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The COVID19 Hate Crimes Act passed the House Tuesday by a 364-62 vote. All 62 votes against the bill were cast by Republican members of Congress. The bill passed the Senate passed 94-1 last month, with only Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) as the dissenting vote.

The legislation, which will now go to President Joe Biden's desk for approval, passed in the Senate last month in a rare nearly unanimous display of bipartisan cooperation. Biden has already intimated that he will sign the legislation into law.

The main intention of the COVID19 Hate Crimes Act is to address and slow the notable and troubling rise in hate crimes directed at Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. As the beginning of the act notes, between March 19, 2020 and February 28 of this year, there were almost 3,800 reported cases of anti-Asian incidents linked with COVID-19 throughout America.

The act also instructs the Justice Department to create a review process that expedites the processing of anti-Asian hate crimes related to COVID-19, designating an officer "whose responsibility during the applicable period shall be to facilitate the expedited review of hate crimes."

It gives state and local law enforcement more streamlined resources for collecting and acting upon information related to hate crimes, such as online databases. These instructions include provisions regarding how to remove barriers surrounding data aggregation, like language differences.

In the Senate, Hawaii Democrat Mazie Hirono who introduced the bill, and GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine successfully worked together to "broaden support for the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act while retaining the bill's core purpose to combat anti-Asian hate," Hirono said in a statement.

In the House, Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), and Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) introduced the bill to wide Democratic support.

Speaker Pelosi said on the House floor, "The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Bill will strengthen our defenses against any anti-AAPI violence, speeding our response to hate crime, supporting state and local governments as they improve reporting, and ensuring that they have crimes information and [that] it's more accessible to the Asian American communities."

After his "no" vote in the Senate, Sen. Hawley took to social media to explain his decision, saying: "My big problem with Sen Hirono's bill that Senate voted on today is that it turns the federal government into the speech police - gives government sweeping authority to decide what counts as offensive speech and then monitor it. Raises big free speech questions."

Newsweek has reached out to House Minority Leader McCarthy for comment and will update this story with any response.

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62 House Republicans and Josh Hawley Voted Against Bill to Fight Asian American Hate Crime - Newsweek

Our Climate: A series exploring a world of fear and promise.

Green power for red states. Photo: Carol Highsmith/Getty Images

Last week, after the Biden administration approved the nations first major offshore wind energy farm, the previous president was agitated enough to issue a statement denouncing the project. Wind is an incredibly expensive form of energy that kills birds, affects the sea, ruins the landscape, and creates disasters for navigation, he complained. Aside from the usual slew of lies, Trumps continued his odd habit of attacking the Democrats climate agenda at its strongest point. Wind power is plentiful, inexpensive, and so broadly popular that turbines appear in campaign ads by candidates in both parties so often theyre practically clich.

Moving up toward the loftier points in the Republican intellectual firmament, the objections to the Democrats climate agenda are less overtly comic, yet still very far from serious. National Review, as prestigious a conservative organ as can be found, still runs articles on the subject, making crank observations like Each human exhales about two pounds of the pollutant carbon dioxide every day and history shows that warmings of a few degrees Celsius which extended growing seasons have been good for humanity.

The only detectable change in the Republican Partys climate posture over the past decade and a half is that it has evolved from embracing fossil fuels to spite Al Gore to embracing fossil fuels to spite Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. And yet the need for a reality-based Republican policy on climate change is greater than ever. The emerging formation of the Biden administrations climate agenda is already revealing the strains of single-party policy-making. If Republicans were capable of thinking sensibly about climate policy obviously a purely hypothetical notion at the moment the space to do so is available.

The need for a conservative climate agenda is amply demonstrated by the shambolic failure of high-speed rail in California. In 2009, President Obama signed a stimulus bill that included partial funding for a project Californias voters had already approved: a rail network that would allow a trip between L.A. and San Francisco in two and a half hours. Even though the state has poured billions into the project, a dozen years later it has almost nothing to show for it. Republicans arent the problem. Democrats control the state government, but construction and approval have been snarled in endless local and environmental review.

The California rail debacle is not unique. The United States has gotten miserably bad at building new things. Our subways cost many times per mile what they cost in other countries, and even roads have gotten slower and costlier to construct. Authority to build large infrastructure projects is fragmented between national, state, and local governments. Even for local-scale building, the most provincial interests can easily veto new projects, or make approval so long and costly that its not worth the hassle.

When environmentalism became a mass movement in the United States, beginning around 60 years ago, global warming barely registered as a major concern. In recent decades, it has become humanitys central environmental challenge. But the movements DNA is still somewhat mismatched for the problem.

Some of those blind spots can be seen in specific issues. Nuclear power is the most obvious example. As a large source of zero-emission energy, nuclear power plays an important role in weaning the power grid off fossil fuel. Wind and solar energy have lots of room to expand, but will need a complementary source that doesnt require access to sun and wind.

Nuclear power was one of the primary targets for the movement a generation ago. Theres a reason the villain in The Simpsons operates a nuclear power plant; in the 80s, nuclear power seemed far more dangerous than coal. Many environmental activists got into the movement in the first place to stop nuclear power. As global warming has become its primary concern, the movement has moved toward embracing nuclear power, but it hasnt fully jettisoned its anti-nuclear roots. Environmental groups remain split on nuclear power, and Democratic administrations have had little success promoting it. Just this month, Indian Point nuclear plant in New York shut down, throwing the states progress toward zero emissions into reverse.

Another example is the development of devices to remove and store carbon from the atmosphere. The technology to do this is still in its infancy, but has showed real promise and yet both environmental activists and Democrats have met the notion with indifference, or even hostility. To prevent dangerous levels of climate change, its likely that humanity will need to start pulling carbon out of the air, reported Grist. The leading Democrats running for the White House, however, dont seem so sure.

Labor is another source of friction between Democrats and environmental goals. Putting unemployed coal miners to work building wind turbines sounds nice in theory. In practice, it often means shutting down unionized jobs and replacing them with non-union jobs. The Biden administration has prioritized building its new green-energy infrastructure with domestically manufactured components, pushing up the cost. Democrats have tried to smooth over the friction, but there are important tensions within their coalition between preserving current jobs and transitioning the economy, and between paying high wages and building new infrastructure as cost effectively as possible.

Transitioning to a zero-carbon economy will require huge amounts of change, disruption, innovation, and profit all things that can make progressives uncomfortable. Many cities have blocked looser zoning rules that would allow denser construction near mass transit precisely the kinds of changes to the built environment needed to reduce fossil fuel use only to be stymied by local activists who associate change with the financial interests of developers. The old environmental movements instinctive veneration of the old, and distrust of change in general and profit in particular, is an impediment that conservatives ought to be able to avoid.

A reality-based Republican Party could be offering cheaper, better ways to decarbonize the economy. Stop trying to own the libs by propping up coal plants. Start trying to own the libs by promoting dynamism and economy: More nuclear power, less concern for the wages of the people employed in the energy sector and more concern for holding down costs, and a willingness to identify and cut through red tape to get things done.

In the absence of such an alternative, the Democratic Party is the only game in town for people who take climate change seriously. You go to war with the political coalition you have, and Democrats have no margin for error in Congress. Every policy design has to optimize for party unity rather than maximum impact. The only hurdle a Democratic climate agenda needs to clear is the question, Does this plan make more sense than allowing polluters to dump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere at no cost, forever?

A practical Republican climate agenda would have its own real-world constituencies to deal with and limits of its own. But that kind of party could still play off the Democrats in a helpful way if nothing else, by expanding the potential voting coalition for pro-climate policies, and giving Democratic administrations more flexibility to replace the bad ideas on their side with good ideas from the other. At the moment, those ideas scarcely exist and have no meaningful Republican support. A better world will require a better opposition.

Analysis and commentary on the latest political news from New York columnist Jonathan Chait.

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America Needs a Climate-Sane Republican Party. Heres What One Would Look Like. - New York Magazine

UNIONTOWN In Fayette County, voters casting ballots in the Republican primary were informed voting machines were not accepting their ballots due to an issue with barcodes located on their ballot.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Fayette County Board of Election delivered new ballots with barcodes, so precincts could scan and count ballots being cast following the barcode issue.

The scanning machine was not scanning. At first, we thought it was all ballots, but then realized it was only Republican ballots, said Chris Varney, Fayette County Judge of Elections.

According to Varney, poll workers began noticing scanning programs shortly after their precinct opened.

Just to make it fair, because if someone has a ballot and they miss mark it, you know the Republicans wouldnt have a chance to correct it, but the Democrats do. So, now were not scanning any of them. Were just putting them in the back, said Varney.

It does seem to be an issue with how the barcodes were printed, said St. Rep. Matt Dowling, R Fayette County.

Dowling told Channel 11, the board of elections informed his office, the barcode issue was impacting both Republican and Democratic voters.

Because of the issue, the Fayette County Republican Party filed an emergency petition for a judge to order all ballots not to be scanned, and instead, have the Judge of Elections and poll workers tally the ballots at the end of the day.

Dowling tells Channel 11 he is satisfied with the decision.

I think that it is the best outcome we can have, but moving forward, we have to investigate how an error like this takes place, said Dowling.

Originally posted here:
Ballots in Republican primary to be hand counted in Fayette County due to processing problem - WPXI Pittsburgh

Superintendent of Elections Patricia DiCostanzo and Deputy Superintendent Theresa M. O'Connor reminisce about working together for nearly three decades. NorthJersey.com

Ronald Joseph Lin was born in Hoboken in 1981. His immigrant parents had arrived from Taiwan a year earlier and decided thatto honor America, they would name their new son after then-President Ronald Reagan.

Asian immigrantsrevere authority figures, Lin said, and his parents thought what better way to celebrate being an American than naming their first born after the nation's top office holder.As Taiwanese immigrants, his parents also appreciated Reagan's traditional values, headded.

When Lin'sson was born last June, he knew he had to name him Donald after the Republican then in the White House, Donald Trump.

Republican Ronald Lin is running for Bergen County Commissioner and says he's the first Asian American candidate for the county board. "Asian values are very conservative," he said.(Photo: Mary Chao)

A staunch conservative since his days on the debate team at Fair Lawn High School, Lin, 39, of Franklin Lakes,announcedhis candidacy in February for Bergen County commissioner as a Republican. Alawyer who works asan adjunct professor at two universities in China, Lin said he is the first countywide candidate of Asian descent in a county where 17%of thepopulationidentifies as Asian.

"The current state of county one-party rule is wrong,"said Lin, adding he is running because he believes that a two-party checks-and-balance system is the best way to govern.

Lin is entering the racein a decidedly blue county.The sevencounty commissioners are all Democratic and Democratic voters vastly outnumber Republicans in the county. Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential electionin Bergen County,58% to 41% for Trump.

Asian Americans followed suit, casting 67% of their ballots for Biden and running mate Kamala Harris, whose mother is from India.

Still, Trump made surprising headway among Latino voters and had modest gains among African Americans as well, according to a review of the 2020 vote by data analysis groupCatalist. Lin is yet anther reminder that communities of color are far from monolithic when it comes to culture and politics.

"Asian values are very conservative," he said.

The seven members of the Bergen County Board of commissioners are elected at-large to three-year, staggered terms. They take office early in January, following the November election.

Asian vote: Asians in U.S. are a fast-growing electorate group, yet campaigns are slow to reach voters

More: NJ Asian Americans applaud Senate passing COVID hate crimes bill to fight discrimination

There are two seats on the ballot in November. Democratic incumbents Steven Tanelli, the board chairman, and Tracy S. Zur will face Lin and Republican running mate Tim Walsh.

If elected, Lin said he would restore fiscal responsibility to county government.

"I would provide a sense of oversight and accountability," Lin said.

A commissioner is a legislator on the county level.The commissioners act as the county's legislative body, much as the U.S. Congress or the state Legislature, giving advice and consent to the actions of the county executive.

Lin has lived in Bergen County for the past 30 years. His father Jui-Ho worked as a data analystfor Citigroup while his mother Meili was a homemaker. His younger brother George is a news analyst at NBC network.

Lin now lives in Franklin Lakes with his wife Ivy and his son Donald. He teaches part-time remotely for Shanghai University of Political Science and Law and Zhejiang University. He's passedup full-time opportunities in China to live in New Jersey, he said.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing racial group in the country, according to the non-profit APIA Vote.In the 2020 Asian American Voter Survey of 1,569 Asian American registered voters, majorities of Asian American registered voters said they would support Democratic over Republican candidates in House and Senate races.

If you don't get involved, you're excluded.

There is a generation gap when it comes to politics in Asian families, said Daniel Park, a Democratic councilman in Tenafly. The younger generation tend tohave more progressive values while the older generation is more conservative politically, Park said.

Lin said he grew up in a family that instilled in him the power of self-reliance. His family believes in law and order, which he described as atraditional Republican value.

Lin is a supporter of Donald Trump and said America did well thanks to his trade policies. He believes that media is biased againstTrump. Linhas attended two to three Trump rallies which have been peaceful gatherings, he said.

Lin does not believe Trump incited rioters during the January storming of the Capitol.

"The storming of the Capitol on January 6th was an unfortunate and tragic occurrence and it's something that I condemn sharply," he said. "I don't think any sensible person would condone such behavior and it's certainly something that the Republican Party along with President Trump strongly decried. The reality of the matter is that President Trump was telling his supporters that day to march and protest patriotically and peacefully."

Lin said while it is a hard truth to swallow, Trump lost the election.

"Biden won the presidency with over 81 million votes which is the most in history, all while campaigning from his basement," he said. "Nevertheless, we accept the outcome of the 2020 election because that's what we do as Republicans and patriotic Americans. We don't whine and moan and carry out a three-year long vindictive witch hunt against a president we didn't want. Instead, we lick our wounds, get back up and we'll right this wrong in the coming years."

Bergen County Republican chairman Jack Zisa welcomedLin to the slate of Republican candidates. With the county's large Asian population, it's important for the group to see representation, he said.

"Republicans are far more inclusive than what the media wants to portray," Zisa said.

Park said diversity and inclusivity are core values in the Democratic party. The party is always consciously seeking candidates of color, aware of the need for representation. He was recruited to run for Tenafly Council after volunteering on the 2012 Obama campaign and has since recruited other Korean Americans to run for local office.

The Asian culture instills humility, so many in the community arereticent to get involved in politics, Lin said. He's trying to change that reluctance.

"If you don't get involved, you're excluded," he said.

A 2018 survey of Asian Americans in New Jersey found the economy and healthcare were the community's top concerns, followed by education, gun control and national security. Thesurvey was conducted by Jersey Promise, a nonprofitpolicy and advocacy group serving Asian Americans.

While a commissioner would not decide on issues such as gun control, Lin has been asked where he stands on the issue onthe campaign trail. When he recently told a voter that he supports the right the bear arms, that voter disagreed, he said.

In politics, Lin said, "you have to have thick skin."

Mary Chao covers the Asian community andreal estate for NorthJersey.com.To get unlimited access to the latest news out of North Jersey,please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email:mchao@northjersey.com

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This Trump-loving Republican wants to be the first Asian American on Bergen County board - NorthJersey.com

More than 100 Republicans, including some former elected officials, are preparing to release a letter this week threatening to form a third party if the Republican Party does not make certain changes, according to an organizer of the effort.

The statement is expected to take aim at former President Donald J. Trumps stranglehold on Republicans, which signatories to the document have deemed unconscionable.

When in our democratic republic, forces of conspiracy, division, and despotism arise, it is the patriotic duty of citizens to act collectively in defense of liberty and justice, reads the preamble to the full statement, which is expected to be released on Thursday.

The effort comes as House Republican leaders are expected on Wednesday to oust Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming from their ranks because of her outspoken criticism of Mr. Trumps election lies.

This is a first step, said Miles Taylor, an organizer of the effort and a former Trump-era Department of Homeland Security official who anonymously wrote a book condemning the Trump administration. In October, Mr. Taylor acknowledged he was the author of both the book and a 2018 New York Times Op-Ed article.

This is us saying that a group of more than 100 prominent Republicans think that the situation has gotten so dire with the Republican Party that it is now time to seriously consider whether an alternative might be the only option, he said.

The list of people signing the statement includes former officials at both the state and national level who once were governors, members of Congress, ambassadors, cabinet secretaries, state legislators and Republican Party chairmen, Mr. Taylor said.

Mr. Taylor declined to name the signers. Reuters reported earlier that the former governors Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania and Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey will sign it, as will former Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters and former Representatives Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, Barbara Comstock of Virginia, Reid Ribble of Wisconsin and Mickey Edwards of Oklahoma.

Mr. Taylor declined on Tuesday to reveal the specific changes that the coalition was planning to demand of the Republican Party in its statement.

Im still a Republican, but Im hanging on by the skin of my teeth because how quickly the party has divorced itself from truth and reason, Mr. Taylor said. Im one of those in the group that feels very strongly that if we cant get the G.O.P. back to a rational party that supports free minds, free markets, and free people, Im out and a lot of people are coming with me.

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Over 100 Republicans, Including Former Officials, Threaten to Split from GOP - The New York Times