“Major League Baseball’s decision to move the All-Star Game to Denver from Atlanta after Georgia approved a law that makes it more difficult to vote is creating a firestorm of misinformation about Colorado’s voting laws. There’s little similarity between the states. Colorado has one of the most accessible systems in the nation and recorded the second-highest turnout rate among the voting eligible population in 2020. Colorado’s voter lD requirement is not as strict as Georgia’s because our counties accept many different forms. Georgia’s early voting period is 17 days – two days longer than Colorado’s. But Colorado sends mail ballots to every active registered voter 22 days before an election. The criticism overshadowed the celebration from state and local officials, who said the July 13 game would generate a $190 million local economic impact” – Axios Denver.

Mississippi Free Press: “Mississippi’s top election official says he is worried that the nation will suffer if more ‘woke’ and ‘uninformed’ college students become registered voters. Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson made that remark in a televised interview while describing President Joe Biden’s March 6 executive order on ‘promoting access to voting.’ Among other things, the president’s executive order directs the heads of federal agencies to develop strategic plans to ‘promote voter registration and participation,’ possibly including ‘distributing voter registration and vote-by-mail ballot applications in the course of regular services.'”

“On March 26, Watson claimed during an interview with WLOX that Biden was ‘basically employing all the federal agencies, universities and colleges to register as many folks as they can via this automatic voter registration.’ Biden’s order does not mention colleges, universities or automatic registration. ‘So think about all those woke college and university students now who will automatically be registered to vote whether they wanted to or not. Again, if they didn’t know to opt-out, they’re going to be automatically registered to vote and then they receive this mail-in ballot that they probably didn’t know was coming because they didn’t know they were registered to vote,’ the Mississippi Republican said. ‘You’ve got an uninformed citizen who may not be prepared and ready to vote. Automatically, it’s forced on them: ‘Hey, go make a choice.’ And our country’s going to pay for those choices.'”

😳 https://t.co/1moUoZk5wc

— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) April 7, 2021

Matt Gaetz isn’t very smert.  He posted a letter (unsigned) and a text message (unattributed) talking about how his help in releasing a man allegedly being held in Iran would help make his political problems–like the investigation the missives confirm into child sex trafficking–go away.  There’s no mention of bribery of law enforcement officials.

“Freshman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), the controversial MAGA firebrand, raised over $3.2 million in the first three months of this year, according to a source close to her campaign. That eye-popping haul came from over 100,000 individual donors, for an average donation of $32. Greene did not self-fund this quarter, the source added.”

“That is a staggering sum of money for a House member, especially for a freshman who is more than a year out from her next election. For context, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), then a freshman, raked in $728,000 in the first quarter of 2019. Greene appears to have actually benefited from all the controversies that have consumed her first few months in office. She directly fundraised off of Democrats’ decision to kick her off her committees for past incendiary rhetoric and warned her supporters that Democrats are trying to expel her from Congress. Greene is also still a fan favorite in Trumpworld: she met with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago last week and they posed for a video together” – Politico.

Washington Examiner: “Andrew Giuliani, a former top Trump aide and son of ‘America’s Mayor,’ is ‘heavily considering’ a bid for governor of New York in 2022, potentially setting up an epic clash between the two biggest political families in recent New York history. ‘I plan to run,’ Giuliani told Secrets. ‘Outside of anybody named Trump, I think I have the best chance to win and take the state back and I think there’s an opportunity in 2022 with a wounded Democratic candidate, whether it’s going to be Governor [Andrew] Cuomo, whether it’s going to be a radical [Attorney General] Letitia James, whether it’s going to be a no name lieutenant governor, I think there’s a very, very real chance to win,’ he added.”

“A Giuliani-Cuomo race would be a Titanic battle of New York families, a liberal-conservative fight that the state hasn’t seen in years. Cuomo is the son of former three-term New York Gov. Mario Cuomo. Cuomo is expected to run for a fourth term but he has been bruised by his mishandling of the coronavirus crisis and a sex scandal. Political betting sites suggest his odds of winning a fourth term are poor. Giuliani is the son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and worked in the Trump White House as a director of the Office of Public Liaison. While he has no elected experience, he has been part of his family’s political business for years, a training that has produced several successful candidates, notably former President George W. Bush, a former Texas governor. In Arkansas, Sarah Sanders, a former Trump spokeswoman and daughter of longtime Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, is running for governor there.”

“A senior staffer to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) signaled Tuesday that the senator would support circumventing the long-standing filibuster rule to enact a voting rights bill with only 50 votes in the Senate. Feinstein ‘believes that the leadership of the Senate will come up with a path that allows this bill to go forward with 50 Democratic votes,’ her state director Jim Lazarus told a San Francisco group from the liberal activist group Indivisible, according to a video of his comments. She ‘will make this the No. 1 bill that has to get through over the next month or two.'”

“The idea of eliminating the filibuster or making it harder to do has gained momentum among Senate Democrats concerned Republicans would use the tool to block all of President Biden’s agenda. While 60 votes are required to overcome a filibuster, only 50 votes are needed to pass a bill. But because the filibuster has been used in recent years on nearly all bills that come up for a vote, the 60-vote threshold has become the de facto requirement for legislation” – LA Times.

Axios: “New surveys show Americans’ membership in communities of worship has declined sharply in recent years, with less than 50% of the country belonging to a church, synagogue or mosque. The accelerating trend towards a more secular America represents a fundamental change in the national character, one that will have major ramifications for politics and even social cohesion. A Gallup poll released last week found just 47% of Americans reported belonging to a house of worship, down from 50% in 2018 and 70% as recently as 1999. The shift away from organized religion is a 21st century phenomenon. U.S. religious membership was 73% when Gallup first measured it in 1937, and stayed above 70% for the next six decades. The decline in membership is primarily driven by a sharp rise in the ‘nones’ – Americans who express no religious preference.”

“The percentage of Americans who do not identify with any religion rose from 8% between 1998 and 2000 to 21% over the past three years, while the percentage of nones who do not belong to a house of worship has risen as well. The story of a more secular America is chiefly – though not entirely – one of generational change. Membership in houses of worship is correlates with age, with the oldest Americans much more likely to be church members than younger adults. But while church membership is lower among younger generations, the dropoff is particularly stark among millennials and Gen Z, who are about 30 percentage points lower than Americans born before 1946, compared to 8 points and 16 points respectively for baby boomers and Gen X. Children who grow up without organized religion are less likely to join houses of worship when they become adults, so it stands to reason that the secularization trend will only continue in the future, barring major demographic or cultural changes.”

The head of the National Rifle Association was so fearful following a string of high profile mass shootings that he fled to seek safe refuse on a friend’s 108-foot yacht, new court documents reported by the Washington Post reveal.

Wayne LaPierre, the executive vice president of the NRA, has repeatedly touted that the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.  He neglected to mention a 108-foot yacht moored in a harbor can be just as safe.

“Thank God I’m safe, nobody can get me here,” LaPierre said he thought after arriving at the yacht while the nation reeled from mass shootings in Parkland, Texas and Sandy Hook, Connecticut.  LaPierre arranged to stay on the yacht with its owner, a Hollywood producer.  The yacht is manned by a crew and a private chef and is equipped with two jet skis. 

“Representative Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida, was one of President Donald J. Trump’s most vocal allies during his term, publicly pledging loyalty and even signing a letter nominating the president for the Nobel Peace Prize. In the final weeks of Mr. Trump’s term, Mr. Gaetz sought something in return. He privately asked the White House for blanket pre-emptive pardons for himself and unidentified congressional allies for any crimes they may have committed, according to two people told of the discussions.”

“Around that time, Mr. Gaetz was also publicly calling for broad pardons from Mr. Trump to thwart what he termed the “bloodlust” of their political opponents. But Justice Department investigators had begun questioning Mr. Gaetz’s associates about his conduct, including whether he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old that violated sex trafficking laws, in an inquiry that grew out of the case of an indicted associate in Florida. It was unclear whether Mr. Gaetz or the White House knew at the time about the inquiry, or who else he sought pardons for. Mr. Gaetz did not tell White House aides that he was under investigation for potential sex trafficking violations when he made the request. But top White House lawyers and officials viewed the request for a pre-emptive pardon as a nonstarter that would set a bad precedent, the people said.”

“Aides told Mr. Trump of the request, though it is unclear whether Mr. Gaetz discussed the matter directly with the president. Mr. Trump ultimately pardoned dozens of allies and others in the final months of his presidency, highlighting his willingness to wield his power to help close supporters and lash out against the criminal justice system. In recent days, some Trump associates have speculated that Mr. Gaetz’s request for a group pardon was an attempt to camouflage his own potential criminal exposure. Either way, Mr. Gaetz’s appeal to the Trump White House shows how the third-term congressman sought to leverage an unlikely presidential relationship he had spent years cultivating” – New York Times.

“Dan Cupper owns more than 10,000 train timetables – little cards and brochures detailing the accommodations, times and appearance of trains; his oldest is from 1858. Ron Goldfeder and his wife collect kerosene lanterns that used to light the way for trains. Larry Shughart owns hundreds of American Flyer model trains. And you’re damn right they work. These men have loved trains for years; and by love, we’re not just talking about the type of affection young kids have for toys gifted from their parents; we’re talking fanatical obsessions that take up every part of life’s free moments and the mind’s free space. On Wednesday, that lifelong love affair hit a remarkable political climax as America’s most powerful railfan – President Joe Biden – stepped behind a lectern to outline the most ambitious infrastructure plan since Dwight Eisenhower. Moments like these don’t come along all that often; for lovers of trains, they are like a Halley’s comet. Naturally, the three jumped at the invitation from POLITICO to get on a Zoom call and watch it together. Copper and Goldfeder are old chums but Shughart, who they’ve not met, fit right in.”

“For just over 30 minutes, Biden laid out the broad strokes of his $2 trillion infrastructure plan, which included investments in things like roads and bridges, electric vehicles, clean energy, affordable housing and public transit. The three men watched it on a shared Zoom screen, taking notes the whole time. Cupper paraphrased a quote from Daniel Burnham, the architect of D.C.’s Union station, to describe his feelings about it. ‘He said ‘make no little plans, they have no power to stir men’s blood.’ And certainly what Biden has proposed is not a little plan, it’s a visionary plan. And I think that is one of its strengths.’ But by the time the president’s comments ended, they were left wondering: Had the first rail man in chief been inspirational enough? ‘He’s going to need that broad base of support to get this done,’ said Shughart. ‘He keeps calling it a jobs bill. This is a survival bill move. If our country wants to survive, we better have infrastructure'” – Politico.

Women for America First, one of the groups who organized the event that led to the January 6th domestic terrorist attack at the Capitol, has invited embattled Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz to speak at its meeting later this week.

Gaetz, who has been accused of sex trafficking an underage girl across state lines, providing illegal drugs and misusing campaign funds, will speak at the Save America Summit Friday at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.

In defending himself in the media, Gaetz has claimed that he didn’t sleep with a 17-year-old in the immediate past and has called the allegations a political attack, although the federal investigation started under Trump’s Attorney General, William Barr.  Gaetz has also made the claim that the allegations are false because he was, he claims, being blackmailed because of them.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, taking the culture wars to a whole new level, demanded that corporations stay out of politics even while he and members of his party solicit millions of dollars in donations from them.

According to NBC News, McConnell spoke Tuesday about the pressure corporations are exerting on states like Georgia and Texas, where GOP majorities in state legislatures and Republican governors have been working to undermine voter participation in elections.

“So my warning, if you will, to corporate America is to stay out of politics,” McConnell told reporters at a news conference in Louisville. “It’s not what you’re designed for. And don’t be intimidated by the left into taking up causes that put you right in the middle of one of America’s greatest political debates.”

The death Tuesday morning of Democratic Florida Congressman Alcee Hastings, ambitious South Florida Democrats have the opportunity to take a step up from local politics to the national scene, Politico reports.

Hastings, 84, died after a fight with pancreatic cancer.  He represented Florida’s 20th Congressional District, a heavily-Black district comprised of parts of Broward and Palm Beach Counties.  While the district is unlikely to flip to a Republican representative, the scheduling of the special election to replace Hastings will be at the discretion of Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who could delay it as long as possible to keep a thinner Democratic majority in the US House.

Many Black South Florida Democrats may be in the running for Hastings’ seat, including some whose declaration to run would cause a domino effect in local politics. 

Washington Examiner: “The Republican National Committee is requiring attendees of the party’s spring donor retreat in Florida to get tested for the coronavirus and submit proof of a negative result as a condition for gaining entry to the event. Wealthy contributors to the RNC and other GOP causes are set to gather later this week in Palm Beach to hobnob with top party officials and hear from former President Donald Trump. Trump is set to host a portion of the retreat for a dinner speech at Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence that has turned into a redoubt for ex-administration officials and Republican donors and businessmen.”

“But according to an email the RNC sent to people planning to attend the retreat obtained by the Washington Examiner, participants must first ‘take a COVID-19 PCR or Rapid Antigen test and receive a negative result.’ That information must be provided to the RNC in advance. Negative coronavirus tests are a prerequisite for attending the retreat, even for those who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. ‘Proof of a negative COVID-19 test result is required in order to receive your credentials for the weekend,’ the email stated. ‘If you or members in your party fail to fulfill this requirement, you will be denied entry to the 2021 RNC Spring Retreat.'”

Oxford University has paused the development of a clinical trial for the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for children as young as six years old, citing potential medical issues including the development of a rare form of blood clot, the Washington Post reports.

Last month, a number of European nations suspended the vaccinations using the AstraZeneca formula due to reports of a handful of patients with low platelet counts developing a sometimes-fatal form of blood clot in the brain.  European Union medical boards reviewed the cases and data, and reaffirmed their support of the AstraZeneca vaccine, but reviews continue.

Countries that suspended use have generally reauthorized the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, but some have limited its use to adults over a specified age. 

“A group claiming responsibility for the theft of a Confederate monument in Selma, Ala., laid out ransom terms in emails to local media Monday. The price for the relic’s return? Not cash, but a demand that the headquarters of the United Daughters of the Confederacy in Richmond hang a banner quoting a Black radical on Friday, the 156th anniversary of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s surrender at the end of the Civil War. The Jefferson Davis Memorial Chair, which was first reported missing from Live Oak Cemetery in Selma last month, is an ornately carved stone chair that was dedicated in 1893 to the Confederate president’s memory and is estimated to be worth $500,000. Calling themselves ‘White Lies Matter,’ the group sent a message to the Montgomery Advertiser and AL.com that included a proof-of-life type photo of the chair, a ransom note styled to look like it came from the 1800s and a photoshopped image of what their banner might look like hoisted above the UDC headquarters more than 700 miles away.”

“‘Failure to do so will result in the monument, an ornate stone chair, immediately being turned into a toilet. See enclosed photograph,’ the group said in the email to AL.com, with the photoshopped image below. Until local media reported on the ransom emails Monday, many in Selma didn’t even know the chair had been stolen, including the local district attorney. He confirmed it with the police chief. ‘Nobody knows what to make of this, it’s just really strange,’ Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson told The Washington Post. ‘But you get used to ‘The Twilight Zone’ in Selma. Rod Serling would have a good time if he were down here himself'” – Washington Post.