The Daily Moth 2-26-2020
Hello, welcome to The Daily Moth! It is Wednesday, February 26. Ready for news?
———
Recap of Dem Debate in South Carolina
Here is a recap of the Democratic debate last night in South Carolina with seven candidates. It was a very heated debate with many candidates trying to talk over the other.
Bernie Sanders said the American economy is doing really great for people like Mike Bloomberg and other billionaires, but that ordinary Americans are struggling.
Bloomberg said that Russia’s Putin wants Trump to be president and that’s why Russia is helping Bernie to get elected, so he can lose to Trump.
Bernie said “Hey Mr. Putin, if I’m president of the United States, trust me, you’re not going to interfere in anymore American elections.”
Elizabeth Warren said she and Bernie agree on a lot of things, but she would be a better president than him because she can dig in and do the hard work to make a progressive agenda happen. She said she has experience with fighting big banks.
Pete Buttigieg warned that a Bernie win in the Democratic primary would bring chaos to this country and said that’s what the Russians want.
Joe Biden pointed out that nine people were shot dead by a white supremacist at a church within walking distance of the debate (referring to the 2015 shooting at Emanuel Church in which nine African-Americans were shot and killed). Biden said Bernie voted multiple times against the Brady Bill, which required stricter gun controls.
Bernie admitted that he made a bad vote, but said that he has a D-minus voting record from the National Rifle Association.
Joe Biden said he would win South Carolina and get the support of African-Americans. He said he’s worked like the devil to earn their vote and said that his entire career has been about dealing with civil rights and civil liberties.
Bloomberg said he’s apologized for his stop-and-frisk policy and asked for forgiveness. He said he has learned from black leaders and has improved education, employment, and housing opportunities for black and brown people in New York City. He said he was the mayor of the largest, most populous city in the United States for 12 years and that he’s done a good job for all ethnicities.
Amy Klobuchar said we need to fix racism in the criminal justice system, improve child care and minimum wage, and making sure people have voting rights.
Warren said Bloomberg cannot be trusted because he has supported Republican candidates in the past, including her former Republican opponent for her Senate seat. She said “I don’t care how much money (he) has, the core of the Democratic Party will never trust him. He has not earned their trust.”
Warren said that she lost her teaching job when she became pregnant many years ago and then accused Mike Bloomberg of telling a pregnant female staffer in his company to “kill it” by having an abortion.
Bloomberg said that he never said it and said that New York teachers were treated the right way.
Buttigieg said it was confusing how much Bernie’s “Medicare for All” plan would cost and warned that it would lead to Trump winning another four years along with a Republican majority in the House and the Senate.
Amy Klobuchar said she likes Bernie, but that she doesn’t think he’s the best person to lead the ticket. She asked voters in Super Tuesday states if they wanted someone in charge who wants to put forward $60 trillion in spending, which is three times the American economy.
Bloomberg said if Bernie keeps on going, we’ll elect Bernie, and then he will lose to Donald Trump, and then the House and the Senate and some of the statehouses will all go red and we’ll have to live with it for the next 20 or 30 years.
Tom Steyer said that if Bernie or Bloomberg wins, we’ll be going to one of either “extremes” and we’ll risk re-electing Donald Trump.
Bloomberg said that he spent $100 million to help 21 Democrats win seats in the House. He said “I bought — I got them” in a verbal slip-up.
Bernie said there were many opinion polls that said he is able to beat Trump in a national election, and that he can do it if there is unprecedented grassroots movement of black and white and Latino, Native Americans and Asian individuals standing up and fighting for justice.
Warren said she would be an effective president because she would treat people well and lift them up.
So, that’s a recap of the South Carolina debate. The state primary is on Saturday.
President Trump tweeted that it was a crazy, chaotic debate and said “just give me an opponent!”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/south-carolina-democratic-debate-full-transcript-text/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/south-carolina-democratic-debate-recap-highlights-top-moments/
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/25/us/politics/bernie-sanders-brady-bill-guns.html
———
Katherine Johnson, noted NASA scientist, passes away at 101
On Monday, a NASA mathematician named Katherine Johnson, who was portrayed in the film “Hidden Figures,” passed away at 101 years of age. She was one of the first African-American women to work as a NASA scientist.
Johnson is credited with making the mathematical calculations that helped to put men on the moon in 1969. She was able to predict and sync the movements of an orbiting spaceship and a lunar lander.
She also did work to make Alan Shephard’s space mission possible in 1961 — that was the first time an American went up in space.
Another noted astronaut, John Glenn, is said to trust Johnson completely and would wait until she said the calculations for a spaceflight were good before he felt ready to go.
NASA said Johnson helped our nation enlarge the frontiers of space and opened doors for women and people of color in the human quest to explore space.
Johnson worked for NASA for more than 30 years. Before that, she was a teacher at a black public school in Virginia.
Johnson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama in 2015. A NASA facility in West Virginia, where she was born, was named after her last year.
———
LeFors Family wins $25,000 on “Crystal Maze”
On Friday, the LeFors “Girl Power” team won the top prize of $25,000 on Nickelodeon’s “Crystal Maze” game show. I did an interview with them last week before the show aired.
The team won six out of eight challenges to collect crystals. The youngest player and the captain, Priscilla, also won a mega crystal. This means they had plenty of time for the final challenge and were able to collect enough golden tokens to win the prize.
Since the show was taped in September, I asked the family what it was like to keep it a secret all this time.
PRISCILLA LEFORS:
We signed an agreement to keep it confidential. If we revealed information, they would sue us. I don’t want that so I had to keep it to myself. My friends were so curious but I had to hold it. Even teachers asked me about it. I had to hold it in. Even my grandparents! I kept it tight until the show, and now I feel a huge weight lifted off my shoulders!
THE DAILY MOTH:
I bet it’s a big weight off your shoulders! Good job keeping it a secret. Here are more insights from June Ann, the mother.
JUNE ANN LEFORS:
Some people were curious if we had to play out the scenes again and again, or if it was all 100% real. Once we went through the doors for the challenges, everything you saw was real. There were no repetitions. All the facial expressions and reactions were authentic. Now, for the scenes when we stood together -- for those parts, there were some retakes. Adam (the host) would say out lines and then want to do a retake. We would oblige. Sometimes the kids would say things and didn’t think it felt right, so we’d do a retake. That was cute. We all had to act all day, for one entire day. We were worn out. It was exciting in the morning but as the day dragged on, the (crew) had to encourage the kids to look happy, to smile. The kids started to feel fatigued. We had to cheer them on. It was a new perspective. So, young actors, you have my respect. Acting jobs are not easy! It was a fun experience for us.
THE DAILY MOTH:
Thank you for sharing. June Ann said after paying taxes on the prize money, they used the money to on their trip in the United Kingdom and have booked a cruise vacation. Nice! Congratulations to the LeFors family.
———
Deaf rapper Sean Forbes releases new album “Little Victories” and performs in Detroit
THE DAILY MOTH:
Last week Sean Forbes, in Detroit, made multiple appearances for news channels and gave a performance for his new album, “Little Victories.” Check it out!
SEAN FORBES:
Right now we’re going to Fox 2 News for a live performance on television!
(Video clips of Forbes and his crew packing up, driving to, and setting up for the Fox 2 performance)
NATE QUALLS:
We’re going live soon!
FORBES, WITH REPORTER:
It’s great to be back and put music out.
(Forbes signing with lyrics in background)
FORBES:
That was fun! I always enjoy performing live on TV. It means if you mess up, you mess up. You just have to keep on going. But I feel great! It felt perfect.
(Video cuts to a different location -- “Third Man Records.” It is nighttime in the city. There are many people packed in a building and performers are onstage.)
FORBES:
It’s my first album in seven years. Seven!
(Forbes signing on stage)
FORBES:
The reason for “Little Victories” is because I felt it was the right time. I just woke up one morning and said let’s go!
(Forbes signing on stage)
FORBES:
That one line in Little Victories where I say “Don’t feel sorry for me” -- I’m talking to anyone who might say “Aww, that’s a nice story. A deaf man who’s a musician. Ooh, wow!” I’m not asking for that. I’m asking you to respect me as a musician, as an artist, and as someone who is really passionate about music and sharing it with people.
(Forbes signing a duet with his father, Scott as crowds cheer)
FORBES:
Words can’t describe the feeling I have right now for the support of the community, the support of the Michigan community and not just Michigan but all over. Many people drove from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Minnesota, all over, to Detroit to see this performance. I’m really honored to be honest.
FAN:
There was so much energy. I really love it!
FAN #2:
The music was so loud! I had a lot of fun!
JOJO FORBES:
Good show!
THE DAILY MOTH:
Thanks Sean for letting me to be a moth on the wall for your performances! It is now his goal for people to buy his album. He’s doing well. Can you explain this?
FORBES:
Really, right now we are in the top 20 on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and I’ve never dreamed to see a deaf person to be up there. This week the purchases and sales will be tallied towards the biggest one of them all -- the Billboard Charts. I’m really looking forward to that.
THE DAILY MOTH:
Nice. How can we support you?
FORBES:
Go to DeafandLoud.com and click on “Buy Now.” Buy it!
THE DAILY MOTH:
Thank you for your time, Sean Forbes!
FORBES:
Thanks!
———
That is all for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light!
———