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Tag: VOTE

  • Biden predicts Democrat midterms win, says economy improving

    Biden predicts Democrat midterms win, says economy improving

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    ROSEMONT, Ill., Nov 4 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden, battling to show restive voters he has boosted the economy, touted his economic policies on Friday and said he planned to talk with oil companies about high prices and record profits, as he predicted Democrats will prevail in Tuesday’s midterms despite polls showing Republican gains.

    On a three-day, four-state campaign swing, Biden stopped at Viasat Inc. (VSAT.O), a U.S. communications firm in Carlsbad, California, to tout efforts to increase semiconductor chip production and resolve supply chain issues that erupted early in his presidency.

    With some Republican support, Biden signed into law in August the Chips and Science Act to jumpstart domestic semiconductor production in response to slowed production of automobiles and high-tech products like those built by Viasat.

    At Viasat, Biden said the government’s latest jobs report showing the U.S. economy added 261,000 jobs last month was a sign of progress.

    He said he planned to have a “come to the Lord” talk with U.S. oil companies soon to complain about their record profits at a time when Americans are paying high prices at the pump.

    The meeting is not yet set up, Biden clarified to reporters after the speech, and the White House said the president was just making clear that he was serious about forcing companies to change their behavior.

    Biden left California to attend a Chicago-area fundraiser on Friday night for two Democratic Illinois House members, Representatives Lauren Underwood and Sean Casten, both at risk of losing their seats if Republicans do well in midterm elections on Tuesday.

    “I’m not buying the notion that we’re in big trouble” Biden told donors gathered at the event before adding that he believes Democrats will keep the house and senate

    [1/3] U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the CHIPS and Science Act at Viasat Inc., a technology company that will benefit from the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, in Carlsbad, California, U.S., November 4, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Blake

    Earlier in the day, Biden declared inflation was his number one priority, stressing he was taking Americans’ economic concerns seriously as voters go to the polls on Tuesday to decide whether he and his Democrats hang on to control of the U.S. Congress.

    “Folks, our economy continues to grow and add jobs even as gasoline prices continue to come down,” he said. “We also know folks are struggling from inflation.” But he said there are “bright spots” where the country is rebounding.

    Forecasts show Republicans are poised to take control of the U.S. House of Representatives and perhaps the Senate as well, which would give them the power to block Biden’s legislative agenda for the next two years.

    The party in the White House historically loses control of Congress during the first half of a new president’s term.

    However, Biden said he thought Democrats might buck the trend this time. “We’re going to win this time around. I feel really good about our chances,” he said, adding Democrats have a good chance of winning the House of Representatives.

    Biden’s campaign swing will conclude with a joint appearance in Philadelphia on Saturday with former President Barack Obama.

    Democrats’ electoral hopes have been hammered by voter concerns about high inflation, and Biden’s public approval rating has remained below 50% for more than a year, coming in at 40% in a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll.

    Biden has also warned of what Democrats say are the dangers that Republicans backed by former President Donald Trump pose to U.S. democracy.

    Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt, Andrea Shalal and Steve Holland; Additional reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Kim Coghill, Josie Kao and Michael Perry

    Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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  • Biden, Florida’s DeSantis work ‘hand-in-glove’ on Hurricane Ian recovery

    Biden, Florida’s DeSantis work ‘hand-in-glove’ on Hurricane Ian recovery

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    FORT MYERS, Fla., Oct 5 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden met with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday to assess the devastation from Hurricane Ian, and stressed the need for a united federal and state effort for the lengthy recovery ahead.

    Biden, a Democrat, and DeSantis, his potential 2024 Republican presidential rival, have clashed over multiple issues including COVID-19 vaccines, abortion and LGBT rights.

    They largely set those differences aside during the visit to hard-hit Fort Myers as Biden pledged federal support for a cleanup and rebuilding effort that could cost taxpayers billions of dollars and take years to complete.

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    Biden and DeSantis greeted each other warmly and stood shoulder to shoulder as they met with victims of the hurricane.

    “Mr. President, welcome to Florida. We appreciate working together across various levels of government,” DeSantis, often a blistering critic of the president, told Biden during remarks after the tour.

    “We’re in this together,” said Biden, who referred to DeSantis as ‘Guv,’ and complimented the “good job” the governor had done. “We’ve worked hand-in-glove. We have very different political philosophies.”

    More than 100 people died and nearly 400,000 homes and businesses remained without power in Florida on Tuesday, five days after Hurricane Ian crashed across the state.

    Biden opened his remarks by saying the storm showed climate change was real and needed to be addressed, something some in DeSantis’s Republican party have denied. “I think the one thing this has finally ended is a discussion about whether or not there’s climate change and we should do something about it,” he said.

    Climate change is making hurricanes wetter, windier and altogether more intense, experts say.

    The president also stressed the amount of federal help Florida receive for storm aid and as part of Democrat-backed spending, including $13 billion over the next five years for highways and bridges.

    “The key here is building back better and stronger to withstand the next storm. We can’t build back to what it was before. You got to build back better, because we know more is coming,” he said.

    Biden and his wife, Jill, arrived in Fort Meyers early Wednesday afternoon, two days after visiting Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory battered by Hurricane Fiona last month.

    A U.S. flag hangs in a gangway between affected buildings after Hurricane Ian caused widespread destruction in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, U.S., October 4, 2022. REUTERS/Marco Bello

    Biden got an aerial view of the destruction during a helicopter flight and called the destruction “horrific.”

    BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, INSURANCE QUESTIONS

    Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell said it would cost the federal government billions of dollars to repair the damage from the storm.

    “We are still very much in the lifesaving and stabilization mode. They are just beginning the assessments of what the actual extent of damages to the infrastructure. It’s going to be in the billions,” Criswell told reporters on Air Force One.

    Biden and Criswell also suggested Wednesday that Florida’s insurance industry, which faces tens of billions of dollars in losses for the storm, could come under increasing scrutiny.

    “The fact of the matter is, states like Florida, where they’ve had a lot of natural disasters because of flooding and hurricanes and the like – the insurance industry is being very stretched,” Biden said. “We’re going to have to have a hard look at whether or not the insurance industry can be sustained.”

    Fort Myers Mayor Ray Murphy, who also manages commercial real estate, told Reuters he and Biden were having a friendly chat and “trying to encourage each other” in a colorful exchange picked up by a microphone.

    “No one fucks with a Biden,” the president told Murphy, to which the mayor replied: “You’re goddamn right … That’s exactly right.”

    Murphy, elected on a nonpartisan basis, said there was no mention of DeSantis in the brief conversation.

    Biden visited Florida in July after a condominium complex collapsed and killed nearly 100 people, and stressed cooperation with DeSantis at the time.

    But before Hurricane Ian hit, Biden had planned a rally in the political battleground state where Democratic officials expected the president to attack the governor.

    On climate change, Biden has made reducing carbon emissions a focus of his presidency, while DeSantis backed funding to harden Florida’s defenses against flooding but also opposed some previous disaster-relief aid and pushed pension funds not to consider environmental impact when they invest.

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    Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu and Andrea Shalal; Writing by Jeff Mason and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Heather Timmons, Aurora Ellis and Lincoln Feast

    Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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  • National Breast Cancer Foundation Selected to Be Designated Grantee by DTCare and Fab Over 40

    National Breast Cancer Foundation Selected to Be Designated Grantee by DTCare and Fab Over 40

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    Press Release
    –

    Sep 28, 2022


    PHOENIX, September 28, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) has been selected as the designated grantee by DTCare for the 2022 Fab Over 40 Competition. Colossal Management, LLC, a nationally registered professional fundraiser, will run this year’s Competition on behalf of DTCare. 

    Chief Executive Officer at Colossal, Mary Hagen, states, “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to make some noise for NBCF this year and honored to be entrusted with the campaign.” 

    Fab Over 40 is an annual competition inviting women over the age of 40 from around the world to compete for a 2-page ad feature in New Beauty magazine, a luxurious spa-cation, and a $40,000 cash prize. The winner will also experience a glamorous photoshoot and an exclusive interview for the magazine spread. The winner is chosen through public voting and every vote purchased is a direct donation to DTCare who will then subsequently make a grant to National Breast Cancer Foundation after the winner is announced. 

    NBCF will dedicate the funds to furthering its mission of inspiring hope to those affected by breast cancer through early detection, education, and support services. The organization was founded in 1991 by breast cancer survivor Janelle Hail. 

    Get involved or donate directly to help support women in need. 

    Source: Colossal Management, LLC

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  • Italy’s right wing, led by Meloni, wins election, exit polls say

    Italy’s right wing, led by Meloni, wins election, exit polls say

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    • Rightist bloc set for majority in both houses-exit polls
    • Meloni would be country’s first woman prime minister
    • Early vote follows collapse of Draghi government
    • Record low turnout casts shadow over result

    ROME, Sept 25 (Reuters) – A right-wing alliance led by Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party was on course for a clear majority in the next parliament, giving the country its most right-wing government since World War Two.

    Meloni, as leader of the largest coalition party, was also likely to become Italy’s first woman prime minister.

    Meloni, 45, plays down her party’s post-fascist roots and portrays it as a mainstream conservative group. She has pledged to support Western policy on Ukraine and not take undue risks with the third largest economy in the euro zone.

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    However, the outcome is likely to ring alarm bells in European capitals and on financial markets, given the desire to preserve unity in confronting Russia and concerns over Italy’s daunting debt mountain.

    An exit poll for state broadcaster RAI said the bloc of conservative parties, that also includes Matteo Salvini’s League and Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party, won between 41% and 45%, enough to guarantee control of both houses of parliament.

    “Centre-right clearly ahead both in the lower house and the Senate! It’ll be a long night but even now I want to say thanks,” Salvini said on Twitter.

    Italy’s electoral law favours groups that manage to create pre-ballot pacts, giving them an outsized number of seats by comparison with their vote tally.

    RAI said the right-wing alliance would win between 227 and 257 of the 400 seats in the lower house of parliament, and 111-131 of the 200 Senate seats.

    Full results are expected by early Monday.

    Leader of Brothers of Italy Giorgia Meloni poses with her ballot at a polling station during the snap election in Rome, Italy September 25, 2022. REUTERS/Yara Nardi

    RECORD LOW TURNOUT

    The result caps a remarkable rise for Meloni, whose party won only 4% of the vote in the last national election in 2018, but this time around was forecast to emerge as Italy’s largest group on around 22-26%.

    But it was not a ringing endorsement, with provisional data pointing to turnout of just 64.1% against 74% four years ago — a record low number in a country that has historically enjoyed a high level of voter participation.

    Although heavy storms in the south appeared to have deterred many from voting there, participation fell across a swathe of northern and central cities, where the weather was calmer.

    Italy has a history of political instability and the next prime minister will lead the country’s 68th government since 1946 and face a host of problems, notably soaring energy costs and growing economic headwinds.

    Initial market reaction is likely to be muted given that opinion polls had forecast the result accurately.

    “I don’t expect a big impact although it’s not necessarily the case that Italian assets will do particularly well tomorrow (Monday) given how the market is starting to treat Europe and countries with worrisome public finances and exposure to the crisis and Ukraine,” said Giuseppe Sersale, fund manager and strategist at Anthilia in Milan.

    Italy’s first autumn national election in over a century was triggered by party infighting that brought down Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s broad national unity government in July.

    The new, slimmed-down parliament will not meet until Oct. 13, at which point the head of state will summon party leaders and decide on the shape of the new government.

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    Additional reporting by Gavin Jones, Rodolfo Fabbri and Giselda Vagnoni in Rome, and Danilo Masoni in Milan
    Editing by Keith Weir

    Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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  • The CSPOA is Calling Upon All Americans and Law Enforcement Nationwide to Come Together in Pursuit of the Truth Regarding the 2020 Election

    The CSPOA is Calling Upon All Americans and Law Enforcement Nationwide to Come Together in Pursuit of the Truth Regarding the 2020 Election

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    Press Release
    –

    May 24, 2022


    PHOENIX, May 24, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    The following is an open letter from the Constitutional Sheriffs & Peace Officers Association:

    The Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA) is calling upon all Americans and law enforcement nationwide to come together in pursuit of the truth regarding the 2020 election.

    Considering the persistent allegations of election fraud since even before the 2020 elections began, and as a response to the perpetual polarizing effect this has had on the American people, the CSPOA would like to put this issue to rest. Our constitutional republic and peaceful future as a free people absolutely depend on it.

    In the opinion of the CSPOA, there is very compelling physical evidence presented by truethevote.org in the movie “2000 Mules” produced by Dinesh D’Souza. “Law Enforcement has to step in at this point,” asserts D’Souza, and we absolutely agree with him. Therefore, we are asking for all local law enforcement agencies to work together to pursue investigations to determine the veracity of the “2000 Mules” information.

    If D’Souza’s documentary is wrong, then we want that exposed. If it’s correct, then we want proper investigations fully undertaken and the criminals responsible prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

    No one, from either side of the aisle, ought to be against honest, professional, and independent investigations. We ask for all Americans to demonstrate civility and cooperation as we pursue the truth.

    What we want is the truth; let the consequences fall where they may.

    Contacts: Sheriff Richard Mack, CSPOA Pres. (928 432 1879) Sam Bushman, VP of Operations (801-756-9133)

    Source: CSPOA

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  • Austin Pets Alive! | 2022 Neonatal Kitten Nursery Calendar Contest!

    Austin Pets Alive! | 2022 Neonatal Kitten Nursery Calendar Contest!

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    Nov 19, 2021

    Thanks for checking out some of the adorable cats and kittens that have come through the APA! Neonatal Program this year! As of early December, we’ve saved more lives than ever before. We’ve shattered so many records, and we couldn’t do it without your support! Your donation with each vote will help us continue our lifesaving efforts into 2022. The winning photos will be compiled into a calendar that will be available for purchase online soon. Help us choose our cover model kitties!

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  • Austin Pets Alive! | 2022 Neonatal Kitten Nursery Calendar Contest!…

    Austin Pets Alive! | 2022 Neonatal Kitten Nursery Calendar Contest!…

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    Nov 19, 2021

    Thanks for checking out some of the adorable cats and kittens that have come through the APA! Neonatal Program this year! As of early December, we’ve saved more lives than ever before. We’ve shattered so many records, and we couldn’t do it without your support! Your donation with each vote will help us continue our lifesaving efforts into 2022. The winning photos will be compiled into a calendar that will be available for purchase online soon. Help us choose our cover model kitties!

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  • White House signals Biden may address filibuster reform soon

    White House signals Biden may address filibuster reform soon

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    WASHINGTON, Oct 22 (Reuters) – The White House on Friday offered a strong signal that it is preparing to seek changes soon to a long-standing Senate tradition that has allowed Republicans to block voting rights legislation and other major Democratic initiatives.

    Democratic President Joe Biden, who spent 36 years in the Senate, has previously opposed any significant overhaul of a Senate rule known as the filibuster, which requires 60 of the 100 senators to agree on most legislation. read more

    His opposition has angered Democrats and activists who say an arcane rule should not stand in the way of important issues such as voting rights and immigration.

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    “I expect you’ll hear more from the president about it in the coming weeks,” White House spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters on Friday about the filibuster. Asked what more he would want to address with filibuster reform beyond voting rights, Psaki said to “stay tuned.”

    During a televised town hall event on Thursday, Biden said the Senate should “fundamentally alter” the filibuster process, but did not offer specifics on how.

    The White House’s potential shift on the issue comes after the latest successful effort by Republicans to block Democratic legislation aimed at thwarting restrictive new voting laws enacted in Republican-led states. On Wednesday, Republicans used the filibuster to block beginning a debate on the measure.

    When Republicans control the White House and the Senate, Democrats have used the filibuster as well.

    Psaki suggested Biden had lost patience with Republican resistance to Democrats’ ideas on voting rights, saying the president is “frustrated” and “disappointed.”

    “When a hand has been extended by Democrats to work together to protect the fundamental right, Republicans have not only recoiled, they have blocked the … ability to make any semblance of progress,” Psaki said.

    While Democrats are united on voting rights, they are not unified in whether to overhaul the filibuster. U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat from West Virginia, has publicly opposed eliminating the filibuster, even for specific issues.

    With a 50-50 split in the Senate, Democrats would need all of its members to support changes.

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    Reporting by Jeff Mason and Jarrett Renshaw; additional reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Bill Berkrot

    Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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  • Ex-Giuliani associate Parnas found guilty of violating U.S. campaign finance law

    Ex-Giuliani associate Parnas found guilty of violating U.S. campaign finance law

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    NEW YORK, Oct 22 (Reuters) – Lev Parnas, a onetime associate of Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, was found guilty on Friday of violating U.S. campaign finance laws during the 2018 elections.

    Parnas, a Ukraine-born American businessman, and his former associate Igor Fruman had been accused of soliciting funds from Russian businessman Andrey Muraviev to donate to candidates in states where the group was seeking licenses to operate cannabis businesses in 2018.

    Parnas also concealed that he and Fruman, who pleaded guilty in September, were the true source of a donation to a group supporting Republican then-President Trump, prosecutors said. Giuliani’s attorney has said the Parnas case is separate from a probe into whether violated lobbying laws while representing Trump.

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    Giuliani, a U.S. prosecutor in the 1980s before he was elected New York’s mayor in 1994, has not been charged with any crimes and denies wrongdoing.

    Parnas was found guilty on all six counts of federal election law violations that he faced, which included illegally helping a foreigner contribute to a U.S. election campaign, making contributions in the names of others, and lying to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC).

    Andrey Kukushkin, a Muraviev associate and California resident who was tried alongside Parnas, was found guilty on Friday of two counts of campaign finance violations. Kukushkin is also a Ukraine native.

    The trial in U.S. District Court in Manhattan has drawn attention because of the role Parnas and Belarus-born U.S. citizen Fruman played in helping Giuliani, who was Trump’s personal attorney while he held office, to investigate Democrat Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential campaign. Biden won the election, denying Trump a second term.

    Parnas, dressed in a blue suit, stared straight at the jury as the verdict was read. Kukushkin, wearing a grey sweater, shook his head after he was pronounced guilty on the second count.

    “I’ve never hid from nobody,” Parnas said as he left court wearing a black “Combat COVID” mask. “I’ve always stood and tried to tell the truth.”

    His attorney Joseph Bondy said they would be filing a motion to vacate the verdict “in the interest of justice.”

    Lev Parnas, Ukrainian-American businessman and former Giuliani associate, walks to the United States Court in Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., October 18, 2021. REUTERS/Mike Segar

    “It’s obviously a very difficult time for Mr. Parnas and his wife and his children,” Bondy said.

    U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken denied a request from prosecutors to detain Parnas and Kukushkin. “The defendants have sufficiently established that they’re not a risk of flight,” Oetken said after the jury left.

    Oetken set a sentencing date of Feb. 16 for Kukushkin. He did not set a sentencing date for Parnas, who faces another possible trial on separate fraud charges.

    ‘IN WELL OVER HIS HEAD’

    The case provided a glimpse into the inner workings of political fundraising in the United States.

    “You saw the wires from Muraviev,” Assistant U.S Attorney Hagan Scotten told the jury during closing arguments on Thursday. “You saw how that money came out on the other side, finding its way into American elections, where the defendants thought they had bought influence to further their business.”

    Parnas’ defense lawyers countered that Muraviev’s funds went toward business investments, not campaign contributions, and that the donation to the pro-Trump group was from a company founded by Parnas and broke no laws.

    In his closing statement Parnas attorney Bondy characterized his client as a passionate proponent of marijuana legalization who was “in well over his head.” He argued that Muraviev’s money funded business operations, not campaign contributions.

    Deliberations in the trial began on Friday morning and lasted about five hours.

    Fruman, who lives in Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of soliciting campaign contributions from a foreign national. His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 21.

    Parnas and Kukushkin had faced two counts of conspiring to make donations from a foreign national, and making the donations. Parnas had also been charged with four other counts, including making false statements to the Federal Elections Commission.

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    Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Franklin Paul, Grant McCool and Jonathan Oatis

    Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

    Jody Godoy

    Thomson Reuters

    Jody Godoy reports on banking and securities law. Reach her at jody.godoy@thomsonreuters.com

    Luc Cohen

    Thomson Reuters

    Reports on the New York federal courts. Previously worked as a correspondent in Venezuela and Argentina.

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