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The vast majority of current COVID-19 deaths in the US are among the unvaccinated: report

In the United States, around 65% of the adult population has, according to the New York Times, been at least partially vaccinated for the COVID-19 coronavirus. Vaccination rates tend to be higher in blue states than in red states, some of which have recently seen spikes in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations. And according to reporting in the Associated Press, the vast majority of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. are, at this point, among the unvaccinated.

Associated Press journalists Carla K. Johnson and Mike Stobbe report, “An Associated Press analysis of available government data from May shows that “breakthrough” infections in fully vaccinated people accounted for fewer than 1200 of more than 853,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations. That’s about 0.1%. And only about 150 of the more than 18,000 COVID-19 deaths in May were in fully vaccinated people. That translates to about 0.8%, or five deaths per day on average.”

Johnson and Stobbe note that AP “analyzed figures provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” adding that “the CDC itself has not estimated what percentage of hospitalizations and deaths are in fully vaccinated people, citing limitations in the data.” Continue reading.

Justice Dept. sues state of Georgia over new voting restrictions

Justice Department officials announced a federal lawsuit Friday against Georgia over new statewide voting restrictions that federal authorities allege purposefully discriminate against Black Americans, the first major action by the Biden administration to confront efforts from Republican-led jurisdictions to limit election turnout.

The legal challenge takes aim at Georgia’s Election Integrity Act, which was passed in March by the Republican-led state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp (R). The law imposes new limits on the use of absentee ballots, makes it a crime for outside groups to provide food and water to voters waiting at polling stations, and hands greater control over election administration to the state legislature.

The action came as GOP-led state governments across the country have been seeking to impose broad new voting restrictions in the wake of President Biden’s victory over Donald Trump last November. Trump has spent months waging a baseless effort to discredit the result, making false and unsubstantiated allegations of widespread voter fraud. Continue reading.

Trump wanted military to take aggressive action against George Floyd protesters: report

Former President Donald Trump wanted the military to take aggressive action against protesters following the disturbing death of George Floyd. A new book documents the former president’s disturbing demands to quell protests.

In the new book, “Frankly, We Did Win This Election: The Inside Story of How Trump Lost,” Wall Street Journal reporter Michael Bender details the series of events that led to Trump’s downfall. At one point in the book, he also discusses the nationwide protests that erupted following Floyd’s death. According to Bender, Trump allegedly wanted physical harm to be brought against protesters and even suggested that they be shot.

Although the vast majority of protests were non-violent and peaceful, Trump still demanded to see law enforcement take physical action. “That’s how you’re supposed to handle these people,” Trump told his administrative officials, according to Bender’s reporting. “Crack their skulls!” Continue reading.

Poll: Almost Half Of GOP Voters Want Legislators Enabled To Overturn Election Results

A study published on Thursday of support for the “Stop the Steal” movement found nearly half of Republican voters believe their state legislatures should simply be able to overturn the results of elections.

The report, published by the Voter Study Group research collaborative, finds 46 percent of Republican voters believing “that it was appropriate for ‘Republican legislators in states won by Joe Biden to try to assign their state’s electoral votes to Donald Trump.'”

However, just 23 percent of Americans overall believe lawmakers should have the power to overturn an election, a dichotomy the report’s author, Lee Drutman, says could pose a challenge for Republicans in future elections. Continue reading.

Trump insurrectionist files hilarious court document in effort to replace 2 of 3 branches of government

An attorney in Texas who lost his job as associate general counsel of an insurance company after traveling to Washington for the “Stop the Steal” rally that immediately preceded Trump’s insurrection has filed a new document as he continues his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results.

Paul M. Davis was visited by the FBI about his role in the January 6th insurrection.

“Ever since footage of him outside of the U.S. Capitol went viral on the day of the Jan. 6th siege, Texas-based lawyer Paul M. Davis has embarked upon a self-styled quest of J.R.R. Tolkien-esque proportions. Davis filed a federal lawsuit asking nothing less than the wholesale replacement of two branches of the U.S. federal government. He said the FBI visited his home to ask him for his statement, and a federal judge referred him to the Disciplinary Committee for the Western District of Texas,” Law & Crime reported in February. Continue reading.

Minnesota House approves compromise HHS budget with historic investments in Minnesotans’ health and wellbeing

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Saturday, the Minnesota House approved the compromise Health and Human Services (HHS) budget following a bipartisan agreement with the Senate. The budget includes significant advancements to protect Minnesotans’ health and wellbeing after the COVID-19 pandemic, with investments and solutions to strengthen public health, enhance economic security for Minnesotans, close health inequities, and expand access to affordable child care.

“The COVID-19 pandemic created a crisis unlike anything Minnesotans have ever experienced. To help Minnesotans recover and to rebuild our health system after the past year’s profound challenges, we’ve assembled the most robust HHS budget bill in a generation,” said Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL – Rochester), chair of the House Health Committee. “The budget includes a wide variety of investments to secure a healthier future for Minnesotans in every community. I’m excited for our legislation to receive the governor’s signature and once it’s law, to see the many ways we are able to help Minnesotans.”

After an unprecedented reliance on public health throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the HHS budget significantly increases investments to strengthen public health throughout the state. The budget includes $15 million for local public health grants and $15 million under a new local public health funding distribution framework. Through solutions such as expanded Medical Assistance coverage for postpartum care, services for children with asthma, and periodontal dental services, the budget tackles a variety of Minnesota’s persistent health inequities. The budget also fixes the so-called “family glitch,” under which Minnesotans are unable to enroll in MinnesotaCare because they have access to employer coverage through a family member, even though the coverage is unaffordable. To increase cultural and ethnic diversity within Minnesota’s mental health workforce, the bill includes a variety of provisions to attract more Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to the field. After many Minnesotans found telehealth valuable during the pandemic, the budget agreement expands many of these services.

Mike Pence breaks with Trump, wants GOP to be ‘the party of the Constitution’

As Donald Trump continues to push baseless conspiracy theories and refuses to concede that he lost the 2020 presidential election, his former vice president urged Republicans to back the Constitution.

During a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, Pence said he was proud to certify the election results that showed the GOP ticket lost by seven million votes.

“You know, every office holder in this country takes the same oath, to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” Pence noted. “I took that oath as vice president — on President Ronald Reagan’s Bible.” Continue reading.

Lawmakers come to bipartisan framework agreement on police reform

The three chief negotiators on a police reform package announced Thursday they had reached a bipartisan agreement on the issue.

“After months of working in good faith, we have reached an agreement on a framework addressing the major issues for bipartisan police reform,” Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said in a joint statement Thursday afternoon.

“There is still more work to be done on the final bill, and nothing is agreed to until everything is agreed to. Over the next few weeks we look forward to continuing our work toward getting a finalized proposal across the finish line.” Continue reading.

Investors press firms on donations as political spending jumps

One focus is on lawmakers who opposed certifying 2020 election results

Democratic state treasurers and social issue-focused investment funds are pressing 82 corporations to be transparent about donations to candidates and causes as contributions resume after a pause in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

More than 125 groups managing over $1.5 trillion in invested assets recently wrote to board members who oversee political spending at some of the largest U.S. public companies, including Walmart, Amazon and Exxon Mobil Corp., urging more disclosure of political spending. The message comes as shareholder proposals on the issue are gaining momentum and as spending by corporate political action committees picks up.

“We are facing an existential threat to the election system in the U.S. which poses substantial systemic risk to long-term investors’ portfolios,” the investors said in the June 16 letter led by the Service Employees International Union, a labor group that frequently presses companies through stock holdings, and Majority Action, a nonprofit that coordinates shareholder campaigns on environmental, social and governance issues. Continue reading.

DHS is concerned about Trump reinstatement conspiracy theory, top official says

DHS’s top counterterrorism official told members of Congress about the department’s concerns in a private briefing.

The conspiracy theory that Donald Trump will be reinstated as president in August has sparked concerns at the Department of Homeland Security, a top official there told members of Congress on Wednesday.

The exchange came in a members-only briefing that John Cohen, the department’s top counterterrorism official, gave to the House Committee on Homeland Security. Three people familiar with the briefing described it to POLITICO. They requested anonymity to discuss the private conversation.

In the briefing, Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) asked Cohen how DHS is following the spread of disinformation and conspiracy theories, as well as the way that discourse can fuel violence. She specifically brought up the conspiracy theory claiming Trump will be reinstated as president in August — a theory Trump himself has reportedly promoted. Continue reading.

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