thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-05--Judge Rejects Moving Trial Of Ex-Officers In George Floyd's Death

MINNEAPOLIS ( AP ) — A judge on Thursday rejected defense requests to move the trial of four former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd ’ s death , and also ordered that all four will be tried together instead of separately .
Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill ruled after defense attorneys had argued that pretrial publicity had made it impossible for the four men to get a fair trial in Minneapolis .
They had also cited a Sept. 11 hearing in which the men and their attorneys were confronted by angry protesters outside the courthouse , saying it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same area where Floyd died would be unsafe for participants .
Defense lawyers had argued that witnesses could be intimidated , and jurors could be affected by chants from a crowd outside .
But Cahill said he was unpersuaded at the moment that moving the trial would improve security , and that he believes the jury can be protected from outside influences .
“ No corner of the State of Minnesota has been shielded from pretrial publicity regarding the death of George Floyd .
Because of that pervasive media coverage , a chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taint of potential prejudicial pretrial publicity , ” he wrote .
Cahill said he was willing to revisit the issue later if circumstances warrant .
Moving the trial away from Minneapolis to less diverse areas of the state also likely would affect the makeup of the jury , though the judge didn ’ t address that issue .
In a separate order , however , he said the names of the jurors will be kept confidential .
Defense attorneys had also argued that the men should face separate trials , as each officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Floyd ’ s arrest by pointing fingers at the other .
But Cahill rejected that too , saying the complications of separate trials were too great and that trying the officers together would “ ensure that the jury understands ... all of the evidence and the complete picture of Floyd ’ s death .
“ And it would allow this community , this State and the nation to absorb the verdicts for the four defendants at once , ” he concluded .
Floyd , a Black man in handcuffs , died May 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , pressed his knee against Floyd ’ s neck as he said he couldn ’ t breathe .
Floyd ’ s death sparked protests in Minneapolis and beyond , and led to a nationwide reckoning on race .
All four officers were fired .
They are scheduled to stand trial in March .
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison , whose office is prosecuting the case , said in a statement that the rulings “ represent another significant step forward ” in the pursuit of justice for Floyd and the community .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it is right that the defendants should be tried in Minneapolis , ” Ellison said .
“ It is also true that they acted in concert with each other and the evidence against them is similar , so it is right to try them in one trial .
”

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A judge on Thursday rejected defense requests to move the trial of four former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s death, and also ordered that all four will be tried together instead of separately.
Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill ruled after defense attorneys had argued that pretrial publicity had made it impossible for the four men to get a fair trial in Minneapolis. They had also cited a Sept. 11 hearing in which the men and their attorneys were confronted by angry protesters outside the courthouse, saying it showed that holding the proceeding in the same area where Floyd died would be unsafe for participants. Defense lawyers had argued that witnesses could be intimidated, and jurors could be affected by chants from a crowd outside.
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But Cahill said he was unpersuaded at the moment that moving the trial would improve security, and that he believes the jury can be protected from outside influences.
“No corner of the State of Minnesota has been shielded from pretrial publicity regarding the death of George Floyd. Because of that pervasive media coverage, a chance of venue is unlikely to cure the taint of potential prejudicial pretrial publicity,” he wrote.
Cahill said he was willing to revisit the issue later if circumstances warrant. Moving the trial away from Minneapolis to less diverse areas of the state also likely would affect the makeup of the jury, though the judge didn’t address that issue. In a separate order, however, he said the names of the jurors will be kept confidential.
FILE - This combination of file photos, provided by the Hennepin County, Minn., Sheriff's Office, shows, from left, Derek Chauvin, J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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The judge also ruled in another order that the trial can be televised from the courtroom.
Defense attorneys had also argued that the men should face separate trials, as each officer tried to diminish their own role in Floyd’s arrest by pointing fingers at the other. But Cahill rejected that too, saying the complications of separate trials were too great and that trying the officers together would “ensure that the jury understands ... all of the evidence and the complete picture of Floyd’s death.
“And it would allow this community, this State and the nation to absorb the verdicts for the four defendants at once,” he concluded.
Floyd, a Black man in handcuffs, died May 25 after Derek Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck as he said he couldn’t breathe. Floyd’s death sparked protests in Minneapolis and beyond, and led to a nationwide reckoning on race. All four officers were fired. They are scheduled to stand trial in March.
Chauvin is charged with unintentional second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The three other former officers, Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao, are charged with aiding and abetting.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office is prosecuting the case, said in a statement that the rulings “represent another significant step forward” in the pursuit of justice for Floyd and the community.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-05--Julia Louis-Dreyfus Spots The 'Veep' Scene That Sums Up Trump's Election Tantrums

Fans of “ Veep ” think the United States is living through a real-life version of the satirical show — and Julia Louis-Dreyfus , who plays presidential candidate and eventual President Selina Meyer on the HBO comedy , appears to agree .
On Wednesday , a Twitter user recalled a scene from Season 5 in which Meyer — upon finding out her election bid could soon be in ruins — demands that a recount of votes in Nevada be stopped , even though she ’ d called for the recount in the first place .
“ I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gon na cancel this recount like Anne Frank ’ s bar mitzvah , ” Meyer tells her aides , before screaming , “ I ’ m tired of losing things.
” The storyline also involves Meyer ’ s supporters chanting either “ count every vote ” or “ stop counting the votes , ” depending on what will benefit her the most .
President Donald Trump ’ s supporters this week have gathered outside election offices across the nation .
Some have demanded that votes be recounted , while others want vote counting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on what will work in the president ’ s favor .
The result in Nevada is also currently undecided .
Meanwhile , Trump in the early hours of Wednesday morning falsely declared that he had won the 2020 election .
David Mandel , executive producer of “ Veep , ” said last year on the conclusion of the show following its seventh season that Meyer is basically Trump .
“ I would argue , if anybody is Trump , Selina is Trump , ” Mandel said .
“ Not that anybody is Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in many similar ways , and sort of holds grudges , and has a very sort of a hair-trigger temper and that kind of a thing.
” All these lawsuits makes me think of this clip of @ VeepHBO @ OfficialJLD @ AnnaChlumsky @ mrreidscott @ DavidHMandel It ’ s worrying when a comedy show is literally becoming more and more real by the minute .
Veep seems more like a documentary at this stage .
# Elections2020 pic.twitter.com/Yi5zLPNVDB — CatherineL ( @ CatherineL2288 ) November 4 , 2020 This is the exact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ VEEP ” .
No , I ’ m not joking , look it up .
Amirite ?
@ OfficialJLD @ SamRichardson @ timothycsimons @ DavidHMandel @ MrTonyHale https : //t.co/oYvMuGVCen — Annoying Stat Guy ( @ AnnoyingStatGuy ) November 5 , 2020

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Fans of “Veep” think the United States is living through a real-life version of the satirical show — and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who plays presidential candidate and eventual President Selina Meyer on the HBO comedy, appears to agree.
On Wednesday, a Twitter user recalled a scene from Season 5 in which Meyer — upon finding out her election bid could soon be in ruins — demands that a recount of votes in Nevada be stopped, even though she’d called for the recount in the first place.
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“I don’t give a fuck. You’re gonna cancel this recount like Anne Frank’s bar mitzvah,” Meyer tells her aides, before screaming, “I’m tired of losing things.”
Check out the scene here:
The storyline also involves Meyer’s supporters chanting either “count every vote” or “stop counting the votes,” depending on what will benefit her the most.
Sound familiar?
President Donald Trump’s supporters this week have gathered outside election offices across the nation. Some have demanded that votes be recounted, while others want vote counting to stop in certain states, depending on what will work in the president’s favor. The result in Nevada is also currently undecided.
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Meanwhile, Trump in the early hours of Wednesday morning falsely declared that he had won the 2020 election.
Louis-Dreyfus, who hosted this year’s Democratic National Convention, noted the similarities, tweeting:
It shouldn’t be that surprising, though.
David Mandel, executive producer of “Veep,” said last year on the conclusion of the show following its seventh season that Meyer is basically Trump.
“I would argue, if anybody is Trump, Selina is Trump,” Mandel said. “Not that anybody is Trump. She’s horrific and despicable in many similar ways, and sort of holds grudges, and has a very sort of a hair-trigger temper and that kind of a thing.”
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All these lawsuits makes me think of this clip of @VeepHBO @OfficialJLD @AnnaChlumsky @mrreidscott @DavidHMandel
It’s worrying when a comedy show is literally becoming more and more real by the minute. Veep seems more like a documentary at this stage. #Elections2020 pic.twitter.com/Yi5zLPNVDB — CatherineL (@CatherineL2288) November 4, 2020
Does anyone else remember when an entire election in “Veep” hinged on the results of Nevada?#Election2020 pic.twitter.com/Fq0uW1dRaE — Affinity Magazine (@TheAffinityMag) November 5, 2020
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Here's What It's Like When Your Baby Dies During A Pandemic

Courtesy of Alejandra Wilcox Ronan was n't able to wear any clothes while he was alive , but his primary NICU nurse did manage to find a hat small enough to fit him .
( Photo taken on May 21 , 2020 , at the Anschutz Medical Center near Denver . )
And when I do what she says , I ’ ll realize that I ’ ve spent up to 24 masked hours a day in the NICU since my son was born 17 weeks prematurely .
From the moment I first put my hand on his 1-pound , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to keep him — and all the other babies in the NICU — safe from COVID-19 .
Every single day for 42 days straight , I ’ ve gone through multiple security checkpoints to get to him , held my breath walking through the hospital hallways just in case .
I ’ ve scrubbed my hands under hot water until the skin along my knuckles began to crack .
I ’ ve worn a mask while sobbing , while pumping every three hours , while holding him , while pressing air kisses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my hands through his emergency heart surgery , while watching a team of doctors and nurses save his life , while sleeping in a recliner outside his cubicle for four nights straight .
You will be rapid-tested for COVID-19 after throwing up twice in the ambulance on the way to the hospital .
You will be so exhausted and humiliated that you will sob like a small child .
Once you go into labor , your partner will not be able to leave the hospital until you ’ re discharged .
Not even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the parking lot .
When you and your baby almost die in labor , no other family or friends will be permitted to visit .
Frankly , you ’ re lucky you ’ re even allowed a support person at all .
Who are you to cry that your mom can ’ t come to hold your hand ?
There are people dying in the same building who haven ’ t seen their spouses or children in a month .
In the NICU , the director will tell you that parents have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ babies amid the pandemic .
He fought hard for it , he says .
Babies need their parents .
Your commute is up to an hour each way , but the director tells you that some parents are traveling from Wyoming or Kansas to this hospital near Denver .
Some families can ’ t make that trip at all during normal times , let alone during a pandemic .
You obsess that you haven ’ t washed your breast pump parts well enough .
You obsess about hand sanitizer .
You obsess about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is , if you used enough soap , if you scrubbed hard enough .
If you must stop at a store on the way home , you obsess about what you touch .
To all the people who can ’ t be bothered to wear a mask , you want to scream , “ I am trying to keep my baby alive !
Please just let me keep my baby alive !
” You see , a baby pulls the universe in , narrows the wide scope of your anxiety to one sharp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baby is sick ?
You might as well be navigating life through a close-up filter , the rest of the world blurring behind you .
At the start of the pandemic , you worried about isolation and missing your master ’ s graduation and completing your thesis on time .
Now , you worry because your baby ’ s weight dips below 1 pound .
You worry when you hold his tiny hand during each of his hourlong scans for brain bleeds .
You worry when the attending doctor calls one morning to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having heart surgery in two hours .
To be clear , even without the pandemic , what happened to my family is a nightmare .
There is no sugarcoating how exhausting or mind-numbingly horrifying the NICU can be .
I was acutely aware that what was happening to me is the worst fear of any pregnant person : I had a perfectly normal , healthy pregnancy , until I didn ’ t .
Then I had to make choices about whether to keep my baby alive .
That is something no parent ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t change that .
Every time I think about my son ’ s short six weeks of life , I think about how lucky we were .
Lucky I was able to be transferred to a Level IV NICU in time for the doctors to save our lives .
Lucky my baby and I had access to excellent insurance .
Lucky I lived in a state that allowed my husband to be with me .
Lucky we were allowed to see our baby at all , lucky to be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in time for his death .
Lucky my parents were willing to risk their own health — despite being in an at-risk population — and travel so they could help us take care of our preschooler .
Lucky to have had so many healthy relatives and friends surround us with emotional and financial support , even despite COVID-19 .
Lucky we could hold a funeral that did our son and his life a small amount of justice .
I still don ’ t have the answer .
All I know is that each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other , we become less alone .
My husband and I are not the only parents to have a baby during this pandemic .
I am certain we are not the only parents to lose our baby , either .
And we are absolutely not the only people who have had to navigate the black hole that is death and grief during a time when isolation is necessary and the idea of “ normal ” seems further and further away .
My husband and I hadn ’ t slept consistently since the beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physically worn , struggling to form sentences .
Because we ’ re afraid to be too far away , we ’ re staying in a hotel across the street from the hospital .
I ’ m recovering from the cesarean section , still taking prescription-strength ibuprofen around the clock .
Every time we drive to the hospital , my husband drops me off at the front and I wait for him to park the car .
Sometimes , while I sit there , I watch new families anxiously wrangle their newborns into cars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the day we get to leave here forever with our baby in our arms .
Over the past few days , we ’ ve started to talk about the thing neither of us had wanted to admit out loud : We feel unbearably alone .
It has been months since we ’ ve spent time with adults besides each other , and we ’ ve grown used to that .
But this feeling crystallized in the moment my best friend and her partner stood outside in the hospital parking lot the day after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , waving up at my hospital room so we would know they were with us : We just wanted a hug .
God , we just wanted someone to hold us both and lie to us that it would all be OK .

Ronan wasn't able to wear any clothes while he was alive, but his primary NICU nurse did manage to find a hat small enough to fit him. (Photo taken on May 21, 2020, at the Anschutz Medical Center near Denver.) Courtesy of Alejandra Wilcox
My son is coding again.
It’s the second time in 20 minutes, and by now, I know the drill. The doctor directs the team of nurses who surround my baby’s tiny body: They assemble like a regiment of soldiers, as she stands back and issues the orders. “One minute,” the doctor says, her voice sharp. My son’s primary night nurse starts counting off in fours, compressing again and again.
It’s like every scene on every medical soap I’ve ever binged on Netflix, only real life. My son’s life. My life.
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He is dying, and there is nothing I can do to stop it.
“Do you want me to call the chaplain?” a voice asks gently. A nurse with the neonatal intensive care unit ― someone I’ve never met before ― peers at me in a way that I’ll become familiar with. Her hand is on my shoulder. When I tell her no, that’s all right, she nods, like she understands that for me, there is no place for any kind of god here.
“Thirty more seconds,” the doctor calls. Somewhere, not too far away, I can hear babies crying and gurgling. My son hasn’t been able to do those things yet, because he’s been on a ventilator for almost his entire six weeks of life. Soon, he never will.
Before he dies, my son will code twice more. The doctor will keep him alive until my husband makes it to the NICU, and she will cry when she tells us there’s nothing more they can do.
“I’m sorry, guys, but this is happening,” she will say.
Even then — even when I am watching my son die — I will not believe it’s real until the nurses tell us we can take off our masks.
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“It’s OK,” a nurse will tell us as I try to blow my nose without removing the mask. My husband’s is already soaked through. “You don’t need them.”
And when I do what she says, I’ll realize that I’ve spent up to 24 masked hours a day in the NICU since my son was born 17 weeks prematurely. From the moment I first put my hand on his 1-pound, 5-ounce body, I’ve been trying to keep him — and all the other babies in the NICU — safe from COVID-19. Every single day for 42 days straight, I’ve gone through multiple security checkpoints to get to him, held my breath walking through the hospital hallways just in case. I’ve scrubbed my hands under hot water until the skin along my knuckles began to crack. I’ve worn a mask while sobbing, while pumping every three hours, while holding him, while pressing air kisses against his tiny forehead, while wringing my hands through his emergency heart surgery, while watching a team of doctors and nurses save his life, while sleeping in a recliner outside his cubicle for four nights straight.
The first time the author was able to hold Ronan, on April 30, exactly one week after he was born at the Anschutz Medical Center NICU. Courtesy of Alejandra Wilcox
Every time my baby has looked at his parents, from the first day he was finally able to open one eye, he’s seen us with those masks on. Now, while he looks at us for the last time, he finally sees our full faces. Our real faces.
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I hope he knew who we were.
***
If you have never had a micro preemie in a pandemic, let me tell you what it’s like.
You will be rapid-tested for COVID-19 after throwing up twice in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. You will be so exhausted and humiliated that you will sob like a small child. Once you go into labor, your partner will not be able to leave the hospital until you’re discharged. Not even to get something out of the car in the parking lot. When you and your baby almost die in labor, no other family or friends will be permitted to visit. Frankly, you’re lucky you’re even allowed a support person at all. Who are you to cry that your mom can’t come to hold your hand? There are people dying in the same building who haven’t seen their spouses or children in a month.
In the NICU, the director will tell you that parents have only recently been allowed to visit their babies amid the pandemic. He fought hard for it, he says. Babies need their parents. Your commute is up to an hour each way, but the director tells you that some parents are traveling from Wyoming or Kansas to this hospital near Denver. Some families can’t make that trip at all during normal times, let alone during a pandemic.
The hours you spend beside your baby’s hospital isolette will be long and lonely, but you make friends with the nurses, and the hospital security team eventually starts nodding you through the checkpoints. They ask how your baby is. They wish you luck.
You obsess that you haven’t washed your breast pump parts well enough. You obsess about hand sanitizer. You obsess about how hot the water from the sink is, if you used enough soap, if you scrubbed hard enough. If you must stop at a store on the way home, you obsess about what you touch. To all the people who can’t be bothered to wear a mask, you want to scream, “I am trying to keep my baby alive! Please just let me keep my baby alive!”
There is so much anger. Anger at the people in your community and the country who complain about how inconvenient and uncomfortable masks are when you no longer think twice about sleeping in one if you have to. Anger that people are still complaining about not being able to go to a restaurant or get their hair cut when your parents can’t meet their grandchild.
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Ronan's first handprint and footprint, made by a NICU nurse a few hours after he was born on April 23. Courtesy of Alejandra Wilcox
You see, a baby pulls the universe in, narrows the wide scope of your anxiety to one sharp, immediate focus. And when your baby is sick? You might as well be navigating life through a close-up filter, the rest of the world blurring behind you. At the start of the pandemic, you worried about isolation and missing your master’s graduation and completing your thesis on time. Now, you worry because your baby’s weight dips below 1 pound. You worry when you hold his tiny hand during each of his hourlong scans for brain bleeds. You worry when the attending doctor calls one morning to tell you that your baby will be having heart surgery in two hours.
To be clear, even without the pandemic, what happened to my family is a nightmare. There is no sugarcoating how exhausting or mind-numbingly horrifying the NICU can be. I was acutely aware that what was happening to me is the worst fear of any pregnant person: I had a perfectly normal, healthy pregnancy, until I didn’t. Then I had to make choices about whether to keep my baby alive. That is something no parent ever wants to even imagine, and COVID-19 didn’t change that.
But I quickly learned, as I navigated my own personal trauma in the midst of a global one, that this pandemic compounds suffering. It is awful to plan a funeral for an infant; it is worse when you must make a guest list and maintain social distancing. It is even worse when you think, I am lucky! I am lucky they relaxed some of the guidelines surrounding funeral parlors the same day my baby died!
Every time I think about my son’s short six weeks of life, I think about how lucky we were. Lucky I was able to be transferred to a Level IV NICU in time for the doctors to save our lives. Lucky my baby and I had access to excellent insurance. Lucky I lived in a state that allowed my husband to be with me. Lucky we were allowed to see our baby at all, lucky to be able to hold him, lucky we made it in time for his death. Lucky my parents were willing to risk their own health — despite being in an at-risk population — and travel so they could help us take care of our preschooler. Lucky to have had so many healthy relatives and friends surround us with emotional and financial support, even despite COVID-19. Lucky we could hold a funeral that did our son and his life a small amount of justice.
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It is insufficient to say my heart breaks for people who didn’t get all the things my family did. We are privileged, and I’m sensitive to that as I think about how to tell this part of my son’s story. Is it too soon? Is it too late?
I still don’t have the answer. All I know is that each time we share our stories with each other, we become less alone. My husband and I are not the only parents to have a baby during this pandemic. I am certain we are not the only parents to lose our baby, either. And we are absolutely not the only people who have had to navigate the black hole that is death and grief during a time when isolation is necessary and the idea of “normal” seems further and further away.
In the past, I’ve personally struggled with asking for help. I’ve also struggled to be honest when I’m not doing well. It’s more comfortable for me to skirt around the edges of pain than to peel it back — to say to my friends, my family, myself, what is abundantly obvious: This hurts.
But with my son, I felt none of that.
It has never been more clear to me how much we all need each other. We need to talk about the painful stuff, the things we fear we’re burdening people with. We need to reach out in the ways we can to stay connected. To stay human. To stay alive.
The author offering Ronan comfort before a medical procedure on May 8. Courtesy of Alejandra Wilcox
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***
I remember when we were barely a week into our son’s life.
My husband and I hadn’t slept consistently since the beginning of April. We are emotionally and physically worn, struggling to form sentences. Because we’re afraid to be too far away, we’re staying in a hotel across the street from the hospital. I’m recovering from the cesarean section, still taking prescription-strength ibuprofen around the clock. Every time we drive to the hospital, my husband drops me off at the front and I wait for him to park the car. Sometimes, while I sit there, I watch new families anxiously wrangle their newborns into cars and imagine what it will be like the day we get to leave here forever with our baby in our arms.
Over the past few days, we’ve started to talk about the thing neither of us had wanted to admit out loud: We feel unbearably alone. It has been months since we’ve spent time with adults besides each other, and we’ve grown used to that. But this feeling crystallized in the moment my best friend and her partner stood outside in the hospital parking lot the day after I gave birth, masked and crying, waving up at my hospital room so we would know they were with us: We just wanted a hug. God, we just wanted someone to hold us both and lie to us that it would all be OK.
Tonight, we’re lying quietly on the hotel bed, trying to relax. The volume on our phones is maxed out in case the NICU calls. My husband’s phone chimes and we both start, but it’s just a message from a friend with a YouTube link. “Watch this together,” she says.
It’s a 10-minute video mashup of messages from friends across the country, a supercut of love and support and hope. Hope for our baby. Hope for us. Every single person says they wish they could be with us. Every single person tells us they can’t wait to meet our son when he comes home. Every single person is reaching out the only way they can — virtually — and holding us close.
Together, my husband and I sob, curled together in a sterile room that smells vaguely of stale smoke, and we cling to each other. It will be OK, our friends tell us. We are here. We are here. We are here.
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Alejandra Wilcox is an audio journalist, writer, and storyteller currently based in northern Colorado. Her radio work has appeared on KGNU, among other Rocky Mountain radio stations. You can tweet her at @alejawrites.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Jared Kushner's Company Reportedly Moves To Evict Hundreds As Pandemic Rages

An apartment management company co-owned by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner has taken action in court to evict hundreds of tenants whose finances have taken a hit from COVID -19 , The Washington Post reported Thursday .
Westminster Management has moved against largely low- and middle-income tenants in the Baltimore area , many of them Black , whose apartments are managed by the company , according to the Post .
A state moratorium protects tenants against evictions as people struggle with loss of jobs during the pandemic .
A federal moratorium for government-supported housing , which includes some run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the crisis .
But Westminster , which manages some 20,000 apartments , and other management companies are eager to get started on the process against tenants with past-due rent .
One resident of a Westminster-managed apartment Tashika Booker , told the Post she lost her job working for an online education company because of the pandemic .
She said she ’ s struggling to pay rent as she seeks other work .
Westminster , part of the Kushner family ’ s Kushner Cos. , said in a statement that Westminster ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal eviction bans .
Jared Kushner said he gave up managing Kushner Cos. when his father-in-law , President Donald Trump , made him a senior White House adviser .
But he maintained his ownership in the company .
He earned $ 1.69 million from his stake in Westminster last year , according to his financial filings .
Westminster is currently fighting a lawsuit by Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh , which accuses the company of violations concerning tacked-on fees and poor housing conditions .
Months before the suit was filed , Trump slammed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings ’ ( D-Md . )
as a “ disgusting , rat and rodent infested mess.
” Kushner properties in the area at the time had racked up hundreds of building code violations .
An earlier lawsuit described one Kushner apartment as having a leaking bedroom ceiling , maggots in the living room carpet and raw sewage spewing form the kitchen sink .
As for the suit filed by Frosh , Kushner Cos. managers have denied the charges , and claim the court action is politically motivated .
Kushner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their hardships , saying that they must “ want to be successful.
” Jared Kushner on the Black community : `` President Trump 's policies are the policies that can help people break out of the problems that they 're complaining about , but he ca n't want them to be successful more than that they want to be successful . ''
pic.twitter.com/SX9vWiAfag — Aaron Rupar ( @ atrupar ) October 26 , 2020

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An apartment management company co-owned by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner has taken action in court to evict hundreds of tenants whose finances have taken a hit from COVID -19, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
Westminster Management has moved against largely low- and middle-income tenants in the Baltimore area, many of them Black, whose apartments are managed by the company, according to the Post.
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A state moratorium protects tenants against evictions as people struggle with loss of jobs during the pandemic. A federal moratorium for government-supported housing, which includes some run by Westminster, also offers tenant protections during the crisis.
But Westminster, which manages some 20,000 apartments, and other management companies are eager to get started on the process against tenants with past-due rent.
One resident of a Westminster-managed apartment Tashika Booker, told the Post she lost her job working for an online education company because of the pandemic. She said she’s struggling to pay rent as she seeks other work.
Westminster, part of the Kushner family’s Kushner Cos., said in a statement that Westminster’s actions are fully compliant with state and federal eviction bans.
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Jared Kushner said he gave up managing Kushner Cos. when his father-in-law, President Donald Trump, made him a senior White House adviser. But he maintained his ownership in the company. He earned $1.69 million from his stake in Westminster last year, according to his financial filings.
Westminster is currently fighting a lawsuit by Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, which accuses the company of violations concerning tacked-on fees and poor housing conditions.
We allege this company cheated tenants before, during and after their tenancy, violating the Consumer Protection Act thousands of times. https://t.co/6anZeddYgm — Brian Frosh (@BrianFrosh) October 23, 2019
Months before the suit was filed, Trump slammed the Baltimore congressional district represented by the late Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings’ (D-Md.) as a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess.”
Kushner properties in the area at the time had racked up hundreds of building code violations. An earlier lawsuit described one Kushner apartment as having a leaking bedroom ceiling, maggots in the living room carpet and raw sewage spewing form the kitchen sink.
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Jared Kushner-Owned Company Fined As Negligent Property Owner In Baltimore County https://t.co/XSZqxPzcyG — Baltimore County (@BaltCoGov) November 2, 2017
As for the suit filed by Frosh, Kushner Cos. managers have denied the charges, and claim the court action is politically motivated.
Kushner last month dismissively blamed Black Americans for their hardships, saying that they must “want to be successful.”
Jared Kushner on the Black community: "President Trump's policies are the policies that can help people break out of the problems that they're complaining about, but he can't want them to be successful more than that they want to be successful." pic.twitter.com/SX9vWiAfag — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 26, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--U.S. Coronavirus Pandemic Sets New Record, Surpassing Over 100,000 Daily Cases Again

The eastern half of the country is engulfed in rising cases , with some pockets of the western half rapidly growing , Arizona among them .
The U.S. is rapidly approaching 10 million cases , while the death rate continues to climb after slowing in recent months .
Hospitals around the country are once again facing tough decisions on which patients to tend to , based on age and likelihood of survival .
In an analyst note Thursday , UBS said that with a Republican-controlled Senate and Biden in the White House , there is a 50-50 chance of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding , about $ 75 billion , for COVID-19 testing , with a focus on expansion of lower-cost antigen tests .
UBS also noted that , “ While Mr. Biden would likely prefer more Federal involvement in testing , it may be easier to just distribute tests to states .
Our expert expects expansion of testing will mostly be through lower-cost/faster antigen tests , which could come at the expense of some PCR volumes.
” Pfizer ( PFE ) and Moderna ( MRNA ) anticipate having the first look at efficacy by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( AZN ) — which saw its trials stalled in the U.S. and U.K. — is eyeing some revelation by the end of the year .
In an earnings call Thursday , CEO Pascal Soriot said the company anticipates the first reading from trials globally by the end of the year .
Recent reports of a delayed delivery timetable are a result of the trial delays in the U.S. and U.K. , compounded by the slowdown in the virus over the summer , Soriot said .
As a result , the company is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incurred during the trial , and will have to see if a majority of them are in the placebo group in order to move forward with seeking authorization .
With the delay in the U.S. pushing out potential trial results into next year , AstraZeneca is hoping results from other global trials will be accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in consideration of any emergency use authorization .
If indications point to yes , the company can then jumpstart production of the vaccine to meet the commitments to governments by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Until now , the drug substance has been produced , but putting it into vial form has been delayed since that is when the clock on the shelf life of a vaccine begins .

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While the U.S. awaits election results, the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage the country, with a record more than 100,000 cases reported Wednesday.
The eastern half of the country is engulfed in rising cases, with some pockets of the western half rapidly growing, Arizona among them.
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“As Arizona counts votes, they are also counting COVID cases and deaths,” Yale professor and public health policy expert Dr. Howard Forman said on Twitter Thursday.
“Largest number of new cases since August 1. Deaths are increasing again; Positive rate is 12% and increasing,” he added.
The U.S. is rapidly approaching 10 million cases, while the death rate continues to climb after slowing in recent months. Hospitals around the country are once again facing tough decisions on which patients to tend to, based on age and likelihood of survival.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Meanwhile, globally, Europe has implemented greater restrictions or gone back under lockdown in some areas.
The U.S. election is also a key factor in the U.S. strategy going forward.
In an analyst note Thursday, UBS said that with a Republican-controlled Senate and Biden in the White House, there is a 50-50 chance of a meaningful stimulus bill that would include greater funding, about $75 billion, for COVID-19 testing, with a focus on expansion of lower-cost antigen tests.
The move is viewed as positive for medical diagnostic makers like Abbott (ABT), Becton-Dickinson (BDX), Roche (RHHBY) and Quidel (QDEL).
UBS also noted that, “While Mr. Biden would likely prefer more Federal involvement in testing, it may be easier to just distribute tests to states. Our expert expects expansion of testing will mostly be through lower-cost/faster antigen tests, which could come at the expense of some PCR volumes.”
Vaccines in waiting
Yet another item on the wish list pending action from the government is an effective vaccine.
Pfizer (PFE) and Moderna (MRNA) anticipate having the first look at efficacy by the end of this month, while AstraZeneca (AZN) — which saw its trials stalled in the U.S. and U.K. — is eyeing some revelation by the end of the year.
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In an earnings call Thursday, CEO Pascal Soriot said the company anticipates the first reading from trials globally by the end of the year. Recent reports of a delayed delivery timetable are a result of the trial delays in the U.S. and U.K., compounded by the slowdown in the virus over the summer, Soriot said. As a result, the company is waiting to meet the benchmark for infections incurred during the trial, and will have to see if a majority of them are in the placebo group in order to move forward with seeking authorization.
With the delay in the U.S. pushing out potential trial results into next year, AstraZeneca is hoping results from other global trials will be accepted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in consideration of any emergency use authorization.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Republicans Imply Pennsylvania Should Throw Out Popular Vote, Line Up Behind Fraud Lie

Sen. Lindsey Graham ( S.C. ) and Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis , two of President Donald Trump ’ s most vocal Republican allies , implied Thursday that Pennsylvania ’ s GOP-controlled legislature should consider invalidating the popular vote and appoint its own slate of electors to award the state ’ s electoral votes to Trump — despite the state Senate ’ s leader already stating this wouldn ’ t happen .
Graham , who won his own reelection to the Senate this week , was asked by Fox News host Sean Hannity about a lawsuit filed by the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Hannity alleged , without evidence , that he had heard “ report after report ” that election laws were being violated , asking Graham : “ Should these Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania and elsewhere , if there ’ s corruption in the law … should they then invalidate this ?
” “ I think everything should be on the table , ” Graham responded .
“ So there ’ s the process of observing an election that ’ s been violated .
Philadelphia elections are as crooked as a snake.
” Election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania , many from Democratic-leaning areas .
Trump was slightly ahead in the state as of late Thursday , but Biden was quickly closing the gap .
“ If there is departure from the framework , if they ’ re not following the law , if they are ignoring the law , then they can provide remedies as well , ” the governor said of Pennsylvania ’ s legislature , adding that the lawmakers can “ exhaust every option to make sure we have a fair count.
” Also on Thursday , House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falsely declared that Trump had “ won ” the election and urged Republicans to “ not be silent.
” No victor had been called by the end of Thursday .
“ President Trump won this election , so everyone who ’ s listening , do not be quiet , ” McCarthy told Ingraham .
“ We can not allow this to happen before our very eyes .
You don ’ t need to be a Republican , you believe that every legal vote needs to count , you believe in the American process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop this.
” Pennsylvania ’ s Senate majority leader , Jake Corman ( R ) , has regularly stated the Republican-controlled legislature would not appoint electors to override the popular vote , as Graham and DeSantis insinuated .
Election officials in the state have assured voters that , despite Trump ’ s claims , there is no evidence of voter fraud , merely a mountain of mail-in ballots that are still being counted ( the state wasn ’ t allowed to begin counting votes until Election Day ) .
“ We have said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happily say it again : The Pennsylvania General Assembly does not have and will not have a hand in choosing the state ’ s presidential electors or in deciding the outcome of the presidential election , ” Corman wrote in an op-ed in partnership with Pennsylvania ’ s House majority leader , Rep. Kerry Benninghoff ( R ) , last month .
He added , “ To insinuate otherwise is to inappropriately set fear into the Pennsylvania electorate with an imaginary scenario not provided for anywhere in law — or in fact.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacking the legal counting of Americans ’ votes .
Earlier Thursday , he sent out an all-caps missive to “ STOP THE COUNT !
” and then used an afternoon press conference to spread lies and cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election .

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Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, two of President Donald Trump’s most vocal Republican allies, implied Thursday that Pennsylvania’s GOP-controlled legislature should consider invalidating the popular vote and appoint its own slate of electors to award the state’s electoral votes to Trump — despite the state Senate’s leader already stating this wouldn’t happen.
Graham, who won his own reelection to the Senate this week, was asked by Fox News host Sean Hannity about a lawsuit filed by the Trump campaign over the counting of mail-in ballots. Hannity alleged, without evidence, that he had heard “report after report” that election laws were being violated, asking Graham: “Should these Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, if there’s corruption in the law … should they then invalidate this?”
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“I think everything should be on the table,” Graham responded. “So there’s the process of observing an election that’s been violated. Philadelphia elections are as crooked as a snake.”
"Everything should be on the table" -- Lindsey Graham won't rule out that Republican legislatures should invalidate the election results and (presumably) award their electoral votes to Trump pic.twitter.com/ykNdFCicZW — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 6, 2020
Election officials are still counting mail-in votes in Pennsylvania, many from Democratic-leaning areas. Trump was slightly ahead in the state as of late Thursday, but Biden was quickly closing the gap.
DeSantis was more direct in comments shortly afterward to Fox News host Laura Ingraham when speaking about the same falsehood:
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“If there is departure from the framework, if they’re not following the law, if they are ignoring the law, then they can provide remedies as well,” the governor said of Pennsylvania’s legislature, adding that the lawmakers can “exhaust every option to make sure we have a fair count.”
Also on Thursday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) falsely declared that Trump had “won” the election and urged Republicans to “not be silent.” No victor had been called by the end of Thursday.
“President Trump won this election, so everyone who’s listening, do not be quiet,” McCarthy told Ingraham. “We cannot allow this to happen before our very eyes. You don’t need to be a Republican, you believe that every legal vote needs to count, you believe in the American process. Join together and let’s stop this.”
Republicans will not be silenced.
We demand transparency. We demand accuracy. And we demand that the legal votes be protected. pic.twitter.com/1RZbzEOSfH — Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) November 6, 2020
Pennsylvania’s Senate majority leader, Jake Corman (R), has regularly stated the Republican-controlled legislature would not appoint electors to override the popular vote, as Graham and DeSantis insinuated. Election officials in the state have assured voters that, despite Trump’s claims, there is no evidence of voter fraud, merely a mountain of mail-in ballots that are still being counted (the state wasn’t allowed to begin counting votes until Election Day).
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“We have said it many times, and we will happily say it again: The Pennsylvania General Assembly does not have and will not have a hand in choosing the state’s presidential electors or in deciding the outcome of the presidential election,” Corman wrote in an op-ed in partnership with Pennsylvania’s House majority leader, Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (R), last month.
He added, “To insinuate otherwise is to inappropriately set fear into the Pennsylvania electorate with an imaginary scenario not provided for anywhere in law — or in fact.”
Trump has spent the last two days attacking the legal counting of Americans’ votes. Earlier Thursday, he sent out an all-caps missive to “STOP THE COUNT!” and then used an afternoon press conference to spread lies and cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election.
“If you count the legal votes, I easily win,” the president said falsely. “They’re trying obviously to commit fraud.”
His Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, has urged the country to be patient and “keep the faith.”
Keep the faith, folks. — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 6, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Trump’s ‘Most Dishonest Speech Ever’ Stuns CNN Fact-Checker

President Donald Trump ’ s speech on Thursday was so dishonest that most networks cut away midway through as he @ @ @ @ @ were trying to steal the election .
While most of Trump ’ s speeches contain @ @ @ @ @ fact-checker Daniel Dale said this one reached a whole new level .
“ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ transcript of every Trump speech since late 2016 .
I ’ ve cataloged thousands and @ @ @ @ @ , ” Dale wrote in a CNN column .
“ I have never seen him @ @ @ @ @ egregiously than he did on Thursday evening at the White House.
” Dale also debunked @ @ @ @ @ most outlandish statements , including his claim that there must be something wrong with the @ @ @ @ @ winning so many of them .
“ There is nothing suspicious about the fact that @ @ @ @ @ Trump voters chose to vote by mail , ” Dale wrote .
“ Biden encouraged @ @ @ @ @ while Trump relentlessly disparaged mail-in voting as fraud-prone and unsafe .
”

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President Donald Trump’s speech on Thursday was so dishonest that most networks cut away midway through as he claimed without evidence that Democrats were trying to steal the election.
While most of Trump’s speeches contain lies and exaggerations, CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale said this one reached a whole new level.
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“I’ve watched or read the transcript of every Trump speech since late 2016. I’ve cataloged thousands and thousands of his false claims,” Dale wrote in a CNN column. “I have never seen him lie more thoroughly and more egregiously than he did on Thursday evening at the White House.”
Dale also debunked 16 of Trump’s most outlandish statements, including his claim that there must be something wrong with the mail-in ballots since Biden was winning so many of them.
“There is nothing suspicious about the fact that far more Biden voters than Trump voters chose to vote by mail,” Dale wrote. “Biden encouraged his supporters to do so while Trump relentlessly disparaged mail-in voting as fraud-prone and unsafe.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--The RNC Promoted A Voter Fraud Hotline On Twitter And It Totally Backfired

I 'm just saying .
I think a LOT of us saw the current occupant of the WH attempt election @ @ @ @ @ sure the GOP would like to get reports .
Like , a LOT of reports @ @ @ @ @ Reports .
You can do it .
https : //t.co/Hh5eQ53LST

I'm just saying. I think a LOT of us saw the current occupant of the WH attempt election fraud today.
I'm sure the GOP would like to get reports.
Like, a LOT of reports.
So. Many. Reports.
You can do it. https://t.co/Hh5eQ53LST


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Eric Trump’s Conspiratorial ‘People Know’ Tweet Elicits A Single-Word Reply

Twitter users took Eric Trump to task Thursday over his latest conspiratorial tweet — and they hit back at President Donald Trump ’ s son with a single word .
Eric Trump wrote “ people know exactly what is going on in this country ” in reply to conspiracy theorist Mike Cernovich ’ s note that Democratic nominee Joe Biden had won more votes than former President Barack Obama in 2008 .
People know exactly what is going on in this country .
https : //t.co/HtLrpNVHkd — Eric Trump ( @ EricTrump ) November 6 , 2020 It was Eric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off defeat for his father , having been busted for sharing a fake video of someone burning ballots the day before .
The president has falsely declared that he ’ s already won the election , promoted voter fraud conspiracy theories and repeatedly attacked the democratic process .
Twitter users pointed out that , yes , most people did know what was going on in the country .
And that was “ democracy.
” Your old man 's lost his mind is what 's going on — Robert Lusetich ( @ RobertLusetich ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trumps are unraveling at the same time — Rick Newman ( @ rickjnewman ) November 6 , 2020 Yes we do .
@ realDonaldTrump just had a very public breakdown and tried to take American democracy down with him .
— Marthe ( @ MartheTamblyn ) November 6 , 2020

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Twitter users took Eric Trump to task Thursday over his latest conspiratorial tweet — and they hit back at President Donald Trump’s son with a single word.
Eric Trump wrote “people know exactly what is going on in this country” in reply to conspiracy theorist Mike Cernovich’s note that Democratic nominee Joe Biden had won more votes than former President Barack Obama in 2008.
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People know exactly what is going on in this country. https://t.co/HtLrpNVHkd — Eric Trump (@EricTrump) November 6, 2020
It was Eric Trump’s latest effort to stave off defeat for his father, having been busted for sharing a fake video of someone burning ballots the day before.
The president has falsely declared that he’s already won the election, promoted voter fraud conspiracy theories and repeatedly attacked the democratic process.
Twitter users pointed out that, yes, most people did know what was going on in the country. And that was “democracy.”
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Yes we do: democracy! — Linda Girgis MD (@DrLindaMD) November 6, 2020
Yes democracy. — R O C H E L L E (@RochelleRitchie) November 6, 2020
Democracy! Counting ALL Votes!!! — Jackie (@Gauchos05) November 6, 2020
Yeah! Democracy! — 😷 Dump Trump 😷 (@FootyBootyMFDH) November 6, 2020
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Yeah it’s called democracy! — Michael Supinski (@michaelsupinski) November 6, 2020
You're right! It's called democracy. — gina ghidotti (@ghidottig) November 6, 2020
Your old man's lost his mind is what's going on — Robert Lusetich (@RobertLusetich) November 6, 2020
Yep. Daddy is imploding. pic.twitter.com/hoyDE9YSuR — Cathy says count every vote 💙🇺🇸💙 (@cathyde) November 6, 2020
People voted? — Alex Mohajer (@AlexMohajer) November 6, 2020
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It is called democracy — Barbara 💐 (@Barbara99878512) November 6, 2020
Yes all the Trumps are unraveling at the same time — Rick Newman (@rickjnewman) November 6, 2020
Yes we do. @realDonaldTrump just had a very public breakdown and tried to take American democracy down with him. — Marthe (@MartheTamblyn) November 6, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-05--Mary Trump Unpacks What Her 'Desperate' Uncle May Be Feeling Right Now

Mary Trump on Thursday weighed in on the predicament her uncle , President Donald Trump , finds himself in as election results show his chances at reelection diminishing .
She appeared on MSNBC ’ s “ The Last Word With Lawrence O ’ Donnell ” several hours after her uncle made a wildly dishonest speech to the media in which he tried to delegitimize the results of the election , spread baseless conspiracy theories about electoral fraud and interference , and again suggested he won the race even though votes were still being counted in several too-close-to-call states .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coup .
The leader of a country trying desperately to delegitimize an election .
It ’ s obscene and somebody ’ s got to step in and stop him , ” Mary Trump says about WH statements today by President Trump .
pic.twitter.com/xD4XvCxDhX — MSNBC ( @ MSNBC ) November 6 , 2020 Mary Trump said her uncle ’ s recent remarks gave a good indication of what ’ s to come , “ especially if Republican leadership continues to do nothing.
” ″This wasn ’ t just Donald obfuscating or lying .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ coup .
The leader of a country trying desperately to delegitimize an election .
It ’ s obscene , and somebody ’ s got to step in and try to stop it.
” Current Republican officials have been reticent to criticize the president directly despite his blatant attempts to damage the credibility of the democratic process .
Mary Trump also said that the facts that the GOP has gained seats in the House and appears poised to maintain its Senate majority will mean the president will experience a potential loss as a repudiation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And he is not going to get beyond that , and it ’ s going to be a very dangerous couple of months , ” she said .

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Mary Trump on Thursday weighed in on the predicament her uncle, President Donald Trump, finds himself in as election results show his chances at reelection diminishing.
She appeared on MSNBC’s “The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell” several hours after her uncle made a wildly dishonest speech to the media in which he tried to delegitimize the results of the election, spread baseless conspiracy theories about electoral fraud and interference, and again suggested he won the race even though votes were still being counted in several too-close-to-call states.
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“Donald has never been in this place before where there’s nobody to bail him out, there’s nobody to buy him out. He’s desperate, he’s flailing and there’s literally nothing he can do legitimately except to watch this play out helplessly,” said Mary Trump, a clinical psychologist who this year published a critical tell-all book about her uncle, “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created The World’s Most Dangerous Man.”
“This was Donald talking about an attempted coup. The leader of a country trying desperately to delegitimize an election. It’s obscene and somebody’s got to step in and stop him,” Mary Trump says about WH statements today by President Trump. pic.twitter.com/xD4XvCxDhX — MSNBC (@MSNBC) November 6, 2020
Mary Trump said her uncle’s recent remarks gave a good indication of what’s to come, “especially if Republican leadership continues to do nothing.”
″This wasn’t just Donald obfuscating or lying. This was Donald talking about an attempted coup. The leader of a country trying desperately to delegitimize an election. It’s obscene, and somebody’s got to step in and try to stop it.”
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Current Republican officials have been reticent to criticize the president directly despite his blatant attempts to damage the credibility of the democratic process.
Mary Trump also said that the facts that the GOP has gained seats in the House and appears poised to maintain its Senate majority will mean the president will experience a potential loss as a repudiation and rejection of him personally.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--How Pro-Democracy Protesters Drowned Out A MAGA Vote Suppression Campaign

Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images Anti-Trump voters hold a dance party Thursday and demand that every ballot be counted outside the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia , where mail-in ballots are being counted to determine the winner of the 2020 presidential election .
PHILADELPHIA and HARRISBURG , Pa. — About a dozen journalists at 8 a.m. Thursday flocked to the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia , where supporters of President Donald Trump were expected to stage a rally demanding that election workers inside the center stop counting votes immediately , part of a right-wing effort to falsely portray the results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But when the journalists arrived at the rally , the pro-Trump activists there were sheepish .
Across the street from their demonstration were dozens of loud , energetic counterprotesters flying “ Count every vote ” banners and blaring music from loudspeakers .
They carried signs with misleading messages like “ Count legal votes , ” implying that there ’ s somehow a significant number of illegal votes being counted .
The signs also bore the name and logo of the Super PAC that had astroturfed this demonstration : FreedomWorks for America , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dark-money billionaires that was also involved in this year ’ s anti-lockdown demonstrations over coronavirus prevention measures .
But as Bondi tried to spin yet more disinformation about alleged voter fraud in Pennsylvania , the counter-demonstrators across the street turned up the music .
Beyonce ’ s “ Party ” drowned out Bondi ’ s lies .
Since Election Day , progressive groups across the country have mobilized to demand that every vote be counted in the 2020 election , offering strong counter-programming to a coordinated effort by the Trump campaign , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to delegitimize America ’ s electoral process .
Part of this right-wing effort involves a series of “ Stop the Steal ” demonstrations across the U.S .
Some took place Thursday , and still others are scheduled for Friday and this weekend .
The demonstrations have largely been organized on Facebook , and on Thursday the social media giant took down the main Stop the Steal page , which had amassed about 360,000 followers .
Facebook explained in a statement that members had been “ creating real-world events ” and threatening violence .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ every vote .
We are here to count every legal vote , ” organizer Scott Presler , a prominent pro-Trump activist , told the crowd through a megaphone , implying there is widespread counting of illegal ballots , which there is not .
“ I ’ m not surprised , growing up in Pennsylvania , ” Jones , who works with homeless youth in Harrisburg , said of the assembled MAGA protesters in her hometown , explaining that she ’ d met many people like them before in her life .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Jones was among a group of “ Count Every Vote ” demonstrators who showed up at the Capitol steps for a rally of their own .
Unlike their pro-Trump counterparts , however , they had a permit .
But deprived of the dramatic backdrop of the Capitol ’ s front steps , the rally quickly lost any momentum it had .
Many demonstrators peeled off and returned to their cars .
The pro-democracy demonstration , however , was just getting started .
As the sun started to set over the Susquehanna River @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Organizers handed out banners and signs .
Little kids held up letters spelling out “ Count every voto ” — ” voto ” meaning “ vote ” in Spanish .
“ We ’ re here today to make sure that , especially all these people that voted for the first time , get their voice heard by having their vote counted , ” Liz Alex , who works with CASA , told HuffPost .
“ We ’ re all here today not supporting a candidate or a party but a process , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to make sure that every voter gets one vote and that all of those votes are counted , ” Alex added .
“ That ’ s critical , and that supersedes any party , any candidate .
”

Anti-Trump voters hold a dance party Thursday and demand that every ballot be counted outside the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, where mail-in ballots are being counted to determine the winner of the 2020 presidential election. Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images
PHILADELPHIA and HARRISBURG, Pa. — About a dozen journalists at 8 a.m. Thursday flocked to the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, where supporters of President Donald Trump were expected to stage a rally demanding that election workers inside the center stop counting votes immediately, part of a right-wing effort to falsely portray the results of the 2020 presidential election as fraudulent.
But when the journalists arrived at the rally, the pro-Trump activists there were sheepish. Across the street from their demonstration were dozens of loud, energetic counterprotesters flying “Count every vote” banners and blaring music from loudspeakers.
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There was even a DJ. He wore a “Leave Philly alone” T-shirt, and when he put on Chic’s “Good Times,” his fellow counterprotesters broke into the Electric Slide.
Some “count every vote” dancing pic.twitter.com/WzMPzfNki8 — Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) November 5, 2020
Philly was really prepared for shit. These counter-demonstrators were here bright and early. They’re dancing and carrying signs and putting the astroturfed “stop counting the votes” folks to shame https://t.co/ZeJlTmqj8j pic.twitter.com/J8Qnfw8yJb — Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) November 5, 2020
This opposing, joyous pro-democracy demonstration cast the pro-Trump event in harsh relief. The demure “Make America Great Again” folks milled about, many maskless, struggling to explain unfounded tales of Democrats destroying ballots to skeptical, masked reporters.
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They carried signs with misleading messages like “Count legal votes,” implying that there’s somehow a significant number of illegal votes being counted. The signs also bore the name and logo of the Super PAC that had astroturfed this demonstration: FreedomWorks for America, a conservative group with historic ties to dark-money billionaires that was also involved in this year’s anti-lockdown demonstrations over coronavirus prevention measures.
About 10 a.m., the pro-Trump crew became briefly animated when two prominent Trump campaign surrogates — former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi — arrived to hold a press conference.
But as Bondi tried to spin yet more disinformation about alleged voter fraud in Pennsylvania, the counter-demonstrators across the street turned up the music. Beyonce’s “Party” drowned out Bondi’s lies.
incredible job by the every vote counts protest across the road who pumped up Beyoncé’s Party so not one word could be heard of Pam Bondi’s speech pic.twitter.com/BwRQcweNPY — Amber Jamieson (@ambiej) November 5, 2020
Since Election Day, progressive groups across the country have mobilized to demand that every vote be counted in the 2020 election, offering strong counter-programming to a coordinated effort by the Trump campaign, the larger MAGA movement and assorted far-right propagandists to delegitimize America’s electoral process.
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Part of this right-wing effort involves a series of “Stop the Steal” demonstrations across the U.S. Some took place Thursday, and still others are scheduled for Friday and this weekend.
The demonstrations have largely been organized on Facebook, and on Thursday the social media giant took down the main Stop the Steal page, which had amassed about 360,000 followers. Facebook explained in a statement that members had been “creating real-world events” and threatening violence.
“The group was organized around the delegitimization of the election process, and we saw worrying calls for violence from some members of the group,” a Facebook spokesperson told HuffPost.
But many other Stop the Steal event pages on Facebook were still active Thursday, including one advertising a demonstration that day in Harrisburg, the Pennsylvania capital.
About 50 MAGA enthusiasts gathered on the steps of the state Capitol around noon and chanted, “Audit the vote!”
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“We are not here to count every vote. We are here to count every legal vote,” organizer Scott Presler, a prominent pro-Trump activist, told the crowd through a megaphone, implying there is widespread counting of illegal ballots, which there is not.
Rally attendees wore T-shirts promoting the QAnon conspiracy theory movement and waved fascist “Thin blue line” flags. They chanted, “Stop the fraud! Four more years!”
Chant of “stop the fraud! 4 more years.”
Predictably, looks like a lot of QAnon folks here. pic.twitter.com/r16ioOZJsv — Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) November 5, 2020
Some people driving by the Capitol honked to cheer on the MAGA rally. Others, however, screamed “Biden 2020!” out of their car windows.
One Black woman yelled “Crackers!” as she drove by the MAGA crowd, which was predominantly white. Another woman drove by and just loudly laughed.
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Symphany Jones, 25, stood across the street, a Black Lives Matter mask on her face.
“I’m not surprised, growing up in Pennsylvania,” Jones, who works with homeless youth in Harrisburg, said of the assembled MAGA protesters in her hometown, explaining that she’d met many people like them before in her life. “It’s disappointing but not a surprise.”
Jones was among a group of “Count Every Vote” demonstrators who showed up at the Capitol steps for a rally of their own. Unlike their pro-Trump counterparts, however, they had a permit.
Symphany Jones, 25, stands across the street from a pro-Trump "Stop the Steal" rally Thursday in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Christopher Mathias/HuffPost
Police told the “Stop the Steal” crowd they had to move, and so Presler led them on a march to the opposite side of the Capitol.
But deprived of the dramatic backdrop of the Capitol’s front steps, the rally quickly lost any momentum it had. Many demonstrators peeled off and returned to their cars.
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The pro-democracy demonstration, however, was just getting started. As the sun started to set over the Susquehanna River, the crowd grew larger and larger. Organizers handed out banners and signs. Little kids held up letters spelling out “Count every voto” — ”voto” meaning “vote” in Spanish.
The demonstration was organized in part by Casa Pennsylvania, a Latino and immigrant advocacy group.
“We’re here today to make sure that, especially all these people that voted for the first time, get their voice heard by having their vote counted,” Liz Alex, who works with CASA, told HuffPost.
“We’re all here today not supporting a candidate or a party but a process, the durable, democratic system that we have to make sure that every voter gets one vote and that all of those votes are counted,” Alex added. “That’s critical, and that supersedes any party, any candidate.”
“Count every voto” on the Pennsylvania state capitol building steps in Harrisburg pic.twitter.com/uwwsCGuhNC — Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) November 5, 2020
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As the demonstration was almost underway, a young white man in a red MAGA hat and a QAnon shirt walked through the crowd. He was confronted by pro-democracy demonstrators and asked to leave. He refused. Police arrived quickly and arrested him.
A short time later, the demonstration commenced with a series of prayers and speeches by local clergy. As night fell, organizers passed around little flameless plastic candles.
The demonstrators then returned home. If they’d turned on their TVs, they may have seen Trump give a meandering, downcast speech so full of lies about voter fraud that cable news channels cut away.
They also would have seen that the votes in Pennsylvania were continuing to be counted, that Biden was gaining on Trump in their state and that political observers were growing more confident that the president would be defeated in the Keystone State, and thus lose the 2020 election.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--What The Hell Happened To Joe Biden In Miami?

Miami was supposed to be Joe Biden ’ s launchpad to victory in Florida : the place where he could rack up huge margins in Democrat-friendly territory that would allow him to blunt President Donald Trump ’ s strength in the rest of the state .
But almost as soon as votes began to roll in Tuesday night , it was clear Biden had a disaster on his hands .
He was ahead of Trump in Miami-Dade County , but running behind every Democratic presidential candidate since 2004 .
The Associated Press ’ VoteCast data showed that 58 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president , a slight increase from four years ago .
Voting data in Miami showed that Cuban- and other Hispanic-heavy precincts in south Florida broke Trump ’ s way more fervently than they had four years ago , suggesting that Biden potentially lost more ground among Cubans and other Latinos in Miami-Dade than he did statewide .
Trump won Hialeah , a city in Miami-Dade where three-quarters of residents are Cuban , by 28,000 votes ― 27,900 more than in 2016 .
The VoteCast survey also found that South American voters across Florida @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
From the beginning , it was more of a political gambit than a foreign policy strategy , and almost every choice the Trump administration made took Florida into consideration first .
Rarely a month passed without a visit from Trump or top GOP officials to Miami or an announcement of new sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela , which kept his message in the headlines of local newspapers and front-and-center in the minds of voters .
On the ground , local GOP candidates and officials ― including Sen. Marco Rubio , who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state on Latin America issues and helped staff the administration with Cuba hardliners ― continued to bang the drum .
( “ People get on rafts to get away from socialism .
People risk being eaten by sharks to get away from socialism , ” Rubio told a Miami crowd on the night before the election .
“ We are not going to bring to this country the things that people flee.
” ) They tried to turn the race into a referendum on Trump ’ s failures during the COVID-19 pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ and ‘ communist ’ all he wants , but it ’ s what he ’ s actually done that will count against him , ” Shalala told HuffPost in September .
With Florida ’ s economy struggling and Latinos suffering disproportionately , they hoped the race would turn more on health care and bread-and-butter issues in an area that benefited heavily from the Affordable Care Act and with a $ 15 minimum wage increase on the ballot .
Conservatives dominate Spanish-language radio in south Florida in ways they don ’ t in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the problem for Democrats goes well beyond the airwaves .
In Miami , the right has also constructed powerful Spanish-language social media channels , through which it amplified Trump ’ s arguments and went even farther , often pushing blatant disinformation about Biden ’ s connections to a “ deep state ” effort to undermine Trump , pedophilia and the QAnon conspiracy theory , through WhatsApp groups , YouTube channels , and Facebook communities .
( At least some of the disinformation was racist and anti-Semitic . )

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Miami was supposed to be Joe Biden’s launchpad to victory in Florida: the place where he could rack up huge margins in Democrat-friendly territory that would allow him to blunt President Donald Trump’s strength in the rest of the state. But almost as soon as votes began to roll in Tuesday night, it was clear Biden had a disaster on his hands. He was ahead of Trump in Miami-Dade County, but running behind every Democratic presidential candidate since 2004.
In the end, Biden won Miami-Dade by roughly 7 percentage points and about 85,000 votes, far short of the 24- and 29-point wins Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton achieved in the most populous of Florida’s 67 counties during the previous two election cycles. Biden, whose Miami margins also trailed those of the Democrats who lost races for governor and U.S. Senate in 2018, ultimately lost Florida by 3.5 points and nearly 400,000 votes, a veritable blowout by the standards of the tightly contested Sunshine State.
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The struggles in south Florida seemingly point to one of the biggest apparent shortcomings of Biden’s campaign and Democrats’ approach to 2020 overall: While Biden appears to have come close to matching typical Democratic margins among Latino voters nationwide, he lost significant ground among specific Hispanic communities in key battleground areas, including Miami, where Cuban Americans and other Latino voters appear to have broken more heavily for Trump and the GOP than expected.
That is not what cost Biden Florida ― “the real under-performers were white voters,” said Andrea Mercado, who leads New Florida Majority, a progressive grassroots group that focuses on engaging and turning out Black and Latino Floridians. (Had white support for Biden matched its polling levels, he’d have won the state.) And Florida now seems unlikely to cost Biden the presidency.
But it proved devastating for other Democrats, including Rep. Donna Shalala, a well-known name nationally and in South Florida who unexpectedly lost her congressional seat. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, another Democrat, also lost.
A party that already had numerous questions to answer about its future amid a shifting electorate now may have to face a novel inquiry ahead of a 2022 election cycle that will include gubernatorial and Senate races against Republican incumbents: What the hell, exactly, happened in Miami?
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Trump spent most of his presidency openly campaigning in South Florida, making frequent trips to Miami and wielding his Latin America policy as a tool to appeal to Latino voters in the state he needed to win to have a shot at reelection. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
To some observers, the answer is obvious: Democrats were too complacent in the face of withering attacks from Trump and the GOP, who spent the last two years blasting their opponents as “socialists” threatening to bring leftist tyranny to the United States ― a pitch aimed specifically at winning over Cuban American voters in south Florida, whom Trump saw as vital to his chances of victory.
“Trump made it clear in 2019 that he was going all-in in Miami, that he was going after the Cuban-American vote ... with a message that Democrats were going to introduce socialism into the United States,” said Ricardo Herrero, the executive director of the Cuba Study Group, a nonpartisan advocacy organization. “And the Democrats took it for granted.”
The Associated Press’ VoteCast data showed that 58% of Cuban American voters in Florida backed the president, a slight increase from four years ago. Voting data in Miami showed that Cuban- and other Hispanic-heavy precincts in south Florida broke Trump’s way more fervently than they had four years ago, suggesting that Biden potentially lost more ground among Cubans and other Latinos in Miami-Dade than he did statewide. Trump won Hialeah, a city in Miami-Dade where three-quarters of residents are Cuban, by 28,000 votes ― 27,900 more than in 2016. The VoteCast survey also found that South American voters across Florida were split evenly between the two candidates.
“It was absolutely all they campaigned on. It was all about holding back the tide of socialism. It’s completely fabricated, but it was constant, it was uniform, it was coordinated, and it’s been going on for two years.”” - Ricardo Herrero, Cuba Study Group
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What makes the Miami collapse so frustrating to observers like Herrero is that it was so predictable. In January 2019, Trump launched an all-out effort to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a socialist, in an attempt to appeal to Cuban American voters (many of whom see Maduro as a puppet of the communist Cuban government), a growing population of Venezuelan Americans, and voters from other Latin American origins as well.
From the beginning, it was more of a political gambit than a foreign policy strategy, and almost every choice the Trump administration made took Florida into consideration first. Rarely a month passed without a visit from Trump or top GOP officials to Miami or an announcement of new sanctions against Cuba and Venezuela, which kept his message in the headlines of local newspapers and front-and-center in the minds of voters. On the ground, local GOP candidates and officials ― including Sen. Marco Rubio, who has served as a de facto secretary of state on Latin America issues and helped staff the administration with Cuba hardliners ― continued to bang the drum. (“People get on rafts to get away from socialism. People risk being eaten by sharks to get away from socialism,” Rubio told a Miami crowd on the night before the election. “We are not going to bring to this country the things that people flee.”)
“It was absolutely all they campaigned on,” Herrero said. “Not just Trump, but down ballot, all the local Republicans. That was their entire messaging strategy ― it was all about holding back the tide of socialism. It’s completely fabricated, but it was constant, it was uniform, it was coordinated, and it’s been going on for two years.”
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Biden faced warnings early this year that he had vulnerabilities with Latino voters in Florida and elsewhere, especially among Latino men. But by the time Biden secured the Democratic nomination and turned his attention to the general election, it was probably already too late, said Carlos Odio, the co-founder of Equis Labs, a progressive polling and research firm that focuses on Latino voters.
Equis polling found in late 2019 that the “socialism” message had worked on Trump’s base of Cuban supporters, and that many Cuban voters ― including younger Cubans who’d trended toward Democrats in previous elections ― were still up for grabs. In retrospect, even that was probably too hopeful.
“I believe that it could have been stanched a little bit, but I think most of the shift was probably baked in over a year ago,” Odio said. “We lost a year ago in Miami-Dade. In hindsight, I just think that they created a machine, and they created a narrative to which any normal argument was not going to be a sufficient counter.”
For most of the election cycle, Democrats believed the failures of Trump’s Venezuela policy (Maduro is still in power today) would render the anti-socialism campaign strategy ineffective, and that Biden’s victory in the primary ― along with his repeatedly self-proclaimed lack of socialist beliefs ― would make it even more obvious that Trump’s plan was based on “calculated attempts to exploit community traumas/memories for electoral gain,” as Florida International University history professor Michael Bustamante, an expert on Latin America, described them this week.
Charges that the Biden campaign was infiltrated with “socialists” or was planning to “turn the United States into Venezuela” should be called out for what they are: calculated attempts to exploit community traumas/memories for electoral gain. — Michael J Bustamante (@MJ_Busta) November 4, 2020
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They tried to turn the race into a referendum on Trump’s failures during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The president can yell ‘socialist’ and ‘communist’ all he wants, but it’s what he’s actually done that will count against him,” Shalala told HuffPost in September. With Florida’s economy struggling and Latinos suffering disproportionately, they hoped the race would turn more on health care and bread-and-butter issues in an area that benefited heavily from the Affordable Care Act and with a $15 minimum wage increase on the ballot.
It wasn’t until August that Biden began to confront the “socialism” charges head on, when his campaign rolled out a message that painted Trump as the sort of caudillo-like leader Cubans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans in Florida had once fled. The problem, though, is that the “socialism” narrative was never about actual socialism ― it was about culture, identity, and pushing back against the left more broadly.
“What they were doing is waging culture war, and creating a kind of MAGA identity within certain subgroups in Miami-Dade,” Odio said. “‘Socialism’ is shorthand for a more multipronged attack. It’s not just about foreign policy. It’s not just economics. It’s also about culture, and it’s also about race.”
Biden's campaign attempted to argue that Trump was the sort of caudillo many Florida Latino voters had fled, in an effort to counter the president's argument that Biden and Democrats represented a "socialist" threat to the United States. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The Trump campaign sensed that early on, too, and folded its arguments on other subjects ― the mask wars and nationwide racial justice protests, in particular ― into its broader anti-”socialism” campaign. And it filtered those to voters through a right-wing media ecosystem that could echo every argument it made with little pushback.
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In one Spanish-language ad, the Trump campaign argued that Democrats were “puppets of the radical left, a gang that prefers anarchy and chaos.”
“You came to this country to live a calm and safe life, a prosperous life,” the ad said. “Joe Biden is kneeling in front of the violence and putting the future of you and your family in danger.”
Conservatives dominate Spanish-language radio in south Florida in ways they don’t in other Latino-heavy parts of the country, but the problem for Democrats goes well beyond the airwaves. In Miami, the right has also constructed powerful Spanish-language social media channels, through which it amplified Trump’s arguments and went even farther, often pushing blatant disinformation about Biden’s connections to a “deep state” effort to undermine Trump, pedophilia and the QAnon conspiracy theory, through WhatsApp groups, YouTube channels, and Facebook communities. (At least some of the disinformation was racist and anti-Semitic.)
“We’ve been saying for years that there needs to be year-round engagement. You can’t just build a sandcastle two months before Election Day, and then have it washed away the week after.” - Andrea Mercado, New Florida Majority
Some experts credit a uniquely closed media circuit for many people in Miami. “For certain segments of Miami, you’re seeing what’s on the WhatsApp group. And that’s being repeated on what you’re hearing on the radio. It’s being repeated in what you’re seeing in the newspaper. It’s repeated on the local nightly news,” Odio said. “You’re getting validation of the garbage instead of getting a contradiction to it.”
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The Florida Democratic Party tried to break into that bubble during the 2020 cycle, when it started its own Saturday morning Spanish-language radio show on a prominent Miami station. But it was meager investment compared to the behemoth it was up against. The Biden campaign, meanwhile, attempted to bolster its support in Florida’s diverse Latino communities with grassroots-style groups aimed at specific populations.
But it’s even clearer now, progressives in Miami say, that the efforts from both the party and the campaign were too late and too little, and that the Florida Democratic Party has to do more to match the GOP’s on-the-ground efforts to register voters and build support in Latino communities in between election cycles, instead of simply popping up when it’s time to run another race.
“We’ve been saying for years that there needs to be year-round engagement,” Mercado said. “You can’t just build a sandcastle two months before Election Day, and then have it washed away the week after. We need to be able to build much more long-term progressive infrastructure in the state, and in Miami-Dade in particular.”
The good news for Democrats, at least, is that they still appear to have won a majority of Latino votes in Florida, and that given that a sizable portion of the swing seems tied to Trump specifically, many of Democrats’ problems in Miami are easier to fix than the issues they face elsewhere. That’s especially true when it comes to Florida’s white voters. “We’re gonna have to strategize around what we need to build, and be honest about the deep racial divides that exist in our state,” Mercado said.
Online disinformation is a broader problem for Democrats and the country that traditional political infrastructure likely isn’t capable of combating on its own. But the weakness of Democrats’ infrastructure and their late recognition of the problem at hand, Herrero said, allowed Trump’s “socialism” campaign and total disinformation to fester and spread.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-06--Senate Winner Tommy Tuberville Blitzed Over Sports Defense Of Trump Tantrums

No Tommy .
It is more like when you went up 7-0 on Oklahoma in 2010 and then 45 more @ @ @ @ @ but you cried to the refs that those points shouldn ’ t be allowed because @ @ @ @ @ happened .
Then you lost 45-7 .

No Tommy. It is more like when you went up 7-0 on Oklahoma in 2010 and then 45 more points came in for Oklahoma but you cried to the refs that those points shouldn’t be allowed because you were winning when they happened. Then you lost 45-7.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-05--Former GOP-Appointed Federal Prosecutors Blast Trump's 'Reckless' Vote Fraud Comments

More than a dozen former Republican-appointed top federal prosecutors called out President Donald Trump for making “ premature , baseless , and reckless comments ” about voter fraud as he appears on the verge of a loss to Democrat Joe Biden .
As Biden has crept steadily closer to winning the electoral votes needed to secure the presidency , Trump has been making broad , unsubstantiated claims of mass voter fraud .
In remarks Wednesday night at the White House , Trump falsely claimed that the election had been marked by “ historical interference from big media , big money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ trying to steal ” and “ rig ” the election , adding , “ They ’ re trying obviously to commit fraud.
” He offered no evidence to back up those claims , nor has any surfaced from state election officials , law enforcement officials or other reliable sources .
More broadly , Republicans have been making claims about voter fraud for years , though GOP-appointed prosecutors haven ’ t been able to substantiate such efforts .
In their letter , 19 former U.S .
Attorneys appointed by various Republican presidents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overwhelming voter turn-out in virtually every state and territory in our nation , despite the very real challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic , ” as well as “ impressed by the efforts of governors , state legislators , and election officials from around the country to create the electoral infrastructure necessary to accommodate every eligible citizen ’ s right to vote notwithstanding these unprecedented challenges.
” They said they “ feel compelled to speak out ” against Trump ’ s voter fraud comments , which they said posed a threat to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of fraud and threats to initiate litigation aimed at stopping the vote count are clearly inappropriate and have the potential to undermine the rule of law as it applies to our electoral process , ” they write .
“ Moreover , for any candidate , let alone the president of the United States , to claim victory , without justification , before each and every vote is counted is imprudent and irresponsible.
” As President Donald Trump has persisted in making false claims about fraud and illegal voting in the election , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eola Park in Orlando , Florida , chanting `` Stop the Cheat ! ''
“ Therefore , we hereby call upon the president to patiently and respectfully allow the lawful vote-counting process to continue , in accordance with applicable federal and state laws , and to avoid any further comments or other actions which can serve only to undermine our democracy , ” they write .
“ As a nation , we are now in the midst of one of the most fundamental and important aspects of our constitutional democracy ― the electoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whether it takes days , or even weeks , for that process to conclude , it must be allowed to take place in a way that is open , fair , and lawful , and without any improper political interference .
The whole world is watching , and our very legitimacy as a nation of laws , not men , depends on getting this right .
”

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More than a dozen former Republican-appointed top federal prosecutors called out President Donald Trump for making “premature, baseless, and reckless comments” about voter fraud as he appears on the verge of a loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
As Biden has crept steadily closer to winning the electoral votes needed to secure the presidency, Trump has been making broad, unsubstantiated claims of mass voter fraud.
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In remarks Wednesday night at the White House, Trump falsely claimed that the election had been marked by “historical interference from big media, big money and big tech.” He accused Democrats of “trying to steal” and “rig” the election, adding, “They’re trying obviously to commit fraud.” He offered no evidence to back up those claims, nor has any surfaced from state election officials, law enforcement officials or other reliable sources.
More broadly, Republicans have been making claims about voter fraud for years, though GOP-appointed prosecutors haven’t been able to substantiate such efforts.
In their letter, 19 former U.S. Attorneys appointed by various Republican presidents write they are “inspired by the overwhelming voter turn-out in virtually every state and territory in our nation, despite the very real challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic,” as well as “impressed by the efforts of governors, state legislators, and election officials from around the country to create the electoral infrastructure necessary to accommodate every eligible citizen’s right to vote notwithstanding these unprecedented challenges.”
They said they “feel compelled to speak out” against Trump’s voter fraud comments, which they said posed a threat to the American electoral process.
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“Unfounded allegations of fraud and threats to initiate litigation aimed at stopping the vote count are clearly inappropriate and have the potential to undermine the rule of law as it applies to our electoral process,” they write. “Moreover, for any candidate, let alone the president of the United States, to claim victory, without justification, before each and every vote is counted is imprudent and irresponsible.”
As President Donald Trump has persisted in making false claims about fraud and illegal voting in the election, a group of his supporters gathered at Lake Eola Park in Orlando, Florida, chanting "Stop the Cheat!" Orlando Sentinel via Getty Images
“Therefore, we hereby call upon the president to patiently and respectfully allow the lawful vote-counting process to continue, in accordance with applicable federal and state laws, and to avoid any further comments or other actions which can serve only to undermine our democracy,” they write.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-11-05--Facebook Shuts Down 'Stop The Steal' Group Over Election Lies And 'Calls For Violence'

Facebook pulled the plug on the burgeoning Stop the Steal group Thursday over baseless election corruption claims and “ worrying calls for violence , ” said a statement from the social media company .
Stop the Steal was being used to organize nationwide protests against voting results , citing unfounded conspiracy theories that the process was corrupted and Democrats were trying to steal the election .
“ Democrats are scheming to disenfranchise and nullify Republican votes , ” said a blurb about the group in its Facebook profile .
“ It ’ s up to us , the American people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop to it.
” Some of the organizing efforts targeted centers where ballot counting was still underway , and many of the messages encouraged violence .
The group was removed because members were “ organized around the delegitimization of the election process , and we saw worrying calls for violence from some members of the group , ” Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone said in a statement .
The decision was made “ in line with the exceptional measures that we are taking during this period of heightened tension because the group was creating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , pages promoting rallies that Stop the Steal had organized had been left up .
Facebook initially attempted to police the group , by either taking down or adding alerts to false content , but it was difficult to keep pace with the messages , noted The New York Times .
Stop the Steal , which was launched Wednesday afternoon , had attracted more than 360,000 members before Facebook removed it midday Thursday for violating the platform ’ s rules .
It was one of the fastest-growing groups in Facebook history , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now also restricting the spread of live video on its platforms and will slow the rapid increase of content that Facebook ’ s algorithms deem as potential misinformation , the Journal reported .
The steps are similar to emergency measures that the company has put in place in what it calls “ at-risk countries , ” such as Myanmar , a source told the newspaper .
Bizarrely , some of the protesters battling Democratic vote tallies have been shouting both “ Stop the vote ” and the contradictory “ Count the votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-founders of Women for America First is Jennifer Lawrence , who previously worked as communications director for We Build the Wall Inc. , according to her Facebook profile .
The group is the target of fraud charges after allegedly siphoning off donations that were supposed to be used to privately fund a portion of Trump ’ s southern border wall .
Former White House strategist Steve Bannon is currently out on bail after being charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering linked to the Build the Wall scheme .

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Facebook pulled the plug on the burgeoning Stop the Steal group Thursday over baseless election corruption claims and “worrying calls for violence,” said a statement from the social media company.
Facebook also instituted other restrictions on its platform that it typically reserves for volatile, “at-risk” nations, The Wall Street Journal reported.
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Stop the Steal was being used to organize nationwide protests against voting results, citing unfounded conspiracy theories that the process was corrupted and Democrats were trying to steal the election.
“Democrats are scheming to disenfranchise and nullify Republican votes,” said a blurb about the group in its Facebook profile. “It’s up to us, the American people, to fight and to put a stop to it.”
Some of the organizing efforts targeted centers where ballot counting was still underway, and many of the messages encouraged violence.
The group was removed because members were “organized around the delegitimization of the election process, and we saw worrying calls for violence from some members of the group,” Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone said in a statement.
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The decision was made “in line with the exceptional measures that we are taking during this period of heightened tension because the group was creating real-world events,” he added. However, pages promoting rallies that Stop the Steal had organized had been left up.
Facebook initially attempted to police the group, by either taking down or adding alerts to false content, but it was difficult to keep pace with the messages, noted The New York Times.
Stop the Steal, which was launched Wednesday afternoon, had attracted more than 360,000 members before Facebook removed it midday Thursday for violating the platform’s rules. It was one of the fastest-growing groups in Facebook history, according to the Times.
The company is now also restricting the spread of live video on its platforms and will slow the rapid increase of content that Facebook’s algorithms deem as potential misinformation, the Journal reported. The steps are similar to emergency measures that the company has put in place in what it calls “at-risk countries,” such as Myanmar, a source told the newspaper.
The protests so far have been largely peaceful, though intimidating.
Armed protesters, however, targeted a ballot-counting center Wednesday night in Maricopa County, one of the areas in too-close-to-call Arizona, and demanded the vote tallies be stopped.
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Bizarrely, some of the protesters battling Democratic vote tallies have been shouting both “Stop the vote” and the contradictory “Count the votes” at protests.
A pro-Trump organization called Women for America First created the Stop the Steal group, according to its Facebook profile.
One of the co-founders of Women for America First is Jennifer Lawrence, who previously worked as communications director for We Build the Wall Inc., according to her Facebook profile. The group is the target of fraud charges after allegedly siphoning off donations that were supposed to be used to privately fund a portion of Trump’s southern border wall.