thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-18--Cops Who Charged Civil Rights Leaders With Felonies Try To Sideline Progressive Prosecutor

The Portsmouth Police Department announced Monday that it put felony warrants out against Virginia Senate Pro Tempore Louise Lucas ( D ) , a local school board member , leaders of the local NAACP and public defenders .
The felony charges and warrants , announced at a press conference by Portsmouth Police Chief Angela Greene , quickly drew scrutiny from Democrats and civil rights leaders in Virginia , who saw both the broad charges and the timing of Greene ’ s announcement as suspicious .
The charges include felony injury to a monument and conspiracy , related to the destruction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during protests against police brutality and anti-Black racism .
Demonstrators beheaded four statues and pulled down one , which fell onto and seriously injured one of the protesters on the scene .
While court documents have not been made publicly available , it appears that Portsmouth police took a very broad view of what it meant to enter into a conspiracy to destroy the statues .
Greene stated that the investigation identified “ several individuals [ who ] conspired and organized to destroy the monument as well as summonsed hundreds of people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the commonwealth ’ s attorney would prosecute those cases .
But the office of Stephanie Morales , the commonwealth ’ s attorney in Portsmouth , said Tuesday that police arrest warrants and a probable cause summary had listed Morales as a witness , “ which could effectively create a conflict of interest and prohibit the Commonwealth ’ s Attorney from being involved in the job she was elected , by the citizens of this city , to do.
” Morales ― who as a 36-year-old Black woman has broken barriers amid a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , white and male ― has gained a reputation has a progressive prosecutor .
In 2016 , she successfully prosecuted a Portsmouth officer for killing an unarmed 18-year-old Black teenager .
She often speaks to the harm caused by mass incarceration , she ’ s worked to dismiss marijuana possession cases in Portsmouth , and she recently helped form a new organization of Virginia prosecutors to help push for criminal justice reform .
Now it appears she ’ s facing backlash from within the city police department .
Other progressive prosecutors , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come under attack both externally and from within the ranks of law enforcement in their cities .
In Portsmouth , the divisions don ’ t break down precisely along racial lines .
Chief Greene , who is Black , replaced the first Black female police chief in Virginia , who said she faced systemic racism on the job from a “ small contingency ” of Portsmouth officers whose racism was “ so inflammatory ” that she declined to detail it because she feared disclosing it would threaten public safety .
If Morales is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is possible she ’ d move to dismiss all or some of the charges , particularly if her office concludes ― as seems pretty likely here ― that police overreached in its charges .
But Morales ’ office warned that , if a judge denies their motion to dismiss a subpoena against Morales , a special prosector could be appointed , which would prevent Morales from playing a role in the case and “ places the matters in the hands of a special prosecutor who is not accountable to this city.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutors , referred to as commonwealth ’ s attorneys , don ’ t typically have intake units , and the majority of cases originate from probable cause warrants sworn out by the police .
Police in Virginia can even act as prosecutors in misdemeanor cases , but not in felonies .
Prosecutors typically receive information on cases after arraignment , meaning that judges have to sign off on decisions to dismiss cases .
( In effect , that means elected prosecutors have less ability to exercise prosecutorial discretion than their counterparts in other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even less oversight on police claims before charges are filed . )
The felony charges against Portsmouth demonstrators are reminiscent of the Trump Justice Department ’ s prosecution of Trump inauguration protesters , who faced felony charges even though prosecutors conceded they had no evidence that many of them actually participated in property destruction or violence .
Those prosecutions were a colossal failure for the government , which ended up dropping cases against almost all of the hundreds of protesters initially charged .
Still , by bringing the cases , the Justice Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forcing them through a lengthy and expensive legal process that theoretically exposed them to years in prison .
In Portsmouth , The Virginian-Pilot reported that while several of those charged were present during daytime protests , it was “ not clear whether any of them are accused of being present hours later , when people beheaded the statues and a man was seriously injured by a falling piece of the structure.
” A spokeswoman for the police chief did not have a response to Morales ’ statement , but pointed to Greene ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it was “ the duty of the Portsmouth Police Department to begin a thorough and comprehensive investigation ” after a “ discussion with the Commonwealth ’ s Attorney regarding a special grand jury and a special prosecutor did not yield any action .
”

The Virginia police department that slapped a prominent politician, local civil rights leaders and public defenders with felony charges related to the destruction of Confederate statues is also pushing to prevent a progressive prosecutor from handling the cases.
And it’s doing so by claiming the prosecutor is a potential eyewitness ― even though she says she wasn’t at the scene of the protests.
The Portsmouth Police Department announced Monday that it put felony warrants out against Virginia Senate Pro Tempore Louise Lucas (D), a local school board member, leaders of the local NAACP and public defenders. The felony charges and warrants, announced at a press conference by Portsmouth Police Chief Angela Greene, quickly drew scrutiny from Democrats and civil rights leaders in Virginia, who saw both the broad charges and the timing of Greene’s announcement as suspicious.
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The charges include felony injury to a monument and conspiracy, related to the destruction of Confederate statues in Portsmouth in June during protests against police brutality and anti-Black racism. Demonstrators beheaded four statues and pulled down one, which fell onto and seriously injured one of the protesters on the scene. While court documents have not been made publicly available, it appears that Portsmouth police took a very broad view of what it meant to enter into a conspiracy to destroy the statues. Greene stated that the investigation identified “several individuals [who] conspired and organized to destroy the monument as well as summonsed hundreds of people to join in the felonious acts.”
Typically, the commonwealth’s attorney would prosecute those cases. But the office of Stephanie Morales, the commonwealth’s attorney in Portsmouth, said Tuesday that police arrest warrants and a probable cause summary had listed Morales as a witness, “which could effectively create a conflict of interest and prohibit the Commonwealth’s Attorney from being involved in the job she was elected, by the citizens of this city, to do.”
Portsmouth police appear to be trying to keep Commonwealth's Attorney Stephanie Morales from prosecuting felony cases they brought against local politicians and civil rights leaders. Courtesy of Commonwealth's Attorney's Office
Morales “was not on scene to be an eyewitness to any of the matters listed,” according to her office, which plans to attempt to quash any subpoena she receives.
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Morales ― who as a 36-year-old Black woman has broken barriers amid a population of elected prosecutors that skews older, white and male ― has gained a reputation has a progressive prosecutor. In 2016, she successfully prosecuted a Portsmouth officer for killing an unarmed 18-year-old Black teenager. She often speaks to the harm caused by mass incarceration, she’s worked to dismiss marijuana possession cases in Portsmouth, and she recently helped form a new organization of Virginia prosecutors to help push for criminal justice reform.
Now it appears she’s facing backlash from within the city police department. Other progressive prosecutors, including Kim Gardner in St. Louis, have come under attack both externally and from within the ranks of law enforcement in their cities. In Portsmouth, the divisions don’t break down precisely along racial lines. Chief Greene, who is Black, replaced the first Black female police chief in Virginia, who said she faced systemic racism on the job from a “small contingency” of Portsmouth officers whose racism was “so inflammatory” that she declined to detail it because she feared disclosing it would threaten public safety.
If Morales is able to take over the cases, it is possible she’d move to dismiss all or some of the charges, particularly if her office concludes ― as seems pretty likely here ― that police overreached in its charges. But Morales’ office warned that, if a judge denies their motion to dismiss a subpoena against Morales, a special prosector could be appointed, which would prevent Morales from playing a role in the case and “places the matters in the hands of a special prosecutor who is not accountable to this city.”
Under Virginia’s magistrate system, prosecutors, referred to as commonwealth’s attorneys, don’t typically have intake units, and the majority of cases originate from probable cause warrants sworn out by the police. Police in Virginia can even act as prosecutors in misdemeanor cases, but not in felonies. Prosecutors typically receive information on cases after arraignment, meaning that judges have to sign off on decisions to dismiss cases. (In effect, that means elected prosecutors have less ability to exercise prosecutorial discretion than their counterparts in other states, and that there’s even less oversight on police claims before charges are filed.)
Morales’ office questioned why Chief Greene didn’t go through the process of presenting evidence to their office before bringing the charges, and said they never received investigative files from the Portsmouth Police Department.
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“The Portsmouth Police Department chose their traditional process of securing warrants, albeit over two months after the alleged events, in lieu of submitting complete investigative results to this office,” the statement from the commonwealth’s attorney’s office said.
In the statement, Morales’ office called “for a fair and equitable process for all involved.”
Virginia state Senator Louise L. Lucas (D) at work in the statehouse, on Feb. 20, 2019, in Richmond, Virginia. The Washington Post via Getty Images
The felony charges against Portsmouth demonstrators are reminiscent of the Trump Justice Department’s prosecution of Trump inauguration protesters, who faced felony charges even though prosecutors conceded they had no evidence that many of them actually participated in property destruction or violence. Those prosecutions were a colossal failure for the government, which ended up dropping cases against almost all of the hundreds of protesters initially charged. Still, by bringing the cases, the Justice Department was able to effectively punish demonstrators by forcing them through a lengthy and expensive legal process that theoretically exposed them to years in prison.
In Portsmouth, The Virginian-Pilot reported that while several of those charged were present during daytime protests, it was “not clear whether any of them are accused of being present hours later, when people beheaded the statues and a man was seriously injured by a falling piece of the structure.”
State Sen. Lucas, according to reports, was long gone when the property destruction actually took place.
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“She left at 1 o’clock and riots began at 9 in the evening,” Virginia Senate Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw (D) told The Washington Post. “I just don’t know how you incite a riot eight hours after you left the place. There’s something that just does not make any sense.”
Lucas, long before the charges were filed against her, called for Chief Greene to resign, and Lucas also said she’d asked the Justice Department to investigate one of her local police departments (though she didn’t specify if it was Portsmouth).


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-18--Twitter Users Not Impressed With Trump's Susan B. Anthony Pardon

President Donald Trump may have thought pardoning Susan B. Anthony would increase his popularity with female voters , but it looks like Twitter users are not impressed .
On Tuesday , the president said he would pardon Anthony , a leader in the women ’ s suffrage movement who was arrested and charged a $ 100 fine in 1872 after voting illegally .
As journalist Aaron Rupar pointed out , the announcement was so left-field that the first reaction among those in attendance was giggles .
Although Anthony is a key figure in American history , The New York Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ increasingly divisive figure ” who was “ adopted by anti-abortion forces and criticized for relegating Black suffragists to the sidelines.
” Many Twitter users thought the president should be focused on more pressing needs .
So , the president , who undermines confidence in elections by predicting massive voter fraud announces he will pardon Susan B. Anthony , who was convicted for voting illegally , which spurred the eventual passing of the 19th Amendment ?
OK. Got it .
— Full Dissident ( @ hbryant42 ) August 18 , 2020 The “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classic Trump .
Instead of actually DOING something to address problems like everything related to the pandemic or fixing the Postal Service , he makes a gesture that commands a sliver of the news cycle .
pic.twitter.com/T67P2zAvYU — Jim Roberts ( @ nycjim ) August 18 , 2020 Some thought it was simply an empty gesture .
As highest ranking woman elected official in New York and on behalf of Susan B. Anthony ’ s legacy we demand Trump rescind his pardon .
She was proud of her arrest to draw attention to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and never paid her fine .
Let her Rest In Peace , @ realDonaldTrump .
— Kathy Hochul ( @ LtGovHochulNY ) August 18 , 2020 Why does anyone care that Trump is going to pardon Susan B Anthony ?
She died in 1906 , she did n't support the right for black women to vote , and we all know if she was a live today , Trump would be happy to grab her by the pussy .
— James Kosur ( @ JamesKosur ) August 18 , 2020 Others thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters .
Good for Susan B. Anthony but how shallow does @ realDonaldTrump think women won ’ t see what he is up to .
https : //t.co/JszgI3R5km — Maureen McFadden ( @ MMcFaddenTV ) August 18 , 2020 So gracious of Trump , condescending to '' pardon '' Susan B Anthony .. am sure women all over America will be deeply grateful .
Which genius in WH thought this stunt up ?
Dept of Tin Ear ?
Or Dpt of 2 Corinthians who brought us the Bible moment ?
— Simon Schama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 Just as the GOP 's manipulation of a Kanye West candidacy shows they think Black people are stupid , Trump pardoning long-dead Susan B. Anthony for political gain shows he ( still ) believes women are dumb — David Lazarus ( @ Davidlaz ) August 18 , 2020 Still , some people couldn ’ t help but imagine how the decision to pardon Anthony came about .
Ivanka told Father-Employer that Early Shift Maid says `` housewives '' would go wild for a pardon for Susan B. Anthony .
Jared told Father-In-Law-Employer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maid the agency sent over while she 's on unpaid leave , but they look alike .
— Walter Shaub ( @ waltshaub ) August 18 , 2020 One woman pointed out that pardoning a woman for illegally voting in 1872 isn ’ t as important as ensuring equitable voting rules in 2020 .
As Trump posthumously pardons Susan B. Anthony — who 's constantly lionized as Black suffragists are rendered invisible — I think of Lanisha Brachter and Crystal Mason , Black women who face prison time *right now* for voting mistakes.https @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itsalexberg ) August 18 , 2020

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President Donald Trump may have thought pardoning Susan B. Anthony would increase his popularity with female voters, but it looks like Twitter users are not impressed.
On Tuesday, the president said he would pardon Anthony, a leader in the women’s suffrage movement who was arrested and charged a $100 fine in 1872 after voting illegally.
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As journalist Aaron Rupar pointed out, the announcement was so left-field that the first reaction among those in attendance was giggles.
Trump's announcement that he's pardoning Susan B. Anthony is met with laughter pic.twitter.com/ycIFtFtQOQ — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 18, 2020
Although Anthony is a key figure in American history, The New York Times points out that she is considered an “increasingly divisive figure” who was “adopted by anti-abortion forces and criticized for relegating Black suffragists to the sidelines.”
Many Twitter users thought the president should be focused on more pressing needs.
So, the president, who undermines confidence in elections by predicting massive voter fraud announces he will pardon Susan B. Anthony, who was convicted for voting illegally, which spurred the eventual passing of the 19th Amendment? OK. Got it. — Full Dissident (@hbryant42) August 18, 2020
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The “pardon” of Susan B. Anthony is classic Trump. Instead of actually DOING something to address problems like everything related to the pandemic or fixing the Postal Service, he makes a gesture that commands a sliver of the news cycle. pic.twitter.com/T67P2zAvYU — Jim Roberts (@nycjim) August 18, 2020
Some thought it was simply an empty gesture.
As highest ranking woman elected official in New York and on behalf of Susan B. Anthony’s legacy we demand Trump rescind his pardon.
She was proud of her arrest to draw attention to the cause for women’s rights, and never paid her fine. Let her Rest In Peace, @realDonaldTrump. — Kathy Hochul (@LtGovHochulNY) August 18, 2020
Why does anyone care that Trump is going to pardon Susan B Anthony?
She died in 1906, she didn't support the right for black women to vote, and we all know if she was a live today, Trump would be happy to grab her by the pussy. — James Kosur (@JamesKosur) August 18, 2020
Susan B. Anthony doesn’t need a man to pardon her. 💅 https://t.co/1l1jbdPlTE — Lauren Reeves (@laurenreeves) August 18, 2020
Others thought Trump was insulting the intelligence of women voters.
Good for Susan B. Anthony but how shallow does @realDonaldTrump think women won’t see what he is up to. https://t.co/JszgI3R5km — Maureen McFadden (@MMcFaddenTV) August 18, 2020
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So gracious of Trump, condescending to"pardon" Susan B Anthony .. am sure women all over America will be deeply grateful. Which genius in WH thought this stunt up? Dept of Tin Ear? Or Dpt of 2 Corinthians who brought us the Bible moment? — Simon Schama (@simon_schama) August 18, 2020
Just as the GOP's manipulation of a Kanye West candidacy shows they think Black people are stupid, Trump pardoning long-dead Susan B. Anthony for political gain shows he (still) believes women are dumb — David Lazarus (@Davidlaz) August 18, 2020
Still, some people couldn’t help but imagine how the decision to pardon Anthony came about.
Frederick Douglass did a great job lobbying for Susan B Anthony’s pardon. — Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) August 18, 2020
Ivanka told Father-Employer that Early Shift Maid says "housewives" would go wild for a pardon for Susan B. Anthony. Jared told Father-In-Law-Employer that this actually came from a substitute maid the agency sent over while she's on unpaid leave, but they look alike. — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) August 18, 2020
One woman pointed out that pardoning a woman for illegally voting in 1872 isn’t as important as ensuring equitable voting rules in 2020.
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As Trump posthumously pardons Susan B. Anthony — who's constantly lionized as Black suffragists are rendered invisible — I think of Lanisha Brachter and Crystal Mason, Black women who face prison time *right now* for voting mistakes.https://t.co/NpAix5jMRA — Alex Berg (@itsalexberg) August 18, 2020
One guy predicted Trump would quickly regret his decision to pardon Anthony.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-18--Democrats Drop Demand To End Fossil Fuel Subsidies From Party Platform

The Democratic National Committee this week quietly dropped language calling for an end to fossil fuel subsidies and tax breaks from its party platform , HuffPost has learned .
On July 27 , officials added an amendment to the Manager ’ s Mark , a ledger of party demands voted on as one omnibus package , stating : “ Democrats support eliminating tax breaks and subsidies for fossil fuels , and will fight to defend and extend tax incentives for energy efficiency and clean energy.
” The amendment was approved .
But the statement ― which reflects pledges presumptive Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mate , Kamala Harris , each made on the campaign trail ― disappeared from the final draft of the party platform circulated Monday .
In an emailed statement , a DNC spokesperson said the amendment was “ incorrectly included in the Manager ’ s Mark ” and taken out “ after the error was discovered.
” “ This is ridiculous , ” Collin Rees , a campaigner with the nonprofit Oil Change U.S. , said by phone .
“ This is a commonsense position held by both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the platform.
” Greenpeace ranked the DNC platform a C-plus in a new grade set to be released Wednesday , giving the official party manifesto a lower rating than the B-plus proposals Biden and Harris each ran on in the presidential primary .
“ This platform is a step backwards , and we deserve better , ” Charlie Jiang , a campaigner at Greenpeace , said in a statement sent with the nonprofit ’ s new ranking .
Democrats remain split on fossil fuels even as scientists say keeping the Earth ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on rapidly reducing the use of oil , gas and coal over the next decade .
The party depicts itself as champions against global warming , drawing contrasts with Republicans who question the very nature of climate science .
But party officials have long feared that a hard-line stance against the industry jeopardized both donations and votes in fossil fuel-producing states such as Pennsylvania and Texas .
The DNC last year battled with activists and Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee , who ran for president on a climate-centered platform , over whether to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The party leadership ultimately voted against the proposal .
It ’ s difficult to know exactly how much the United States spends every year supporting fossil fuel production .
Conservative estimates put the total for state and federal incentives at roughly $ 20 billion per year .
An International Monetary Fund study published last year pegged the figure at $ 649 billion in 2015 alone .
Roughly half of all U.S. oil reserves required subsidies to generate a profit , according to a study published in the journal Nature Energy in 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of crude plunged far below $ 50 a barrel .

Storm clouds overhead? Stacy Revere via Getty Images
The Democratic National Committee this week quietly dropped language calling for an end to fossil fuel subsidies and tax breaks from its party platform, HuffPost has learned.
On July 27, officials added an amendment to the Manager’s Mark, a ledger of party demands voted on as one omnibus package, stating: “Democrats support eliminating tax breaks and subsidies for fossil fuels, and will fight to defend and extend tax incentives for energy efficiency and clean energy.”
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The amendment was approved. But the statement ― which reflects pledges presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, each made on the campaign trail ― disappeared from the final draft of the party platform circulated Monday.
In an emailed statement, a DNC spokesperson said the amendment was “incorrectly included in the Manager’s Mark” and taken out “after the error was discovered.”
Activists accused the DNC of retroactively removing the amendment from the final draft of the platform.
“This is ridiculous,” Collin Rees, a campaigner with the nonprofit Oil Change U.S., said by phone. “This is a commonsense position held by both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. … The DNC should immediately include it in the platform.”
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Greenpeace ranked the DNC platform a C-plus in a new grade set to be released Wednesday, giving the official party manifesto a lower rating than the B-plus proposals Biden and Harris each ran on in the presidential primary.
“This platform is a step backwards, and we deserve better,” Charlie Jiang, a campaigner at Greenpeace, said in a statement sent with the nonprofit’s new ranking.
Democrats remain split on fossil fuels even as scientists say keeping the Earth’s climate from changing beyond recognition depends on rapidly reducing the use of oil, gas and coal over the next decade. The party depicts itself as champions against global warming, drawing contrasts with Republicans who question the very nature of climate science. But party officials have long feared that a hard-line stance against the industry jeopardized both donations and votes in fossil fuel-producing states such as Pennsylvania and Texas.
The DNC last year battled with activists and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who ran for president on a climate-centered platform, over whether to host a debate focused on global warming. The party leadership ultimately voted against the proposal.
It’s difficult to know exactly how much the United States spends every year supporting fossil fuel production. Conservative estimates put the total for state and federal incentives at roughly $20 billion per year. An International Monetary Fund study published last year pegged the figure at $649 billion in 2015 alone. Roughly half of all U.S. oil reserves required subsidies to generate a profit, according to a study published in the journal Nature Energy in 2017, and that was before the price of crude plunged far below $50 a barrel.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-18--Election Officials Look To Bypass Postal Service With Ballot Drop Boxes

PHOENIX ( AP ) — With the Trump administration openly trying to undermine mail-in voting this fall , some election officials around the country are hoping to bypass the Postal Service by installing lots of ballot drop boxes in libraries , community centers and other public places .
Such boxes have been used with success for several years in states like Oregon , Washington and Colorado that rely largely or entirely on ballots that must be sent in .
But their use is being expanded because of the coronavirus outbreak and , more recently , concerns about the post office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
State or local authorities in places such as Arizona , Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are pressing for more boxes or drop-off sites that would enable ballots to reach election officials without going through the mail .
“ Donald Trump continues to undermine the legitimacy of mail-in absentee ballots by attacking the U.S .
Postal Service , ” said New York state Sen. Brad Hoylman , a Democratic who is sponsoring legislation to set up drop boxes beyond the usual confines of voting sites and local election offices .
“ New York can hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absentee ballot drop boxes across the state to help ensure the integrity of these ballots.
” In the potential battleground state of Wisconsin , the five biggest cities won a $ 6.3 million grant from the nonprofit Center for Tech and Civic Life to help administer the November election , including installation of drop boxes .
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said his city will use some of its $ 2.1 million share to buy more than a dozen to install at libraries and other locations .
Arizona ’ s secretary of state is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rural areas that have requested them , and a spokeswoman said some counties are also purchasing extra ones .
Last week , the Postal Service , having cut overtime and late deliveries , began warning states that it can ’ t guarantee all mail ballots will be received in time to be counted .
President Donald Trump , who has been sowing unfounded fears of vote-by-mail fraud for months , last week admitted blocking Postal Service funding so it would be harder to process the expected surge of millions of ballots .
Election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ones — have come out against adding drop boxes , saying doing so would be too costly , raises security concerns or would violate state laws .
In a tweet Monday , Trump sought to cast doubt on the security of such boxes , saying : “ So who is going to ‘ collect ’ the Ballots , and what might be done to them prior to tabulation ?
A Rigged Election ?
So bad for our Country.
” Local officials , at a minimum , should have a drop box at their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it is recommended that they have one box for every 15,000 to 20,000 registered voters , according to a memo issued by federal authorities in response to the viral outbreak .
Washington state has boxes in churches , fire stations , libraries , colleges , city halls , shopping centers and courthouses .
In Oregon , they are not only inside libraries and government buildings but on the street outside high-traffic businesses such as Starbucks , McDonald ’ s and movie theaters .
That was after Philadelphia and its suburbs used them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials there — in the June 2 primary , when a record-smashing 1.4 million ballots arrived by mail .
Democratic state lawmakers are countersuing to get a judge to clarify that drop boxes are legal .
In the meantime , Philadelphia and several suburban counties plan to create satellite election offices where people can register to vote , apply for a ballot and submit it .
Philadelphia wants to establish as many as 17 .
Suburban Delaware County is plowing ahead with its plans for drop boxes without waiting for the outcome of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member Christine Reuther , a Democrat .
With the help of grant money , the county will buy 50 boxes and have them installed by Oct. 1 .
Louisiana isn ’ t debating adding drop boxes , but the state ’ s elections chief , GOP Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin , is proposing to allow parishes to set up curbside drop-off stations where people can hand their absentee ballots to someone in person rather than put them in the mail .
North Carolina has no plans to install boxes , and Oklahoma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though voters can drop off ballots at one location in each county .
But the state plans on printing green return envelopes to help postal workers more easily identify mail-in ballots and give them priority .

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PHOENIX (AP) — With the Trump administration openly trying to undermine mail-in voting this fall, some election officials around the country are hoping to bypass the Postal Service by installing lots of ballot drop boxes in libraries, community centers and other public places.
Such boxes have been used with success for several years in states like Oregon, Washington and Colorado that rely largely or entirely on ballots that must be sent in. But their use is being expanded because of the coronavirus outbreak and, more recently, concerns about the post office’s ability to do its job.
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State or local authorities in places such as Arizona, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania are pressing for more boxes or drop-off sites that would enable ballots to reach election officials without going through the mail.
“Donald Trump continues to undermine the legitimacy of mail-in absentee ballots by attacking the U.S. Postal Service,” said New York state Sen. Brad Hoylman, a Democratic who is sponsoring legislation to set up drop boxes beyond the usual confines of voting sites and local election offices. “New York can hit back on this anti-democratic fearmongering by establishing absentee ballot drop boxes across the state to help ensure the integrity of these ballots.”
In this May 27, 2020, file photo, Bucks County commissioners Diane Ellis-Marseglia, left, and Robert Harvie unpack a new ballot drop box at the county's administration building prior to the primary election in Doylestown, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File) ASSOCIATED PRESS
In the potential battleground state of Wisconsin, the five biggest cities won a $6.3 million grant from the nonprofit Center for Tech and Civic Life to help administer the November election, including installation of drop boxes. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said his city will use some of its $2.1 million share to buy more than a dozen to install at libraries and other locations.
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Arizona’s secretary of state is ordering about 70 more for the mostly rural areas that have requested them, and a spokeswoman said some counties are also purchasing extra ones.
Washington state election officials said that there are 450 drop boxes statewide, and there are discussions about adding more.
Last week, the Postal Service, having cut overtime and late deliveries, began warning states that it can’t guarantee all mail ballots will be received in time to be counted. President Donald Trump, who has been sowing unfounded fears of vote-by-mail fraud for months, last week admitted blocking Postal Service funding so it would be harder to process the expected surge of millions of ballots.
Election officials in some states — mainly Republican-led ones — have come out against adding drop boxes, saying doing so would be too costly, raises security concerns or would violate state laws.
In a tweet Monday, Trump sought to cast doubt on the security of such boxes, saying: “So who is going to ‘collect’ the Ballots, and what might be done to them prior to tabulation? A Rigged Election? So bad for our Country.”
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Typical security measures for drop boxes include video surveillance, locks, tamper-resistant seals and chain-of-custody logs that are completed each time ballots are collected.
Local officials, at a minimum, should have a drop box at their main county or city office building, and it is recommended that they have one box for every 15,000 to 20,000 registered voters, according to a memo issued by federal authorities in response to the viral outbreak.
The Brennan Center for Justice, a public policy institute at New York University Law School, has estimated that nearly 11,700 ballot drop-off boxes will be needed for November, at a cost of $82 million to $117 million for purchase and installation.
Washington state has boxes in churches, fire stations, libraries, colleges, city halls, shopping centers and courthouses. In Oregon, they are not only inside libraries and government buildings but on the street outside high-traffic businesses such as Starbucks, McDonald’s and movie theaters.
“The whole idea really is to meet people where they are in their everyday lives,” Amber McReynolds, CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute and a former elections official.
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In Pennsylvania, a federal lawsuit by the Trump campaign and Republican National Committee has cast drop boxes into a legal gray area.
That was after Philadelphia and its suburbs used them — to great success, according to officials there — in the June 2 primary, when a record-smashing 1.4 million ballots arrived by mail. Democratic state lawmakers are countersuing to get a judge to clarify that drop boxes are legal.
In the meantime, Philadelphia and several suburban counties plan to create satellite election offices where people can register to vote, apply for a ballot and submit it. Philadelphia wants to establish as many as 17.
Suburban Delaware County is plowing ahead with its plans for drop boxes without waiting for the outcome of the legal dispute, said County Council member Christine Reuther, a Democrat. With the help of grant money, the county will buy 50 boxes and have them installed by Oct. 1.
The goal of the Trump campaign’s lawsuit, said Reuther, was to “scare people away from doing this.”
“We are gambling a little bit,” she said. “I think our lawyers feel pretty confident about the lawsuit.”
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Louisiana isn’t debating adding drop boxes, but the state’s elections chief, GOP Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, is proposing to allow parishes to set up curbside drop-off stations where people can hand their absentee ballots to someone in person rather than put them in the mail.
North Carolina has no plans to install boxes, and Oklahoma doesn’t use them either, though voters can drop off ballots at one location in each county. But the state plans on printing green return envelopes to help postal workers more easily identify mail-in ballots and give them priority.
Ohio will have a single drop box in each of its 88 counties. Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, said he would need legislative authority or clearance from the attorney general to add more.
State Sen. Nickie Antonio, a Democrat from suburban Cleveland, said LaRose’s stand “reeks of partisan politics.”
____
AP state government reporters around the country contributed to this report.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-18--Trump Invents Baseless Explanation For California's Power Outages

President Donald Trump attempted to politicize a series of power outages in California on Tuesday , saying without any evidence that Democrats have “ intentionally implemented ” them and suggested that Green New Deal proposals were somehow to blame .
“ In California , Democrats have intentionally implemented rolling blackouts — forcing Americans in the dark .
Democrats are unable to keep up with energy demand , ” he tweeted about the power outages , which are the most widespread the state has experienced in decades .
A statewide heatwave is putting a strain on the state ’ s electrical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of thousands of Californians , but that has nothing to do with Democrats or any other political party .
The widespread blackouts have been carried out by the California Independent System Operator , a nonprofit that manages most of the state ’ s power .
Democratic Gov .
Gavin Newsom has called the blackouts “ unacceptable ” and is seeking an investigation into the matter .
The nonprofit ’ s president said Monday that he tried to warn the California Public Utilities Commission that there wasn ’ t sufficient electricity lined up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broken records across the state for days , with Death Valley reporting 130 degrees Sunday , the highest U.S. temperature in more than a century .
The lingering heatwave has put a strain on the electrical grid as cranked-up air conditioners add to normal power needs .
In a follow-up tweet trying to link his likely Democratic opponent to the blackout , Trump warned the “ Bernie/Biden/AOC Green New Deal plan would take California ’ s failed policies to every American !
” In reality , the Green New Deal , backed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) , is a nonbinding framework of proposed legislation to deal with climate change .
It doesn ’ t yet have support from presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden , who says the main thrust of the plan ― getting the U.S. to convert to 100 % renewable energy in 10 years ― is too expensive .
Trump ’ s comments come a day after a former member of his administration said the president had a strong vendetta against the people of California for not supporting him and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that had been devastated by wildfires .

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President Donald Trump attempted to politicize a series of power outages in California on Tuesday, saying without any evidence that Democrats have “intentionally implemented” them and suggested that Green New Deal proposals were somehow to blame.
“In California, Democrats have intentionally implemented rolling blackouts — forcing Americans in the dark. Democrats are unable to keep up with energy demand,” he tweeted about the power outages, which are the most widespread the state has experienced in decades.
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A statewide heatwave is putting a strain on the state’s electrical grid, forcing power outages for hundreds of thousands of Californians, but that has nothing to do with Democrats or any other political party. The widespread blackouts have been carried out by the California Independent System Operator, a nonprofit that manages most of the state’s power.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has called the blackouts “unacceptable” and is seeking an investigation into the matter. The nonprofit’s president said Monday that he tried to warn the California Public Utilities Commission that there wasn’t sufficient electricity lined up for a heatwave like this. Temperatures have broken records across the state for days, with Death Valley reporting 130 degrees Sunday, the highest U.S. temperature in more than a century. The lingering heatwave has put a strain on the electrical grid as cranked-up air conditioners add to normal power needs.
In a follow-up tweet trying to link his likely Democratic opponent to the blackout, Trump warned the “Bernie/Biden/AOC Green New Deal plan would take California’s failed policies to every American!”
In reality, the Green New Deal, backed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), is a nonbinding framework of proposed legislation to deal with climate change. It doesn’t yet have support from presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, who says the main thrust of the plan ― getting the U.S. to convert to 100% renewable energy in 10 years ― is too expensive.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-18--Democrats Don't Have Many Tools To Protect The Postal Service

WASHINGTON ― With President Donald Trump ’ s recent admission that he ’ s sabotaging the U.S .
Postal Service in order to hamper mail-in voting , House Democrats are headed back to the Capitol later this week to vote on a bill protecting the USPS .
But beyond messaging bills , emergency hearings and stern statements , Democrats may not have many tools to stop Trump .
The biggest and most drastic strategy ― impeachment ― is an unlikely remedy , given that Election Day is only 77 days away and the GOP-held Senate , once again , will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants .
Democrats have already pushed for more Postal Service funding .
There was $ 25 billion in the $ 3.5 trillion bill that House Democrats passed in May , but that legislation hasn ’ t gone anywhere since .
And even with the coronavirus ― and the economic fallout from it ― still raging in the United States , Republicans have remained largely opposed to another stimulus bill .
Without a deal as a vehicle for a Postal Service bailout , the next must-pass legislation that Democrats could attach USPS funding to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government funded past Sept. 30 .
Without a continuing resolution , the government would shut down just a month before the election , and Democrats and Republicans both seem intent on avoiding that situation ― at least at the moment .
Even if Democrats get a deal saving the Postal Service , and even if they attach policy riders to such a bill stating that this money has to go toward ensuring the ability of the agency to handle mail-in ballots , Trump ’ s postmaster general , Louis DeJoy , would still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implementing those laws .
With so little time between the government funding deadline and the election , it wouldn ’ t take much for DeJoy to play games to skirt the law — which he ’ s already proved himself willing to do .
Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) after a TV interview on Capitol Hill on Friday .
She 's called the House back from its August recess to vote on legislation to fund the Postal Service .
Beyond that bill , which is unlikely to get addressed in the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tied .
Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) announced over the weekend that she would bring the House back from its August recess this Saturday to vote on legislation providing the USPS with $ 25 billion and blocking organizational changes that could help Trump fulfill his goal of undermining mail-in ballots .
Democrats are also calling on DeJoy to testify nearly a month earlier than previously scheduled , which DeJoy agreed to do .
He will now testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Aug. 24 and the Senate Homeland and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But again , beyond that , there isn ’ t much Democrats can actually do .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) is unlikely to take up a standalone bill protecting the Postal Service .
So Democrats are left with just taking the case to the American people .
This aide pointed out that the public pressure had already gotten some results .
For instance , Trump has expressed some openness to allowing USPS funding to pass , and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Sunday that the administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Postal Service in a coronavirus deal .
An aide for the House Oversight Committee , which is generating the Democrats ’ Postal Service legislation , told HuffPost that the bill already has some GOP support .
“ Significantly , even Republican members of Congress , state officials and local representatives have joined in expressing their opposition to these drastic changes that are severely affecting our constituents , including veterans , small businesses and families in rural areas , ” this aide said .
With Congress ’ ability to protect the Postal Service limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall to the states .
State governments could change their laws to get around the Trump administration ’ s purposeful postal delays by accepting absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day but received afterwards .
Nineteen states already accept ballots received anywhere from three to 10 days later .

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WASHINGTON ― With President Donald Trump’s recent admission that he’s sabotaging the U.S. Postal Service in order to hamper mail-in voting, House Democrats are headed back to the Capitol later this week to vote on a bill protecting the USPS. But beyond messaging bills, emergency hearings and stern statements, Democrats may not have many tools to stop Trump.
The biggest and most drastic strategy ― impeachment ― is an unlikely remedy, given that Election Day is only 77 days away and the GOP-held Senate, once again, will almost certainly let Trump do whatever he wants.
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But Congress’ best tool ― the power of the purse ― is also complicated.
At issue is the cash-strapped Postal Service, which needs more government funding to sustain itself. But Trump doesn’t want to bail out the agency. He believes a functioning Postal Service would help Democrats win via mail-in ballots in November.
“They need that money in order to have the post office work,” Trump said last week on Fox Business, “so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots.”
Trump is openly admitting he’s opposed to adequately funding the Postal Service because he wants to undermine voting by mail, which he believes helps Democrats.
It’s a case of open corruption: Incapacitating a government service to serve Trump’s electoral goals, while also constricting the ability of people to get medicine and other important mail.
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Typically, the president’s thoughts on the Postal Service wouldn’t matter much. It’s Congress, after all, that funds the agency. The president simply signs the funding bill ― or vetoes it and risks Congress overruling him.
But with such a short amount of time before the election, and such a dire funding situation at the Postal Service, Trump’s intransigence is more powerful than ever.
Democrats have already pushed for more Postal Service funding. There was $25 billion in the $3.5 trillion bill that House Democrats passed in May, but that legislation hasn’t gone anywhere since. And even with the coronavirus ― and the economic fallout from it ― still raging in the United States, Republicans have remained largely opposed to another stimulus bill.
Without a deal as a vehicle for a Postal Service bailout, the next must-pass legislation that Democrats could attach USPS funding to would be a bill to keep the government funded past Sept. 30. Without a continuing resolution, the government would shut down just a month before the election, and Democrats and Republicans both seem intent on avoiding that situation ― at least at the moment.
But again, Trump has inordinate influence here.
Even if Democrats get a deal saving the Postal Service, and even if they attach policy riders to such a bill stating that this money has to go toward ensuring the ability of the agency to handle mail-in ballots, Trump’s postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, would still have a great deal of power over implementing those laws. With so little time between the government funding deadline and the election, it wouldn’t take much for DeJoy to play games to skirt the law — which he’s already proved himself willing to do.
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Which is why Democrats suddenly find themselves in a serious position.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) after a TV interview on Capitol Hill on Friday. She's called the House back from its August recess to vote on legislation to fund the Postal Service. Beyond that bill, which is unlikely to get addressed in the Senate, Democrats' hands seem to be tied. Tom Williams via Getty Images
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced over the weekend that she would bring the House back from its August recess this Saturday to vote on legislation providing the USPS with $25 billion and blocking organizational changes that could help Trump fulfill his goal of undermining mail-in ballots.
Democrats are also calling on DeJoy to testify nearly a month earlier than previously scheduled, which DeJoy agreed to do. He will now testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Aug. 24 and the Senate Homeland and Governmental Affairs Committee on Aug. 21.
There are even some Democrats calling on the FBI to investigate whether DeJoy has already broken the law.
But again, beyond that, there isn’t much Democrats can actually do. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is unlikely to take up a standalone bill protecting the Postal Service. So Democrats are left with just taking the case to the American people.
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“There has been a lot of focus on congressional action, deservedly,” a Democratic aide told HuffPost. “But don’t underrate the value of the public backlash.”
This aide pointed out that the public pressure had already gotten some results. For instance, Trump has expressed some openness to allowing USPS funding to pass, and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Sunday that the administration would support $10 billion for the Postal Service in a coronavirus deal.
Any deal on coronavirus economic relief, however, remains far off. Meadows told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday that he hadn’t spoken to Pelosi or Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) “in over a week.”
A handful of Republicans, particularly those representing heavily rural states and facing difficult reelection campaigns, have responded to the public backlash to voice displeasure with Trump and DeJoy’s actions.
Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), both of whom face strong Democratic challengers in November, wrote letters to Dejoy. Daines called the removal of postal boxes ”unacceptable” and Collins urged the postmaster general to “promptly address” delivery delays. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) criticized Trump and the Postal Service for actions threatening delivery of the mail, including absentee ballots.
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Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), perhaps the most moderate Democrat in the Senate, also seized on the issue last weekend, touring a USPS distribution center and repeatedly tweeting about the removal of processing machinery in West Virginia.
An aide for the House Oversight Committee, which is generating the Democrats’ Postal Service legislation, told HuffPost that the bill already has some GOP support. “Significantly, even Republican members of Congress, state officials and local representatives have joined in expressing their opposition to these drastic changes that are severely affecting our constituents, including veterans, small businesses and families in rural areas,” this aide said.
With Congress’ ability to protect the Postal Service limited, the last line of defense will fall to the states. State governments could change their laws to get around the Trump administration’s purposeful postal delays by accepting absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day but received afterwards. Nineteen states already accept ballots received anywhere from three to 10 days later.
But without McConnell’s assent to funding legislation, protecting the USPS is an uphill battle. And another Democratic aide gave a reality check about the bipartisan nature of saving the Postal Service.
“House and Senate Republicans seem content once again with just watching the world burn,” the aide said. “This is them doing everything they can to intentionally break an entire agency so they can point at it and feign outrage and tell the American people that ‘government isn’t working.’”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-18--Separating Fact From Fiction: How Trump Is Hobbling The Post Office

“ Now they need that money in order to make the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots , ” Trump said Thursday in an interview on Fox Business .
“ But if they don ’ t get those two items , that means you can ’ t have universal mail-in voting.
” It was a brazen admission of voter suppression .
Because of the coronavirus pandemic , more Americans than ever are expected to cast their votes by mail , with roughly 80 million doing so , more than double the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden are far more likely to say they plan to vote by mail than Trump supporters , according to a recent poll .
For months , Trump has attacked the legitimacy of mail-in voting , inaccurately describing the process as highly vulnerable to fraud .
In fact , voting fraud is extremely rare — both with in-person and mail-in voting .
All states allow some form of voting by mail , although some make it more difficult than others .
In April , the Postal Service requested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and an additional $ 50 billion in grants and loans to offset COVID-related losses .
House Democrats have pushed for previous stimulus packages responding to the pandemic to include the $ 25 billion , but that proposal stalled in the Republican-controlled Senate .
Now Trump , having made clear he sees the Postal Service ’ s ability to function properly as a key threat to his reelection , has threatened to veto emergency funding legislation , a move that risks disenfranchising millions of voters .
Despite Trump ’ s broad-daylight admission of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underway to pretend nothing is actually happening to hamper the Postal Service .
The Wall Street Journal editorial board wrote Monday that the idea Trump is politicizing the agency with the goal of influencing the election is an “ evidence-free conspiracy theory ” akin to asserting that the USPS “ is being infiltrated by alien lizard people posing as letter carriers.
” And Trump himself has muddied the waters by claiming on Twitter he is simply trying to “ SAVE THE POST OFFICE !
” Shortly after taking over , DeJoy banned employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ensure on-time deliveries .
“ One aspect of these changes that may be difficult for employees is that — temporarily — we may see mail left behind or mail on the workroom floor or docks , ” a memo to employees warned .
The next month , DeJoy reassigned or fired 23 Postal Service executives , a move that concentrated power around the postmaster general .
The financial crush of the pandemic combined with DeJoy ’ s internal restructuring has created a dramatic slowdown in USPS delivery times .
Small business owners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks late , which threatens to cost them future business .
People whose lives depend on mail-order prescription drugs say they are missing doses as they wait for the medicine to emerge from the mail backlog .
Late last month , the USPS warned officials in 46 states and the District of Columbia that it could not guarantee that all ballots cast by mail would be delivered in time to be counted in the election .
In response to these warnings , some states have moved deadlines to either require voters to return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time for ballots to arrive before finalizing results .
In Pennsylvania , a swing state , election officials have asked the state Supreme Court to extend the mail-in voting deadline by three days , citing concerns about mail delivery speed .
“ To state it simply : voters who apply for mail-in ballots in the last week of the application period and return their complete ballot by mail will , through no fault of their own , likely be disenfranchised , ” lawyers for the administration of Gov .
Tom Wolf ( D @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even as Trump fights to restrict mail-in ballot , he is eager to make sure ballots from his own supporters get delivered on time .
His reelection campaign has already sent materials to voters in Florida , North Carolina , and Iowa ― all states that polls show are up for grabs ― urging them to request their absentee ballot immediately .
Mailers sent to voters in North Carolina include a strategically doctored image of a tweet from Trump .
Last Thursday , VICE reported that the USPS was removing mail sorting machines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without providing an explanation to workers .
VICE later obtained internal documents showing that the Postal Service had planned to remove some of its letter sorting machines before DeJoy was appointed , although the documents do not provide a reason for the plans .
What Are Democrats Doing ?
Democrats are pushing legislation that would provide emergency funding for the USPS and block the Postal Service from implementing any changes to its operations or level of service it had in place at the beginning of the year until after the pandemic has ended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secure the backing of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) , a Trump ally .

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President Donald Trump admitted last week that he plans to block desperately needed funding for the U.S. Postal Service because it will make it more difficult for Americans to vote by mail in the Nov. 3 election.
“Now they need that money in order to make the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots,” Trump said Thursday in an interview on Fox Business. “But if they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting.”
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It was a brazen admission of voter suppression. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, more Americans than ever are expected to cast their votes by mail, with roughly 80 million doing so, more than double the number in the 2016 election. Supporters of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden are far more likely to say they plan to vote by mail than Trump supporters, according to a recent poll.
For months, Trump has attacked the legitimacy of mail-in voting, inaccurately describing the process as highly vulnerable to fraud. In fact, voting fraud is extremely rare — both with in-person and mail-in voting. All states allow some form of voting by mail, although some make it more difficult than others.
A colossal increase in mail-in ballots means a huge increase in work for the USPS. Already cash-strapped by a 2006 law requiring it to pre-fund its pension plans, the agency’s finances have been further strained by the pandemic.
In April, the Postal Service requested a $25 billion injection of cash and an additional $50 billion in grants and loans to offset COVID-related losses. House Democrats have pushed for previous stimulus packages responding to the pandemic to include the $25 billion, but that proposal stalled in the Republican-controlled Senate. Now Trump, having made clear he sees the Postal Service’s ability to function properly as a key threat to his reelection, has threatened to veto emergency funding legislation, a move that risks disenfranchising millions of voters.
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Meanwhile, the new head of the USPS — a major Trump donor — has been reducing the Postal Service’s capacity ahead of the election in what many critics fear is an attempt to further hobble its capacity to process mailed ballots
Despite Trump’s broad-daylight admission of his scheme, a considerable push also is underway to pretend nothing is actually happening to hamper the Postal Service. The Wall Street Journal editorial board wrote Monday that the idea Trump is politicizing the agency with the goal of influencing the election is an “evidence-free conspiracy theory” akin to asserting that the USPS “is being infiltrated by alien lizard people posing as letter carriers.” And Trump himself has muddied the waters by claiming on Twitter he is simply trying to “SAVE THE POST OFFICE!”
Furthering the confusion, in the understandable hysteria about the potential undermining of the voting process, some misleading information has circulated on Twitter ― not every viral photo of uprooted mailboxes is directly tied to a conspiracy. So what exactly is happening at the USPS?
A GOP Megadonor In Charge
Blocking funding isn’t the only way Trump and his allies can interfere with the Postal Service. In May, the USPS Board of Governors (which is headed by a former Republican National Committee chairman) appointed Louis DeJoy, a top donor to Trump’s reelection campaign and to the RNC, as postmaster general.
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DeJoy justified the changes as necessary cost-cutting measures — but it resulted in slower mail and fears that the Postal Service will be ill-equipped to handle the influx of mail-in ballots in the fall.
On Tuesday, in response to mounting criticism, DeJoy announced he would suspend “some operational initiatives ... that have been raised as areas of concern” until after the election.
46 States At Risk Of Late Ballot Delivery
The financial crush of the pandemic combined with DeJoy’s internal restructuring has created a dramatic slowdown in USPS delivery times. Small business owners say packages are arriving to their customers weeks late, which threatens to cost them future business. People whose lives depend on mail-order prescription drugs say they are missing doses as they wait for the medicine to emerge from the mail backlog.
Late last month, the USPS warned officials in 46 states and the District of Columbia that it could not guarantee that all ballots cast by mail would be delivered in time to be counted in the election. In response to these warnings, some states have moved deadlines to either require voters to return their ballots earlier or to allow more time for ballots to arrive before finalizing results.
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In Pennsylvania, a swing state, election officials have asked the state Supreme Court to extend the mail-in voting deadline by three days, citing concerns about mail delivery speed. “To state it simply: voters who apply for mail-in ballots in the last week of the application period and return their complete ballot by mail will, through no fault of their own, likely be disenfranchised,” lawyers for the administration of Gov. Tom Wolf (D) wrote in a legal filing.
Even as Trump fights to restrict mail-in ballot, he is eager to make sure ballots from his own supporters get delivered on time. His reelection campaign has already sent materials to voters in Florida, North Carolina, and Iowa ― all states that polls show are up for grabs ― urging them to request their absentee ballot immediately. Mailers sent to voters in North Carolina include a strategically doctored image of a tweet from Trump.
MORE: Here are mailers that the Trump campaign is sending to North Carolina voters not only encouraging them to vote by mail but including an absentee ballot application pic.twitter.com/nIGC47EZsN — Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) August 17, 2020
The part visible in the mailer reads, ”... Absentee Ballots are fine because you have to go through a precise process to get your voting privilege.” The blurred out part of the tweet continues, “Not so with Mail-Ins. Rigged Election!!! 20% fraudulent ballots?”
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No meaningful difference exists between absentee ballots and mail-in ballots, despite Trump’s continued efforts to argue otherwise.
Internal Sabotage Or Routine Maintenance?
Last Thursday, VICE reported that the USPS was removing mail sorting machines from some facilities throughout the country, without providing an explanation to workers. VICE later obtained internal documents showing that the Postal Service had planned to remove some of its letter sorting machines before DeJoy was appointed, although the documents do not provide a reason for the plans.
At the same time, people started posting pictures of the iconic blue USPS letter collection boxes being loaded onto trucks and driven away.
They’re legit taking the mailboxes off the street. Cheating 101. pic.twitter.com/hkXcV5vtBH — Isaac Hayes III (@IsaacHayes3) August 14, 2020
At least one of the most viral images used as evidence of the disappearing mailboxes theory is an image taken out of context. But the USPS acknowledged it does sometimes haul away mailboxes.
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In response to the backlash, the Postal Service said in a statement that it “reviews collection box density every year on a routine basis to identify redundant/seldom used collection boxes as First-Class mail volume continues to decline.” The agency agreed to pause the removal of mailboxes until after Election Day to alleviate concerns.
Under regular circumstances, the removal of some mail sorting machines and mailboxes might have gone unnoticed. Against the backdrop of Trump’s threats to withhold USPS funding and DeJoy’s cost-cutting measures, both developments appeared ominous. But it’s not immediately clear that either is related to Trump’s reelection strategy.
What Are Democrats Doing?
Democrats are pushing legislation that would provide emergency funding for the USPS and block the Postal Service from implementing any changes to its operations or level of service it had in place at the beginning of the year until after the pandemic has ended. But any legislative proposal has to secure the backing of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), a Trump ally.
Democrats’ best shot at passing funding for the Postal Service is to make it a political liability for any lawmaker to vote against it. The USPS is popular among both Democrats and Republicans; unlike its private competitors, the agency is obligated to provide affordable delivery service to everyone in the country, even if they live in remote, hard to access areas.
DeJoy is scheduled to testify on Friday before a Senate committee and next week before a House committee. These hearings provide Democrats an opportunity to grill the postmaster general on the political motives behind his recent funding and staffing moves, as well as a chance to highlight the ways in which Americans stand to suffer if the Postal Service is allowed to fail.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-18--Cindy McCain Vouches For Joe Biden With Moving Democratic Convention Video

Cindy McCain is the latest Republican to cross party lines to support Democrat Joe Biden over President Donald Trump .
On Tuesday , the widow of Sen. John McCain ( R-Ariz. ) , who died two years ago , posted a video on social media celebrating the long friendship he ’ d had with Biden , a friendship she admits “ shouldn ’ t have worked.
” My husband and Vice President Biden enjoyed a 30+ year friendship dating back to before their years serving together in the Senate , so I was honored to accept the invitation from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebrating their relationship.https : //t.co/Y6XOnBC1IW — Cindy McCain ( @ cindymccain ) August 18 , 2020 According to The Associated Press , Biden first met McCain when he was a Delaware senator and McCain was assigned as his military aide on a trip overseas .
That initial meeting led to a friendship that often included family picnics .
“ They would just sit and joke .
It was like a comedy show , sometimes , to watch the two of them , ” Cindy McCain said in a preview of a video clip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Convention .
Cindy McCain will speak at the DNC on Tuesday night .
Although she is not expected to explicitly endorse Biden , she and daughter Meghan have been outspoken critics of Trump , especially after the president said that he didn ’ t consider Sen. McCain , a former prisoner of war , a hero “ because he was captured .
I like people who weren ’ t captured .
”

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Cindy McCain is the latest Republican to cross party lines to support Democrat Joe Biden over President Donald Trump.
On Tuesday, the widow of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who died two years ago, posted a video on social media celebrating the long friendship he’d had with Biden, a friendship she admits “shouldn’t have worked.”
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My husband and Vice President Biden enjoyed a 30+ year friendship dating back to before their years serving together in the Senate, so I was honored to accept the invitation from the Biden campaign to participate in a video celebrating their relationship.https://t.co/Y6XOnBC1IW — Cindy McCain (@cindymccain) August 18, 2020
According to The Associated Press, Biden first met McCain when he was a Delaware senator and McCain was assigned as his military aide on a trip overseas.
That initial meeting led to a friendship that often included family picnics.
“They would just sit and joke. It was like a comedy show, sometimes, to watch the two of them,” Cindy McCain said in a preview of a video clip to be shown at the Democratic National Convention.
Cindy McCain will speak at the DNC on Tuesday night.
Although she is not expected to explicitly endorse Biden, she and daughter Meghan have been outspoken critics of Trump, especially after the president said that he didn’t consider Sen. McCain, a former prisoner of war, a hero “because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-18--Teamsters Endorse Joe Biden For President

The 1.4 million member trade union the International Brotherhood of Teamsters endorsed Joe Biden for president Tuesday , its board unanimously voting to throw its support behind the Democratic ticket .
The Teamsters ’ announcement comes after two other major union endorsements this week and last from the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters and the postal carriers union , the National Association of Letter Carriers .
“ The Teamsters have a friend in Joe Biden , ” Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa said in a statement .
“ From his very first election to the Senate until now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the side of working Americans supporting their right to organize , their desire for fair wages and their need for a secure retirement.
” The Biden campaign has made a big play for the labor vote going into the Democratic National Convention .
The Teamsters , which is best known for representing freight drivers and warehouse workers , has a wide-reaching membership in a variety of public and private sector jobs , including agriculture , health care workers and law enforcement .
The union also represents the Biden campaign ’ s field organizers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Local 238 , securing a contract that guaranteed a $ 15 anhour minimum wage , overtime pay and a grievance process in May .
Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ ( I-Vt. ) presidential campaign was the first major party campaign to unionize last year .
The Teamsters are the last of the five biggest labor unions to back Biden , a self-proclaimed “ union guy.
” The National Education Association , the Service Employees International Union , the American Federation of Teachers , and the American Federation of State , County and Municipal Employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year .
While union membership continues to shrink in the United States , unions still represent roughly 14.6 million Americans , who are often reliable and mobilized voters .
Unions play a significant role in getting people out to vote ; for example , SEIU announced its plans to spend $ 150 million to get Democrats to the polls in November , targeting key states like Wisconsin , Florida , Nevada and Pennsylvania .
Biden ’ s campaign has backed legislation that would make it easier for workers to unionize , called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laws , which have weakened unions ’ leverage nationwide , and released a plan to reinstate Obama-era labor rules that aimed to strengthen collective bargaining powers and employer transparency .
That said , Biden hasn ’ t always backed policies that have aligned with unions ’ interests .
He was a big advocate for the Trans Pacific Partnership ( TPP ) , the failed 12-nation trade deal negotiated under the Obama administration .
Unions like the Teamsters were against the agreement and supported the United States ’ decision to walk away from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backed away from TPP , saying in 2019 he would renegotiate the agreement .
While those decisions haven ’ t stopped trade unions from endorsing Democrats , Biden still has ground to gain back among union members .
Four years ago , Hillary Clinton underperformed Barack Obama among union workers .
The Teamsters have backed Democratic candidates for president going back two decades ; they endorsed Clinton in 2016 , as well as both of Obama ’ s campaigns .

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The 1.4 million member trade union the International Brotherhood of Teamsters endorsed Joe Biden for president Tuesday, its board unanimously voting to throw its support behind the Democratic ticket.
The Teamsters’ announcement comes after two other major union endorsements this week and last from the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters and the postal carriers union, the National Association of Letter Carriers.
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“The Teamsters have a friend in Joe Biden,” Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa said in a statement. “From his very first election to the Senate until now, Vice President Biden has been on the side of working Americans supporting their right to organize, their desire for fair wages and their need for a secure retirement.”
The Biden campaign has made a big play for the labor vote going into the Democratic National Convention. The Teamsters, which is best known for representing freight drivers and warehouse workers, has a wide-reaching membership in a variety of public and private sector jobs, including agriculture, health care workers and law enforcement.
The union also represents the Biden campaign’s field organizers, who unionized under the Iowa-based Teamsters Local 238, securing a contract that guaranteed a $15 anhour minimum wage, overtime pay and a grievance process in May. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) presidential campaign was the first major party campaign to unionize last year.
The Teamsters are the last of the five biggest labor unions to back Biden, a self-proclaimed “union guy.” The National Education Association, the Service Employees International Union, the American Federation of Teachers, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees all endorsed Biden’s campaign earlier this year.
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While union membership continues to shrink in the United States, unions still represent roughly 14.6 million Americans, who are often reliable and mobilized voters. Unions play a significant role in getting people out to vote; for example, SEIU announced its plans to spend $150 million to get Democrats to the polls in November, targeting key states like Wisconsin, Florida, Nevada and Pennsylvania.
Biden’s campaign has backed legislation that would make it easier for workers to unionize, called for repealing “right to work” laws, which have weakened unions’ leverage nationwide, and released a plan to reinstate Obama-era labor rules that aimed to strengthen collective bargaining powers and employer transparency.
That said, Biden hasn’t always backed policies that have aligned with unions’ interests. He was a big advocate for the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), the failed 12-nation trade deal negotiated under the Obama administration. Unions like the Teamsters were against the agreement and supported the United States’ decision to walk away from the deal under Trump. Biden has since backed away from TPP, saying in 2019 he would renegotiate the agreement.
While those decisions haven’t stopped trade unions from endorsing Democrats, Biden still has ground to gain back among union members. Four years ago, Hillary Clinton underperformed Barack Obama among union workers.
The Teamsters have backed Democratic candidates for president going back two decades; they endorsed Clinton in 2016, as well as both of Obama’s campaigns.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-18--Rep. Richard Neal Rakes In Fossil Fuel Money Ahead Of Primary With Green New Dealer

In September 2018 , a series of gas explosions ripped through Massachusetts ’ Merrimack Valley , killing a teenager , injuring 23 people and causing a fire that leveled 80 homes and businesses .
NiSource , the utility giant that owned the faulty gas line , ultimately agreed to sell its subsidiary and exit the Bay State entirely .
That didn ’ t stop the company from doing business with one of the state ’ s most senior representatives in Congress .
On July 10 , 2019 ― just one day after NiSource settled with the family of Leonel Rondon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disaster ― the company joined others in the gas industry to host a $ 2,000-per-plate fundraiser for Rep. Richard Neal ( D-Mass . )
at a ritzy steakhouse in Washington , D.C. , according to an invitation HuffPost obtained .
Neal , the powerful chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means , is facing a heated primary challenge from Alex Morse , the progressive mayor of Holyoke , Massachusetts , who swore off corporate donations and is backed by groups advocating the Green New Deal .
By contrast , Neal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recipients of corporate donations in Congress , a reality he defended during a debate earlier this month , insisting the cash he raised benefited nonwhite candidates .
Neal has faced scrutiny for drawing vast sums from drugmakers , private equity firms and Fortune 500 companies so adept at skirting taxes they pay effectively negative rates .
Less attention has been paid to the 15-term congressman ’ s fundraising from the energy sector .
This cycle has been substantial .
Utilities ’ political action committees contributed $ 120,250 so far to Neal ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics , making him the industry ’ s No .
3 recipient during this election cycle .
Neal also received $ 2.1 million from the oil , gas and mining sector , including a $ 5,000 donation from Exxon Mobil Corp. and the pipeline builder Williams Companies .
NiSource said its “ employee-directed NiSource PAC regularly contributes to Members of Congress and candidates in the areas in which we have operations.
” The fundraiser at Bobby Van ’ s Steakhouse was hosted by Todd Lavin , the head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and PACs associated with an array of utility and electric companies including Avangrid , Exelon , National Grid , NextEra , NiSource , Xcel Energy and the trade group Edison Electric Institute .
“ If you follow the money , you ’ ll see that Richie Neal has been one of the biggest obstacles to clean energy and climate action in the Democratic caucus and in Congress as a whole , ” said Evan Weber , the political director of Sunrise Movement , the grassroots group behind the Green New Deal .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is corruption.
” A Neal campaign spokesperson pointed to two city anti-corruption ordinances Morse vetoed as mayor as evidence of the challenger ’ s “ hypocrisy ” and said the congressman opposed President Donald Trump ’ s plans to withdraw from the Paris climate accords and to open wilderness in the Arctic to oil drilling .
“ Richie Neal has made it clear time and time again that campaign contributors buy into his agenda , not the other way around , ” the campaign said .
The Green New Deal has played a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most contentious Democratic contests ahead of the Sept. 1 primary vote .
Sen. Ed Markey ( D-Mass . )
, who co-authored the resolution outlining the Green New Deal in Congress last year with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) , is facing a serious challenge from Rep. Joe Kennedy III ( D-Mass . )
, who backed the resolution but failed to win support from the climate movement ’ s biggest proponents .
Neal ’ s primary took a dramatic turn this month after College Democrats in Amherst accused Morse of sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and quickly unraveled as reports indicated a student operative seeking a job in Neal ’ s office made the claims .
But Neal remained slightly ahead of Morse in recent polling .

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In September 2018, a series of gas explosions ripped through Massachusetts’ Merrimack Valley, killing a teenager, injuring 23 people and causing a fire that leveled 80 homes and businesses. NiSource, the utility giant that owned the faulty gas line, ultimately agreed to sell its subsidiary and exit the Bay State entirely.
That didn’t stop the company from doing business with one of the state’s most senior representatives in Congress.
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On July 10, 2019 ― just one day after NiSource settled with the family of Leonel Rondon, the 18-year-old who died in the disaster ― the company joined others in the gas industry to host a $2,000-per-plate fundraiser for Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) at a ritzy steakhouse in Washington, D.C., according to an invitation HuffPost obtained.
Neal, the powerful chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, is facing a heated primary challenge from Alex Morse, the progressive mayor of Holyoke, Massachusetts, who swore off corporate donations and is backed by groups advocating the Green New Deal.
Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) is a top recipient of corporate donations in the entirety of Congress. Aaron Bernstein / reuters
By contrast, Neal, 71, is one of the top recipients of corporate donations in Congress, a reality he defended during a debate earlier this month, insisting the cash he raised benefited nonwhite candidates. Neal has faced scrutiny for drawing vast sums from drugmakers, private equity firms and Fortune 500 companies so adept at skirting taxes they pay effectively negative rates.
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Less attention has been paid to the 15-term congressman’s fundraising from the energy sector. This cycle has been substantial. Utilities’ political action committees contributed $120,250 so far to Neal’s campaign, according to data collated by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, making him the industry’s No. 3 recipient during this election cycle. Neal also received $2.1 million from the oil, gas and mining sector, including a $5,000 donation from Exxon Mobil Corp. and the pipeline builder Williams Companies.
Neal remains the only member of Massachusetts’ congressional delegation that hasn’t endorsed the Green New Deal, a movement for a rapid transition off fossil fuels.
NiSource said its “employee-directed NiSource PAC regularly contributes to Members of Congress and candidates in the areas in which we have operations.”
The fundraiser at Bobby Van’s Steakhouse was hosted by Todd Lavin, the head lobbyist at Boston-based energy giant Eversource Energy and PACs associated with an array of utility and electric companies including Avangrid, Exelon, National Grid, NextEra, NiSource, Xcel Energy and the trade group Edison Electric Institute.
“Plain and simple, what you see is corruption.” - Evan Weber, Sunrise Movement
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“If you follow the money, you’ll see that Richie Neal has been one of the biggest obstacles to clean energy and climate action in the Democratic caucus and in Congress as a whole,” said Evan Weber, the political director of Sunrise Movement, the grassroots group behind the Green New Deal. “Plain and simple, what you see is corruption.”
A Neal campaign spokesperson pointed to two city anti-corruption ordinances Morse vetoed as mayor as evidence of the challenger’s “hypocrisy” and said the congressman opposed President Donald Trump’s plans to withdraw from the Paris climate accords and to open wilderness in the Arctic to oil drilling.
“Richie Neal has made it clear time and time again that campaign contributors buy into his agenda, not the other way around,” the campaign said.
The Green New Deal has played a central role in the state’s most contentious Democratic contests ahead of the Sept. 1 primary vote. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), who co-authored the resolution outlining the Green New Deal in Congress last year with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), is facing a serious challenge from Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.), who backed the resolution but failed to win support from the climate movement’s biggest proponents.
Neal’s primary took a dramatic turn this month after College Democrats in Amherst accused Morse of sexual impropriety. The allegations were vague, and quickly unraveled as reports indicated a student operative seeking a job in Neal’s office made the claims. But Neal remained slightly ahead of Morse in recent polling.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-18--Senate’s Bipartisan Russia Report Refutes Trump’s Repeated ‘No Collusion’ Lie

AP Photo/Susan Walsh President Donald Trump shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka , Japan , June 28 , 2019 .
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump ’ s often-repeated “ no collusion ” claim about the help he received from Russia to win the 2016 election was belied once again Tuesday , this time by the bipartisan Senate intelligence committee following a three-year investigation .
Like U.S. intelligence services already concluded in 2017 and special counsel Robert Mueller reported in 2019 , the committee found that Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to help Trump — but further found that Trump ’ s campaign chairman Paul Manafort was particularly dangerous to U.S. national security .
The committee also concluded that Trump confidante Roger Stone — who along with Manafort and several others were convicted of felonies in Mueller ’ s probe — on the orders of Trump and his campaign sought to coordinate with WikiLeaks regarding the release of documents stolen from the Clinton camp .
“ At their direction , Stone took action to gain inside knowledge for the campaign and shared his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign officials on multiple occasions , ” the report stated .
Trump and his campaign , though , appeared to show little interest in addressing the specific findings of the report .
“ The Russia Collusion Hoax is the greatest political scandal in the history of this country , ” campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said in a statement , repeating language Trump has used since the investigations began soon after he took office in 2017 .
“ As this report proves , yet again , there was no collusion between Russia and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accepting Russian help to win the election was known even as it was happening in real time .
Trump started receiving intelligence briefings in August 2016 , when he was informed that Russian spy agencies had stolen emails from the Democratic National Committee and others and were releasing them through WikiLeaks .
That information was made public on Oct. 7 , when the Department of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence put out a joint statement naming both Russia and WikiLeaks .
Despite this , Trump cited that Russian-stolen material almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at his campaign rallies and in media interviews .
“ We love WikiLeaks , ” he would say , urging his supporters and the news media to read the latest batch of stolen documents to be released .
Many of the contacts between Russia and the Trump campaign , as well as a detailed analysis of the Russian-stolen material disseminated in the campaign ’ s final month , were previously published in the Mueller report .
But that document was effectively preempted by Trump ’ s handpicked Attorney General Bill Barr , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a news conference claiming — falsely — that it had failed to find evidence of collusion or obstruction of justice .
In fact , the report had plenty of evidence of both , but Trump and his allies have been claiming “ exoneration ” ever since .
Indeed , Trump and Barr have launched investigations in an attempt to discredit Mueller ’ s probe by claiming the FBI ’ s counterintelligence investigation should have never been started in the first place .
The Senate report found that Trump not only refused to turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time he was president , he also refused to hand over documents from the 10-week period between his election and inauguration using “ novel and unprecedented potential executive privilege claims.
” “ This can not happen again , ” Warner said .
“ As we head into the heat of the 2020 campaign season , I strongly urge campaigns , the executive branch , Congress and the American people to heed the lessons of this report in order to protect our democracy.
” But Trump , having escaped any consequences from Congress or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 began seeking foreign assistance again for his reelection , this time from Ukraine and China .
Starting within days of the release of the Mueller report in April 2019 , Trump began trying to extort Ukraine ’ s newly elected president into announcing an investigation into the Democrat he most feared , Joe Biden .
Trump ultimately was impeached for those actions , which involved using $ 391 million in U.S. military aid as leverage , but was allowed to remain in office by Republican senators , with the sole exception of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also publicly called on China to investigate Biden while privately begging its dictator , Xi Jinping , to help him win reelection by buying lots of farm products from the United States , according to his own national security adviser at the time , John Bolton .

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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s often-repeated “no collusion” claim about the help he received from Russia to win the 2016 election was belied once again Tuesday, this time by the bipartisan Senate intelligence committee following a three-year investigation.
Like U.S. intelligence services already concluded in 2017 and special counsel Robert Mueller reported in 2019, the committee found that Russia worked to hurt Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and to help Trump — but further found that Trump’s campaign chairman Paul Manafort was particularly dangerous to U.S. national security.
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“Manafort’s high-level access and willingness to share information with individuals closely affiliated with the Russian intelligence services … represented a grave counterintelligence threat,” the 966-page report found.
The committee also concluded that Trump confidante Roger Stone — who along with Manafort and several others were convicted of felonies in Mueller’s probe — on the orders of Trump and his campaign sought to coordinate with WikiLeaks regarding the release of documents stolen from the Clinton camp. “At their direction, Stone took action to gain inside knowledge for the campaign and shared his purported knowledge directly with Trump and senior campaign officials on multiple occasions,” the report stated.
President Donald Trump shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28, 2019. AP Photo/Susan Walsh
Trump and his campaign, though, appeared to show little interest in addressing the specific findings of the report. “The Russia Collusion Hoax is the greatest political scandal in the history of this country,” campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said in a statement, repeating language Trump has used since the investigations began soon after he took office in 2017. “As this report proves, yet again, there was no collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign.”
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That Trump was openly accepting Russian help to win the election was known even as it was happening in real time. Trump started receiving intelligence briefings in August 2016, when he was informed that Russian spy agencies had stolen emails from the Democratic National Committee and others and were releasing them through WikiLeaks. That information was made public on Oct. 7, when the Department of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence put out a joint statement naming both Russia and WikiLeaks.
Despite this, Trump cited that Russian-stolen material almost daily between Oct. 10 and Election Day at his campaign rallies and in media interviews. “We love WikiLeaks,” he would say, urging his supporters and the news media to read the latest batch of stolen documents to be released.
Many of the contacts between Russia and the Trump campaign, as well as a detailed analysis of the Russian-stolen material disseminated in the campaign’s final month, were previously published in the Mueller report.
But that document was effectively preempted by Trump’s handpicked Attorney General Bill Barr, who before the redacted report was released held a news conference claiming — falsely — that it had failed to find evidence of collusion or obstruction of justice. In fact, the report had plenty of evidence of both, but Trump and his allies have been claiming “exoneration” ever since. Indeed, Trump and Barr have launched investigations in an attempt to discredit Mueller’s probe by claiming the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation should have never been started in the first place.
The Senate report found that Trump not only refused to turn over material to the committee from the time he was president, he also refused to hand over documents from the 10-week period between his election and inauguration using “novel and unprecedented potential executive privilege claims.”
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Committee vice chairman Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, said investigators found “a breathtaking level of contacts between Trump officials and Russian government operatives” and that he hoped Americans will read the report for themselves.
“This cannot happen again,” Warner said. “As we head into the heat of the 2020 campaign season, I strongly urge campaigns, the executive branch, Congress and the American people to heed the lessons of this report in order to protect our democracy.”
But Trump, having escaped any consequences from Congress or prosecutors for the 2016 collusion, in 2019 began seeking foreign assistance again for his reelection, this time from Ukraine and China.
Starting within days of the release of the Mueller report in April 2019, Trump began trying to extort Ukraine’s newly elected president into announcing an investigation into the Democrat he most feared, Joe Biden. Trump ultimately was impeached for those actions, which involved using $391 million in U.S. military aid as leverage, but was allowed to remain in office by Republican senators, with the sole exception of Utah’s Mitt Romney.
Trump also publicly called on China to investigate Biden while privately begging its dictator, Xi Jinping, to help him win reelection by buying lots of farm products from the United States, according to his own national security adviser at the time, John Bolton.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-18--Donald Trump To Pardon Women's Suffrage Leader Susan B. Anthony

WASHINGTON ( AP ) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will pardon Susan B. Anthony , a leader in the women ’ s suffrage movement , who was arrested for voting in 1872 in violation of laws permitting only men to vote .
Anthony is best known for her role in the movement to secure voting rights for women , but she also was a strong anti-slavery and voting rights pioneer .
Trump ’ s pardon , which he said he ’ ll issue later Tuesday , comes 100 years after the ratification of the 19th Amendment , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s also known as the Susan B. Anthony Amendment .
His move also comes amid an outcry over Postal Service disruptions that Democrats say endanger the voting rights of millions of Americans who would vote by mail in November amid the pandemic .
Trump has denied asking for the mail to be delayed even as he leveled fresh criticism on mail-in voting .
Anthony was arrested for voting in her hometown of Rochester , New York , and convicted in a widely publicized trial .
Although she refused to pay the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further action .
The 19th Amendment states that “ The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
” Congress passed it in 1919 , and the amendment was ratified on Aug. 18 , 1920 .
Visiting Anthony ’ s grave site in Rochester on Election Day has become a popular ritual in recent years .
Thousands turned out in 2016 for the presidential match-up between Trump and Hillary Clinton .
In 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put their “ I Voted ” stickers on her headstone .

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will pardon Susan B. Anthony, a leader in the women’s suffrage movement, who was arrested for voting in 1872 in violation of laws permitting only men to vote.
Anthony is best known for her role in the movement to secure voting rights for women, but she also was a strong anti-slavery and voting rights pioneer.
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Trump’s pardon, which he said he’ll issue later Tuesday, comes 100 years after the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which ensured women the right to vote. It’s also known as the Susan B. Anthony Amendment.
His move also comes amid an outcry over Postal Service disruptions that Democrats say endanger the voting rights of millions of Americans who would vote by mail in November amid the pandemic. Trump has denied asking for the mail to be delayed even as he leveled fresh criticism on mail-in voting.
Anthony was arrested for voting in her hometown of Rochester, New York, and convicted in a widely publicized trial. Although she refused to pay the fine, the authorities declined to take further action.
The 19th Amendment states that “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” Congress passed it in 1919, and the amendment was ratified on Aug. 18, 1920.
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