All Eyes on Kentucky Primary

Social and conventional media are on high alert today due to allegations of voter suppression in KY. Since KY senator and senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has consistently supported restrictions on voters, it’s understandable why folks are concerned. However, McConnell has no power over KY Board of Elections.

Gov Andy Beshear (a democrat) and Secretary of State Michael Adams (a republican) reached a bipartisan agreement in April to relax primary procedures allowing widespread mail-in absentee voting.

Some folks are freaking out because there is only 1 polling place open in each county, even large counties with significantly more voters. The lack of polling places has been interpreted by some as an attempt to suppress Black votes. However, single polling sites are standard across the entire state regardless of county demographics. Predominantly white counties do not have more polling sites than predominantly black counties.

National headlines are making it seem like voter suppression in KY is off the charts. However, state and local reporters tell a different story. KY election officials and investigative journalists expressed confidence most 2020 ballots already have been cast by mail or during early voting. 

Washington Post reported some people had not received requested ballots though Board of Elections insisted all requested ballots had been mailed while some elections staff worked 12 hour shifts to meet increased demand.

As of Monday June 22 it was reported 973,807 people had either requested an absentee ballot or voted early. Elections officials confirmed more than 500,000 ballots had already been returned by mail and around 88,000 people voted in person during the early voting period. 

Louisville, the largest city in KY, is in Jefferson County where most African American KY residents live. Absentee ballots mailed to voters plus in person early votes equal 222,705 total ballots in Jefferson County so far. It is not known yet how many of the mailed ballots will be returned though 2020 voter interest appears to be significantly higher than previous years based on voter history below. Also, there is a concerted effort to provide free rides to the polls today for people needing transportation.  

Jefferson County KY	Total Voters	Democrat Voters
2016	138,619	110,269
2018	104,924	75,555
2019	133,405	98,515

The NY primary pits progressives against moderates. A primary also is scheduled in VA, plus a run-off election in NC. It could be a week or longer before KY and NY results are announced, to allow additional time to count mail in absentee ballots.

In some states with earlier primaries, long lines were a problem as well as allegations of targeted voter suppression. AZ elections officials decreased the number of polling sites as a cost saving measure because they allegedly miscalculated how many people would prefer to vote in person rather than by mail. Despite numerous problems in GA, overall voter turnout was strong and democratic turnout was especially robust due largely to absentee ballots. NM reported a last minute flood of absentee ballots and difficulty recruiting poll workers. TX attributed their messy primary to human error and inexperience. WI reported a shortage of poll workers in some precincts due to coronavirus concerns, specifically in Milwaukee where case counts were high.

I was an election assistant during the NC primary in early March, just before coronavirus was taken seriously here. I was the youngest in a team of 6 people assigned to a church voting location in Tobaccoville. By coincidence 3 of us were left leaning liberal-progressives and 3 were right leaning conservatives though our personal politics honestly did not impact our work in any way.

It was my first experience behind the scenes so I didn’t know what to expect. Turned out to be a lot of work but also rewarding and at times fun. We cheered and clapped for each young first time voter; there were several. We also cheered for older voters aged 90 and above. Only one voter behaved badly; a young woman tried to take a photo of her ballot which is illegal. I intervened to stop her which was awkward but necessary. Other than that it was a smooth operation. We saw a steady flow of voters throughout the day but never more than 10 or 12 people waiting in line.

In March I felt comfortable and confident saying I would return as a poll worker to support the general election but today I honestly don't know if I feel safe enough to work in November. Kind of doubt it actually. Greg and I usually vote early to avoid crowds though I want to vote by mail this year. Greg is reluctant because he doesn’t want to risk our ballots getting lost in the mail or otherwise not counted. Fortunately we have time to decide.

In the spirit of sharing softer news and/or silly vibes:

Funny or Die presented parody of people trying to vote for the first time.

Daily pandemic update:  

Saudi Arabia announced it will hold a "very limited" Hajj this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, with people already living in the kingdom allowed to take part in the pilgrimage that begins in late July. UNESCO said the pandemic exacerbated conditions that left nearly 260 million children excluded from school in 2018, and urged governments to do more to help the most disadvantaged.  Aljazeera.com timeline

23 June 2020	Cases		Deaths		Recovered
12:15 GMT*	Yesterday	Today	Yesterday	Today	Yesterday	Today
World	9,072,642	9,220,300	471,175	474,998	4,854,950	4,963,202
US	2,356,715	2,389,166	122,249	122,634	980,367	1,003,258
NY	411,264	411,972	31,215	31,268	87,131	87,335
CT	45,755	45,782	4,260	4,263	9,091	9,161
NC	52,934	53,736	1,272	1,275	29,219	36,921

A moment of silence for those we’ve lost to coronavirus, including the first 100 and the first 100,000 in the US.

As of today 11% of closed cases in the US resulted in death; 89% recovered.

Globally 9% of closed cases resulted in death worldwide; 91% recovered.

Currently 2% of all active cases are considered serious or critical, up from 1% yesterday.

*Documenting time of day because real time data updates continuously.
Tracking specific states:  NY is US epicenter. Son Reid lives in CT. I live in NC. 
Worldometers     Coronainusa     Starsexpress2020     https://ncov2019.live/

In the news: 

• CA police are looking for white woman who deliberately coughed on Hispanic baby at yogurt shop.
• Ex-marine Paul Whelan will not appeal Russian spying sentence.
• Gilead stock fell as it announced human trials of inhaled version of coronavirus drug remdesivir.
• Israel: republican lawmakers in the US voiced support for Israeli plan to annex areas in West Bank despite protests from thousands of Palestinians.
• Laminated photos of 6 Black victims of violence were hung by nooses from a tree in Milwaukee WI Riverside Park. Photos included Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Botham Jean, Ahmaud Arbery, Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin.
• MN corrections officers filed complaint alleging minorities weren't allowed to be in contact with Derek Chauvin.
• NASCAR drivers pushed Bubba Wallace's car to front of line Monday in show of solidarity after noose was found hanging in his Talladega garage stall. Team owner and legendary driver Richard Petty expressed his support personally. Others used hashtag #IStandWithBubba on social media. FBI is investigating. Sunday a parade of vehicles displaying confederate flags lined blvd outside speedway protesting NASCAR’s decision to ban confederate flags. Also, a small plane flew above the track towing a confederate flag banner that read, "Defund NASCAR."
• NCAA expanded policy banning states with prominent confederate symbols from hosting championship events. Mississippi is the only state currently affected. 
• NYC Museum of Natural History announced removal of Theodore Roosevelt statue from front entrance. Composition of monument includes a white man (TR) on a horse flanked by minorities walking behind in subordinate positions indicating problematic racial hierarchy. Roosevelt family agreed with decision to remove statue. Descendant Kermit Roosevelt III, Penn Law professor, said "That's a statue that people thought at the time was celebrating about him, but people's thinking at that time was very inflected by white supremacy. If you look at it now, I think it gives the wrong message."
• NY Times reported some nursing homes have evicted vulnerable residents.
• Older adults are most at risk of COVID-19 though often left out of clinical trials.
• Patagonia outdoor apparel brand joined Facebook ad boycott.
• Peter Novarro admitted US-China trade deal was over during Fox interview, then denied he said it.
• Racial justice efforts and Black Lives Matter protests continue though media coverage is scarce. Petitions are most effective when combined with action. Police reforms tend to be more effective when more female officers are hired. UK football (soccer) club condemned White Lives Matter banner.
• Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced city will reclaim autonomous zone and police will return to east precinct in near future. Demonstrators will not be removed by force. City leaders are negotiating with community organizers to end standoff.
• Secret Service told press to leave White House due to nearby Andrew Jackson statue confrontation.
• Target announced minimum wage for store employees raised to $15 per hour beginning in July.
• Tennis star and vaccine skeptic Novak Djokovic and his wife tested positive for COVID-19.
• Trump does not want any monuments removed. Some republicans have expressed support for removing confederate statues and renaming military bases.
• Trump executive order extends ban on H-1B and other visas allowing foreign workers in the US temporarily, saying restrictions will ease economic impact of coronavirus.
• Trump announced his support for second round of stimulus checks. He said payments would be “very generous” and announced in a “couple weeks.”  
• Trump accused Obama of treason with zero evidence to substantiate claim.
• Trump re-tweeted violent video of African American man attacking white Macy’s employee after disputed racial slur.

NC News

• 2 dead, 7 wounded, 5 hit by cars during mass casualty incident at north Charlotte party.  
• Gov Cooper ordered confederate monuments removed from capitol property.
• Greensboro artists painted 'One Love' street mural. Greensboro will require face masks be worn within city limits beginning 5pm Tuesday -- with several exceptions.
• Winston Salem demonstrators marched along Coliseum Blvd Monday evening.
• Winston Salem State University Chancellor Dr. Elwood Robinson will host Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's most trusted public health advisor, during a live episode of Future Focus Now via WSNC 90.5 Facebook page Tuesday at 8pm. Discussion will focus on COVID-19 impact on higher education, disproportionate impact virus has had on minority communities in America, the idea of a mandatory mask policy and whether a second wave is coming. 

   

Following Kenny Beck’s lead to share a few signs of hope:

• 74 year old Sam Gloyd is embarking on a cross country bike ride to raise awareness of FamilyPromise services for low income and homeless families. #CyclingWithSam.
• PA bystander helped save police officer following fiery crash.

In my personal life…

This morning my bladder woke me up at 4am, then Minerva woke up needing her own relief a few minutes later. After a short walk she drank some water and settled down to sleep again. I felt a bit tired but not sleepy so I watched tv. The channel was already set to PBS after watching BBC news last night. What did I watch at 4:30am, asked no one. Well, I’m going to tell you anyway. I found myself mesmerized by Independent Lens: Pipe Dreams about relatively young (Millenials, I think) pipe organ players vying for the Canadian International Organ Competition in Montreal. Seriously, the show was weirdly riveting. I felt compelled to watch til the end to find out who won. I won’t spoil it for you just in case you DVR’d the episode or want to watch it on demand later. Suffice to say/write, you will not be disappointed.

Monday morning we ordered groceries online from Food Lion, delivered by Timothy F. He was super fast and wore a mask. We wish we could request specific shoppers to deliver all our future groceries but unfortunately that option is not available. This needs to change. We’ve had mixed results with grocery delivery since we first tried it 2 months ago. Most of the shoppers have been great though a couple have been worrisome because they didn’t wear a mask, didn’t pay attention to the shopping list details about acceptable substitutions, and/or delivered bags to the front door instead of the side patio as requested. The Food Lion shopping portal allows us to rate shoppers though Greg is reluctant to give anyone a low rating since they know where we live. He gives great shoppers excellent ratings (and better tips) though he doesn’t provide feedback for the slackers. Some businesses like hair salons and nail salons allow you to request a specific stylist or technician. I wish grocery shopping apps did the same. I would absolutely plan shopping lists around specific shoppers’ schedules to increase our odds of better delivery experience.  

Success in the garden is mixed this year. Our 2 squash plants are extremely productive so we’re giving away surplus bounty to friends. The cucumber plants have blossoms but I’ve only picked 1 small cucumber so far; very disappointing. We have several small green tomatoes on vines but no ripe ones yet. Early lettuce and spinach bolted quickly due to hot temperatures so I’ve been sewing lettuce seeds as I pull out the spent plants. I bought 4 varieties of seeds but only the green leaf sprouted; no luck with the other 3. I pick raspberries almost every day, usually eating them where I stand in the garden. The blackberries aren’t as sweet as I expected though the birds seem to like them. I picked our first handful of blueberries yesterday and shared them with Greg, which he seemed to enjoy. Zucchini were planted later than squash and I noticed our first baby zuc yesterday plus several more blossoms. Last year I planted 4 cantaloupe late which yielded nearly 20 fruit, plenty to share. This year I planted earlier but in a different location with poor results; pitiful plants have a few blossoms but no fruits yet. The watermelons are the biggest disappointment this year; puny plants with no blossoms or fruit despite extra compost. Fortunately the melons at the market in Cana VA have been delicious so at least we have a source for more. We could probably get good produce locally but driving to Cana gives us something to do, and helps keep the car battery charged.

Monday morning Greg warmed left over country ham and biscuits for breakfast. We ate watermelon for lunch. For dinner Greg was craving California burritos from El Maguey so that’s what we had. Delicious!

My daily action for racial justice Monday was intended to be watching 13th and Just Mercy. Didn’t happen. Greg wasn’t in the mood so I stayed busy reading and writing instead. Today Greg said he is going out to visit with his friend Alan which means I’ll have the house, and the tv, to myself for a few hours. I’m determined to watch at least 1 of the movies today before son Reid calls at 2pm. Then I can watch the other movie later in the day or tomorrow at the latest. That’s the plan.