Costly natural disasters become the new normal

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Symbols of sacred American institutions were violated on both Sept. 11, 2001, and Jan. 6 of this year. Even if the 9/11 hijackers had succeeded in reaching the Capitol or the White House, as was the apparent mission of the terrorists aboard Flight 93, American democracy would have been rattled to its core, but it would have survived. The Jan. 6 mob was able to penetrate the walls of the Capitol, violate the people's house, and disrupt the course of democracy, albeit for a short time. Our democracy withstood the attack but not without suffering a major blow. The National Park Service's website has a page dedicated to the Flight 93 Memorial, which says: "The story of Flight 93 is a story of hope, courage, and unity. When confronted with the urgency of their situation, the passengers and crew of Flight 93 chose to act heroically and made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. These 40 heroes made a democratic decision to fight back against terrorism, defending our freedom and preventing
even further loss of life." The Capitol is far more than a building; it is a symbol. A symbol of our representative democracy. America's elections are the cornerstone of our representative democracy. Trust and legitimacy in our elections cannot be rebuilt with bricks and wood, but we owe it to those 40 souls to figure out how to restore it. —Lynn Schmidt ([link removed]) , Missouri State Leader, Stand Up Republic

Ed. Note: The staff of THE TOPLINE will be on retreat tomorrow, Sept. 9, so there will be no issue. We will return with a new TOPLINE on Friday.

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** 'The nation and the world are in peril'
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Similar to his trip to Louisiana last week, President Biden visited New Jersey and New York yesterday to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Ida. Biden assured local residents still cleaning up from the extensive damage left behind by the storm that the Federal Emergency Management Agency would coordinate with state officials to provide federal assistance. He also took the opportunity to address the issue of climate change. "We've got to listen to the scientists and the economists and the national security experts. They all tell us this is code red," he said. "They've been warning us the extreme weather would get more extreme over the decade, and we're living it in real time now." ([link removed])
* — The full scale of the damage from Ida is not yet known. The White House is asking Congress to provide an estimated $24 billion in emergency funding, including $10 billion toward recovery from Ida. The additional $14 billion will fulfill unmet needs from other environmental disasters over the past 18 months, such as wildfires that have ravaged California and other western states. ([link removed])
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* — "The administration is committed to delivering the funding necessary to help these impacted states and communities and tribes recover from the recent extreme weather events," an administration official said. "We are asking Congress to use the short-term continuing resolution as the vehicle to ensure that we have a robust and effective response to these natural disasters." ([link removed])
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* — Government funding is poised to lapse at the end of September, meaning lawmakers will need to pass the continuing resolution to keep funding flowing for an allotted period. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats would work with Republicans to approve the funding swiftly. "Given the scale and scope of these natural disasters, everyone must work together to get Americans the help they desperately need," Schumer said. —The Hill ([link removed])

MORE: Ida damage shows need for infrastructure funding, lawmakers agree —Associated Press ([link removed])


** Threats have evolved since 9/11
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Americans are now more worried about domestic extremism than about threats of extremism from abroad, according to a new poll. Conducted by the Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, the survey found that 65% of Americans are extremely or very concerned about extremist groups based in the U.S., compared to 50% of Americans who said the same of foreign-based extremist groups. Democrats are more likely to be concerned about homegrown terror threats than Republicans (75% vs. 57%). Seventy-five percent of respondents said they were extremely or very concerned about the spread of misinformation, which was the highest percentage received for any of the threats identified. The poll also found that just a third of Americans believe the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were worth fighting as the U.S. approaches the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that spurred them. —The Hill
([link removed])

MORE: Americans may have thought the 2020 election was over. Yet the conspiracy theories are accelerating —The Washington Post ([link removed])


** Bauer & Ginsberg: Unified in support of election workers
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"Any American—whether Republican, Democrat, or independent—must know that systematic efforts to undermine the ability of those overseeing the counting and casting of ballots on an independent, nonpartisan basis are destructive to our democracy. The two of us have been partisan opponents in the past, representing opposing political parties to the best of our abilities. But at this moment in time, we share a grave concern about attacks on those public servants who successfully oversaw what was arguably the most secure and transparent election in our country's history, with record turnout, during a global pandemic. If such attacks go unaddressed, our system of self-governance will suffer long-term damage." —Bob Bauer & Benjamin Ginsberg in ([link removed]) The Washington Post ([link removed])

Bob Bauer served as White House counsel during the Obama Administration and co-chair of the bipartisan 2013 Presidential Commission on Election Administration. He is a professor at New York University School of Law. Benjamin Ginsberg practiced election law for 38 years and co-chaired the Presidential Commission on Election Administration. He is a distinguished visiting fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. Bauer and Ginsberg are co-chairs of the Election Official Legal Defense Network.

MORE: Congressional gerrymandering is voter suppression, too —Bloomberg ([link removed])


** A blow for vaccine mandates in AZ
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As the U.S. closed in on a total of 650,000 Covid deaths yesterday, the office of Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich declared that Tucson's vaccine mandate for city employees is illegal. Brnovich said the city violated a state law, approved this summer, prohibiting local governments from implementing vaccine mandates for their employees. Tucson's new legislation requires employees to be vaccinated or face a five-day suspension without pay. The AG's office has notified the city that the new law must be rescinded or amended, adding that it could face liability claims from employees. Tucson is one of several Democratic-led cities in Arizona that have passed legislation that conflicts with the GOP's pandemic policies. Brnovich may be coming for them next. "COVID-19 vaccinations should be a choice, not a government mandate," he said. —The Hill ([link removed])

MORE: Idaho allows Covid-slammed hospitals to ration care for 1st time ever —CBS News ([link removed])
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** Friedman: Confronting China the right way
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"There is no question that the best way for America to counterbalance China is by doing the one thing China hates most—confronting it with a broad, transnational coalition, based on shared universal values regarding the rule of law, free trade, human rights, and basic accounting standards. When we make the confrontation with China the U.S. president versus China's president, Xi Jinping can easily leverage all the Chinese nationalists on his side. When we make it the world versus China on what are the best and most just international norms, we isolate the hard-liners in Beijing and leverage more Chinese reformers on our side." —Thomas Friedman in ([link removed]) The New York Times ([link removed])

Thomas Friedman is a columnist for
The New York Times. He has written extensively on foreign affairs, global trade, and environmental issues.

MORE: China's nanny state grows ever more intrusive —The Washington Post ([link removed])


** Focus on global democracy
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Hong Kong police have arrested four members of a pro-democracy group that organizes an annual commemoration of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Among those arrested was attorney Chow Hang Tung of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China. Her arrest came hours before she was due to represent detained opposition politician Gwyneth Ho, who is charged with conspiracy to commit subversion under a Beijing-imposed national security law, at a hearing. "I want to tell Hong Kongers that we need to continue to resist, don't surrender to the unreasonable power quickly and easily," Chow said. —Reuters ([link removed])
* — Belarus. A Belarusian court has sentenced Maria Kolesnikova, who ran against President Alexander Lukashenko in the country's presidential election last year, to an 11-year prison sentence. In another sign that Lukashenko is pursuing an unrelenting crackdown on dissent following the heavily disputed election, Kolesnikova and her colleague were charged with extremism, conspiring to seize power illegally, and damaging state security. The trial was held behind closed doors, and neither the investigators nor the witnesses were publicly disclosed. The defendants say the verdict was politically motivated. —The New York Times ([link removed])
*
* — Brazil. Tens of thousands of Brazilians rallied in support of embattled far-right President Jair Bolsonaro yesterday as he stepped up attacks on Brazil's Supreme Court. Bolsonaro has been locked in a feud with the high court and, in particular, a justice who has jailed several of his supporters for allegedly financing, organizing, or inciting violence or anti-democratic acts, or disseminating false information. In calling on his followers to take to the streets in protest, Bolsonaro stirred fears that the demonstrations could erupt in violence akin to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, but they remained largely peaceful. —Associated Press ([link removed])

1. — Guinea. The soldiers who seized power in Guinea in a weekend coup have installed army officers at the top of the country's eight regions and various administrative districts. Prior to being overthrown, former President Alpha Conde had been serving a third term after altering the constitution to permit it, which his opponents said was illegal. Coup leader Mamady Doumbouya has promised a "new era for governance and economic development," without providing any specifics. —Al Jazeera ([link removed])

MORE: El Salvador adopts Bitcoin as president dismantles democracy —Los Angeles Times ([link removed])


** The Seattle Times Ed Board: A win for democracy in Yakima
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"Approved by the Legislature in 2018, the Washington Voting Rights Act not only allows voters to directly challenge unfair voting systems in their communities, but it also gives municipalities the power to change those systems. For Latinos in Yakima County, the challenge of ensuring representation in government will now be up to them. 'You don't win just by changing an election system. You need candidates to step up and run and voters to have their back,' said Robin Engle with OneAmerica. 'But for the first time ever, there's actually a real opportunity and a chance for representation in Yakima County.' For now, that's more than reason enough to celebrate." — ([link removed]) The Seattle Times ([link removed])

MORE: Seattle candidates again vie for 'democracy vouchers' as they pivot to November election —The Seattle Times ([link removed])

I believe maintaining the filibuster is critical to ensure dialogue and compromise between political groups that are not likely to ever agree otherwise. —H. Lewis S., Utah

I think it's time to eliminate the filibuster. That would stop either party from jamming up the system for the sake of jamming the system up. Nothing is getting done and there is a lot of very badly needed legislation not getting done. —Mike W., Pennsylvania

No, I'm not in favor of filibuster reform. It's a time-honored Senate tradition that tends to keep the majority from ramrodding legislation. —Spencer S., Idaho

It is essential that the filibuster be defeated. Our democracy and country cannot now survive given the Republicans' efforts to suppress voting rights. —Bill F., Colorado

I support the filibuster. It makes sure that any legislative initiatives have the support of a large-enough majority of senators to validly represent a large majority of Americans. We should not let major legislative initiatives pass by one tie-breaking vote. The filibuster forces senators to work with each other, and, if they choose not to work with each other, they can't get their job done. —Jake B., Wisconsin

On the question of the filibuster: I think it should be temporarily suspended but not eliminated. There are times it could serve a good purpose. —Linda S., Texas
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** The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Stand Up Republic Foundation.
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