Diverse Dems Challenge Trump Loyalists
Democratic embrace of diverse candidates collides with barbed politics of Trump era. NYT: "Democratic nominees for governor include three African-Americans, two of them in the old Confederacy, a prospect that not long ago would have been unthinkable. Record numbers of women are competing in congressional races. Elsewhere, Muslims, gays, lesbians and transgender people will be on the ballot for high-profile offices. That diverse cast is teeing up a striking contrast for voters in November at a time when some in the Republican Party, taking their cues from President Trump, are embracing messages with explicit appeals to racial anxieties and resentment. The result is making racial and ethnic issues and conflicts central in the November elections in a way that’s far more explicit than the recent past. Mr. Trump and his Republican allies have made crime, violence, gangs and societal unrest a centerpiece of their attacks against Democrats in this election, often linking them to causes that have a common racial thread — the policies of liberal leaders in heavily minority cities, illegal immigration and Mr. Trump’s continuing campaign impugning the patriotism of professional athletes, many of whom are black."
GOP Lawmakers Who Abandoned Teachers Voted Out In OK
GOP lawmakers who opposed teacher pay bill voted out in Oklahoma runoff elections. The Hill: "Six state legislators in Oklahoma who voted against a teacher pay bill were voted out of office in their primary runoff elections on Tuesday, CNN reported Wednesday. Nineteen Oklahoma House representatives this spring voted against a a series of tax increases to increase funding for the state's education system. The tax increases were pushed through after the Oklahoma Teachers Association organized a series of extended teacher walkouts to protest the lack of resources and to demand an increase in wages. Schools in Oklahoma were closed for several days in April as teachers went on strike from April 2 through April 12. Of the 19 lawmakers, eight lost their primaries, four are not running for office and three are leaving due to term limits, according to CNN. Public school teachers in Oklahoma are among the lowest paid teachers in the country, and the state's education system has seen inflation-adjusted general funding per student drop by about 28 percent over the past 10 years."
Nixon, Cuomo Face Off In Hot Debate
'We don't need a corrupt corporate Democrat': in heated NY debate, Nixon counters Cuomo. Common Dreams: "'We already have a corrupt corporate Republican in the White House,' Nixon said at the start of the hour-long debate, which was the first and likely only time Cuomo and Nixon will share a stage before next month's election. 'We don't need a corrupt corporate Democrat in Albany as his main opposition.' Asked how a newcomer to electoral politics could govern a state as significant as New York, Nixon noted that she is 'not an Albany insider like Governor Cuomo" and argued that "experience doesn't mean that much if you're not actually good at governing.' In addition to highlighting what she described as the "incredible corruption" of Cuomo's seven-year tenure as governor, Nixon clearly detailed her positive progressive agenda, which includes single-payer healthcare, support the right of public workers to strike, staunch advocacy for women's reproductive rights, and protection of undocumented immigrants from Trump's cruel, xenophobic agenda."
Senate Questions HUD On St. Louis Housing Crisis
Senators seek answers from HUD about public housing crisis in East St. Louis. ProPublica: "Illinois’ Democratic senators are asking the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to detail what steps the agency is taking to address problems plaguing public housing apartments in East St. Louis, including mice, mold, leaky ceilings and security concerns. In a letter to HUD Secretary Ben Carson, Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth said they were “concerned HUD is failing to use its oversight authority” to ensure decent, safe conditions for residents living in properties owned and managed by the East St. Louis Housing Authority. The letter, sent last week, cites findings from an investigative report published by The Southern Illinoisan and ProPublica this month that detailed ongoing problems a year after HUD gave the housing authority back to local control after a 32-year federal receivership. At a ceremony in the city last September, Carson praised HUD’s work to improve the local agency, which houses nearly 4,000 residents, more than half of them children. At the time, he declared that residents “and the future of our children” were no longer at risk in East St. Louis. In a letter to Carson, Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth said they were 'concerned HUD is failing to use its oversight authority' to ensure decent, safe conditions for residents. But in the weeks leading up to the transition, HUD’s own inspectors had failed nine of East St. Louis’ 12 public housing properties. Many of the small city’s housing complexes date back to the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s and are in need of major repairs that the housing authority says it cannot afford."
Cruz Meme War Falls Flat
GOP's meme war attempt backfires As old Ted Cruz mime pic goes viral. HuffPost: "The Texas Republican Party tried to use memes to support the re-election bid of Sen. Ted Cruz, who is locked in a tighter-than-expected race with Rep. Beto O’Rourke. It didn’t go well. The battle began on Wednesday when the Texas GOP used its Twitter account to share a picture of Cruz’s Democratic rival from his days in a 1990s post-hardcore band as well as a mug shot from a DUI arrest from 20 years ago. Soon enough, Cruz critics started circulating old pictures of the senator in return ― and one image, in particular, was shared around more than the rest: a photo of Cruz as a mime. According to the Daily Dot, the high school photo showed Cruz as a mime version of Adam in a play based on the Book of Genesis. Writer Parker Molloy offered a cutout version with a transparent background for anyone who wanted to work him into a meme scene, and it took off from there."
