Part 1 Scott Braddock, Dean of the Austin Press Corp., Editor of the Quorum Report, has a conversation with us about events in Texas and the nation.
We discuss Trump’s stated desire to accept the Republican party’s nomination at the White House, now that the Republican convention will take place online, without the crowds associated with the physical meeting either in North Carolina or Florida. Many representatives had announced that they would not be attending a physical convention. Now that many Republicans are sporting masks, Trump’s campaign against masks is being ignored.
In Texas, the governor has announced that local school boards would have the final say on when and how schools will reopen. It is important to note that about 40% of teachers in Texas are eligible to retire. There are 360,000 teachers. The state has promised full funding of schools for up to 8 weeks, with possibility of extending this. The indicted Attorney General is of the opinion that schools should reopen now, with a shut down possible, if a rise in infections warrants it. Teachers are concerned.
The “Little Governor” (Lt. Governor) notes that there is a spike in gun sales in Texas. He interprets this as a signal that Trump will win the election. Currently, the polls indicate that Trump and Biden are running even.
The Democrats have announced that they will not have a physical convention as in the past, as had been planned for Milwaukee.
McConnell goes hands off on relief bill https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/510801-mcconnell-goes-hands-off-on-bill
Polling teachers https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/510820-8-in-10-teachers-concerned-about-returning-to-k-12-classes-in-the-fall-poll
Ending the census a month early https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/08/trump-administration-discontinuing-census-count-month-early.html
Rashida Tlaib and Slate of Local Progressives Win in Michigan Intercept
‘ HYPERLINK “https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/world/news/numbers-dont-lie-fauci-says-you-cant-deny-the-us-has-the-worlds-worst-covid-19-outbreak/articleshow/77382700.cms”Numbers don’t lie’: Fauci says you can’t deny the US has the world’s worst COVID-19 outbreak Business Insider (J-LS)
How Popular Is Donald Trump? FiveThirtyEight (resilc)
Ted Cruz bashes Oprah for ‘lecture’ on race: ‘What utter, racist BS’ The Hill
‘ HYPERLINK “https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/06/kentucky-coronavirus-republicans-fear-another-shutdown”The economy is a bigger mess than Covid’: Kentucky fears new shutdown Guardian
Study reveals impact of powerful CEOs and money laundering on bank performance ScienceBlog
Cigna Bilked Medicare Advantage For $1.4B, FCA Suit Says Law360
How Native Tribes Started Winning at the Supreme Court Mother Jones
Trump Florida and Mail in voting https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/08/trump-mail-in-voting-florida.html
Missouri…progressive change and expanded medicaid https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/08/black-lives-matter-activist-cori-bush-upsets-democrat-william-clay-lacy-st-louis-primary.html
Going Postal…be careful what you wish for https://prospect.org/blogs/tap/going-postal-be-careful-what-you-wish-for/
progressives had a good night https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/510735-progressives-soaring-after-big-primary-night
Facebook removes a Trump video about covid and kids https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/08/facebook-twitter-removes-trump-video-false-coronavirus-covid-immune-claims.html
Trump fires back at Facebook for removing video
Trump campaign fires back at Facebook removal of Trump post: ‘Flagrant bias’
Repubicans now like masks…maybe they want to live too https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/07/republicans-masks-coronavirus-polls.html?via=section_features
Beirut https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/08/two-massive-explosions-hit-beirut.html
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/08/rhosus-beirut-nitrate-ship-explosion.html
US Crude Oil Production Plunged Most Ever, Natural Gas Followed: The Great American Oil HYPERLINK “https://wolfstreet.com/2020/08/05/us-crude-oil-production-plunged-most-ever-natural-gas-followed-the-great-american-oil-gas-bust-phase-2/”& HYPERLINK “https://wolfstreet.com/2020/08/05/us-crude-oil-production-plunged-most-ever-natural-gas-followed-the-great-american-oil-gas-bust-phase-2/” Gas Bust, Phase 2Wolf Richter
Trump sues Nevada over voting https://www.salon.com/2020/08/05/trump-sues-nevada-for-expanding-voting-by-mail-as-he-declares-the-practice-safe-in-gop-led-florida/
Covid threatens college campuses https://www.salon.com/2020/08/06/university-of-texas-anticipates-testing-several-hundred-symptomatic-people-every-day/
New York Unveils Landmark Antitrust Bill That Makes It Easier To Sue Tech Giants Guardian
Defund the Bloated U.S. Military Juan Cole
More Farmers Declare Bankruptcy Despite Record Levels of Federal Aid Wall Street Journal
Georgia class quarantined after first day of school as images of crowded school circulate online Independent
to open schools
https://prospect.org/coronavirus/unsanitized-randi-weingarten-schools-reopen-safety-funding/
Big Pharma…another reason for Medicare 4 ALL…Big Pharma is evil and exploitive …
HIGHWAY ROBBERY: Remdesivir, made by @GileadSciences, has now set the price ➡️ $2,300 to $3,100 per patient.
So how much does it cost to produce each vial? ➡️ Just $1.US taxpayers also had paid for the drug’s NIH trial. Is this borderline criminal drug pricing?.
TWITTER.COM
Part 2: Steffen Schmidt, Professor of Political Sciene at Iowas State University, “Professor Politics”
We discuss Trump’s reaction to the explosion in Beirut, and how this is inappropriate.
Facebook’s left Trump’s political ad online, even though the claims that were made in the ad were not true. Countering such ads might not be cost effective, since his base appears to be able to swallow anything, and not believe facts.
Trump continues to criticize absentee ballots, except for those in Florida (where he votes as an absentee).
We discussed how the economy continues to survive, primarily because of the $600 weekly support. People who get those checks spend them, thus propping up the economy. People who are rich, and do not need them to survive, do not spend them. The money velocity is different. Tax cuts for the wealthy do not translate to higher velocity of money, and thus do not contribute much to the economy.
McConnell has essentially retreated on a stimulus package, and is stepping back, allowing Trump to try to cut a deal with the Democrats, or to issue executive orders to create a stimulus package. But, the legaility is in question. the Congress holds the power of the purse.
In Missouri, voters have decided to expand Medicaid, bypassing the politicians, whom they perceive to have sold out. In Iowa, the governor (R) has announced an executive order to allow ex-felons to vote, as a result of pressure and demonstrations. It appears that grass roots activism is having an effect.
