Monthly Archives: July 2020

Democratic physicians running for Congress are using their medical experience to campaign on health care as President TrumpDonald John TrumpDHS expands authority of personnel to collect information on people threatening monuments: report GOP signals Trump's payroll-tax cut in Republican coronavirus bill for now Trump threatens to double down on Portland in other major cities MORE and Republicans face backlash for their handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

The physicians running as Democratic congressional candidates have used their experiences combatting the virus to shape their platforms and connect with voters.

Quite honestly, I feel like theres never been a moment where its been more critical for us to have physicians and scientists at the table, said Hiral Tipirneni, a former emergency room doctor running to challenge Rep. David SchweikertDavid SchweikertHouse Republicans urge White House to support TSA giving travelers temperature checks Campaigns face attack ad dilemma amid coronavirus crisis Hispanic Caucus campaign arm unveils non-Hispanic endorsements MORE (R) in Arizonas 6th District.

Arizona is one of the major coronavirus hot spots in the U.S., reporting 1,559 new cases and 23 deaths on Monday.

Its very worrisome, Tipirneni said. Unfortunately, weve had an abject failure of leadership both at the federal and at the state level.

What concerns me the most is that right now, there is not a comprehensive strategy or plan in place that clearly leads us out of this crisis, she added.

Tipirneni is the underdog against Schweikert, but with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe BidenJoe BidenBiden vows to fight back against foreign interference efforts if elected On The Money: Congress set for showdown on coronavirus relief legislation | Jobless claims raise stakes in battle over COVID-19 aid | S&P 500 erases 2020 losses Biden pledges to overturn Trump's travel ban initially on majority Muslim countries MORE leading Trump in some polls of the state, the congressional race is considered competitive. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates it as lean Republican.

The Democrat is being supported by 314 Action, which is devoted to electing Democratic candidates with science backgrounds to office.

The group elected eight candidates with science backgrounds to the House and one to the Senate in 2018 and plans to spend between $10 million and $12 million on down-ballot elections in 2020.

This pandemic has just exposed so much thats wrong and why we need physicians in office to think about health care beyond just a campaign slogan, the groups founder and president, Shaughnessy Naughton, told The Hill.

The group has already endorsed 20 doctors this cycle, including eight at the federal level and 12 at the state and local levels. Additionally, 314 Action has backed six other medical professionals, including one nurse at the federal level, as well as five nurses and one physicians assistant at the state and local levels.

Naughton said she has witnessed an uptick in the number of Democratic physicians and scientists looking to run for office since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

We are hearing from folks that are [thinking about running for office beyond 2020], she said. Physicians are thinking about running and organizing their communities because this pandemic has exposed so much thats wrong.

Cameron Webb, an internal medicine physician and former member of President Obamas health care team, is running for a congressional seat in Virginia and is also backed by the group.

If I could just bridge these worlds and let people see that this is a very real, imminent threat and we have to do everything in our power to prevent it, I think thats the value of bringing real expertise into the political space, said Webb.

The seat is held by outgoing Rep. Denver RigglemanDenver RigglemanProgressive Bowman ousts Engel in New York primary GOP lawmakers raise questions about WHO's coronavirus timeline Trump's WHO decision raises bipartisan concerns in House MORE (R-Va.), who lost his reelection bid in the primary to Republican Bob Good after Riggleman officiated a same-sex wedding. Webb will face off against Good in November in the district, which The Cook Political Report rates as lean Republican.

The Trump administration has come under enormous criticism for its response to the coronavirus pandemic, in large part because of actions by the president.

Trump earlier this year downplayed the risk posed by the coronavirus. In the spring, he suggested that people inject disinfectants into their bodies to treat COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

For months, he refused to wear a mask in public, and he more recently came under criticism for suggesting the country would do less COVID-19 testing to reduce the number of positive cases.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll released on Friday found that 60 percent of respondents said they disapproved of the presidents handling of the pandemic.

Trump in the last week has been focused on ensuring that schools open this fall, something that could help improve the economy by making it easier for parents to be at work. The president referred to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions school reopening guidelines as very tough & expensive earlier this month and threatened to withhold funding from schools that delay reopening.

Despite a record number of cases and deaths in the U.S., Trump reaffirmed over the weekend that the virus would eventually disappear.

Ill be right eventually. I will be right eventually. You know, I said, Its going to disappear. Ill say it again, Trump said in an interview with Fox News Sunday.

Trump has also been questioned about critical remarks from White House officials targeting Anthony FauciAnthony FauciFauci to throw out first pitch for Washington Nationals home opener The Hill's Coronavirus Report: Former HHS Secretary Sebelius gives Trump administration a D in handling pandemic; Oxford, AstraZeneca report positive dual immunity results from early vaccine trial Coronavirus Report: The Hill's Steve Clemons interviews Kathleen Sebelius MORE, the nations top infectious diseases expert. Trump denied that the White House was running a campaign against Fauci on Sunday but referred to the doctor as a little bit of an alarmist.

Some of the Democratic doctors running for House seats have seized on such comments.

The fact that the president is currently challenging the expertise of Dr. Fauci is unconscionable, Webb said. Hearing somebody with his expertise, his leadership, who has led our nation through the HIV epidemic, and hearing President Trump, with no expertise, question that, that tells you everything is on the table.

A number of Republicans who are physicians are also running for offense, but they have at times had to play defense because of Trump.

Were all working on the same thing and that is to try to keep people as safe as possible, to limit their exposure and their risk, but to know that the virus is still here, its still around and we need to reopen the economy, said ophthalmologist and Iowa state Sen. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R), who is running to replace Rep. Dave LoebsackDavid (Dave) Wayne LoebsackDoctors boost Democrats' hopes to keep House Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks to face Democrat Rita Hart in open House race in Iowa Key races to watch in Tuesday's primaries MORE (D) in the states 2nd District.

The Cook Political Report rates the race as a toss-up.

My experience is people want to be out, they want to be doing things, and many people feel that if youre in a vulnerable population that you can self-isolate, or you can limit your interactions, she added.

In Florida, where more than 10,000 new positive cases have been reported for five consecutive days, Republicans have acknowledged the public health crisis but add that the states tourism-based economy must be allowed to open.

Leo Valentin, an interventional radiologist running to challenge incumbent Rep. Stephanie MurphyStephanie MurphyOn The Money: Congress set for showdown on coronavirus relief legislation | Jobless claims raise stakes in battle over COVID-19 aid | S&P 500 erases 2020 losses The Hill's Coronavirus Report: Former HHS Secretary Sebelius gives Trump administration a D in handling pandemic; Oxford, AstraZeneca report positive dual immunity results from early vaccine trial The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Supreme Court denies request to expedite Trump's financial record case MORE (D) in the states 7th District, has emphasized the importance of strengthening the economy, citing its connection to the health care industry.

What has happened with COVID-19 is that its brought that to the forefront for a lot of other people to see how everything in our community is really connected, Valentine told The Hill.

We know that socioeconomic status influences health care outcomes, he continued. Its part of our health policy to have that in mind.

The Cook Political Report has rated the district as solid Democratic.

Trumps rising disapproval rating on the coronavirus appears to have affected down-ballot races. Democrats lead Republicans on the generic congressional ballot, 49 percent to 40.7 percent, according to the FiveThirtyEight average.

Scientists and physicians are in a very good position to reach out to voters and earn their trust, Naughton said. Americans are looking to health professionals and scientists to lead us out of this pandemic because the political leaders have largely failed us.

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Doctors boost Democrats' hopes to keep House | TheHill - The Hill

GREEN BAY - Two Democrats are fighting for the chance to represent Green Bay voters in Madison in a contentious primary contest.

State Rep. Staush Gruszynski, who is seeking a second term in office, will face Green Bay School Board member Kristina Shelton in the Aug. 11 primary for the 90th Assembly District. The winner will runagainst RepublicanDrew Kirsteatter in November.

The 90th encompasses a large portion of thecity of Green Bay, including downtown.

Gruszynski came under fire last year afteran internal investigationrevealed he sexually harassed a female staff member at a Madison bar. He has since been barred from caucusing with Assembly Democrats and serving on committees.

The Green Bay Press-Gazette sent each candidate a questionnaire and asked them to limit their responses to approximately 100 words. Here's what they had to say.

Gruszynski(Photo: USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

Age:35

Occupation and highest education level:State representative, 90th Assembly District; Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Public Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Relevant experience:I worked for a conservation nonprofit for nearly a decade on issues directly facing Wisconsins environment. I also served as a Brown County supervisor for six years representing the east side of Green Bay.

Kristina Shelton(Photo: USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

Age: 40

Occupation and highest education level: Vice president, Board of Education, Green Bay Area Public School District. M.S., Health Promotion Management, Marymount University.

Relevant experience: Ive been an educator and community health activist all my life, first as a classroom teacher, then with a national nonprofit, and as a program director with the YWCA of Greater Green Bay. I was appointed to serve on the Green Bay School Board in August 2018, and I retained my seat in a very competitive spring 2019 election. In April 2020, I was elected by my colleagues to serve as vice president. More recently, Ive worked with leading organizations, educators and community members on issues around racial, economic, gender and environmental justice.

RELATED:State Rep. Amanda Stuck suggests Staush Gruszynski stop seeking reelection for 90th Assembly District

RELATED:Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich, Sen. Dave Hansen endorse Kristina Shelton for 90th Assembly District

Gruszynski:I am running for reelection because in these uncertain times Green Bay has big problems to solve, and they need someone with legislative experience and a proven track record of results. Democrats are deep in the minority, and Green Bay voters need an elected official that will reach across the aisle to work toward solutions for our community. As a county supervisor in a non-partisan role, I worked together with other local electedsacross the political spectrum to get results. Thats the experience Ive taken to Madison and used to cut through the partisan bickering in my first term.

Shelton: Im running to restore representation to our Assembly district and to tackle the monumental problems we face. Unfortunately, because of my opponents actions, he can no longer caucus with the Assembly Democrats or serve on any committees. The problems we face are too pressing for Green Bay not to be fully represented. We face a significant public health challenge, a diminished budget that could threaten valuable services like public education and growing environmental challenges. Im going to fight for the working families in the 90th Assembly District so that our state makes it through this crisis stronger, more democratic and more equitable.

Gruszynski:I have a strong track record of getting results for the residents of Green Bay passing bipartisan legislation to start the process of moving the coal piles, passing legislation that lifted Medicaid restrictions during the pandemic, fighting for road funding to fix Green Bays failing infrastructure, and introducing bipartisan legislation after the disastrous April election to increase absentee ballot applications, ballot tracking and voting locations. My first vote, AB1, to expand preexisting conditions protections, was legislation that a majority of Democrats did not support and a great example of my ability to put Green Bays constituents first.

Shelton: Im the only Democrat in this race that can fully represent our district, and Im also the candidate who knows how to build coalitions with other organizations to demand the change we need in the Capitol. Im proud to say that I have earned the endorsements of the most important progressive organizations in the state on every issue: Wisconsin Conservation Voters (environment), Citizen Action of Wisconsin (health care), SEIU (labor), American Federation of Teachers-Wisconsin (public education) and Planned Parenthood (gender equality and reproductive rights). I am running because I want to help build a movement to ensure all Wisconsinites can thrive.

Gruszynski:The three issues I hear from the voters of Green Bay are the states COVID-19 response, help to fix Green Bays failing infrastructure and expanding health care opportunities for working families. Even though we passed a bipartisan response plan in April, Ive continually called for a stronger response to help address unemployment benefits and support for our small-business community. During this years budget, we were able to increase road funding and transit to our municipalities, but we need to do more. Wisconsin should accept the federal Medicaid expansion dollars to increase coverage and lower health care costs for Green Bay residents.

Shelton: Right now, residents are worried about the public health crisis due to COVID-19 and the resulting economic fallout. Dozens of residents, some without unemployment benefits for months, have contacted me to help them. Unfortunately, our current representative has not been able to fully advocate for them, perhaps because he has missed valuable information after being excluded from the caucus. As a representative, I will have a direct line of communication with my constituents, and I will work to pass legislation so that in the future, we have the infrastructure to help our states citizens in future emergencies like this one.

Gruszynski:We have a patchwork of regulations because Republicans have refused to act since April. We passed legislation to lift Medicaid restrictions and lift the one-week waiting period for unemployment benefits, but that cant be the end of the conversation. People are struggling to get back to work, to keep their homes, feed their kids and decide whether or not school will be safe this fall. The state needs to take decisive action to give Green Bay residents the security and safety they deserve. That means overhauling the unemployment system and making sure state agencies have the tools to help.

Shelton:As someone with a public health background, I believe we must use an evidence-based approach to deal with the pandemic. The court decision to end the safer-at-home order with no plan in place was highly unfortunate. Moving forward, we must reduce the spread of COVID. We should consider a number of public health interventions, for instance, to highly encourage the use of masks, and if we cannot do it at the state level, local units of government should do it. We must also ensure everyone has access to high-quality, affordable health care moving forward.

Gruszynski:We have stood by for too long without action since the horrific death of George Floyd. I strongly support a special session to address police brutality and our criminal justice system as a whole. I also support Governor Evers legislative package that would ban chokeholds, create a bad cop registry and end no-knock warrants in Wisconsin. We need to continue to invest in public school funding, better transit systems and jobs programs that lift people up, especially communities of color. I also authored a crisis intervention training bill to give local law enforcement more tools to de-escalate dangerous situations.

Shelton: Many of Wisconsins inequities are caused by institutional racism manifested in policies and laws. I applaud the plan put forward by Governor Evers to create statewide standards on issues such as the use of force, banning the use of chokeholds and prohibiting no-knock search warrants. Its important to remember that violence and crime are closely associated to poverty and high levels of unemployment. Traditional policing programs do not typically get to the root of these problems. Therefore, we should be thinking more broadly about how we invest in communities and services to support mental health, addiction, homelessness and good-paying jobs.

Contact Haley BeMiller at hbemiller@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @haleybemiller.

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Meet the candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in Green Bay's 90th Assembly District - Green Bay Press Gazette

Sean Hannity opened his show Monday responding to the troubling crime surge gripping U.S. cities following a bloody weekend that left several dead.

"We have Pelosi.We have Schumer.We have Biden.125 years of swamp failure," he began. "They have done nothing to quellinner-city violent crimeanywhere in America, nothing tofix the broken dilapidateddisgusting and repulsiveeducational system.They have failed America'schildren.We have far left mayors.They have ruled these cities fordecades.They have completely failedtheir citizens," Hannity said.

Hannity blamed the crime uptick on failed Democratic leadership, who he said "ignore99.9 percent" of tragic deaths in their cities and focus only on crime victims if it fits their "sick political agenda."

"They only talk about it, cherry-pickit, if it fits their sickpolitical agenda.Hundreds are shot in Chicagoevery single week.Same with New York, now Seattleand Portland," he said. "Guess what?You think Joe Biden knows thesenames?Those are our fellow Americans.Do you think Mayor Lightfootknows those names?Only if it helps thempolitically do they payattention.

Hannity went on, "We see this every singleweekend.It's a massive scale.The president's right.It's a war zone.This is our American treasure,our children are being murdered.But the far left so-calledprotesters in Chicago, they aremore interested in toppling astatue of Christopher Columbus."

PORTLAND POLICE DECLARE 'RIOT' AFTER SEVERAL FIRES SET, FENCES MOVED

Hannity accused Democrats of prioritizing"ideology over law and order and security and safety. "

"Democrats," he concluded, "they have failedAmerica's cities.Decades of rule, decades offailure...and as a result, our fellowAmericans are suffering."

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Hannity: Democrats will ignore crime uptick until it fits their 'sick political agenda' - Fox News

Billings, Mont. A coalition of states, environmentalists and American Indians on Monday renewed its push to stop the Trump administration from selling coal from public lands after a previous effort to halt the lease sales was dismissed by a federal judge.

Joined by the Northern Cheyenne Tribe and several environmental groups, Democratic attorneys general from California, New York, New Mexico and Washington state filed a lawsuit challenging the administration's coal program in U.S. District Court in Montana.

They alleged the administration acted illegally when it resumed coal sales that had been halted under Obama due to climate change and other concerns.

The case is among scores of legal challenges that environmentalists and their political allies have launched to counter the Trump administration's push for more domestic energy production and less stringent regulations.

Interior Department spokesman Conner Swanson panned the lawsuit as a laughable attempt to revive an issue that the court already addressed.

The Department is confident the court will agree that the analysis by our career experts is lawful and based on the best available science, Swanson said.

Attorneys for the states and other plaintiffs in the case argued that the administration's environmental review was flawed, because it was based on just four leases that were sold under Trump and did not look at hundreds of existing leases and potential future sales.

The Trump administration has repeatedly thrown out the rule book in order to benefit super polluting coal companies. Its not only immoral its illegal, and we intend to prove it, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement.

Federal coal sales account for about 40% of U.S. coal production, primarily from large strip mines in western states including Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and Utah.

Coal mining companies saw demand for the fuel drop dramatically over the past decade due to competition from natural gas and renewable fuel sources. Trump has sought to prop the industry back up, but that's done little to slow its downward spiral and the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the decline.

But Morris declined to weigh in regarding the accuracy of the administrations conclusions, saying only that the analysis was enough to fulfill the administrations immediate obligations.

The state attorneys general said the administration considered emissions only from a handful of leases and failed to capture the cumulative, long-term impact of the coal program.

They argue the Interior Department analysis also ignored other harms, including damage to wildlife and the land from coal mining, pollution from burning the fuel and the vast quantifies of toxic ash that is generated by coal-burning power plants.

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Democrat AGs try again to block coal sales that Trump revived - Salt Lake Tribune