Democrats Go All-Out to Avoid Disaster in California

New York Times: “With so many Democrats running, the party’s fear is that the vote will be splintered, allowing Republicans — who have fewer candidates — to dominate some primaries. The party and allied groups are spending more than $4 million on just three campaigns, intervening in one contest to prop up a favored candidate; attacking a Republican from the right in another; and even reminding people not to waste their votes on “ghost candidates” who have dropped out yet remain on the ballot.”

“The ‘top two’ system was meant to create incentives for political moderation in a state where about a quarter of the voters are independents, but it has created immense stakes for Democrats: They need to win 23 seats to take back the House, and party officials believe the path runs through the seven competitive California districts, all of which Hillary Clinton carried in 2016.”


https://politicalwire.com/2018/05/26/democrats-go-all-out-to-avoid-disaster-in-california/

Mueller looking into Israeli election meddling

“Special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigators have obtained a presentation prepared by an Israel-based private intelligence firm that outlines ways in which Donald Trump’s 2016 election was helped by fake news and fake social-media accounts,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Mr. Mueller’s interest in the presentation suggests his investigation is focusing on the role of social-media manipulation during the 2016 campaign… The presentation consists of nine slides and was prepared by the Psy-Group, a firm that boasts of ties to elite Israeli intelligence agencies.”

https://politicalwire.com/2018/05/26/israeli-election-meddling-analysis-comes-under-scrutiny/


Power-point presentation:

http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/PsyGroupPresentation05-25-2018.pdf?mod=article_inline

Christie blocks release of correspondence with Kushner Companies

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) is using his personal attorney, formerly his administration's attorney general, to block the release of correspondence between his office and the company formerly managed by White House adviser Jared Kushner.

The nonprofit MapLight reports that Jeff Chiesa issued a letter by the former governor last week that declared all requests involving his office's records would be handled by Chiesa to deny requests for the correspondence.

Kushner Companies, a real estate firm now managed by Kushner's brother, benefited under Christie's administration, during which it was the recipient of a $33 million tax credit for the development of One Journal Square Project, a planned skyscraper in Jersey City.

Despite the fact that Chiesa's firm says it had "identified a limited number of responsive documents" between Christie's office and the Kushner Companies, Christie's attorney said the documents were privileged and would not be released.


https://www.google.com/amp/thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/389415-christie-lawyer-blocking-release-of-correspondence-with-kushner%3famp

FLIPPABLE: Felicia French for AZ-HD06

Colonel (Ret) Felicia French is a third generation Arizonian, who lives in rural Arizona. She has a proven commitment to public service, and family well being which she has shown by taking on the roles of a combat veteran, MedEvac helicopter pilot, registered nurse, an educator, and a single mother with over 32 years of leadership experience.

Felicia has her B.S. in Nursing, her M.S. in Management and an M.S. in Sustainable Solutions. During her military career, she also received training in Alternative Dispute Resolution techniques and in mediation- making her a strong bipartisan candidate.

Her leadership skills were formed through her many experiences by working her way up the ranks from a Private to a Colonel in her 32 years serving in the United States Army, as a combat helicopter pilot and medic, to a nurse manager and senior medical advisor, and through mentoring at-risk youth to becoming an educator at Mesa Community College.

Felicia is known to be accomplished in leading organizations during multiple deployments, including a combat tour in Afghanistan, and humanitarian missions in Honduras and the Dominican Republic.

Her capacity and dedication to public service is also reflected in her volunteer work.

She was recognized in her community as "Volunteer of the Year" in 2016 for her role in the Take Pride Pine & Strawberry Project. She also supports her community by volunteering with the local Civil Air Patrol, Tonto Rim Search and Rescue, Community Emergency Response Team, and the Sierra Club.

Felicia is knowledgeable and experienced in matters of the military, healthcare, and education, which helped create her political platform. She is a strong advocate for veteran’s affairs, affordable accessible quality healthcare for all, improving our education system starting with early-childhood, and creating more sustainable jobs.

She is currently case managing as a hospice nurse in rural Arizona. When she has time to spare, she enjoys hiking, reading, and staying up to date on current events.





https://www.feliciafrench.com

FLIPPABLE: Kristin Seale for PA-HD168

Pennsylvania's 168th House District is 52% women, but none have ever represented it in Harrisburg. It's long past time! I'll fight for bold, progressive solutions to my neighbors' real daily problems.




http://www.kristinseale.com

FLIPPABLE: Padma Kuppa for MI-HD41

I grew up in America. My family moved to India (where I was born) in the early 80s. As a teenager who very much identified as an American, it wasn’t the easiest move. But it made me appreciate what we have here even more. I returned to the States as soon as I could, showing up to grad school with two suitcases, $250 and the belief that nothing was going to stop me, especially prevailing attitudes that engineering was only for men. After starting a family, I moved to Michigan. The economic opportunity and supportive family resources here were perfect for a young couple with a toddler and a new baby! I was blessed to be able to stay home for a few years and raise our children. During that time, I came to appreciate how kind and caring people here are. I realized that building a tight-knit community like ours happens from the ground up, so I began looking for ways to get involved. And that’s when my love for the area started turning into action.

I’ve taken many opportunities to contribute to the community, including serving on the Boards of the Troy Historic Society and Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion, volunteering with The Troy Community Coalition and PTAs from K-12, and more. I was a founding member of the Troy-area Interfaith Group, helped organize the National Day of Prayer Celebration and that’s just the start.

I’ve had several rewarding experiences with city government. I was appointed to the Troy Planning Commission. I Introduced a Tree Protection Ordinance that was eventually approved by Troy City Council. Recently, I organized across the political spectrum for the “No” Vote on the Extreme Charter Amendment.

I’m very proud of my ability to work in diverse business settings. I’ve been everything from a Systems Manager at a university-based non-profit to a Project Manager with Chrysler. My latest position: a Business Analyst in auto finance. I’ve also had the opportunity to contribute to MetroParent magazine and work for a locally-owned business based right here in Troy.




https://www.electpadmakuppa.com

Today is National Missing Children's Day at ICE

NYT's Nate Cohn: 'Unlikely' that California Democrats will be shut out of November elections

Amy Walter: Intense dislike of Trump far outstrips intense support.

'Trump's Son Should Be Concerned': FBI Obtained Wiretaps Of Putin Ally Who Met With Trump Jr.

The FBI has obtained secret wiretaps collected by Spanish police of conversations involving Alexander Torshin, a deputy governor of Russia’s Central Bank who has forged close ties with U.S. lawmakers and the National Rifle Association, that led to a meeting with Donald Trump Jr. during the gun lobby’s annual convention in Louisville, Ky., in May 2016, a top Spanish prosecutor said Friday.

José Grinda, who has spearheaded investigations into Spanish organized crime, said that bureau officials in recent months requested and were provided transcripts of wiretapped conversations between Torshin and Alexander Romanov, a convicted Russian money launderer. On the wiretaps, Romanov refers to Torshin as “El Padrino,” the godfather.

“Just a few months ago, the wiretaps of these telephone conversations were given to the FBI,” Grinda said in response to a question from Yahoo News during a talk he gave at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington. Asked if he was concerned about Torshin’s meetings with Donald Trump Jr. and other American political figures, Grinda replied: “Mr. Trump’s son should be concerned.”

The comments by Grinda were the first clear sign that the FBI may be investigating Torshin, possibly as a part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Torshin — a close political ally of Vladimir Putin — had multiple contacts with conservative activists in the United States during the election, seeking to set up a summit between the Russian president and then candidate Trump. Although the summit never transpired, Torshin did meet briefly with the president’s son at a private dinner in Louisville during the May 2016 annual convention of the NRA. A member of the NRA since 2012, Torshin has been a regular attendee of the group’s conventions in recent years and hosted senior members of the group in Moscow.



https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fbi-wiretaps-putin-ally-trump-jr_us_5b08bf56e4b0568a880b7859