Five Things to Know Today
— Publisher’s Note —
Good morning! Now that Trump’s so-called “executive orders” have been shown to be inadequate, unworkable, and/or illegal, attention has turned back to Congress. Will they get another relief bill passed that actually HELPS the people and governments that need it?
If they don’t, we are going to see a crisis turned into a catastrophe.
I could lay out all the bad pieces of the scenario, but you surely know most of them already. Let’s just say that if Washington doesn’t do something substantial, it would be worse than the Great Recession of 2008, and could approach Great Depression levels.
McConnell seems to have stepped out of the picture. So, watch what happens between the White House and the Democratic leadership in the House. If they can reach some sort of agreement that actually gets things done, we may be able to avert at least part of the catastrophe.
The shame, of course, is that it didn’t have to be this way. We could have contained the virus and then reopened our economy safely. Instead, we had Trump and his administration making things tremendously worse.
But, blame can be apportioned another day. (And it will need to be.) For now, let’s just hope that our government can get its act together and provide the relief needed.
Meanwhile, let’s do our part – Wear your mask, wash your hands, and take care of yourself. We’re going to get through this, together. #TeamKentucky
Bruce Maples, publisher
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Today’s Five Things to Know
8/10 update — Beshear recommends no in-person instruction in schools until Sept. 28
Saying it’s unsafe to have children in classes at the peak of a pandemic, Gov. Andy Beshear recommended Monday that Kentucky schools wait until Sept. 28 to start in-person instruction. He also updated guidance about bars and restaurants. (Forward Kentucky)
Cuomo, Beshear say Trump’s unemployment order won’t work
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo both say President Trump’s executive order requiring the states to pay 25 percent of an unemployment supplement of $400 per week is unworkable. (Forward Kentucky)
State receipts surprisingly strong in first month of fiscal year
State officials reported Monday that revenues for July, the first month of the 2021 fiscal year, were surprisingly strong, given the slowdown in consumer spending arising from the uncertainty of the novel coronavirus. (Forward Kentucky)
Kentucky congressman tests positive for coronavirus antibodies, plans to donate plasma
U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie said he is “convinced” he had it in January “before we knew what ‘Rona was” while Congress was adjourned for the holidays. (Courier-Journal)
McGrath ad uses GOP talking points to hit McConnell on China. He calls ad ‘racist.’
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s campaign is calling a television ad released by former Marine Corps pilot Amy McGrath racist. The ad uses Republican talking points to criticize McConnell for being soft on China.
The ad — which aired in response to a McConnell ad where he showed violent imagery from protests in Portland and accused McGrath of being unwilling to criticize protesters — begins by talking about McGrath’s service in the military, where she dropped bombs in the Middle East, before pivoting to McConnell’s ties to China.
“Why is he smiling? His trade deals made China richer, their military stronger. They’re spying on us and they didn’t stop the coronavirus,” a narrator says. “Oh and Mitch made millions from China. 36 years is long enough.” (Herald-Leader)
Recent Content on Forward Kentucky
[new] indicates item not in a Forward Five before
[new] Atlanta visits Breonna Square – a photo gallery – On Saturday, August 7, visitors from Atlanta came to Louisville to rally with our citizens at Breonna Square in downtown Louisville. Del Ramey was there and captured these photos, then later captioned them for us. Enjoy! (Media)
[new] Yarmuth issues statement on Trump exec orders, announces legislation – In response to President Trump’s one executive order and three memoranda, Congressman John Yarmuth (D-KY03) released a statement, and also introduced legislation related to Congress’s authority when it comes to appropriations. (News)
[new] Thomas Massie and The Swamp – Thomas Massie says he isn’t part of The Swamp in Washington. But is that correct? Christina Conover takes a look at Massie’s claim. (Commentary)
[new] How to build a “new normal” that is truly new – To have a “new normal” that is truly new, there are four things we must restore in this country. And a fifth that underlies them all. Ken Wolf lays them out for us. (Commentary)
8/9 update – Good and bad news; schools on agenda for Monday afternoon update – The good news is that Kentucky had fewer coronavirus cases in the reporting week that ended Sunday, Gov. Beshear said. The bad news is that the percentage of Kentuckians testing positive for the virus keeps rising. (News)
State Board of Elections ignores open government laws with election “task force” – The State Board of Elections never even considered that the formation of a “work group” to make recommendations for the general election triggered the requirements of the open meetings and open records laws. (Commentary)
The Incompetent Fascist: Trump’s ‘executive orders’ do the wrong things, illegally – Here’s an analysis of the four Trump executive orders (only one of which is actually an executive order) and what they REALLY do – none of which is what we actually NEED. (News Analysis)
KEA statement on reopening schools – The Kentucky Education Association issued a statement urging schools not to reopen to in-person classes until certain metrics are met, including the infection rate. (News)
Booker, Yarmuth issue statements endorsing McGrath – Both state Rep. Charles Booker and Congressman John Yarmuth issued statements on Friday endorsing Amy McGrath in her race against Senator Mitch McConnell. (News)
Mitch gets a motorized message: pass the HEROES Act – The Kentucky State AFL-CIO and other groups have often protested in front of Sen. Mitch McConnell’s office in downtown Louisville. But this was the first time they did so with a 40-vehicle caravan, complete with mobile digital billboard. (News)
Cuban community protest, Robert E. Lee statue in Murray, plus Bill Redwine interview – Stories this week: the reaction of the Cuban community to the Occupy NuLu protests, the Lee statue, the COVID-19 update, the state of the U.S. Senate race. Interview: Bill Redwine, Democratic candidate in the 99th District, Rocky Adkins’s old seat. (Podcast)
If Congress doesn’t act, the size of the coming eviction wave is simply mind-blowing – Unless the federal government invests in eviction prevention, we are not only risking widespread eviction and homelessness, we are guaranteeing negative health outcomes, greater unemployment, educational decline, and long-term harm for renters, property owners, and communities. (News)
ACLU settles social media lawsuit with governor’s office – After suing former governor Matt Bevin over his practice of blocking citizens from his social media accounts, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky has reached a settlement with current governor Andy Beshear. (News)
