In the Know: July 28, 2020

Days to the November Election:  98

2020 Election
US presidential election: Debate venue moved over Covid precautions, BBC News
Why Montana Is a Test Case for Democrats’ Winning the Senate, NY Times
100 days out, parties fear chaotic election, The Hill

Agriculture
Navajo Nation Sees Farming Renaissance During Coronavirus Pandemic, NPR
CROP PROGRESS REPORT BOOSTS CORN, BEAN RATINGS THREE POINTS, Successful Farming
Senate GOP unveils coronavirus relief package with $20B in ag aid, AgriPulse
USDA Not on Track to Hit $16 Billion in CFAP Payments, AgWeb
ND family rolls with the changes on its organic farm, INFORUM
Don’t plant these: Packages of mystery seeds arriving in Minnesota mailboxes, Star Tribune

Attorney General Keith Ellison
Prosecutors Want No Audio-Visual Coverage Of Cops’ Trials, Associated Press
Exxon Pushes Minnesota Climate Case from State to Federal Court, Bloomberg

Congressional News
‘It’s a tough hand’: Brutal year gets even worse for McConnell, Politico
Senate’s Covid-19 package tees up fight over Medicaid funding, hospital bailout, Politico
Big Tech antitrust hearing could be colossal — or mere theater, Roll Call
House sends four spending bills to Senate, defying Trump veto threat, Roll Call
How John Lewis Transformed American Politics, Politico

Dan Feehan, CD1 DFL Candidate
Feehan Holds Virtual Town Hall, KTOE

DFL Action Center
98 Days OUT – Let’s get to work!
If you’d like to help the DFL Party fight for criminal justice reform, better schools, wages, our environment, and health care, Click here to get more involved!

DFL News
Multiple Minnesota Republicans Compare Masks to Nazism, DFL.org

Donald Trump
Trump taps renegade retired colonel for Germany ambassador post, Politico
Trump’s vehicle emissions rollback faces EPA Inspector General probe, The Verge
Trump’s Biggest Problem Isn’t Wealthy Suburbanites. It’s the White Working Class, Politico
What the US exiting the Paris climate agreement means, The Guardian

Economy
How Labor Secretary Scalia Played Chicken With Meatpacking Workers’ Lives, Mother Jones
Activists are urging big brands to eradicate human rights abuse in Xinjiang from their supply chains, CNN
Remote work could widen disparities in the labor force, New York Times
I was an executive director of a nonprofit; now I’m looking at food stamps,Star Tribune

Environment
Environmental racism is killing Americans of color. Climate change will make it worse, The Guardian
Texas ranchers, activists and local officials are bracing for megadroughts brought by climate change, The Texas Tribune

Governor Tim Walz
Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz opens up about COVID-19 decisions, aftermath of George Floyd’s death, KSTP
It could take three weeks for Gov. Walz’s mask mandate to impact coronavirus case numbers, , Pioneer Press
July 27 update on COVID-19: Minnesota in ‘vulnerable state’ as cases climb, MPR
Inside the classroom during COVID-19, KARE 11

Health Care
Fauci rebukes Trump’s renewed push for ineffective Covid-19 treatment, Politico
COVID-19 vaccine testing now underway with 30,000 volunteers, CBS
Latest on COVID-19 in MN: State may ‘dial back’ if case climb continues, MPR

Immigration
China’s Muslim Uighurs Are Stuck in U.S. Immigration Limbo, Wall Street Journal
It’s now easier for immigrants to get benefits and become citizens using the USCIS website, Miami Herald
Pro-immigrant messages could move undecided voters in swing states, Politico

Joe Biden

Check out our brand new Biden for President merchandise in the DFL Store!
Click here to see our new shirts, signs, and stickers!

Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan
DFL Party Leaders Criticize Trump for Failing Indigenous People, Red Lake Nation

Minnesota News
Swastika video does not define us as a community, Marshall Independent
Minnesota’s mask mandate challenged last weekend, Star Tribune
Don’t plant these: Packages of mystery seeds arriving in Minnesota mailboxes, Star Tribune
July 27 update on COVID-19: Minnesota in ‘vulnerable state’ as cases climb, MPR News
Henderson holds out hope for flooding relief — as rivers continue to rise, MPR News
Mayo ranked nation’s No. 1 hospital by U.S. News & World Report, Rochester Post Bulletin
Plainview tabbed as hot spot for COVID-19, Rochester Post Bulletin

Minnesota State Legislature
Racism is here in Marshall, Marshall Independent

Representative Angie Craig (CD2)
Coronavirus Report: The Hill’s Steve Clemons interviews Rep. Angie Craig, The Hill
Congress Approves Rural Mental Health Bill as Part of Defense Authorization Legislation, Farm Bureau

Republicans
A stingy new GOP plan for unemployment benefits reflects Trump’s twisted vision, Washington Post
Hill Republicans begin jockeying for power in a possible post-Trump world, NBC News
Portland, polarization, and the crisis of the Republican Party, Vox

Republicans in Minnesota
Wabasha Republican account deleted, claims hack after Holocaust meme, City Pages
Minnesota Voters Alliance, Minnesota Republican Party file legal challenge to Ramsey County’s absentee ballot review process, Pioneer Press
MNGOP says concentration camp image from Wabasha Co. Republicans Facebook page was a ‘hack‘, KARE 11

Senator Amy Klobuchar
Klobuchar explains her new bill to Rolling Stone: ‘I don’t want to lose music in America,Star Tribune
Coronavirus crisis threatens internet opportunity for Native Americans, Reuters

Senator Tina Smith
Our View/Endorsement: Democrats can give health-minded Sen. Smith the nod in the primary, Duluth News Tribune

U.S. News
Congress pays respects to ‘revered and beloved’ John Lewis in a Rotunda memorial service like no other, Roll Call
Barr to Testify on Protest Response, Mueller Inquiry and Other Issues, New York Times
Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube scrub platforms of viral video making false coronavirus claims, CNN
Kentucky orders bars to close, restaurants to reduce indoor capacity, The Hill
Does extra $600 in federal jobless aid really discourage people from returning to work?, CBS News

Voter Protection
If you or someone you know has trouble registering to vote or casting a ballot, we encourage you to reach out to the DFL’s new Voter Protection Hotline at 833-DFL-VOTE (833-335-8683).

World News
Iran fires missile at mock aircraft carrier resembling U.S. warship, CBS News
Europe faces down a second coronavirus pandemic wave, NBC News
Australia Says Chinese Students Are Targets in ‘Virtual Kidnapping’ Scams, New York Times
Even countries that got coronavirus under control are now struggling. That’s deeply concerning for the rest of the world, CNN
India is blocking more apps in the wake of the TikTok ban, CNN

Upcoming DFL Events

With the COVID-19 situation, we suggest you check with the hosting organization to see if meetings, etc. are being held.

  • Today through August 10 — Primary Election Early Voting Window, more information here.
  • Today through August 11 — Window for Candidates to Register with State for City Offices with No Primaries to Register
  • July 29, 7:00 PM — CD3 Virtual Central Committee Meeting and Election of Directors, more information as it becomes available.
  • July 30, 7:00 PM — DFL Environmental Caucus Virtual Meeting with endorsed candidates, more information and RSVP here.
  • August 4, 7:00 to 8:30 PM — SD40 DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for specifics.
  • August 5
    • 6:30 to 8:30 PM — SD50 DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for meeting specifics
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD33 DFL Central Committee Meetings, contact them for specifics.
  • August 6, 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD46 DFL Central Virtual Central Committee Meeting, contact them for specifics.
  • August 10
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD44 DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for specifics
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD49 DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for specifics.
  • August 13
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD36 DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for specifics.
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — SD48 DFL Central Committee Meeting, contact them for specifics.
  • August 17
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — Anoka County DFL Meeting, contact them for specifics.
    • 8:00 to 10:00 PM — DNC Convention — A United America, more information as it becomes available.
  • August 18, 8:00 to 10:00 PM — DNC Convention — Steady Leadership
  • August 19
    • 7:00 to 9:00 PM — CD3 DFL Central Committee Meeting, tentative virtual meeting, specifics decided at July meeting
    • 8:00 to 10:00 PM — DNC Convention — A Future for All
  • August 20, 8:00 to 10:00 PM —DNC Convention — A New American Promise
  • August 29 — DFL State Central Virtual Meeting, this will be a full agenda meeting, more information as it becomes available.