Month: September 2020

'The Climate Crisis Doesn't Go on Summer Holiday, And Neither Will We,' Says Greta Thunberg as #FridaysForFuture Returns to the Streets

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For many children around the world, school is out for summer—but that hasn’t stopped youth activists from taking to the streets to demand governments pursue bold solutions to battle the global climate emergency.

“The climate crisis doesn’t go on summer holiday, and neither will we. We go on,” tweeted Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenager who sparked the global climate student strike movement by protesting alone outside her country’s parliament last year.

As experts continue to sound the alarm over record-breaking temperatures worldwide, youth strikers from across the globe posted photos of their demonstrations Friday on social media with the hashtags #FridaysForFuture, #SchoolStrike4Climate, and #ClimateStrike.

“As days passes by, so does our future draw nearer. It doesn’t matter the course you study nor your age, we need you to join climate justice,” said organizer Oladosu Adenike, sharing a photo of schoolchildren in Nigeria.

Youth in Dhaka, Bangladesh held signs that read “save the Earth, save yourself” and “come foward to save our tomorrow.”

Tweeting from Turkey, 11-year-old Deniz Çevikus reported from a popular spot beside the Bosphorus that “people are interested but shy.”

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Others shared photos from Germany, Uganda, and Switzerland:

The climate action group Extinction Rebellion tweeted Friday that “the millions of children striking from school will become millions of adults striking from work if our governments continue to fail to #ActNow on the climate and ecological emergencies.”

In May, as Common Dreams reported, “well-known adult climate activists answered a call to action from school strikers with a pledge to join global protests.” The adults announced in an op-ed that on Sept. 20, “we’re walking out of our workplaces and homes to spend the day demanding action on the climate crisis, the greatest existential threat that all of us face.”

Penn State University climate scientist Michael E. Mann was among those who signed on to the op-ed. In an interview with Hill.TV that aired earlier this week, Mann said that to combat the climate crisis, “we do need a world-war type mobilization and that means putting in place incentives to move our economy as quickly as we can away from fossil fuels to renewable energy.”

“There’s a legitimate policy debate to be had about how we do that, but there isn’t a legitimate debate to be had anymore about the need to do that,” added Mann, who also argued that electing any Democratic 2020 candidate would be better than re-electing President Donald Trump.

“There’s a world of difference between where the Trump administration is and all of the Democrats, and I would hate to see too much infighting at this point,” Mann said. “Let’s make sure that we elect a president who’s not going to continue to lead us backward and defy the rest of the world as we try to act on this existential threat.”

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Trump DOJ Denounced for Approving 'Anti-Competitive, Anti-Consumer' Merger of Sprint and T-Mobile

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Consumer advocates decried the Department of Justice’s decision Friday to sign off on T-Mobile and Sprint’s proposed merger, warning that allowing the nation’s third- and fourth-largest wireless carriers to join forces will drive up prices and negatively impact low-income and marginalized communities.

“The leadership at the Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission have failed in their job at protecting America’s citizens from the concentration of power that would result from this deal.”
—Barry Lynn, Open Markets Institute

In a statement, the DOJ announced that it had reached an agreement with five state attorneys general and the companies that makes the merger contingent on the divestment of “Sprint’s prepaid business, including Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, and Sprint prepaid, to Dish Network Corp., a Colorado-based satellite television provider.”

“The proposed settlement also provides for the divestiture of certain spectrum assets to Dish,” the statement explained. “Additionally, T-Mobile and Sprint must make available to Dish at least 20,000 cell sites and hundreds of retail locations. T-Mobile must also provide Dish with robust access to the T-Mobile network for a period of seven years while Dish builds out its own 5G network.”

DOJ Antitrust Division Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim claimed that the deal will enable Dish “to become a facilities-based mobile network operator that can provide a full range of mobile wireless services nationwide,” and T-Mobile chief executive John Legere welcomed the settlement as “a win-win for everyone involved.”

However, critics such as Common Cause special adviser Michael Copps cautioned that “despite the addition of Dish, this is still a four-to-three merger where Verizon, AT&T, and a post-transaction T-Mobile will call all of the shots.”

T-Mobile and Sprint have framed their proposed merger as a bid to compete with AT&T and Verizon, the nation’s largest two wireless carriers.

If the merger is allowed to move forward, “consumers can expect to see higher prices, fewer choices, and less innovative offerings across the board,” said Copps, who formerly served at the Federal Communications Commission. “Low-income and marginalized communities who rely on prepaid services from T-Mobile and Sprint will face significant consequences and potentially get priced out of wireless service.”

Greenlining Institute technology equity director Paul Goodman, in a statement, also denounced the “anti-competitive, anti-consumer merger.”

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“This deal does nothing to allay concerns that a larger T-Mobile will abandon low-income consumers and consumers of color,” said Goodman, whose group advocates for racial and economic justice. “We see no indication that Dish has the ability or incentive to become a meaningful competitor that will serve communities of color.”

Free Press research director S. Derek Turner, in a statement Friday, described Dish as “a satellite-TV company with no wireless customers, and a well-earned reputation for hoarding spectrum.”

“In truth, this arrangement does not offer cellphone users a viable fourth competitor in the wireless market,” Turner said. “Dish has a troubling history when it comes to delivering wireless services, and it continues to squat on valuable spectrum, a delay that’s earned Dish considerable criticism from both inside and outside the FCC, including from T-Mobile itself before this newly engineered marriage of convenience.”

Turner pointed out that “prior to this last-minute dealmaking, all of the reports were that the Justice Department’s antitrust experts had reached the correct conclusion against approving this deal before being overruled by the political appointee leading the antitrust division. The merger would harm all wireless users through higher prices and diminished competition between the remaining three national carriers.”

“But the department’s antitrust chief has succumbed to political pressure from a White House that favors the deal,” Turner said.

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Despite the DOJ’s approval, the merger still faces other regulatory hurdles before it can be finalized, which The Washington Post outlined Friday:

If the deal goes through, Turner said, DOJ’s Delrahim “will have abandoned his long-held belief that antitrust is a matter of law enforcement, and that conditions don’t magically make illegal mergers legal.”

“The leadership at the Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission have failed in their job at protecting America’s citizens from the concentration of power that would result from this deal,” Open Markets Institute executive director Barry Lynn declared Friday, while applauding the attorneys general who are challenging the merger.

Turner also expressed support for the lawsuit brought by the states, and vowed that “we’ll continue to fight to stop this dangerous merger from going through.”

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Health and Labor Groups Sue Trump EPA for Refusal to Ban Pesticide Linked to Brain Damage in Children

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A coalition of health and labor organizations sued the Trump administration on Wednesday over the Environmental Protection Agency’s refusal last month to ban chlorpyrifos, a pesticide tied to brain damage in children.

“Trump’s EPA might want to dismiss the science and the law to protect corporate profit, but we are confident the courts won’t stand for this.”
—Dr. Elena Rios, National Hispanic Medical Association

Represented by nonprofit environmental legal firm Earthjustice, the 11 groups filed a petition for review (pdf) in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, challenging EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler’s July decision to reject the call from environmental groups for a ban on the pesticide.

Critics accused both Wheeler and the federal agency of prioritizing corporate profits of public health—a sentiment that was echoed Wednesday by the groups behind the case.

“The scientific evidence has been clear for years. Chlorpyrifos is toxic to farmworkers and linked to irreversible neurodevelopmental harms in children,” Dr. Elena Rios, president of the National Hispanic Medical Association, said in a statement. “Trump’s EPA might want to dismiss the science and the law to protect corporate profit, but we are confident the courts won’t stand for this.”

In 2000, the EPA ended household use of chlorpyrifos over safety concerns but allowed farmers to keep using it on crops, from brussels sprouts and broccoli to cauliflower, cherries, and corn. For more than a decade, environmental groups have been fighting for a full federal ban. Wheeler’s July announcement—which critics say contradicts assessments from his agency’s scientists—came after a federal court, in April, ordered the administration to quickly make a decision.

“Trump’s EPA has yet again failed farmworkers and children when it refused to ban chlorpyrifos despite all the science that called for the opposite,” Iris Figueroa, staff attorney at Farmworker Justice. “We hope the courts will take the lead and amend this grave mistake. Farmworkers, families, and developing children must be safe from chlorpyrifos and most importantly, from preventable illness.”

Earthjustice filed the suit Wednesday on behalf of the Pesticide Action Network North America, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), United Farm Workers, Farmworker Association of Florida, Farmworker Justice, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, National Hispanic Medical Association, Pineros y Campesinos Unidos, Learning Disability Association of America, League of United Latin American Citizens, and California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation.

Kristin Schafer, executive director of Pesticide Action Network—one of the plaintiffs in the original 2007 court case demanding a ban—said Wednesday that “it’s absurd that we have to ask the court to force EPA to do its job.”

“Scientists have known for years that chlorpyrifos puts the health of farmworkers and children in danger. Instead of acting on this evidence, EPA has chosen to ignore it—putting Dow Chemical’s profits before public health,” added Schafer, referencing the pesticide’s primary manufacturer.

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Earthjustice detailed the company’s advocacy against a ban and its ties to President Donald Trump in its statement Wednesday:

“EPA has repeatedly found chlorpyrifos unsafe, especially to children, yet time and time again it refuses to protect kids,” said Patti Goldman, the Earthjustice managing attorney handling the case. “But Earthjustice and our clients won’t stand for this. The science and the law call for a chlorpyrifos ban. We are hopeful the courts will do the same for the sake of children and farmworkers.”

Calling on the court to “side with children over a powerful chemical industry with friends in high places,” NRDC senior scientist Miriam Rotkin-Ellman concluded that “chlorpyrifos does not belong on our food or in our fields.”

A second suit (pdf) challenging the EPA’s decision was filed in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday by the state attorneys general of California, Washington, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, and Vermont. The attorneys general of Hawaii and the District of Columbia are expected to join the case, which was spearheaded by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

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In a statement, James accused the Trump administration of ignorining “both the science and law.” She added that “if the Trump EPA won’t do its job and protect the health and safety of New Yorkers, my office will take them to court and force them to fulfill their responsibilities.”

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Monsanto Doctor Wanted to 'Beat the Sh*t Out of' Group of Mothers: Emails

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Leaked emails from scientists working with agrichemical giant Monsanto feature company leaders in 2013 wishing they could “beat the shit out of” advocacy group Moms Across America. 

Moms Across America wrote an open letter asking Monsanto to discontinue the use of the pesticide glyphosate—which some research has tied to cancers—and to stop producing genetically modified seeds that was seen by company executives as a public relations disaster.

“I have been arguing for a week to beat the shit out of them and I have clearly lost,” Monsanto’s Dr. Daniel Goldstein wrote to University of Georgia crop scientist Wayne Parrott and University of Illinois biochemist Bruce Chassy. “We don’t want to be seen as beating up on mothers.”

The emails were released as part of litigation relating to the cancer-causing effects of glysophate against Monsanto’s now-parent company Bayer. 

“There you have it,” tweeted rePlant Capital vice president Robyn O’Brien.

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The emails, New York Times reporter Eric Lipton said on Twitter, show “how Monsanto worked to try to influence public opinion, in alliance with academics who it sometimes helped fund.”

In a statement, green advocacy organization the Environmental Working Group’s president Ken Cook said the emails revealed “the utter contempt that Monsanto has for public health and for consumers, including mothers who only want to protect their kids’ health.”

“Bayer is reeling from its monumental blunder of buying Monsanto,” said Cook, “and these emails should remind them that they acquired the company that gave us DDT, Agent Orange, and PCBs.”

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Bernie Sanders Throws Support Behind Deadspin Staffers Who Quit in Protest of Management by 'Private Equity Vultures'

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Sen. Bernie Sanders on Thursday night lent his support to staffers from sports and culture website Deadspin who resigned en masse this week after the company’s management tried to impose a “stick to sports” rule for the publication and fired an editor for violating that directive. 

Writers and editors for Deadspin chose to quit rather than obey the order from bosses at G/O Media, the name of the new umbrella company for the site and related media properties after private equity group Great Hill Partners bought the collective in early 2019. Former Forbes editor Jim Spanfeller was named CEO; his tenure has been marked by labor strife and worker dissatisfaction.

“I stand with the former Deadspin workers who decided not to bow to the greed of private equity vultures like Jim Spanfeller,” tweeted Sanders, a candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. “This is the kind of greed that is destroying journalism across the country, and together we are going to take them on.”

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“Even Bernie misses Deadspin,” writer Scott Ludlam said on Twitter.

Sanders has called for an end to journalism “being gutted by the same forces of greed that are pillaging our economy” and in August introduced a plan “to rebuild and protect a diverse and truly independent press.” The senator’s plan involves ending media consolidation, making it easier for newsrooms to unionize, and protecting the First Amendment rights of reporters to do their work without undue editorial influence. 

“Our constitution’s First Amendment explicitly protects the free press because the founders understood how important journalism is to a democracy,” Sanders wrote in an August op-ed for The Colmbia Journalism Review. “More than two centuries after the constitution was signed, we cannot sit by and allow corporations, billionaires, and demagogues to destroy the Fourth Estate, nor can we allow them to replace serious reporting with infotainment and propaganda.”

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Sanders’ message to Deadspin‘s staff came after the site’s employees decided to quit in the wake of G/O/ Media firing longtime deputy editor Barry Petchesky on Tuesday. Petchesky’s firing came after he refused to obey the “stick to sports” directive in a memo to staff; the site’s four new top headlines on Tuesday, with one technical exception, were not about sports. 

“Hi!” Petchesky announced on Twitter Tuesday. “I’ve just been fired from Deadspin for not sticking to sports.”

As Common Dreams reported, management also removed a post from G/O Media properties acknowledging reader distaste for atutoplay ads on the platform. G/O spokesperson Jeffrey Schneider told Common Dreams that taking down the post was not a violation of a union agreeement on editorial independence because company leadership took a vote; staff at the site said they doubted such a vote even took place.

Spanfeller and G/O Media also shuttered the company’s politics site, Splinter, on October 10. 

The Deadspin staff exodus began on Wednesday after a meeting with G/O Media management and continued Thursday. Longtime writers and editors departed the site, citing management’s directives and an unacceptable working environment as why they coudn’t stay on. 

“I resigned from Deadspin this morning,” tweeted Drew Magary, one of the site’s most popular writers, on Thursday. “That was a fun time you and me had there all those years, wasn’t it? Let’s do it again sometime.”

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Wrangler plans new jean made from regeneratively grown cotton

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Wrangler is celebrating the benefits of regeneratively grown cotton
through a new jean it plans to develop. The denim brand is seeking new
cotton farmers with whom to partner, specifically those who can
demonstrate and document soil-carbon and biodiversity
improvements.

The new jean will be introduced as part of The Jeans Redesign
project from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The project is made up of
over 50 denim brands who follow the principles of circular economy
for positive impacts on the environment, society and the health of
those working in its industry.

Wrangler plans to create what it calls the “Retro Premium
Regenerative Jean collection,” and is looking for cotton farmers
globally to create the new jean. The brand is asking farmers to submit
documented evidence of improved soil health and environmental benefits
resulting from their adoption of regenerative agricultural
systems.

“A circular economy is symbiotic with regenerative agricultural
practices,” Roian Atwood, Wrangler’s senior director of global
sustainable business, said in a press release. “Wrangler is amplifying
our commitment with this call to action as we work with farmers to
rapidly scale the supply of sustainably-grown cotton. For this
project, we’re looking for the best of the best.”

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Brown says he could beat Trump in Ohio, New York in 2020

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Sen. Sherrod BrownSherrod Campbell BrownHillicon Valley: Senators raise concerns over government surveillance of protests | Amazon pauses police use of its facial recognition tech | FBI warns hackers are targeting mobile banking apps Democratic senators raise concerns over government surveillance of protests Some realistic solutions for income inequality MORE (D-Ohio) predicted Saturday that he could defeat President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE in Ohio and New York if he were to run for president in 2020.

“I would say that I will beat Trump in Ohio, where they know me best. I’ll beat him in my home state and I’ll beat him in his home state of New York, where they know him best,” Brown said on CNN’s “The Van Jones Show.”

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Brown in November won reelection to the Senate in Ohio, a key swing state that Trump carried in 2016. He said during a speech on election night that his victory showed “progressives can win — and win decisively — in the heartland.”

Brown has said that he is considering a bid for the presidency in 2020, though he hasn’t yet announced publicly whether he will run.

Earlier this month, Brown announced that he will make a “Dignity of Work” tour that will include stops in four early presidential nominating states. The tour is set to begin on Wednesday in Cleveland before Brown heads to Iowa on Thursday. He will also make trips to New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.

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Dem presidential field looks smaller than expected

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The Democratic field in the 2020 election is shaping up to be much smaller than originally anticipated.

While more than half a dozen Democrats have declared they are running for president or launched exploratory committees, it’s a significantly smaller crowd than the estimated two or three dozen that were once mentioned as would-be contenders. 

It’s still early in the cycle, and there’s time for more people to decide to get into the race.

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But Democrats now say they expect their primary season to include a dozen or so candidates, most of whom fall in the progressive lane that more and more appears to align with the party’s mood.

“The invisible primary separated the wheat from the chaff,” said Democratic strategist Brad Bannon, who thinks that if there is a smaller number of candidates, it will be good for the party.

“It makes the debates manageable and gives the serious candidates more time in the spotlight,” Bannon said.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who had signaled an interest in running for president, announced he would not enter the race last month. So did billionaire activist Tom Steyer, who has been involved in an effort to impeach President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE. Long-shot candidate Richard Ojeda, a state senator in West Virginia, has already ended his campaign.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, a favorite among top Obama aides, announced he would not run for president last year, as did former Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (Ill.) and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Sen. Bob CaseyRobert (Bob) Patrick Casey21 senators urge Pentagon against military use to curb nationwide protests Overnight Health Care: Trump says US ‘terminating’ relationship with WHO | Cuomo: NYC on track to start reopening week of June 8 | COVID-19 workplace complaints surge 10 things to know today about coronavirus MORE Jr. (Pa.), who some touted as a potential candidate after his reelection victory, said in January he would not run.

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Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, a longtime Democrat who was also rumored to run as a Democrat, announced last week he would likely run as an independent. 

His rollout was greeted with scorn by a number of Democrats, raising new doubts about the path to victory for a centrist.

Several politicians seen as contenders for the centrist lane, including former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenHillicon Valley: Biden calls on Facebook to change political speech rules | Dems demand hearings after Georgia election chaos | Microsoft stops selling facial recognition tech to police Trump finalizing executive order calling on police to use ‘force with compassion’ The Hill’s Campaign Report: Biden campaign goes on offensive against Facebook MORE and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, have yet to announce their intentions about 2020. 

Neither have Sens. Sherrod BrownSherrod Campbell BrownHillicon Valley: Senators raise concerns over government surveillance of protests | Amazon pauses police use of its facial recognition tech | FBI warns hackers are targeting mobile banking apps Democratic senators raise concerns over government surveillance of protests Some realistic solutions for income inequality MORE (D-Ohio) and Amy KlobucharAmy KlobucharHillicon Valley: Biden calls on Facebook to change political speech rules | Dems demand hearings after Georgia election chaos | Microsoft stops selling facial recognition tech to police Democrats demand Republican leaders examine election challenges after Georgia voting chaos Harris grapples with defund the police movement amid veep talk MORE (D-Minn.), who both represent Midwest states and are widely seen as having appeal in Iowa as well as the states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania that Democrats are desperate to win back from Trump.

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Both have stopped short of backing the “Medicare for all” proposal from Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersThe Hill’s 12:30 Report: Milley apologizes for church photo-op Harris grapples with defund the police movement amid veep talk Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness MORE (I-Vt.), which has emerged as an early litmus test for candidates.

Sanders also has not committed to a second bid for the White House, though many believe he will enter the race. Another would-be candidate still on the sidelines is former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke.

Some of the centrist candidates may be waiting to see what Biden, 76, decides to do.

Biden is a front-runner in nearly every poll and if he does decide to run for president, many think others could decide not to get into the race.

One major Democratic donor said that Biden would clear the centrist lane should he decide to run.

If a dozen candidates enter the race, it would still be a relatively large field. But it would be much smaller than the crowd many Democrats had once anticipated.

A number of Democrats also thought the field would at least be as large as the 17 candidates who ran for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016.

In December, Rep. David CicillineDavid Nicola CicillinePragmatic, incremental approach is the best way to reform antitrust law Exclusive investigation on the coronavirus pandemic: Where was Congress? Democrats call for special prosecutor to investigate clearing of protesters outside White House MORE (D- R.I.) told MSNBC’s Hallie Jackson “We’ll have 30 or 40, probably, great candidates running for president.”

In 2008, eight Democratic candidates competed in the Iowa caucuses and two more candidates withdrew before the contests began.

In 2004, nine Democrats battled in the primaries and one major candidate withdrew before the Iowa caucuses.

A number of big names are already in the Democratic race.

They include big players such as Sens. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenWarren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Joint Chiefs chairman says he regrets participating in Trump photo-op | GOP senators back Joint Chiefs chairman who voiced regret over Trump photo-op | Senate panel approves 0B defense policy bill Trump on collision course with Congress over bases with Confederate names MORE (Mass.), Kamala HarrisKamala Devi HarrisRand Paul introduces bill to end no-knock warrants The Hill’s Campaign Report: Biden campaign goes on offensive against Facebook McEnany says Juneteenth is a very ‘meaningful’ day to Trump MORE (Calif.) and Cory BookerCory Anthony BookerRand Paul introduces bill to end no-knock warrants Black lawmakers unveil bill to remove Confederate statues from Capitol Harris grapples with defund the police movement amid veep talk MORE (N.J.), who are all seen as serious contenders to win. Warren so far has only announced an exploratory committee, a step just short of the more formal announcements from Booker and Harris. But it is clear she intends to join the race.

Others who say they are running include former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, New York Sen. Kirsten GillibrandKirsten GillibrandWarren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Warren, Pressley introduce bill to make it a crime for police officers to deny medical care to people in custody Senate Dems press DOJ over coronavirus safety precautions in juvenile detention centers MORE, Rep. Tulsi GabbardTulsi GabbardGabbard drops defamation lawsuit against Clinton It’s as if a Trump operative infiltrated the Democratic primary process 125 lawmakers urge Trump administration to support National Guard troops amid pandemic MORE (Hawaii) and former Rep. John DelaneyJohn DelaneyThe Hill’s Coronavirus Report: Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says country needs to rethink what ‘policing’ means; US cases surpass 2 million with no end to pandemic in sight Minnesota AG Keith Ellison says racism is a bigger problem than police behavior; 21 states see uptick in cases amid efforts to reopen The Hill’s Coronavirus Report: Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan says there will be consequences from fraying US-China relations; WHO walks back claims on asymptomatic spread of virus MORE, the Maryland Democrat who has been in the race for more than a year.

David Wade, a Democratic strategist and veteran of presidential campaigns, said while he doesn’t believe “there was ever room for 20 candidates,” there are still incentives to run.

This includes the possibility that running for president could lead to a vice presidential nod or a Cabinet position.

Philippe Reines, a longtime adviser to Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonWhite House accuses Biden of pushing ‘conspiracy theories’ with Trump election claim Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness Trayvon Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton qualifies to run for county commissioner in Florida MORE — who also has been rumored to be considering another White House bid — said it’s a natural part of the process for would-be candidates to “flirt with a run” and then decide against it.

“Maybe in part because of how they see the field and focus shaping up,” Reines said. “Maybe because they don’t want to raise money. Maybe because they don’t want to kill themselves going through a brutal process that’s almost surely going to end in defeat.”

2020 Dems slam Trump's plan to declare national emergency

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Democratic presidential candidates rushed to denounce President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE on Thursday after the White House announced the president’s plans to declare a national emergency to fund his demand to build a border wall.

Sens. Cory BookerCory Anthony BookerRand Paul introduces bill to end no-knock warrants Black lawmakers unveil bill to remove Confederate statues from Capitol Harris grapples with defund the police movement amid veep talk MORE (D-N.J.), Kamala HarrisKamala Devi HarrisRand Paul introduces bill to end no-knock warrants The Hill’s Campaign Report: Biden campaign goes on offensive against Facebook McEnany says Juneteenth is a very ‘meaningful’ day to Trump MORE (D-Calif.), Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenWarren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Joint Chiefs chairman says he regrets participating in Trump photo-op | GOP senators back Joint Chiefs chairman who voiced regret over Trump photo-op | Senate panel approves 0B defense policy bill Trump on collision course with Congress over bases with Confederate names MORE (D-Mass.) and Kirsten GillibrandKirsten GillibrandWarren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Warren, Pressley introduce bill to make it a crime for police officers to deny medical care to people in custody Senate Dems press DOJ over coronavirus safety precautions in juvenile detention centers MORE (D-N.Y.) joined a chorus of their Democratic colleagues in denouncing Trump’s plan, 

“Trump’s inability to follow through on a campaign promise is not a national emergency,” Booker tweeted.

“Declaring a national emergency over this President’s vanity project is ridiculous. We don’t need a wall. Instead, we should address the actual emergencies facing our country — everything from gun violence to the opioid crisis,” Harris tweeted soon after.

“Gun violence is an emergency. Climate change is an emergency. Our country’s opioid epidemic is an emergency. Donald Trump’s ridiculous wall is not an emergency,” Warren said in a tweet.

“An outrageous abuse of power—not to mention waste of taxpayer dollars—if he goes through with this ludicrous idea. Drop the absurd wall and do your job,” Gillibrand said.

The White House and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote GOP senator to try to reverse requirement that Pentagon remove Confederate names from bases No, ‘blue states’ do not bail out ‘red states’ MORE (R-Ky.) announced Thursday that Trump will sign a spending bill that allots $1.375 billion for roughly 55 miles of new barriers along the southern border, but said the president will also declare a national emergency to make up the remainder of the $5.7 billion he had initially demanded.

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All four 2020 candidates voted against the funding bill.

Trump had threatened for weeks to declare a national emergency to secure border wall funding and follow-through on one of his signature campaign promises. The declaration of a national emergency is expected to draw legal challenges.

“We’re very prepared, but there shouldn’t be [legal challenges]. The president’s doing his job. Congress should do theirs,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

Several Republicans in both chambers, meanwhile, have called on the White House to avoid the declaration. McConnell said Thursday he would support the president.

Senate Minority Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerOvernight Health Care: US showing signs of retreat in battle against COVID-19 | Regeneron begins clinical trials of potential coronavirus antibody treatment | CMS warns nursing homes against seizing residents’ stimulus checks Schumer requests briefing with White House coronavirus task force as cases rise Schumer on Trump’s tweet about 75-year-old protester: He ‘should go back to hiding in the bunker’ MORE (D) signaled that Democrats will fight Trump on the plan.

“There is word the president will declare a national emergency. I hope he won’t. That would be a very wrong thing to do,” he said, adding that he and Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiTrump on collision course with Congress over bases with Confederate names Black lawmakers unveil bill to remove Confederate statues from Capitol Pelosi: Georgia primary ‘disgrace’ could preview an election debacle in November MORE (D-Calif.) will issue a more formal response “in short order.”

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The emergency declaration is subject to a resolution of disapproval, which must pass both chambers and requires Trump’s signature.

Joaquin Castro closing in on 2020 Senate bid: report

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Rep. Joaquin CastroJoaquin CastroTop Hispanic Caucus members endorse Melissa Mark-Viverito in NY House primary Ousted watchdog says he told top State aides about Pompeo probe CHC says George Floyd death shows ‘tiny fraction’ of what people of color confront in their daily lives MORE (D-Texas) is reportedly closing in on a bid to challenge Sen. John CornynJohn CornynSenate headed for late night vote amid standoff over lands bill Koch-backed group launches ad campaign to support four vulnerable GOP senators Tim Scott to introduce GOP police reform bill next week MORE (R-Texas) for his Senate seat in 2020.

Texas Monthly reported Friday that the San Antonio Democrat is “all but certain” to enter next year’s Senate contest, citing a source familiar with his thinking.

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Matthew Jones, a campaign adviser to Castro, said in an email that the congressman “will have an announcement in the near future.”

If Castro enters the race, he would become the first high-profile candidate to mount a campaign against Cornyn, a three-term Republican and former Senate majority whip with a well-financed political operation.

Cornyn’s campaign closed out 2018 with a nearly $5.8 million campaign bank account.

Meanwhile, Castro’s House campaign finished the year with $128,000 on hand, according to his most recent filing with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Cornyn’s campaign office said it was looking forward to a potential challenge from Castro.

 

“Whether it’s Hurricane Harvey relief or the Green New Deal, time and again Congressman Castro has stood with Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiTrump on collision course with Congress over bases with Confederate names Black lawmakers unveil bill to remove Confederate statues from Capitol Pelosi: Georgia primary ‘disgrace’ could preview an election debacle in November MORE at the expense of Texans,” said John Jackson, Cornyn’s campaign manager, in a statement.

“John Cornyn looks forward to contrasting the Democrat-Socialist agenda with the policies that have made Texas the best state to live, work, and raise a family.”

Castro has been floated for months as a potential challenger to Cornyn. But speculation of a Senate campaign had been overshadowed recently by rumors that former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas), whose 2018 challenge to Sen. Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote The Hill’s Morning Report – Trump’s public standing sags after Floyd protests GOP senators introduce resolution opposing calls to defund the police MORE (R-Texas) drew intense national attention, could look to take on Cornyn instead.

O’Rourke ended months of speculation about his political future on Thursday, announcing that he would run for president in 2020 and leaving the Democratic field in the Texas Senate race wide open. 

Among O’Rourke’s fellow hopefuls for the White House nomination is Castro’s twin brother, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro. 

News of a possible Senate announcement comes a day after the Senate passed a resolution overturning President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE’s national emergency declaration seeking funding to construct his long-promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

That vote was seen as a victory for Castro, who initiated the resolution in the House. It passed in the lower chamber last month.

Trump vetoed the measure on Friday, the first veto of his presidency.

— Updated at 6:32 p.m.