Democrat Politics

North Carolina state regulators now declare a nonprofit run by wife of North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson must repay over $132,000 for what they call disallowed expenses while carrying out a federally funded child care meal program.

The state Department of Health and Human Services revealed a larger amount in a Friday letter to Yolanda Hill following a compliance review of Balanced Nutrition Inc., for which Hall is listed as owner and chief financial officer. Robinson, who is also the Republican nominee for governor this fall, worked in the nonprofit years ago before running for elected office, according to his memoir.

Hill previously announced she was shutting down the nonprofit’s enterprise and withdrawing from the Child and Adult Care Food Program on April 30. But state officials had already announced in March that the annual review of Balance Nutrition would begin April 15.

The review’s findings, released Wednesday, cited new and repeat problems, including lax paperwork and the failure to file valid claims on behalf of child care operators or to report expenses accurately. The program told Hill and other leaders to soon take corrective action on the “serious deficiencies” or regulators would propose they be disqualified from future program participation.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz skewered the GOP’s notion of populism on MSNBC Thursday.

“The golden rule that makes small towns work, so we’re not at each other’s throats all the time,” the Democrat explained, is “mind your own damn business.” 

“I don’t need him to tell me about my family,” Walz told host Jen Psaki, referring to Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance’s many extreme anti-abortion positions. “I don’t need him telling me about my wife’s health care and her reproductive rights. I don’t need him telling my children what books they can read.” 

Another day, another skeleton dancing from the seemingly bottomless closet of Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance.

As ABC News reported on Friday, Vance proposed in 2021 that Americans who don’t have children should pay higher taxes. According to Vance, this is because the government should “punish the things that we think are bad.” Like, you know, people who either can’t have or don’t want kids.

That skeleton will have to step around the pile of bones left by Thursday’s revelation that, also in 2021, Vance insisted people with more children should get more votes. (This is just another aspect of Vance’s deep obsessions with creepy far-right natalism.)

And that skeleton tripped on the remains of the recent revelation that, in 2022, Vance called for a “federal response” in dealing with women who tried to seek out-of-state abortions—which he wrapped up in a disgusting fantasy about Black people and George Soros, a Jewish billionaire and Democratic donor.

Don’t worry. There are surely more skeletons where those came from. I’m telling you, Vance is perfect. And he’s also profoundly weird. Not in a good way.

In a week that delivered an absolute avalanche of feel-good stories about likely Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, one man has been shoved completely to the sidelines. Donald Trump is afraid to debate her. He’s unable to find a way into the news cycle. And a VP selection made just 11 days ago is making Sarah Palin seem like a brilliant choice. 

Trump’s campaign is anxiously playing defense. Trump’s nickname for Harris only makes her seem better. Republican leaders are telling party members to see if they can find any line of attack that isn’t purely racism and sexism—while Trump’s spokesperson is suggesting that racism may be all they have. 

And Trump is demonstrating the last sign of total political desperation for any Republican: He’s citing Rasmussen polls.

Huh. So this is what a good week looks like.

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama have endorsed Kamala Harris in her White House bid, giving the vice president the expected but still crucial backing of the nation’s two most popular Democrats.

The endorsement, announced Friday in a video showing Harris accepting a joint phone call from the former first couple, comes as Harris builds momentum as their party’s likely nominee after President Joe Biden’s decision to end his reelection bid and endorse his second-in-command against Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump.

It also highlights the friendship and potentially historic link between the nation’s first Black president and the first woman, first Black woman and first person of Asian descent to serve as vice president, who is now vying to break those barriers at the presidential rank.

The Morning Digest is compiled by David Nir, Jeff Singer, and Stephen Wolf, with additional contributions from the Daily Kos Elections team.

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Leading Off

● Los Angeles, CA County Ballot: The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 on Tuesday to advance a proposed ballot measure to create what would likely be one of the most impactful elected positions in the country. Under this plan, voters would elect an executive by 2028 to lead America’s most populous county, a heavily Democratic community that is larger than 40 different states.

However, plenty of obstacles remain ahead for this proposal, which would also expand the Board of Supervisors from five members to nine by 2032 and make other changes to county government. The supervisors must still vote once more next month to get the plan on the general election ballot. Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, a Democrat who co-authored the proposal, previously said this final vote would take place on Aug. 6, three days before the deadline.

A cartoon by Clay Jones.

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Vice president and likely Democratic nominee Kamala Harris has been goading Donald Trump to debate her for the last several days and told reporters as recently as Thursday that she is “ready to debate Donald Trump,” even as she accused him of “backpedaling” on the original agreement for a second president debate on Sept. 10. 

On Thursday night, Trump made it official: He’s too afraid to debate Harris. 

Kamala Harris released her first campaign video on Thursday, and it’s guaranteed to set the KHive and the BeyHive a-buzzing with joy.

On Monday, the vice president and likely Democratic presidential nominee entered her newly minted campaign headquarters to Beyoncé’s song “Freedom.” And yes, unlike so many Republicans who use popular songs against the express wishes of the artists, Harris had permission.

Now she’s using that permission in her first campaign video, titled “We Choose Freedom.”

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“In this election, we each face a question,” Harris says as Beyoncé’s song plays in the background. “What kind of country do we want to live in? There are some people who think we should be a country of chaos. Of fear. Of hate. But us. We choose something different. We choose freedom.”

The ad juxtaposes dark footage of Donald Trump and JD Vance looking unhappy and menacing with bright and joyful images of Harris speaking to adoring crowds and greeting smiling supporters.

“The freedom not just to get by, but get ahead,” Harris continues.

“The freedom to be safe from gun violence. The freedom to make decisions about your own body. We choose a future where no child lives in poverty. Where we all can afford health care, where no one is above the law. We believe in the promise of America and we are ready to fight for it. Because when we fight, we win. So join us.”

Not a bad way to kick off her campaign.

Please join the fight for freedom and donate $10 to send Kamala Harris to the White House!

A cartoon by Ruben Bolling.

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