Lunch Break (9/8/16): How did NC reps do in AAUW report card on congressional votes affecting females?

by

comment

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) released its annual 2016 Congressional Voting Record this morning, providing a report card outlining how senators and representatives voted on women's issues in the 114th Congress (from January 2015 to August 2016), and it looks like many of North Carolina's representatives will be held back a grade. 

In the Senate, Sens. Richard Burr (R) and Thom Tillis (R) both scored a 25 percent, voting in accordance with AAUW's positions in two out of eight votes on the report card. Their only positive votes came in relation to the Justice for Victim of Human Trafficking Act and Women Airforce  Service Pilot Arlington Inurnment Restoration Act. However, Thillis and Burr voted against women's interests, according to the AAUW, in six other votes, including bills related to the economy, education, and civil rights. 

Alma Adams at a Charlotte press conference in March.
  • Alma Adams at a Charlotte press conference in March.
In the House of Representatives, a few of North Carolina's representatives fared better, including Rep. Alma Adams (D), whose newly drawn 12th district is now fully in Charlotte. Adams scored 100 percent on the AAUW report card, voting positively for women in nine out of nine relative votes. Other scores above 50 percent in North Carolina included Rep. David Price (D), who scored 88 percent, and Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D), who scored 78 percent. Many North Carolina representatives in the House scored even lower than the above-mentioned senators, with eight out of 13 representatives being scored at 22 percent. 

—————

Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia Center for Politics' widely read, nonpartisan publication Sabato's Crystal Ball moved his ranking for North Carolina's gubernatorial race from "toss-up" to "leans Democratic," favoring Attorney General Roy Cooper. 

"As things stand, Cooper leads in both major polling averages by about four points. Not only that, but both aggregators find the Democrat running ahead of his presidential standard bearer by a couple of points," Sabato and others wrote. "While the gubernatorial race is certainly close, because Cooper may be in a stronger position than Clinton suggests that a Democratic pickup could be on the cards in the Tar Heel State." 

Sabato cited a recent Monmouth poll showing that McCrory's infamous House Bill 2 has an approval rating of 36 percent and a disapproval rating of 55 percent. 

—————

Two North Carolina men have been arrested on federal conspiracy charges after allegedly hacking several federal officials and U.S. government computer systems. Andrew Boggs, aka INCURSIO, 22, of North Wilkesboro, and Justin Liverman, aka D3F4ULT, 24, of Morehead City were arrested this morning and, yes, the U.S. Department of Justice used numbers in Liverman's alias in their official press release. 

According to the release, Liverman and Boggs were members of a hacking group called "Crackas with Attitude," and used “social engineering” hacking techniques, including victim impersonation, to gain unlawful access to the personal online accounts of senior U.S. government officials, their families and several U.S. government computer systems. The men allegedly uploaded personal information they obtained from victims' private accounts onto public websites. They also allegedly made harassing phone calls and defaced their social media accounts. These are some very bad boys we're dealing with here.