Democrats are ramping up efforts to impeach President Trump for pressing the president of Ukraine to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Nearly 90% of House Democrats now support impeachment. On Thursday, a declassified version of a complaint by an anonymous whistleblower was released, detailing his concerns about Trump’s July phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky. In the complaint, the unnamed whistleblower — who has been identified as a CIA official — accused the president of “using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election.” The complaint also revealed details about how the White House attempted to “lock down” all records of Trump’s phone conversation with Zelensky by moving a transcript of the call to a standalone computer system reserved for codeword-level intelligence information. The whistleblower wrote in his complaint, “According to White House officials I spoke with, this was 'not the first time' under this Administration that a Presidential transcript was placed into this codeword-level system solely for the purpose of protecting politically sensitive — rather than national security sensitive — information.” For more on the unfolding scandal, we speak with James Risen, senior national security correspondent for The Intercept.
Virginia “Ginni" Ragan, who The Columbus Dispatch identified as the biggest state-level political donor of the last decade, gave $10,000 to Mike Duffey's Worthington City Council campaign in August, campaign finance reports show.
The donation is a staggering sum in a comparatively small-dollar race for a sleepy post on a city council. Excluding Ragan, the average contribution size for the race is $138, according to an analysis of campaign finance data; all but six of nearly 200 contributions to all candidates have been for sums of less than $1,000.
Duffey, a Republican, previously served on the Worthington council from 2005 to 2010 before serving four terms in the Ohio House of Representatives. He is now the senior vice chancellor at the Ohio Department of Higher Education.
In an email, he confirmed the contribution and noted that he thanked Ragan for it.
“She has supported me for many years now when I have run for various offices," he said.
Over the past 10 years from October 2011 to today, Ragan has contributed at least $1.24 million to state-level Ohio Republicans, not including contributions from members of her family or to federal candidates and committees, according to a search of state campaign finance records.
The Columbus Dispatch, analyzing a broader swath of records, found Ragan contributed $2.3 million to state-level Ohio Republicans over a 10-year period ending in March.
Ragan sits on the nominating council for the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, representing the Ohio Department of Aging. The council provides a shortlist of potential commissioners, from which the governor gets final say. She could not be reached for comment via emailed inquiries through PUCO or the Department of Aging.
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Ohio Capital Journal is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Ohio Capital Journal maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor David DeWitt for questions: info@ohiocapitaljournal.com. Follow Ohio Capital Journal on Facebook and Twitter.
Analysis finds COVID-19 was the leading cause of death in Arizona
More than 20,700 people have died from the virus since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. The report, by the Arizona Public Health Association, examined how those deaths compared to the 15 leading causes of death between March 17, 2020 — the date a state of emergency was declared because of COVID-19 — to Oct. 14, 2021.
The report compared that to mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control's Wonder Online Database in 2019, as detailed data for 2020 is still not available. The researchers noted that data for certain mortality rates have remained relatively constant over the past decade, the report states.
Heart disease has long been the top cause of death for Arizonans, taking the lives of over 12,500 Arizona residents in 2019, followed closely by cancer, which trailed heart disease by a mere 84 deaths.
COVID-19 cases reached their first peak in Arizona on June 29, when 5,480 cases were reported. Just a few weeks later on, July 17, Arizona would report its single highest reported death count for the virus at the time: 107 deaths.
As the summer months ended amid more mitigation measures implemented by Gov. Doug Ducey, cases fell and so did deaths. By October, cases began rising again, accelerating rapidly in November.
On Nov. 23, the state reported more than 6,000 cases, the most it had ever seen in a single day, and intensive care unit capacity was dwindling. The numbers then skyrocketed in December and early January, and the state repeatedly broke records for the number of confirmed cases and deaths:
- Nov. 30, 7,971 cases reported
- Dec. 21, 9,078 cases reported
- Dec. 28, 11,533 cases reported
- Jan. 4, 11,929 cases reported
- Dec. 10, 107 deaths reported
- Dec. 17, 130 deaths reported
- Jan. 5, 137 deaths reported
According to the research by APHA, Arizona's death rate is also much higher than some of it's similarly sized states.
Researchers compared Arizona to two different states that have similar population sizes: Colorado and Washington.
Washington has a population that is the most similar to Arizona, but researchers found the state had reported 8,234 deaths, only two-thirds of the number of deaths here. Colorado has about 1.5 million fewer people than Arizona, and saw only 7,917 COVID deaths during the same time frame.
Arizona, Colorado and Washington had similar rates for other causes of death.
“You can split hairs on the demographics, but the big differences are the policy changes," Will Humble, executive director of APHA and a former director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, told the Arizona Mirror when asked if comparing the states was a fair comparison.
Humble said that the report showed that Arizona's failure to enact tougher COVID-19 mitigation policies led the pandemic to be worse — and more people to die — than in Washington and Colorado. Both of those states enacted mandatory masking, and in Washington, all public employees are now mandated to get the vaccine.
“They have thoughtful governors who put forward evidence-based policies," Humble said.
Ducey's office did not respond to a request for comment.
Ducey's stance on masking has made him a target of political advocacy groups who have deemed him “anti-science" for his approach to the pandemic. Ducey has also continued to fight with cities and towns over their authority to mandate vaccines for workers, threatening contempt and legal charges.
“While we aren't in a position to review this report's methodology and thus comment on its assertions, we'll note that ADHS has consistently recommended that Arizonans use masks, distancing and other mitigation measures to protect themselves from COVID-19, as per CDC guidance," Steve Elliot, communications director for AzDHS said in a statement to the Mirror about the report.
“Arizona enacted strong measures involving high-risk businesses such as gyms, bars, movie theaters, and water parks. Bars that couldn't operate as dine-in restaurants had to remain closed until conditions warranted lifting those restrictions. Masks and occupancy restrictions were some of the mitigation measures required for these high-risk establishments, with ADHS maintaining a complaint and inspection system to follow-up on reports of noncompliance."
To Humble, the report he and his colleague authored proves a point. That COVID in Arizona will continue to spread to those who chose to not protect themselves and that mitigation measures are the best approach.
“The length of that line represents people that are no longer here," Humble said, referring to a red line in the report representing COVID deaths.
Arizona Mirror is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arizona Mirror maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jim Small for questions: info@azmirror.com. Follow Arizona Mirror on Facebook and Twitter.
Bolstering criticism of the few U.S. Senate Democrats who continue to impede key party priorities—including voting rights protections—by refusing to reform or abolish the filibuster, Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday signed "extremely gerrymandered" political maps that could help the GOP retain control of the state for another decade.
"It is a monumentally bad idea to let politicians draw their own district maps."
Abbott's approval of Texas' new congressional, legislative, and State Board of Education districts—which will be used for next year's elections if not blocked in court—comes just after U.S. Senate Republicans filibustered the Freedom to Vote Act.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), a key opponent of killing the filibuster, failed to win 10 GOP votes in favor of that compromise federal legislation, which he helped craft after Republicans repeatedly blocked the bolder For the People Act earlier this year.
"The inaction by corporate Democrats in the U.S. Senate encourages this behavior," the group People for Bernie said in response to Abbott's move Monday.
The inaction by corporate Democrats in the US Senate encourages this behavior. https://t.co/shCiRkcMlC— People for Bernie (@People for Bernie) 1635194237.0
Noting that the "rigged" Texas maps "consolidate white power as the white population is shrinking as a percentage of the state," journalist and voting rights expert Ari Berman wrote last week for Mother Jones:
This stranglehold on power will embolden Republicans to continue to pass extreme and unpopular policies, like the six-week abortion ban, permission to carry guns without a permit, and the sweeping voter suppression bill enacted in the last year.
Some of the most egregious examples of gerrymandering are achieved by targeting diverse communities and those who represent them.
Dismantling competitive districts in once-reliably Republican suburbs where Hispanic, Black, and Asian American voters are electing their preferred candidates or are on the verge of doing so is a defining feature of the new maps.
Common Cause Texas executive director Anthony Gutierrez noted in a statement Monday that redistricting intended to favor Republicans isn't new to the state.
"With his signature today, Gov. Abbott continues the shameful five-decade-long tradition of ramming through extremely gerrymandered maps in an undemocratic process," Gutierrez said. "These racially and partisan gerrymandered maps deny every voter in Texas from having an equal say in the issues we care about most, like a stronger economy, better schools, and affordable healthcare."
"None of the maps accurately reflect the changing population of our state. Instead, these maps are intentionally designed to silence Black and Brown voters from having a voice in our democracy and erase their representation in our government," he added. "This entire process served to remind us all as to why it is a monumentally bad idea to let politicians draw their own district maps."
Texas Republicans don’t want to compete for your vote. They’d rather gerrymander voting maps and pass voter suppre… https://t.co/ktffrlbXWx— Julián Castro (@Julián Castro) 1635201595.0
The maps were already being challenged in court before gaining approval from the governor, and another suit targeting the congressional boundaries was filed Monday by voters and Voto Latino with support from the National Redistricting Action Fund (NRAF), an affiliate of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee chaired by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.
"We simply cannot allow Gov. Abbott to deny Texans a free and fair election through these undemocratic, gerrymandered maps that fail spectacularly to represent the state's growing communities of color," said Holder. "Abbott is running away from a fair fight and is doing everything possible to avoid elections with a map that properly reflects Texas' significant demographic growth over the past decade. These communities deserve a new map that complies with the Voting Rights Act and puts power back in the hands of Texans."
🆕⚖️: @votolatino and voters sue Texas over new congressional map, claiming that it violates the Voting Rights Act.… https://t.co/IHwbLieAHa— Democracy Docket (@Democracy Docket) 1635195611.0
"The Texas GOP's efforts silence Latino voices through diminishing the power of their voting, packing and dividing them into convoluted district lines that lessen their representation, and making it harder to elect representatives of their choice," charged Voto Latino CEO María Teresa Kumar.
"Latino population growth was the primary factor in why Texas has been allotted two new congressional seats next cycle, yet these new redistricting lines are further evidence that Texas Republicans believe they can act with impunity in their crusade to suppress the vote," she said.
This is the first redistricting since the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act (VRA) in the 2013 case Shelby County v. Holder.
"Ten years ago, the Texas GOP would've needed 'pre-clearance' before these new voting maps could go into effect—same for its voter suppression measures," lawyer and MSNBC columnist Dean Obeidallah explained Monday. "But with that key part of the VRA gutted—and with a 6-to-3 Republican majority on the Supreme Court—the GOP is going full throttle in its efforts to maintain white supremacy."
TOMORROW: TX Congressional Members & #txlege State House leaders join for a virtual press conference to urge Senate… https://t.co/s9SiHrS8Kf— Texas House Democrats (@Texas House Democrats) 1635191908.0
The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would restore the pre-clearance provision of the VRA, as soon as this week, though Republicans are expected to block the House-approved bill, as they have done with other voting rights legislation this session.
Following the failure of the Freedom to Vote Act last week, President Joe Biden said during a televised town hall that "we're going to have to move to the point where we fundamentally alter the filibuster," confirming to host Anderson Cooper that he supported reforms to pass voting rights legislation "and maybe more."
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