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Tuesday, October 13, 2020

The Rundown: Barrett States Originalist Views

DEMS WARN OF ACA OVERTURNED AS CONFIRMATION HEARINGS BEGIN: The confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett began before the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, during which Barrett spoke about her originalist judicial philosophy, in line with that of her mentor, the conservative late Justice Antonin Scalia, while Democrats charged that she's a threat to overturn the Affordable Care Act, taking Americans' health insurance away during a pandemic. Barrett said in her remarks that Americans, quote, "deserve an independent Supreme Court that interprets our Constitution and laws as they are written, and stated, "Courts are not designed to solve every problem or right every wrong in our public life." Republicans on the committee praised Barrett and what they touted as her sterling credentials, while also pushing back as one Democrat after another contended she'd strike down the ACA, with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse calling her nomination a, quote, "judicial torpedo" aimed at the health care law and its protections for people with preexisting conditions. Barrett has criticized the Supreme Court's two earlier major rulings upholding the ACA, but Senator Chuck Grassley was among the Republicans dismissing the Democrats' warnings, calling the claims "outrageous," and Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana saying they were "unfair."

 
After yesterday's opening statements, Barrett will today face questions from the committee members. The Republican-led Senate is fast-tracking Barrett's nomination to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's seat with just three weeks until the presidential election. As a conservative who'd take over the liberal Ginsburg's seat, Barrett would shift the high court's balance to a 6-3 conservative majority from the current 5-4. 


No Supreme Court justice has ever been confirmed so close to a presidential election, and Democrats have insisted the election winner should fill Ginsburg's seat. They cite Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in 2016 refusing to allow a vote on then-President Barack Obama's nominee to fill Scalia's seat after he died in February, with McConnell saying that with the election nine months away, the winner should fill the seat, something he has now reversed on with Trump in office.
Tampa Bay Times 10/13/20

➤TRUMP HOLDS RALLY IN FLORIDA, HIS FIRST SINCE GETTING COVID-19: President Trump held a campaign rally in Sanford, Florida, on Monday, his first since contracting Covid-19 and one week since being released from the hospital. As at Trump's rallies before he got sick with the coronavirus, there was no social distancing of the crowd and most people didn't wear masks, and Trump praised his handling of the pandemic that has killed more than 215,000 in the U.S., saying, "Under my leadership, we’re delivering a safe vaccine and a rapid recovery like no one can even believe. If you look at our upward path, no country in the world has recovered the way we have recovered." He also again mocked former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign efforts to protect against spread of the coronavirus. Speaking for about an hour, Trump said he felt great -- joking that he was healthy enough to give people in the crowd, quote, "a big fat kiss" -- and contended he's no longer contagious and is now "immune," stating, "I feel so powerful." Trump will be holding more rallies this week, including in Pennsylvania, Iowa, North Carolina, Georgia, Wisconsin, and back in Florida again. 



As Trump left Washington for his Florida rally, his physician, Dr. Sean Conley, released an update on his health that said the president had tested negative for the coronavirus and had done so on consecutive days. He said that, along with other data, including viral load, led him to conclude Trump was no longer contagious.

➤BIDEN CAMPAIGNS IN OHIO: Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden campaigned in Ohio Monday, making two stops in the former swing state that has trended Republican in recent years as he tries to expand the battleground map to a state Trump won by eight percentage points four yeas ago. The former vice president accused Trump of having abandoned the working class voters who helped him win Rust Belt states, and charged he'd mishandled the coronavirus pandemic, worsening the economic impact. Biden also took aim at Trump's actions since getting sick with the coronavirus, saying what he called the president's "reckless personal conduct since his diagnosis" has been "unconscionable," adding, "The longer Donald Trump is president, the more reckless he gets."

➤CORONAVIRUS VACCINE TRIAL PAUSED OVER 'UNEXPLAINED ILLNESS': Johnson & Johnson revealed last night that a late-stage study of its coronavirus vaccine candidate has been paused while what it called a study participant's "unexplained illness" is investigated to see if it's related to the vaccine. No more information was disclosed about the illness. Johnson & Johnson said that illness, accidents and other adverse events, quote, "are an expected part of any clinical study, especially large studies." This is at least the second such pause to take place among the several vaccine candidates that are now in large-scale final tests in the U.S. 


Cases Rising Again: That news came as Covid cases are again rising in the U.S., with dozens of states seeing increases, a worrying trend as we head into the colder months, when experts have warned of greater spread because people will be spending more time indoors. As of yesterday, 31 states reported more new cases this past week than the week before, and nine states reported record hospitalizations from the disease on Sunday -- Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Wyoming. The U.S. has had more than 215,000 deaths as of early this morning, according to Johns Hopkins University's county, and more than 7,804,000 confirmed cases.



⚾BRAVES TOP DODGERS 5-1 IN NLCS GAME 1: The Atlanta Braves topped the L.A. Dodgers 5-1 in the opening game of the National League Championship Series last night. The Braves were sparked to victory by a ninth-inning, four-run rally, that began with Austin Riley leading off with a tie-breaking home run. After Atlanta brought home another run on a double and a single, Ozzie Albies blasted a two-run homer. The game was played before some 11,500 fans at the neutral site of Globe Life Field, the new Texas Rangers ballpark, which was about 28 percent of its capacity, the first game this season at which fans were allowed. Game 2 will be played today.

⚾RAYS TAKE 2-0 ALCS LEAD WITH 4-2 WIN OVER ASTROS: The Tampa Bay Rays took a 2 games to none lead in the American League Championship Series yesterday with a 4-2 win over the Houston Astros. Manual Margot hit a three-run home run for the Rays in the first inning, and then made a stellar catch in the second while falling over the right field wall at Petco Park, the San Diego Padres home stadium that's serving as a neutral site for the ALCS. Game 3 is set for tonight.

🏈SAINTS DEFEAT CHARGERS 30-27 IN OVERTIME: The New Orleans Saints defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 30-27 at home last night, getting the win on Wil Lutz's 36-yard field goal in overtime. The Saints rallied for the win after being down 17 points in the second quarter, with Drew Brees going 33 of 47 for 325 yards and throwing for a touchdown, becoming at age 41 the oldest quarterback with more than 32 completions in a game. 

 

➤BASEBALL HALL OF FAMER JOE MORGAN DEAD AT 77: Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan, who won two World Series championships with the "Big Red Machine" Cincinnati Reds in 1975 and '76, died on Sunday at age 77, his family announced yesterday (October 12th). Morgan was a two-time National League MVP, a 10-time All-Star and won five Gold Gloves in his 22-year career. Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench, who was Morgan's teammate on the Reds, told AP yesterday, "Joe Morgan was quite simply the best baseball player I played against or saw." After his playing career ended, Morgan became a baseball announcer, including for ESPN, NBC, ABC and CBS, and was analyst for ESPN’s Sunday night telecasts for 20 years until 2010.

➤PRESCOTT FACING FOUR TO SIX MONTHS REHAB AFTER ANKLE SURGERY: Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott went home from the hospital Monday afternoon, one day after undergoing surgery for a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle that he suffered during the Cowboys game against the New York Giants earlier Sunday. Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said he spoke with Prescott and described him as being "in very good spirits." ESPN cited a source as saying Prescott is facing four to six months of rehab.

➤RENTERIA OUT AS WHITE SOX MANAGER: The Chicago White Sox announced Monday that Rick Renteria won't be returning as manger. Renteria led Chicago to a 35-25 record in the coronavirus-shortened season and their first appearance in the playoffs in 12 years, but they lost to the Oakland A's in their first-round series. Renteria became manager when he was promoted from bench coach in October 2016.

➤FALCONS NAME MORRIS INTERIM HEAD COACH: One day after firing Dan Quinn, the Atlanta Falcons on Monday announced defensive coordinator Raheem Morris as interim head coach. Morris was in his sixth season with the Falcons and his first as defensive coordinator, but has past head coaching experience, having led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011. Quinn was fired Sunday night after a loss earlier in the day gave Atlanta a 0-5 start to the season.
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