May 15, 2023

Monday,May 15, 2023. Annette’s News Roundup.

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Joe is always busy.

At Howard University on Saturday.

Biden calls white supremacy greatest terrorism threat as 2024 race heats up.

President Biden on Saturday declared white supremacy “the most dangerous terrorist threat” to the American homeland, using a speech to graduating students at a historically Black university to elevate a debate that has already become central to his campaign for a second term.


Recounting the story of how he initially decided to run for the White House after seeing white supremacists marching in Charlottesville in 2017, Biden said the country continues to be in a “battle” against “sinister forces” that are determined to turn the clock back to more divisive times.


“I don’t have to tell you that progress towards justice often meets ferocious pushback from the oldest and most sinister of forces,” Biden said, after quoting former president Donald Trump’s equivocating response to the 2017 rally. “That’s because hate never goes away.”



The president avoided calling out Trump or his other Republican rivals by name, but the subtext of his remarks to the students of Howard University was unmistakable. His address came as many leading Republicans, including those currently vying for the GOP presidential nomination, argue that the nation’s focus on racial injustice has gone too far.

How Democrats can win back rural voters in the 2024 election.

Signs for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in Union County, Iowa, on October 9, 2020.

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In last year’s midterms, when Democrats narrowly held on to control of the Senate and won crucial elections in battleground states, they did so in part by reversing one of Donald Trump’s biggest 2020 accomplishments: They won more voters from rural and exurban communities than anyone expected.

From Arizona and Nevada, across the Midwest, and into North Carolina and Pennsylvania, Democratic Senate and gubernatorial candidates improved on President Joe Biden’s 2020 showing among this swath of the electorate, and persuaded tens of thousands of rural voters who voted for Trump to switch parties.

Now, as the 2024 campaign map begins to take shape, Democratic candidates, the state and national parties, and their outside partners will have to make a choice about how seriously to invest in outreach and persuasion operations in these communities. Democrats have long struggled in rural communities, but their decline in support has only accelerated in recent years, cementing the idea for many that the party caters to highly educated and primarily urban voters. That narrative has only entrenched itself since the ’90s, when former President Bill Clinton essentially split rural voters with his Republican opponents in his two presidential campaigns and won over 1,100 rural counties in 1996. Since then, Democratic presidential candidates have endured dramatic losses in rural areas: in 2008, Barack Obama won 455 rural counties; in 2020, Joe Biden won only 194.

That crumbling of rural support has led some in the party to write off this section of voters entirely. Biden’s 2020 victory is illustrative of this dynamic: He won the presidency despite winning just 33 percent of rural voters. (Trump won 65 percent, up from the 59 percent he won in 2016.)

But the 2022 midterms reversed that slide.

If Democrats decide to take these communities more seriously this cycle, activists, strategists, and former candidates say the party stands to shore up its margins in battleground states and make up for any possible loss in support from the suburbs. If candidates and their campaigns show up and work with the right local partners, they might have a better chance of replicating some of the rural progress they made in 2022. At the very least, they can “lose less badly,” as former Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat, told me. (Vox).

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Mother’s Day, associated with Hallmark, gives America a chance to think about what matters.

Shaq, a memorable Mother’s Day gift and how Lucille’s giving mindset influenced him.

Shaquille O’Neal has the means to provide his mother, Lucille, with just about anything he wants for a Mother’s Day gift.

When asked what his mom would say was a memorable Mother’s Day gift, O’Neal could have answered several ways. Something extravagant like a house or a vacation. Maybe a large sum of cash.

For O’Neal, who considers his mother the most influential person in his life, it was a simple gift.

“She would say the cutting board I got her years and years ago with the inscription ‘Lu’s Kitchen,’” O’Neal said. “It was one of the first Mother’s Day gifts I ever got her. Over the years, though, I have been fortunate to get her bigger gifts.”

A cutting board is more memorable than a car or a trip or money? O’Neal knew the kitchen utensil would be special because of their close bond. Lucille explained in a 2017 interview with Scoop B Radio why that cutting board means so much.

“The reason I love it is because when we get in the kitchen together and I cook fried chicken and macaroni and cheese, that cutting board always comes to my mind,” Lucille said. “It was one of my first Mother’s Day gifts.”

Lucille has an imprint on O’Neal’s life in many ways. When O’Neal made rap albums in the 1990s, he’d shout out to his mother. One of his current business ventures, his Big Chicken restaurants, features “Lucille’s Mac N’ Cheese.” The connection with food stretches beyond the cutting board.

He said his mother “instilled strong values” and is a big reason for his giving mindset. O’Neal has made giving back to the community a part of what he does regularly, thanks largely to Lucille. O’Neal focuses a lot of his charitable work on families in need. He remembers his mother struggling financially when he was growing up, so he tries to alleviate the burden for other mothers.

Lucille was 18 when she gave birth to O’Neal and had difficulties as a young mother. This was before she met O’Neal’s stepfather, the late Phillip Harrison. She once said she was “a baby myself, just out of high school” so she essentially grew up with him. Remembering Lucille’s struggles early in his life sparked him to want to help mothers in need.

As the oldest of four children, O’Neal learned to be a helper and go without for the sake of his younger siblings.

“I see giving back as just something we’re supposed to do,” O’Neal said. “I was one of these kids, and my family and community helped me when I needed it, so now I’m just trying to do my part.”

O’Neal doesn’t always publicize what he does. Some of his philanthropic efforts happen when he is at a store and decides to buy something for a child whose mom might not be able to afford it. Lucille doesn’t like her son bragging about what he has or does, so O’Neal is mum on some of his endeavors. But when you’re 7 feet 1, an NBA legend and one of the most recognizable pitchmen, it’s hard not to be noticed.

Some of O’Neal’s public efforts include his Comebaq Courts, which he places in areas he is familiar with to help children. The newest court is at the Shaquille O’Neal Boys & Girls Club of Henry County in the metro Atlanta area. He also had courts built in partnership with Icy Hot in Las Vegas, Miami (with former teammate Alonzo Mourning) and his hometown of Newark, N.J.

“You know, a lot of these kids come from certain backgrounds where mom and dad work two jobs,” O’Neal said. “A lot of times they are left alone, so this gives them a safe haven, a place to come by.”

Lucille is still the one person who can put the Hall of Fame center in his place. Six years ago, O’Neal was feuding on social media with center JaVale McGee, who was often featured on his “Shaqtin’ A Fool” segment on TNT NBA broadcasts, which highlight on-court bloopers.

As the beef seemingly got personal, Lucille told her son to cut it out — and he did.

This week, O’Neal took some heat for laughing after Lakers star Anthony Davis left Wednesday’s playoff game with a head injury. He said he wasn’t mocking the injury.

If there’s anyone who can check O’Neal about that — or anything — it’s Lucille.

“She’s always been my guide,” O’Neal said. “She still is the first person I call when I need advice. She’ll always be the most important person in my life and my biggest influence.” (The Athletic).

This is not a joke. 👇

Not that we don’t know, but here’s a contrast.

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President Zelenskyy is everywhere.

Zelenskyy meets Pope Francis at Vatican and seeks backing for Ukraine's peace plan.

ROME (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had private talks with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday, later saying he sought support for Ukraine’s peace plan from the pontiff, who in the past has offered to try to help end the full-scale war launched by Russia a year ago.

Zelenskyy held his hand over his heart and said it was a “great honor” to meet with the pope. Francis, using a cane for his knee problem, came to greet the Ukrainian president before ushering him into a papal studio near the Vatican’s audience hall.

In a tweet after the 40-minute audience, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to Francis for “his personal attention to the tragedy of millions of Ukrainians.” He said he spoke with the pontiff “about the tens of thousands of deported (Ukrainian) children. We must make every effort to return them home.”

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Arrives in Berlin To Meet German Leaders, Discuss Arms Deliveries.

After his surprise visit to Paris, Zelensky meets the 27 European leaders this Thursday in Brussels.

After London and before Brussels, the President of Ukraine made a stopover in Paris on Wednesday evening for a dinner with Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

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Let’s talk the GOP…but only a little.

Miles of indictments to go, but if Trump remains the nominee, we still have plenty of room for optimism.

Prospect of Trump nomination threatens to shrink GOP's Senate map

Senators Jon Tester (M-Dem) and Sherrod Brown (OH-Dem).

One of the biggest immediate consequences if Donald Trump is at the top of the ticket in 2024: Republicans may campaign aggressively in fewer Senate battleground races.

Driving the news: In an interview with CNN last week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was cautious about the number of top GOP pickup opportunities — despite a historically favorable map giving the party a strong chance of ending Democrats' 51–49 majority.

• “I just spent 10 minutes explaining to you how we could screw this up, and we’re working very hard to not let that happen. Let’s put it that way," McConnell said.

• He only listed four Democratic-held seats as top opportunities: West Virginia, Montana, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Why it matters: If Trump's endorsements of weak candidates hurt GOP prospects in 2022, it's the prospect that Trump will lead the GOP presidential ticket that could jeopardize purple-state opportunities in 2024.

• Democratic-held Senate seats in Wisconsin, Michigan and Nevada would typically be toss-ups with a less Trumpified GOP, with Maine, Virginia and New Mexico representing second-tier opportunities.

• But McConnell only mentioned Wisconsin and Nevada as other races he's keeping an eye on.

Between the lines: Arizona is a wild card, given the possibility of a three-way contest among Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and the GOP nominee.

• McConnell told CNN there’s a “high likelihood” that Republican leaders would wait to see who wins the GOP primary before deciding whether to support the nominee.

• Former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, who still claims her election was stolen, met with the National Republican Senatorial Committee last week. Republicans familiar with the meeting expect her to run.

• Despite the Democratic divisions, one recent public poll showed Gallego leading Lake and Sinema in a three-way race.

Reality check: Trump is still a political asset in the three red-state seats held by Democrats up for re-election — West Virginia, Montana and Ohio. Winning just two of those three is all Republicans need to win back the majority.

• Manchin already starts out in precarious shape against Gov. Jim Justice (R-W.V.) and is hinting he's considering a third-party presidential campaign.

Zoom out: Trump's chaotic town hall on CNN this week, where he continued to deny the outcome of the 2020 election, promised pardons to many of the Jan. 6 rioters, and failed to offer support for Ukraine, is perfect fodder to use against purple-state GOP candidates — if Trump leads the ticket.

• It also threatens to dampen recruiting among non-MAGA candidates. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), the respected chair of the House China select committee, would be an A-list recruit against Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), but he may not be eager to get pulled into messy intra-GOP politics.

• One big bellwether: businessman David McCormick, a mainstream Republican who unsuccessfully ran for the Senate in 2022 after drawing Trump's ire.

• McCormick is expected to jump into the Senate race against Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) late in the summer, according to sources, but hasn't fully formalized plans.

The bottom line: In 2022, all but one Senate race went the same way as the outcome of the 2020 presidential race in the state. If that dynamic holds, Republicans would net three seats and have a 52–48 majority.

• But winning the three Trump states won't be automatic. Not a single Senate incumbent lost re-election in 2022, and Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) are already preparing for tough races ahead. (Axios).

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  Donald Trump lost a majority of independent voters in Utah after he was charged with 34 counts of falsifying campaign records.

The poll conducted by Deseret News and the Hinckley Institute of Politics was conducted among 800 registered voters from April 25-28. Respondents were asked about how the allegations of the 2016 hush money payment scandal to a pornography actress affected their willingness to vote for the former president. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all 34 federal charges.

VP Harris gathers abortion allies ahead of 2024.

(L) Mini Timmaraju, NARAL president, Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and VP Harris discuss commitments to protecting reproductive rights.
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Vice President Kamala Harris has been quietly forming a small, outside group of women allies to help amplify her role as the White House's leading warrior against GOP abortion bans, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The 2024 election gives her an even bigger lane to lead on an issue that animates large swaths of the country, helped Democrats defy the odds in the 2022 midterms and that President Biden isn't as comfortable with.

Driving the news: Harris will return to the EMILY’s List gala next week to give a keynote on abortion — just like year after the Dobbs decision leak.

• “Some Republican leaders are trying to weaponize the use of the law against women. How dare they? How dare they tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her own body?” she said at last year's gala.

The details: Harris convened a Wednesday meeting at the VP's residence, which has not been previously reported, with 14 women from across the reproductive rights space, as well as some from civil rights, faith and labor groups, per a Democratic official familiar with the situation.

• Some of the women were frequent faces for a gathering like this — Alexis McGill Johnson of Planned Parenthood; NARAL's Mini Timmaraju; EMILY's List president Laphonza Butler; and Shaunna Thomas from UltraViolet.

• Others, such as Mary Kay Henry from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and Becky Pringle of the National Education Association, show how the VP is trying to expand this private clique of powerful women leaders.

• Harris sought input on how to bring together members from their various networks so that the White House’s message on abortion reaches across the country and doesn't get stuck in the D.C. echo chamber.

• The women also discussed how to draw interest to down-ballot races and candidates when most voters will be focused on the top of the ticket.

The backdrop: Aides and operatives say that Harris impressed during the 2022 midterms after the Dobbs decision.

• She met with nearly 200 state legislators across the country to raise the importance of protecting reproductive rights, and held related events and meetings across 38 states in the six months leading up to the election.

The state of play: The Biden-Harris ticket's first campaign video included footage of abortion rights protests around the time of the Dobbs decision.

• In it, Biden said "MAGA extremists" are "dictating what health care decisions women can make."

• Harris spoke at a rally at Howard University the night of their re-election announcement to highlight their commitment to abortion access.

Go deeper: Anita Dunn, one of the top West Wing officials, recently directed the White House political and engagement teams to schedule events with Harris where she can promote popular Democratic causes like abortion rights and infrastructure spending, per Axios' Alex Thompson. (Axios).

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Two no tech solutions.

Not having cellphone allowed US boy to save runaway bus from crashing.

A Michigan boy who recently stopped a school bus from crashing after the driver lost consciousness leapt into action because he was the only passenger not distracted by an electronic device, according to a new report from CBS.

On Sunday, two weeks after seventh-grader Dillon Reeves regained control of a school bus when its driver became unconscious, the network reported that the boy’s parents’ refusal to provide him a cellphone paid off in a big way.

Dillon’s father, Steve, told CBS: “What else are you going to do when you don’t have a phone? You’re going to look at people, you’re going to notice stuff. You’re going to look out the window. It’s a very powerful lesson, maybe a change-the-world kind of lesson.”

In the CBS report, several passengers on the bus with Dillion – who are the equivalent of year eight in the UK – revealed that they were immersed in their electronic devices when their driver began to lose consciousness as they were being driven home from school on 26 April. (The Guardian).

Michigan boy uses a slingshot to save his sister from being abducted from backyard, police say.

ALPENA, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan girl was able to escape an attempted kidnapping when her brother used a slingshot to strike the would-be attacker, authorities said this week.

Mlive.com reports that the Michigan State Police arrested the accused assailant in the city of Alpena on Wednesday.

The 17-year-old’s name has not been released though he has been charged as an adult with one count of attempted kidnapping/child enticement, one count of attempted assault to do great bodily harm less than murder, and one count of assault and battery.

Michigan State Police said in a news release that the 8-year-old girl was in her backyard when the alleged assailant came out of the woods, grabbed her and covered her mouth. Authorities said the girl’s brother, 13, hit the alleged attacker in the head and chest using a slingshot.

Police later arrested the 17-year-old based on another family member’s description of the suspect. Authorities also said the teenager had visible wounds from the slingshot. (Associated Press).
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See you tomorrow!

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