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May 2020

WORLD NEWS Comments turned off

Sweden’s COVID Death Rate Now Ten Times Higher than Norway’s By John McCormack

By on May 30th, 2020

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/swedens-covid-death-rate-now-ten-times-higher-than-norways/?utm_source=recirc-desktop&utm_medium=homepage&utm_

There have now been ten times as many COVID-19 deaths in Sweden than Norway on a per capita basis.

According to the Worldometers website, 435 out of every one million Swedes have died from the virus, while the virus has killed 44 out of every million Norwegians.

Norway imposed a lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus early on March 12, but the country reopened schools early in May. “Our goal is that by June 15 we will have reopened most of the things that were closed,” Norway’s prime minister said at a press conference earlier this month.

Its neighbor Sweden, by contrast, took a more lax approach: The government banned events with more than 50 people and shut down universities and secondary schools but imposed few other restrictions.

Swedish government officials said lockdowns could do little to save lives over the long term and that their more lax approach would let their society reach herd immunity more quickly and lessen the economic pain the country would endure. “About 30 percent of people in Stockholm have reached a level of immunity,” Karin Ulrika Olofsdotter, the Swedish ambassador to the United States, told NPR on April 26. “We could reach herd immunity in the capital as early as next month.”

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NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

What We Do — and Don’t — Know Now about George Floyd’s Death By Andrew C. McCarthy

By on May 30th, 2020

https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/05/what-we-do-and-dont-know-now-about-george-floyds-death/

The official complaint submitted to a Minnesota district court answers some questions, but raises others.

Things are often more complicated than they appear at first blush. That is certainly the case with the murder of George Floyd, with which former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was charged in a complaint filed on Friday.

For one thing, contrary to most people’s assumption, Mr. Floyd appears not to have died from asphyxia or strangulation as Chauvin pinned him to the ground, knee to the neck. Rather, as alleged in the complaint, Floyd suffered from coronary-artery disease and hypertensive-heart disease. The complaint further intimates, but does not come out and allege, that Floyd may have had “intoxicants” in his system. The effects of these underlying health conditions and “any potential intoxicants” are said to have “combined” with the physical restraint by three police officers, most prominently Chauvin, to cause Floyd’s death.

As I’ve noted in a column on the homepage, Hennepin County prosecutors have charged Chauvin with third-degree depraved-indifference homicide. Now that the complaint has been released publicly, we see that a lesser offense was also charged: second-degree manslaughter. This homicide charge involves “culpable negligence creating an unreasonable risk” of serious bodily harm, and carries a maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment.

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NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

Perks Members Of Congress Give To Themselves – The Selfie Report Adam Andrzejewski

By on May 30th, 2020

https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamandrzejewski/2020/05/29/perks-members-of-congress-give-to-themselves–the-selfie-report/#7958e694270f

Once elected to Congress, members are in a rare and exclusive club. In the history of our nation, there have only been 10,363 House members and 1,307 U.S. Senators.

And that club certainly has its benefits.

Our new OpenTheBooks Oversight Report, “Congressional Membership Has Its Privilege — Salaries, Pensions, Travel, and Other Taxpayer-Funded Perks” quantifies and breaks down the lavish perks associated with serving in Congress.

An exclusive club — members of Congress have a lot of privileges.

Here are five major benefits each member of Congress receives:

SALARY: The House Speaker makes $223,500, Majority and Minority Leaders earn $193,400, and the President Pro Tempore makes $193,400. Regular members earn $174,000.

Outside income is restricted to eliminate conflicts-of-interest. However, we found significant loopholes in the ethics laws. Who knew that powerful members can be employed by federal contractors based in their districts?

PROMOTED

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NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

What the rioters, and their apologists, have squandered By Stu Tarlowe

By on May 30th, 2020

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/05/what_the_rioters_and_their_apologists_have_squandered.html

First of all, a disclaimer: In stark, unmistakable contrast to the narrative being promulgated by the so-called news networks, I am not conflating rioting (with its subsets of looting, burning and pillaging) and protesting.

If there was one positive thing provided by the death of George Floyd, it was the sheer universality of the condemnation of the shameful, inhuman behavior of the police officer and his colleagues in whose custody Mr. Floyd met his end (I say “if there was” instead of “if there were” because that one positive thing is already a thing of the past).

It was the one thing that distinguished this incident from every other one that has inspired widespread protests, be it the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray or any of so many others. In every one of these preceding incidents, there were voices disputing the “victim” status of the departed, and often making a viable case. Not everyone was on board with the protests, even before they degenerated into riots.

But in the case of George Floyd there was nobody who was not outraged at the barbarity of the tactic used on him. Everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity or political persuasion, felt and expressed the same degree of disgust at the cruelty we all witnessed. Even the law enforcement community, famous for closing ranks to defend one of its own (sometimes justifiably, sometimes not), saw the incident as an atrocity, and its members weren’t the least bit shy about saying so. There was not a single voice even attempting to blame Mr. Floyd or to put a positive spin on the actions of the police officers.

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NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

WHO Scientists Confirm Coronavirus Only Spreads At Conservative Protests

By on May 30th, 2020

https://babylonbee.com/news/scientists-confirm-coronavirus-only-spreads-at-conservative-protests

WHO scientists have confirmed that the coronavirus only spreads at problematic protests, like conservative rallies, Trump campaign events, and Second Amendment rights demonstrations. The study found that the coronavirus will not spread at progressive protests or violent riots.

The WHO study showed that only Republicans, 2nd Amendment demonstrators, and Trump supporters can spread dangerous viruses when they break lockdown to assemble and protest, not any other kind of protesters.

“You only want people to die if you go protest for conservative causes — otherwise, you’re safe,” said a W.H.O. scientist as he mixed two differently colored liquids together. They exploded and his hair went straight back, burning his face. “AHHHHH!!!”

Unfortunately, the scientist was later discovered to be a bunch of raccoons in a lab coat, so the results of the study may be suspect.

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NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

U.S. COVID-19 Death Toll Is Inflated . By Timothy Allen & John Lott

By on May 30th, 2020

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2020/05/29/us_covid-19_death_toll_is_inflated.html

The latest Centers for Disease Control data show that the COVID-19 fatality rate is 0.26% — four times higher than the worst rate for the seasonal flu over the past decade. That is dramatically lower than the World Health Organization’s estimate of 3.4% and Dr. Anthony Fauci’s initial guess of about 2%.

When the CDC projected 1.7 million deaths back in March, it used an estimated death rate of 0.8%. Imperial College’s estimate of 2.2 million deaths assumed a rate of 0.9%. The fear generated by the projections drives the public policy debate. The Washington Post headline, “As deaths mount, Trump tries to convince Americans it’s safe to inch back to normal,” were part of a steady diet of such fare. When Georgia opened up over a month ago, the Post warned: “Georgia leads the race to become America’s No. 1 Death Destination.”

The CDC currently puts the number of confirmed deaths at about 100,000. But even the “best estimate” 0.26% fatality rate is a significant overestimate because of how the CDC is counting deaths. The actual rate is fairly close to a recent bad year for the seasonal flu. And though public health officials have been transparent about how they are counting coronavirus deaths, the implications for calculating the infection fatality rate are not appreciated.

“The case definition is very simplistic,” Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of Illinois Department of Public Health, explains. “It means, at the time of death, it was a COVID positive diagnosis. That means, that if you were in hospice and had already been given a few weeks to live, and then you also were found to have COVID, that would be counted as a COVID death. It means, technically even if you died of [a] clear alternative cause, but you had COVID at the same time, it’s still listed as a COVID death.”

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BOOKS Comments turned off

Sydney Williams :Burrowing into Books – “Illuminating History,” by Bernard Bailyn

By on May 30th, 2020

www.swtotd.blogspot.com

When reading about early American history, one is struck by the contrast between the fierce independence, intellect and common sense of those who migrated across the Atlantic to these, then, unknown shores, and the fearful, unquestioning subservience of their descendants. Can a people in a country whose culture has so changed provide the same opportunities for their descendants as our ancestors did for us?

This short book (246 pages), includes a seventeen-page introduction, forty-one-page epilogue and appendix, and five chapters. It is a chronology of Professor Bailyn’s academic life, from his thesis on Tristram Shandy at Williams College in 1943 to a seminar at Harvard, “Justice: Europe in America, 1500-1830,” in 2010. History interested him, he tells us, as he wanted to explore the “connections between a distant past and an emerging modernity.” “I discovered…within the plentiful data, [that] one or more obscure documents or individuals…illuminated the greater picture.” Bailyn’s specialty is the American Revolution and events leading to it: “the pivot on which the whole of American history and much of Western civilization turned.”

In the first chapter, “Keayne’s Will,” he explores colonial Boston. He takes the reader through the Will of Robert Keayne (1595-1656), in which Keayne reconciles his success as a Boston immigrant merchant with his belief in a harsh Puritan God. The Will was written over several years and provides clues to the man and the time. As Bailyn writes, “…he made clear the high tension that had always existed between his success in his ‘calling’ and the constraints on the spirit that had inspired it.”

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ELECTIONS Comments turned off

2020 House races: The House seats Democrats and GOP are trying to flip in 2020 By Aaron Navarro

By on May 30th, 2020

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/2020-house-races-texas-iowa-georgia-lucy-mcbath-oklahoma-kendra-horn/

Here are some of the most interesting and competitive House races to watch: 

– CONGRESS- HOUSE-CLEANING

Here are some of the most interesting and competitive House races to watch:

Oklahoma: 5th District

Incumbent: Kendra Horn (D)

Challengers:

R-Stephanie Bice, R Terry Neese (Primary on June 30, nine total challengers)

Republicans are holding their primary on June 30, and the top two fundraisers in the field are businesswoman Terry Neese and state Senator Stephanie Bice. Horn maintains a massive fundraising advantage and the largest county, Oklahoma County, which Horn won in 2018, is seeing shifting demographics that favor Democrats.

South Carolina: 1st District

Incumbent: Joe Cunningham (D)
Challengers: Nancy Mace, Katherine Landing (Primary on June 9, four total challengers)

In 2020, the Republican challengers are continuing to promote their loyalty to the president. State representative Nancy Mace, who leads the Republican field in fundraising, previously worked on the Trump campaign as a field director.

There may also be some impact from the  surprisingly competitive Senate race between powerful Republican incumbent Lindsey Graham and Democrat Jaime Harrison. 

New Mexico: 2nd District

Incumbent: Xochitl Torres Small (D)

Challengers: Claire Chase, Yvette Herrell, Chris Mathys (Primary on June 2)

The three Republican candidates have started to build up a combative primary, filled with litmus tests on each candidate’s loyalty to the president.

Georgia: 6th District

Incumbent: Lucy McBath (D)

Challengers: Karen Handel, Mykel Lynn Barthelemy, Blake Harbin, Joe Profit, Paulette Smith (Primary on June 9)

While she’s far ahead of the field in fundraising, Handel will first have to get through four other Republicans, who have argued she is not the candidate to win back the district. Handel has been endorsed by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, the top three House Republican members and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who previously represented the seat.

Georgia: 7th District

Incumbent: Open
Challengers: Carolyn Bordeaux (D), Renee Unterman (R), Dr. Richard Dean McCormick (R), Lynne Homrich (R) (Primary on June 9, 14 total candidates)

GOP Congressman Ron Woodall has been in office since 2010, but after a razor-thin reelection in 2018, announced his retirement in February 2019.

Among the Republican candidates are state Senator Renee Unterman, Dr. Richard Dean McCormick and former Home Depot executive Lynne Homrich

Illinois: 13th District

Incumbent: Rodney Davis (R)
Challenger: Betsy Dirksen Londrigan (D)

In 2018, Congressman Rodney Davis beat Democrat Betsy Dirksen Londrigan by less than 1%. Londrigan is running again .

New York: 22nd District

Incumbent: Anthony Brindisi (D)
Challengers: Claudia Tenney (R), Georgia Phillips (R) (Primary on June 23)
Cook Political Report: Toss-up

Brindisi was able to win his Republican leaning upstate district by focusing on his moderate profile, becoming the first Democrat to flip the seat in 60 years. He previously served as a state assemblyman representing Utica, New York, the largest city in the congressional district.

California: 21st District

Incumbent: T.J. Cox (D)
Challenger: David Valadao (R)

Cox had one of the closest midterm wins, beating incumbent Republican Congressman David Valadao by less than 1,000 votes. Valadao is running again in 2020 and the March 3 primaries showed his support is still there, as he lead Cox by 11 points in the jungle primary.

IOWA: All

(Primary on June 2)
All four Congressional seats in the state are expected to be in play this cycle, with two freshman Democrats, one controversial Republican incumbent and one open seat.

In Iowa’s 1st District, state Representative Ashley Hinson is trying to unseat freshman Democrat Abby Finkenauer. Hinson is a Cedar Rapids TV anchor and has raised $1.8 million this cycle, $1 million less than Finkenauer.

In the Southeast portion of the state, the 2nd District, the seat is left open by Democrat Dave Loebsack, who is retiring after seven terms. Democrats have coalesced around Rita Hart, a 2018 lieutenant governor nominee who also served in the state senate for 6 years. The leading Republicans include Bobby Schilling, a former Quad City-area Illinois Congressman, and state senator Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who ran against Loebsack in 2014.

A rematch is set in the 3rd District, currently held by freshman Democrat Cindy Axne. Former Republican Congressman David Young narrowly lost to Axne by 2 points, and announced his 2020 campaign a year ago. Young has received the support of several of Iowa’s former representatives in his bid for the Des Moines area district, though still has to face Axne’s $2.6 million cash on hand.

Lastly, Republican Congressman Steve King is facing two formidable opponents on both sides in Iowa’s 4th District. GOP State Senator Randy Feenstra has outraised King, who was notably kicked off his House committees last year in a rebuke to his comments about white supremacy.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has endorsed Feenstra running against King. Democrat J.D. Scholten has picked up early support from the national party.

TEXAS 

House Republicans have the two flipped seats on their target list. House Republicans like their candidate in Texas’ 7th District, West Point graduate Wesley Hunt, who is trying to try and unseat freshman Democrat Lizzie Fletcher.

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy in particular was an advocate for Hunt. Fletcher, like many other House Democrats in competitive districts, has enjoyed a strong quarter-after-quarter in fundraisin.

Republicans have a runoff incoming in Texas’ 22nd and the 23rd to filter out their eventual candidate. After three terms of close margins of victory, Republican Will Hurd’s massive Texas 23rd District was already a top priority for Democrats, even before he ended up announcing his retirement. The 2018 Democratic candidate, Gina Ortiz Jones, is running again and has built a substantial war chest with $2.3 million.

Republicans have supported candidates like Genevieve Collins in Texas’ 32nd and Beth Van Duyne in Texas’ 24th. Another primary to watch here is in Texas’ 13th District, where former White House physician Ronny Jackson is in a Republican runoff against Josh Winegarner.

Honorable mentions

Maine’s 2nd District, represented by Congressman Jared Golden, is another one of those “ruby red” districts Republicans are targeting because of Mr. Trump’s double-digit win in 2016. His main challengers, state Senator Eric Brakey and former State Representative Dale Crafts, have a combined $300,000 cash on hand, compared to Golden’s $1.7 million.

As a Democrat in 2018, Jeff Van Drew flipped New Jersey’s 2nd District by 7 points. Democratic candidates Brigid Callahan Harrison and Amy Kennedy are currently running to unseat Van Drew..

In Michigan’s 13th District, Detroit City Council president Brenda Jones is trying to beat Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib in their August 4 Democratic primary. Jones, who entered the race in late March, lost to Tlaib in their 2018 primary matchup by only 900 votes.

– CONGRESS- HOUSE-CLEANING

Here are some of the most interesting and competitive House races to watch: 

Oklahoma: 5th District

Incumbent: Kendra Horn (D)

Challengers:

R-Stephanie Bice, R Terry Neese (Primary on June 30, nine total challengers)

Republicans are holding their primary on June 30, and the top two fundraisers in the field are businesswoman Terry Neese and state Senator Stephanie Bice. Horn maintains a massive fundraising advantage and the largest county, Oklahoma County, which Horn won in 2018, is seeing shifting demographics that favor Democrats.

South Carolina: 1st District

Incumbent: Joe Cunningham (D)
Challengers: Nancy Mace, Katherine Landing (Primary on June 9, four total challengers)

In 2020, the Republican challengers are continuing to promote their loyalty to the president. State representative Nancy Mace, who leads the Republican field in fundraising, previously worked on the Trump campaign as a field director. 

There may also be some impact from the  surprisingly competitive Senate race between powerful Republican incumbent Lindsey Graham and Democrat Jaime Harrison. 

New Mexico: 2nd District

Incumbent: Xochitl Torres Small (D)

Challengers: Claire Chase, Yvette Herrell, Chris Mathys (Primary on June 2)

The three Republican candidates have started to build up a combative primary, filled with litmus tests on each candidate’s loyalty to the president.

Georgia: 6th District

Incumbent: Lucy McBath (D)

Challengers: Karen Handel, Mykel Lynn Barthelemy, Blake Harbin, Joe Profit, Paulette Smith (Primary on June 9)

While she’s far ahead of the field in fundraising, Handel will first have to get through four other Republicans, who have argued she is not the candidate to win back the district. Handel has been endorsed by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, the top three House Republican members and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who previously represented the seat. 

Georgia: 7th District

Incumbent: Open
Challengers: Carolyn Bordeaux (D), Renee Unterman (R), Dr. Richard Dean McCormick (R), Lynne Homrich (R) (Primary on June 9, 14 total candidates)

GOP Congressman Ron Woodall has been in office since 2010, but after a razor-thin reelection in 2018, announced his retirement in February 2019.

Among the Republican candidates are state Senator Renee Unterman, Dr. Richard Dean McCormick and former Home Depot executive Lynne Homrich

Illinois: 13th District

Incumbent: Rodney Davis (R)
Challenger: Betsy Dirksen Londrigan (D)

In 2018, Congressman Rodney Davis beat Democrat Betsy Dirksen Londrigan by less than 1%. Londrigan is running again .

New York: 22nd District

Incumbent: Anthony Brindisi (D)
Challengers: Claudia Tenney (R), Georgia Phillips (R) (Primary on June 23)
Cook Political Report: Toss-up

Brindisi was able to win his Republican leaning upstate district by focusing on his moderate profile, becoming the first Democrat to flip the seat in 60 years. He previously served as a state assemblyman representing Utica, New York, the largest city in the congressional district.

California: 21st District

Incumbent: T.J. Cox (D)
Challenger: David Valadao (R)

Cox had one of the closest midterm wins, beating incumbent Republican Congressman David Valadao by less than 1,000 votes. Valadao is running again in 2020 and the March 3 primaries showed his support is still there, as he lead Cox by 11 points in the jungle primary. 

IOWA: All

(Primary on June 2)
All four Congressional seats in the state are expected to be in play this cycle, with two freshman Democrats, one controversial Republican incumbent and one open seat.

In Iowa’s 1st District, state Representative Ashley Hinson is trying to unseat freshman Democrat Abby Finkenauer. Hinson is a Cedar Rapids TV anchor and has raised $1.8 million this cycle, $1 million less than Finkenauer. 

In the Southeast portion of the state, the 2nd District, the seat is left open by Democrat Dave Loebsack, who is retiring after seven terms. Democrats have coalesced around Rita Hart, a 2018 lieutenant governor nominee who also served in the state senate for 6 years. The leading Republicans include Bobby Schilling, a former Quad City-area Illinois Congressman, and state senator Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who ran against Loebsack in 2014.

A rematch is set in the 3rd District, currently held by freshman Democrat Cindy Axne. Former Republican Congressman David Young narrowly lost to Axne by 2 points, and announced his 2020 campaign a year ago. Young has received the support of several of Iowa’s former representatives in his bid for the Des Moines area district, though still has to face Axne’s $2.6 million cash on hand. 

Lastly, Republican Congressman Steve King is facing two formidable opponents on both sides in Iowa’s 4th District. GOP State Senator Randy Feenstra has outraised King, who was notably kicked off his House committees last year in a rebuke to his comments about white supremacy. 

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has endorsed Feenstra running against King. Democrat J.D. Scholten has picked up early support from the national party.

TEXAS 

House Republicans have the two flipped seats on their target list. House Republicans like their candidate in Texas’ 7th District, West Point graduate Wesley Hunt, who is trying to try and unseat freshman Democrat Lizzie Fletcher. 

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy in particular was an advocate for Hunt. Fletcher, like many other House Democrats in competitive districts, has enjoyed a strong quarter-after-quarter in fundraisin.

Republicans have a runoff incoming in Texas’ 22nd and the 23rd to filter out their eventual candidate. After three terms of close margins of victory, Republican Will Hurd’s massive Texas 23rd District was already a top priority for Democrats, even before he ended up announcing his retirement. The 2018 Democratic candidate, Gina Ortiz Jones, is running again and has built a substantial war chest with $2.3 million. 

Republicans have supported candidates like Genevieve Collins in Texas’ 32nd and Beth Van Duyne in Texas’ 24th. Another primary to watch here is in Texas’ 13th District, where former White House physician Ronny Jackson is in a Republican runoff against Josh Winegarner. 

Honorable mentions

Maine’s 2nd District, represented by Congressman Jared Golden, is another one of those “ruby red” districts Republicans are targeting because of Mr. Trump’s double-digit win in 2016. His main challengers, state Senator Eric Brakey and former State Representative Dale Crafts, have a combined $300,000 cash on hand, compared to Golden’s $1.7 million.

As a Democrat in 2018, Jeff Van Drew flipped New Jersey’s 2nd District by 7 points. Democratic candidates Brigid Callahan Harrison and Amy Kennedy are currently running to unseat Van Drew.. 

In Michigan’s 13th District, Detroit City Council president Brenda Jones is trying to beat Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib in their August 4 Democratic primary. Jones, who entered the race in late March, lost to Tlaib in their 2018 primary matchup by only 900 votes.

Oklahoma: 5th District

Incumbent: Kendra Horn (D)
Challengers: Stephanie Bice, Terry Neese (Primary on June 30, nine total challengers)
Cook Political Rating: Toss-up

Horn won the Oklahoma City-area district in 2018 in a surprise upset for Democrats, beating Republican incumbent Steve Russell by less than 2 points. While Republicans held the seat for nearly 44 years, state legislative flips in the district showed a Democratic trend building right before Horn’s victory. Her campaign’s hyper-local approach has continued on into 2020, though Republicans have tried to tie her to impeachment and presidential politics to nationalize the race in a district Mr. Trump won by 13 points. 

Republicans are holding their primary on June 30, and the top two fundraisers in the field are businesswoman Terry Neese and state Senator Stephanie Bice. Horn maintains a massive fundraising advantage and the largest county, Oklahoma County, which Horn won in 2018, is seeing shifting demographics that favor Democrats. The state is a safe bet for Mr. Trump to win in the presidential race, and with no Senate or gubernatorial election, Horn’s race is the most competitive to watch in the state. If Republicans are going to have a chance of retaking the House, it’ll be because of districts like these. 

South Carolina: 1st District

Incumbent: Joe Cunningham (D)
Challengers: Nancy Mace, Katherine Landing (Primary on June 9, four total challengers)
Cook Political Rating: Toss-up

After becoming the first Democrat to win this district in 30 years, Cunningham now has to keep the Charleston district that Mr. Trump won by 13 points in 2016. 

Former Congressman Mark Sanford, who represented the district since 2013, was ousted in a contentious Republican primary in favor of a more Trumpian candidate for the midterms. In 2020, the Republican challengers are continuing to promote their loyalty to the president. State representative Nancy Mace, who leads the Republican field in fundraising, previously worked on the Trump campaign as a field director. 

City councilwoman Kathy Landing has aired an ad calling Cunningham a “self-promoting talker” and says “we need adults in Congress to help President Trump restore stability.” 

Candidate Chris Cox founded the national “Bikers for Trump” group.

While the district has voted Republican by double digits in the past five presidential elections, Cunningham has been able to raise over $3.8 million for his reelection effort. There may also be some impact from the  surprisingly competitive Senate race between powerful Republican incumbent Lindsey Graham and Democrat Jaime Harrison. 

A “Path to Victory” memo by Harrison’s campaign specifically cites Cunningham’s Lowcountry district as a sign of white suburban voters moving away from Republicans. 

New Mexico: 2nd District

Incumbent: Xochitl Torres Small (D)
Challengers: Claire Chase, Yvette Herrell, Chris Mathys (Primary on June 2)
Cook Political Rating: Toss-up

A competitive GOP primary created an avenue for Torres Small to flip this rural New Mexico district in 2018 that Mr. Trump won by 10 points. So far, it seems like Torres Small could see a similar narrative play out in 2020. 

The three Republican candidates have started to build up a combative primary, filled with litmus tests on each candidate’s loyalty to the president. Claire Chase, a former governmental relations head for an oil company, leads the pack in fundraising. State Representative Yvette Herrell ran in 2018, and has already gone after Chase in an attack ad displaying old anti-Trump Facebook comments. 

“She’s Never Trump, so we’re Never Claire,” the ad declares. Chase has already retorted with an attack ad against Herrell, and told the Santa Fe New Mexican she was “completely wrong about the president. He has been incredible for our district.” 

Mr. Trump’s margin of victory here was more than 3 points higher than Mitt Romney’s in 2012, but Torres Small has nearly $3 million in the bank. She has sought to distance herself from being branded as a “socialist” by Republicans, and most recently, criticized Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for celebrating a drop in oil and gas prices. 

Georgia: 6th District

Incumbent: Lucy McBath (D)
Challengers: Karen Handel, Mykel Lynn Barthelemy, Blake Harbin, Joe Profit, Paulette Smith (Primary on June 9)
Cook Political Rating: Toss-up

In a 2017 special election, Democrat Jon Ossoff came within 0.4 percentage points of defeating Republican Karen Handel in one of the most expensive House races in history. McBath ended up defeating Handel by 1 point in 2018, and Handel is looking for a rematch to claim a seat she held for 18 months. 

While she’s far ahead of the field in fundraising, Handel will first have to get through four other Republicans, who have argued she is not the candidate to win back the district. Handel has been endorsed by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, the top three House Republican members and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who previously represented the seat. 

While Mr. Trump won Georgia in 2016 by 5 points, he won this district by a slimmer 1.5 points. McBath is well known as a gun control advocate, after being motivated to run after her son’s murder nearly seven years ago, she is likely to bring up Handel’s “A” rating from the National Rifle Association in a general election race. 

Democrats are also looking to tie Handel to the contentious Republican Senate primary and to Governor Brian Kemp, whose popularity has been declining. McBath also has $2.9 million cash on hand to supplement another race against Handel, or whomever ends up taking the nomination 

Georgia: 7th District

Incumbent: Open
Challengers: Carolyn Bordeaux (D), Renee Unterman (R), Dr. Richard Dean McCormick (R), Lynne Homrich (R) (Primary on June 9, 14 total candidates)

Cook Political Rating: Toss-up

GOP Congressman Ron Woodall has been in office since 2010, but after a razor-thin reelection in 2018, announced his retirement in February 2019. Thirteen people have announced they are running for the district seat, including Democratic professor Carolyn Boredeaux, who lost by less than 450 votes to Woodall in the 2018 midterms. Boredeaux leads the pack in fundraising, though Democratic state Senator Zahra Karinshak is also running and has over $500,000 cash on hand. 

Among the Republican candidates are state Senator Renee Unterman, Dr. Richard Dean McCormick and former Home Depot executive Lynne Homrich. While Mr. Trump won the district by 6 points, its two counties, Forsyth and Gwinnett, split the vote. Forsyth is a majority white and voted overwhelmingly for Mr. Trump but Gwinnett is more diverse and narrowly voted for Clinton in 2016.

Illinois: 13th District

Incumbent: Rodney Davis (R)
Challenger: Betsy Dirksen Londrigan (D)
Cook Political Report: Toss-up

In 2018, Congressman Rodney Davis beat Democrat Betsy Dirksen Londrigan by less than 1%. Londrigan is running again and has locked up the Democratic nomination, and her campaign and national Democrats have already been hitting Davis hard on healthcare, promoting a local interview where he came out against reopening the enrollment period during the pandemic.

Davis won the central Illinois seat in 2012, beating Democrat David Gill by 0.3%, and saw a nearly 20-point win when Mr. Trump was on the ballot in 2016. The two are in a dead heat so far in fundraising, though Londrigan holds a slight edge with $1.6 million in the bank compared to Davis’ $1.5 million. 

One factor is Champaign County, the most populous county in the district and home to the University of Illinois. Londrigan got more than 41,000 votes from this county in 2018, but the University is considering a hybrid of in-person and remote learning this fall, potentially impacting how many students might be around to vote. 

New York: 22nd District

Incumbent: Anthony Brindisi (D)
Challengers: Claudia Tenney (R), Georgia Phillips (R) (Primary on June 23)
Cook Political Report: Toss-up

Brindisi was able to win his Republican leaning upstate district by focusing on his moderate profile, becoming the first Democrat to flip the seat in 60 years. He previously served as a state assemblyman representing Utica, New York, the largest city in the congressional district. His 2018 opponent, Claudia Tenney, held the seat for one term with a 5-point win in 2016, and outside independent groups spent $16 million for that race.

Tenney is running again for the seat this year and was already endorsed by Mr. Trump ahead of the June primary. So far, she lags Brindisi in fundraising efforts by a wide margin, and has tried to tie the freshman congressman to wider Democratic figures like former Vice President Joe Biden in a district Mr. Trump won by 15 points. Since the pandemic, she has also associated Brindisi with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Tweeting that Brindisi is Cuomo’s “biggest ally.” 

California: 21st District

Incumbent: T.J. Cox (D)
Challenger: David Valadao (R)
Cook Political Report: Toss-up

This Central Valley district certainly favored Democrats the last presidential cycle, with Clinton winning by 15 points in 2016. However, Cox had one of the closest midterm wins, beating incumbent Republican Congressman David Valadao by less than 1,000 votes. Valadao is running again in 2020 and the March 3 primaries showed his support is still there, as he lead Cox by 11 points in the jungle primary. 

Cox has also been dogged by local scandals, and after seeing a swath of California seats go Democratic in 2018, Republicans are hoping to capitalize on this and Valadao’s name ID to reclaim this seat. Democrats are looking to build up Mr. Trump’s presence in a district where he is already highly unpopular, and Cox has already sent out fundraising emails tying Valadao to Mr. Trump. 

IOWA: All

(Primary on June 2)
All four Congressional seats in the state are expected to be in play this cycle, with two freshman Democrats, one controversial Republican incumbent and one open seat. Trump won the three districts 

held by Democrats by an average of about 4 points. In Iowa’s 1st District, state Representative Ashley Hinson is trying to unseat freshman Democrat Abby Finkenauer. Hinson is a Cedar Rapids TV anchor and has raised $1.8 million this cycle, $1 million less than Finkenauer. 

In the Southeast portion of the state, the 2nd District, the seat is left open by Democrat Dave Loebsack, who is retiring after seven terms. Democrats have coalesced around Rita Hart, a 2018 lieutenant governor nominee who also served in the state senate for 6 years. The leading Republicans include Bobby Schilling, a former Quad City-area Illinois Congressman, and state senator Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who ran against Loebsack in 2014.

A rematch is set in the 3rd District, currently held by freshman Democrat Cindy Axne. Former Republican Congressman David Young narrowly lost to Axne by 2 points, and announced his 2020 campaign a year ago. Young has received the support of several of Iowa’s former representatives in his bid for the Des Moines area district, though still has to face Axne’s $2.6 million cash on hand. 

Lastly, Republican Congressman Steve King is facing two formidable opponents on both sides in Iowa’s 4th District. GOP State Senator Randy Feenstra has outraised King, who was notably kicked off his House committees last year in a rebuke to his comments about white supremacy. 

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has endorsed Feenstra and has already begun running an ad against King. Democrat J.D. Scholten has picked up early support from the national party, a perk of connecting with all the presidential candidates who came to visit during caucus season. After coming up three points short of unseating King in 2018, Scholten has to try and beat the Republican in a district Mr. Trump overwhelmingly won by almost 30 points. 

TEXAS 

After flipping two seats in 2018, House Democrats are bullish about competing in the Lone Star state and adding to their ranks. Changing demographics and trends of suburbs drifting away from Mr. Trump already had Democrats feeling optimistic, but a pattern of House Republican retirements has only reinforced their thinking. 

Still, this is a historically red state and House Republicans have the two flipped seats on their target list. House Republicans like their candidate in Texas’ 7th District, West Point graduate Wesley Hunt, who is trying to try and unseat freshman Democrat Lizzie Fletcher. 

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy in particular was an early advocate for Hunt. Fletcher, like many other House Democrats in competitive districts, has enjoyed a strong quarter-after-quarter in fundraising, which will help in the Houston-area media market. House freshman Collin Allred is also a targeted Democrat, as both he and Fletcher represent districts Clinton won narrowly in 2016.

While six Texas House Republicans have announced retirements, three seats are in places Democrats lost by less than 5 percent in 2018. Fundraising in these seats have been tight among the candidates, though Republicans have a runoff incoming in Texas’ 22nd and the 23rd to filter out their eventual candidate. After three terms of close margins of victory, Republican Will Hurd’s massive Texas 23rd District was already a top priority for Democrats, even before he ended up announcing his retirement. The 2018 Democratic candidate, Gina Ortiz Jones, is running again and has built a substantial war chest with $2.3 million. 

After seeing a recent record low number of women Republican House members, Republicans have supported candidates like Genevieve Collins in Texas’ 32nd and Beth Van Duyne in Texas’ 24th. Another primary to watch here is in Texas’ 13th District, where former White House physician Ronny Jackson is in a Republican runoff against Josh Winegarner. 

Honorable mentions

Maine’s 2nd District, represented by Congressman Jared Golden, is another one of those “ruby red” districts Republicans are targeting because of Mr. Trump’s double-digit win in 2016. His main challengers, state Senator Eric Brakey and former State Representative Dale Crafts, have a combined $300,000 cash on hand, compared to Golden’s $1.7 million.

As a Democrat in 2018, Jeff Van Drew flipped New Jersey’s 2nd District by 7 points. Now running as a Republican in a District Mr. Trump won by 5 points, Van Drew’s primary field cleared a bit when businessman David Richter decided to run in the 3rd District instead. Democratic candidates Brigid Callahan Harrison and Amy Kennedy are currently running to unseat Van Drew. Harrison, a political science professor, lined up local support early. However, Kennedy, a teacher and part of the famed political family, leads in fundraising and has used it to build a bigger campaign operation. 

In Michigan’s 13th District, Detroit City Council president Brenda Jones is trying to beat Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib in their August 4 Democratic primary. Jones, who entered the race in late March, lost to Tlaib in their 2018 primary matchup by only 900 votes.

First published on May 29, 2020 / 6:02 AM

© 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Denmark, Finland say they saw no increase in coronavirus after schools re-opened Finnish schools have been back for two weeks, Danish ones since mid-April.

By on May 30th, 2020

https://justthenews.com/world/europe/denmark-finland-say-they-saw-no-increase-coronavirus-after-schools-re-opened

The Nordic countries of Denmark and Finland are reporting no increase in the spread of coronavirus since opening their respective schools, further suggesting that children are less likely to be sickened by COVID-19 and spread the virus. 

Denmark began sending its children back to school on April 15, just over a month after Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen issued an extensive nationwide lockdown. They were kept spaced apart in classrooms and on playgrounds, while sanitation measures such as hand-washing stations and deep-cleaning procedures were put into place. 

Similar measures were put into place in Finland to keep children from congregating in large groups. The country’s education minister, Li Andersson, predicted that reopening schools would “have a minimal impact on the pandemic, but grand benefits for children.”

Both countries say the pandemic has not spiked since schools re-opened. Cases and deaths in Denmark appear to have peaked in early April. Finland’s infection rate appears to have peaked around the same time, though its death rate remained almost entirely flat throughout the pandemic, aside from two one-day spikes late last month. 

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Standing Down Progressive politicians watch as Minneapolis burns. Willis L. Krumholz

By on May 30th, 2020

https://www.city-journal.org/progressive-politicians-watch-as-minneapolis-burns

In 2014, shortly after his release from a Texas prison, George Floyd moved to Minnesota for a fresh start. In Minneapolis, he worked as a truck driver and as a security guard at the Conga Latin Bistro, where he was known as “Big Floyd.” A few months ago, he was laid off due to the strict stay-at-home order imposed by the state’s Democratic governor, Tim Walz. Floyd looked for work; it’s unclear if he was eligible for coronavirus-related unemployed benefits.

Bad habits crept back in. Earlier this week, Floyd, apparently under the influence of an intoxicant, attempted to buy a package of cigarettes from a small shop in south Minneapolis with a counterfeit $20 bill. The store’s owner, Mahmod Abumayaleh, called the police. The recorded footage of the arrest showed Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin with his knee placed squarely on Floyd’s neck, while Floyd begged for mercy. Floyd, who didn’t resist arrest, died soon after. Chauvin, who was subsequently fired, had 18 prior complaints filed against him with the police department’s internal-affairs division. In a bizarre twist, it appears that Chauvin and Floyd were also once coworkers: they worked security at the same nightclub, and possibly knew each other.

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