The New-Look Nikki Fried Really Doesn't Like Trump
In a video released by Democrats at the virtual DNC convention this week, Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried appeared with other elected Democrats from across the country to piece together their condemnation of President Donald Trump’s presidency.
“Make no mistake, it didn’t have to be this bad,” stated Fried “In the early days of the virus, Donald Trump didn’t listen to the experts, and then he said something that a president should never say…”
But who cares about what was said.
What was more important and glaring about Fried’s video appearance was the drastic change in her physical appearance.
Did Fried have work done, or did she just slim down over the past month or so?
It looks as if she got a shot or two of lip filler. If so, God bless her. We at The Floridian support all kinds of enhancements to one’s personal appearance.
Maybe St. Petersburg’s “Hamburglar” and resident troll should take notes and at the very least get something sucked out.
The DNC
Speaking OF Trump, the president laid in on Democrats last night, calling the line-up of speakers "corrupt."
All of the usual suspects spoke last night- "CROOKED Hillary, Lying Obama, and Sleepy Joe, oh and "Phony Kamala" were all front and center at the convention. READ MORE
Marco Rubio @marcorubio -10000 deaths in #Florida due to #Covid_19 is a terrible tragedy However it is inaccurate to report that the death rate shows “no sign of slowing down” The daily mortality rate has been steadily dropping since hitting an alarming peak 30 days ago Hoping this trend continues
Rick Scott @SenRickScott -Thank you @realDonaldTrump for signing this important legislation to help support the families of our brave first responders who lost their lives during this pandemic. America’s first responders show up for us in times of need and now it is time for us to show up for them.
Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell @RepDMP -Trump is STILL trying to steal your health care, even during this pandemic. South Florida will not stand for this!
Rep. Donna E. Shalala @RepShalala -More than 10,000 people have now died in Florida from the coronavirus and Ron DeSantis still does not have a plan to get things under control. This is what failed leadership looks like.
Congressman Charlie Crist @RepCharlieCrist -100 years ago today, the 19th Amendment was ratified and women won their hard-fought battle to vote. Recent attacks on vote-by-mail make clear that we must continue to support equal access to the ballot box by fully funding @USPS and protecting mail ballots!
Rep. Anthony Sabatini @AnthonySabatini DON’T FORGET TO BUILD THE WALL
immy Patronis @JimmyPatronis -Excited to send this group off to Congress when we take back the House and re-elect President @realDonaldTrump this November! Congratulations @ByronDonalds
, @ElectQuinn
, @realannapaulina
, @Kat_cammack
, @ScottFranklinFL
@MaElviraSalazar
, and Laura Loomer!
“Trump calls out “CROOKED Hillary” and the entire “corrupt” DNC line up” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – Ahead of the final night of the Democratic National Convention, President Trump (R) slammed the lineup, calling it “corrupt” and calling the event “pathetic.” Speaking of the “pathetic event,” the President said he was surprised to see that Democrats decided “to bring in CROOKED Hillary, Crazy Nancy, Pocahontas, Phony Kamala, and Lyin’ Obama all in ONE NIGHT.” Since the announcement that California Senator Kamala Harris (D) would be the Vice Presidential pick for Joe Biden’s (D) presidential ticket, the President and Republicans have criticized the pair, arguing that the ticket sympathizes with Communist policies. And, as the President said in an email to supporters, “all of these Radical Democrats HATE me and they HATE YOU,” adding that “they would love nothing more than to see us FAIL.” After taking the stage and formally accepting the nomination for Vice Presidential candidate, Senator Harris released a statement of her own to supporters, explaining that “even before I joined the ticket, I was committed to seeing this fight all the way through to November.” In making a distinction between “corrupt” former Vice President Biden and President Biden, Harris explained that “Joe Biden talks about restoring the soul of our nation, and that’s exactly what’s on the line right now,” adding that “we don’t have to accept the failed leadership of Donald Trump and Mike Pence.”
“Cruz, Scott, and Rubio Resolution Congratulates Space Mission” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R) announced this week that, along with Texas Senator John Cornyn (R) and Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R) and Florida Senator Rick Scott (R), he has introduced a resolution “congratulating the men and women at SpaceX & NASA for completing a historic mission to the” International Space Station. Expressing that “their success marked a new era for commercial space flight & space exploration for America,” as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation and Space, he shared a link to his Senate page that adds more information regarding the resolution and the lawmakers’ thoughts on working together to highlight the achievement. “Texas continues to build on its legacy of leadership in human space exploration thanks to the work of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, SpaceX, and our vibrant aerospace community,” commended Senator Cornyn after introducing the resolution that discusses the history that led up to the mission and what the mission means to space flight moving forward. Echoing in his remarks, Senator Scott added that “the space industry has long been an important and iconic part of Florida’s history and economy,” and Florida Senator Marco Rubio noted that the successful landing of American astronauts, launched on an American spacecraft from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on the International Space Station is a victory for the United States and a remarkable achievement in space exploration.”
“Rubio says media outlets reported “inaccurate” COVID death rate in Florida” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – Senator Marco Rubio (R) took issue with an “inaccurate” news report that said the COVID-19 death rate in Florida showed “no signs of slowing down” and pointing to the downward trend of deaths related to the virus. Sen. Rubio doesn’t specifically name the media outlet, but he may be referring to an NPR story that leads with that exact statement. “Florida’s surge of COVID-19 cases shows no signs of slowing down. The state Department of Heath reported Florida set another daily record Thursday, with 10,109 cases, surpassing Saturday’s record of 9,585 cases. That brings Florida’s total confirmed coronavirus cases to nearly 170,000 and a death toll of 3,617 (with 67 new deaths reported Thursday).”- NPR. NPR uses the phrase to specifically describe the positive cases in the state and not the death count, so that is why we are speculating that this was the story Rubio was referring to. Rubio’s claim that the “daily mortality rate” has been in decline for some time now is accurate. According to the Florida Department of Health, since the spike in deaths 30 days ago that Rubio refers to, the drop in COVID-related deaths has dropped significantly.
“Soros-Linked Everglades Trust Endorsements Prove to be ‘Kiss of Death’ in GOP Primaries” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – Prior to Tuesday’s primary, conservative candidates across Florida were touting endorsements from right-leaning groups such as the National Rifle Association, Americans for Prosperity, Right to Life, and various Trump clubs. One of the more questionable organizations getting involved in the recent Republican primary is the Everglades Trust, which has been linked in the past to groups funded by George Soros and other leftist billionaires. In some Republican races, the left-leaning Everglades Trust made candidate endorsements, but those proved to be a liability with so many of their candidates coming out on the losing end of the primary. Losing Republican candidates with the Everglades Trust’s support included Congressional candidate Casey Askar, state Senate candidate Heather Fitzenhagen, and state House candidates Bryan Blackwell, Roger Lolly and Rhonda Rebman Lopez. In Heather Fitzenhagen’s losing race, the Everglades Trust poured over $500,000 into the campaign to attack her opponent Ray Rodrigues, who emerged from the primary victorious. Rodrigues absolutely crushed Fitzenhagen by garnering 75-percent of the vote.
“Trump Re-Election Campaign Launches New Attack Ad Targeting Biden’s Mental Fitness” by The Floridian’s Mona Salama – President Trump’s re-election campaign launched its most harshest campaign attack ad of the 2020 election, counter-programming the Democratic National Convention to bring attention to the Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden’s mental acuity that has severely declined over the past four to five years. The nearly two-minute digital ad titled “What Happened to Joe Biden?” features splice footages of Biden during his tenure as Vice President in 2015 and 2016 coherent and energetic alongside clips of present-day 2020 Biden showing him losing his train of thoughts midway through a sentence during campaign interviews. “Did something happen to Joe Biden?” the opening text flashes across the screen that shifts to 2015 Biden saying in a speech that “he went and became president, I didn’t go and I’m still vice president” to Biden in late March attempting to give a coronavirus briefing from his basement. In the slip up, Biden seemingly lost track of his teleprompter, which left him appearing extremely confused as he frantically waved his hand below the podium while repeating “in addition to that.”
“Jessi Melton has meltdown after congressional loss” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – After losing her congressional primary race in Florida’s 22nd congressional district, conspiracy theorist and candidate Jessi Melton had a meltdown after the loss. Instead of losing gracefully, Melton blamed her defeat on me and two of her primary opponents, calling them “low lifes.” Melton even suggested that one of the women running against her had a drinking problem. This is “Mean Girl “politics at its best. Melton also came after yours truly for posting factual stories about her antics and falsely accused her opponents of forcing me to write “dishonest stories” about her. Melton has never refuted the stories as being false because she can’t. The stories in question were all based on videos of her she posted, her tweets, and text messages. The stories of Melton lying about endorsements from the Republican Jewish Coalition, Gov. Ron DeSantis, PM Benjamin Netanyahu, and a DWI arrest can be found here. READ MORE Melton refused to denounce Mel Gibson and because she kept defending him, the so-called “successful” business owner was seen as an anti-Semite. Melton stated that she supported Israel and was not anti-Semitic, but this text could tell a different story about what she thinks about Jewish-Americans. Melton is not an anti-Semite but could believe that her Christian faith is superior to the faith of Jews and other Christians who are not “believers.”
“Trump Congratulates Anna Paulina Luna for Primary win” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – Republican Anna Paulina Luna won her primary last night, cementing herself as the candidate that will be taking on Florida Rep. Charlie Crist (D) in hopes of flipping the district red. Last night, after her victory, President Trump congratulated the congressional hopeful, admitting that he has “watched your race from beginning, very impressed.” He added that her “next opponent, Charlie Crist, is a Pelosi puppet who is bad on Crime, our Military, Vets, & 2nd Amendment” before adding that she has “my Complete & Total Endorsement.” In response to the endorsement, Luna thanked the President, expressing that “our country needs fighters right now & elected officials that will not cave to the mob,” adding that she is “not backing down” and that she has the President’s back. She stressed that she “will work hard for Florida’s 13th district, that I can guarantee you, and the citizens of my district” before asserting that “we will win!” In the weeks leading up to the primary elections, Luna has consistently slammed former Florida Governor Crist for the work he’s done in Congress, and Luna recently criticized the congressman for allegedly ignoring voter calls.
“Florida man arrested over Joe Biden campaign sign fight” by WEAR TV’s Gary Detman – A man in central Florida is accused of punching a neighbor during a squabble over a Joe Biden campaign sign. The Volusia County Sheriff's Office arrested Anthony P. Vullo, 55, on a charge of battery last Friday. According to the arrest report, Vullo had a dispute over a campaign sign in a yard. Fox 35 in Orlando reported Vullo tossed aside a Joe Biden campaign sign because it blocked the view of his campaign sign. It's not clear from the report on what campaign Vullo's sign featured. "I'm sitting here like enjoying my beer and I look over and think 'Holy (inaudible),'" said a neighbor who called 911. Deputies said the neighbor confronted Vullo about it and that Vullo pushed him. The neighbor said he pushed Vullo in retaliation when Vullo slugged him in the face. Vullo, according to the report, said the neighbor not only shoved him first, but tried to punch him and missed. Vullo said he then hit him in the face.
“Florida Education Association argues mandate requiring schools to reopen is unconstitutional” by WFTV’s Steve Barrett and Katlyn Brieskorn – A two-day hearing for a lawsuit filed by the largest teacher’s union in Florida picks back up Thursday. The union, the Florida Education Association, argues that a mandate requiring schools to reopen this month is unconstitutional. The Florida Education Association alleges that the July 6th order by the education commissioner violates the state constitution. Lawyers for the teacher’s union are trying to argue that because the Florida constitution guarantees the right to “safe” and “secure” public education, the education commissioner cannot required schools to open during the pandemic. Richard Corcoran’s directive requires school districts to reopen brick-and-mortar schools by the end of the month, for at least five days a week, and that they offer all services to families under the threat of withdrawing state funding. Hillsborough County school board member Tamara Shamburger said the danger of the virus outweighs the benefits of in-person learning. “The lack of a laptop, or the lack of access to the internet, certainly pales in comparison to a loss of life,” she said.
“Florida’s primary results show new Trump-mentum in battleground state, but will it last until November?” by WWLP’s Kellie Meyer – The results are in from Florida’s Tuesday night primary, and some of the winners weren’t the ones endorsed by Capitol Hill leadership. “In the era of Donald Trump, it’s not always the establishment-backed candidates that win elections,” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said Wednesday. The Florida Republican broke away from his colleagues by supporting Scott Franklin in Florida’s 15th District over current GOP Congressman Ross Spano. “I am not much for the rules of this town,” Gaetz added. Gaetz also endorsed political newcomer Anna Paulina Luna in District 13, even though her opponent Amanda Makki had the support of House Leader Kevin McCarthy and was pro-Trump. Franklin and Luna both won their primaries. “The candidates I backed were more enthusiastically supportive about the president’s agenda and they were better messengers for the president,” Gaetz said. The Congressman said he sees the enthusiasm for Trump lasting until election night. One political expert tells me it’s the campaign’s job to turn that energy into votes. “Oh, 100% it’s a turnout game. I think the real story is going to be suburbs again,” Mary Anderson said Wednesday. Anderson, a political science professor at the University of Tampa, said President Donald Trump did well with the suburban moms in 2016. But 2020, she added, “is a real question mark.”
“Florida to release genetically modified mosquitoes, detractors blast 'Jurassic Park' experiment” by Fox News’ David Aaron – Local authorities on Tuesday gave final approval to release 750 million genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys over a two-year period, starting in 2021, with the hope of preventing diseases such as the Zika virus but has faced blowback and comparisons to a Steven Spielberg thriller. The Monroe County Mosquito Control District signed off on the proposal that had already won state and federal approval. It will be the first time genetically modified mosquitoes will be released in the U.S. The plan has not been universally accepted and has received backlash from residents and environmental advocacy groups. "With all the urgent crises facing our nation and the State of Florida -- the Covid-19 pandemic, racial injustice, climate change -- the administration has used tax dollars and government resources for a Jurassic Park experiment," said Jaydee Hanson, policy director for the International Center for Technology Assessment and Center for Food Safety in a statement released Wednesday. "Now the Monroe County Mosquito Control District has given the final permission needed. What could possibly go wrong? We don't know, because EPA unlawfully refused to seriously analyze environmental risks, now without further review of the risks, the experiment can proceed," he continued.
“Florida has not yet applied for additional unemployment funding” by WTSP’s Madison Alworth – Federal funding for unemployment assistance could soon be on the way to 10 states, but Florida is not yet one of them. Ten states have been approved for the $300 federal unemployment boost that was signed into order by President Donald Trump two weekends ago:
· Arizona
· Colorado
· Idaho
· Iowa
· Louisiana
· Missouri
· Montana
· New Mexico
· Oklahoma
· Utah
The additional assistance is replacing the $600 federal unemployment payments that stopped last month. At this point, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has yet to make a decision on what to do. His office says they are still reviewing guidance from the department of labor and FEMA before making a decision as to whether to apply or not. But that delay could be costly. “If states begin to opt in, and Florida decides to wait to the last minute, there may not be funding left because there's only a certain amount of money that he can allocate," said Vanessa Brito, a community activist that has been working on unemployment issues in Florida.
“DNC: Trump fires back at Obama, Harris convention attacks in all-caps tweetstorm” by Fox News’ Morgan Phillips – As Kamala Harris was giving her vice presidential nomination speech, President Trump called to mind tensions between Democratic nominee Joe Biden and his running mate that played out during the primary season. And as former President Barack Obama delivered his own address during the Democratic Convention, the president questioned why Obama had waited so long to endorse his former running mate. “BUT DIDN’T SHE CALL HIM A RACIST???” Trump wrote on Twitter as the third night of the convention concluded with Harris’ remarks. “DIDN’T SHE SAY HE WAS INCOMPETENT???” “WHY DID HE REFUSE TO ENDORSE SLOW JOE UNTIL IT WAS ALL OVER, AND EVEN THEN WAS VERY LATE? WHY DID HE TRY TO GET HIM NOT TO RUN?” Trump wrote as Obama delivered a speech which, in a rare move for the stately former president, called his successor out by name. "HE SPIED ON MY CAMPAIGN, AND GOT CAUGHT!" Trump added later. Obama did not endorse Biden until April, when he was all but assured the nomination. Bernie Sanders had already dropped out of the race and endorsed Biden. There were reports of tension between Obama and Biden all throughout the campaign trail, with The New York Times reporting Obama told Biden last August “you don’t have to do this.” One Democrat who spoke with Obama said he reportedly told him: “Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f--k things up.”
“US Postal Service is using an outside PR firm to fight election fears as Trump fumes over upcoming hearings” by CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Jessica Schneider and Paul P. Murphy – It's been a bad few weeks for Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, and it might just get worse before it gets better as efforts to convince Americans mail-in voting is safe may put him in direct conflict with President Donald Trump. Guided by a public relations firm, DeJoy and the US Postal Service are now scrambling to clean up after weeks of criticism and allegations that the Trump administration was using the agency to meddle in November's election. DeJoy's efforts at two congressional hearings and other public appearances will be critical. After an emergency closed-door meeting Saturday between DeJoy and the Postal Service Board of Governors, a source familiar tells CNN the agency engaged PR firm Weber Shandwick to help manage crisis messaging and combat some of the anti-Postal Service and mail-in voting rhetoric coming from the White House. Shortly afterwards, the Postal Service put out a statement from DeJoy suspending any changes until after the election, but did not say whether the changes already made, like the removal of high-volume letter sorters, would be reversed. DeJoy has begun preparing for his congressional hearings for this Friday and Monday, two sources close to the postmaster general tell CNN. The new job has thrust DeJoy from obscurity into the spotlight, a position those close to him say he is not quite comfortable with. He is also conducting personal outreach of his own with Congress this week, calling House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“DNC Nominates Kamala Harris in a Historic Selection for VP” by WSJ’s Tarini Parti and John McCormick – Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic vice-presidential nomination—becoming the first Black woman to hold that position—in a prime-time address Wednesday that emphasized the historic nature of her candidacy while arguing Joe Biden is the uniting leader the country needs. Ms. Harris, a 55-year-old U.S. senator from California, paid homage to her mother, an Indian immigrant, and to Black women who paved the way for her. She described the vision she said she and Mr. Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, share of creating a more inclusive country, where “every human being is of infinite worth, deserving of compassion, dignity and respect.” “Today, that country feels distant,” she said. “Donald Trump’s failure of leadership has cost lives and livelihoods.” Ms. Harris, who spoke from the Chase Center in Wilmington, Del., touted Mr. Biden’s record of expanding health insurance access, helping to negotiate an economic recovery package after the 2008 financial crisis and she criticized President Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Former President Obama also denounced his successor’s leadership during a two-hour program that highlighted Democratic priorities like addressing climate change and enacting tougher gun laws. “Right now, we have a president who turns our tragedies into political weapons,” Ms. Harris said. “Joe will be a president who turns our challenges into purpose.”
“Chris Wallace pans Harris speech as 'a lot of Democratic boilerplate' that followed single 'magic moment'” by Fox News’ Sam Dorman – Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., had one "magic moment" in her Democratic National Convention speech accepting the party's nomination to be vice president, but most of her remarks were unmemorable, "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace said Wednesday. "I thought there was a magic moment in Kamala Harris' speech and that was when she said, 'I accept your nomination for vice president of the United States of America,'" said Wallace, who added that the historic nature of Harris officially becoming the first Black woman to join a major party ticket was "worth celebrating." Having said that ... tonight reminded me of nothing so much as Kamala Harris' whole campaign for president. It started out with this huge rally in Oakland, 20,000 people cheering, and she flamed out and was out of the race by the end of 2019, before the first votes in Iowa," he said. "I thought there was a lot of Democratic boilerplate, both in the attack on Donald Trump and the praise of Joe Biden," Wallace went on. "You know, I was thinking in the middle of the speech -- I don't remember a word that Tim Kaine or Mike Pence said when they were nominated for vice president in 2016, and my guess is other than that phrase -- I accept your nomination -- I'm not sure there's a phrase of Kamala Harris' that will be remembered much after tonight."
“Controversial Justice Department operation nets nearly 1,500 arrests” by CNN’s David Shortell – A Justice Department policing program launched amid controversy last month has generated nearly 1,500 arrests and hundreds of state and local charges in cities across the country, Attorney General William Barr announced Wednesday. From Chicago to Cleveland to St. Louis, almost 400 guns have been seized since early July and 217 people face federal charges for crimes ranging from firearm and drug violations to acts of violence, like armed robbery and carjacking. Many more have been charged by local prosecutors, authorities said, and some police departments that are receiving the federal assistance are seeing a change in their overall crime trends. Under the program, known as Operation Legend, more than 1,000 federal law enforcement officers were sent to nine cities experiencing increasing crime rates to partner with local police in a surge that drew sharp concern from some local leaders. But flanked by federal prosecutors and the families of violent crime victims at a news conference in Kansas City, Barr hailed the program as "one of the most significant law enforcement operations in the Department of Justice" and shared what he said were "encouraging early results."
“U.S. Won’t Pursue Death Penalty Against Two Islamic Militants, Justice Department Tells British” by WSJ’s Sadie Gurman – The Justice Department has told the British government it will not pursue the death penalty against a pair of Islamic State militants accused in the torture and killing of Western hostages, a change in posture that could clear a path for their prosecution in the U.S. Attorney General William Barr announced the decision in a Tuesday letter to British Home Secretary Priti Patel, saying the death penalty is off the table and “we would hope and expect” that British authorities will quickly share evidence with federal prosecutors in the U.S. for a potential case against El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey. The U.S. has designated the two men as global terrorists and accuses them of being part of a cell that beheaded U.S. citizens in Syria in 2014 or early 2015. Britain abolished capital punishment for all crimes in 1998 and typically seeks assurances the death penalty won’t be used when assisting foreign governments with prosecutions. A British court blocked authorities from sharing key evidence in the case against the Islamic State fighters because the Trump administration had not provided such assurances. “Time is of the essence,” Mr. Barr wrote in the letter. “Further delay is no longer possible if Kotey and Elsheikh are to be tried in the United States, and further delay is an injustice to the families of the victims.”
“Warren's kid-block background spells out almost-hidden message in convention speech” by Fox News’ Caitlin McFall – Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., appeared in a virtual speech for the third night of the Democratic National Convention to discuss the struggles of childcare in America, especially amid the coronavirus crisis. “Childcare was already hard to find before the pandemic. And now, parents are stuck—no idea when schools can safely reopen and even fewer childcare options,” Warren said from a childcare center in Massachussetts before drawing on her own experiences of juggling childcare while working. But as Warren addressed a topic that Americans have been struggling with on both sides of the aisle, another message popped out at viewers, as observers noted on social media. Lining the background behind Warren as she addressed the Democratic National Convention were block letters inside cubbies: B.L.M. [Black Lives Matter]. The display comes amid months of protests and division within the U.S., following the death of George Floyd, a Minneapolis man, on May 25 while in police custody. The protests, which at times have turned violent, and ensuing debates over defunding police departments, have become a major topic of the 2020 presidential race. Warren's speech came just before Kamala Harris officially accepted the Democratic nomination for vice preisdent on Wednesday night, becoming the first female Black and South Asian American to run on a major party ticket.
“Supreme Court to hear Obamacare case one week after Election Day” by CNN’s Ariane de Vogue – The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the future of the Affordable Care Act on November 10, exactly one week after the presidential election, it announced Wednesday. The decision to schedule oral arguments after the country votes ensures that an issue that has dominated American politics for the last decade will remain a central focus of the presidential campaign, even though a final opinion in the case will only be rendered sometime next spring.
The court's decision to schedule the cases after the campaign season also may reflect a desire to keep any potential audio from the oral argument from becoming part of campaign ads or news broadcasts. In 2012, Chief Justice John Roberts cast the key vote in the 5-4 decision upholding the Affordable Care Act's holding that the individual mandate was valid under Congress' taxing power. President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and other Republicans have consistently called out Roberts for that ruling, emphasizing the need to add more conservatives to the bench. In 2017, the Republican-led Congress cut the tax penalty for those who lacked insurance to zero as part of the year-end tax overhaul. Texas and other Republican-led states sued, arguing that since the mandate was no longer tied to a specific tax penalty, it had lost its legal underpinning. They also argued that because the individual mandate was intertwined with a multitude of other provisions, the entire law should fall, including protections for people with preexisting conditions.’’
“Trump Calls for Goodyear Boycott Over Ban on Campaign Attire” by WSJ’s Ben Foldy – President Trump called for a boycott of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. GT -2.36% in response to reports that the company showed a slide to workers prohibiting the wearing of politically affiliated slogans, such as “Make America Great Again” apparel. In a tweet Wednesday morning, Mr. Trump wrote: “Don’t buy GOODYEAR TIRES - they announced a BAN ON MAGA HATS. Get better tires for far less!” Throughout his presidency, Mr. Trump has taken to Twitter frequently to criticize companies, including some industrial giants such as Boeing Co. and General Motors Co. His remarks have sometimes surprised executives, leaving them scrambling to respond to potentially brand-damaging comments intended to influence customers. The divisiveness of the coming election, coupled with mounting tensions over race and law enforcement, have created difficulties for businesses looking to regulate political expression in the workplace. Other companies have also had to wrestle with thorny questions related to what types of political speech are appropriate in work settings and when to limit the use of certain phrases or slogans among employees. For instance, Starbucks Corp. told employees earlier this year, during the nationwide protests over police killings of Black Americans, that company policy prohibited any display of slogans relating to a personal, political or religious issue. The company quickly reversed course, distributing 250,000 T-shirts saying “Black Lives Matter.”
President Donald Trump @realDonaldTrump-With what I am doing in the fight with the Drug Companies, drug prices will be coming down 50, 60, and even 70 percent. The Democrats are fighting hard to stop me with big ad buys, plus. Likewise, Big Pharma. FAVORED NATIONS AND REBATES ARE BRINGING PRICES DOWN NOW. We will win!
Adam Schiff @RepAdamSchiff -IF THE PRESIDENT IS ABLE TO VOTE BY MAIL, ALL AMERICANS SHOULD BE ABLE TO VOTE BY MAIL.
