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Wisconsin Governor Suspends In-Person Voting

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“Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) issued an executive order Monday suspending in-person voting in Tuesday’s elections, citing the intensifying health threat of the coronavirus pandemic,” the Washington Post reports.

“The abrupt move came after the GOP-controlled state legislature refused to postpone the vote during a special session Evers called on Saturday.”

“Evers’s order Monday postpones in-person voting and the receipt deadline for mail-in ballots to June 9.”

The AP reports it’s “a move that will almost certainly prompt a court challenge and inject new uncertainty about whether the election will move forward.”

‘Fox News with Even Less Shame’

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John Oliver spent 18 minutes eviscerating OAN, President Trump’s new favorite media outlet.

Said Oliver: “The whole selling point for OAN is that they are Fox News with even less shame and even fewer scruples.”

He added: “I know that it is easy to dismiss OAN as just a stupid, little-watched, borderline self-parody. The problem is, if we’re learning one thing right now, it’s that toxic things that start small can get big fast, and it’s dangerous to ignore them.”

Wisconsin Mayors Urge Postponement of Primary

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“Mayors from some of the most populous cities in Wisconsin, including Milwaukee and Madison, are calling on the state’s top health official to shut down in-person voting at Tuesday’s primary, as a legal battle over absentee voting in the state reaches the Supreme Court,” Politico reports.

From the letter: “We implore you to implement all emergency measures necessary to control the spread of COVID-19, a communicable disease. Specifically, we need you to step up and stop the State of Wisconsin from putting hundreds of thousands of citizens at risk by requiring them to vote at the polls while this ugly pandemic spreads.”

Nathanial Rakich: Yes, Wisconsin still plans to hold its primary on Tuesday.

Official Fired by Trump Reassures Whistle-Blowers

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“The intelligence community inspector general whom President Trump fired late Friday night has called on whistle-blowers to overcome any fears and come forward with information about waste and illegality in the government despite the administration’s reprisals,” the New York Times reports.

Said Michael Atkinson: “The American people deserve an honest and effective government. They are counting on you to use authorized channels to bravely speak up — there is no disgrace for doing so.”

He added: “Please do not allow recent events to silence your voices.”

Trump Lashes Out at Newspapers

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President Trump railed against the New York Times and Washington Post after both publications criticized his handling of the coronavirus pandemic:

Advertising in the Failing New York Times is WAY down. Washington Post is not much better. I can’t say whether this is because they are Fake News sources of information, to a level that few can understand, or the Virus is just plain beating them up. Fake News is bad for America!

Advertising is down for all publications due to the recent collapse in economic activity.

Spain to Roll Out Universal Basic Income ‘Soon’

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“The Spanish government is working to roll out a universal basic income as soon as possible, as part of a battery of actions aimed at countering the impact of the coronavirus pandemic,” Bloomberg reports.

The government’s broader ambition is that basic income becomes an instrument “that stays forever, that becomes a structural instrument, a permanent instrument.”

You Never Forget Your First

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In the mail: You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington by Alexis Coe.

“After an unlikely victory in the Revolutionary War cast him as the nation’s hero, he was desperate to retire, but the founders pressured him into the presidency–twice. When he retired years later, no one talked him out of it. He left the highest office heartbroken over the partisan nightmare his backstabbing cabinet had created.”

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You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington
You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington
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Fox News Sued for Disseminating False Information

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“A little-known Washington nonprofit has filed a lawsuit against Fox News, claiming the news station, its parent companies and owners violated the state’s Consumer Protection Act and acted in bad faith by disseminating false information about the novel coronavirus through its television news broadcasts and minimized the danger posed by the virus as COVID-19 began to explode into a pandemic,” Seattle Times reports.

Model Suddenly Predicts Fewer Deaths

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Reuters: “The University of Washington model, one of several cited by U.S. and some state officials, now projects U.S. deaths at 81,766 by Aug. 4, down about 12,000 from a projection over the weekend.”

“The model, which is frequently updated with new data, projects the peak need for hospital beds on April 15 and for daily deaths at 3,130 on April 16.”

Both Trump and DeSantis Dip In Florida

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A new University of North Florida poll finds the decisions by both Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and President Trump to refrain from imposing strict sanctions on public gatherings until last week — in order to keep businesses operating — may have cost them politically.

Only 45% strongly or somewhat approve of the job Trump is doing to address the pandemic, with 53% disapproving. By contrast, a narrow majority, 51%, approve of the job DeSantis is doing while 46% disapprove.

The poll also shows Joe Biden leading Trump in a general election match up, 46% to 40%.

Navarro Says He’s Qualified to Disagree with Fauci

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White House trade adviser Peter Navarro told CNN said he was qualified to engage and disagree with Dr. Anthony Fauci on the use of an anti-malarial drug as a coronavirus treatment — which is not yet proven as effective — saying, “I’m a social scientist.”

Said Navarro: “Doctors disagree about things all the time. My qualifications in terms of looking at the science is that I’m a social scientist. I have a Ph.D. And I understand how to read statistical studies, whether it’s in medicine, the law, economics or whatever.”

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

Praise for Political Wire

“There are a lot of blogs and news sites claiming to understand politics, but only a few actually do. Political Wire is one of them.”

— Chuck Todd, host of “Meet the Press”

“Concise. Relevant. To the point. Political Wire is the first site I check when I’m looking for the latest political nugget. That pretty much says it all.”

— Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report

“Political Wire is one of only four or five sites that I check every day and sometimes several times a day, for the latest political news and developments.”

— Charlie Cook, editor of the Cook Political Report

“The big news, delicious tidbits, pearls of wisdom — nicely packaged, constantly updated… What political junkie could ask for more?”

— Larry Sabato, Center for Politics, University of Virginia

“Political Wire is a great, great site.”

— Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”

“Taegan Goddard has a knack for digging out political gems that too often get passed over by the mainstream press, and for delivering the latest electoral developments in a sharp, no frills style that makes his Political Wire an addictive blog habit you don’t want to kick.”

— Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post

“Political Wire is one of the absolute must-read sites in the blogosphere.”

— Glenn Reynolds, founder of Instapundit

“I rely on Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire for straight, fair political news, he gets right to the point. It’s an eagerly anticipated part of my news reading.”

— Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.