Summary
- One of Andrew Cuomo’s accusers called for his impeachment, after an investigation concluded the New York governor had sexually harassed at least 11 women. Charlotte Bennett, a former Cuomo aide whose allegations were substantiated by investigators, said the state Assembly should move as quickly as possible to impeach the governor. “We have a report. We have the facts,” Bennett told CBS News. “And if he’s not willing to step down, then we have a responsibility to act and impeach him.”
- A majority of New York state Assembly members support starting impeachment proceedings against Cuomo if he refuses to resign, according to a count conducted by the AP. A simple majority of members is required to start an impeachment trial, and it would then take a two-thirds majority of state senators and appeals court judges to convict Cuomo and remove him from office.
- Nearly 6 in 10 New Yorkers believe Cuomo should resign, according to a new poll. The Marist poll found that 59% of New Yorkers, including 52% of registered Democrats, say Cuomo should step down. An identical number of New Yorkers, 59%, support the state Assembly impeaching Cuomo if he refuses to resign.
- Three more local New York prosecutors are requesting to see the evidence against Cuomo. The district attorneys of Manhattan, Westchester and Nassau counties are in contact with New York attorney general Letitia James’ office about obtaining the records gathered by investigators. The district attorney of Albany county has already said there’s an ongoing criminal investigation into Cuomo’s conduct.
- The World Health Organization is calling for a moratorium on coronavirus vaccine boosters through the end of next month. The WHO director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, argued the moratorium was necessary “to enable at least 10% of the population of every country to be vaccinated” before boosters added more pressure on global vaccine supply.
- The Biden administration is considering mandating vaccinations for foreign visitors, per multiple reports. Officials aren’t likely to amend current travel restrictions anytime soon, given the spread of the Delta variant, CNN reported. But they are in the early stages of planning vaccine requirements for foreign nationals visiting the US.
- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is likely seeking to make coronavirus vaccines mandatory for active-duty troops, per multiple reports. Military officials told the New York Times that Austin will decide within the next few days on the matter. Joe Biden last week announced that all federal employees must either get vaccinated or take regular Covid-19 tests. The order was also extended to the hundreds of thousands of civilians working for the defense department – but a requirement is not yet in place for active-duty members.
– Joan E Greve and Maanvi Singh
The Biden administration is considering mandating vaccinations for foreign visitors, per multiple reports.
Officials aren’t likely to amend current travel restrictions anytime soon, given the spread of the Delta variant, CNN reported. But they are in the early stages of planning vaccine requirements for foreign nationals visiting the US.
Reuters reports:
The administration is developing a plan to require nearly all foreign visitors to the United States to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as part of eventually lifting travel restrictions that bar much of the world from entering the United States, a White House official told Reuters on Wednesday.
The White House wants to re-open travel, which would boost business for the airlines and tourism industry, but is not ready to immediately lift restrictions because of the rising COVID-19 case load and highly transmissible COVID-19 Delta variant, the official said.
The Biden administration has interagency working groups working “to have a new system ready for when we can reopen travel,” the official said, adding it includes “a phased approach that over time will mean, with limited exceptions, that foreign nationals traveling to the United States (from all countries) need to be fully vaccinated.”
The extraordinary U.S. travel restrictions were first imposed on China in January 2020 to address the spread of COVID-19. Numerous other countries have been added, most recently India in May.
Rare California water restrictions hit farmers amid dire shortages
Dani Anguiano and agencies:
Faced with dire water shortages and a severe drought, California has moved to enact emergency restrictions that will prevent thousands of farmers and landowners from using water drawn from an enormous system of streams and rivers that services nearly two-thirds of the state.
Regulators on the water resources control board, which oversees the allocation of the state’s water, voted unanimously on Tuesday to stop diversions from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a vast watershed sprawling from Fresno to the Oregon border. This unprecedented action will primarily affect those using water for agricultural irrigation purposes, the Los Angeles Times reported. The restrictions will force some farmers to rely on alternative supplies, such as groundwater wells. But the timing of the order, which will take effect in two weeks, could spare many growers from hardship as the greatest agricultural demand on the watershed tends to fall in late spring and summer, the newspaper said.
“This decision is not about prioritizing one group over the other, but about preserving the watershed for all,” said E Joaquin Esquivel, the board chair.
Drought has ravaged California, and the US west more broadly, leaving reservoirs dangerously low, putting pressure on the state’s agricultural industry, and threatening the power supply from hydroelectric plants. Most people in the state are now living under a drought emergency declaration. The state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, recently asked residents to cut water use by 15%.
Earlier this week, the state took similar action to protect fragile water supplies. Authorities on Monday ordered a stop to water diversions from the Russian River in northern California.
Read more:
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is likely seeking to make coronavirus vaccines mandatory for active-duty troops, per multiple reports.
A defense official told CNN that Austin has an “inclination is towards making the Covid-19 vaccine mandatory”. Military officials told the New York Times that Austin will decide within the next few days on the matter.
Joe Biden last week announced that all federal employees must either get vaccinated or take regular Covid-19 tests. The order was also extended to the hundreds of thousands of civilians working for the defense department – but a requirement is not yet in place for active-duty members.
According to the Pentagon, 28 service members have died of Covid-19 so far. The majority of troops may have been saved because they are relatively young and healthy compared to the general US population. However, as the Delta variant spreads, officials have been increasingly interested in mandating vaccines.
About half the US armed forces are already fully vaccinated. Rates are highest among the Navy: 73% are vaccinated.
Updated
Mexico sues US gunmakers in unprecedented bid to stop weapons crossing border
The Mexican government has launched legal action against US gunmakers in an unprecedented attempt to halt the flow of guns across the border, where US-made weapons are routinely used in cartel gun-battles, terror attacks on civilians – and increasingly to challenge the state itself.
The Mexican government is suing six gunmakers in a Massachusetts court, alleging negligence in their failure to control their distributors and that the illegal market in Mexico “has been their economic lifeblood”.
Announcing the suit on Wednesday, foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard alleged that units of Smith & Wesson, Barrett Firearms, Colt’s Manufacturing Company, Glock and Sturm, Ruger have catered to the tastes and needs of Mexican drug cartels and depend on illegal Mexican sales to boost their bottom lines.
The lawsuit alleges that gun companies openly pandered to Mexican criminals, citing Colt’s special edition .38 pistol, engraved with an image of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata. One such weapon was used in the 2017 murder of Chihuahua journalist Miroslava Breach, who investigated links between politicians and organized crime and was shot dead while taking her son to school.
“We’re going to litigate in all seriousness and we’re going to win at trial and we’re going to drastically reduce the illegal weapons trafficking to Mexico, which cannot remain unpunished with respect to those who produce, promote and encourage this trafficking from the United States,” Ebrard said.
“The companies must immediately stop negligent practices, which cause damage in Mexico and cause deaths in Mexico.”
Read more:
Updated
$5,800 whisky bottle given to Pompeo as gift missing, state department says
AP in Washington:
The state department has said that it is looking into the apparent disappearance of a nearly $6,000 bottle of whisky given more than two years ago to then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo by the government of Japan.
In a notice filed in the federal register, the department said it could find no trace of the bottle’s whereabouts and that there is an “ongoing inquiry” into what happened to the booze. The department reported the investigation in its annual accounting of gifts given to senior US officials by foreign governments and leaders.
The department’s office of protocol is required to record gifts given to US officials and keep track of their disposition. Recipients have the option of turning gifts of a certain value over to the National Archives or another government entity or purchasing them for personal use by reimbursing the treasury department for their value.
The Japanese whisky was valued at $5,800 and was presented to Pompeo in June 2019, presumably when he visited the country that month for a Group of 20 summit that was also attended by President Donald Trump. But unlike other gifts, the department said there was no record of what had become of the bottle.
“The department is looking into the matter and has an ongoing inquiry,” it said in the federal register notice. The notice offered no additional detail. A spokesman for Pompeo could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.
The whisky matter came to light in the state department’s annual accounting of gifts given to senior US officials by foreign governments and leaders.
Read more:
Today so far
That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over the blog for the next few hours.
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- One of Andrew Cuomo’s accusers called for his impeachment, after an investigation concluded the New York governor had sexually harassed at least 11 women. Charlotte Bennett, a former Cuomo aide whose allegations were substantiated by investigators, said the state Assembly should move as quickly as possible to impeach the governor. “We have a report. We have the facts,” Bennett told CBS News. “And if he’s not willing to step down, then we have a responsibility to act and impeach him.”
- A majority of New York state Assembly members support starting impeachment proceedings against Cuomo if he refuses to resign, according to a count conducted by the AP. A simple majority of members is required to start an impeachment trial, and it would then take a two-thirds majority of state senators and appeals court judges to convict Cuomo and remove him from office.
- Nearly 6 in 10 New Yorkers believe Cuomo should resign, according to a new poll. The Marist poll found that 59% of New Yorkers, including 52% of registered Democrats, say Cuomo should step down. An identical number of New Yorkers, 59%, support the state Assembly impeaching Cuomo if he refuses to resign.
- Three more local New York prosecutors are requesting to see the evidence against Cuomo. The district attorneys of Manhattan, Westchester and Nassau counties are in contact with New York attorney general Letitia James’ office about obtaining the records gathered by investigators. The district attorney of Albany county has already said there’s an ongoing criminal investigation into Cuomo’s conduct.
- The World Health Organization is calling for a moratorium on coronavirus vaccine boosters through the end of next month. The WHO director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, argued the moratorium was necessary “to enable at least 10% of the population of every country to be vaccinated” before boosters added more pressure on global vaccine supply.
Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Advocates for women and survivors of sexual assault and harassment called for New York governor Andrew Cuomo’s immediate resignation after a state investigation released on Tuesday said he sexually harassed 11 women.
The investigation found that Cuomo’s administration created a “climate of fear” at the workplace and violated federal and state civil laws. Cuomo has denied the allegations and on Tuesday appeared to resist calls to step down.
The 165-page report from the New York attorney general, Letitia James, will likely play a crucial role in the state assembly’s impeachment inquiry. Advocates said they supported the inquiry but hoped for swifter action.
The leaders of me too. International, said that Cuomo’s continued denial of the allegations “is unacceptable and robs survivors of the justice they deserve” and called for the governor’s resignation.
“This moment is larger than Governor Cuomo,” the organization’s executive director, Tarana Burke, and CEO, Dani Ayers, said in a statement. “It’s about the culture of impunity that leaders like him rely on after they’ve committed harm. This is about disrupting toxic work environments that maintain dominance, fear and control at the expense of safety, agency and consent.”
Read the full report:
Majority of NY Assembly members support impeaching Cuomo if he doesn't resign - report
A majority of members in the New York state Assembly support starting impeachment proceedings against governor Andrew Cuomo if he continues to refuse to resign, an AP count found.
The AP reports:
At least 82 of the body’s 150 members have said publicly or told The AP that they favored initiating the process of ousting the third-term Democratic governor if he doesn’t quit. A simple majority of Assembly members is needed to authorize an impeachment trial. ...
Assembly Democrats, who lead the chamber, debated virtually for hours Tuesday about whether to impeach the governor now, wait to see whether he resigns, or give the Assembly Judiciary Committee time to wrap up its wide-ranging investigation into topics from sexual misconduct to the Cuomo administration’s monthslong obfuscation of the total number of nursing home residents who died from COVID-19.
At least 40 of the Assembly members who say they are ready to start impeachment proceedings are Democrats. ...
If the Assembly votes to impeach Cuomo, the state Senate could launch an impeachment trial ‘in weeks,’ Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris told The Associated Press.
If the state Assembly votes to impeach Cuomo, the case would then be taken up by a high court of impeachment, which would consist of 62 state senators and the seven members of the New York court of appeals.
The high court would hear the case, and if two thirds of the court votes to convict Cuomo, he would be removed from office and replaced by lieutenant governor Kathy Hochul.
Updated
Taking a stand against Donald Trump is guaranteed to bring Republicans online abuse, primary election challengers and barbs from the former US president himself. But it is also proving lucrative as donors scramble to breathe life into the anti-Trump resistance.
Liz Cheney, a Republican congresswoman from Wyoming and leading Trump critic, enjoyed her second consecutive record fundraising quarter with $1.88m from April to June, according to financial reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. She had raised $1.54m in the first three months of the year.
Adam Kinzinger, an Illinois congressman who defied party leaders by joining Cheney on the House of Representatives select committee investigating the 6 January insurrection, raised almost $2m in the second quarter, while his political action committee (Pac) took in $1.5m-plus.
And Americans Keeping Country First, which describes itself as the “only Super Pac dedicated solely to defending the members of Congress who took votes of conscience to impeach or convict President Trump” after the US Capitol riot, reported $525,000 in income through the end of June.
The hefty fundraising numbers suggest that, while Trump retains an iron grip on the Republican party, there is still significant money behind efforts to wrest it free from the man who was twice impeached and lost the House, Senate and White House.
Read the full report:
MTG is going to Iowa: according to Bloomberg News, far-right congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is planning a trip to the Iowa State Fair, an event frequently attended by prospective presidential candidates.
Bloomberg reports:
It’s not yet clear whether Greene will speak at the event on Aug. 19 or just attend it. The Des Moines Register this year isn’t planning to organize a Soap Box, which politicians in the past have used to raise their profiles for a national campaign.
Greene has caused a number of controversies both before and since taking office that could severely impact her hopes of winning a Republican presidential primary.
Most recently, Greene was widely condemned for comparing coronavirus-related public health guidance to the treatment of Jewish people during the Holocaust, which resulted in the murder of six million Jews.
House members also voted to remove Greene from her committee assignments earlier this year due to her past racist and extremist statements.
Maya Yang reports for the Guardian:
CNN host Chris Cuomo has once again been thrust in the spotlight after a bombshell report released on Tuesday by New York attorney general Letitia James detailed multiple instances of sexual harassment and nonconsensual touching by his brother Andrew Cuomo, the New York governor.
The report sheds light on new details surrounding Chris Cuomo’s involvement in managing his brother’s response, earlier this year, to the sexual harassment scandal.
“Chris wants to make sure we have enough contrition here,” political consultant Lis Smith wrote in a chain of messages to other Cuomo allies in February.
Chris Cuomo was also copied on a series of emails from Governor Cuomo’s communication director and chief of staff on how to handle the sexual allegations made by Charlotte Bennett, a former aide to Andrew Cuomo.
Chris Cuomo also appeared to draft a statement for his brother, writing, among other contritions: “I never intended to offend anyone or cause any harm … My only desire is to add some levity and banter to what is a very serious business.”
On Tuesday night, on his primetime show, Chris Cuomo did not mention the report or its findings.
In a surprise addition to the president’s schedule, Joe Biden has made a stop at Plumbers & Gasfitters Local 5’s training facility in Lanham, Maryland.
“At the Local 5 Training Facility, the President will meet with trainers and apprentices, as well as union members from the United Association,” the White House said.
“The President will tour the training facility across three stops: the sand training station, the welding station, and the final assembly station. He will discuss how his Build Back Better agenda prioritizes investing in America’s workers and creating good-paying, high-skill, union jobs across the country.”
The visit comes as the Senate tries to finalize the details of the $1tn bipartisan infrastructure bill, which Biden will likely pitch at the training facility.
.@POTUS observes as apprentices learn at a union plumbing and gas-fitting training center. pic.twitter.com/7srAbCK7Zb
— Jeff Mason (@jeffmason1) August 4, 2021
More criminal prosecutors request to see the evidence against Cuomo
The district attorneys of Manhattan and Westchester and Nassau counties are in contact with New York state attorney general Letitia James’s office to begin the process of obtaining and reviewing the evidence against governor Andrew Cuomo with a view to any criminal charges.
Yesterday, shortly after James revealed the findings of her team’s five-month investigation into Cuomo which concluded that he had sexually harassed 11 women, David Soares, the district attorney of Albany county - where the state legislative assembly and Cuomo’s main workplace are located - announced he was requesting to see the evidence.
Today, he’s been joined by three other local prosecutors from other parts of New York state, which would relate to the places where alleged offenses by Cuomo took place.
The team of Cyrus Vance, the district attorney of the New York City borough of Manhattan, has begun the process “to begin requesting investigative materials in their possession pertaining to incidents that occurred in Manhattan,” spokesman Danny Frost said in a statement this morning.
To the north of New York City, Westchester county district attorney Miriam Rocah told the Reuters news agency that her office similarly had requested from James “investigative materials” relating to a complaint made by a woman identified in the report as a state trooper who told investigators that some of Cuomo’s alleged conduct occurred in the county.
And just to the east of the city, on Long Island, Nassau County’s acting district attorney Joyce Smith told The Associated Press that: “We are reviewing the deeply disturbing findings.” She pledged her office would “thoroughly and expeditiously investigate any potential crimes” that happened there.
When she announced her investigation’s findings yesterday, James said Cuomo had “violated federal and state laws”. She was referring to civil laws against offenses relating to workplace harassment, bullying and retaliation.
In a decision which puzzled some, she did not specifically refer her report to prosecutors and said the job of her office was done and indicated that effectively it was up to them if they wanted to look into criminal prosecution. Clearly the DAs didn’t need the prompt and it will remain to be seen if any decides that the evidence warrants charges relating to sexual assault.
Updated
Joe Biden sent his birthday wishes to Barack Obama, as the former president turns 60 years old today.
“Happy birthday, @BarackObama. I’m proud to call you a brother and a friend — and I’m grateful for your selfless service to this nation,” the current president said on Twitter.
Happy birthday, @BarackObama. I’m proud to call you a brother and a friend — and I’m grateful for your selfless service to this nation. pic.twitter.com/jZ9XnX2Dxt
— President Biden (@POTUS) August 4, 2021
Obama had planned a large birthday party on Martha’s Vineyard, where about 700 guests, including Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney, were expected to attend the big bash.
But the event has been significantly scaled back due to the rising number of coronavirus cases as the Delta variant continues to spread across the country. The Guardian’s Amanda Holpuch has more details:
Jen Psaki was asked about Joe Biden’s comments on the new pandemic-related eviction moratorium, after the president suggested the policy would not likely “pass constitutional muster”.
“The president would not have supported moving forward if he did not support the legal justification,” Psaki said. “He is old school in that way.”
But Biden suggested otherwise yesterday, just before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that it was instituting a new 60-day eviction moratorium in areas with high levels of coronavirus spread, which covers about 90% of the country.
Shortly before the CDC made its announcement, Biden was asked whether he was confident the moratorium would stand in court, considering the supreme court previously said that congressional authorization would be required to extend the existing moratorium.
“The bulk of the constitutional scholarship says that it’s not likely to pass constitutional muster,” Biden replied. “But there are several key scholars who think that it may and it’s worth the effort.”
Some progressive lawmakers criticized Biden for his comments, accusing him of undermining a much-needed policy that could protect millions of Americans from eviction.
A reporter asked Jen Psaki about the White House’s response to the World Health Organization calling for a moratorium on coronavirus vaccine boosters until more first doses are administered in low-income countries.
The press secretary argued the WHO was presenting a “false choice” between administering boosters and delivering vaccine doses to low-income nations.
Noting that the Biden administration has now delivered more than 110 million vaccine doses abroad, Psaki said the US also has enough doses for boosters if they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
“We believe we can do both, and we don’t need to make that choice,” Psaki said.
Biden believes Cuomo 'should do the right thing' and resign, White House says
Joe Biden has not spoken to Andrew Cuomo since investigators announced their findings that the New York governor sexually harassed at least 11 women, Jen Psaki said.
The White House press secretary told reporters that she was “not aware of” any conversations between Cuomo’s staffers and administration officials.
Asked when Biden last spoke to Cuomo, Psaki replied, “I would have to check on that.”
On whether Gov. Andrew Cuomo should be impeached if he refuses to resign, White House press sec. Jen Psaki says, “The president believes Gov. Cuomo should do the right thing—resign—and leave space for future leadership in New York.” https://t.co/xWtEUOW409 pic.twitter.com/W147h8TpS3
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) August 4, 2021
An AP reporter then pressed Psaki on whether Biden believes the New York Assembly should impeach Cuomo if he continues to refuse to resign.
“The president made clear yesterday that Governor Cuomo should resign, and I believe we should start with that,” Psaki said. “There’s obviously a process that’s going to proceed, and leaders in New York spoke to that yesterday.
“We will leave it to them to speak to that, but the president believes Governor Cuomo should do the right thing, resign and leave space for future leadership in New York.”
Asked whether the White House has confidence in Cuomo to continue leading New York as the state fights a rise in coronavirus cases, Psaki said, “We do not want the people of New York to be impacted in a negative way as they’re working to fight Covid. And we’re going to continue to work with the administration in New York, with leaders in New York to continue to fight Covid. That will continue, and obviously if leadership changes in the state, we will work with a different leader.”
Updated
The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, is now holding her daily briefing with reporters, and she started her remarks by mourning the loss of Pentagon police officer George Gonzalez.
Gonzalez was fatally stabbed at the Pentagon Metro station yesterday by a suspect who was then shot and killed. Gonzalez was a veteran who previously won the Army Commendation Medal for his service in Iraq.
Psaki said that Gonzalez’s life was “one of service”. “He lost his life protecting those who protect the country,” Psaki said, offering the White House’s condolences to the officer’s loved ones.
Today so far
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- One of Andrew Cuomo’s accusers called for his impeachment, after an investigation concluded the New York governor had sexually harassed at least 11 women. Charlotte Bennett, a former Cuomo aide whose allegations were substantiated by investigators, said the state Assembly should move as quickly as possible to impeach the governor. “We have a report. We have the facts,” Bennett told CBS News. “And if he’s not willing to step down, then we have a responsibility to act and impeach him.”
- Nearly 6 in 10 New Yorkers believe Cuomo should resign, according to a new poll. The Marist poll found that 59% of New Yorkers, including 52% of registered Democrats, say Cuomo should step down. An identical number of New Yorkers, 59%, support the state Assembly impeaching Cuomo if he refuses to resign.
-
The World Health Organization is calling for a moratorium on coronavirus vaccine boosters through the end of next month. The WHO director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, argued the moratorium was necessary “to enable at least 10% of the population of every country to be vaccinated” before boosters added more pressure on global vaccine supply.
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
WHO calls for moratorium on vaccine boosters to speed up global first doses
Mattha Busby reports for the Guardian:
The World Health Organization’s head, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has said the WHO is calling for a moratorium on Covid-19 vaccine boosters until at least the end of September.
He said the move was to enable that at least 10% of the population of every country was vaccinated, while WHO officials have also said it is not proven that giving booster shots to people who have already received two vaccine doses is effective.
Tedros said:
While hundreds of millions of people are still waiting for their first dose, some rich countries are moving towards booster doses. So far, more than 4bn Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered globally. More than 80% have gone to high- and upper-middle income countries, even though they account for less than half of the world’s population.
Accordingly, WHO is calling for a moratorium on boosters until at least the end of September, to enable at least 10% of the population of every country to be vaccinated. To make that happen, we need everyone’s cooperation, especially the handful of countries and companies that control the global supply of vaccines.
Last week, Israeli president Isaac Herzog received a third shot of coronavirus vaccine, kicking off a campaign to give booster doses to people aged over 60 amid waning efficacy of the jabs. France, Germany and many Middle Eastern countries are also to start administering booster shots.
Read more on the Guardian’s coronavirus live blog:
Republican congresswoman Julia Letlow, who lost her husband to coronavirus, is encouraging her constituents to get vaccinated.
In an interview with CBS News, Letlow recounted how her husband, Luke Letlow, contracted coronavirus late last year. His illness developed into pneumonia, which severely damaged his lungs and ultimately took his life.
“I had prayed for weeks prior about the possibility of the vaccine, and we were so excited that it was coming out and that it was going to be widely available,” Letlow said. “And he missed it by two weeks.”
We have the answer to COVID-19. This vaccine can not only save your life but also the life of those you love. My prayer is that not one more person loses their life to this virus.
— Congresswoman Julia Letlow (@repjulialetlow) August 4, 2021
Thanks to @DavidBegnaud and @CBSThisMorning for coming to Start to tell our family’s story. https://t.co/TnIALFaJDx
At the time of his death, Letlow was a congressman-elect who was expected to be sworn in just days later. Julia Letlow later won a special election to fill her husband’s seat representing Louisiana’s 5th congressional district.
Now, Louisiana is in the throes of its worst case surge yet, while just 37.1% of the state is fully vaccinated. The Democratic governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards, has issued an indoor mask mandate as he urges his constituents to get the vaccine.
Letlow is telling Luke’s story to encourage Louisianans to get vaccinated, saying it is “heartbreaking” to see people refusing to take advantage of this potentially life-saving medicine.
“I would have given anything, I would have given everything for that shot to be available to us,” Letlow said. “We have the answer. Let’s use it.”
Updated
Nearly 6 in 10 New Yorkers say Cuomo should resign, poll finds
Nearly 6 in 10 New Yorkers believe governor Andrew Cuomo should resign after an investigation concluded he had sexually harassed at least 11 women, according to a new poll.
The Marist poll found that 59% of New Yorkers, including 52% of registered Democrats, say Cuomo should step down. An identical number of New Yorkers, 59%, support the state Assembly impeaching Cuomo if he refuses to resign.
The survey, which was taken last night after the investigation’s findings were revealed, also showed that 44% of New Yorkers believe Cuomo did something illegal. Another 29% think he did something unethical but not illegal.
And even if Cuomo does somehow manage to finish out his term, the chances of him being reelected seem slim to none. Only 11% of New Yorkers think Cuomo deserves to be reelected, while 78% say it’s time for a new governor.
As of now, Cuomo has given no indication he plans to resign. The poll’s findings underscore the significant challenges that the governor will face as he tries to hold on to his post.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki wished a happy birthday to her former boss, Barack Obama, who turns 60 years old today.
“I guess my former boss @BarackObama turning 60, means I have to accept I am older than 28 at this point (the age I was when I started working for him) Happy Birthday @BarackObama. Thanks for everything you have done to make this country better,” Psaki said on Twitter.
Psaki held a number of jobs working for Obama, serving as his traveling press secretary during the 2008 campaign and ultimately becoming his communications director for his final years in the White House.
I guess my former boss @BarackObama turning 60, means I have to accept I am older than 28 at this point (the age I was when I started working for him) Happy Birthday @BarackObama. Thanks for everything you have done to make this country better.
— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) August 4, 2021
Barack Obama is scaling back the big bash planned for his 60th birthday because of concerns about the national rise in Covid-19 cases, a spokesperson said on Wednesday.
“Due to the new spread of the Delta variant over the past week, the president and Mrs Obama have decided to significantly scale back the event to include only family and close friends,” Hannah Hankins, a spokesperson for the former president, said in a statement. “He’s appreciative of others sending their birthday wishes from afar and looks forward to seeing people soon.”
About 700 people, including Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney, were expected to gather this weekend at the former president’s mansion on Martha’s Vineyard, an island in Massachusetts.
David Axelrod, a former top Obama adviser, told the New York Times that guests were asked if they were vaccinated and to provide the results of a Covid-19 test close to the event.
But in the past two weeks, the White House and local governments have been adjusting Covid-19 guidance on masks and gatherings as cases of infections rise in every state.
Updated
Trump lawyers seek to block House Democrats' access to tax returns
Lawyers for Donald Trump are seeking to block the House ways and means committee from accessing the former president’s tax returns.
In a new court filing, Trump’s legal team argued that the request for his financial records should not be respected because it was politically motivated.
“While House Democrats had offered countless justifications for obtaining the President’s tax returns, no one at the time had ever mentioned a desire to find out how the IRS audits Presidents,” the filing says.
The filing comes a week after the justice department ordered the IRS to deliver the records to the House committee, saying members had “invoked sufficient reasons” for requesting them.
Trump has fought for years to keep his tax returns from public view, claiming an ongoing audit prevents him from doing so, although many tax experts have disputed that.
The New York Times previously obtained some of the financial records, which showed Trump paid almost nothing in federal income taxes in the years before he entered the White House.
Here’s our story from last week on the justice department’s decision:
Updated
And in another Ohio race, Donald Trump was spared fresh political embarrassment on Tuesday when his favoured candidate won a Republican primary.
The coal lobbyist Mike Carey, endorsed by the former president, defeated both Ron Hood and Jeff LaRe by about 24 points in the state’s 15th congressional district.
“Great Republican win for Mike Carey,” Trump said in an emailed statement. “Big numbers! Thank you to Ohio and all of our wonderful American patriots. Congratulations to Mike and his family. He will never let you down!”
The special election to replace Steve Stivers, who quit Congress to work in the private sector, had been billed as the latest test of the former president’s sway as a kingmaker among Republicans.
The primary field consisted of 11 contenders, some with more legislative experience and name recognition among conservatives than Carey.
Shontel Brown defeats progressive Nina Turner in Ohio primary
In case you missed it last night: The Democratic establishment scored a major victory over the party’s progressive wing on Tuesday when Shontel Brown defeated Nina Turner in a primary election in Ohio.
Conceding defeat, Turner told supporters: “Tonight my friends, we have looked across the promised land, but for this campaign, on this night, we will not cross the river.”
The contest was seen as a bellwether for the party six months into Joe Biden’s presidency and 15 months ahead of the midterm elections for Congress.
Brown was endorsed by Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and presidential nominee, and James Clyburn, the highest ranking African American in the House of Representatives.
Turner had the backing of senator Bernie Sanders, a democratic socialist who twice ran for president, and congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a leading member of “the squad” of progressives.
The campaign in Ohio’s 11th congressional district, triggered by the resignation of Marcia Fudge to become housing secretary, had turned increasingly nasty in recent weeks with money pouring in from outside groups and both candidates under attack from negative TV ads.
But 46-year-old Brown’s victory in the safe Democratic district will be interpreted by moderates as proof that the party should hold the centre ground and not shift to the left.
Charlotte Bennett, a former New York state employee whose sexual harassment claims against Andrew Cuomo were substantiated by investigators, said the Assembly needs to move quickly to impeach the governor.
“September is not soon enough,” Bennett said on “Good Morning America” today. “This needs to happen now. He’s a danger.”
Former Cuomo aide on sexual harassment claim: “It wasn’t an apology and he didn’t take accountability for his actions.”@GStephanopoulos https://t.co/t16e6xggNQ pic.twitter.com/8SVNN9BqrW
— Good Morning America (@GMA) August 4, 2021
Bennett also criticized Cuomo’s continued denial of the allegations, even after the investigation concluded he had sexually harassed at least 11 women and violated state and federal law in the process.
“It wasn’t an apology and he didn’t take accountability for his actions,” Bennett said of Cuomo’s response to the report. “He blamed me and said that I simply misinterpreted what he had said.”
Bennett expressed gratitude to New York attorney general Letitia James for affirming her and the 10 other women who came forward, saying James’ words were “so much more important than anything the governor had to say”.
The speaker of the New York Assembly, Democrat Carl Heastie, said that Andrew Cuomo has lost the confidence of lawmakers, promising to wrap up the chamber’s ongoing impeachment inquiry “as quickly as possible”.
Heastie issued a statement yesterday, after holding an emergency meeting with fellow legislators to discuss investigators’ damning report.
“After our conference this afternoon to discuss the Attorney General’s report concerning sexual harassment allegations against Governor Cuomo, it is abundantly clear to me that the Governor has lost the confidence of the Assembly Democratic majority and that he can no longer remain in office,” Heastie said.
“Once we receive all relevant documents and evidence from the Attorney General, we will move expeditiously and look to conclude our impeachment investigation as quickly as possible.”
The Assembly’s judiciary committee has been looking into impeaching Cuomo since March.
Joe Biden has led calls from both parties for New York governor Andrew Cuomo to resign after an investigation found he had sexually harassed 11 women.
“I think he should resign,” the president told reporters at the White House hours after the results of the investigation were published.
“I understand that the state legislature may decide to impeach. I don’t know that for a fact. I’ve not read all that data.”
Asked about Cuomo’s attempt to defend himself by using an image in which he is making physical contact with Biden himself, the president said: “Look, I’m not going to flyspeck this. I am sure there were some embraces that were totally innocent, but apparently the attorney general decided there were things that weren’t.”
Earlier on Tuesday, the White House said the findings were “abhorrent” .
“I don’t know that anyone could have watched this morning and not found the allegations to be abhorrent. I know I certainly did,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.
Cuomo accuser calls for impeachment after investigation corroborates allegations
Greetings from Washington, live blog readers.
The list of people calling for New York governor Andrew Cuomo’s removal from office keeps getting longer, after an investigation concluded that he had sexually harassed at least 11 women.
One of those people calling for Cuomo’s ouster is Charlotte Bennett, a former New York state employee who was the second woman to come forward with her allegations against Cuomo.
Investigators were able to substantiate Bennett’s claims that Cuomo made multiple inappropriate comments to her while she was working as his executive assistant. (She left the governor’s office last fall.)
“The governor broke federal and state law when he sexually harassed me and current and former staffers…if he’s not willing to step down, then we have a responsibility to act and impeach him,” says former Cuomo aide Charlotte Bennett in an exclusive interview with @NorahODonnell. pic.twitter.com/MxkEhAsjzO
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) August 3, 2021
“We have a report. We have the facts,” Bennett told CBS News last night.
“The governor broke federal and state law when he sexually harassed me and current and former staffers. And if he’s not willing to step down, then we have a responsibility to act and impeach him.”
Bennett has some powerful allies in calling for Cuomo’s removal, including Joe Biden, who said yesterday that he believes the governor should resign.
With all of this pressure on Cuomo, it seems unlikely that he will be able to stay in office. And if he doesn’t resign, it will be up to the state legislature to remove him.
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
