In the Know: August 5, 2020

Days to the November Election:  90

DFL Action Center
90 Days OUT – Let’s get to work!
If you’d like to help the DFL Party fight for criminal justice reform, better schools, wages, our environment, and health care, Click here to get more involved!

2020 Election
Progressive Activist Cori Bush Ousts Longtime Missouri Rep. Lacy Clay, NPR News
Primary results: 4 takeaways from Tuesday’s elections, CNN
U.S. has two weeks to get mail voting right to avoid a mess on Election Day, expert says, NBC News

Agriculture
CORONAVIRUS FEARS EASE, BUT MANY FARMERS EXPECT A WORSE YEAR FINANCIALLY, Successful Farming
SWEEPING U.S. PESTICIDE REFORM BILL INTRODUCED, BANNING SOME CHEMICAL AGENTS, Successful Farming Continue reading “In the Know: August 5, 2020”

In the Know: August 4, 2020

Days to the November Election:  91

DFL Action Center
Let’s get to work!
If you’d like to help the DFL Party fight for criminal justice reform, better schools, wages, our environment, and health care, Click here to get more involved!

Check out our brand new Biden for President merchandise in the DFL Store!
Click here to see our new shirts, signs, and stickers!

2020 Election
Mike Pence Gets Near-Instant Fact Check Over Mail-In Voting Hypocrisy, Huff Post
Trump’s bag of tricks comes up empty against Biden, Politico
Democrats think Ohio is within reach. But the GOP is confident Trump can win., CBS News

Agriculture
Farmers Business Network in Sioux Falls continues growth with $250M in new investments, Argus Leader
Minnesota nitrogen fertilizer restrictions to begin Sept. 1, INFORUM Continue reading “In the Know: August 4, 2020”

In the Know: August 3, 2020

Days to the November Election:  92

DFL Action Center
92 Days OUT – Let’s get to work!
If you’d like to help the DFL Party fight for criminal justice reform, better schools, wages, our environment, and health care, Click here to get more involved!

Check out our brand new Biden for President merchandise in the DFL Store!
Click here to see our new shirts, signs, and stickers!

2020 Election
Arizona’s primaries could provide a hint as to whether Democrats can take the Senate, Vox
How swing state Michigan is keeping both parties guessing, The Hill
Kansas, of all places, is shaping up to be an important 2020 battleground, Vox Continue reading “In the Know: August 3, 2020”

In the Know: July 31, 2020

Days to the November Election:  95

DFL Action Center
95 Days OUT – Let’s get to work!
If you’d like to help the DFL Party fight for criminal justice reform, better schools, wages, our environment, and health care. Click here to get more involved!

2020
Exclusive: Republicans, Democrats agree on one thing: Doubt about fair election – Reuters/Ipsos poll, Reuters
Biting New Anti-Trump Video Imagines A Republican Waking Up From A Coma, Huff Post

Agriculture
MILLION-DOLLAR PAYMENTS FROM USDA’S CORONAVIRUS FUND, Successful Farming
4 steps we must take to fix the world’s broken food system, CNN

Attorney General Keith Ellison
Minnesota Supreme Court sides with Department of Human Rights; Court recognizes all state workers protected in Minnesota Human Rights Act, Red Lake Nation
KARE 11 Investigates: 50 deaths in MN jails to be investigated by state, KARE 11

Congressional News

Congress nowhere near deal; unemployment benefit to expire, CNN

Donald Trump
Critics Point Out Exactly What Donald Trump Is Trying To Hide With Election Delay Stunt, Huff Post
Trump planning for U.S. rollout of coronavirus vaccine falling short, officials warn, Reuters

Economy
Retail workers shouldn’t be tasked with enforcing store mask rules, union head says, NBC News
How Essential Food Workers Are Fighting Back, Civil Eats

Environment
Trump Helps the Environment by Enraging Environmentalists, Wall Street Journal
Rising Seas Could Menace Millions Beyond Shorelines, Study Finds, New York Times
Air pollution remains worst in US communities of color despite progress, The Guardian
The environmental movement is very white. These leaders want to change that, National Geographic

Governor Tim Walz
Walz’s schools plan stresses in-classroom teaching, flexibility to shift, MPR
Minnesota state, business officials urge compliance with mask mandate, Duluth News Tribune

Healthcare
Three Minneapolis senior police officials among those to test positive as COVID-19 cases rise, Star Tribune
California and Florida hit new daily record high coronavirus deaths, CBS
Anthony Fauci Explains Why the US Still Hasn’t Beaten Covid, Wired
Three years after McCain’s ‘thumbs down’ blocked the ACA’s repeal, the war on health care rages on, MinnPost

Immigration
Undocumented immigrant who worked for Trump’s company facing deportation proceedings, Washington Post
Judge stops Trump administration’s ‘public charge’ policy citing COVID-19 concerns, ABC News
Trump’s Immigration Legacy To Be Presented In Re-Election Bid, Forbes

Joe Biden

Check out our brand new Biden for President merchandise in the DFL Store!
Click here to see our new shirts, signs, and stickers!

Minnesota News
Walz announces district-by-district back to school plan, KARE 11

Representative. Dean Phillips (CD3)

House votes to reprimand GOP Rep. Schweikert for 11 ethics violations, Washington Post

Representative Ilhan Omar (CD5)

A Somali health advocate’s crusade against skin lightening, a vestige of colonialism, becomes a federal public health issue, Sahan Journal
Pelosi endorses Rep. Tlaib in primary fight, moves to help members of the ‘Squad,’ Washington Post
Omar faces Melton-Meaux and Mason in WCCO congressional debate, WCCO

Republicans
GOP-endorsed House candidate compares COVID-19 response to the Holocaust, Mesabi Daily News
When did Republicans become such weaklings?, Washington Post
Will Herman Cain’s Death Change Republican Views on the Virus and Masks?, New York Times
Bill Barr Has Done This Before, ProPublica

Secretary of State Steve Simon
Secretary of State Simon breaks down the security of absentee voting, KARE 11
Sec. of State Simon urges voting from home as mail-in voting controversy swirls, KTOE

Senator Amy Klobuchar

Klobuchar Wants Aid For Rural Communities in Coronavirus Relief Package, Voice of Alexandria
The Cybersecurity 202: Klobuchar is bullish Congress will deliver more election money for states, Washington Post
First Avenue supports ‘Save Our Stages Act’ to keep venues alive, KARE 11

Senator Tina Smith
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Coronavirus Update, Red Lake Nation
Mankato man deported Thursday, Mankato Free Press
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith introduces bill to help dairy processors weather COVID-19 economic crisis, Tina Smith
$5 billion ‘Masks for All Act’ would cover senior living residents, healthcare workers, McKnight Senior Living

U.S. News
We train police to be warriors — and then send them out to be social workers, Vox
Ex-RNC Chair Spells Out Harsh Reality Of COVID-19 During Tribute To Herman Cain, HuffPo
Postal Service Being Torn Apart from Within, The American Prospect

Voter Protection
If you or someone you know has trouble registering to vote or casting a ballot, we encourage you to reach out to the DFL’s new Voter Protection Hotline at 833-DFL-VOTE (833-335-8683).

World News
Coronavirus Map: See How COVID-19 Has Spread, Time

Upcoming DFL Events

With the COVID-19 situation, we suggest you check with the hosting organization to see if meetings, etc. are being held.

  • Today through August 5, 5:00 PM — Window to apply for CD3 Nominees to become State Executive Directors and State Central Committee Members. Apply here.
  • Today through August 10 — Primary Election Early Voting Window, more information here.
  • Today through August 11 — Window for Candidates to Register with State for City Offices with No Primaries to Register
  • August 4, 7:00 to 8:30 PM — SD40 DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for specifics.
  • August 5
    • 6:30 to 8:30 PM — SD50 DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for meeting specifics
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD33 DFL Central Committee Meetings, contact them for specifics.
  • August 6, 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD46 DFL Central Virtual Central Committee Meeting, contact them for specifics.
  • August 10
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD44 DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for specifics
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD49 DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for specifics.
  • August 13
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD36 DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for specifics.
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD48 DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for specifics.
  • August 17
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — Anoka County DFL Meeting, contact them for specifics.
    • 8:00 to 10:00 PM — DNC Convention — A United America, more information as it becomes available.
  • August 18, 8:00 to 10:00 PM — DNC Convention — Steady Leadership
  • August 19
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — CD3 DFL Central Committee Meeting, tentative virtual meeting, specifics decided at July meeting
    • 8:00 to 10:00 PM — DNC Convention — A Future for All
  • August 20, 8:00 to 10:00 PM —DNC Convention — A New American Promise
  • August 29 — DFL State Central Virtual Meeting, this will be a full agenda meeting, more information as it becomes available.

 

In the Know: July 30, 2020

Days to the November Election:  96

DFL Action Center
96 Days OUT – Let’s get to work!
If you’d like to help the DFL Party fight for criminal justice reform, better schools, wages, our environment, and health care, Click here to get more involved!

Agriculture
Report provides new framework for understanding climate risks, impacts to US agriculture,PHYS
Sen. Booker targets corporate consolidation in agriculture for ‘fundamentally broken’ US food system, Food Navigator
Will No-Till Farming Transform Agriculture’s Impact on Climate Change?, Planetwatch
GOP Bill Provides $20 Billion for Agriculture, But No Language for Ethanol Aid, Progressive Farmer

Attorney General Keith Ellison
Ellison settles lawsuits against 2 landlords who failed to provide utilities to tenants, Pioneer Press
Minnesota Supreme Court sides with Department of Human Rights; Court recognizes all state workers protected in Minnesota Human Rights Act, KSTP
KARE 11 Investigates: 50 deaths in MN jails to be investigated by state, KARE 11

Congressional News
‘Now it is your turn’: John Lewis issues call to action in posthumous op-ed, Politico
Pelosi mandates wearing masks on the House floor after Gohmert case, Politico
Theft, censorship and the ‘emperors of the online economy’: Tech CEOs go on defense, Politico
Armed Services panel cancels hearing for controversial Pentagon nominee, Roll Call
House would overturn Trump’s transgender ban in military, Roll Call
Trump floats delaying election despite lack of authority to do so, CNN
Joe Biden nears a choice for running mate, Financial Times
Trump Plays On Racist Fears About Low-Income Housing, New York Times Continue reading “In the Know: July 30, 2020”

In the Know: July 29, 2020

Days to the November Election:  97

DFL Action Center
98 Days OUT – Let’s get to work!
If you’d like to help the DFL Party fight for criminal justice reform, better schools, wages, our environment, and health care, Click here to get more involved!

2020 Election
‘I failed my fellow Americans’: the white women defecting from Trump, The Guardian
Biden says he will pick running mate by end of next week, Washington Post

Agriculture
PACE OF CORONAVIRUS PAYMENTS TO FARMERS SLOWS, REASONS UNCLEAR, Successful Farming Continue reading “In the Know: July 29, 2020”

In the Know: July 28, 2020

Days to the November Election:  98

2020 Election
US presidential election: Debate venue moved over Covid precautions, BBC News
Why Montana Is a Test Case for Democrats’ Winning the Senate, NY Times
100 days out, parties fear chaotic election, The Hill

Agriculture
Navajo Nation Sees Farming Renaissance During Coronavirus Pandemic, NPR
CROP PROGRESS REPORT BOOSTS CORN, BEAN RATINGS THREE POINTS, Successful Farming
Senate GOP unveils coronavirus relief package with $20B in ag aid, AgriPulse
USDA Not on Track to Hit $16 Billion in CFAP Payments, AgWeb
ND family rolls with the changes on its organic farm, INFORUM
Don’t plant these: Packages of mystery seeds arriving in Minnesota mailboxes, Star Tribune

Attorney General Keith Ellison
Prosecutors Want No Audio-Visual Coverage Of Cops’ Trials, Associated Press
Exxon Pushes Minnesota Climate Case from State to Federal Court, Bloomberg Continue reading “In the Know: July 28, 2020”

In the Know: July 27, 2020

Days to the November Election:  99

2020 Election
Trump to discuss energy, tour oil rig, raise money in Texas, Associated Press
CNN Polls: Biden leads in three key states Trump won in 2016, CNN

Agriculture
Why a new generation of Black farmers is getting into the business, CNN
Vertical Farms Fill a Tall Order, Wall Street Journal

Attorney General Keith Ellison
The Minnesota lawsuit against Big Oil is about environmental protection — but also racial justice, MN Reformer

Congressional News
Record number of Black women are running for U.S. Congress, NBC News
Stalled US recovery leaves Congress no margin for error, CNN

Dan Feehan, CD1 DFL Candidate
U.S. Rep. Hagedorn Votes Against Removing Confederate Statues From U.S. Capitol, Minnesota Reformer
Hagedorn gets corporate blowback from BLM comments, Brainerd Dispatch
DFL Action Center
99 Days OUT – Let’s get to work!
If you’d like to help the DFL Party fight for criminal justice reform, better schools, wages, our environment, and health care, Click here to get more involved!

Donald Trump
How Trump’s Use of Federal Forces in Cities Differs From Past Presidents, NY Times
Trump’s national security adviser tests positive for Covid-19, NPR
Reagan Foundation asks Trump campaign and RNC joint fundraising committee to stop using Reagan’s likeness in fundraising pitch, CNN
Trump now says he won’t throw first pitch at Aug. 15 Yankees game, Politico
COVID-19 school guidance from Trump and the CDC paints teachers as villains, NBC News

Economy
Eviction Bans, $600 Unemployment Payments, And Student Loan Forbearance: Here’s When The Key Benefits Of The CARES Act Expire, Forbes
Trump Officials Float Idea of Narrow Bill to Extend Unemployment Benefits, New York Times

Education
In Reversal, Trump Says Schools In Coronavirus Hot Spots Should Delay Reopening, NPR
Teachers Are Growing More Concerned About COVID-19 Exposure, Poll Finds, US News & World Report

Environment
Your Used Mask Needs to Make It to the Trash Can, New York Times
Where extreme heat and Covid-19 collide, experts fear a dangerous recipe for at-risk communities, CNN

Governor Tim Walz
Twin Cities teachers unions demand schools stay closed this fall, Pioneer Press

Health Care
3 Scenarios for How the Pandemic Could Change U.S. Health Care, Harvard Business Review
Minnesota COVID surge continues, Duluth News Tribune

Immigration
Judge denies attempt to stop order requiring release of children in immigration custody, CNN
Judge faults Trump administration’s response to DACA ruling. Politico

Joe Biden
Biden campaign ramps up for 100-day push, NBC
My Statement on the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Medium

Check out our brand new Biden for President merchandise in the DFL Store!
Click here to see our new shirts, signs, and stickers!

Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan
Monuments at Minnesota Capitol under review following creation of two new task forces, KTTC
The pandemic, racial health disparities, Enbridge Line 3, native names, fly-swatting, Star Tribune

Minnesota News
Couple wears Nazi flags inside Walmart to protest face mask mandate, MN Reformer
Twin Cities Black clergy hope to harness white churches’ renewed concern about racism, Star Tribune
Storms fueled by tropical moisture cause flooding in south-central Minnesota, MPR

Minnesota State Legislature
Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz signs “long overdue” police accountability bill, CBS
New laws set to take effect in Minnesota Aug. 1, KSTP

Representative Angie Craig (CD2)
How Congress is preventing a Medicare bankruptcy during COVID-19, The Hill
Federal program paying unemployed Minnesotans $600 per week is about to expire, Northfield News

Representative Betty McCollum (CD4)
Spending Bill Blocks Offshore Drilling, Seismic, Coastal Review Online
Reader’s View: Doing ‘everything I can’ to stop Twin Metals, Duluth News Tribune

Representative Collin Peterson (CD7)
House Passes USDA Funding Bill, but White House Opposes it, DMT Progressive Farmer

Representative Ilhan Omar (CD5)
Bernie Sanders and Ilhan Omar Introduce Bill to Stop Giving Stimulus Money to Fossil Fuel Companies, Gizmodo
Ilhan Omar: We have to condemn Yoho’s remarks ‘aggressively’, MSNBC

Republicans
US Senator Tom Cotton defends slavery remarks, BBC

Republicans in Minnesota
Republican heavyweights give dire warning if GOP loses big on Election Day, Bemidji Pioneer
On day face mask mandate goes into effect, Minnesota GOP shares pictures of mask-less attendees at party event, Bring Me The News

Senator Amy Klobuchar
What do Cornyn, Klobuchar agree upon? Saving music venues, Houston Chronicle
Amy Klobuchar on Bill to Save Indie Music Venues: ‘I Don’t Want to Lose Music in America,’Rolling Stone
Secretary of State Steve Simon
Early Voting Shattering All Records In Minnesota, ‘Magnitudes Above’ Recent Elections, WCCO

U.S. News
The march to martial law has fewer obstacles than you realize, MN Reformer
Portland protests again culminate in use of tear gas by federal agents, CBS
Garrett Foster Brought His Gun to Austin Protests. Then He Was Shot Dead., New York Times

Voter Protection
If you or someone you know has trouble registering to vote or casting a ballot, we encourage you to reach out to the DFL’s new Voter Protection Hotline at 833-DFL-VOTE (833-335-8683).

World News
Vietnam to evacuate 80,000 tourists from Da Nang after three residents contract Covid-19, CNN
Second wave fears in Europe roil travel stocks, CNBC
Iran moves mock aircraft carrier to sea after jetliner intercepted by U.S. F-15, CBS

Upcoming DFL Events

With the COVID-19 situation, we suggest you check with the hosting organization to see if meetings, etc. are being held.

  • Today through August 10 — Primary Election Early Voting Window, more information here.
  • July 27, 1:00 PM — DNC Platform Committee Meeting, you can watch here.
  • July 28 through August 11 — Window for Candidates to Register with State for City Offices with No Primaries to Register
  • July 29, 7:00 PM — CD3 Virtual Central Committee Meeting and Election of Directors, more information as it becomes available.
  • July 30, 7:00 PM — DFL Environmental Caucus Virtual Meeting with endorsed candidates, more information and RSVP here.
  • August 4, 7:00 to 8:30 PM — SD40 DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for specifics.
  • August 5
    • 6:30 to 8:30 PM — SD50 DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for meeting specifics
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD33 DFL Central Committee Meetings, contact them for specifics.
  • August 6, 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD46 DFL Central Virtual Central Committee Meeting, contact them for specifics.
  • August 10
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD44 DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for specifics
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD49 DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for specifics.
  • August 13
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD36 DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for specifics.
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD48 DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for specifics.
  • August 17
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — Anoka County DFL Meeting, contact them for specifics.
    • 8:00 to 10:00 PM — DNC Convention — A United America, more information as it becomes available.
  • August 18, 8:00 to 10:00 PM — DNC Convention — Steady Leadership
  • August 19
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — CD3 DFL Central Committee Meeting, tentative virtual meeting, specifics decided at July meeting
    • 8:00 to 10:00 PM — DNC Convention — A Future for All
  • August 20, 8:00 to 10:00 PM —DNC Convention — A New American Promise
  • August 29 — DFL State Central Virtual Meeting, this will be a full agenda meeting, more information as it becomes available.

In the Know: July 24, 2020

Days to the November Election:  102

2020 Election
How Voter-Fraud Hysteria and Partisan Bickering Ate American Election Oversight, ProPublica
Why the November election could break America, Politico

Agriculture
U.S. SOYBEANS KEEP FLYING OFF OF THE SHELVES, AG MARKETS REMAIN MIXED FRIDAY, Successful Farming

Congressional News
Congress set for brawl as unemployment cliff looms, The Hill
Congress wants to fix public lands. It’s just a bandage on the wounds Trump caused, The Guardian
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Delivers a Lesson in Decency on the House Floor, The New Yorker Continue reading “In the Know: July 24, 2020”

In the Know: July 23, 2020

Days to the November Election:  103

2020
100 days: What can shake things up in the election home stretch? Here are 5 possibilities, USA Today
Republican Group Uses Trump’s Own Words Against Him In Searing Swing-State Ad, Huff Post
Trump’s assault on election integrity forces question: What would happen if he refused to accept a loss?, Washington Post
New York’s Primary-Vote-Count Chaos Signals Trouble for November, The New Yorker

Agriculture
USDA RELEASES REPORT ON BOXED BEEF AND FED CATTLE PRICE INVESTIGATION, Successful Farming
USDA TO OFFER $15 MILLION TO SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED AND VETERAN FARMER GROUPS, Successful Farming

Attorney General Keith Ellison
LETTER: Our planet needs Ellison’s fossil fuel lawsuit, The Sun Post
67 current, former prosecutors defend St. Louis prosecutor from attacks in McCloskey gun case, Washington Post Continue reading “In the Know: July 23, 2020”