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A man wearing a historical military uniform salutes during a march marking Poland's independence day, organised by the far-right. Photo:Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Decade of Hate is a series that covers the dangerous rise of far-right movements across Europe over the past 10 years.

When a top court in Poland passed a ruling last October ushering in an almost total ban on abortion, women rose up in fury.

Blaming the influence of the Catholic Church, in part, for the drastic assault on womens rights, some protesters targeted churches. In cities around the country, members of far-right ultranationalist groups, backed by groups of hardcore football fans, appointed themselves as protectors of the churches, and proceeded to brutally confront the protesters.

At Warsaws Church of the Holy Cross, women were hauled down the church steps by burly men, who hurled misogynistic insults as they did so. In the aftermath, Robert Bkiewicz, the ultranationalist leader in the thick of the confrontation at the church, announced he was forming a vigilante National Guard to repel the protesters, who he referred to as leftist barbarians.

We will defend every church, every district, every town, every village, he said. I can say that a sword of justice is hanging upon them, and if necessary, we will turn them into dust and destroy this revolution.

Yet despite a police warning that the far-right vigilantes were inflaming the situation, figures from the countrys conservative ruling Law and Justice party publicly supported them.

Law and Justice leader Jarosaw Kaczyski, considered Polands most powerful politician, called on Catholics to mobilise and defend the churches, while one of his MPs, Tomasz Rzymkowski, commended the young nationalists who were defending the church, as well as the whole of Latin civilisation, against the barbarians.

While the clashes that rocked Poland in the wake of the abortion ruling were shocking, they werent exactly new.

A demonstrator gestures during a pro-choice march in Warsaw this January. Photo: WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Similar scenes have played out repeatedly across Poland in recent years, with ultranationalist groups violently confronting groups standing up for progressive causes, from LGBTQ to reproductive rights. Emboldened by the aggressively nationalist direction of the conservative government which has sought to forcefully impose its traditionalist vision on Polish society these men, drawn from neofascist ultranationalist movements and the football hooligan scene, have consistently acted as willing foot soldiers in their countrys furious culture wars.

Since coming to power in 2015, the right-wing populist Law and Justice government has proven itself unlike any previous Polish administration in the post-Communist era, rapidly remaking the country in its own image, in a way that critics say imperils the countrys democratic order.

Its stacked courts with loyalists, tightened its grip on the media, and systematically sought to roll back socially liberal values. Adopting a nationalist agenda as central to its populist platform, Law and Justice has demonised minorities, polarised society, and emboldened the far-right, allowing radical right-wing sentiment to creep from the margins into the mainstream.

Far-right supporters take part in the independence march last year. Photo: WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP via Getty Images

These moves have attracted widespread criticism, both externally and domestically. State-appointed watchdog Adam Bodnar, Polands Commissioner for Human Rights, says Law and Justices tactics are jeopardising Polands democracy, particularly in its empowering of the far-right.

This moment when the leader of the country is sharing the monopoly for violence with private organisations like [the] far-right is extremely dangerous to democracy, he told VICE World News, referring to Law and Justices endorsement of the ultranationalist church defenders amid the protests over abortion rights.

It is a little bit like playing with fire you are opening some possibilities for them. You are giving them some positions in the whole structure of the state.

Since 2015, Law and Justice has relied on a political M.O. of routinely scapegoating minority groups to whip up waves of support from its conservative base.

It came into government in 2015, at the height of the European migration crisis, on the back of a wave of anti-migrant hysteria that resulted in an outpouring of Islamophobic sentiment despite Poland being overwhelming homogenous, with a tiny Muslim population, and not being situated on main migration routes through Europe.

READ: Polands populist government let right-wing extremism explode into the mainstream

Then, seeking a new target, Law and Justice moved on to the LGBTQ community, with leading politicians in recent successive election campaigns painting gay rights as a dangerous, alien ideology that threatens the traditional, Catholic Polish family unit.

A man wearing a white supremacist mask and T-shirt takes part in an anti-LGBTQ demonstration in Krakow last summer. Photo: Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The sustained and ugly onslaught came from the highest levels of the party, with Kaczyski describing calls for greater LGBTQ rights as a great danger and essentially an attack on children. Other Law and Justice politicians tweeted that Poland is most beautiful without LGBT, or compared gay marriage to bestiality, while about 100 municipal councils accounting for about a third of Polands territory adopted resolutions declaring themselves LGBT-free zones.

The hate speech from those in power emboldened bigots, and unleashed a wave of public hostility thats left the LGBTQ community under attack, often physically so. At events like the 2019 Pride march in the city of Bialystok, marchers were set upon by a hostile far-right mob of hooligans, ultranationalists and Catholic hardliners who assaulted them with impunity.

READ: Polands ruling party is using homophobia to attract voters

People got attacked. People got chased on the streets. People got beaten up, people got bricks thrown at them, or bottles with piss, said Ola Kaczorek, co-president of Love Does Not Exclude, a group that campaigns for marriage equality.

A man holds a "Women's Strike" flag during a protest against Poland's near-total abortion ban. Photo: Omar Marques/Getty Images

Then in October came the ruling from Polands Constitutional Court that abortion in the case of severe foetal defects was unconstitutional. The decision, made by a court stacked with Law and Justice appointees, outlawed the most common of the few existing grounds for legal termination in a country that already had some of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe. For critics, it represented the culmination of a systematic wave of attacks on womens rights by the ruling party.

You feel like you are in a war with your own government, Justyna Wydrzyska, a board member of Abortion Without Borders, an initiative that helps Polish women access abortions, told VICE World News.

Bodnar, Polands Commissioner for Human Rights, said that the abortion ban which came into effect in January represented the government paying a political debt to the Catholic Church. When the Catholic Church has a strong stance on abortion, then the coin which is paid is a restriction on of access to abortion.

All of which has made the countrys far-right fringe increasingly brazen, buoyed by the countrys sharp lurch to the right under Law and Justice. One of the clearest illustrations of its growing confidence is the annual Independence March in Warsaw, held every November 11 on the anniversary of the restoration of Polish independence in 1918.

A police officer faces a woman as she argues against a pro-life counter protest in Krakow last October. Photo: Omar Marques/Getty Images

For over a decade now, an association of far-right organisations currently led by Bkiewicz has hijacked Polands national day by organising a huge rally through the capital, which draws ordinary patriotic Poles alongside hooligan and neofascist groups from across the country and elsewhere in Europe.

READ: Polands capital erupts as far-right take over streets

The march, which has grown dramatically in scale in recent years, frequently descends into violence, with flare-wielding hooligans clashing with police. At last years march, a flare was fired at an apartment that had womens rights and LGBTQ banners hanging from it, setting the building on fire.

The hateful messaging on display also underlines the many shared positions between the far-right and the government in various flashpoints in Polands culture wars.

Last years march organised under the theme "Our civilisation, our rules had a markedly homophobic tone, echoing the governments anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. The event was advertised with a poster depicting a knight driving his sword into a rainbow star, while marchers carried banners reading Normal family, strong Poland a slogan used by the Polish right in opposition to LGBTQ rights.

Years of facing a conservative Law and Justice juggernaut in power, and an emboldened far-right brutally enforcing its traditionalist vision of society on the streets, has left liberal and progressive Poles fearing that their country may be slipping away. For minorities, in particular, the sustained attacks on their community has taken a toll.

Huge numbers of people gathered to protest the near-total abortion ban. This was the scene in Warsaw last October after the ban was announced. Photo: Omar Marques/Getty Images

LGBT+ youth are growing up surrounded by this whole agenda, this whole ideology that says that there is something innately wrong with them, said Kaczorek of Love Does Not Exclude.

READ: Polands populist government has declared war on the LGBTQ community

There are routine reminders of the daunting obstacles in seeking to challenge the increasingly authoritarian Law and Justice government. Earlier this month, Bodnar who acted as one of the few independent watchdogs of the government was ordered out of his post, by the same Law and Justice-captured court behind the abortion ruling in October. Human Rights Watch described the finding against Bodnar, which prompted street demonstrations and which NGOs say was legally flawed, as being made at the governments behest; his replacement is almost certain to be a Law and Justice appointee.

A protester holds a Virgin Mary with a rainbow halo poster during a Pride parade in Plock, central Poland, in 2019. Photo: WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP via Getty Images

But despite the challenges, liberal and progressive Poles say they are determined to keep up the fight.

This is my place and this is my home, said Kaczorek. Even though Poland hates me, I really love this country.

More here:
How the EUs Most Homophobic Country Stoked a Culture War and Emboldened the Far-Right - VICE

Hello and welcome to Monday.

Band on the run OK, another session of the Florida Legislature is in the books. Whos ready for the 2022 governors race?

Let me roll it Despite his decent poll numbers and another successful session the Republican Governors Association is already stepping in to bolster Gov. Ron DeSantis. The RGA donated $2.8 million to DeSantis political committee this past week in advance of what could be one of the most closely watched gubernatorial contests in the nation. He's been a tremendous leader for the state of Florida and the RGA is going to be there to make sure he's elected for another 4 years, RGA spokesperson Joanna Rodriguez said. The RGA gave $3 million to DeSantis in the runup to the 2018 election.

Jet In recent months, DeSantis has seen his status as a potential presidential challenger in 2024 continue to rise among Republicans, yet on Fox News this past weekend he again pushed back against the speculation. Its not anything that Im thinking about or positioning myself, he said. (Interestingly, Fox commentator Jesse Watters shot back oh, youre thinking about it.) Of course, all talk of 2024 goes out the window if Democrats can do something they havent done in nearly 30 years and win a governors race.

Let em In There are Democrats starting to line up. Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, whose bid seems imminent, continues to staff up. The first of the expected Democratic challengers Rep. Charlie Crist is expected to swing into action on Tuesday when he makes a major announcement in St. Petersburg. This will be Crists third bid for governor (hes 1-1 so far) but unlike the 2014 contest that he lost to Rick Scott, theres a good chance he will first have to slug it out in what could be a competitive primary, especially if Rep. Val Demings joins the contest.

Live and let die Crists advisers contend that even with her role in the impeachment hearings, Crist has a name advantage over Demings. And just as important they point out, Crist known for his happy warrior persona is a proven fundraiser. Another talking point is that anyone who underestimates Crist does so at their own peril. OK, then. Here we go.

WHERE'S RON? Nothing official announced for Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: [emailprotected]

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A SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGE? Charlie Crists bid for Florida governor faces early threats, by POLITICOs Marc Caputo and Matt Dixon: Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist officially launches his comeback campaign for his old job early next week his third bid for the office but the first as a likely underdog in what could be a crowded field. Now a Democratic congressman, Crist is the biggest name to announce his candidacy but by no means the most talked-about. Democratic insiders are buzzing more about Rep. Val Demings running, and some former Crist loyalists are planning to work for her or for Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the only state-level elected Democrat, who has been preparing for months to challenge Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

STAFFING UP Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried continues to bring on more help in advance of an expected bid for governor. Fried is hiring Stefanie Sass as finance director for her political committee, Florida Consumers First. Sass worked as Southern finance director or Vice President Kamala Harris and deputy Southeast finance director for President Joe Biden. She was Bill Nelsons finance director in 2019 and was senior finance adviser for the Florida Democratic Party.

FALLOUT Did Trumps actions as president cost Florida a seat in Congress and an electoral vote? by Sun Sentinels Anthony Man: Kevin Wagner, a Florida Atlantic University political scientist, and Matthew Isbell, a Florida-based Democratic data consultant who runs the MCI Maps firm, said its impossible to know until more data comes out, and even then there may not be a definitive answer. Broward County Commissioner Nan Rich, a former Democratic leader in the Florida Senate, said she has no doubt about what happened. Theres no question in my mind, said Rich, who was chairwoman of Browards Complete Count Committee, which brought civic, government and business leaders together to encourage people to complete the Census. I believe it was a whole, orchestrated attempt to undercount certain groups of people in the United States.

Will DeSantis, Rubio and Scott torch each other to vault from Florida to the White House? by Douglas MacKinnon, opinion contributor for The Hill

Perry Thurston kicks off congressional campaign in heart of Fort Lauderdales Black community, by Sun Sentinels Anthony Man

Democrats express optimism at Tampa fundraiser despite GOP victories, by Tampa Bay Times Margo Snipe

THE CHECKLIST Florida legislative session shaded by presidential contest may power Ron DeSantis future, by Sarasota Herald-Tribunes John Kennedy and Zac Anderson: A legislative session colored by last Novembers presidential election could power Floridas Ron DeSantis toward future contests with lawmakers filling a wish list the governor pushed that is seen as custom-made for the Republican voting base. Already a Fox News favorite and a potential contender for his partys White House nomination, DeSantis agenda was topped by a crackdown on protesters involved in demonstrations that turn violent, an election law overhaul limiting mail ballots and drop boxes, and new state regulations on social media platforms under fire for banning former President Donald Trump, the governors political mentor.

DeSantis won big during Floridas legislative session. Now what? by Miami Heralds Mary Ellen Klas and Ana Ceballos

Gov. Ron DeSantis with state legislators after the end of the 2021 session of the Florida Legislature. | Gary Fineout, POLITICO

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY Effort to protect consumer data privacy stalls in Florida, by The Associated Press Bobby Caina Calvan: A campaign by Gov. Ron DeSantis to help Floridians regain ownership of the troves of data that companies collect came to a halt Friday, when state lawmakers could not agree on how tightly to limit how Big Data harvests and uses peoples information. It was a rare defeat for DeSantis in his bid to regulate how Big Tech treats people. Earlier this week, lawmakers sent him a measure that would punish social media companies that he and other Republicans contend discriminate and censor conservatives. Unlike the social media proposal, the legislative effort to address consumer data privacy was mostly bipartisan. But business interests lobbied heavily against the proposal, and the industrys fingerprints were clearly on the legislation.

PIVOT Florida reverses course on reversing course on college athlete pay, by POLITICOs Andrew Atterbury: Florida lawmakers during the final hours of the session abruptly reversed course on delaying the start date for allowing college athletes across the state to profit from their name, image and likeness all while taking a veiled shot at the NCAA along the way. The Legislature earlier this week quietly postponed for one year rules clearing the way for athletes to make money from things like selling autographs or scoring endorsements over fears that students or universities could face ramifications from the NCAA.

THERES ALWAYS GOING TO BE CHALLENGES DeSantis scores session wins, but court battles could loom, by Orlando Sentinels Gray Rohrer: [Gov. Ron] DeSantis, though, says he is confident the legislation will withstand any legal challenges, which he believes are sure to come. He pointed to legal victories in his first two years in office over Scott Israel, who he removed as Broward County Sheriff for his handling of the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting, and over the law requiring felons to pay outstanding fines and fees before being able to vote. Theres a cottage industry of lawsuits, thats what happens when you do this, DeSantis said. Theres always going to be challenges. So I think (lawmakers) were attentive to some of the pitfalls, and I think that will pass muster as well.

Add this one to the list? Among the bills sent to DeSantis that have serious legal questions surrounding them is a Florida Chamber of Commerce-backed measure that would impose a $3,000 cap on donations to political committees pushing citizen initiatives. DeSantis, who is an attorney, on Friday suggested he plans to sign it despite arguments it violates a string of court decisions that campaign donations are a form of free speech. DeSantis, who said he still needs to review the bill, argued that the measure strikes a good balance because the limit only applies to the petition gathering phase and ends once the amendment makes the ballot. We also want it to be more of a grassroots thing, the governor said. When they did this constitutional provision in the 60s they were thinking like PTA moms getting together, you know shoe leather type stuff.

THE MAVERICK One of the interesting side stories of the 2021 session was the emergence of Sen. Jeff Brandes as the Republican voting no on many of the top bills. Brandes voted against such top GOP priorities as a measure affecting Silicon Valley firms as well as the elections bill and the "anti-riot" bill sought by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Brandes, who has a libertarian streak but in the past has championed conservative causes on behalf of groups such as the National Rifle Association, insisted he hasnt changed. Generally, policy I have disagreed with hasnt made it this far, Brandes told Playbook. You can usually take care of this in committee.

One more regular session Brandes has to leave the state Senate in 2022 due to term limits. While his name had been bandied about as a possible GOP challenger to Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, Brandes said hes ready to stay closer to home. Im a dad of our kids and I really want to watch them grow up, said Brandes, whose children are aged 7 to 12. Ive been in the Legislature for 12 years. Ive missed a lot. These are some really prime years I dont plan on missing.

Florida election supervisors: New voting law makes it harder to request and return ballots, by Tampa Bay Times Lawrence Mower Broward Democrats fear Gov. DeSantis is planning a power grab in Broward politics, by Sun Sentinels Skyler Swisher

10 big issues from the 2021 legislative session, by News Service of Florida

Florida gambling deal faces legal questions, by News Service of Florida's Dara Kam

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WHATS GOING ON HERE? How a Miami school became a beacon for anti-vaxxers," by The New York Times Patricia Mazzei: Ms. [Leila] Centner, an avid social media user who has long used her accounts to document her luxurious lifestyle, took effective control of the school last year, in the midst of the pandemic. She told the community that the school, with prekindergarten through eighth grades, would focus on happiness and espouse medical freedom. But interviews with 21 current and former parents and teachers, as well as a review of social media posts and of school documents, emails, text messages and videos, show how the wealthy and well-connected Ms. Centner brought her anti-vaccination and anti-masking views into the schools day-to-day life, turning what had been a tightknit community into one bitterly split between those who support her views on vaccinations and those who do not.

Insane and dangerous: Inside the Miami school that told teachers not to get vaccinated, by Miami Heralds Colleen Wright and Nicholas Nehamas

A TROUBLING TREND Mass COVID vaccine sites are closing. Demand is dropping. What does that mean for herd immunity? by Orlando Sentinels Kate Santich and Ryan Gillespie: As mass vaccination sites in Orange, Lake, Volusia and Polk counties begin to shutter their operations over the coming week, demand for Pfizer and Moderna is also faltering, raising the question of when or if the goal of herd immunity can be reached. Im significantly concerned about how quickly the scales seem to have tipped from having a lot of demand and not enough supply, to having enough supply and not demand, said Jared Moskowitz, the outgoing director of Floridas Division of Emergency Management, who has overseen the states vaccination distribution. This is something we all need to be concerned with, from the federal government on down What do we do if half the population doesnt get vaccinated?

By the numbers As of Sunday, a total of 8,893,992 people in Florida had received at least one vaccine dose. According to weekend data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida is ranked 34th when it comes to the percentage of people who are fully vaccinated. States with a higher percentage of their population vaccinated include California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York and Ohio. Florida is ahead of Texas, Arizona and Georgia.

PBC eases COVID-19 mask mandate as Florida drops residency requirement for vaccinations, by Palm Beach Posts Chris Persaud

WIDENING How the Gaetz probe grew from sex trafficking to medical pot, by The Associated Press Michelle L. Price and Michael Balsamo: The Bahamas trip is a central element of a federal investigation surrounding [Matt] Gaetz that has suddenly endangered his political career. What began as an inquiry into sex trafficking and whether Gaetz paid women and an underage girl in exchange for sex has grown into a larger review of public corruption, according to people familiar with the investigation. Investigators are looking at whether Gaetz and his associates tried to secure government jobs for some of the women, the people said. They are also scrutinizing Gaetzs connections to the medical marijuana sector, including whether [Dr. Jason] Pirozzolo and others sought to influence legislation Gaetz sponsored.

MATT WHO? Gaetz says hes not going anywhere. Florida Republicans arent saying anything, by Tampa Bay Times Steve Contorno: The public silence has extended beyond Republicans. Some lobbying groups have advised employees not to talk about Gaetz to reporters. And Democrats, who typically pounce on any stumble by a Republican, are noticeably quiet. The states top Democrat, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, needles DeSantis almost daily on Twitter but hasnt posted once about Gaetz. When the Tampa Bay Times reached out, her political spokesman Max Flugrath said in a statement that Fried was saddened, shocked and disturbed by the serious allegations detailed in reports about Gaetz.

DEAR DONALD The Lincoln Project is out with another ad aimed primarily at an audience of one. The organizations newest missive is called Swamp Thing and it will air on Fox News and Fox Business in the West Palm Beach media market as well as digitally. The ad mocks former President Donald Trump and says that Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnells Republican consultants are making money off of Trumps name. They brought you a little bowl to hold in your little hands and you fell for it, the ad states.

Latino Republican support for Trump is still going strong in Florida, by NBC News Carmen Sesin

R.I.P. We lost a giant: First Black judge on Florida Supreme Court dies in Tallahassee, by Tallahassee Democrats Bill Cotterell: Former Florida Supreme Court Justice Joseph W. Hatchett, who marked many milestones in a legal career spanning more than a half century, died in Tallahassee Friday. He was 88. He was the first Black member of the states highest court, appointed by Gov. Reubin Askew in 1975. President Jimmy Carter elevated him to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal four years later, making him the lone Black member of the Atlanta-based federal court at the time."

HES NEEDED EVERYWHERE 'Black Americas attorney general seems to be everywhere, by Associated Presss Aaron Morrison and John Seewer: Ben Crump, the Rev. Al Sharpton says, is Black Americas attorney general. In less than a decade, the Florida-based attorney has become the voice for the families of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd Black people whose deaths at the hands of police and vigilantes sparked a movement. He has won multimillion-dollar settlements in police brutality cases. Hes pushed cities to ban no-knock warrants. He has told a congressional committee that reform is needed because its become painfully obvious we have two systems of justice; one for white Americans and one for Black Americans.

Woman awarded $48 million after getting sick from mold in her apartment, by Sun Sentinels Rafael Olmeda and Brooke Baitinger

Michael Hernandez, who murdered classmate in middle school bathroom, dies in prison, by Miami Heralds David Ovalle

A message from Secure Democracy:

Its time for Floridians to acknowledge the impressive role that our trusted, certified, and independent election administrators have in the preservation of our democracy.

Each season, these dedicated public servants manage our elections with professionalism, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to ensuring every vote is counted.

In 2020, despite the pandemic and other hurdles, voters showed up in record numbers to do their job. And our election administrators did theirs verifying and counting every eligible ballot, just as they have in every previous election.

This legislative session, many of these same election administrators stepped forward to safeguard Floridians freedom to vote and preserve Floridas reliable voting laws. We owe them our gratitude.

Please take a moment to add your name to the virtual thank-you card for Floridas dedicated elections administrators. Secure Democracy will proudly deliver the card on your behalf.

Giant lizards, hissing ducks, and pythons: Florida has an invasive species problem, by National Geographics Matthew Wolfe: [Michael] Litersky tried to shoo his assailant outside, but it latched onto his leg, biting him and slashing his calf. Grabbing a frying pan, Litersky backhanded the animal into the bathroom while [Gillian] Hicks dialed 911. Sheriffs deputies arrived quickly, but, outmatched, they could only peek around the door and watch as the quadruped ripped up the shower curtain. Finally, a team of animal control officers and officials from the state wildlife agency managed to corner the creature. It wasnt a lemur but a kinkajou, a carnivorous mammal native to the South American rainforest.

Quite the list Such interspecies assaults are often written off as a logical product of Floridas ambient weirdness. Theyre better understood, however, not as random attacks but as skirmishes in a war the state has been waging for decades. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida is home to more nonnative plants and animals than any other part of the country. This set of intruders now includes hissing ducks, walking catfish, hermaphroditic river eels, bloodsucking worms, pet-eating monitor lizards, dog-size rodents, gigantic snakes, and rodent-size African land snails, which, according to rumor, are smuggled in for esoteric religious rituals.

BIRTHDAYS: Author and journalist Andrew Nagorski David Siegel, president and CEO of Westgate Resorts (Was Sunday) POLITICOs Andrew Atterbury (Was Saturday) Sarah Rumpf, freelance writer and contributing editor at Mediaite

Want to make an impact? POLITICO Florida has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Sunshine State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause youre promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness amongst this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: [emailprotected]

See more here:
Governor's race off and running Crist's bid for governor faces early threats Culture wars session comes to an end Invaders: Giant lizards, snakes,...

This editorial was published by the Idaho Press of Nampa.

A joint committee meeting was held at the Statehouse last week to discuss combining most of Oregon and parts of Northern California with the Gem State to create Greater Idaho. Meanwhile, legislators in the House rejected House Bill 354, part of the public school budget that funds teachers because of concerns over critical race theory being taught in Idaho public schools.

The Idaho Legislature again demonstrated that its more concerned with fighting culture wars than with its real responsibilities, like ensuring teachers receive training to be even better at their jobs. If our Legislature refuses to do the work to help current Idahoans, how can it even consider adding enough land mass to Idaho that it becomes the third-largest state?

Shifting state borders would require approval at the county, state and federal level, so this proposal is a long way off from becoming reality. Still, the movement, pushed by a group called Move Oregons Border, has gained more momentum than we expected. Four Oregon counties so far have voted on the border initiative; two were opposed and two were in favor. The organizers are hoping to add initiatives in at least five more counties for the May election.

Move Oregons Border organizers say one benefit to Idahoans would be the ability to alleviate future overcrowding in Idaho through more land. But Idaho has trouble keeping up with the needs it already has. Schools, police and fire, and roads are all functions of government that have suffered from lack of funding. In absorbing a majority of Oregon and even parts of Northern California, Idaho would gain thousands of miles of rural roads needing upkeep. The city of Shoshone recently dissolved its city police department, and instead will rely on county police; the city was having trouble hiring and retaining staff. Funding for rural schools in Idaho is inadequate at best, and relies heavily on bonds and levies to get by.

Our legislators can barely take care of the constituents they have now, so adding roughly 1 million more people is not a prudent choice.

We appreciate that there are so many people feeling lost and underrepresented in their home state. In this age of polarization, everyone is feeling more and more alone. Its incredibly alienating to not see your values and ideas reflected in your state government. But joining Idaho isnt the solution. The grass is always greener, but we are dysfunctional and quirky just like every other state in the union. Our legislators struggle to stay on task during the session, pursuing silly side projects that score them political points (and praise from the Idaho Freedom Foundation), rather than ensuring all Idahoans are able to flourish.

HB 354 contains money for development and training, and also includes the teacher career ladder pay increases required by law; Idaho teachers didnt get those because of budget holdbacks this year, and this bill would distribute those.

The Legislature is charged in the Idaho Constitution with providing a uniform education for all citizens. We dont see how denying teachers development and pay is a good way to achieve this mandate.

We hope that, just for the last week or two, our legislators can stay on topic. Pass the budgets and finish up the essential business needed to keep our government functioning.

Winning culture wars isnt an achievable goal. Educating Idahoans is.

See more here:
Guest editorial: Leave 'Greater Idaho' and the culture wars alone - Lewiston Morning Tribune

Summary

Manhattan federal prosecutors are seeking to examine Rudy Giuliani`s communications with an array of former Ukrainian officials, as investigators home in on whether the former Trump lawyer`s push to remove a U.S. diplomat in Kyiv violated foreign lobbying rules. Joel Greenberg, a central figure in the ongoing investigation into Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, wrote in a letter obtained by The Daily Beast that he and Gaetz paid for sex with multiple women, including a minor who was 17 at the time. The Biden administration has confirmed that the U.S. will restrict travel from India starting on Tuesday in response to the surge of coronavirus cases and variants being observed in the country.

ALI VELSHI, MSNBC HOST: Congressman, if you get that White House Conference on Hunger, I will make sure that we cover it extensively on MSNBC. This is a crucial matter, and it doesn`t need to exist. Congressman Jim McGovern, thank you. Jean, thanks for putting a real face on this for us so that we understand those who, tonight, are not sure where tomorrow`s food comes from. Jean McMurray is the CEO of the Worcester County Food Bank in Massachusetts. That`s Tonight`s Last Word. You can catch me tomorrow on my show Velshi at 8 a.m. We`re going to learn more about the raid on Trump Lawyer, Rudy Giuliani`s apartment. I`m going to talk to former Trump lawyer, Michael Cohen, who`s lived this moment for himself on Sunday. I`ll be joined by the former -- by the current White House Economic Adviser, Heather Boushey. The 11th Hour with Brian Williams begins now.

BRIAN WILLIAMS, MSNBC HOST: And good evening once again, day 101 of the Biden administration. While the President is pushing ahead with his agenda, close allies of the last president are now coming under increasing scrutiny. There`s new reporting about the FBI raid this week on Trump`s former Personal Lawyer Rudolph Giuliani, his Manhattan home and office.

Tonight, the Wall Street Journal has joined the reporting which NBC News indeed confirms that investigators are focusing in on Rudolph Giuliani`s role in getting former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch fired from her post that was spring of 2019. It was the New York Times that first brought this to light. The journal also matches other outlets reporting that the Feds want to know more about Rudy Giuliani`s efforts to get Ukraine officials to open investigations into the Bidens ahead of the 2020 election.

Also, NBC News confirming the Washington Post reporting that FBI agents paid Giuliani a visit back in 2019, gave him a defensive briefing as it`s known in the trade warning him that, "he was being targeted by a Russian intelligence influence operation as he sought to gather opposition research on the Biden family. The U.S. government later made the warnings even more explicit releasing a public statement last year saying that one of the people Giuliani have been dealing with Ukrainian parliamentarian Andrii Derkach, is a Russian intelligence asset."

Giuliani his lawyer tells NBC News his client says the FBI briefing never happened.

Earlier on this network, the other Trump personal lawyer who was rated by the Feds predict that things could get difficult for Giuliani.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL COHEN, FORMER TRUMP ATTORNEY: One of the things that you`re talking about is, of course, Marie Yovanovitch in Ukraine. That is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what they`re looking for when it comes to Rudy Giuliani. The fact that the FBI now has his cell phones, they have his computer and other information, you could rest assured that that`s not specifically what or that`s not the only thing that they`re looking for. They have him and so if he`s looking to protect himself so that he doesn`t end up spending the rest of his life in prison, right, he may want to actually start to cooperate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAMS: There`s also new reporting tonight about Congressman Matt Gaetz. The Daily Beast says it has obtained a confession letter reportedly written by the congressman`s one time associate, Joel Greenberg, in the waning months of the Trump presidency which, "claims that he and close associate Representative Matt Gaetz paid for sex with multiple women as well as a girl who was 17 at the time. The letter was written after Greenberg, who was under federal indictment asked Roger Stone to help him secure a pardon from then President Donald Trump."

NBC News has not seen or verified this letter. There have been multiple reports that Congressman Gaetz is under investigation for possible sex- trafficking. Federal prosecutors have not charged Gaetz or confirmed their inquiry. That investigation came out of another one and to Greenberg in Florida who`s been indicted on a number of charges, including but not limited to, sex-trafficking. His lawyer has signaled he is willing to cooperate with prosecutors.

Today a P.R. firm for Congressman Gaetz, who has previously denied all these allegations, responded to the Daily Beast reporting with a statement that read, "Congressman Gaetz has never paid for sex nor has he had sex with a 17 year old as an adult."

Roger Stone issued his own statement which read in part, "I made no effort whatsoever to secure a pardon for Mr. Greenberg and I took not a dime from him or anyone else seeking a pardon. I have seen no substantiation or actual proof of any of the wild accusations he has made against Congressman Gaetz."

Meanwhile, back in the world of real life that has nothing to do with Trump or his associates, Joe Biden is starting his second 100 days in office with a full court press for funding his over 2 trillion jobs and infrastructure plan. Today he did one of his favorite things, he rhapsodized about trains. He was trackside in Philadelphia to help Amtrak commemorate its 50th anniversary, as a Senator Biden famously commuted by Amtrak train every day between D.C. and his home in Delaware.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I`ve been riding Amtrak for almost as long as it has been an Amtrak. Transit is part of the infrastructure, and like the rest of our infrastructure, we`re way behind the rest of the world right now. We need to remember, we`re in competition with the rest of the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAMS: White House today reached a milestone in its vaccination drive over 100 million people in the U.S. have now been fully vaccinated almost 40% of the nation`s adults and nearly double what the nation had registered even at the end of March. With that accomplished now the effort is about vaccinating the hesitant. The coronavirus crisis continues to deepen in India with treatment almost impossible to find vaccines equally scarce. Starting Tuesday travel from India to the U.S. will be restricted, a move the White House says it made on the advice of the CDC, these restrictions will not apply to U.S. citizens.

The administration is also about to launch a significant foreign policy move. U.S. troops have started their withdrawal from Afghanistan ending a 20 year mission, our longest war. It comes 10 years after the raid that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden.

It`s a lot and with that, let`s bring in our leadoff guests on a Friday night as we bring this week to a close, Jeremy Bash, former chief of staff at CIA and the Pentagon, former Chief Counsel to the House Intel Committee, Eugene Daniels, White House Correspondent for Politico, co-author of each day`s edition of the Politico Playbook, and Dr. Kavita Patel back with us as well, Clinical Physician, former Senior Policy Aide during the Obama administration. She`s for good reason among our public health experts. Additionally, she is a non resident Fellow at Brookings.

Well, good evening, and welcome to you all. Jeremy, I`d like to begin with you with the former personal lawyer for the former president. What does it seem to you that the Feds and this is coming off Michael Cohen`s comments, the only other personal lawyer have been raided by the Feds? What does it seem to you they`re looking for from Rudy?

JEREMY BASH, FORMER, CIA CHIEF OF STAFF: Well, federal agents, Brian, it appears are looking at two things. One is the national security threat posed by foreign governments who would interfere in U.S. elections by spreading disinformation and Rudy Giuliani was clearly a conduit of disinformation largely emanating from Russia, through agents in the Ukraine. But the second thing that they`re looking at is whether or not criminal laws were potentially violated, when Rudy Giuliani lobby the Trump administration effectively on behalf of Ukrainian officials who wanted Trump to fire the U.S. ambassador in Kyiv because she was being very rough on corruption in Ukraine.

And I think, you know, the theory of federal agents, according to these media reports, is that if Rudy Giuliani was being paid, either in cash or in dirt, you know, on Biden or others, then effectively, Rudy Giuliani was illegally lobbying the United States government on behalf of a foreign government without registering. And that`s something that`s gotten people in hot water, and it`s even landed them in prison. So Rudy Giuliani, it appears, is you have the target or subject of full blown criminal investigation at this hour, Brian.

WILLIAMS: And Jeremy, a quick follow up, if Rudy did get that FBI warning, and still pal around with these guys, the Russian and Ukrainian types, I`m assuming that would be very bad?

BASH: It would be because effectively the defensive warning says hey, you may not realize this Mayor Giuliani, but you`re being used. And if he goes ahead and continues his activities, well, then he`s not just unwitting. He`s in on it. And I think that`s a huge red flag.

WILLIAMS: Eugene, how closely is the Biden crowd watching any or all of this?

EUGENE DANIELS, POLITICO WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You know, they`re just like us. They`re paying a lot of attention. But something that this administration is really good at, is kind of keeping their blinders on, right? You heard President Biden tell our colleague at NBC News, Craig Melvin, that he did not know ahead of time that this raid was happening. And I think that`s exactly what you`re going to continue to hear from this White House as the DOJ investigates anyone, right? They want to keep out of the political fray. They don`t - President Biden promised to depoliticize the DOJ in the investigations in this country. And the thing that I keep hearing over and over from sources that I`m talking to, is that a lawyer being raided like this and we all know this is not typical right there questions of client lawyer confidentiality. And then when the lawyer is working for a president or a former president or a former president even, they would typically be even more careful, right? So the - there are so many layers to getting a warrant like this. And so this White House, they`re watching, but they are not engaging in a lot of these things. And that is the kind of arm`s length that they want to keep the DOJ at, especially when it`s something as politically fraught and as politically sensitive as someone like Rudy Giuliani.

WILLIAMS: Yeah, and as you noted, the idea of an independent Justice Department is going to take some getting used to coming on the heels of the Barr era. Dr. Patel, to you, I think any American with any humanity feels absolutely helpless watching what is unfolding in India at the same time we had a very proud milestone today 100 million Americans fully vaccinated, not just half but a full dose.

Let`s talk about the illness that is striking India, is there any chance that India of 2021 could be the China of 2020? In that these virulent variants, it`s hard to say, could find their way around those already vaccinated?

DR. KAVITA PATEL, FORMER AIDE TO VALERIE JARRETT IN THE OBAMA WHITE HOUSE: Yeah, Brian, you`re hitting exactly on the point that many of us are concerned as we`re seeing not one, not two, but multiple concerning variants just in India that have been identified. And of course, that means that there`s still a huge landscape that has not been identified. And I think it highlights while we`re making such progress in the United States in the Biden team, is certainly not declaring any sort of victory yet, although they should be proud of the milestone. They see what looms large, not just in India, Brian, we`re seeing concerning trends in parts of Latin America, we`re seeing rises in places that had been incredibly vigilant like Japan.

And I would just add that, you know, India is a very large country, but there are neighboring countries, Pakistan, Nepal, and they have very little infrastructure even worse, and less so than India. And so this is exactly the issue that is going to dominate 2021, not just with India, kind of being a canary in the coal mine, but it`s going to pose challenges about what the U.S. is kind of stances on helping accelerate the global vaccination pace.

And on top of that, what are we going to do is we kind of log jam at about 50 to 60% of our population and see spikes like we are, we`re seeing some rising cases, although we`re doing great in terms of cases, Brian, 17% decline in the last week, which is great progress, we`re seeing increases in some spots, Oregon, Arizona, and that a lot of that has to do, again with the remainder of the population that not only needs to get vaccinated, but these are younger people that are turning positive and are still getting sick and unfortunately, an 800 deaths in the last 24 hours, we still have people dying from COVID-19 in the United States.

WILLIAMS: Eugene, a question to you and your beat on India, a lot of folks did not understand when they heard the travel ban today, these travel bans for a lot of families can just seem so draconian and can force families with, you know, urgent air travel needs in the crisis. People were asking today if you`re going to do it, why wait until Tuesday? I think it was to give people time. And obviously there`s a carve out for U.S. citizens, was there any pushback at the administration on that front that you were aware of today?

DANIELS: I haven`t found that in any amount, reporting what we have found is like that, you know, when these happened, there`s a lot of conversation about the impact, especially on American citizens that are in that country, like you`re saying, making sure that there`s a some time for people to be able to get back or get, you know, to get here, if they were already planning and then with their travel plans. And I think this is an administration that they`re a little bit more, I guess, careful in their planning than when they`re doing things like this, then the last administration, because they know that the blowback and the impact of those policies and changes that you said they feel draconian, people have a hard time understanding. But what we`re seeing in India and the doctor was just saying, like, everyone is concerned about it right in this White House, because this race against the various says they`ve been putting it, they excited about the fact that we have been getting closer and closer to that bright light at the end of the tunnel has been put to me multiple times by members of the administration. And that is something that they`re constantly focused on. How can we make sure that`s happening? But then not just about America? There`s this kind of global vaccination effort that we as the as a country are going to have to engage in and possibly lead on. And that is also what we`ve seen.

You didn`t really see a lot of people talking about India until they got really bad. And then the administration promised to send vaccines, we`ve N95 masks and oxygen and things like that over there. And those are the kinds of things that people in that country and other countries are going to need as the various start popping up, because frankly, a lot of people around the country, around the planet in this country have let the guard down. You know, we have been dealing with this for more than a year, instant longer and other places around the world. And I think that part of it is concerning for health experts that I`ve been talking to and the administration outside out of it.

WILLIAMS: I hope we`re loading C17 with all the vaccines and oxygen. We, as a nation can spare. And Dr. Patel, if all that wasn`t scary enough, this is from Politico, Eugene`s employer, they write about Biden`s next pandemic challenge getting Americans to accept the virus, containment not eradication is the most realistic goal. Public health experts say the coronavirus is here for the long haul. The challenge for Biden, his response team and state health officials will be managing the rolling series of outbreaks, possibly driven by more dangerous virus variants and, Doctor, indeed this comes off your last comments.

PATEL: Yeah, Brian, what we hope is that we go from a pandemic, what`s called an endemic, and we have this kind of containment so that we see the virus, you know, remember, this virus will do what it has to do to survive. And so while we have people who are unvaccinated, and as the virus mutates, that will be our challenge, it will mean that just like with the flu, just like with measles, Brian, we still have cases, we don`t get front page headline news every day about them. And I think the American public is going to have kind of a psychological reaction. What is the appropriate number of COVID cases and deaths and hospitalizations that we`re willing to tolerate? When will we feel comfortable even with CDC guidance, Brian, to have kind of, "normal activities," it`s going to be a very difficult transition it already is, as you`re seeing from the outside mask kind of debate that happened this less than a week.

So I do think this is Biden`s challenge. I think it`s why he`s had to have an has shown incredible discipline, I think where things are going to potentially be out of his control, or exactly what happens beyond our borders, he can`t control it. But now we`re going to have to be a leader in helping other countries, Africa has all of the places that have very little infrastructure, their success will be large -- our success in containing this virus will be largely contingent on their ability to contain the virus. So it will be a challenge. Why I think Americans want to get used to whether it`s a booster vaccine, or some sort of regular COVID vaccine of programs some type. That is what our near future looks like.

WILLIAMS: Jeremy, I`ve saved the last word for you, you and your longtime boss, longtime friend and colleague, Leon Panetta, have written a piece in defense one together, it is about a big upcoming anniversary for our country. Share with our viewers the lessons from what you`ve written?

BASH: Well, 10 years ago, on this very weekend, Brian, special operations teams were preparing to raid the compound where bin Laden was hiding. And it was enormous victory for the United States 10 years ago. And really, I think it showcased the value of teamwork, teamwork between the military and intelligence professionals who had to fuse their cultures and authorities to get along and work on this operation under a very tight timeline. But it was also teamwork between the executive branch and Congress between Democrats and Republicans. And when we entrusted the professionals to do the competent, technological and technocratic work of government, they got the job done. And I think it was an enormous victory for the United States.

And it also paved the way for the disintegration of al Qaeda so that we could pivot and focus on other threats like China and cyber attacks and global pandemics, things that are worrying us and challenging us at this hour. And so the last 10 years, Brian, you know, we`ve been able to observe every year an anniversary of the bin Laden operation, but now 10 years later, I think we can finally move on, we can bring our troops home from Afghanistan, and focus on the global threat landscape that we all have to face.

WILLIAMS: We`re much obliged to our big three guests on a Friday night after a long week, Jeremy Bash, Eugene Daniels, Dr. Kavita Patel, thank you all so much for starting us off.

Coming up for us, Republicans go deep on the culture wars as Democrats push ahead on policy. Two political veterans here is a weigh in on which strategy might went out?

And later, just this week he has rhapsodized about trains, vaccines, American manufacturing and government`s ability to lift people up. Just what are we seeing unfold in this still new Biden presidency, the celebrated presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin shares her thoughts with us tonight. All of it as the 11th Hour is just getting underway on this Friday evening.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIAMS: In his new interview with President Biden this week, our colleague Craig Melvin asked the President about what we heard from Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, during his response time on Wednesday night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRAIG MELVIN, MSNBC ANCHOR: I watched the rebuttal from the junior senator of South Carolina last night, Tim Scott, he said among other things, America isn`t racist. Is it?

BIDEN: No, I don`t think the American people are racist. But I think after 400 years, African Americans have been left in a position where they`re so far behind the eight ball in terms of education, health, in terms of opportunity. I don`t think America`s racist but I think the overhang from all of the Jim Crow and before that slavery have had a cost and we have to deal with it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAMS: Back with us again tonight, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, a veteran activist on matters of race, social justice, former member notably of President Obama`s 21st Century Policing Task Force. She is these days, the host of the podcast, undistracted and Matt K. Lewis, conservative commentator, writer, Senior Columnist for The Daily Beast.

Good evening and welcome to you both. Brittany, I got one for you. This is Kathleen Parker op-ed tonight in the Washington Post. It`s a Senator Scott and the Republican response and it reads thusly, "Scott leveled strong and smart criticisms at Biden`s agenda for the next four years. But you wouldn`t know it to read his critics on the left, the only black Republican in the Senate, Scott was quickly trending as Uncle Tim on Twitter, as a tool of white supremacists and as a blind servant of the far right. Liberals just cannot handle a black conservative. This, my friends, is also what racism looks like, in America today." Brittany, the floor is yours.

BRITTANY PACKNETT CUNNINGHAM, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: So Brian, I think that like so often two things are actually true, it was quite disturbing to see white people of all political stripes, think that they had the permission to call Tim Scott a racial slur, including and especially white people who consider themselves to be allies, accomplices and co-conspirators of the black community. Trust me, we got this. And frankly, white people on all sides of the aisle have plenty of work to do on their own to examine how they perpetuate systemic racism, and check all of the folks in their lives. So focus on that and make sure that you are comporting yourself in a way that actually proves that you`re an ally. So that is true. But what is also true is that when Tim Scott said last night, and what he has continued to do, has been deeply damaging.

Frankly, Brian, I wasn`t actually all that surprised by what I heard from that rebuttal. Because when we look at not just what Tim Scott has said, but what he`s done, this has always been who he`s been. He`s the lead negotiator for the GOP in the Senate, on the George Floyd justice in policing bill. And he has been working to protect qualified immunity for police officers. And he`s been working to stop the full banding of chokeholds. So the black senator who wants to allow the police to choke us to death, and then get away with it didn`t surprise me at all, because frankly, he stayed on script. So both of these things are true, it is as complicated as you think it is. And it is as offensive as you think it is.

WILLIAMS: So Matt, with Brittany, having established the senator`s bonafides, what is the chance that from the U.S. Senate, whatever group is doing the talking a piece of legislation on actual substantive police reform in a nation calling for it will emerge and get to Joe Biden`s desk?

MATT K. LEWIS, THE DAILY BEAST SENIOR COLUMNIST: Well, I`m going to be a little bit optimistic. I think that there is a chance that we get something obviously, you know, even Donald Trump was able to do something on criminal justice reform, obviously, we need to do police reform. And I would actually love to end qualified immunity. I think that if you ended qualified immunity, and if you were to end police unions, you could go a long way toward fixing the problem that we have. So I`m going to hold out some hope. I think there`s more chance that we could do that in bipartisan fashion then some of the other things on the Democrats agenda, this term.

WILLIAMS: And Matt, while I have you, your party is getting so much attention, rightfully and taking so much heat for all these initiatives in so many states that are restricting voter rights. DeSantis in Florida is days away from signing the next one. And let me ask you this way. Are you comfortable with the party doing anything that doesn`t make voting as easy as possible? This follows an election where there was no provable fraud, because the rap on it is the Republicans will lose on an even playing field?

LEWIS: I`m so torn on this, because you`re right the motive of doing that, there really is not a big motive, right. I mean, the election, the 2020 election was not stolen. And so on that count, I don`t understand the -- what is the impetus for doing this? I mean, I guess there is a little bit of a cause for doing it right. And in some cases, because you had things like drop boxes that were short term, instituted because of COVID. And now there has to be like a maybe a long-term solution of what to do going forward.

But my guess is that this Florida bill, as far as I can tell, kind of reminds me of the Georgia Bill. I think people are probably going to be outraged about it. Probably call it Jim Crow 2.0 at least the case with the Georgia Bill. I think that that was overwrought. I understand why people though, having gone through what we just went through with Donald Trump would be skeptical of Republicans trying to make any changes.

The last point I would make, though, is I think Donald Trump won this vote in Florida at least, right? And so, if in fact, Republicans are trying to limit the ability of minorities to vote and disenfranchise people, that would be a pretty stupid thing to do, and it very well could end up backfiring on them, right? Because, you know, again, Donald Trump did pretty well with Hispanics in Florida.

WILLIAMS: I can`t see Brittany. I assume she has been nodding all along. That certainly is Matt, what a number of people have been saying looking on at all these initiatives state by state across the country. I`m going to ask the indulgence of both of our guests, sneak in a quick break.

When we come back, perhaps you`re old enough to remember when Republicans railed about big government spending, of course that was before Dr. Seuss.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WILLIAMS: Welcome back. So Rich Lowry of POLITICO is out with a new piece in POLITICO magazine that says Republicans have lost interest in fighting big spending and have instead become more focused on culture wars. He writes this in part quote, the culture-war issues hit close to the bone in a way that fiscal issues don`t. Conservatives worry about their free-speech rights getting trampled about schools distorting the minds of their children and about the country`s history getting redefined. And it`s hard to get them to care more about a balance sheet that may have deleterious consequences at some future date than those other more definitional questions.

Remaining with us are our guests Brittany Packnett Cunningham and Matt Lewis. And Matt, this goes to you and I owe, Brittany, response time coming out of it. This is bordering on obsession, is it though the politics of distraction?

LEWIS: I think this -- I`m going to put this on Donald Trump. Because, you know, 10 years ago, we were in a similar media environment that Republicans were obsessed with tea parties and budgets and all that.

Look, I think that culture war issues are important. Cancel culture, that`s an issue that concerns me. But I think that what`s happened is that Republicans have focused on it at the exclusion of everything else. And while we were worried about Dr. Seuss, Joe Biden came in and started rewriting the social contract in terms of the expectations of how citizens relate to the government.

That`s a big, big deal, right? It`s not just about good spending and debt and deficits and inflation, possibly, it`s about the idea about things like limited government. It speaks to this, you know, the Horatio Alger pull yourself up by the bootstraps, Ethos that once animated the American dream.

Republicans and Conservatives have essentially abandoned the entire idea of limited government and are chasing these like more sexy exciting "Fox News" stories. And I think this is actually just one of many areas where in the wake of Donald Trump Republicans have kind of just surrendered. What used to really be one-third of the conservative movement was fiscal conservatives, social conservatives, national security conservatives, one- third of it we don`t care about anymore, amazing.

WILLIAMS: Brittany, I didn`t mean to mistakenly imply your response, without hearing you out on Matt`s earlier point that and I`ll paraphrase it, that even in terms of marketing their brand, if you`re going to be the Republican Party that brags on how much your percentages were better in various minority communities, it makes little sense to decrease anyone`s ability to vote. So, you have the floor once again.

CUNNINGHAM: Well, I mean, this conversation on voting rights and this conversation on the culture war are deeply connected, because this attack on voting rights has little to do with the big lie, it has much more to do with those culture wars and with trying to maintain a level of GOP supremacy and power across this country.

I think the greatest example today of this culture war is the fact that all day across news channels and social media and podcast, people have been asking one question, is America racist? Which means that Tim Scott and the GOP have us right where they want us. They have us arguing with each other and fighting their culture war, instead of talking about how we`re going to solve our biggest problems. Look, is America racist? That question implies the indisputable facts about the existence and persistence of white supremacy and systemic racism in America is up for debate. And those facts are not up for debate.

My family certainly didn`t get those 40 acres and that mule. Plenty of cities like Flint still do not have their clean water. And black families are on track to have an average of zero wealth by 2053. You can look no further than the law that was just passed in Florida about voting rights to know that the racism and the systemic racism endemic in America is painstakingly true.

So, the question is not whether or not America is racist. The question is how much is America willing to invest in ending systemic racism? Tim Scott in the GOP would love for us not to focus on that question, because they think it`s too expensive. But if you ask the families of Asian folks in Atlanta, and black and brown folks who`ve been killed by police and the families of missing and murdered Indigenous women, I promise you, all of them will tell you that the cost of systemic racism is indeed what`s too high. And that`s the conversation we need to be having.

WILLIAMS: Brittany Packnett Cunningham with the last word. Our thanks to her and to Matt Lewis for staying up with us and joining us this Friday night, appreciate it folks, thank you very much.

Coming up for us, what number 46 has in common with 36. We will ask none other than Doris Kearns Goodwin when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNDON JOHNSON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This nation has experienced a profound shock. And in this critical moment, it is our duty yours and mine as the government of the United States to do away with uncertainty and doubt and delay and to show that we are capable of decisive action.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAMS: That`s indeed how it was done. LBJ just five days after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, he was later able to turn a national crisis into sweeping reforms. Our next guest points out President Biden has that same opportunity.

So back with us tonight is Doris Kearns Goodwin, presidential historian and author, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for History. She`s written bestsellers about both Roosevelt`s, the Kennedy`s, LBJ, and Lincoln. For starters, her latest work is the very pertinent, "Leadership in Turbulent Times." Doris, it`s terrific to have you.

The argument, well, it`s been a debate after the speech that wasn`t a State of the Union isn`t whether it is the most liberal and far reaching and ambitious legislative agenda in 50 years. The argument has been, is it Johnsonian or Rooseveltian? So, we figured you`ve written about both men, one of them, you worked for a new well, Lyndon Johnson, what was it to you?

DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: No. It seems to me that there really is a comparison between the scope of the ambitions that LBJ had with the Great Society and the ambitions and aspirations that Biden recommended in his first joint session of Congress speech.

In both men, it seems to me came into a crisis. We forget the profound crisis that faced us after the assassination of JFK. The country had no idea where it was coming from. It could be Russia or Cuba. There was a sense of paralysis. And he made the decision to make the civil rights bill passage, his number one priority. And he goes to the Congress to talk about that.

And as advisers say you can`t do this. It`s much too bold. You`ll never get it passed the Senate filibuster. You`ll be a failed president. The currency of the presidency should not be spent on this. And he famously said, then what the hell is the presidency for?

And so, they`re both men of Congress. In fact, Biden said, I`m so glad to be back here. And LBJ said, on this Hill, that was my home. I am stirred by old friendships. They both waited their whole life for this. And they both exhibited in the first 100 days, unexpected boldness about the role of government. So, I think there`s a real comparison in the aspirations of these two men.

WILLIAMS: Johnson, of course, had something like a 36-seat majority, some incredible number to deal with. And it was obviously in the vacuum of LBJ - - of JFK`s death, it was a different matter for him to get passage of what he wanted. You have a theory on Senates of the past, Senators of the past, and why we see little or no crossing over in the modern era to go vote with the other side, if you agree that it`s good for the country.

GOODWIN: Yes. You look back at the makeup of the Senate in those days when LBJ was trying to get bipartisanship. And a great majority of the senators had been in the war, either in World War II or the Korean War. So, they were veterans. They were used to having that common purpose that allows you to cross lines.

I mean, he never could have gotten the filibuster broken were not for the Republicans, because the Democratic Party is split in two. So we needed the Minority Leader Everett Dirksen. And he goes to him, you know, he says, Everett you bring some Republicans on this bill with me. And you`re going to remember 200 years from now like Abraham Lincoln. It`ll be Abraham Lincoln and Everett Dirksen. But 22, Republicans crossed the line to join those 44 Democrats and break the filibuster.

So there was a sense of wanting to do something for your country. I mean it`s not just nostalgia that was solved back then. And that made it much easier to get it done. And then once he runs for office, as you point out, and he wins on the role of government, that`s really what his mandate was looking for in 1964. And he had done well with the civil rights bill. He`d also gotten a tax bill through incredibly, in that day, it was a tax cut. That`s what Liberals before, Conservatives were against it.

So we`d been successful in that first period of time. He wins the landslide election. And then as you say, of course, he`s got a big majority. But even then he knows the window of opportunity is small. So he better operate right away. And he says to all his White House dep., get off your asses. I may lose this quickly, when there`s a narrow window here. So we got to get everything through. And by God he did, Medicare, Medicaid, aid to education, housing reform, immigration reform, voting rights, NPR, PBS, permanent landmarks honor, but then he lost seats in the midterm election in `66. The war was escalated, and that narrow opportunity was gone.

So I think Biden has that same sense of urgency right now. Do what we can while we have it.

WILLIAMS: Final question. Is it up to you historians to remember the appeasers? And by that, I mean, what we`ve just witnessed from virus deniers to those who were with the insurrectionists, to those Republicans who have used their public office to push in public out loud, Russian talking points inside our institutions.

GOODWIN: I mean, absolutely. There`s no question when historians look back at this period, what happened on January 6th, what`s happening with the virus not having become a shared purpose, but people denying that the virus is even the virus? I mean, those are facts that are going to be looked at with great disfavor by historians many, many years from now.

I wish I were one of them, looking back on it and seeing that, finally, we came together. We were able to beat this virus and help other countries, just the way as he said the arsenal of democracy could become the arsenal of vaccines. That`s my dream, as we did in World War II. And maybe we can do again with other countries, helping our technological breakthroughs to be shared by them.

WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think there`s a news media role in keeping the collaborators front and center as much as they want to try to change the past and the narrative.

Our thanks to the historian and author Doris Kearns Goodwin, always a pleasure. Great to see you. Someday, again, it`ll be in person.

Continued here:
Transcript: The 11th Hour with Brian Williams, 4/30/21 - MSNBC

It seems that the world is back to its good old Cold War shenanigans. Russia rapidly mobilizes its troops, the West and its allies scramble to ready what forces they can and Russia quickly withdraws those troops. This is precisely what happened near the Russo-Ukrainian border recently.

Russia sent a large number of troops to their border with Ukraine, which (understandably) alarmed the international community and sent it into a diplomatic frenzy. Russias excuse? The Russian Defense Minister said it was a snap drill to see if their military could defend the country. Ukraine is hardly a threat to Moscow when they are in a stalemate with Russia-backed separatists fighting in eastern Ukraine. Russias goal was to send a message. Prior to 2014, Ukraine had a president who maintained warm relations with Russia. In 2014, after violent protests, the then-President Yanukovych fled to Russia. Ever since then, Ukraine has sought closer relations with the transnational European Union and NATO, the American-led military alliance of Western countries.

Russia isnt the only country that has been testing its Western-aligned neighbors; China is doing the same in the Pacific. In recent years, China has ignored other countries territorial claims by building up islands across the entirety of the South China Sea. The most recent flashpoint in this conflict occurred near the Philippines after the Philippine Coast Guard found Chinese fishing boats in their waters, allegedly with militias on board. Chinese authorities denied this allegation, saying the boats were taking shelter from a storm. Territorial water disputes are nothing new to Southeast Asia. The South China Sea serves as an abundant source of fish and as a passageway for much of the worlds shipping. Tensions in the region ebb and flow over time as China targets one country to another, but they never completely go away.

The South China Sea is the most likely point of tension because almost all the countries in the region have competing territorial claims with each other. Aggressive clashes between countries are not uncommon; encounters range from ships following each other to ships ramming each other. It doesnt help that China claims the entire region based on maps from ancient times. With that logic, a quarter of the world would still be British territory, including parts of China. The Chinese Coast Guard has already been documented chasing fishing vessels away from areas that have traditionally been used. The ultimate goal of both China and Russia is to expand their territory so they are able to have a better international posture. Russia seized the Crimean peninsula in 2014, effectively cutting off the Ukrainian Navy from their own ships and ports. In the South China Sea, China has been creating artificial islands to build airfields and military bases on.

What inevitably comes with these shenanigans is panic. This includes, but is not limited to, countries regularly poking each other with bombs, general hysteria and demonization of an outside group and massive spending on defense. We will get into a weird culture war about how we are losing to them. We already are in the beginning of dumb culture wars to be honest, just tune into Fox News on any given day. In 1956, In God We Trust became the official motto of the country. It replaced the unofficial motto, E pluribus unum to counter the Godless Soviets. The motto change did little, however, to change how the country faced the Soviets. During WWI, anything that was remotely German was considered unpatriotic. Sauerkraut was renamed liberty cabbage and German language newspapers disappeared. The demonization of their heritage ended up convincing some German-Americans to later fight for Nazi Germany.

The difference between Russia, China and NATO-aligned countries is that leadership changes often in the West. In China and Russia, elections dont really happen. They are able to build out their game plan over a much longer period of time than democracies because they know that they will be in power for the foreseeable future. In the West, policy goals change with every election and subsequent new administration. There really is no solution to this dilemma other than to stare at each other and saber rattle, because, realistically, no one wants war. At least, not a direct war. Both sides will most likely support proxies that would be willing to fight over ocean territory because those proxies will also have interests in the territory, whether it be natural resources or simple pride. And so, the Cold War continues as the imperialist countries involved each sponsor a rooster in the coming cockfight. The notable difference between a cockfight and a real war, however, is that lives are at stake.

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The Cold War is Creeping Back The University News - The University News