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BREAKING: Trump Endorses Prosecuting and Punishing Women Who Have Abortions

By
Blue Virginia
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8

From President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign:

BREAKING: Trump Endorses Prosecuting and Punishing Women Who Have Abortions

In a TIME Interview Published Hours Ago, Trump Repeatedly Refuses to Rule Out Signing National Abortion Ban, Endorses Invading Women’s Privacy and Monitoring Women’s Pregnancies

In 2016, Donald Trump said women should be punished for getting an abortion. As President, he proudly overturned Roe, unleashing extreme abortion bans that are punishing women and threatening doctors across the country.

Now, in an interview published this morning, Donald Trump is doubling down, endorsing prosecuting and punishing women who have an abortion and invading their privacy and monitoring their pregnancies. At the same time, he repeatedly refused to rule out signing a national abortion ban and legislation that could rip away access to IVF, and stood by his allies’ plans to unilaterally ban medication abortion nationwide if Trump is elected.

Here’s what Trump said:

  • On if he’s comfortable prosecuting women who have an abortion: “I don’t have to be comfortable or uncomfortable.”
  • On vetoing a national abortion ban that could rip away access to IVF: “I don’t have to do anything about vetoes”
  • On his allies’ plan to ban abortion medication: “Well, I have an opinion on that, but I’m not going to explain.”
  • On red states monitoring women’s pregnancies: “I think they might do that.”
  • On whether his DOJ would enforce the Comstock Act: “I will be making a statement on that over the next 14 days.” [He did not make a statement]
  • On how he’ll vote on Florida’s ballot measure protecting abortion access: “I don’t tell you what I’m gonna vote for.”

Biden-Harris campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez released the following statement:

“Donald Trump’s latest comments leave little doubt: if elected he’ll sign a national abortion ban, allow women who have an abortion to be prosecuted and punished, allow the government to invade women’s privacy to monitor their pregnancies, and put IVF and contraception in jeopardy nationwide.

“The horrific and devastating stories in states like Florida, Texas and Arizona with extreme abortion bans unleashed by Trump overturning Roe are just the beginning if he wins.

“Simply put: November’s election will determine whether women in the United States have reproductive freedom, or whether Trump’s new government will continue its assault to control women’s health care decisions. With the voters on their side this November, President Biden and Vice President Harris will put an end to this chaos and ensure Americans’ fundamental freedoms are protected.”

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Paid for by Biden for President

Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA02) Set to Raise Monthly Internet Costs for Over 45,000 Virginia Households

By
Blue Virginia
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0

From the DCCC:

Jen Kiggans Set to Raise Monthly Internet Costs for Over 45,000 Virginia Households

Tomorrow, full funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) will expire, forcing tens of thousands of Virginia families to face stark price hikes on their monthly internet bills.

The ACP – a product of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – serves over 45,000 households in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, providing discounts for monthly internet bills. Nationwide, nearly half of the beneficiaries are military families.

A recent survey conducted by the FCC found that more than two-thirds of beneficiaries to the ACP said they had inconsistent or no internet service prior to the program’s existence.

While House Republicans like Kiggans continue to cave to the demands of Donald Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene, House Democrats have introduced common sense legislation to replenish the fund to keep monthly bills low for millions of Americans who rely on access to affordable internet. Kiggans has thus far refused to co-sponsor the bipartisan bill that would lower costs for internet bills.  

DCCC Spokesperson Lauryn Fanguen:
“Jen Kiggans is once again rubber-stamping the extreme Republican agenda by refusing to lift a finger to lower internet costs for Virginians. That says everything you need to know about her ‘priorities.’”

Tuesday News: “G7 leaders agree to shut down coal-powered plants”; “U.S. pushes for Gaza cease-fire”; VA05 GOP Primary About “who is the most loyal supporter of [Trump]”; “Police use riot shields, chemical irritants to disperse protest at VCU”

By
lowkell
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21

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, April 30.

Trump’s Minority Outreach Plan: Racism and Not Much Else

By
Blue Virginia
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2

From President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign:

Trump’s Minority Outreach Plan: Racism and Not Much Else

Devastating AP report lays out Trump campaign’s (nonexistent) minority outreach

Fired outreach staffers, community centers turned into sex shops, and fast food photo ops are how Donald Trump apparently plans to win over minority voters.

That’s their plan — according to the Associated Press.

It’s so bad that *Republicans* are the ones sounding the alarm about this (nonexistent), insulting strategy to reach Black and Latino voters.

Here is what the Associated Press reported:

  • The Trump campaign fired its coalitions director, and hasn’t had a replacement for months
  • RNC minority outreach centers have shuttered and are now sex shops in Georgia, ice cream shops in Wisconsin, and a check-cashing business in Pennsylvania
  • And Republican leaders are saying the quiet part out loud — admitting the GOP doesn’t have a plan, there is no outreach, and aren’t even close to rolling out programs
  • “To be quite honest, the Republican Party does not have a cohesive engagement plan for Black communities.” – Darrell Scott, Trump ally
    • “We’ve got all these carts but we have no horses yet.” –  Vance Patrick, Oakland County GOP chair

Biden-Harris 2024 Rapid Response Director Ammar Moussa released the following statement:

“Donald Trump does not care about Black and brown people beyond demonizing, attacking, and insulting them – his ‘outreach’ plan makes that clear.

“Now, even Republicans know their outreach strategy of rap concerts and fast food is a joke — because they know they can’t talk about Trump’s record with these communities because it’s a losing message.

“Meanwhile our campaign is making massive, historic investments into reaching the voters that will decide this election, and will continue to highlight President Biden and Vice President Harris’ historic record of delivering for these communities.”

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Paid for by Biden for President

Senators Warner, Kaine; Reps. McClellan, Wittman Meet with Postmaster General DeJoy; Declare, “USPS has a long way to go in regaining the trust of Virginians”

By
Blue Virginia
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4

From Sen. Mark Warner, Sen. Tim Kaine, Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA04) and – ugh – Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA01):

STATEMENT OF WARNER, KAINE, McCLELLAN & WITTMAN ON MEETING WITH POSTMASTER GENERAL DEJOY 

WASHINGTON –  U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and Reps. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA) and Rob Wittman (R-VA) met today with U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to discuss the severe mail delays affecting communities in Virginia and the related implementation of new reforms by the United States Postal Service (USPS). 

“Today, we met with Postmaster DeJoy for a productive conversation and voiced what we’ve been hearing for months: mail delivery in the Commonwealth is falling short for Virginians who rely on it. It was encouraging to hear the postmaster accept responsibility for the problems, share data about recent improvement, and pledge to make the Richmond Distribution Center a top-notch performer in necessary postal reforms. But it’s clear that USPS has a long way to go in regaining the trust of Virginians. This meeting is just the beginning and we will continue to press for increased transparency, greater engagement with the public, and a higher standard of service for the communities it serves.” 

Today’s meeting follows a report by the USPS Inspector General (IG) on the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC) in Sandston – the first consolidated processing center in the country that was opened to centralize outgoing mail and package processing as part of USPS’s 10-year Delivering for America plan. The report highlighted various issues on the local, regional, and national levels that have impacted service in Virginia. The issues include an egregious lack of attention to detail (pieces of mail falling off conveyor belts and being lost), poor synchronizing between machines processing mail at the facility and the trucks transporting mail to and from the facility, and broader questions about whether the RPDC model is generating the promised cost savings and efficiency improvements.

Richmond Democrats Call on Mayor, Council Candidates to Support Creation of Department of Transportation, Taking “bold steps to prevent needless pedestrian deaths and injuries”

By
Blue Virginia
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5

From the Richmond City Democratic Committee:

Richmond Democrats Call on Mayor, Council Candidates to Support Creation of Department of Transportation
Richmond, Va. – In a meeting earlier this month, The Richmond City Democratic Committee (RCDC) passed a resolution calling on Mayor Levar Stoney, Richmond City Council, and all candidates seeking city government office in the upcoming elections to support the establishment of a new city department to address the ongoing crisis of pedestrian fatalities.

The resolution cites the city’s adoption of an Equity Agenda that includes the goal of ensuring equitable transit and mobility for residents and the Richmond 300 Plan that defines equitable transportation as “prioritizing the movement of people over the movement of vehicles through a safe, reliable, equitable, and sustainable transportation network.”

In June 2023, Shawn Soares, a Richmond resident, VCU student, and member of the Virginia Young Democrats, was killed when a speeding driver drove onto a sidewalk and fatally struck him in Monroe Ward. “As a committee, we are overwhelmingly united in our call for the city to take bold steps to prevent needless pedestrian deaths and injuries,” said Andrew “Gumby” Breton, Chair of RCDC. “As we approach our local elections, we urge the Mayor, Council, and all candidates for local office to join us in calling for the creation of a Department of Transportation to address this urgent crisis.”

The resolution calls for a coordinated approach to transportation planning and infrastructure development, emphasizing interventions that prioritize human safety over vehicle speed. Tara FitzPatrick, a committee member and local pedestrian advocate, says the formation of a Department of Transportation cannot come soon enough. “When you take a look at the data, it’s clear we have a serious problem that’s only getting worse,” FitzPatrick said. “The city has made some improvements, but it’s simply not enough to adequately address the scale of this crisis. Having a dedicated department focused on these issues would make a huge difference. Without a more focused approach, we are only going to see more senseless tragedy.”

Tavarris Spinks, committee member, advocate, and former candidate for city council, says disparities across communities must also play a central role in the city’s strategy. “Black and brown communities, particularly in Southside, are seeing disproportionate rates of pedestrian deaths and injuries because of a lack of even the most basic pedestrian infrastructure like sidewalks,” Spinks said. “Our city government has made a commitment to taking an equitable approach to policymaking, and sidewalks are absolutely an equity issue.”

Breton hopes candidates will take note of the committee’s overwhelming support for the creation of a DOT. “Our committee has made our position on this issue crystal clear,” Breton said. “And we hope candidates take this into consideration as they campaign to earn the votes of Richmonders.”

Clean Virginia Explains How “Dominion’s long-term energy plan missed the mark for a THIRD time”

By
Blue Virginia
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2

Good stuff from Clean Virginia:

A few highlights from the blog post:

  • “Experts from a variety of organizations, including Appalachian Voices, Advanced Energy United, Clean Virginia and the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club, critiqued the utility’s plan, citing concerns over affordability, environmental impacts and a planning process that largely excluded meaningful stakeholder input.”
  • “Testifying on behalf of Clean Virginia, Dr. Bryndis Woods, who has a doctorate in Environment and Natural Resources from the University of Iceland and is a Senior Researcher at the Applied Economics Clinic, argued Dominion’s latest IRP should again be rejected for failing to comply with state law and for the energy monopolies’ overreliance on costly, unproven technologies.”
  • “Dominion’s 2023 IRP contains five possible options for meeting expected energy demand, all of which fall short of meeting the basic obligations of the VCEA, including requirements for energy efficiency, renewable energy and fossil fuel plant retirements.”
  • “During proceedings, an expert for Dominion Energy confirmed that three of its plans do not meet the utility’s own stated goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050 while the other two plans rely on technology that does not currently exist.”
  • “Dominion has made no effort to reduce demand from large customers like data centers and anticipates virtually zero incremental energy efficiency savings after 2025, insinuating the utility does not plan to meet the legal requirements outlined in the VCEA.”
  • “In drafting its IRP, the utility did not meaningfully consult with external stakeholders or communities that would be impacted by its plans, including ‘environmental justice communities,’ defined by the Virginia Environmental Justice Act (VEJA) as any low-income community or community of color. “
  • “In December 2023, the SCC Hearing Examiner, Ann Berkebile, released a statement recommending the Commissioners reject the IRP given that it is neither ‘reasonable’ nor ‘in the public interest.'”

Monday News: “Despite the Ukraine aid vote, the neo-isolationist threat still looms”; “Young Americans’ wealth has soared since the pandemic”; Psychopath Kristi Noem, Who Youngkin Campaigned For, “defends dog slaying as ‘responsible’”

By
lowkell
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21

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, April 29.

Video: On “Meet the Press,” Sen. Tim Kaine Says Calling in National Guard to College Campuses – as Speaker Mike Johnson Has Suggested – Is a “very, very bad idea”

By
lowkell
-
5

On “Meet the Press” this morning (see video, below), Sen. Tim Kaine was asked about protests on college campuses and calls by Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republicans to send in the National Guard “if this is not contained quickly and if these threats and intimidation are not stopped.” According to Sen. Kaine:

  • “I think calling in the National Guard to college campuses for so many people would recall what happened when it was done during the Vietnam War, and it didn’t end well. The National Guard going to college campuses, Kent State and elsewhere, did not end well. And I think that would be a very, very bad idea. I think there are other ways, using campus security, but also, again, offering students more opportunities to have dialogue that is civil and constructive where people hear one another, that’s by far preferable. So no, I do not think the National Guard is a solution to this.”
  • “This is a tough one, because people have a right to protest and make their views known. And almost overwhelming percentages of people do that peacefully, but there are those who intimidate or harass others, there are those who speak in hate speech or anti-Semitism. And so, giving people the latitude to do what they ought to be able to do, and also trying to curb unacceptable behavior, is tough…there’s also some universities that I think are doing this right. And one of the things I think it might be important for the president or maybe the education secretary…to do is hold up some examples of colleges in the country – and I think there are a number of them – where discussions about difficult topics, like Israel and Gaza, are happening, but happpening in a way that really can be a model, where people can express their points of view on tough issues, but not feel intimidated or harassed because of the positions they hold. So I think the president can kind of use the bully pulpit to kind of hold up some good examples, and I would hope that he and other members of the administration might do that.”
  • Also: Sen. Tim Kaine says running with Hillary Clinton in 2016 gave him “a PhD in the continuing existence of a double standard for women.”

Sunday News: “Egypt Pitches New Proposal for Gaza Cease-Fire”; At WHCD, Biden Implores Media to “rise up to the seriousness of the moment”; “Trump’s Sleepy, Sleazy Criminal Trial”; Youngkin “could have little to show for his four years as governor”

By
lowkell
-
14

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, April 28. Also check out President Joe Biden’s White House Correspondents Dinner speech, at which he said:

“On the third anniversary of January 6th, I went to Valley Forge, and I said, ‘The most urgent question of our time is whether democracy is still — is still the sacred cause of America.’ That is the question the American people must answer this year. And you, the free press, play a critical role in making sure the American people have the information they need to make an informed decision. A defeated former president has made no secret of his attack on our democracy. He said he wants to be a dictator on Day One and so much more. He tells supporters he is their revenge and retribution. When in God’s name you ever heard another president say something like that? And he promised a bloodbath when he loses again. We have to take this seriously. Eight years ago, you could have written off it as just Trump talk, but no longer, not after January 6th. I’m sincerely not asking you to take sides, but I’m asking you to rise up to the seriousness of the moment. Move past the horse race numbers and the gotcha moments and the distractions, the sideshows that have come to dominate and sensationalize our politics and focus on what’s actually at stake. And I think in your hearts you know what’s at stake. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Every single one of us has roles to play, a serious role to play in making sure democracy endures — American democracy. I know my role, but all due respect, so do you. In the age of disinformation, credible information that people can trust is more important than ever, and that makes you — and I mean this from the bottom of my heart — makes you more important than ever. So tonight, I’d like to make a toast. To a free press. To an informed citizenry. To an America where freedom and democracy endure. God bless America.”

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