- Brad Raffensberger - Delia C Ramirez - Ana-Maria Rodrigues Ramos - Jack Reed - Steven Reed - Kim Reynolds - Larry Rhoden - Steve Ricchetti - John Roberts - Mark Robinson - Andy Rougeot - Mike Rounds - Alan Rudnick - John Rust - Pat Ryan -
==brad raffensberger======
Bradford Jay Raffensperger (born May 18, 1955) is an American politician, businessman, and civil engineer, serving as the Secretary of State of Georgia since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the Georgia House of Representatives, representing District 50. Raffensperger was reelected in the 2022 Georgia Secretary of State election, after defeating Trump-backed Jody Hice in the Republican primary and Democratic challenger Bee Nguyen in the general election.
May 20, 2023; Joy Reid
==delia ramirez======
Reps. Pressley, Omar Introduce Long COVID Moonshot Bill
WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MN-05) introduced the Long Covid Research Moonshot Act, which would provide the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with $1 billion in mandatory funding per year for a decade to support studies, the pursuit of treatments, and the expansion of care for U.S. patients impacted by the condition. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced companion legislation last month. “Those experiencing Long COVID have been facing their challenges unheard for far too long, and they deserve a robust federal response that demonstrates that we see them, we have not forgotten about them, and we will not stop fighting to get them the care they need and deserve,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “Our bill builds on previous legislation to invest the resources necessary to confront this crisis head-on and it will help ensure that no one is left out or left behind in our pandemic recovery. I’m grateful to Rep. Omar and our colleagues for their partnership.” “Long COVID is a silent health crisis impacting over twenty-three million Americans, including one million children,” said Rep. Omar. “We must take bold action to help Americans suffering from long COVID. I’m proud to lead this effort in the House with Rep. Pressley to recognize long COVID as the public health emergency that it is and invest in countering the effects of this terrible disease.” “For far too long, millions of Americans suffering from long Covid have had their symptoms dismissed or ignored—by the medical community, by the media, and by Congress,” said Sanders, chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP). “That is unacceptable and has got to change. The legislation that we have introduced finally recognizes that long Covid is a public health emergency and provides an historic investment into research, development, and education needed to counter the effects of this terrible disease.” The Long Covid Research Moonshot Act is cosponsored by Reps. Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Eleanor Holmes (DC), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Raul Grijalva (AZ-07), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Cori Bush (MO-01), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Barbara Lee (CA-12), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10).
(Ayanna Pressley 9/30/24) READ MORE>>>>>
WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MN-05) introduced the Long Covid Research Moonshot Act, which would provide the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with $1 billion in mandatory funding per year for a decade to support studies, the pursuit of treatments, and the expansion of care for U.S. patients impacted by the condition. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced companion legislation last month. “Those experiencing Long COVID have been facing their challenges unheard for far too long, and they deserve a robust federal response that demonstrates that we see them, we have not forgotten about them, and we will not stop fighting to get them the care they need and deserve,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “Our bill builds on previous legislation to invest the resources necessary to confront this crisis head-on and it will help ensure that no one is left out or left behind in our pandemic recovery. I’m grateful to Rep. Omar and our colleagues for their partnership.” “Long COVID is a silent health crisis impacting over twenty-three million Americans, including one million children,” said Rep. Omar. “We must take bold action to help Americans suffering from long COVID. I’m proud to lead this effort in the House with Rep. Pressley to recognize long COVID as the public health emergency that it is and invest in countering the effects of this terrible disease.” “For far too long, millions of Americans suffering from long Covid have had their symptoms dismissed or ignored—by the medical community, by the media, and by Congress,” said Sanders, chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP). “That is unacceptable and has got to change. The legislation that we have introduced finally recognizes that long Covid is a public health emergency and provides an historic investment into research, development, and education needed to counter the effects of this terrible disease.” The Long Covid Research Moonshot Act is cosponsored by Reps. Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Eleanor Holmes (DC), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Raul Grijalva (AZ-07), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Cori Bush (MO-01), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Barbara Lee (CA-12), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10).
(Ayanna Pressley 9/30/24) READ MORE>>>>>
==ana-maria rodriguez ramos======
Ana-Maria Ramos was born in Dallas, Texas. She earned a bachelor's degree in communication from the University of Texas at Arlington, a master's degree in business administration from Texas Women's University, and a law degree from Southern Methodist University. Ramos's career experience includes working as an attorney at her own law firm and an associate professor at El Centro College.
Ana-Maria Rodriguez Ramos
“Michelle Obama stated a call of action and said, ‘Don't sit around and complain, do something. So I decided to run for speaker of the House. We need every voter to not only come out and vote for the national level. But also vote to change this extremist agenda that's been advancing here in Texas. I am the right Democrat to help us as we stop this extremist agenda. Bipartisanship is important because Texas has Republicans, Democrats, and independents. They all have a valuable voice.”
--Ana-Maria Rodriguez Ramos 9.15.24
==jack reed======
John Francis "Jack" Reed GOIH (born November 12, 1949) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Rhode Island, a seat he was first elected to in 1996. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the U.S. representative for Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district from 1991 to 1997. Reed graduated from the United States Military Academy and Harvard University, serving in the U.S. Army as an active officer from 1971 to 1979. He is the dean of Rhode Island's congressional delegation.
Tammy Baldwin
Feb 10, 2023: Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, colleagues: Introduce No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act
The No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act would repeal offshoring incentives by:
The legislation is led by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-37) and cosponsored by Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bob Casey (D-PA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Cory Booker (D-NJ).
The No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act would repeal offshoring incentives by:
- Equalizing the tax rate on profits earned abroad to the tax rate on profits earned here at home. This legislation would end the preferential tax rate for offshore profits by eliminating the deductions for “global intangible low-tax income” (GILTI) and “foreign-derived intangible income” and applying GILTI on a per-country basis.
- Repealing the 10 percent tax exemption on profits earned from certain investments made overseas. In addition to the half-off tax rate on profits earned abroad, the Trump tax exempts from taxation entirely a 10 percent return on tangible investments, such as plants and equipment, made overseas. Our bill would eliminate this offshoring incentive.
- Treating “foreign” corporations that are managed and controlled in the U.S. as domestic corporations. Ugland House in the Cayman Islands is the five-story legal home of over 18,000 companies, many of them really American companies in disguise. This section would treat corporations worth $50 million or more and managed and controlled within the U.S. as the U.S. entities they in fact are, and subject them to the same tax as other U.S. taxpayers.
- Cracking down on inversions by tightening the definition of expatriated entity. This provision would discourage corporations from renouncing their U.S. citizenship. It would deem certain mergers between U.S. companies and smaller foreign firms to be U.S. taxpayers, no matter where in the world the new companies claim to be headquartered. The combined company would continue to be treated as a domestic corporation if the historic shareholders of the U.S. company own more than 50 percent of the new entity. If the new entity is managed and controlled in the U.S. and continues to conduct significant business here, it would continue to be treated as a domestic company regardless of the percentage ownership.
- Combating earnings stripping by restricting the deduction for interest expense for multinational enterprises with excess domestic indebtedness. Some multinational groups reduce or eliminate their U.S. tax bills by concentrating their worldwide debt, and the resulting interest deductions, in its U.S. subsidiaries. This section would disallow interest deduction for U.S. subsidiaries of a multination corporation where a disproportionate share of the worldwide group’s debt is located in the U.S. entity, a tactic commonly known as “earnings stripping.” The limit for each U.S. subsidiary would equal the sum of the subsidiary’s interest income plus its proportionate share of the corporate group’s net interest expense.
- Eliminating tax break for foreign oil and gas extraction income. Oil and gas extraction income earned abroad gets a further break on the already half-off rate other industries pay on their offshore profits. This provision would eliminate this special tax break for big oil and gas companies.
The legislation is led by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-37) and cosponsored by Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bob Casey (D-PA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Cory Booker (D-NJ).
Feb 7, 2023: Yahoo: A look at some of the symbols worn by members of Congress at the SOTU
Several other Democratic lawmakers – including Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island – also donned the pins.
Several other Democratic lawmakers – including Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island – also donned the pins.
==steven reed======
Steven L. Reed (born February 20, 1974) is an American jurist, politician, and the mayor of Montgomery, Alabama. A member of the Democratic Party, he was a probate judge in Montgomery County. Reed is the first black mayor of Montgomery. His father, Joe, was one of the first class of elected members of the Montgomery City Council from 1975 to 1999. Reed earned a Bachelor of Arts from Morehouse College and a Master of Business Administration from Vanderbilt University. Reed is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, having been initiated into its Theta Alpha graduate chapter in 1998.
Proposed bill would allow state to take over local police departments if needed
A number of groups and individuals have come out against the bill. One of which is Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed, as Montgomery’s crime and reduced officer numbers were mentioned by the lawmakers in coming up with the bill. Ingram stressed that this is not the mayor’s fault. Reed responded by saying, “I, along with other mayors as well as municipal organizations across Alabama, have issues with legislation like this. At a time when we should all be working together, I would hope that Representative Ingram and Senator Barfoot would work with our entire local state legislative delegation to provide solutions as opposed to introducing local preemption bills that undermine municipal authority and interfere with a city’s right to govern itself.”
(Fox 10 6/12/24) READ MORE>>>>>
A number of groups and individuals have come out against the bill. One of which is Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed, as Montgomery’s crime and reduced officer numbers were mentioned by the lawmakers in coming up with the bill. Ingram stressed that this is not the mayor’s fault. Reed responded by saying, “I, along with other mayors as well as municipal organizations across Alabama, have issues with legislation like this. At a time when we should all be working together, I would hope that Representative Ingram and Senator Barfoot would work with our entire local state legislative delegation to provide solutions as opposed to introducing local preemption bills that undermine municipal authority and interfere with a city’s right to govern itself.”
(Fox 10 6/12/24) READ MORE>>>>>
==kim reynolds======
March 2, 2023: Des Moines Register: Senate Republicans advance bill to eventually eliminate Iowa's income tax. Here's the plan
Iowa senators are advancing a bill that would eventually eliminate the state's income tax.
That comes after Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a $1.9 billion tax cut last year that included phasing down the state to a 3.9% flat income tax rate by 2026.
Iowa senators are advancing a bill that would eventually eliminate the state's income tax.
That comes after Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a $1.9 billion tax cut last year that included phasing down the state to a 3.9% flat income tax rate by 2026.
==larry rhoden======
Speculation about the qualities Lt. Gov. Rhoden might want in his replacement
Gov. Kristi Noem is set to take over the Department of Homeland Security. Once confirmed, Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden will serve the remainder of the term. Some are speculating what qualities Rhoden will want in the person to take over his job. An anti-abortion group formed to oppose constitutional Amendment G is dropping its lawsuit against the group bringing the initiative. South Dakota voters rejected Amendment G 59 to 41 percent earlier this month. (South Dakota Public Broadcasting 11/19/24) READ MORE>>>>>
Gov. Kristi Noem is set to take over the Department of Homeland Security. Once confirmed, Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden will serve the remainder of the term. Some are speculating what qualities Rhoden will want in the person to take over his job. An anti-abortion group formed to oppose constitutional Amendment G is dropping its lawsuit against the group bringing the initiative. South Dakota voters rejected Amendment G 59 to 41 percent earlier this month. (South Dakota Public Broadcasting 11/19/24) READ MORE>>>>>
Who is South Dakota Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden?
Rhoden will become Governor if current Gov. Kristi Noem fills the role of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under President Donald Trump’s administration. Republican Sen. Jim Bolin, who will not return to the Legislature after 2024, said he doesn’t believe Rhoden is seeking a national profile.
Bolin also said Rhoden is “certainly qualified to be Governor,” although he said that was not an endorsement of Rhoden. Rhoden’s roughly 10 years in the Legislature and six years as Lt. Governor are only part of his qualifications, Bolin said.
(MSN 11/16/24) READ MORE>>>>>
Rhoden will become Governor if current Gov. Kristi Noem fills the role of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under President Donald Trump’s administration. Republican Sen. Jim Bolin, who will not return to the Legislature after 2024, said he doesn’t believe Rhoden is seeking a national profile.
Bolin also said Rhoden is “certainly qualified to be Governor,” although he said that was not an endorsement of Rhoden. Rhoden’s roughly 10 years in the Legislature and six years as Lt. Governor are only part of his qualifications, Bolin said.
(MSN 11/16/24) READ MORE>>>>>
==steve ricchetti======
May 21, 2023: BBC: US debt ceiling: Joe Biden and Kevin McCarthy seek to break impasse
Steve Ricchetti, one of Mr Biden's representatives and a senior adviser to the president, told reporters that the negotiating teams would continue to work overnight.
Steve Ricchetti, one of Mr Biden's representatives and a senior adviser to the president, told reporters that the negotiating teams would continue to work overnight.
==john roberts======
New Revelations Show Just How Corrupt the Supreme Court Really Is
Last spring, Justice Samuel Alito had drafted an opinion dropping federal charges against many of the January 6 insurrectionists who violently stormed the Capitol. The ruling in Fischer v. United States had not yet been released. Then The New York Times published a startling story: Alito himself had flown the flag of insurrection at his home. (He briefly blamed it on his wife: “She is fond of flying flags.”) Days later, it was reported that he had flown such flags at his vacation home as well. Awkward! Grounds for recusal? Time to rethink the ruling? Nah. Instead, Chief Justice John Roberts quietly took Alito’s embarrassing name off the opinion and slipped his own name onto it instead. That is just one of the gobsmacking revelations from a story by Jodi Kantor and Adam Liptak that appeared in The New York Times last weekend. The lurid news of the day quickly overwhelmed it—the gunman arrested outside Donald Trump’s golf course, the continued smear campaign by former President Trump and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) against the Haitian immigrant community in a small city in Ohio, and more.
(Alaska Native News 9/21/24) READ MORE>>>>>
Last spring, Justice Samuel Alito had drafted an opinion dropping federal charges against many of the January 6 insurrectionists who violently stormed the Capitol. The ruling in Fischer v. United States had not yet been released. Then The New York Times published a startling story: Alito himself had flown the flag of insurrection at his home. (He briefly blamed it on his wife: “She is fond of flying flags.”) Days later, it was reported that he had flown such flags at his vacation home as well. Awkward! Grounds for recusal? Time to rethink the ruling? Nah. Instead, Chief Justice John Roberts quietly took Alito’s embarrassing name off the opinion and slipped his own name onto it instead. That is just one of the gobsmacking revelations from a story by Jodi Kantor and Adam Liptak that appeared in The New York Times last weekend. The lurid news of the day quickly overwhelmed it—the gunman arrested outside Donald Trump’s golf course, the continued smear campaign by former President Trump and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) against the Haitian immigrant community in a small city in Ohio, and more.
(Alaska Native News 9/21/24) READ MORE>>>>>
“I predict that human judges will be around for a while,” Roberts wrote. “But with equal confidence I predict that judicial work – particularly at the trial level – will be significantly affected by AI.” |
Roberts warns of AI ‘dehumanizing the law’ in year-end report but avoids Trump legal disputes, Supreme Court ethics reform
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts raised concerns about the increasing presence of artificial intelligence in the US judicial system in an annual report released Sunday, warning that the emerging technology could risk “dehumanizing the law” and imperiling fair treatment in the justice system. “AI obviously has great potential to dramatically increase access to key information for lawyers and non-lawyers alike. But just as obviously it risks invading privacy interests and dehumanizing the law,” Roberts wrote. (Devan Cole/CNN 12/31/23) READ MORE>>>>> |
John Roberts Files
"State courts retain the authority to apply state constitutional restraints when legislatures act on the power conferred on them by the Elections Clause...In interpreting state law in this area, state courts may not so exceed the bounds of ordinary judicial review as to unconstitutionally intrude upon the role specifically reserved to state legislatures," --Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion in a 6-3 SCOTUS ruling that North Carolina's Supreme Court was right in concluding that a district map constituted a partisan gerrymander under the state Constitution; 6.27.23
==mark robinson======
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The Week Oct 4, 2024 - Mark Robinson: A Maga Fiasco
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==andy rougeot======
Feb 26, 2023: Denver Post: Who is running for Denver mayor? Get to know all 17 candidates
There are currently 17 candidate vying to become Denver’s next mayor. Pictured on top row, from left to right are: Andy Rougeot, Debbie Ortega, Ean Thomas Tafoya, Kelly Brough, Leslie Herod and Lisa Calderón. Pictured in the middle row, from left to right are: Mike Johnston, Thomas Wolf, Trinidad Rodriguez, Kwame Spearman and Chris Hansen. Pictured in the bottom row, from left to right are: Al Gardner, Aurelio Martinez, James Walsh, Renate Behrens, Robert Treta and Terrance Roberts.
There are currently 17 candidate vying to become Denver’s next mayor. Pictured on top row, from left to right are: Andy Rougeot, Debbie Ortega, Ean Thomas Tafoya, Kelly Brough, Leslie Herod and Lisa Calderón. Pictured in the middle row, from left to right are: Mike Johnston, Thomas Wolf, Trinidad Rodriguez, Kwame Spearman and Chris Hansen. Pictured in the bottom row, from left to right are: Al Gardner, Aurelio Martinez, James Walsh, Renate Behrens, Robert Treta and Terrance Roberts.
==mike rounds======
Trump’s violent talk shows signs of taking over Congress
“It’s not the route that I’d like to see any of us go,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). “I understand the reason why there was anger.” But he said “both individuals should have had a different approach to resolving it.” Rounds, who endorsed Sen. Tim Scott’s (R-S.C.) now-defunct presidential campaign because he liked its positive message, said “you’re seeing folks on both sides of the political spectrum being less respectful of other people.”
(Alexander Bolton/The Hill 11/16/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
“It’s not the route that I’d like to see any of us go,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). “I understand the reason why there was anger.” But he said “both individuals should have had a different approach to resolving it.” Rounds, who endorsed Sen. Tim Scott’s (R-S.C.) now-defunct presidential campaign because he liked its positive message, said “you’re seeing folks on both sides of the political spectrum being less respectful of other people.”
(Alexander Bolton/The Hill 11/16/23)
READ MORE>>>>>
==alan rudnick======
Alan Rudnick Files
It is embarrassing to watch a politician try so hard to make himself look like a conservative Evangelical Christian. It is troubling to see Christianity on display in such parody. It is saddening to watch Christianity be used as a political football for politicos and prognosticators to diagram and dissect. It is disheartening to watch Christianity be used as stepping stone to the presidency.
--Feb 9, 2016: Alan Rudnick: We missed our Christian moment, again
==john rust======
Indiana Senate Race Intensifies Amid Unusual Endorsements and Legal Battles
The battle for the U.S. Senate seat in Indiana is heating up, with candidates who've gathered the stringent 500 signatures from each of the state's nine congressional districts officially filing their candidacies. The race has caught the public eye for several reasons, including the Indiana Republican Party's early endorsement of U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, an unusual deviation from the standard timing of such endorsements. Additionally, John Rust, an egg farmer and another contender for the seat, is challenging an Indiana law that would typically hinder his candidacy. The specifics of Rust's legal battle are not outlined in this piece. The race for the Senate seat represents a significant political event as it could tip the balance of power in the U.S. Senate and illuminate the political dynamics within Indiana. (BNN 2/8/24) READ MORE>>>>>
The battle for the U.S. Senate seat in Indiana is heating up, with candidates who've gathered the stringent 500 signatures from each of the state's nine congressional districts officially filing their candidacies. The race has caught the public eye for several reasons, including the Indiana Republican Party's early endorsement of U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, an unusual deviation from the standard timing of such endorsements. Additionally, John Rust, an egg farmer and another contender for the seat, is challenging an Indiana law that would typically hinder his candidacy. The specifics of Rust's legal battle are not outlined in this piece. The race for the Senate seat represents a significant political event as it could tip the balance of power in the U.S. Senate and illuminate the political dynamics within Indiana. (BNN 2/8/24) READ MORE>>>>>
==pat ryan======
The Democrats calling on Biden to drop out of the 2024 election
Rep. Pat Ryan N.Y. 18th
“For the good of our country, for my two young kids, I’m asking Joe Biden to step aside in the upcoming election and deliver on the promise to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders,” Ryan told the New York Times.
(Washington Post 7/11/24) READ MORE>>>>>
Rep. Pat Ryan N.Y. 18th
“For the good of our country, for my two young kids, I’m asking Joe Biden to step aside in the upcoming election and deliver on the promise to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders,” Ryan told the New York Times.
(Washington Post 7/11/24) READ MORE>>>>>
