“The administration’s efforts have not erased the economic malaise and frustration among America’s farmers, who have seen sales fall and bankruptcies rise. The overall payouts have been large, but they have not always gone to the farmers who need them most.
“Critics, including both Democrat and Republican lawmakers, have argued that small farmers have missed out on the bulk of the bailout, while large and some foreign-owned farms have benefited.
“While the new subsidies will be welcome, Mr. Boyd noted that they would only amount to $10,000 to $20,000 per tobacco farmer.
‘One hundred percent of these dollars will go to service debt,” he said.
“Joel Greeno, a Wisconsin farmer who switched from dairy to raising cattle, said that despite the big headline aid numbers it was a myth that the Trump administration had really helped small farms stay afloat.
He said that most of it is going to rich landowners and corporate agriculture companies.
“‘Even though society believes that these programs that help farmers, the money very rarely gets to farmers,’ said Mr. Greeno, who is also president of the Family Farm Defenders organization. ‘Rural America is not seeing that money because it’s not getting here.’”
“Seeking an 11th-hour campaign reset, Trump has apparently decided that the key to reversing his political fortunes is for him to be everywhere, all the time—on the debate stage, on television, online—until November 3.
“What he seems unable or unwilling to see, though, is that this over-saturation only seems to make the stability and normalcy Biden represents more attractive.
“‘He’s just so angry all the time,’ a Michigan woman said of Trump in a Politico dispatch Wednesday on his worsening poll numbers in the swing state. ‘I really believe that he brings out the worst in people, the worst in situations.’”
“The president's all-out blitz to save his campaign seems to be sending people right to Joe Biden.” vanityfair.com/news/2020/10/t…
“It may be difficult to recall, but there was a time—not so long ago, in fact—when Donald Trump was not the main character in the 24-hour news cycle day after agonizing day.
“Sure, he’d crop up from time to time on Page Six, or get attention on Fox News for some new birther claim. But until about five years ago, Americans’ daily lives didn’t revolve entirely around the outrages and neuroses of a deranged former game show host.
Are there any GOP politicians or campaign operatives with any sense at all? Haven’t they figured out trump is a one trick pony and an absolute political idiot?
“Less than three weeks before Election Day, President Trump’s lack of a consistent and coherent closing argument is alarming some Republicans, raising fears among his allies that his undisciplined approach to campaigning could render him a one-term president.
“In the final stretch of the race, a trio of long-standing challenges have converged to create a daunting barrier to Trump’s reelection:
Tuesday’s massive turnout should be good news for Democrats, but there are lots of fired up Republicans, too. We’ve got to bring this home, folks. This is our year to turn Texas blue and send trump and Cornyn into retirement.
Early voting runs from October 13 to October 30. Dates and times vary by county. You can call 1-844-TX-VOTES (1-844-898-6837) to find polling places in your county and hours of operation.
“With less than three weeks to go before Nov. 3, more than 14 million Americans have already voted in the fall election, reflecting an extraordinary level of participation despite barriers erected by the coronavirus pandemic …
“— and setting a trajectory that could result in the majority of voters casting ballots before Election Day for the first time in U.S. history,” the Washington Post reports.
“The Labor Department announced in a news release Tuesday night that Secretary Eugene Scalia’s wife, Trish, has tested positive for coronavirus,” CNN reports.
“Both Eugene and Trish Scalia attended the Rose Garden event where President Donald Trump announced Judge Amy Coney Barrett was his pick to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court.
“They were seated in the second row, directly behind first lady Melania Trump and next to former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway — both of whom would later test positive for Covid-19.” politicalwire.com/2020/10/13/lab…