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Intentional Disregard: Trump's Authoritarianism During the COVID
INTENTIONAL DISREGARD Trump’s Authoritarianism During the COVID-19 Pandemic August 2020 This report is dedicated to those who have suffered and lost their lives to the COVID-19 virus and to their loved ones. Acknowledgments This report was co-authored by Sylvia Albert, Keshia Morris Desir, Yosef Getachew, Liz Iacobucci, Beth Rotman, Paul S. Ryan and Becky Timmons. The authors thank the 1.5 million Common Cause supporters whose small-dollar donations fund more than 70% of our annual budget for our nonpartisan work strengthening the people’s voice in our democracy. Thank you to the Common Cause National Governing Board for its leadership and support. We also thank Karen Hobert Flynn for guidance and editing, Aaron Scherb for assistance with content, Melissa Brown Levine for copy editing, Kerstin Vogdes Diehn for design, and Scott Blaine Swenson for editing and strategic communications support. This report is complete as of August 5, 2020. ©2020 Common Cause. Printed in-house. CONTENTS Introduction ............................................................................ 3 President Trump’s ad-lib pandemic response has undermined government institutions and failed to provide states with critically needed medical supplies. .............5 Divider in Chief: Trump’s Politicization of the Pandemic .................................... 9 Trump has amplified special interest-funded “liberate” protests and other “reopen” efforts, directly contradicting public health guidance. ...................9 Trump and his enablers in the Senate have failed to appropriate adequate funds to safely run this year’s elections. .........................................11 President Trump has attacked voting by mail—the safest, most secure way to cast ballots during the pandemic—for purely personal, partisan advantage. ..............12 The Trump administration has failed to safeguard the health of detained and incarcerated individuals. -
Groups to Watch
Groups to watch There is no question that conservative foundations and think tanks will put an increased emphasis on attacking public sector unions and public schools after the Supreme Court makes its decision in the Janus v. AFSCME case. They are already spending hundreds of millions of dollars across the nation to elect anti-labor and anti-public education candidates and to produce so-called "research," television ads and mailings to bash unions. The Koch network alone plans to spend $400 million this year.1 Virtually all of these organizations aren't required to report their donors. These groups try to bill themselves as pro-worker – they are not. They want to privatize our public schools, lower taxes for corporations and the wealthy, block access to health care, cut pensions, suppress voters, gerrymander and weaken the political power of unions. The tentacles of all of these group are already reaching into Minnesota, advocating for vouchers, more charter schools, defined-contribution pensions and the destruction of public employee unions. State Policy N etwork The State Policy Network (SPN) is a web of so-called “think tanks” that push a right-wing agenda in every state across the country, all while reporting little or no lobbying activities. The $80 million empire2 works to rig the system against working families by pushing for privatizing public schools, blocking expanded access to health care, lowering taxes for corporations and the very wealthy and undermining workers’ rights and unions. SPN and many of its affiliates are members of the controversial American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), where corporate lobbyists and special interest group representatives vote as equals with state lawmakers behind closed doors on “model” legislation that in many cases ends up benefiting the corporations’ bottom line. -
Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2020 Remarks in a Meeting With
Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2020 Remarks in a Meeting With African American Leaders and an Exchange With Reporters February 27, 2020 The President. Well, I want to thank you very much. We're here with some of the Black leaders of our country and people that are highly respected and people that have done a fantastic job and, for the most part, have been working on this whole situation with me right from the beginning. Participants. Yes. Yes. The President. And we've done a lot. We've done Opportunity Zones. We've done criminal justice reform. We've done things that people didn't even think possible. Criminal justice reform—we've let a lot of great people out of jail. Participants. Yes! [Applause] The President. And you know, Alice Johnson is, really, just such a great example. A fine woman. And she doesn't say she didn't do it; she made a mistake. But she was in there for 22 years when we let her out, and she had practically another 20 left. Participant. She did. The President. And that's not appropriate. Alveda King Ministries Founder Alveda C. King. Her children grew up, her grandbabies. The President. Yes, I know. So incredible. And you couldn't produce—there's nobody is Hollywood that could have produced that last scene of her. Ms. King. Amen. Amazing. The President. That was the real deal—of her when she saw her kids. So it's really a fantastic thing. So what I think I do is I'd like to—for the media, I'd like to go around the room, and we can do just a quick introduction of each other. -
Capitol Insurrection at Center of Conservative Movement
Capitol Insurrection At Center Of Conservative Movement: At Least 43 Governors, Senators And Members Of Congress Have Ties To Groups That Planned January 6th Rally And Riots. SUMMARY: On January 6, 2021, a rally in support of overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election “turned deadly” when thousands of people stormed the U.S. Capitol at Donald Trump’s urging. Even Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who rarely broke with Trump, has explicitly said, “the mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the President and other powerful people.” These “other powerful people” include a vast array of conservative officials and Trump allies who perpetuated false claims of fraud in the 2020 election after enjoying critical support from the groups that fueled the Capitol riot. In fact, at least 43 current Governors or elected federal office holders have direct ties to the groups that helped plan the January 6th rally, along with at least 15 members of Donald Trump’s former administration. The links that these Trump-allied officials have to these groups are: Turning Point Action, an arm of right-wing Turning Point USA, claimed to send “80+ buses full of patriots” to the rally that led to the Capitol riot, claiming the event would be one of the most “consequential” in U.S. history. • The group spent over $1.5 million supporting Trump and his Georgia senate allies who claimed the election was fraudulent and supported efforts to overturn it. • The organization hosted Trump at an event where he claimed Democrats were trying to “rig the election,” which he said would be “the most corrupt election in the history of our country.” • At a Turning Point USA event, Rep. -
Billionaires Tea Party
1 THE BILLIONAIRES’ TEA PARTY How Corporate America is Faking a Grassroots Revolution [transcript] Barack Obama: This is our moment. This is our time. To reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth that where we are many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope; and where we are met with cynicism and doubt and those who tell us we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes we can. Man on Stage: They’re listening to us. They are taking us seriously, and the message is: It’s our county, and they can have it when they pry it from our cold dead fingers. They work for me! NARRATOR: Where did it all go wrong for Barack Obama and the democrats? After sweeping to power with a promise of hope and change, a citizens uprising called the tea party movement emerged. Their message was “no” to big government spending, “no” to healthcare and climate change legislation, and “no” to Obama himself. Woman: Obama is a communist. He says that he doesn't believe in the constitution. NARRATOR: Then, two years into Obama’s presidency, tea party endorsed candidates emerged to sweep the republicans to victory in the House of Representatives. Male News Reader: 32% of the candidates that were elected last night across this country are affiliated with the Tea Party movement. Rand Paul: There's a Tea Party tidal wave, and we're sending a message to 'em. Female Reporter: And they see it as a repudiation of the President and his policies. -
Cady and Americans for Prosperity Amici Brief in SC99185
Electronically Filed - SUPREME COURT OF MISSOURI July 08, 2021 03:22 PM SC99185 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF MISSOURI STEPHANIE DOYLE, ET AL., Appellants v. JENNIFER TIDBALL, ET AL., Respondents. _______________________________________________________________________ Appeal from the Circuit Court of Cole County, Missouri Honorable Jon E. Beetem _______________________________________________________________________ BRIEF OF AMICI CURIAE JEREMY CADY AND AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY IN SUPPORT OF RESPONDENTS This brief is being filed with the consent of all parties. _______________________________________________________________________ MARC H. ELLINGER, #40828 ELLINGER AND ASSOCIATES, LLC 308 East High Street, Suite 300 Jefferson City, MO 65101 Telephone: (573) 750-4100 [email protected] Attorney for Amici Curiae Jeremy Cady and Americans for Prosperity Electronically Filed - SUPREME COURT OF MISSOURI July 08, 2021 03:22 PM TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents ................................................................................................. 2 Table of Authorities ............................................................................................. 4 Jurisdictional Statement ..................................................................................... 6 Summary of the Argument .................................................................................. 7 Interest of Amici Curiae .................................................................................... 10 Statement of Facts ............................................................................................ -
September 2, 2021
September 2, 2021 The Honorable Chuck Schumer The Honorable Mitch McConnell Senate Majority Leader Senate Minority Leader 322 Hart Senate Office Building 317 Russell Senate Office Building United States Senate United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Kevin McCarthy 1236 Longworth House Office Building 2468 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 Dear Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader McCarthy, As our jurisdictions’ Attorneys General, we are responsible for protecting the health, safety, and well-being of our residents. Although our jurisdictions vary in size, geography, and political composition, we are united in our commitment to an effective criminal justice system that safeguards the communities of our states. To that end, a bipartisan coalition of Attorneys General supported the passage of the First Step Act of 2018—landmark legislation that brought common sense improvements to myriad aspects of the criminal justice system. Central to these reforms was retroactive relief for individuals sentenced under the discredited 100-to-1 crack-to-powder cocaine ratio that Congress abolished in 2010. Following the Supreme Court’s recent opinion in Terry v. United States, however, the lowest level crack cocaine offenders remain categorically ineligible for resentencing. We write today to urge Congress to amend the First Step Act, and to clarify that its retroactive relief applies to all individuals sentenced under the prior regime. Congress enacted the historic First Step Act of 2018 to modernize the criminal justice system, implementing comprehensive reform in areas such as corrections, criminal charging, community re-entry, and beyond. -
Threat from the Right Intensifies
THREAT FROM THE RIGHT INTENSIFIES May 2018 Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................1 Meeting the Privatization Players ..............................................................................3 Education Privatization Players .....................................................................................................7 Massachusetts Parents United ...................................................................................................11 Creeping Privatization through Takeover Zone Models .............................................................14 Funding the Privatization Movement ..........................................................................................17 Charter Backers Broaden Support to Embrace Personalized Learning ....................................21 National Donors as Longtime Players in Massachusetts ...........................................................25 The Pioneer Institute ....................................................................................................................29 Profits or Professionals? Tech Products Threaten the Future of Teaching ....... 35 Personalized Profits: The Market Potential of Educational Technology Tools ..........................39 State-Funded Personalized Push in Massachusetts: MAPLE and LearnLaunch ....................40 Who’s Behind the MAPLE/LearnLaunch Collaboration? ...........................................................42 Gates -
© Copyright 2020 Yunkang Yang
© Copyright 2020 Yunkang Yang The Political Logic of the Radical Right Media Sphere in the United States Yunkang Yang A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2020 Reading Committee: W. Lance Bennett, Chair Matthew J. Powers Kirsten A. Foot Adrienne Russell Program Authorized to Offer Degree: Communication University of Washington Abstract The Political Logic of the Radical Right Media Sphere in the United States Yunkang Yang Chair of the Supervisory Committee: W. Lance Bennett Department of Communication Democracy in America is threatened by an increased level of false information circulating through online media networks. Previous research has found that radical right media such as Fox News and Breitbart are the principal incubators and distributors of online disinformation. In this dissertation, I draw attention to their political mobilizing logic and propose a new theoretical framework to analyze major radical right media in the U.S. Contrasted with the old partisan media literature that regarded radical right media as partisan news organizations, I argue that media outlets such as Fox News and Breitbart are better understood as hybrid network organizations. This means that many radical right media can function as partisan journalism producers, disinformation distributors, and in many cases political organizations at the same time. They not only provide partisan news reporting but also engage in a variety of political activities such as spreading disinformation, conducting opposition research, contacting voters, and campaigning and fundraising for politicians. In addition, many radical right media are also capable of forming emerging political organization networks that can mobilize resources, coordinate actions, and pursue tangible political goals at strategic moments in response to the changing political environment. -
NOTABLE NORTH CAROLINA 12 Things to Know About Former North
NOTABLE NORTH CAROLINA 12 Things to Know About Former North Carolina 11th District Congressman and New Presidential Chief of Staff Mark Meadows1 Compiled by Mac McCorkle, B.J. Rudell, and Anna Knier 1. Friendship with His Recently Deceased Counterpart on the House Oversight Committee, Congressman Elijah Cummings (D‐MD) Despite political differences, Rep. Meadows and recently deceased Democratic Congressman Elijah Cummings (D‐MD) developed an uncommonly strong friendship that helped bridge partisan divides on the procedures of the House Oversight Committee. NPR | Washington Post 2. A Founder of the House Freedom Caucus Along with outgoing Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney (a former South Carolina congressman), Rep. Meadows was one of the nine founding members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus in January 2015. Time | Washington Post | Pew Research Center 3. Support for Governmental Shutdown in the Cause of Limited Government A GOP attempt to stop implementation of the Affordable Care Act resulted in a 16‐day government shutdown in October 2013. As a newly elected representative, Rep. Meadows helped galvanize the effort by circulating a letter urging the GOP House leadership to take action. The letter gained signatures of support from 79 GOP House members. CNN | Fox News | New York Daily News | Asheville Citizen‐Times 4. Meadows Versus GOP House Speaker John Boehner On July 28, 2015, Rep. Meadows introduced H. Res. 385 to “vacate the chair”—a resolution to remove Speaker John Boehner. No House member had filed such a motion since 1910. Boehner announced his resignation as Speaker less than two months later on September 25, 2015. New York Times | National Review | Ballotpedia 1 For historical background on recent chiefs of staff, see Chris Wipple, The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs Define Every Presidency (2017). -
Reportedly at the Hands of White Nationalists
TRUMP AND HIS SURROGATES LOUDLY PEDDLED DEBUNKED RIGHT-WING CONSPIRACY THEORIES TIED TO QANON AND WHITE SUPREMACISTS, GIVING THEM FALSE LEGITIMACY SUMMARY As Trump and his allies searched for justifications to claim electoral victory, the far-right online community played a pivotal role in originating claims for the campaign to push. Conspiracies from white supremacists, QAnon supporters, and long-time conspiracy theorists were elevated, disseminated, and pushed out by the president and his allies. There seems to be a direct flow from the furthest right reaches of the internet and the official spokespeople of the president —including the president himself — such as: • The president promoting numerical figures developed by “TheDonald.Win” — an online community founded to openly post hate speech and calls to violence — in an attempt to prove his false voter fraud claims. • Promoting “Stop The Steal” events planned by white supremacists, including one that led to a stabbing reportedly at the hands of white nationalists. • Lending credibility to the mysterious, propagandic twitter account “Election Wizard,” which promotes election conspiracy theories and follows noted white supremacists and QAnon accounts. • Using a QAnon promoted conspiracy to fire a top elections cybersecurity official. TABLE OF CONTENTS Donald Trump Promoted Numerical Figures Developed By “TheDonald.Win”—An Online Community Founded To Openly Post Hate Speech And Calls To Violence In An Attempt To Prove His False Voter Fraud Claims ................................................................................................3 -
American Center for Law and Justice in Support of Petitioners
Nos. 19-251, 19-255 In The Supreme Court of the United States AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY FOUNDATION, Petitioner, v. XAVIER BECERRA, IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CALIFORNIA, Respondent. THOMAS MORE LAW CENTER, Petitioner, v. XAVIER BECERRA, IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CALIFORNIA, Respondent. On Writ of Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit AMICUS BRIEF OF THE AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE IN SUPPORT OF PETITIONERS JAY ALAN SEKULOW Counsel of Record STUART J. ROTH JORDAN SEKULOW COLBY M. MAY LAURA B. HERNANDEZ AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW & JUSTICE 201 Maryland Ave. NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 546-8890 [email protected] Counsel for Amicus Curiae i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TABLE OF AUTHORITIES ..................................... iii INTEREST OF AMICUS ............................................ 1 SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT ............................ 1 ARGUMENT ...............................................................3 I. Exacting Scrutiny’s Definitional Fluidity Renders It Inadequate to Protect Against Chilling of First Amendment Associational Rights.…………………………...……4 II. Strict Scrutiny Review Is Necessary to Forestall Further Chilling of First Amendment Associational Rights from the Dramatic Increase in Retaliation Against Those with Disfavored Political Views.. ..........................9 A. Harassment and Retaliation for Disfavored Political Views - A Recent Fixture of American Life. ................................................ 10 B. The Pervasiveness