Bernie grundman

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 Mike Esposito still won't say who gave him the tip about the records. But on July 14, he went public with an explosive claim. In a sometimes halting video posted to the YouTube channel of his Phoenix record shop, the 'In' Groove, Esposito said that "pretty reliable sources" told him that MoFi (Mobile Fidelity), the Sebastopol, Calif., company that has prided itself on using original master tapes for its pricey reissues, had actually been using digital files in its production chain. In the world of audiophiles - where provenance is everything and the quest is to get as close to the sound of an album's original recording as possible - digital is considered almost unholy. And using digital while claiming not to is the gravest sin a manufacturer can commit. There was immediate pushback to Esposito's video, including from some of the bigger names in the passionate audio community. … [Read more...] about How a Phoenix record store owner set the audiophile world on fire

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 6 WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats have agreed to eleventh-hour changes to their marquee economic legislation, they announced late Thursday, clearing the major impediment to pushing one of President Joe Biden’s paramount election-year priorities through the chamber in coming days. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., a centrist seen as the pivotal vote in the 50-50 chamber, said in a statement that she had agreed to revamping some of the measure's tax and energy provisions and was ready to “move forward” on the bill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he believed his party’s energy, environment, health and tax compromise “will receive the support of the entire" Democratic membership of the chamber. His party needs unanimity and Vice President Kamala Harris' tie-breaking vote to move the measure through the Senate over certain solid opposition from … [Read more...] about Democrats say they’ve reached agreement on economic package

WASHINGTON - Bernie Sanders was jubilant. It was July 2021, and the Vermont senator had just helped finalize a $3.5 trillion blueprint to overhaul the country's health-care, education, climate, immigration and tax laws. "This is the most significant piece of legislation . . . since the Great Depression," he told reporters after a round of negotiations that stretched late into the night. "A lot of work remains." More than a year later, though, the sprawling package Sanders once envisioned is far smaller in size and scope. And as Democrats prepare to hold a key early vote on the bill, the senator himself has changed his tone - from a proud architect into a potent mix of supporter and critic. "You can do something significant with 50 votes," Sanders said in an interview Thursday, referring to the special legislative process Democrats plan to use to move the bill over Republican opposition. "Does this bill do that? No. Might it be better than nothing? Yes." For Sanders, the new … [Read more...] about Sanders grapples with missed opportunity in Democrats’ economic plan

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 11 WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats voted Saturday to begin debate on a sprawling bill that aims to lower health-care costs, combat climate change and reduce the federal budget deficit, a critical step in a grueling journey to deliver on President Joe Biden's long-stalled economic agenda. The vote, which drew unanimous Republican opposition, came seven months after internal bickering scuttled Democratic efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower prescription drug costs - key parts of a larger package party leaders regard as essential for retaining control of the House and Senate in this fall's midterm elections. "Many have talked about the need to act on climate change, the need to hold drug companies accountable, the need to make the tax code fairer," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Saturday on the Senate floor. … [Read more...] about Senate opens debate on Biden-backed Inflation Reduction Act

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 8 WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats pushed their election-year economic package to Senate passage Sunday, a hard-fought compromise less ambitious than President Joe Biden’s original domestic vision but one that still meets deep-rooted party goals of slowing global warming, moderating pharmaceutical costs and taxing immense corporations. The estimated $740 billion package heads next to the House, where lawmakers are poised to deliver on Biden's priorities, a stunning turnaround of what had seemed a lost and doomed effort that suddenly roared back to political life. Cheers broke out as Senate Democrats held united, 51-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote after an all-night session. “Today, Senate Democrats sided with American families over special interests,” President Joe Biden said in a statement from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. “I … [Read more...] about Senate Democrats approve big Biden deal; House to vote next

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Ilhan Omar, one of the biggest stars of the left, is facing a challenge from the center in her congressional primary in Minnesota on Tuesday, while Vermont Democrats will choose a nominee for an open U.S. House seat who will likely make history as the first woman representing the state in Congress. Another key race is unfolding in western Wisconsin, where Democratic Rep. Ron Kind 's retirement after 26 years in office opens up a House seat in a district that has been trending Republican. Among the candidates running in the Republican primary to replace Kind is a former Navy SEAL who attended the “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, which preceded the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Minnesota is also holding a special election to fill the remaining months of Republican Rep. Jim Hagedorn 's term after his death earlier this year … [Read more...] about Ilhan Omar faces centrist rival; open House seat in Vermont

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Voters will choose a Republican nominee for Wisconsin governor on Tuesday who could reshape how elections are conducted in the marquee battleground, where former President Donald Trump is still pressing to overturn his 2020 loss and backing candidates he sees as allies. Trump has endorsed businessman Tim Michels, a self-described outsider who has put $12 million into his own campaign, against former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, who has support from former Vice President Mike Pence and ex-Gov. Scott Walker. Both candidates falsely claim the 2020 election was rigged, though Kleefisch has said decertifying the results is “not constitutional,” while Michels said “everything will be on the table.” The race to face Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is another proxy war between Trump and Pence, one-time partners now pursuing different futures for the Republican Party. They also backed opposing GOP rivals in primaries in Arizona and Georgia — swing states that like Wisconsin … [Read more...] about Wisconsin primary may shape elections in key battleground

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 14 MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — The leader of Vermont's state Senate, Becca Balint, won the Democratic Party primary on Tuesday for Vermont's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, meaning she could become the first woman and the first openly gay person to represent the state in Congress. In deep-blue Vermont, it’s likely the Democratic candidate will also clinch the general election in November. A win by Balint, who is white, would help erase what some consider to be the blot on the liberal state’s reputation of only being represented by white men. Balint garnered support from the progressive wing of the state party, including the independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, and national progressive leaders such as Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Balint had campaigned with … [Read more...] about Balint wins Vermont’s Democratic primary for US House

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 6 WASHINGTON (AP) — After an uneven start, Donald Trump's election-year tour of revenge succeeded in ousting Republican members of Congress, boosting Trump-backed “America First” candidates who beat back the establishment and strengthening his grip on the party. Meanwhile, Ron Johnson, the most vulnerable Republican senator up for reelection, will take on Wisconsin's Democratic lieutenant governor in November in one of this year's most closely watched Senate contests. And a member of the Squad of progressive lawmakers survived a tough primary challenge from a Democratic rival running on a pro-police platform, while voters in Vermont are poised to send a woman to Congress for the first time in the state's 231-year history. Takeaways from election results Tuesday night: TRUMP'S GRIP As the midterm primary season reaches its final contests, Trump's grip on the … [Read more...] about Takeaways: Trump tightens grip on GOP, narrow Squad victory