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☆ 3 things to know about the most important relationship in the global economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Even so, finding ways to “get back on a normal course” — in the words of Biden — matters hugely to the global economy. He also pointed to some American companies leaving China altogether, such as asset management giant Vanguard. In the third quarter, a measure of foreign direct investment into China turned negative for the first time in 25 years. The country is by far the world’s biggest gallium producer, and a leading global producer of germanium, according to the US Geological Survey. Listed American companies with big business in China, such as Apple (AAPL) and Tesla (TSLA), may face higher scrutiny, too.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, “, Biden, ”, Scott Kennedy, Chenggang Xu, California Justin Sullivan, Xu, Gina Raimondo, Adam Glanzman, Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Donald Trump, Liu, … Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Economic Cooperation, CNN, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Stanford Center, China’s, Shipping, Port, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, European Union, American Chamber of Commerce, Vanguard, Companies, US, Nvidia, Semiconductor Industry Association, Bloomberg, Getty, Geological Survey, Council, Foreign Relations, Communist Party of China Finances, Capital, Apple, Chinese Communist Party, China Economic, Security, Commission, Biden, CFR Locations: China, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Asia, United States, Mexico, Canada, Port of Oakland, California, Shanghai, Ukraine, Moscow, Washington, Beijing, American, New York, US, Japan, Netherlands, Sequoia

☆ ‘In the Shadow of Fear’ Review: Partisan Rancor at Midcentury
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Mike Watson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

In 2019, Henry Kissinger warned that the U.S. and China had entered the “foothills of a cold war,” and the Sino-American relationship has only worsened since. The prospect of a new cold war has induced some historians to reexamine the old one. Nick Bunker’s “In the Shadow of Fear: America and the World in 1950” is one such reexamination. But over the ensuing 10 months, Truman’s attempt to expand on FDR’s domestic legacy fell apart, and the Democratic coalition that had dominated American politics for two decades began to break up as well. Most perplexingly to Mr. Bunker, “American politics descended into strife at a moment when in so many ways the nation had little to fear.”

Persons: Henry Kissinger, Nick Bunker’s “, ”, Bunker, Harry Truman, Truman’s Organizations: Financial Times, Labor, Democratic Locations: China, British, American

☆ Republicans: House circus embarrasses senior party leaders as the country and the world wait for a speaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The uprising that began nearly three weeks ago with the toppling of Speaker Kevin McCarthy has now weakened three of the most powerful figures in the House GOP. Twisting colored squares together in the right order seems simple by comparison with attempts to unite a House Republican conference unable to comprehend how clownish it looks. “We need (a speaker) because the House can’t do anything without a speaker,” Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday. “This is probably one of the most embarrassing things I’ve seen because if we don’t have a speaker of the House, we can’t govern. “This is embarrassing for the Republican Party.

Persons: shutdowns, Jim Jordan, Steve Scalise, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Scalise, Jordan, “, Mike Turner, Mitch McConnell, procrastinate, Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, It’s, Donald Trump, Matt Gaetz, ”, Trump, Michael McCaul, ” McCarthy, Tom Emmer, Emmer, Kevin Hern of, Jack Bergman of, Austin Scott of Georgia, Byron Donalds of, Mike Johnson of, Pete Sessions, Dan Meuser, Gary Palmer of, Newt Gingrich –, GOP –, ” Gingrich Organizations: CNN — House Republicans, Republican Party, ”, Intelligence, Republican, Kentucky, CBS, Biden, GOP, The, Democratic, White, California Republican, Republicans, Trump, Florida, Foreign, Texas Republican, ABC, Press, Caucus, Marine, Jordan, Black Republicans, Pete Sessions of Texas, Committee, Fox News, firebrand Georgia Republican Locations: Washington, Israel, “ State, Ukraine, Kyiv, California, Texas, Minnesota, Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, Jack Bergman of Michigan, Byron Donalds of Florida, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Gary Palmer of Alabama

☆ Opinion: Rupert Murdoch helped wreck media — and politics
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Opinion David Zurawik | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Few media figures in the last 27 years have had a larger and more profound effect on American political and media life than Rupert Murdoch. Ailes, who helped Richard Nixon get elected president in 1968, specialized in the political use of media. Again, Murdoch is not the only reason for the lack of trust in the media and the flood of disinformation and misinformation. I have been writing about Murdoch and Fox since the 1980s, and have observed that Murdoch was more concerned about money than ideology. In a commercial sense, Murdoch is an incredibly successful media figure.

Persons: David Zurawik, Rupert Murdoch, David Zurawik Mich Rouse, Murdoch, Lachlan, Murdoch’s, Roger Ailes, Richard Nixon, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Mark Zuckerberg, James Organizations: Goucher College, Baltimore Sun, CNN, Fox and News Corporation, Murdoch’s Fox News, Democrats, Fox News, Murdoch, Capitol, Fox, Facebook, Media, Sport Committee Locations: Australia, America, Europe, Germany, Italy, American, Elon Musk’s

CNN —Attorney General Merrick Garland forcefully rebuked congressional Republicans who have accused the Justice Department of political bias as he opened a contentious House Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington on Wednesday. Even with the face-saving indictment last week of Hunter Biden, everyone knows the fix is in,” House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan said in his opening statement. The House Judiciary Committee has also been probing allegations from an IRS whistleblower that the Justice Department investigation into Hunter Biden was politically tainted. “House Republicans will use their time today to talk about long-discredited conspiracy theories and Hunter Biden’s laptop. Several House Republicans – including McCarthy – have floated an impeachment of the attorney general, although those calls have quieted down as House Republicans have turned their impeachment lens on President Joe Biden himself.

Persons: General Merrick Garland, “, ” Garland, ”, Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s, Hunter Biden, Jack Smith’s, Jim Jordan, Garland, –, Kevin McCarthy, Hunter, Trump, Jerry Nadler, ” Nadler, Jordan, Hunter Biden’s, he’s, David Weiss, Gary Shapley, Weiss, McCarthy, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, Department, Republicans, Trump, US, IRS, Capitol, FBI, DOJ Locations: Washington, politicization, ”, York, Jordan

☆ A Colorado City Has Been Battling for Decades to Use Its Own Water
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( David Gelles | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

The City Council bought about 17,000 acres of farmland 60 miles to the north, near Fort Collins, along with the associated water rights. Today, almost 40 years later, the water Mr. Ethredge secured for his city remains out of reach. The city purchased 17,000 acres of farmland 60 miles north, near Fort Collins, decades ago. The Thornton water treatment plant. ; Thornton Water Project By Leanne AbrahamBack when Mr. Ethredge secured the water rights up north, Thornton planners figured they would need that water by 2000.

Persons: Jack Ethredge, Ethredge, Thornton, Ethredge’s, Mr, “, ”, Jeni Arndt, Thornton’s, Brett Henry, “ We’ve, we’ve, Denver Thornton, Colorado Adams Thornton, Leanne Abraham Back, Fort Collins, Barry Feldman, Feldman, Gary Wockner, “ We’re, we’re, Henry, Barbara Cohen, Ted Leighty, “ Thornton, Maiker, Peter LiFari, Christina Ra, Roger Uthmann, Wockner, Uthmann, ” Thornton, ” Mr Organizations: City Council, Housing, San, Loveland Greeley, Weld County Colorado Larimer Boulder Longmont, Boulder Adams, Denver Thornton Colorado, Greeley Weld, Boulder, Denver, Colorado Adams, Colorado Adams Thornton Denver, Colorado Supreme, Thornton, Home Builders Association of Metro Denver, Maiker Housing Partners, “ Locations: Thornton, Colo, Denver, Fort Collins, “, Rocky, Thornton’s, Colorado, San Luis Valley, Douglas County, In Texas, San Antonio, Collins, Loveland, Loveland Greeley Rocky, Weld County, Denver Thornton Colorado Denver, Greeley, Greeley Weld Larimer, Larimer County, Larimer, Thorton, Laporte

☆ Maryland Gov. Wes Moore needles the GOP presidential contenders over the 'divisive' worldview offered in their first debate: 'I'm just not sure who they're actually speaking to'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Wes Moore questioned who the GOP contenders spoke to in their first presidential debate. "I'm not hearing the conversations about national abortion bans," he said of his own constituents. Wes Moore of Maryland criticized the tenor of the first Republican presidential debate, arguing that the contenders were not speaking to the everyday concerns of most Americans. So they just weren't speaking to the people of my state, or frankly, I'm just not sure who they're actually speaking to." "But the political divisiveness is something that I'm hearing all across the state, too," he continued.

Persons: Wes Moore, Moore, I'm, Cecil, Cecil County, — Organizations: Service, GOP, Social Security, Maryland State House, Democratic Locations: Wall, Silicon, Maryland, Annapolis, Cecil County, Delaware, Pennsylvania

Ever since members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization sprang into action to help Ukraine try to thwart Russia’s invasion last year, China has warned about a similar U.S.-led security alliance forming in Asia that would seek to hobble Beijing’s ambitions and provoke a confrontation. President Biden’s Camp David summit on Friday with the leaders of Japan and South Korea most likely reinforces Beijing’s perception. The talks saw Japan and South Korea put aside their historical animosities to forge a defense pact with the United States aimed at deterring Chinese and North Korean aggression. Mr. Biden, who met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan and President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea, sought to emphasize at a news conference that the summit was not “anti-China.” But Beijing will almost certainly find Mr. Biden’s assertion unpersuasive. China’s leader, Xi Jinping, has accused the United States of leading Western countries in the “all-around containment, encirclement and suppression of China.”

Persons: hobble, Biden’s, David, Mr, Biden, Fumio Kishida, Yoon Suk, Xi Jinping, ” Organizations: Atlantic Treaty Locations: Ukraine, China, U.S, Asia, Japan, South Korea, United States, ”, Beijing

☆ Political violence in polarized U.S. at its worst since 1970s
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +26 min

Three academics who reviewed the cases say they add to growing evidence that America is grappling with the biggest and most sustained increase in political violence since the 1970s. Political violence surged for nearly a decade starting in the late-1960s – 1970 alone saw more than 450 cases, LaFree said. In contrast, much of today’s political violence is aimed at people – and most of the deadly outbursts tracked by Reuters have come from the right. “Political warfare”There’s no official tally of how many Americans die each year from political violence. Most of the fatal political violence identified by Reuters was carried out by people who embraced far-right views.

Persons: Kristen King’s, King, “, Austin Combs, ”, “ He’s, wailed, Anthony King, Donald Trump, Gary LaFree, LaFree, Rachel Kleinfeld, Carnegie’s Kleinfeld, Trump, Christopher Wray’s, Combs, Let’s, Joe Biden, Dave Spurrier, ” Combs, Wayne Staton, gaunt, Bri Smith, “ honk, Bubba, Ross, Cody Lee Harbaum, ” Harbaum, Edgar, Floyd Rockwell, Terry B’s, “ Hillary, Kim Jenkins, Patti Betz, “ Austin, Betz, Miss Patti, ‘, ” Betz, Paul Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi, Paul, Nancy Pelosi’s, Katie Pridemore, Shawn Popp, Popp, Donald Henry, Henry, ’, Craig Greenberg, Quintez Brown, Greenberg, Brown, ” Brown, Robert Telles, Telles, Benjamin Smith, Dajah Beck, Beck, Smith, Allie Bradley, “ You’re, Bradley, Kristine Christenson, Ben Smiths, rightwing hecklers, ” Bradley, Knightly’s, Katherine Knapp, King’s, Kristen, Pridemore Organizations: Democrat, Reuters, U.S . Capitol, University of Maryland criminologist, Oklahoma, Federal Bureau of, Carnegie Endowment, International, Democratic, Trump, U.S . Department of Homeland Security, Republican, Democratic Party, Republican Party, Miss, . House, San, U.S, Capitol, Media, Attorney’s Office, Judicial, Las, Veterans, Pridemore Locations: OKEANA, Ohio, Okeana, America, Florida, Portland, Buffalo, Washington, Butler County, Brandon, Butler, Hamilton, San Francisco, Wisconsin, New Mexico, U.S, Louisville , Kentucky, China, Taiwan, California, Clark County , Nevada, Las Vegas, Normandale, Portland , Oregon, ”

☆ Netanyahu Scores Another Victory, but at What Price?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Patrick Kingsley | More About Patrick Kingsley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Once again, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has pushed the limits, defying a nationwide protest movement to win new curbs on the Israeli judiciary’s power to pose a check to his far-right coalition government. But after years of brinkmanship and chaos management by the Israeli leader, this feels different. Such is the rancor and rupture caused by this particular Netanyahu victory that many Israelis wonder whether the damage to society might not be fixable — and whether Mr. Netanyahu will be able to manage the aftermath of a showdown he set in motion. In the final moments before the vote, Mr. Netanyahu sat passively between a pair of cabinet colleagues as the two men quarreled with each other — apparently over whether to offer a last-minute concession — shouting over the top of their party leader as if oblivious to his presence. Around them in the voting chamber, furious opposition lawmakers yelled abuse at Mr. Netanyahu and his allies, warning them that they were shunting Israel toward ruin.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu Locations: Israel

☆ Ex-Millennium exec Bobby Jain has made his first major hire for the industry's most hotly anticipated new hedge fund launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Alex Morrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ex-Millennium exec Bobby Jain is preparing to launch one of the most anticipated hedge funds in history. An exit agreement barring Jain from hiring ended at the beginning of this month. Former Millennium executive Bobby Jain has made his first major hire as he lays the groundwork for what Wall Street professionals are expecting to be one of the largest ever hedge fund launches. Before BofA, Barton was COO at Meru Capital and Old Lane; he started his career at Morgan Stanley. His exit agreement prohibited him from officially hiring until the end of last Month.

Persons: Bobby Jain, Jain, Jonathan Barton, Izzy Englander's, Barton, Morgan Stanley, Michael Gelband, Gelband, ExodusPoint, It's Organizations: Millennium, Wall, Management, of America, Meru, Bank of America, Credit Suisse, ExodusPoint, Wall Street Locations: BofA, Meru Capital

☆ Schumer Lays Out Process to Tackle A.I., Without Endorsing Specific Plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Karoun Demirjian | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Declaring that Congress “must join the A.I. revolution,” Mr. Schumer steered clear of endorsing any specific bills, instead calling for an approach to A.I. Mr. Schumer, who predicted that his plan could produce legislation within months, instead is seeking to give lawmakers a comprehensive crash course in A.I. in a setting where partisan rancor might be set aside, before they try to impose rules on the rapidly changing industry. “In many ways we’re starting from scratch, but I believe Congress is up to the challenge,” he said during a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, adding that “A.I.

Persons: Chuck Schumer, Mr, Schumer, ” Organizations: Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: New York, A.I

☆ Biden signed the debt ceiling bill, marking the end to tense negotiations that brought the country to the brink of default
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

President Joe Biden signed the debt ceiling bill into law Saturday afternoon. The White House negotiated with Members of Congress for weeks before the bill finally passed on Thursday. Eventually, the White House began weeks of intense negotiations with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to reach a deal. The Senate passed the bill quickly by a vote of 63-36 Thursday night, two days before Biden signed it into law. But the White House said the IRS' plans to step up enforcement of tax laws for high-income earners and corporations would continue.

Persons: Joe Biden, —, Biden, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy Organizations: White, Service, Treasury Department, U.S, Democratic, Republican, Social Security, Senate, AP, Congressional, Internal Revenue Service, Trump, House

☆ Why a ‘Thaw’ in U.S.-China Relations Seems Far From Reach
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Nicole Hong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

First the U.S. national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, met with China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, in Vienna, in May. Then the two countries’ top commerce officials held talks, the first bilateral cabinet-level meeting in Washington in months. China’s ambassador also arrived in Washington last week, finally filling a post that had been vacant since January. But even as Beijing has returned to the table on some issues, it has also struck an even tougher posture, complicating the “thaw” in U.S.-China relations that President Biden had predicted last month. Beijing rejected an invitation for China’s defense minister, Li Shangfu, to meet with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at a security meeting this weekend in Singapore, the Pentagon said this week.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Wang Yi, Biden, Li Shangfu, Lloyd Austin Organizations: Pentagon Locations: U.S, Vienna, Washington, Beijing, China, Singapore, American, South

☆ Opinion | The Decade That Cannot Be Deleted
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Pamela Paul | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

It would seem impossible to forget or minimize the Cultural Revolution in China, which lasted from 1966 to 1976, resulted in an estimated 1.6 million to two million deaths and scarred a generation and its descendants. The movement, which under Mao Zedong’s leadership sought to purge Chinese society of all remaining non-Communist elements, upended nearly every hallowed institution and custom. The Chinese government has never been particularly eager to preserve the memory of that sordid decade. When I spent six weeks traveling in China in 1994 — a slightly more open time in the country — I encountered few public acknowledgments of the Cultural Revolution. “When you’ve had a collective trauma, you really need a collective response,” Branigan told me recently.

☆ Opinion | Finding the Origin of a Pandemic Is Difficult. Preventing One Shouldn’t Be.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( W. Ian Lipkin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Similarly, in 2008 my team investigated a hemorrhagic fever outbreak with an 80‌‌ percent case fatality rate in Zambia and South Africa. Finding the origin of a viral outbreak can be incredibly difficult, even with full government cooperation and the best available technologies. It’s important to try, because the insights into how a virus emerged may be useful in reducing the risk of future outbreaks. We cannot wait for answers that may never come before doing what must be done to prevent the next pandemic. And yet very little has been done in the wake of this pandemic to better either source of risk.

☆ Why Biden can't gloat about Trump becoming the first former president to face potential criminal charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

"Let Trump steep in his own juices." "Let Trump steep in his own juices." If Trump is indicted, Biden undoubtedly will be asked for a response in every interaction he has with reporters. Biden has been more rhetorically disciplined as president than he was as vice president and a senator, when his verbal gaffes were routinely used as punchlines. The smart move would be to say he'll let the criminal justice system take its course and let Republicans fight it out, said Bannon.

☆ Biden’s New Chief of Staff Enters as Political Rancor Heats Up
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Sabrina Siddiqui | Stephanie Armour | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Jeff Zients is now the president’s top aide after leading the Biden administration’s Covid-19 response. WASHINGTON—On his first day as White House chief of staff, Jeff Zients dispatched an all-staff note that said governing is never easy. Many challenges await President Biden ’s top aide, including a debt-ceiling showdown, escalating tensions with China and a divided Congress that will impede the president’s agenda. It is markedly different ground for Mr. Zients, a 56-year-old former business executive who led the Biden administration’s Covid-19 response from January 2021 to April 2022 with a managerial-like emphasis on tasks and outcomes. He isn’t as steeped in the inner workings of Washington and politics as his predecessor, Ron Klain , despite taking the job as Mr. Biden prepares for a likely re-election campaign.

Haley, 51, dug into the difference in ages between 80-year-old President Joe Biden and her challenger Trump, who's 76. She enters the race trailing Trump and other would-be challengers in public polls. A Morning Consult poll on Tuesday, for instance, shows Trump backed by 47% of Republican primary voters, while just 3% of respondents said they would pick Haley. Haley's widely anticipated announcement makes her just the second candidate in what's likely to become a wide Republican primary field. "Haley's entrance officially kicks off a messy 2024 primary race for the MAGA base that has long been brewing," it said.

That announcement came after nearly four months of intense talks complicated by concerns about the sharing of intellectual property as Renault sought tie-ups with companies outside their alliance. The deal will see the French carmaker reduce its stake in Nissan to 15% from around 43%. That will see Renault put around 28% of the Japanese automaker in a French trust, crucially making the two more equal partners. While Renault bailed out Nissan two decades ago, it is the smaller automaker by sales. "One almost wonders what's the point of them having any stake in either one, any stake at all," Richter said.

New Delhi CNN —India has banned a BBC documentary critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s alleged role in deadly riots more than 20 years ago from being shown in the country, in a move critics decried as an assault on press freedom. CNN has contacted Twitter and YouTube for comment but is yet to hear back. The two-part documentary “India: The Modi Question,” criticizes Modi, who was the chief minister of the western state of Gujarat in 2002 when riots broke out between the state’s majority Hindus and minority Muslims. The Indian government had declined to reply when contacted by the BBC, the statement added. The documentary explores an unpublished British government report obtained by the BBC, which the British public broadcaster said came in the form of a diplomatic cable.

WASHINGTON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed a $1.66 trillion government funding bill that provides record military funding and sends emergency aid to Ukraine, hours before a midnight deadline. "The bipartisan funding bill advances key priorities for our country and caps off a year of historic bipartisan progress for the American people," Biden said. While some of the work was done in a bipartisan manner, that was not the case with Friday's $1.66 trillion funding bill, opposed by House Republican conservatives and some Senate conservatives. They have threatened to oppose any legislation introduced by any of the Senate Republicans who supported the bill. [1/4] The U.S. Capitol is seen as Congress continues work on passing a $1.66 trillion government funding bill in Washington, U.S., December 21, 2022.

Workers at Google and other big tech companies in recent years have clashed and protested over politics and racial and gender equity. "We've always been proud to host external speakers at Google, as they provide great opportunities for learning and connection for our employees," Google spokesman Ryan Lamont told Reuters. Rivals such as Meta Platforms Inc (META.O) also have policies for inviting speakers. At Google, speakers have included then-U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama, celebrity chef Ayesha Curry and former basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. At least one of the critics suggested inviting for balance Rajiv Malhotra, according to an internal message.

☆ Rail strike potential grows, threatening to worsen supply chain backlogs, inflation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Eli M. Rosenberg | Eli Rosenberg Is An Investigative Tech Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

That’s how much paid sick leave some freight rail workers are demanding from the rail companies before they sign new contracts. Rail workers say years of grievances about workforce cuts, coupled with new scheduling requirements, have pushed them to the brink of exhaustion. But if any of the unions decides to strike, all rail unions will honor the work stoppage. Kennedy said the union had never agreed to higher wages at the expense of a benefit like paid sick leave. “A rail strike, even one of short duration, would be catastrophic,” said John Drake, a vice president at the Chamber of Commerce.

The Florida Democratic Party noted it has had a Municipal Victory Program since 2016 that includes efforts to fundraise and help school board candidates. Historically, it hasn’t taken a lot of cash to influence school board races, which are generally nonpartisan and often draw low voter turnout. In a 2018 survey, just 9 percent of school board officials reported spending more than $5,000. “What Ron DeSantis is doing in Florida — supporting a bunch of these school board candidates — is really smart, because the No. Some of the liberal efforts to push back against conservatives in school board races are well established.

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