markey, Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee are among the members of Congress who led the effort to to make Juneteenth the 12th federal holiday.

Source: Juneteenth: Senate unanimously passes a bill making day a federal holiday – CNNPolitics

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