WALKER ON THE VERGE OF DROPPING OUT OF GOP SENATE PRIMARY: A candidate seeking North Carolina's Republican U.S. Senate nomination for over a year says he'll now reveal whether he'll stay in the race. Former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker scheduled a Thursday evening announcement in Greensboro, much of which he represented in Congress for six years through 2020. Walker fell behind nomination rivals Ted Budd and former Gov. Pat McCrory in campaign fundraising in 2021. Budd — a current congressman — received President Donald Trump's endorsement in June. That's made it harder for Walker to win over Trump loyalists, especially among conservative Christians. Walker's campaign says he was offered the ex-president’s endorsement if he ran instead for a House seat in central North Carolina. The Trump effect: when a gun dealer steals the Christian vote from a Baptist Minister. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article257766498.html
BREYER TO RETIRE, BIDEN WILL CHOOSE BLACK WOMAN TO TAKE HIS PLACE: In what will be one of the most monumental endeavors of Joe Biden's presidency, the retirement of Stephen Breyer sets the stage for an immensely important decision by the President. Breyer's seat may be the only one that Biden fills on the Supreme Court, and it may not be one he fills at all -- if Republicans retake the Senate before the President's choice for a replacement is confirmed. On the campaign trail, Biden vowed to put a Black woman on the high court, which would be an historic first. A short list of potential nominees had been circulating Washington well before Breyer's retirement plans became public, and officials in the White House Counsel's office built files on various candidates in anticipation of a potential vacancy. Now, those efforts will ramp up significantly and the President will likely hold one on one meetings before announcing his pick. If Breyer's retirement stays on schedule, that will give six months for the current Senate to take care of this properly. https://www.wral.com/a-shortlist-of-potential-nominees-to-replace-breyer-on-the-supreme-court/20100278/
SCOTUS SHARPENS ITS KNIVES FOR AFFIRMATIVE ACTION: The U.S. Supreme Court will weigh in on whether colleges and universities can consider race in admissions as it agreed to hear a case brought by an anti-affirmative action group against UNC-Chapel Hill. The group, Students for Fair Admissions, alleges UNC-CH discriminated against white and Asian American applicants by using race as a factor in its undergraduate admissions process. The justices will also hear a similar case against Harvard University brought by the same group. The court consolidated the two cases Monday, allotting a total of one hour for oral arguments. The outcome of these cases could have sweeping implications for affirmative action in higher education and diversity of student bodies on campus. And with the court becoming more conservative in recent years, the fate of race-conscious admissions is in doubt. UNC-CH has defended its admissions process in this legal battle for several years. Funded by right-wing dark money, of course. Seven Degrees of Sarah Scaife. I need to take another shower. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article257655768.html
BIDEN'S COMPASSION AND CONCERN REPLACED SELFISHNESS AND CYNICISM: It is a tough job, being president amid an unprecedented pandemic and working to restore decorum and trust in a degraded institution. The presidency had come more to resemble the dishonesty of trashy reality television than the world’s most powerful voice for democracy. For the last year Biden’s been devoted to doing the job of president -- not shirking obligations or shifting responsibility. In the first year, Biden’s accomplishments have set the nation on a positive path as well as established a strong trajectory for unmet priorities and new initiatives for the coming three years. Biden has demonstrated genuine empathy to the challenges Americans face and works to uplift them as they struggle to cope. It’s not been an easy task to right the meandering and misguided course of Donald Trump’s presidency. And it's the main reason why right-wingers hate him so much; the contrast highlights just how bad a President Trump was. https://www.wral.com/editorial/20088695/
It's my general view that Democrats have a LOT of room for improvement when it comes to naming things. "Defund the police" is one of our most recent messaging fiascos, but it by no means stands alone.
One particularly annoying thing we do is sacrifice important words. For example, in a bizarre ironic twist, we've all but ceded the word "freedom" to GOP fascists.
I believe "freedom" should be a cornerstone of liberal messaging, including the freedom to bear arms. (As an aside, we will NOT win the war of words over 2nd Amendment rights. Stop talking about it.)
DELTA FLIGHT SLIDES OFF RDU RUNWAY DUE TO SNOW: The airfield at Raleigh-Durham International Airport reopened after being closed for a little more than an hour Friday night when a plane landed safely but rolled into mud while taxiing, the airport announced on Twitter. Delta Flight 5501 from Washington, D.C., landed safely and rolled off runway 5L/23R, an RDU spokesperson told The News & Observer. A total of 19 passengers were onboard, the spokesperson said, and no injuries were reported. All passengers were safely transported to Terminal 2, the spokesperson added. Airport crews removed snow from alternate runway 5R/23L, the spokesperson said. Runway 5L/23R remains closed while the aircraft is safely towed off the tarmac, the airport said. A total of 10 incoming flights had been diverted to other airports, and four were delayed, according to the airport’s website. I hate when that happens... https://www.newsobserver.com/news/weather-news/article257578408.html
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